It’s Susan reporting that while the rest of the world has been spinning this week with news of viruses and politics, The SanibelSusan Team has kept their hands clean and stayed busy with real estate happenings. That pretty much stopped today – as we still are waiting for the phone to ring.

Yesterday, it was a bit of a surprise to see such a small turnout at our Thursday morning Association of Realtors® Caravan Meeting.

Usually March is one of our busiest months on island, so I prefer to think the absences were due to folks out showing property, and attending inspections and closings, rather than shopping for toilet paper and paper towels. After showing property last night until almost dark, I stopped at the Publix just off-island and witnessed some folks squabbling over some of their last rolls.

It was a full house of singers at our BIG ARTS Chorus rehearsal on Tuesday night, but since then I have received email notices that a couple of their events run by volunteers (Writers’ Read and Island Jazz) have been canceled for the rest of the season. As of now, the other BIG ARTS classes and performances are on schedule with the facility taking sanitary precautions. For up-to-date info, check their website at www.BIGARTS.org.

Here’s hoping world events do not hurt anyone too much and that real estate is back to a normal busy March soon. The week’s action in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing service is after a couple of news items below.

Oops, we were just noticed that the local Association of Realtors® has cancelled events and meetings for the next two weeks. Their office remains open, but classes will be held remotely and meetings done electronically.

Be well.

Bill Aimed at Battling Algae Blooms Headed to Governor

Posted yesterday by FloridaRealtors® on-line and sourced to 2020 Journal Media Group, John Kennedy:

“The Florida Legislature passed a multi-faceted to curb the blue-green algae blooms in state waterways. It now only needs Gov. DeSantis’ signature to become law.

“TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Legislation aimed at easing the state’s wide-ranging water problems by tightening oversight of runoff from farms, urban development and Florida’s 2.7 million septic tanks was approved Wednesday by the House. The House’s 118-0 vote follows similar, 39-0 approval last week in the Senate. The measure now goes to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who pushed for the changes and is expected to sign it into law.

““This is the most important thing we’ve done for water in this state in 10 years,” said Sen. Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, a sponsor of the legislation (SB 712), which supporters call the Clean Waterways Act. The legislation changes how the state regulates everything from septic tanks to city wastewater systems, and city and county storm-water management.

“But many environmental organizations say the regulatory changes lack muscle. The Sierra Club, Florida Springs Council and Florida Waterkeepers are among those pointing to problems with the legislation, saying it will not achieve water quality goals for the many state waterways already damaged. The organizations called it the, “policy equivalent of slapping a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. It may not hurt, but it won’t really help.”

State officials, though, have defended the measure with superlatives.

“Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein has called the measure a “massive step forward.” Rep. Toby Oberdorf, R-Stuart, House sponsor of the legislation, called the tighter regulations “game changers.” The legislation grew out of recommendations by the Blue-Green Algae Task Force appointed by DeSantis last year.

“DeSantis has pledged to spend $2.5 billion over four years to tackle Florida’s water problems, and lawmakers are poised to meet his demand for a $625 million, second-year installment in the state budget now being finalized by the Legislature. The waterways bill creates new regulations for agricultural use of fertilizers, requires farmers to keep records of their use, and requires these farms to be inspected every two years by state Agriculture Department officials to assure they’re complying with best management practices.

“The bill also shifts to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from the state’s Health Department regulation of the 2.7 million septic tanks dotting Florida. Thousands of these tanks are old, breaking down and leaking – earning them part of the blame for nutrients flowing into waterways and springs and adding to the algae woes. Among other changes, it would prove more difficult for companies to get permits for bottling spring water, while a state study of the practice and its effect also is ordered by the legislation. The legislation approved Friday by the Senate gives the governor more authority over appointing the state’s DEP secretary.

“Environmental groups, though, remained wary after Wednesday’s House action. “This bill is just not going to get us where we need to be,” said Aliki Moncrief, executive director of Florida Conservation Voters.”

City Cracks Down on Unlicensed Rentals

There was another update on this subject by “Island Sun” reporter Wendy McMullen in the paper today:

“Sanibel City Council has eliminated annual rental license fees and made the rental fee for monthly rentals $300 and $100 for rentals not limited by city code such as those in the resort housing districts of Sanibel. These are mainly condominiums.

“The license fee for annual rental licenses is now zero. This includes the occupants of the 74 units in the Community Housing and Resources (CHR) below market rate housing program.

“The form to register also has been streamlined. It had been criticized in past meetings as being over intrusive and making property owners responsible for their tenants’ actions. It now only asks for the owner’s name, contact number and a local emergency contact but it still demands that the form be notarized.

