It’s SanibelSusan reporting another week of “mores” – more great weather and more good showing activity.

Yesterday’s Association of Realtors® West-End Caravan Meeting was well attended. Again this week, price reductions were the predominate announcements. There were a few new listings announced too. We are looking for some of those, as for the first time in many months, we are down to just eight listings. True to form… February and March are the busiest with sales.

Below are a few island and real-estate related news items, followed by the action posted in the Sanibel/Captiva Multiple Listing Service since last Friday.

Many island events are scheduled between now and the end of season. Here are a few.

Upcoming Island Events

San Cap Art League March Sale – tomorrow, March 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Bailey’s Shopping Center Veranda.

Life in the Dark – March 15^th Wed from 5 to 8 p.m. This is an adult class offered by Sanibel Sea School. For more info visit www.sanibelschool.org/sanibel-adult-programs.

34^th Annual Sanibel-Captiva Lions Club Fine Arts & Crafts Fair – March 17^th & 18^th – next Fri & Sat from 9 a..m. to 5 p.m. at The Sanibel Community House – with over 100 exhibitors, over 100 silent auction items, raffle, food & beverages.

Last Chris Coile Concert of the Season – March 21^st – Tues from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at George & Wendy’s Seafood Grille to benefit FISH of SanCap. With special tributes to The Beatles, Roy Oribison, and Elvis. No cover. All donations to FISH are voluntary. 100% of Coile’s CD sales go to FISH too.

Spring Concerts Celebrating 10 Years with Director Steve Cramer – BIG ARTS Community Chorus spring concerts – March 28^th & 30^th – Tues & Thurs at 7 p.m. at Schein Performance Hall at BIG ARTS. Tickets on sale at the BIG ARTS box office and on-line at www.BIGARTS.org. This Realtor® sings in the alto section and also with the group Ensemble.

23^rd Annual Spring Festival – April 15^th – Sat, the day before Easter –- from 9 to 11 a.m. at Sanibel City Park, across the street from SanibelSusan Realty and presented by the Children’s Education Center of the Islands. The Festival begins at 9 a.m. with a free Easter Egg Hunt by age group. Games, arts and crafts, and contests follow and include pony and unicorn rides, a bounce house, grand slide, face painting, & more. The Easter Bunny makes an appearance at 10:15 and will be available for free photos. The Festival also includes a silent auction with over 60 gift baskets. A $10 armband will allow each child unlimited fun to participate in all activities. The Children’s Education Center of the Islands is a non-profit school run by a parent board. Proceeds from the Festival will benefit the center’s scholarship fund and capital improvements. All residents and visitors welcome.   Here are a few photos from past events.

New Rest Area Approved

Tuesday, Sanibel City Council unanimously approved a new shared use path rest area near the intersection of Casa Ybel Road and Middle Gulf Drive. It is expected to contain a pair of 5’ benches, a 5’ bicycle rack, and a water fountain, all on a pentagon-shaped tract surrounded by a strangler fig, sabal palm, and a cluster of seagrapes.

Key Points About Flood Insurance

The March issue of “FloridaRealtor®” magazine contains good info about flood insurance.

“Under the federal National Flood Insurance Program, homes and businesses in high-risk areas, such as waterfront or low-lying communities, are required to have flood insurance to receive a mortgage loan from federally regulated or insured lenders. However, there are three issues that significantly impact owners’ ability to protect their property:

• The NFIP is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2017, unless Congress reauthorizes it. This could lead to substantial rate increases.
• At this point, residential and commercial property owners have limited choices when looking for coverage (though Congress is now considering a bipartisan bill to open up the flood insurance market to private companies).
• Many buyers are not even sure what coverage they need because reading flood maps remains complex and confusing.

