The real estate brokerage Redfin recently ranked Sarasota as No. 9 in a list of the country's 15 most affordable beach towns for buying a vacation home. A blog post explaining the listing cited Sarasota's "blend of city culture and beach leisure" as "what really makes it a great place to find a vacation home." The top three destinations are Atlantic City, New Jersey; Miami; and Clearwater. Seven of the top 15 cities are in Florida.