Here it is, the end of another quiet week on Sanibel Island. Local schools started up again yesterday so though the hot weather continues, the feeling is that summer is over.
Florida Realtors® 101st Annual Convention/Trade Show & Governance Meetings
Next week are Florida Realtors® 101st Annual Convention/Trade Expo & Governance Meetings in Orlando. The convention schedule changed this year to encourage more attendance in the educational sessions by combining them into Wednesday and Thursday and pushing the Governance meetings into Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Though that shortens the number of days away for some, many of the leadership team will be there for six days. Thankfully today’s technology allows business to continue from any location and having a great team back at the office, ensures it.
Tuesday, SanibelSusan will be sitting on one of the Instructors’ Audition Panels. That is where about 40 state Professional Development Committee members will hear instructors hoping to be approved to teach Florida Realtors®-approved classes. Those trying out could be 1st time instructors or already-approved teachers wanting to expand their curriculum. It’s an all-day event, with four audition panels each hearing eight presentations. My panel will rate teachers for the Realtors Institute as well as some teaching sales contract basics, international real estate, pricing in a competitive market, and continuing education classes. I have served on these panels many times and it’s always a long, but fun and productive day.
Wednesday/Thursday I will serve as an Education Ambassador during some educational sessions. Then, when the state governance committees meet Friday, you will find me at the Legislative Think Tank, followed by the Resort/2nd Home Group.
On Saturday, the Professional Development Committee meets and our District Caucus from Southwest Florida shares their input from their various committee meetings in preparation for the upcoming Board of Directors Meeting. Sunday morning I am honored to be one of the Sanibel & Captiva Association’s two voting members at the BOD meeting.
No convention is all work, so many Realtors® including me, also are looking forward to hearing the opening session speaker, Daymond John (of “SharkTank” fame) on “Branding & Entrepreneurial Strategies”. The closing session speaker is George Blankenship (former executive at Tesla, Apple, & The Gap) who will talk about “The Customer Experience”.
In between, there is an Awards Luncheon with performers from Cirque Dreams and a few events for PAC major investors, including a luncheon with speech by Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s new Chief Financial Officer. Did I mention the evening Tailgate Party and fun with Party on the Moon (American’s #1 Dance Band)?
Seriously, lots of work gets accomplished, the networking is terrific, and even though this annual event is always in the “off season”, our listings usually get an offer while I’m away. The SanibelSusan Team and I are hoping this year is no exception. Teammates David, Elise, and Lisa will be covering things on the island, while I will have all of my techno-gadgets with me.
Sanibel-Captiva Islands Association of Realtors
Though yesterday’s biweekly Caravan Meeting was well attended, there sure was not much announced. Our new listing at Captains Walk was the only property on the following Open House Caravan.
Our new listing at Spanish Cay was one of the few new listings announced and I also recognized Realtor® Anna Turner for selling our listing in Lake Murex that closed this week.
It also was a great opportunity to thank the Association’s generous and hard-working colleagues for their support in the many charitable projects our Communications and Public Relations Committee has spearheaded this summer. If you read the local papers or follow us on Facebook, you’ve probably seen our latest press release with photos.
The action posted this week in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service is after a few news items below.
SCCF “Stormy Weather, Hurricanes, Waterspouts, & Lightning”
If you are on-island next week, on August 14, SCCF’s Education Director Kristie Anders will explain how weather impacts Southwest Florida. Her “stormy weather, hurricanes, waterspouts, and lightning” presentation originally designed for Realtors® to help with hurricane preparation, has evolved into more about the science behind these storms. Be at SCCF’s Nature Center on Mon at 10 a.m. to hear her presentation.
Sanibel Communities for Clean Water (SCCW) Program
As reported in the “Island Sun” this week, “Last month, the City of Sanibel officially launched a new interactive website created for the Sanibel Communities for Clean Water (SCCW) Program, established to educate island residents about water quality in their individual communities and provide science-based solutions to how to cost-effectively improve water quality.
“The idea of the SCCW program, which was based off the data gathered during the Sanibel Community Lakes Baseline Water Quality Study, was conceived by the City’s Natural Resources Department working in partnership with the SCCF Marine Lab. Five weeks ago, the website – www.sanibelcleanwater.org – went live.
“According to Dana Dettmar, the City’s Environmental Specialist who oversaw the development of the website, the Sanibel Community Lakes Baseline Water Quality Study was part of Phase 3 of the City’s Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) to help identify nutrient hotspots o Sanibel.
“”The first two phases of the CNMP helped to point out gaps in the data that needed to be addressed,” said Dettmar. “One of the gaps that needed to be further explored was the surface water data of on-island freshwater lakes, ponds, and storm-water catchments.”
“On the website’s homepage, it explains that eutrophication – the excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently caused by runoff from the land – is both a local and global issue.