“Key Points About Flood Insurance

• Buyers may purchase flood insurance only through an insurance agent, not directly from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
• Rates do not differ from company to company, or agent to agent.
• Rates depend on several factors, including whether the building is residential or commercial, when it was constructed and the elevation of the property as compared to the base flood elevation.
• A property’s location on the NFIP flood map may determine whether a lender requires coverage.
• Buyers may purchase a policy, regardless of where their home is, since flood damage can occur in moderate- and low-risk zones.
• The contents of a home are not typically covered by flood insurance.
• In most cases, there’s a 30-day waiting period from the date of purchase until the policy goes into effect.
• In some instances, a buyer will be able to assume the sellers’ flood insurance policy.”

“Flood zones are determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which prepares detailed maps indicating the likelihood of flooding during the period of a 30-year mortgage. Those maps, which are updated on an ongoing basis, form the basis for flood insurance coverage requirements and premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program.

“There are three general categories that cover the state:

“High-risk zones, also known as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs). These begin with the letters “A” and “V”. In high-risk areas, there is at least a 25% change of flooding during the life of a 30-year mortgage.

“Moderate- to low-risk zones, known as Non-Special Flood Hazard Areas (NSFHAs), which begin with the letters “X”, “B”, or “C”. These areas submit more than 20% of the National Flood Insurance Program claims.

“Unknown-risk zones, where the flood hazard is undetermined, are labeled as Zone “D”. Flood insurance rates reflect the uncertainty of the flood risk.

“To determine the flood zone location of a property, go to the FEMA site, https://msc.fema.gov/portal – (enter the address, place or geographic coordinates). To learn more about flood maps and insurance requirements, go to www.floodsmart.gov, the official site of the National Flood Insurance Program.”

How Long Will Things in Your Home Last?

The same March issue of “FloridaRealtor®” magazine, has this cute info-graphic showing a part-by-part guide to the life expectancy of the pieces and systems in your home. The good news is that it says a toilet can last a lifetime. Other long-lasting components include wood or stone floors that can last 100 years. With low expectancy, carpet may last just 8-10 years, and a dishwasher and microwave, just nine.

Island Water Summer Upgrade Planned

The spring issue if the Island Water Association’s “IWA Pipeline” newsletter advises: “Three streets east of the causeway will have their main pipes upgraded this summer. The streets are the last 1,000’ of Limpet Dr., all of Paper Fig Ct., and all of Golden Olive Ct. Decades old thin-walled pipe will be replace with heavy-walled C-900 PVC pipe…The project will begin after season, most likely in May, and last through the summer. All affected homeowners will be notified well in advance….”

Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service Activity March 3-10, 2017

Sanibel

CONDOS

2 new listings: Nutmeg Village #211 2/2 $710K, Kings Crown #106 2/2 $899K.

8 price changes: Mariner Pointe #1412 1/1 now $344.9K, Captains Walk #A8 2/2 now $362K, Sundial West #C406 1/1 now $449K, Loggerhead Cay #252 2/2 now $569K, Loggerhead Cay #592 2/2 now $635K, Pointe Santo #B23 2/2 now $799K, Sandy Bend #6 2/2 now $939K, Royale Tern #103 3/3.5 now $2.095M.

6 new sales: Sundial West #I303 1/1 listed at $475K, Heron at The Sanctuary #1B 3/2.5 listed at $620K, Kings Crown #211 3/2 listed at $849.9K, Sundial West #K403 2/2 listed at $899K, Loggerhead Cay #103 2/2 listed at $999K, Pine Cove #104 3/2 listed at $1.395M.

2 closed sales: Sundial #F103 2/2 $452.45K, Coquina Beach #2C 2/2 $545K.

HOMES

7 new listings: 9455 Beverly Ln 2/2 $549K; 799 Casa Ybel Rd 5/3 duplex $570K; 1839 Farm Trl 3/3 $645K; 1210 Par View Dr 4/2 $7227K, 921 Strangler Fig Ln 3/3.5 $995K; 5206 Punta Caloosa Ct 3/2 $999,999; 4117 West Gulf Dr 5/6 $5.799M.

