It’s SanibelSusan with the week’s real estate update. As the end of “high season” approaches and with continued price reductions, it has become a great time to buy. Now that it’s almost the end of first quarter, below are sales statistics followed by some recent articles about real estate and the economy.
The number of new sales announced yesterday at the local island Realtor® Caravan Meeting was an improvement over the last couple weeks. We hope the trend continues.
A few rental organizations have reported that April reservations are off, so some have reduced their “high season” rates in hopes of getting more bookings. They say it’s working! So, it’s a great time to schedule an island spring visit. The weather here is fantastic – mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid 70’s to low 80’s.
Sanibel & Captiva Islands Real Estate – First Quarter to March 29, Last Year Compared to 2019
| 1st quarter 2018 | 1st quarter 2019 | |
| Sanibel Condos | ||
| # of sales | 33 | 30 |
| Average sale price | $749,628 | $603,292 |
| # of price reductions | 68 | 80 |
| Sanibel Homes | ||
| # of sales | 60 | 35 |
| Average sale price | $1,269,355 | $1,143,691 |
| # of price reductions | 194 | 228 |
| Captiva Condos | ||
| # of sales | 11 | 7 |
| Average sale price | $911,783 | $1,292,571 |
| # of price reductions | 7 | 14 |
| Captiva Homes | ||
| # of sales | 8 | 1 |
| Average sale price | $2,462,500 | $2,800,000 |
| # of price reductions | 16 | 30 |
Another Decrease in Closed Sales for February
Shortly after posting the Friday update last week, the below press release was issued by the Royal Palm Coast Realtor® Association. This county snapshot covers Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Estero, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Leigh Acres, North Fort Myers, Pine Island, and Sanibel/Captiva.
“Lee County’s housing market saw a decrease for the fifth straight month in February, according to the latest statistics just released by Florida Realtors®. Year-over-year, sales were down for both, but only by 4% for single family and 1% for condos.…The active listings have risen for the last six months, pushing inventory up to its highest since 2015…Broken down by cities, Single Family sales in Bonita Springs and Pine Island again saw an increase in the number of Closed Sales, year-over-year. All the remaining cities saw a decrease over last year, with Sanibel/Captiva showing the largest decrease at -45.5% compared to last year…”
Here’s Another Perspective – “Freddie Mac: Economy Dicey, But We’re Bullish on Housing”
The below are article was posted on Florida Realtors® Wednesday and sourced to Freddie Mac. Today, Florida Realtors® also posted that mortgage rates just made their biggest drop in a decade.
“Lower mortgage rates are making for a rosy spring selling season, even if the economy is starting to show some sluggishness, economists note in Freddie Mac’s March forecast.
“”The real estate market is thawing in response to the sustained decline in mortgage rates and rebound in consumer confidence – two of the most important drivers of home sales,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Rising sales demand coupled with more inventory than previous spring seasons suggests that the housing market is in the early stages of gaining momentum.”
“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to a 4.28% average last week – lower than the 4.45% average from a year ago, Freddie Mac reports. “Mortgage rates have dipped quite dramatically since the start of the year and house prices continue to moderate, which should help on the homebuyer affordability front,” Khater says. Freddie economists predict that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage will average 4.5% in 2019 and increase to 4.8% in 2020.
“Home price growth likely will continue to slow, researchers note. Freddie is projecting annual home price growth increases of 3.5% in 2019 and then 2.5% in 2020.
““But with demand growing for housing, Freddie Mac economists are upbeat that housing construction will increase this year. Total housing starts will likely increase over the next two years, with the most growth coming from the single-family housing segment, according to the report. Total housing starts are forecasted to rise to 1.27 million units in 2019 and to 1.33 million units in 2020.
“However, while the housing market looks poised to gain steam, the economy overall is showing some signs of weakening compared with a year ago. A decline in consumer spending has lowered economists’ GDP growth rate forecasts for the first quarter of 2019 to 1.2%.”
Sanibel School Seahorse Festival 2019
Tomorrow, March 30, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3840 San-Cap Road is the annual school fund raiser with food trucks, live music, silent auction, inflatable and obstacle courses and games for all ages.
Free admission with unlimited Kid Zone wristbands for $20. More info at http://TheSanibelSchoolPTA.com.
Sanibel Estates Annual Meeting
Last night was the annual meeting of my Homeowners Association, Sanibel Estates. Held at The Community House, as many of the meetings are, we were treated with City updates by both City Manager Judie Zimomra and Police Lt. Grace Towler, followed by and a community update by our Association President, Former Sanibel Mayor Jerry Muench.
A few tidbits include:
News You Can Use – Citizens were encouraged to receive City news electronically. Sign up today at www.MySanibel.com to get “news you can use”. You can specify your preferences, i.e. construction projects, travel, trash collection times, weather, traffic advisories, meeting agenda (City Council, Planning Commission), etc.
2019 Sanibel Hurricane Seminar – Scheduled for Friday, May 10 at 11 a.m. at The Community House. If you can’t attend, it will be videoed and on the City website following the event. Be sure and keep your Hurricane Pass in your car glove box to ensure quick access back on the island after a storm.
When to Call the Non-Emergency Police Department # – For information on identity theft, to report an iguana or other invasive species, to put your property on the City’s dark home or vacation check.