“”Your impact on the island’s water quality begins in your backyard,” the website states. “Activities like fertilizing your lawn adds excess nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, to storm-water runoff and groundwater. These nutrients can then enter lakes, ponds canals, the Sanibel Slough and the Gulf.”
“As excess nutrients accumulate in the ecosystem, they can cause an unnatural increase in nutrient concentrations. Excess nutrients stimulate the growth of algae and aquatic nuisance plants. As a result, water clarity is decreased, availability of oxygen to aquatic organisms is limited, and fish die in large numbers.
“Website users simply select their individual neighborhood, which then directs them to that community’s own page. Each of Sanibel’s 72 neighborhoods (with lakes, ponds, etc.) is ranked by the level of concern, with an accompanying data summary of information…. The page also offers recommended actions…. The Natural Resources Department is also planning to hold community lake management workshops this fall and winter to discuss the program and various… practices that can be implemented to improve water quality….”
4 Quick Fixes Sellers Should Avoid
A few helpful tips in the “Daily Real Estate News” reported at Realtor®Mag on-line on August 2, 2017.
“It’s often a mad dash when sellers are working to get their home on the market or even to just clean up ahead of a showing. But some common cleanup tools can actually do more damage than many people realize. HouseLogic identified a few common products that can create big problems, so you can be the expert your clients need and help them protect their investments.
“1. Bleach is a common cure-all, but this caustic chemical can eat through the sealant on stone surfaces, discolor laminate and grout, fade enamel and acrylic tubs, dissolve linoleum, and corrode seals in a garbage disposal. While it does kill mold on nonporous surfaces, it can create a future feeding ground for mold on absorbent and porous materials, such as grout. Instead, advise clients to use water and vinegar or a commercial antifungal product for major cleanup jobs.
“2. It may seem obvious to note that glass cleaner is for glass, but many home owners use it for a multitude of surfaces. This can lead to what’s known as “black edge” on mirrors, where the liquid seeps beneath the reflective backing and lifts it. Instead, a lint-free microfiber cloth dampened with warm water does wonders to clean and protect mirrors in expensive installed items such as vanities and closet doors, as long as homeowners avoid the edges and dry immediately with a second cloth.
“3. Mulch offers a simple alternative to weeding, but it’s easy to overdo it. A layer thicker than 3” can suffocate plants and prevent water from reaching roots, so encourage homeowners to spread thoughtfully.
“4. Slow drains are an annoyance, but a busted pipe could derail your sale. Caution sellers against using drain cleaners that contain hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, which can erode plumbing. Even the old baking soda-and-vinegar medley can create cracks, as the chemical reaction causes a build-up of pressure. Old-fashioned “mechanical” methods—plungers, drain snakes, or a handy $2 gadget called the Zip-It—are safer and more effective, according to Consumer Reports.”
Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service 
Activity August 4-11, 2017
Sanibel
CONDOS
5 new listings: Captains Walk #B2 1/1 $274K (our listing) photos below, Sanibel Arms West #G8 2/2 $499K, Sandpiper Beach #501 2/2 $695K, Lighthouse Point #327 3/2 $849K, Sanibel Moorings #1221 3/2.5 $1.195M.
No price changes:
1 new sale: Blind Pass #B105 2/2 listed at $464.9K.
No closed sales.
HOMES
2 new listings: 1327 Tahiti Dr 2/2 $634.5K, 1314 Par View Dr 3/2 $899K.
6 price changes: 9459 Begonia Ct ¾ now $639K, 1550 Bunting Ln 2/2.5 now $644K, 3784 Coquina Dr 3/3 now $649.9K, 1807 Buckthorn Ln 3/2 now $685K, 1672 Hibiscus 3/2 now $1,249,995, 1743 Venus Dr 4/3.5 now $1.675M.
4 new sales: 9113 Mockingbird Dr 3/3.5 listed at $599,999, 587 Sea Oats Dr 3/2 listed at $685K, 732 Windlass Way 4/3.5 listed at $1.195M, 750 Periwinkle Way 5/4 listed at $1.75M..
6 closed sales: 1212 Par View Dr 2/2 $515K, 376 Lake Murex Blvd 3/2 $525K, 1918 Ibis Ln 3/3 $610K, 625 Lake Murex Cir 3/2.5 $640K (our listing), 5056 Joewood Dr. 3/2 $718K, 6494 San-Cap Rd 3/2 $1.68M.
LOTS
1 new listing: 1340 Eagle Run $299K.
1 price change: 5251 Indian Ct now $744K.
No new sales & no closed sales.
Captiva
CONDOS
1 new listing: Marina Villas #601 2/2 $785K
No price changes.
1 new sale: Lands End Village #1614 3/3 listed at $2.575M. No closed sales.
HOMES
No new listings, price changes or new sales.
1 closed sale: 14980 Binder Dr 4/3 $1.05M.
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.)
Until next Friday, I hope you enjoy your weekend!
Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan
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