This may have been the week with the last taste of winter weather on the islands. After days of sunshine, there was a cloud-over Tuesday when the weathermen said the polar vortex came to Florida. By noon, temperatures were down into the 60’s. It dipped into the 50’s at night, with probably our last sweater-day on Wednesday.
By yesterday, it was back into the mid-70’s with the 80’s expected again this weekend – continued beautiful weather for those enjoying outdoor island life. Now the forecasters are saying that it should hit 80 degrees every day right up to our update next Friday. It’s definitely a great time to be in SW Florida.
The Island Is Hoppin’
The 82nd Annual Sanibel-Captiva Shell Festival is going on at the Community House this week. It runs until 5 p.m. today and then is open again tomorrow Saturday 3/9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Next weekend is the 36th Annual Sanibel-Captiva Lions Club Fine Arts & Crafts Fair, Friday 3/15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. & Saturday 3/16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Next Saturday 3/16 also is the 18th Annual Peek at the Unique house tour event. Tickets available through www.EventBrite.com.
On Monday, The Community House is presenting the fifth of its “Community Interests Series”. This one called “Living With Our Four-Legged Neighbors (Rabbits, Iguanas, Coyotes) Now & In The Future”. Presenters are Holly Millebrandt, Sanibel’s Deputy Natural Resources Director, and Dr. Robin Bast, DMV, Staff Veterinarian at C.R.O.W. It begins at 7 p.m. with a $5 donation suggested.
Between the great weather and many events at BIG ARTS, C.R.O.W., Ding Darling SCCF, The Community House, and more, it is no wonder that prospective buyers don’t think about real estate until they face the reality of going home. We had walk-ins this morning that have been renting on island for five weeks. They are going home tomorrow, but they have made a connection with us, so we hope to show them some condos tomorrow.
Sanibel & Captiva Islands Real Estate
Not many new Sanibel sales were announced at our Thursday morning Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® Caravan Meeting yesterday. None were reported on Captiva. But, there were plenty of new listings and again a large number of price reductions. A report of the activity posted since last Friday in the islands’ Multiple Listing Service is provided after a couple of news items below.
First, a summary of the number of Sanibel properties for sale today, under contract, and closed year-to-date, followed by their median prices.
|
Listing Status |
Condos | Homes | Lots |
Total # |
|||
| # | Median | # | Median | # | Median | ||
| For sale, available | 131 | $725,000 | 250 | $949,500 | 66 | $367,000 | 447 |
| Under contract | 18 | $699,000 | 37 | $850,000 | 1 | $379,000 | 56 |
| Sold/closed 1/1-3/8/19 | 20 | $607,442 | 25 | $999,000 | 1 | $185,000 | 46 |
Making Sales
Like in most areas, it is a small group of sales associates that make most of the island sales. Today the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® has 231 Realtors® members. The top 25 routinely make between 80% and 90% of the sales. Considering that some sales are made by off-island Realtors® from other nearby Associations, that is a lot of sales by a small group that includes me. Even with the market dip that began during the bout of red tide about nine months ago, these top 25 closed more than $1.3 billion in sales over the last 24 months. So, it makes sense to be sure that this group of colleagues knows about our listings and how they can count on us to help them sell them.
This business is all about relationships. Not just relationships with sellers and buyers, and future clients, but also with everyone we interface. It’s important to be in high regard with fellow Realtors®, sometimes doing that by making it easy for them to sell our listings. High producers can be busy, but we often reach out to each other. The SanibelSusan Team likes to remind them of the special features of our listings, ask if they have prospects for them, get their feeling on prices, and remind them that they can count on us for quick response, fliers and thorough property info packages, opening and showing listings for them, even pickup and delivery.
We always want buyers to consider every property that meets their needs, but we know that it is a better experience when the other side of a transaction is with someone you can count on. We always want to be that someone.
The Tax Change Wild Card
My favorite economist, Lawrence Yun, had a lead article in the March-April issue of “Realtor®” magazine that arrived this week. Here it is:
“Let’s start with the good news. The Federal Reserve won’t aggressively raise interest rates this year. Instead of four rate hikes in 2019, as was widely assumed a few months ago, the Fed is likely to raise its short-term rate just once. This shift has quickly led to a measurable fall in the rate on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages from 5% in early December to 4.5% a month later. Why the change?
“First, the housing market is softening. Sales haven’t kept up with job gains and population growth. Even inventories, which have been tight for years, are starting to rise.
“Second, the inflation threat is receding. Although consumer price inflation hit a seven-year high of 2.4% last year, there is little sign it will be a factor in 2019. In fact, the Fed expects inflation to drop below 2%. As a result, the outlook for home sales improves. Look for an additional 200,000 sales for every 50-basis-point reduction in the cost of money, based on historical data.
“But a new factor could provide to be a wild card: the limit on mortgage and property tax deductions enacted in 2017. While 95% of homeowners will be able to fully deduct their mortgage interest and taxes under the changes, others will not because they’ll no longer itemize their deductions, which makes homeownership more costly. So lower interest rates may have less power to spur sales.
“For real estate investors, the mortgage interest deduction and property taxes remain fully deductible – as business expenses. Certainly, homeowners facing this unfair tax hit could act like investors by renting out their house (after property disclosures to their mortgage lender), deducting their mortgage interest and property taxes as business expenses, and moving into a comparable rental home.
