Sanibel & Captiva Real Estate This Week
It was another very quiet week here on the real estate front. Too quiet! Even our monthly Association of Realtors® membership meeting yesterday had little activity reported with just a handful of new listings announced in the 2-week period since our last caravan. Our speaker was Chauncey Goss, son of Sanibel first mayor and past CIA Director Porter Goss. Chauncey and his family live on Sanibel and he is running for Congress, though he could not speak to us from a candidate perspective (one of those rules we have for our membership meetings). With much of Chauncey’s professional work directly related to fiscal policy analysis and federal budgeting, his presentation was called “Budget 101”. It was quite an eye-opener, even for those of us who follow the Washington grapevine, an excellent presentation though with disheartening content about the country’s financial woes.
Sanibel Bear
Our big news yesterday afternoon was that the Sanibel bear (a juvenile male black bear) was captured near the lighthouse, tranquilized by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission employees (FWC), and relocated off island to an undetermined wilderness area. The bear was first detected on the island last June, when a remote wildlife camera at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge caught it on a night camera when it was roaming preserve land. It was photographed then by a motion-activated infrared camera at the Bailey Tract. Since last year, there have been sightings with the bear living quietly in and around the Wildlife Refuge. Few people actually saw it.
In recent weeks, however, it was spotted in different east-end locations, roaming beyond the Refuge and conservation land, and over the past 10 days, it began to demonstrate nuisance behavior. The City of Sanibel Natural Resources Department, Sanibel Police Department, Public Works Department and the National Wildlife Refuge, worked in conjunction with FWC to safely relocate the bear off-island.
According to Mike Orlando, the FWC assistant bear program coordinator, it was a dispersing bear (looking for its own territory) and almost certainly swam to the island. “We know that bears swim well,” Orlando said. “We’ve found them many miles offshore swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Why, we don’t know. Whether it came over from St. James City or up from Big Cypress, where there is a very healthy bear population, through Bonita, that swim is nothing for a bear.”
Over the next year, it was a “good bear,” Orlando said, but about two weeks ago, it started moving around, and Sanibel city officials started getting calls. “Most likely, it started getting restless, looking for a female,” Orlando said. “He changed his behavior from being reclusive to wandering all around.”
Though it never actively threatened anyone, with the bear being around people, officials decided to capture and relocate it. “The bear was never a threat to humans,” Orlando said. “We got within 10 feet of it (Wednesday), and it just took off.” Sanibel environmental planner James Evans saw the bear Thursday morning near Sanibel’s Lighthouse Beach and called FWC wildlife officials, who shot the animal with a tranquilizer dart at about 12:30 p.m.
“We’re helping this bear off the island,” Orlando said. “It might have left on its own. We’re just making it a little quicker.” Orlando measured the bear (6.2′ long), estimated its weight (250 pounds) and age (2½ to 3½ years), clipped a tag to its ear, tattooed its lip, pulled some hair for genetic analysis and a tooth to determine its age. Orlando wasn’t sure where the bear would be released. “We know it won’t be Big Cypress,” he said. “There’s a population of about 800 bears down there, and adding yet another dispersing bear wouldn’t be wise.”
In making this announcement on http://www.mysanibel.com/Departments/City-Manager-s-Office/News/Sanibel-Black-Bear-Relocated-Off-Island, Sanibel City Manager Judie Zimomra said, “Through our Vision Statement, the City of Sanibel places the highest priority on protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat. In the case of this black bear, over the past two weeks, it became very clear his opportunity to live a long happy life would be best off-island where he can find a mate and live the remainder of his years happily and safely in a more natural, non-residential bear habitat.” Zimomra further stated, “Over the last several days as the bear began to frequent neighborhoods, including porches, our community was extremely helpful in detecting the bear’s patterns with their prompt phone calls to the Sanibel Police Department, reporting the whereabouts of the bear. Additionally, through their knowledge of our island and habitat, our City employees were particularly useful partners to the FWC during this endeavor.”
Black bears are native to Florida and are protected under state and federal laws. Dwindling populations in Florida has caused this sub species to be listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to approach or harass this animal.
Island Weather
This week while our local weather stations have reported hot weather throughout much of the U.S., it seems that the makings for a tropical depression were forming in the gulf. Island weather all week has been high 70’s to low 80’s, partly cloudy with an occasional shower, enough to make vacationers at times unhappy, but really just typical Florida in the summer. This morning there were rumblings that the same weather will probably continue for the next few days with a greater possibility of that depression forming over the next day or so. It is just the time of the year when we need to keep a close eye on the weather channel. We received our hurricane passes from the City this week so we hope that being prepared works like bringing your umbrella into the office to prevent the rain. That did not work too well today as a steady rain began at noon. It is now expected to continue until this storm makes its next move or disperses. Here is a link to the National Weather Service’s Hurricane Center.
