Another Friday has arrived with the island drying out from Tropical Storm Debby and shellers hauling in plenty of beautiful empty specimens. There was not much sales activity posted in the island Multiple Listing Service (MLS) this week, but our listings had some action. Below are some observations on the effects of the tropical storm and real estate happenings,

Post Tropical Storm Debby

When forecasters said that the right side of a tropical storm/hurricane is the dirty-side, I looked up that definition. They said Tropical Storm Debby was going to be “dirty” at ~425 miles off the coast of Florida, out in the gulf when it passed Sanibel and Captiva last weekend. The “dirty-side” means where there will be the highest winds and storm surge, and greatest tornado threat.

SCCF (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation) reports that data recorded by their Marine Lab through the River, Estuary, and Coastal Observing Network (RECON) shows that the Debby 2-foot storm surge exceed the one from Hurricane Idalia which passed the islands off-shore, last August. With Debby coming earlier than other recent storms (Ian and Idalia), there were more than 500 sea turtle nests still incubating on Sanibel and Captiva beaches when the Debbie bad-weather bands arrived. SCCF biologists are still assessing nest damage.

From inside my little home on Anchor Dr, I can confirm that Debbie produced more winds and rain than I have ever experienced during a storm. A moat formed around my home with as much, if not more, water remaining than what was here when I viewed it after my Hurricane Charley evacuation in 2004.

During high tide, early Saturday afternoon, my dock was well under water with the canal creeping into my backyard. Thankfully, it did not reach the home or pool, but it took several days for the roadway water to subside enough that I dared drive through it. Dave and Lisa parked up the street and waded in on Sunday to check on things.

Tuesday, I ventured to the Post Office and tried to go down West Gulf Dr but turned around before the entrance to East Rocks. Swales were full everywhere and water was over the road and deep in several spots. Water was under the buildings (in the covered parking areas) at Kings Crown and remains there today. Also at Pointe Santo, the new tennis courts and much of Bldg C parking lot were under water.

From Casa Ybel east there did not seem to be as much standing water on the roadsides and I enjoyed seeing a gopher turtle trotting along Middle Gulf Dr. Special always to see those.

On Sunday, the City temporarily closed the public beach parking lots due to flooding. Social media pix of Lighthouse Beach gulf-side showed that much of the beach renourishment sand added just a few short months ago was in the parking lot. Only the top of a bike rack was visible in one photo.

By Monday afternoon, the City reopened Bowman’s Beach lot. Then by Wednesday, the lots at Blind Pass and Tarpon Bay Rd also reopened. The boat ramp too.

Wednesday and yesterday, I again tried driving into East Rocks, but no dice. That community entrance is still was too deep for my car.

When I swung through Seagull Estates/Daniel Dr, it was good to see that the home so heavily damaged by Ian has been demolished/removed. Their community lake was over the banks but receding.

In various areas, I also noticed several downed gumbo limbo trees which I heard started to fail after salt water intrusion from Ian. I had one fall over a month ago at my house. Also saw quite a few tall palms leaning in new directions, so more trees are struggling. The bends in the resprouting Norfolk pines at the corner of Lindgren and East Gulf also are interesting to see. Those trees are tough!

I heard from another Realtor® that the newly-restored office at Oceans Reach flooded and will need to be redone again. There may be more reports of that happening in ground-level properties where gulf water breached the dunes.

This morning, the City announced that the gulf-side Lighthouse Beach parking lot and Gulfside City Park lot have reopened. Only the Lighthouse bayside lot and Turner Beach lot remain closed.

During my morning rounds today, I noticed new landscaping at both Hurricane House and Villas of Sanibel. Also looks like the new tennis/pickleball courts are done at Compass Point and a new sign is up at Sanibel Sea School.

On another positive note, post-Ian reconstruction and restoration continues. SW FL is lucky that Debby was not closer. Fingers crossed that is it for 2024 storms, but we know to heed the forecasts during hurricane season – or through November.

Florida Realtors®

Monday afternoon, shortly after the Florida Realtors® Zoom class on Listing Agreement modifications began, my cable/internet service went out again. Though my electricity only flickered during the storm, Xfinity also was out for more than 24 hours over the weekend.