“But our data shows most people want to live in the home they own. Shouldn’t homeowners get the same tax benefit as investors? In the year ahead, it’s an issue to be raised with lawmakers.”
Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 1-8, 2019
Sanibel
CONDOS
8 new listings: Sanibel Arms #D2 1/1 $399K, Sundial #H211 1/1 $399.9K, Sundial #G205 1/1 $465K, Sunset South #6B 2/2 now $599K, Sanibel Surfside #125 2/2 1.049M, Kings Crown #102 2/2 $1.249M, Villas of Sanibel #A201 3/3 $1.299M, Pine Cove #204 3/2 $1.45M.
10 price changes: Sanibel Arms #B1 1/1 now $475K, Pointe Santo #D21 2/2 now 665K, Lighthouse Point #229 3/2 now $699K, Island Beach Club #210B 2/2 now $749K, Loggerhead Cay #192 2/2 now $769K, Surfside 12 #A1 3/2 now $774K, Compass Point #183 2/2 now $1.225M, Gulfside Place #221 2/2 now $1.24M, Villas of Sanibel #A102 3/3 now $1.389M, By-The-Sea #C102 3/2 now $1.595M.
2 new sales: Sundial #J101 1/1 listed at $449K, Compass Point #161 3/3 listed at $1.175M.
5 closed sales: Sundial #D204 1/1 $395K, Sundial #D304 1/1 $400K, Cottage Colony West #108 1/1 $601K, Bayview Village #2A 3/3 $735K, Nutmeg Village #103 2/2 $775K.
HOMES
10 new listings: 9195 Dimmick Dr 2/2 $469K; 9277 Dimmick Dr 3/2 $549K; 705 Rabbit Rd 3/3 $579,555; 6143 Henderson Rd 4/3 $599K; 430 Old Trail 3/2.5 $669.9K; 513 Rabbit Rd 3/2 $684.5K; 750 Martha’s Ln 3/2 $699K; 2719 Wulfert Rd 4/4/2 $1.499M; 401 Bella Vista Way 4/4 $2.75M; 1540 San Carlos Bay Dr 4/4.5 $4.299M.
31 price changes: 9228 Belding Dr 2/1.5 now $499.9K, 651 Donax St 4/2 duplex now $524.9K, 922 Pepper Tree Pl 2/2 now $599K, 945 S. Yachtsman Dr 2/2 now $599K, 610 Hideaway Ct 3/2.5 now $629K, 1586 Century Ct 3/2.5 now $679K, 1555 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 now $695K, 955 S. Yachtsman Dr 3/2 now $699K, 1217 Par View Dr 3/3 now $729K, 566 Boulder Dr 3/2 now $779K, 2480 Library Way 3/2.5 now $779K, 3861 Coquina Dr 3/3 now $789K, 513 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 now $799K, 4460 Waters Edge Ln 3/2 now $799K, 1396 Tahiti Dr 4/3 now $799.9K, 660 Oliva St 3/3 now $829K, 6033 Dinkins Lake Rd 3/3.5 now $829K, 3013 Turtle Gait Ln 3/2.5 now $829.9K, 1676 Middle Gulf Dr 3/2 now $850K, 1236 Par View Dr 3/2.5 now $859K, 3850 Coquina Dr 3/3 now $995K, 1309 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 now $1.095M, 932 Whelk Dr 3/3 now $1.195M, 297 Ferry Landing Dr 3/3 now $1.195M, 1717 Venus Dr 3/2.5 now $1.299M, 2689 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 now $1.747M, 6071 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 5/4.5 now $1.995M, 2391 Shop Rd 3/2.5 now $2.099M, 842 Limpet Dr 3/3.5 now $2.295M (our listing), 3009 Turtle Gait Ln 4/4.5 now $2.795M, 4355 West Gulf Dr 4/4/2 now $5.995M.
842 Limpet Dr looking toward San Carlos Bay & the mainland
7 new sales: 2074 Wild Lime Dr 3/2 listed at $549,899; 1018 Demere Ln 4/2 listed at $599K; 721 Cardium St 3/2 listed at $745K; 1755 Jewel Box Dr 3/2 listed at $779K; 434 Lake Murex Cir 4/3 listed at $850K; 1248 Par View Dr 4/4.5 listed at $1.299M; 1237 Isabel Dr 5/6.5 listed at $2.895M.
5 closed sales: 849 Beach Rd 4/4 duplex $550K, 585 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 $589K, 1230 Ferry Rd 3/4 $1.0325M, 5407 Osprey Ct 4/3 $1.26M, 925 Whelk Dr 3/3.5 $2.25M.
LOTS
No new listings.
4 price changes: 5116 Sea Bell Rd now $159K; 5126 Sea Bell Rd now $159K; 3308 Saint Kilda Rd now $519,555; 1226 Isabel Dr now $1.295M.
No new or closed sales.
Captiva
CONDOS
1 new listing: Beach Villas #2418 2/2 $655K.
No price changes or new sales.
1 closed sale: Sunset Captiva #302 4/3 $1.8M.
HOMES
No new listings.
3 price changes: 55 Sandpiper Ct 3/2 now $929K, 14981 Binder Dr 3/3 now $995K, 11501 Laika Ln 3/3 now $1.495M.
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.
Enjoy your weekend! Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan
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