What To Do On Sanibel
As I learn more and more about social media and how to become a better blogger (i.e. better business person), I occasionally come across someone else’s blog that I find worth sharing. Here is one that I happened upon this week. It is written by journalist gal who specializes in world travel and has come to the islands many times. She has some good points about the islands and in this blog responds to the question “What to do on Sanibel Island?” “Chris Around the World, Your Guide to Value Luxury Vacations”
Another July 4th Happening
For the holiday early birds, it was announced this week that on July 4th, before the parade, the Sanibel Community Church will host a pancake breakfast to benefit the Sanibel campus of Summit Christian Preschool. From 7 to 9 a.m., the community is invited to enjoy a hearty all-American breakfast with all donations to support the preschool which is located at the church (1740 Periwinkle Way, next to Jerry’s Supermarket).
The day of the 4th now is filled with events from morning until night with this breakfast, morning parade, noon road rally, afternoon holiday party, and fireworks at dusk.
Tarpon Fishing
I heard some rumblings this week about Doc Ford’s pulling their entry out of a recent local Tarpon Tournament, so I checked out Randy Wayne White’s website for more info. Many of you know that Randy was a local fishing guide, before he became such a renowned author and co-owner of the Doc Ford’s restaurants (named after his books’ main character). Fishermen interested in tarpon, may find the article posted on Randy Wayne White’s Doc Ford’s Website fascinating. Local book worms may also enjoy reading about Randy’s latest book. When Elise’s family was vacationing on the island last week, they were happy to meet Randy in person when they stopped at Doc Ford’s on Sanibel, and a discussion about sharks ensued.
Sundial Resort Scoop
I recently ran into a couple of the principals involved in the purported upcoming sale of the resort. Since Realtors® try to be cognizant of the confidentiality in announcing a pending transaction, my lips are sealed on the details; but stand by for some good news regarding Sundial. There should be more to report in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, here is a quick update of Sanibel inventory and sales this year, compared to 2011, followed by the activity announced this week in the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service.
SANIBEL SALES STATS
CONDOS HOMES LOTS No./Avg Price $ No./Avg Price $ No./Avg Price $ For sale: 176/639,341 205/1,238,924 84/610,979 Pending sales: 20/577,945 31/1,026,722 4/631,000 Sold & closed in: 2012 thru 6/22 100/560,593 97/817,087 19/391,621 2011 all year 142/591,861 179/826,130 19/363,729Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity June 15-22:
Sanibel
CONDOS
No new listings.
2 price changes: Sundial #G207 1/1 now $239.9K, Sundial #D412 1/1 now $305K.
4 new sales: Captains Walk #F7 2/1.5 listed for $227K, Kings Crown #212 2/2 listed for $599K (our listing), Sand Pointe #212 2/2 listed for $629K, High Tide #B202 2/2 listed for $1.4775M.
5 closed sales: Seashells #26 2/2 $242.5K, Sanibel Moorings #1412 1/1 $260K, Tennisplace #C31 2/1.5 $255K, Kings Crown #215 2/2 $550K, Sundial #T207 2/2 $818K.
HOMES
5 new listings: 1193 Kittiwake Cir 4/3 $699K, 1441 Causey Ct 3/2 $739K, 1234 Middle Gulf Dr 3/2 $795K, 804 Birdie View Pt 3/3 $1.199M, 912 Almas Ct 3/2.5 $1.249M.
5 price changes: 1125 Captains Walk St 2/2 now $499.9K; 2166 Egret Cir 3/2 now $539,555; 1263 Par View Dr 5/2.5 now $699K; 2449 Harbour Ln 2/2 now $895K; 6440 Pine Ave 3/2.5 now $1.85M.
5 new sales: 1603 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 half-duplex lissted for $445K, 561 Lake Murex Cir 3/2.5 listed for $629K, 591 Boulder Dr 4/3 listed for $629K, 2294 Wulfert Rd 4/4 listed for $998K, 2228 Starfish Ln 3/2.5 listed for $1.25M.
1 closed sale: 4630 Rue Bayou 4/4.5 $1.145M.
LOTS
1 new listing: 4771 Rue Helene $436K.
No price changes.
2 new sales: 5044 Joewood Dr listed for $499K, 568 Lighthouse Way listed for $1.3M.
2 closed sales: 637 Sea Oats Dr $250K, 2251 Starfish Ln $261.9K.
Captiva
CONDOS
1 new listing: Gulf Beach Villas #2004 2/2 $679K.
2 price changes: Bayside Villas #5308 3/3 now $579K, Captiva Bay Villas #2 3/3.5 now $1.998M.
1 new sale: Captiva Bay Villas #D 3/3.5 listed for $2.995M.
1 closed sale: Bayside Villas #5234 1/2 $262.5K.
HOMES
No new listings.
1 price change: 56 Sandpiper Ct 2/2.5 now $669K.
1 new sale: 11514 Andy Rosse Ln 4/4 listed for $2.395M.
No closed sales.
LOTS
Nothing to report.
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