Happy Earth Day

Lots of free and earth-friendly activities were going on today at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge to celebrate, in partnership with Ding Darling Wildlife Society Friends of the Refuge & Tarpon Bay Explorers, the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. A terrific picture was posted on-line and in several of the local papers featuring “Bagzilla” whose costume of 500 plastic bags represents what a typical shopper uses in one year. Here at SanibelSusan Realty, we recycle and have just added a new bag to our collection thanks to our pal and photographer, Roberta Schuldenfrei. Next time you are in our office be sure to check out our blown-up and framed version of Roberta’s photo taken at the West Gulf Drive beach near Waterside Inn. It’s so Sanibel! We love it!

Last Sanibel Farmers Market of the Season

 If you have enjoyed the Sanibel Farmers Market this winter, don’t miss the last one on Sunday from 8 a.m. until 1 p. m (on City Hall grounds). Their season has been very successful, with over 40 different vendors participating this year. Here’s the list: Quality Cheese, Aunt Nan’s Cheesecakes, B&B Organics, Bagel Factory, Bark Street Dog Bakery, Capt Bob’s Smoking To Go BBQ, Big C’s Salsa, Bromeliads by Appointment, Pine Island Botanicals, East End Deli (The Big Cheese & Pickles), Elfi’s Bakery, European Bakery & Deli, Evi’s Bakery, Exotic Orchids, Dominga’s Fresh Flowers, French Bread Oven, Gallego’s Farm, Gone Nuts, Irene Lam’s Veggies & Asian Food, Dancing Dragonfly Soap, Walker Honey, Magic Cauldron Kettle Corn, On a Roll Smoothies, P&J’s Nuts-R-Us, Paradise Produce, Paradise Soaps, Peperonata Pasta, Pete’s Mozzarella, Ralph’s Seafood, Sanibel Deli (Fresh Donuts), Sauce Lady, Sugar Island Bakery Cupcakes, The French Artisan, Tim Kuppert Seasonings, Venus Veggies, Worden Farm, Poco Loco’s Coffee, Scent Sense Aromatherapy, Fort Myers Floral Designs Fresh Flowers/Candles, Jill’s Sunshower Gardens Cookies, Cut Throat Clams, Petmopolitan Dog & Cat Food, The Happy Pickle. We hope they all return when the market reopens in November.

17th Annual Spring Festival Tomorrow

This event is sponsored by The Children’s Education Center of the Islands and is already being set up at the City park across the street from SanibelSusan Realty. Though the islands are slowing down, the weekend features plenty of activities for families to enjoy over the holidays. The weather this past week and the seven-day forecast are “picture perfect”. We are sooo lucky. 

Fannie Mae: Economy Hits Air Pocket

An article posted on Florida Realtors® yesterday says “Global events during March – ongoing political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa, the surge in oil prices and supply disruptions from the tragedy in Japan – dampened U.S. economic growth in the first half of 2011, according to the April 2011 Economic Outlook released today by Fannie Mae’s Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis Group. However, Fannie Mae expects the slowdown to be temporary, with a modest acceleration in economic growth projected for the second half of the year. The group forecasts economic growth to average 3.1 percent for 2011, a downgrade from 3.5 percent projected in the prior forecast. Home sales were weak in the first part of 2011, with distressed sales (foreclosure and short sales) continuing to account for more than a third of total existing home sales. In turn, a rising share of distressed sales and the winding down of various programs to support the housing market have caused home price measures to decline. “Home price expectations have deteriorated during the past several months, which could cause some potential homebuyers to remain on the sidelines – and further sharp cutbacks in housing demand would pose a risk to the fragile housing recovery,” says Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan. “We expect a little more decline in house prices at the national level than we had thought previously, but expect prices to begin stabilizing later this year.” On the upside, recent employment reports have been very strong, with more than 230,000 private sector payroll jobs added in each of the last two months. “We anticipate there will be continued reasonably good news in employment through the rest of the year,” said Duncan. “If that continues, we expect housing to move in a similar positive direction – hopefully by the second half of 2011.” Fingers crossed for the rest of the country as Sanibel has been very fortunate to have a good surge in sales so far this year.

Real Estate Activity on the Islands

Here is a summary of Sanibel and Captiva real estate activity compared to the last two years, from the first of the year until today. Please take the average sales prices with a grain of salt as mostly the high-end and a few low-end homes and condos are what are moving. The inventory of property priced mid-range just keeps growing with prices still dropping. Right after Easter our prospective buyer base usually changes to the “bargain hunters”. We are ready for them!