18 price changes: 998 Greenwood Ct 3/2.5 half-duplex now $415K; 1585 Serenity Ln 3/3 now $525K; 3021 Singing Wind Dr 3/2 now $529K; 1954 Roseate Ln 3/2 now $534K; 340 East Gulf Dr 2/2 now $569K; 4694 Rue Bayou 3/3 now $629K; 3364 Twin Lakes Ln 3/2 now $745K; 1943 Sanibel Bayou Rd 3/3 now $749K; 563 Hideaway Ct 3/2 now $774K; 5126 Joewood Dr 3/2 now $785K; 4775 Rue Helene 4/3 now $815K; 276 Ferry Landing Dr 4/3 now $899.9K; 4428 Waters Edge Ln 3/2.5 now $1,149,999; 932 Whelk Dr 3/3 now $1.399M; 513 Lighthouse Way 3/3 now $1.695M; 1743 Venus Dr 4/3.5 now $1.729M; 750 Periwinkle Way 5/4 now $1.898M; 984 Oyster Ct 3/3.5 now $1.899M.

12 new sales: 998 Greenwood Ct 3/2.5 half-duplex listed at $415K, 1651 Sand Castle Rd 3/2.5 half-duplex listed at $477.5K, 1746 Windward Way 3/2 listed at $535K, 2154 Egret Cir 3/2 listed at $539K, 3043 Poinciana Cir 4/2 listed at $579K, 9436 Yucca Ct 3/2 listed at $619K, 601 Sea Oats Dr 3/2 listed at $689K, 1807 Buckthorn Ln 3/2.5 listed at $749K, 1314 Par View Dr 4/3 listed at $899K, 9019 Mockingbird Ln 4/4 listed at $1.199M, 2981 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 listed at $1.695M, 407 Bella Vista Way 4/4 listed at $2.999M.

3 closed sales: 1232 Par View Dr 3/2.5 $900K, 785 Birdie View Pt 3/2.5 $1.15M, 598 Kinzie Island Ct 3/3.5 $1.510M.

LOTS

No new listings.

1 price change: 5121 Sanibel-Captiva Rd now $197,555.

2 new sales: 2626 Coconut Dr listed at $275K, 1329 Par View Dr listed at $349K.

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

5 new listings: Tennis Villas #3220 1/1 $298K, Bayside Villas #4118 1/2 $395K, Sunset Beach Villas #2212 1/1 $519K, Ventura Captiva #2A 3/3 $975K, Lands End Village #1614 3/3 $2.575M.

1 price change: Sunset Beach Villas #2324 2/2 now $625K.

4 new sales: Tennis Villas #3237 2/2 listed at $440K; Bayside Villas #5320 3/3 listed at $650K; Marina Villas #908 2/2 listed at $799K; Sunset Beach Villas #2333 3/2 listed at $799,999.

No closed sales.

HOMES

2 new listings: 11500 Gore Ln 3/2 $1.295M, 11520 Wightman Ln 3/2 $2.495M.

5 price changes: 14980 Binder Dr 4/3 now $1.298M, 16181 Captiva Dr 5/5 now $2.495M, 16177 Captiva Dr 2/2 now $2.995M, 16464 Captiva Dr 8/8.5 now $6.245M, 15735 Captiva Dr 4/5 now $7.895M.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: 16237 Captiva Dr 5/5.5 $3.5M.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

1 closed sale: 956 South Seas Plantation Rd $1.925M.

(This representation is based, in whole, or in part, on data supplied by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the association nor its MLS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. The information provided represents general real estate activity in the community and does not imply that SanibelSusan Realty Associates is participating or participated in these transactions.)

Best wishes to all for a great weekend! It is expected to be sunny & in the high 70’s low 80’s here… Next cold front isn’t expected until Wed when it is forecast to go all the way down to 70 degrees!

Gotta love Florida!

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan