SanibelSusan here, reporting more terrific summer-like weather. The island was packed with people last weekend. With the long holiday weekend, the causeway islands were jammed from Saturday through Tuesday. (Local schools were out both Monday and Tuesday). Periwinkle Way was especially slow going during the Saturday/Sunday Arts & Crafts Fair, while the on-off-island traffic in early morning, midday, and late afternoon continues to be challenging. Lotsa folks are here enjoying the wonderful weather and all the islands offer.

 

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

Yesterday, there was just an average turn-out for the islands Thursday Realtor® Caravan Meeting. It was a west-end Caravan which means properties from west of Tarpon Bay Road to Captiva. Only six properties where on the tour list, including an east-end canal-front home, so teammate Dave held our Lighthouse Way listing open at the same time hoping to attract some of the same lookers.

 

Caravan rules permit properties on the other end of the island to be on the schedule, only where there are not enough properties signed up to fill the 15-unit maximum. Next week is East-End.

The details the action posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service are after a few news items below. Check out the huge number of price reductions. As season winds down, it’s a great time to buy!

Island Events

 

• Inaugural CAN AM Super Slam – today through Sunday, Feb 23-25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., pickleball tournament for seniors at Sundial Beach Resort & sanctioned by both the USA Pickleball Association and the Super Senior International Pickleball Association (SSIPA), free & open to the public. Because it is a SSIPA tournament, all players are 60 or older and already USAPA ranked. Competition features five age categories: 60 to 64, 65 to 69, 70 to 74, 75 to 79, and 80 plus, with each event broken down by “skill” or the points the players have. Based on a bracket-type of play, every event is a double-elimination round. For more info contact pickleballcip@gmail.com or call 231-676-9681. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America!
• 38^th Annual Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner – tomorrow night, Saturday, Feb 24, at The Community House, dinner served 4 to 8 p.m. followed by raffles, silent & live auctions, music, & fun. All to benefit island youth. Can’t beat the all-you-can-eat price – $11 at the door, kiddos 9 and under free.
• 81^st Sanibel Shell Festival – next week, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday, Mar 1, 2, and 3 at The Community house. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Saturday when it’s over at 4 p.m.
• Octifest on The Beach – Sunday, Mar 11 at 6:30 p.m. on Causeway Island A, annual Sanibel Sea School fundraiser to purchase equipment and support outreach programs for landlocked kids. Tickets at www.octifest.org or call 239-472-8585.

New Sanibel Sea School Offering

As announced in the “Island Sun” this week, Sanibel Sea School has added seasonal classes for 4- to 6-year olds to the organization’s schedule of field-based marine science learning opportunities. The program will be called Sea Squirts, and will be offered through mid-April. Like the nonprofit’s classes for 6- to 13-year olds, Sea Squirts Day Camps will cover a different topic each week, and activities including crabbing, rock flipping, mud walks, and more… each class will be two hours long. More info and registration at www.sanibelseaschool.org or call 239-472-8585.

Just How Important Is a Bathtub for Resale?

From “Realtor®Mag” February 2018: “It’s long been believed that every home needs at least one bathtub to attract the widest group of buyers. But with increased interest in big, well equipped, walk-in showers, does a tub really matter that much?

“Bathrooms reflect trends as much as any room in a house does. Back in the 1980s and ’90s, whirlpool tubs with multiple water jets were all the rage. They fell out of favor as many homeowners found they just didn’t use them as much as they expected to. Other users were frustrated by the time deeper tubs took to fill. Some tubs even posed health concerns due to piping that was tough to keep clean.

“The basic rectangular tub returned, although it was soon eclipsed by the oversized, deluxe shower, big enough for two and with multiple controls and rainfall heads offering a personalized experience.

“So where does this leave the bathtub? Many buyers still think they need one. But is this must-have really more akin to the desire for a separate dining room, in an era where families congregate, cook, and eat in their kitchens every day?

What About Walk-Ins?

“For the aging boomer population, the walk-in tub market continues to expand with more manufacturers offering new designs to serve their needs. The big challenge for this style is to remove the stigma of being a geriatric product, says Joe Pilato, vice president of sales and marketing for Hydro Dimensions, which helped to start the walk-in tub niche back in 2000. They offer 15 different models—most with built-in seats, easy-to-open doors, and a low threshold at the bottom—along with custom designs. “Buyers should make quality a high priority since they vary greatly from company to company,” Pilato says. He estimates fully installed designs range from $6,000 to $14,000 and says those who plan to age in place should also ensure they have a wide enough doorway to enter the bathroom using a wheelchair or walker. For real estate pros showing a listing with such a tub to younger buyers, Pilato suggests marketing it as a step-in spa.

The Must-Have POV

“Home appraiser Jonathan J. Miller, president of New York–based Miller Samuel, which tracks trends in 30 housing markets throughout the country, considers at least one bathtub a must. “The tub falls into the category of another commodity in a house. Sellers who have the most commodities—or amenities—win because their houses appeal to the widest audience and you’re always trying to expand the buyer pie,” he says.

“Los Angeles interior designer Erica Islas of EMI Interior Designs agrees, and says her clients want at least one tub or a tub-shower combination. “Some even add a bathtub before selling to improve the odds of resale,” she says. Kristie Barnett, a designer who founded The Decorologist and is a professional stager in Nashville, Tenn., is even more adamant about a tub’s importance. “There absolutely has to be at least one bathtub in any condo or home. When you sell, you’re also selling a lifestyle and having no tub will hinder a sale to most buyers,” she says.

“Research backs up the anecdotal evidence. Third-party market research firm Vital Findings, based in Culver City, Calif., found in a study commissioned by Jacuzzi Luxury Bath that 38% of U.S. residents bathe weekly and half of them are men.

“The need for at least one tub is most common among two specific homeowner groups. The first is young families with small children, since many parents consider a traditional tub safer than a shower, says Stephanie Mallios, a sales rep with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Short Hills, N.J. The second group is luxury home owners whose houses usually have multiple bathrooms….”

Here on the islands, unless the property is a 1-bedroom condo, a tub or tub/shower combo is a must. Big showers may be the rage, but where children and grandchildren are plentiful, and the beach is part of the lifestyle, a tub is an important and desired property feature.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity February 16-23, 2018

Sanibel

CONDOS

1 new listing: Sundial #Q404 2/2 $975K.

3 price changes: Mariner Pointe #1061 2/2 now $555.5K (our listing), Gulfside Place #222 2/2 now $1.15M, Compass Point #192 2/2 now $1.175M.

6 new sales: Blind Pass #D101 2/2 listed at $439K, Loggerhead Cay #332 2/2 listed at $474.5K, Sand Pointe #215 2/2 listed at $719K, Loggerhead Cay #134 2/2 listed at $995K, Sanibel Seaview #C2 3/3 listed at $1.15M, High Tide #B102 2/2 listed at $1.795M.

2 closed sales: Spanish Cay #A4 2/2 $360K, Blind Pass #D105 2/2 $407K.

HOMES

15 new listings: 317 East Gulf Dr 3/2 half-duplex $575K, 236 Hurricane Ln 2/3 $699K, 4439 Gulf Pines Dr 3/2 $725K, 978 Black Skimmer Way 3/2 $725K, 2073 Wild Lime Dr 4/3 $779K, 678 East Rocks Dr 3/2 $829K, 950 Cabbage Palm Ct 3/2 $848K, 3320 St. Kilda Rd 4/2.5 $1.049M, 852 Lindgren Blvd 4/3 $1.195M, 3832 Coquina Dr 3/4 $1.25M, 1743 Venus Dr 4/3.5 $1.67M, 2263 Starfish Ln 5/4.5 $1.699M, 4809 Tradewinds Dr 3/3.5 $2.395M, 1083 Bird Ln 4/2/1 $3.999M, 3767 West Gulf Dr 3/4.5 $7.995M.

23 price changes: 1438 Sandpiper Cir 3/2.5 half-duplex now $399.9K, 4542 Bowen Bayou Rd 3/2 now $460K, 972 Fitzhugh St 3/2 now $454.9K, 5299 Umbrella Pool Rd 3/2.5 now $519K, 9477 Peaceful Dr 3/2 now $527K, 4542 Bowen Bayou Rd 3/2 now $530K, 5306 Ladyfinger Lake Rd 3/2 now $539.9K, 984 Black Skimmer Way 3/2 now $575K, 1410 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 now $609K, 1190 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 now $635K, 1008 Demere Ln 2/2 now $615K, 753 Cardium St 3/2 now $655K, 585 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 now $699K, 1183 Kittiwake Cir 3/2 now $769.9K, 1043 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 now $799K, 5739 Pine Tree Dr 3/3 now $829K, 2490 Coconut Dr 3/3.5 now $848K, 5313 Punta Caloosa Ct 4/3 now $985K, 534 N Yachtsman Dr 3/2 now $1.3M, 2462 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 now $1.75M, 2984 Wulfert Rd 3/3 now $1.8M, 6021 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 4/3/2 now $2.499M, 1561 San Carlos Bay Dr 3/4 now $2.5M.

7 new sales: 1806 Ibis Ln 3/2 listed at $679K, 1342 Junonia St 3/3 listed at $679K, 1245 Anhinga Ln 3/2 listed at $799K, 924 Beach Rd 3/2 listed at $895K, 6047 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 3/2.5 listed at $1.295M, 1475 Angel Dr 3/4.5 listed at $1.549M, 900 Snowberry Ln 4/3 listed at $2.995M.

3 closed sales: 1743 Jewel Box Dr 3/3.5 $1.2M, 900 Snowberry Ln 4/3 $2.9M, 4641 Belle Mer 3/2.5 $3.255M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 1226 Isabel Dr $1.995M.

3 price changes: 1550 Centre St now $199K, 1770 Dixie Beach Blvd now $694K, 6000 White Heron Ln now $795K.

No new or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

1 price change: Sunset Captiva #204 2/2 now $1.195M.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings

2 price changes: 11509 Chapin Ln 4/4 now $1,999,999; 16163 Captiva Dr 3/2 now $2.495M.

No new or closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

This representation is based in part on data supplied by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® 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 the 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, hope you have enjoyable weather too! & pickleball, spaghetti, shells, & bath tubs! For island real estate, give SanibelSusan a call!

Susan Andrews