WINDOW SHOPPING ON ST. ARMAND'S CIRCLE

LOOK NO FURTHER THAN ST. ARMAND'S CIRCLE , a compact shopping and dining paradise. The Circle, we locals refer to it as, is brimming with everything from chic designer apparel to timeless classic brands. Exquisite jewelry, art galleries and some of the best fudge you will ever taste. To fully appreciate the extraordinary selection, you will want to step inside, and many of the shops are open until 9:30. The master planners of The Circle were clever enough to strategically place comfortable benches for the patient ones who would rather sit and watch the action than shop. Don't let lack of parking keep you from coming out to the circle, valet will happily park your car for you, though rarely necessary. No matter what time of day or what calendar day of the year, it's always bustling with action and smiling friendly faces.

Farmer's Market Downtown Sarasota

Sarasota's Downtown Farmer's Market on a bright and sunny Saturday morning definitely excites the senses. Between the scent of candles, the texture of the woodworker's products, the sound of musicians, the organically grown produce and the fury little four legged pooches - it is a wonderful way to start the day.

Always in search of a great photo to share some of the local color, here you have it. There's nothing like fresh tomatoes.

Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending October 3 showed an increase of 2.2 percent over the previous week. So there must still be some optimists out there who believe the credit crunch will end in time for them to get a loan.
The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, was 465.5, an increase of 2.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from 455.4 one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index increased 2.2 percent compared with the previous week and was down 28.6 percent compared with the same week one year earlier.
The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 5.99 percent from 6.07 percent, with points decreasing to 1.09 from 1.12 (including the origination fee) for 80 percent loan-to-value (LTV) ratio loans.