Florida Realtors®, like other states, is hurrying to get their new and revised forms done before the August 17 deadline for compliance with NAR-mandated changes. The changes require that all reference to Realtor compensation be removed from Multiple Listing Services and that existing listing agreements be modified disclosing that to Sellers and adding the phrase “Brokerage commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable.”

Florida Realtors® Annual Business Meetings began yesterday with the state Think Tanks which meet via Zoom. These Think Tank events set the stage for items that will be covered during the in-person meetings in Orlando that begin August 19. There are Think Tanks for:

·        Appraisal Legislative

·        Attainable/Workforce Housing Legislative

·        Legislative & Regulatory Business Issues

·        HOA/Condominium Legislative

·        Land Use, Property Rights and Sustainable Development Legislative

·        Insurance Legislative

·        Property Management Legislative

·        Legislative and Regulatory Research

·        Resort and Second Home Specialist Legislative

·        State and Local Taxation Legislative.

I am a panelist on the Resort and Second-Home Specialist Breakout Group that is meeting this afternoon from 2 to 3 p.m. I also will be in Orlando for the upcoming business meetings and convention (Aug 19-24), but I will always have my phone in hand.

Teammate Dave and Lisa are accustomed to me being in Orlando for these meetings. Technology now makes our work so much easier than when I began serving on the state leadership team over 27 years ago. That networking has resulted in gaining some wonderful pals all over the state and nationally. I never ask for a referral when passing business on to one of them but am always happy to recommend someone if you ever need a real estate expert elsewhere. They know SanibelSusan as the gal who always wears flip flops and wants clients to get the best service.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

 At our island Realtor® Association Professional Development Committee Meeting Tuesday, we finalized educational and speaker events through October. There also was a Caravan meeting yesterday but no new listings were open up for viewing.

Below, with data from the islands Multiple Listing Service (MLS) are summary tables of the residential sales statistics, followed by the Sanibel/Captiva MLS action reported this week.

SANIBEL RESIDENTIAL	CONDOS			HOMES			LOTS
	#	Avg Price	DOM	#	Avg Price	DOM	#	Avg Price	DOM
For sale:	78	1,081,174	164	91	2,688,995	156	28	942,853	252
Under contract	9	881,877	134	14	1,174,999	114	1	3,300,000	499
Sold 2024 to 8/9	52	850,183	115	128	1,474,550	103	12	1,402,166	147
Sold 2023	98	955,261	65	263	1,267,390	73	24	920,645	76
Sold 2022	123	1,136,199	44	185	1,602,745	52	26	779,528	223
Sold 2021	287	875,127	113	355	1,341,881	89	69	698,862	442

CAPTIVA RESIDENTIAL	CONDOS			HOMES			LOTS
	#	Avg Price	DOM	#	Avg Price	DOM	#	Avg Price	DOM
For sale	30	1,455,566	185	20	7,303,800	265	2	13,750,000	274
Under contract	2	1,897,250	262	1	2,850,000	57	0	N/A	N/A
Sold 2024 to 8/9	11	1,772,727	166	5	4,944,500	146	0	N/A	N/A
Sold 2023	17	834,176	98	17	2,716,647	70	0	N/A	N/A
Sold 2022	28	1,458,983	52	22	5,636,386	133	0	N/A	N/A
Sold 2021	64	1,150,373	145	44	2,988,520	261	2	2,950,000	731

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity August 2-9:

Sanibel

CONDOS

2 new listings: Blind Pass #G102 2/2 $739K, Sundial #N301 2/2 $1.45M.

3 price changes: Donax Village #10 2/2 now $525K, Sandalfoot #4D3 2/2 $735K, Sandalfoot #5C2 2/2 now $745K.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings.

2 price changes: 815 Birdie View Pt 3/3 now $1.845M, 2255 Troon Ct 4/5.5.5 now $2.299M.

2 new sales: 1504 Wilton Ln 3/2 listed at $899K, 3822 Coquina Dr 4/3.5 listed at $999,999.

4 closed sales: 1011 S Yachtsman Dr 5/2.5 $1M, 4573 Bowen Bayou Rd 3/2 $1.3M, 1402 Middle Gulf Dr 3/3 $1,313,250; 4731 Rue Belle Mer 5/5.5 $7.5M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 6492 San-Cap Rd $975K.

1 back-on-market: 1801 Olde Middle Gulf Dr (former site of Clam Shell condos) $6.999M

No price changes, new or closed sales.

Captiva

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! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan