It is SanibelSusan with another Friday update about the island real estate market, weather, and more. Though the long weekend essentially is here, the island remains quiet. Maybe tomorrow will bring more visitors with rental check-ins.
On Periwinkle Way, there has been little traffic, even during Sanibel rush hour, except on Wednesday when right at quitting time a quick, but huge, downpour hit. Southwest Florida had been under a severe weather watch from midday (until 11 p.m. that night), but a couple of much-needed showers were all that was received. Forecasters say that was because of a cool front that passed through. That means lower humidity and temperatures only into the mid- to high-80’s expected for the holiday weekend. Growing up in Maine, it still cracks me up when I hear about a Florida cool front in the 80’s.
After the high winds and unusually big waves with that Wednesday storm, shelling reports are that “it’s outstanding”. Plenty of live ones reported on the beach, with most conscientious shellers returning them to the water. A huge perfect junonia shell was found yesterday at Lighthouse Point beach. Experienced shellers say those live junonia shells are about 10 miles off shore, so it’s unusual for an empty one to make it to shore unscathed. After 30 years shelling, I’m still looking.
SanibelSusan Realty Happenings
Just because Realtor® Caravan has reverted to every other week, doesn’t mean there is no real estate action.
This week our listings had just a couple of showings with more scheduled this weekend. The activity posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service since last Friday follows a couple of news items below. We had another nice condo sale this week and a new listing today at The Sanctuary. More on that in the days to come, including hosting an Open House during Caravan next Thursday.
The team gets a day off for the Monday holiday, but I’ll be manning the fort then – hoping to hear from buyers and Realtors® interested in our listings – also updating the two classes I will be instructing for the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Specialist Designation in early June. This year, I’m teaching both the Resort & 2nd Home Property segment and the Condo Market segment.
Last Sanibel Farmers’ Market
Sanibel’s last Farmers’ Market of the season is Sunday on the grounds of City Hall from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. It’s always a long summer before the market reopens in October.
Workshop Options for Center-4-Life
Front page news in both the “Island Sun” and the “Islander” this week, was the meeting last Wednesday of a workshop hosted by Sanibel City Council to discuss the future of the City’s Center-4-Life facility.
The Center’s current building at the corner of Library Way and Palm Ridge Road was assessed for refurbishment five years ago during the initial planning phases of the Civic & Cultural Core project. Now that that project is tabled, the purpose of Wednesday’s meeting was for council to learn about the Center-4-Life’s needs today. They received an architectural presentation and one by City Recreation Dept Director which included information on the facility’s participation levels, trends, space needs, expansion alternatives, and an analysis of the current site.
Originally the Sanibel Library, the current Center-4-Life building was enlarged at least twice when it was the library – 1st in 1977 and again in 1983. Today the Center-4-Life provides such island seniors with such activities as land aerobics, yoga, card games, cooking socials, educational classes, and special presentations.
Membership has grown annually and last year exceeded 8,000 members. To accommodate the increased demand for additional programming presenters estimated the building needs to be expanded to 7,500 sq. ft. Five options were provided:
- Retain the status quo
- Renovate in place with CHR remaining (this is office space for Community Housing Resources, which the City is obligated to fund),
- Renovate in place with CHR relocating
- Rebuild on current site
- Build a new facility on a different site.
Councilors weighed in on all options, with options 4 and 5 receiving their support. Estimates were requested for new buildings, with another workshop expected after staff review, maybe in August, with the final decision ultimately up taxpayers. Stay tuned.
Library Renovation Begins
Sanibel Public Library has started the first phase of their Your Library Reimagined project. From Monday through Friday next week (May 29-June 2), the building will be closed to the public while the interior is prepared for the project. It will reopen Saturday June 3 from 9 to 1 p.m. During the down-time the facility is being reconfigured to provide library services during remodeling. During the summer, some of the building will be closed to the public while the infrastructure is updated. The library will provide service during most of the renovation time, but occasionally may close when utility or plumbing work is being done.
The goal is to provide more space, appeal, and usefulness for users. The Sanibel Public Library began with a group of volunteers in the 60’s and currently is in its 3rd home, at 770 Dunlop Road which opened in 1994. In 2004, the building was expanded to its current size. Upgrades now are to replace much of the infrastructure, HVAC, fire suppression, plumbing, lighting, technology, and flooring. The project has been in the planning stages since 2015 with public input. The library board has set a budget of $5.9 million with the cost covered by library reserves, grants, and gifts.
Blind Pass Project Complete
The Blind Pas maintenance dredging project neared completion this week with the final work expected to be done today. Demobilization of the equipment will take place between tomorrow and June 1. The sand dredged from the pass and deposited on Sanibel to re-nourish some of the beach will be tilled on June 1. More info at www.leegov.com/naturalresources/blind-pass-2017-construction
Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service Activity May 19-26, 2017
Sanibel
CONDOS
2 new listings: Ibis at The Sanctuary #B102 2/2 $470K (our listing) (building & pool shown below), Sand Pointe #228 2/2 $799K.
3 price changes: Mariner Pointe #811 2/2 now $449K, Tarpon Beach #103 2/2 now $775K, Royale Tern #103 3/3.5 now $1.675M.
5 new sales: Captains Walk #A1 2/1 listed at $338K, Seashells #38 2/2 listed at $349K, Lighthouse Point #129 3/2 listed at $574K (our listing) (Lighthouse Point condo complex shown below), Sanibel Seaview #B2 3/3 listed at $1.489M, High Tide #A302 3/2 listed at $1.675M.
3 closed sales: Seashells #3 2/2 $377.5K, Pointe Santo #C36 2/2 $775K, Sundial West #A308 2/2 $775K.
HOMES
1 new listing: 746 Cardium St 4/2 duplex $729K.
12 price changes: 1447 Albatross Rd 3/2 now $529K; 376 Lake Murex Blvd 3/2 now $576.9K; 3784 Coquina Dr 3/3 now $636.9K; 673 East Rocks Dr 3/2 now $779,888; 5306 Umbrella Pool Rd 4/3 now $845K; 655 Anchor Dr 3/3 now $849K; 1294 Par View Dr 3/2.5 now $929K; 1743 Venus Dr 4/3.5 now $1.68M; 1137 Golden Olive Ct 5/3.5 now $1.794.5M; 984 Oyster Ct 3/3.5 now $1.799M; 5606 Baltusrol Ct 4/6 now $2.895M; 3869 West Gulf Dr 6/7/2 now $8.495M.
7 new sales: 5308 Umbrella Pool Rd 3/2 listed at $578K, 5105 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 4/3 listed at $624.9K, 1036 S Yachtsman Dr 3/3 listed at $624.9K, 5056 Joewood Dr 3/2 listed at $759K, 1234 Middle Gulf Dr 3/3 listed at $1.149M, 513 Lighthouse Way 3/3 listed at $1.595M, 696 Kinzie Island Ct 4/5 listed at $2.15M.
5 closed sales: 1602 Serenity Ln 4/2 $438K, 1895 Farm Trl 3/2 $580K, 1429 Jamaica Dr 3/3 $664.9K, 2629 Coconut Dr 2/3 $767K, 863 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 $950K.
LOTS
2 new listings: 486 Ponce De Leon Rd $199K, 1340 Eagle Run Dr $299K.
2 price changes: 5126 Sea Bell Rd now $174.5K, 5116 Sea Bell Rd now $174.5K.
No new or closed sales.
Captiva
CONDOS
1 new listing: Beach Villas #2617 1/1 $499K.
No price changes.
1 new sale: Sunset Beach Villas #2318 2/2 listed at $595K.
No closed sales.
HOMES
1 new listing: 11509 Chapin Ln $2.299M.
1 price change: 11521 Andy Rosse Ln now $2.799M.
No new sales.
1 closed sale: 11520 Wightman Ln 3/2 $2.3M.