“Meanwhile intensity increases on anyone renting a property without a license. Councilwoman Holly Smith said that the city was checking up on complaints regarding property owners renting their property illegally. “We have received a number of anonymous letters and we are following up on every one of them,” she reported at Tuesday’s planning commission meeting.

“Algorithms that sweep the world wide web for rentals on Sanibel are also used by the city to detect property owners renting without a license. Each advertisement will be cross checked for occupational licenses and if there is no license number on the advertisement, it will be red flagged. ”If they don’t have a license number, it will be immediately apparent,” said councilman Jason Maughan.

“The necessity for a license also extends to people sharing or exchanging their homes, according to Community Services Director Keith Williams. Both are currently considered rentals even if no actual funds are involved.

“Planning Commission Chair Chuck Ketterman questioned the definition of homes exchanging as rentals that required a license, observing that he knows of lot of people who exchange their homes for homes elsewhere in the country or in the world.”

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity March 6-13, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

1 new listing: Sand Pointe #223 2/2 $749K.

9 price changes: Colonnades #C3 1/1 now $271K, Sandpebble #4E 2/2 now $465K, Sandalfoot #3C1 2/2 now $649.9K, Loggerhead Cay #192 2/2 now $739K, Loggerhead Cay #514 2/2 now $995K, Sanddollar #B104 2/2 now $1.075M, Gulfside Place #121 2/2 now $1.15M, Tantara #203 3/2 now $1.25M, Sanibel Sunset #301 3/2 now $2M.

8 new sales: Donax Village #10 1/2 listed at $358K, Seashells #36 2/2 listed at $380K, Sundial #D205 1/1 listed at $465K, Sanibel Arms West #B4 2/2 listed at $559K, Sand Pointe #132 2/2 listed at $709K, Loggerhead Cay #191 2/2 listed at $770K, Sand Pointe #137 2/2 listed at $1.149M, Gulfside Place #222 2/2 listed at $1.195M (our listing & sale).

6 closed sales: Loggerhead Cay #324 2/2 $569K, Lighthouse Point #114 3/2 $659K, Sanibel Siesta #601 2/2 $725K, Signal Inn #18 3/2 $1.1M, Plantation Village #312 3/2.5 $1.375M, La Playa #3B 3/2 $1.579M.

HOMES

3 new listings: 5151 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 2/2 listed at $477K, 901 S.Yachtsman Dr 2/2 $799K (our listing), 1515 Angel Dr 3/2 $849,948.

14 price changes: 1027 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 now $459K, 730 Cardium St 2/2 now $544K, 1695 Serenity Ln 3/2 now $559K, 1954 Roseate Ln 3/2 now $575K, 4115 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 6/2 now $699K, 1068 White Ibis Dr 3/3 now $739K, 5304 Umbrella Pool Rd 3/3 now $772.5K, 5422 Shearwater Dr 3/2.5 now $825K, 478 Sea Oats Dr 3/3 now $850K, 938 Pecten Ct 3/2.5 now $899K, 1081 Captains Walk St 4/2.5 now $1.097M, 3706 West Gulf Dr 4/3 now $1.35M, 924 Pecten Ct 4/4 now $1.475M, 4577 Waters Edge Ln 4/3 now $3.195M.

7 new sales: 2186 Egret Cir 3/2 listed at $549K, 766 Donax St 4/2 duplex listed at $599K, 1085 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 listed at $719K, 457 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 listed at $889K, 1667 Venus Dr 3/2 listed at $1.02M, 1564 Middle Gulf Dr 3/2.5 listed at $1.295M, 1898 Woodring Rd 2/2 listed at $2.65M.

10 closed sales: 5745 Pine Tree Dr 2/1 $464K, 9448 Begonia Ct 3/2.5 $537K (our listing), 1396 Tahiti Dr 4/3 $655K, 355 Cowry Ct 4/3.5 $675K, 2857 Wulfert Rd 4/5 $1.1M, 4630 Rue Bayou 4/4.5 $1.295M, 9019 Mockingbird Dr 4/4 $1.3M, 872 Limpet Dr 3/3 $1.35M, 558 Lighthouse Way 4/4.5 $3.55M, 3757 West Gulf Dr 4/4 $5.5M.

LOTS

No new listings.

2 price changes: 255 Hurricane Ln now $369K, 3945 West Gulf Dr now $2.999M.

No new or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Beach Villas #2414 2/2 $725K.

1 price change: Tennis Villas #3220 1/1 now $325K.

1 new sale: Beach Villas #2417 listed at $505K.

No closed sales.

HOMES

2 new listings: 1251 South Seas Plantation Rd 3/3 $2.25M, 15261 Captiva Dr 4/4.5 $12.5M.

No price changes.

No new sales.

2 closed sales: 15831 Captiva Dr 2/2.5 $2.65M, 15819 Captiva Dr 5/5 $6.35M.

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, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan