Located on Florida’s West Coast overlooking the Gulf of Mexico is the up and coming town of Sarasota.

This spot is known for its beautiful sandy beaches, challenging golf courses, warm breezes and magnificent sunsets. With such impressive credentials, it should come as no surprise that it has just been named America’s most popular retirement destination.

Sarasota is a city which has maintained the charming small-town America atmosphere that so many are after when considering moving to, or buying, a second property in Florida. There are a number of museums and galleries in which to while away an afternoon as well as an opera house, a resident ballet company, excellent live theatre and a variety of jazz bars. All this on top of year round sunshine…

The city is home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Siesta Key was recently rated the No2 beach in the USA by Dr Beach and the white sandy shores attract tourists from all over the world who come to revel in the joys of a trip to The Sunshine State.

Nearby Bradenton is just as rich in old-school Florida flair as its neighbour. Allow yourself to be charmed by the Village of the Arts – home to the areas bohemian locals or spend the day searching for bargains at the Red Barn Flea Market.

After a little investigation into Sarasota and Bradenton’s charms it soon becomes apparent why it is carving itself a reputation as one of Florida’s most desirable locations. Just $30,000 will buy you a one-bed, one-bath apartment in a block which has leisure facilities including a pool and a fitness centre. For $100,000 you can get a two-bed, two-bath villa with a large living room and two car garage. If you have a little more to spend then for $300,000 you can buy your very own ranch with five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a jacuzzi. For more information on buying in the Sarasota area of Florida and to browse more great properties there visit the website of Your Global Agents, an agency run by resident expat Pat Tan.

For details of property for sale in Florida, and anywhere in the USA, visit the USA listings on Rightmove Overseas. One way to save money when buying in the USA is to use a currency specialist when transferring your pounds into dollars to complete the purchase of your property. For more information on this, contact Smart Currency Exchange.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in America, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘USA Property Buying Guide’