Proposed Dredging Funding – The current City resolution adopted in 2011 estimated the need to dredge the canal entrance into the bay every two years with the City contributing 33%, property owners’ associations contributing 27%, and the marina 40%. With more summer storms and dredging underway now, the City is recommending that the homeowners’ assessment, currently $20/annually for each canal-front property, be increased to $40/annually, plus a one-time assessment of $40 in fiscal year 2020. The timeline for changing this special assessment includes working through the proper channels of City and county governments, presumably with the updated assessment reflected on property tax notices this November.
East-End Fire/Rescue Improvements – Studies are underway analyzing responses to east-end emergencies with consideration toward bettering those times and perhaps adding a facility or equipment on that end of the island. Mention was made of the kitchen fire last week at Sandalfoot condominiums and the quick response by both Sanibel and Iona/McGregor departments.
No HOA Fee in 2019 – With good resources on-hand and beach accesses and bridges in good condition, no HOA fee will be charged to owners in Sanibel Estates this year.
Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 22-29, 2019
Sanibel
CONDOS
3 new listings: Sunset South #11A 2/2 $639K, Tarpon Beach #304 2/2 $1.029M, Gulfside Place #222 2/2 $1.429M (our listing). Bottom photo below is the view from #222.
7 price changes: Sundial #H108 1/1 now $438,999; Blind Pass #D205 2/2 now $460K; Sundial #H409 1/1 now $519K; Island Beach Club #P1A 2/2 now $639K; Surfside 12 #A1 3/2 now $749K; Sanibel Surfside #224 2/2 now $789K; Yacht Haven #2 3/2 now $1.029M.
9 new sales: Sanibel Arms #D2 1/1 listed at $399K, Sundial #I401 1/1 listed at $489.9K, Sanibel Siesta #109 2/2 listed at $525K, Sanibel Arms West #K1 2/2 listed at $569K, Island Beach Club #310B 2/2 listed at $649K, Heron at The Sanctuary #3B 3/2.5 listed at $859K, Loggerhead Cay #133 2/2 listed at $929K, Signal Inn #19 3/2 listed at $1.095M, Sanibel Surfside #231 3/3.5 listed at $1.25M.
5 closed sales: Tennisplace #D33 1/1 $225K, Tennisplace #B22 2/1.5 $305K, Tennisplace #E24 2/1.5 $314K, Sundial #J101 1/1 $423K, Atrium #207 2/2 $1.484M.
HOMES
6 new listings: 9448 Begonia Ct 3/2.5 $699K (our listing) (photos below), 4115 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 6/2 $799K, 6041 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 2/1 $949K, 4155 Dingman Dr 4/5 $950K, 2510 Harbour Ln 2/2 $1.199M, 5089 Joewood Dr 5/4 $3.495M.
19 price changes: 328 Palm Lake Dr 3/2 now $599K; 4619 Brainard Bayou Rd 3/2 now $610K; 681 Rabbit Rd 3/2.5 now $619K; 3350 Barra Cir 3/2 now $649,946; 697 Birdie View Pt 3/2 now $739K; 256 Daniel Dr 3/2 now $747K; 4787 Rue Helene 4/3 now $895K; 823 Birdie View Pt 4/3 now $899K; 6123 Starling Way 3/2.5 now $954K; 510 Sea Oats Dr 3/2.5 now $969K; 1349 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 now 1.035M; 1010 Kings Crown Dr 3/3 now $1.15M; 3386 West Gulf Dr 3/3.5 now $1.199M; 2282 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 now $1.27M; 784 Limpet Dr 4/3 now $1.649M, 1520 Angel Dr 5/5.5 now $1.685M; 2284 Troon Ct 4/4.5 now $1.95M; 2391 Shop Rd 3/2.5 now $1.997M; 4431 Waters Edge Ln 3/4 now $6.49M.
5 new sales: 945 S Yachtsman Dr 2/2 listed at $575K, 2552 Harbour Ln 3/2 listed at $1.195M, 734 Pyrula Ave 3/2.5 listed at $1.195M, 1450 Royal Poinciana Dr 3/2.5 listed at $1.248M, 4355 West Gulf Dr 4/4/2 listed at $5.995M.
3 closed sales: 848 Rabbit Rd 3/2 $525K, 659 Donax St 2/2 $537K, 5606 Baltusrol Ct 4/6 $1.55M.
LOTS
3 new listings: 898 Rabbit Rd $170K (our listing), 1303 Par View Dr $329K, 255 Hurricane Ln $395K.
2 price changes: 4538 Bowen Bayou Rd now $236,999; 6095 Dinkins Lake Rd now $249K.
No new or closed sales.
Captiva
CONDOS
1 new listing: Lands End Village #1651 2/2 $1.299M.
2 price changes: Lands End Village #1659 2/2 now $975K, Beach Cottages #1409 3/2 now $1.225M.
No new or closed sales.
HOMES
1 new listing: 11541 Paige Ct 3/4/2 $3.9M.
2 price changes: 15879 Captiva Dr 3/3 now $2.75M, 11549 Wightman Ln 3/4 now $3.65M.
1 new sale: 1129 Longifolia Ct 4/5 listed at $6.499M.
No 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.
Island Inventory Lists
If you would like a Sanibel & Captiva Islands Inventory list, The SanibelSusan Team has been tracking sales for more than 27 years and we update our list every weekend. Organized by island and property type (condos, homes, and lots), then community, complex or subdivision, it includes all of the property for sale in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service.
For comparison, it also includes recent sales – from 2017 until the present. Send me an email at Susan@SanibelSusan.com, if you’d like it emailed or mailed to you.
You must log in to post a comment.