LOTS
Nothing to report.
(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.)
Happy Memorial Day all & a big thank you to those who have & who continue to serve & protect us!
Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan
So, if you get to DC and go to the top of the National Association of Realtors® headquarters building at 500 New Jersey Ave (just 3 blocks from the U.S. Capitol), the roof-top terrace holds the recognition plaques for the now 773 members of the Realtors® Hall of Fame.
Looking forward to summer … once again, “Sanibel” has made a list. This one for the best vacation travel spot in each U.S. State. This article is posted on-line at “TheActiveTimes.com”:
Florida – Sanibel Island
BIG ARTS Summer Arts Camp – offers a program of visual and performing arts for 1st through 5th graders. Each week begins a new session with a new theme. There also is an apprentice program for 6th through 12 graders where middle and high schoolers spend half their day taking a more advanced art class and half their day days earning community service hours by assisting campers in their classes. Registration for both programs is now open. Registration forms are on-line at 
Captiva Island Yacht Club’s Junior Sailing Camp – For children ages 8 to 15, it teaches the ins and outs of operating their own sailboat in Roosevelt Channel behind the yacht club. The camp gets support from the City of Sanibel, F.I.S.H., and Sanibel CHR (Community Housing & Resources). Divided into two sessions: the 1st June 12-16 and June 19-23; the 2nd July 10-14 and July 17-21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Cost is $500 per session and includes sailing and kayak instruction. At the end of each session, students earn a Beginner Level I U.S. Sailing certificate. The Captiva Yacht Club has a fleet of 12 Optimist prams, six Sunfish, and three Laser sailboats.
Ocean Tribe Paddlers Club – A new club to bring the paddling community together is being offered by the Sanibel Sea School. The first club meeting is a free welcome group paddle on Tuesday, May 30, at 2 p.m. at Causeway Island A, north side. Those who do not have a kayak, paddleboard, or canoe should contact 
SWAT (Sanibel Water Attack Team) – For children ages 5 to 18, SWAT is the island’s competitive swim team. SWAT practices at the Rec Center Monday through Friday with the Blue Team (K through 8th grade) from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. and the Gold Team (high schoolers) from 2:30 to 4 p.m. To join SWAT, students must be able to swim the length of the pool and commit to attending four meetings a year – two at Florida Gulf Coast University and two in Sarasota. The next swim meet is June 17 and 18 at Florida Gulf Coast University with competition from teams throughout the state.
Good Tips from LCEC (Lee County Electric Co-op)
Each May, our local Association of Realtors® hosts an event long-know by some old-timers as the “Over-the-Hump Party”. It is a fundraising event for the RPAC (Realtor® Political Action Committee) as well as celebration that we again made it through high season.
SanibelSusan’s lobster dinner donation again raised close to $1K and of course I did my share of buying too.
A Happy Mother’s Day to all Moms!
Sanibel & Captiva Islands had another week of good weather and little traffic – or at least until late yesterday when a boat slid off a trailer coming out of Sanibel Harbour onto Summerlin Road just after the toll booth going off island.
Attendance was light at yesterday’s Thursday morning local Association of Realtors® Caravan meeting which had just two homes (one bank-owned) and a single condo on tour. That’s another indication that “high season” is over. Here forward, until late fall when business picks up, Caravan’s will be held every other week and open to any new listings in any location on either island.
As Florida’s legislative session comes to a close, Florida Realtors® Vice President of Public Policy, Carrie O’Rourke, emailed the members of FloridaRealtors® Think Tank (yes, I am one of those) a summary of what she said is “is shaping up to be one of our most successful sessions in recent memory.” Here are some excerpts:
As follow-up to last week’s posting about sea turtle nesting season beginning, the first nest of the season was found Saturday, April 29, near Gulfside Place condos. The nest has been staked off by volunteers from SCCF’s (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation) Sea Turtle Monitoring Program. Reports say that this year’s first nest is early, but not as early as last year when the first one was found on April 20 on Captiva.