                                            Sold from 1/1 to 4/22                         

                        2009                 2010                 2011

                        # – Avg $           # – Avg $           # – Avg $

Sanibel

Condos             18 – $647,444    42 – $562,473    50 – $710,245            

Homes              32 – $952,062    43 – $698,829    59 – $812,147

Lots                  5 – $407,000      8 – $300,625      5 – $299,500

Sanibel Total     55                     93                               114

Captiva

Condos             8 – $1,007,500   8 – $508,988      6 – $767,917

Homes              3 – $2,933,333   4 – $1,884,375   3 – $2,720,433

Lots                  1 – $2,795,000   1 – $3,650,000   0 – N/A

Captiva Total      12                     13                                9

Sanibel & Captiva MLS Activity – April 15 to 22

 

Sanibel

CONDOS

2 new listings: Heron at The Sanctuary #2B 3/3.5 $619.9K, Sayana #202 2/2 $923.5K.

7 price changes: Sundial #H108 1/1 now $339K, Sundial #H402 2/2 now $495K, Pointe Santo #D2 2/2 now $639K, Sanctuary Golf Villages #3 3/3 now $739K, Sundial #K203 2/2 now $769K, Sayana #103 2/2 now $839K, Sundial #K208 2/2 now $875K.

4 new sales: Sanibel Siesta #803 2/2 listed for $399.9K, Lighthouse Point #211 2/2 listed for $579K, Sandy Bend #2 2/2 listed for $599K, Plantation Village #A112 3/2 listed for $949K.

4 closed sales: Tennisplace #B31 2/1 $258K, Mariner Pointe #1032 2/2 $340K (our buyer), Yacht Haven #5 3/2 $650K, Villas of Sanibel #A102 3/3 $950K (our listing), Sedgemoor #201 3/3.5 $2.2475M (our listing).

HOMES

3 new listings: 2425 Los Colony 3/2 $399K, 1431 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 $763K, 5406 Osprey Ct 3/2 $879.9K.

13 price changes: 848 Rabbit Rd 3/2 now $339K (short sale), 1525 Wilton Ln 3/3 now $499K, 617 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 now $599K, 3061 Poinciana Cir 3/2 now $698K, 1234 Seagrape Ln 2/2 now $699.9K, 1528 Angel Dr 3/2 now $699K, 1247 Par View 3/2 now $749K, 2332 Troon Ct 4/5 now $1.15M, 1743 Venus Dr 4/3.5 now $1.299M, 865 Birdie View Pte 4/4.5 now $1.595M, 1309 Par View Dr 3/3 now $1.699M, 5612 Baltusrol Ct 4/4.5 now $1.895M, 5029 Joewood Dr 3/2.5 now $2.195M, 3401 West Gulf Dr 4/4.5 now $5.2M.

7 new sales: 4237 Old Bayan Way 2/2 listed for $479.9K, 994 Whelk Dr 2/2 listed for $549,950, 751 Sand Dollar Dr 4/2.5 listed for $799K, 1558 San Carlos Bay Dr 2/2.5 listed for $999,999, 1212 Isabel Dr 3/3 listed for $1.995M, 4501 Waters Edge 4/5/2 listed for $1.995M (short sale), 4443 Waters Edge 3/2.5 listed for $2.58M.

5 closed sales: 6072 Dinkins Lake Rd 3/2 $435K (short sale), 1186 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 $470K, 1148 Seagrape Ln 2/2 $470K, 5429 Shearwater Dr 3/3 half-duplex $705K, 3705 West Gulf Dr 5/5/2 $2.55M (short sale).

LOTS

3 new listings: 5618 Baltusrol Ct $199,555, 6401 Pine Ave $799K, 4407 West Gulf Dr $4.5M.

No price changes, new or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

2 price changes: Captiva Shores #3A 3/2.5 now $599K, Lands End Village #1625 2/2 now $1.225M.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

1 new listing: 15158 Wiles Dr 5/4 $2.65M.

1 price change: 11536 Wightman Ln 3/3 now $799K.

2 new sales: 11540 Gore Ln 3/3 listed for $919K, 11515 Chapin 3/2 listed for $975K.

2 closed sales: 33 Urchin Ct 2/2 $673.8K, 15699 Captiva Dr 5/5.5 $6.087.5M.

LOTS

No new listings.

1 price change: 11525 Murmond Ln now $549K.

No new or closed sales.