It has been another no-rain week on sunny Sanibel with the City alerting on heavy traffic which I can confirm after making the mistake of going to the Post Office Tues afternoon. MapQuest confirms that my East End home is 3.5 miles down Periwinkle Way to Tarpon Bay Rd, typically a 10-minute drive. Ha – not this week. I left home hoping to turn left coming out of Anchor Dr, but before 3 p.m. there already was a back-up from the 4-way stop. Since I wasn’t in a hurry, I headed the back-way, noticing that the Periwinkle back-up continued all the way to the East Gulf Dr intersection at the Olde Sanibel Shops.

The back route took 25 minutes as there was an officer directing traffic in front of The Sanibel Resort (former Holiday Inn) at the Donax St/East/Middle Gulf Dr intersection. That’s a first and it created another delay.

The good news is that Laura was manning the counter at the Post Office and in addition to her efficient service I learned she had just donated a large art piece for the auction at the upcoming Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner. The island is lucky to have that hardworking girl and her community spirit. (Her donation at the recent CHR (Community Housing Resources) event sold for $10.5K.)

(Tickets still are available for the Kiwanis event which is on Sat Feb 22 at The Community House. No tickets will be sold at the door. This long-time annual fundraiser supports youth education, scholarship, and recreation programs.)

Heading home from the Post Office, my 2^nd mistake was thinking that since it was late afternoon, it would be quicker to drive down Periwinkle with traffic exiting the island. That is the route the City often recommends and traffic controllers favor. Ha – after it took 50 minutes to get from the Post Office to the 4-way stop at Jerry’s, it then dragged to a total of 94 minutes to go the 3.5 miles home.

With thoughts of those stranded in “snow land”, the ride was enjoyable with “windows open”, noticing several happy birds/critters and new vegetation along the way. Letting a vehicle in at each unmanned intersection garnered waves and smiles too.

So, while restoration continues, please plan your island travel times better than me, cuz we need the many daily workers and visitors. Betcha the fantastic weather makes them happy too.

Sanibel Beach Renourishment Update

After seeing continual truckloads of sand coming to the island for months, it was great to read this week that Sanibel beach renourishment projects are wrapping up. With tons of sand already added to Lighthouse Beach, the City announced yesterday that dune vegetation plantings have begun there where approximately 29K native plants will go in to further strengthen the beach. This is the final phase of that project. The plants are sourced from a local grower and beach compatible with their root systems adding protection.

Joint Sanibel City Council & Planning Commission Meeting

The joint meeting scheduled next week at BIG ARTS on Tues, Feb 18 at 1 p.m. with both Sanibel City Council and Planning Commission has some real-estate-related and recovery items on the agenda (see below). Attend in person or on Facebook live.

·        Waive variance application fee

·        Developed area/fill/predevelopment grade discussion

·        Additional height exceptions for build back

·        Angle of light consideration

·        Short-form conditional use permit review

·        Code changes to implement Town Center

·        Installation of vegetation buffers

·        Distressed properties & dangerous buildings update.

Events, News, & ReOpenings

Jensen’s Twin Palm Resort & Marina – on Captiva has just reopened.

Red Tide May Have Run Its Course – was the headline on a Wed post by SCCF which further said: “The red tide bloom off Sanibel and Captiva may be in decline based on lower counts as well as a shift in satellite imagery that shows it moving to the north and south of the islands… SCCF Marine Lab scientists say conditions are improving and the bloom may have run its course for the time being, despite patches that remain offshore….” (My travels to Sanibel and Captiva both over the weekend and yesterday neither saw nor smelled any red tide evidence, though there were earlier reports of dead fish on the beach and in the canals.”

Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club Arts & Crafts Festival – is this weekend (Feb 15 & 16) at The Community House (both with silent auction inside and plenty of shopping inside and on the grounds). Featuring over 50 artists, this long-time annual event is open Sat 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sun 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Real Estate

The islands Association of Realtors did not meet this week, but next Thurs is our monthly Membership Meeting, Guest speakers are Sanibel Fire Chief Kevin Barbot and Sanibel Police Chief Bill Dalton. A Caravan of Open Houses from noon to 3 p.m. follows the meeting.

This week, the Sanibel and Captiva Multiple Listing (MLS) hot sheets for residential property posted another bunch of new/back-on-market listings, and price changes – a total of 75 which is a little less than the 81 reported last Friday, but during the same seven days, there have only been 2 new sales – a 3-bedrm 2 bath canal-front Sanibel Estates pool home in nice condition that just dropped the price to $550K and a gulf-front lot in Gulf Shores that also recently had a significant price reduction.

We hope that the Valentines Day/Presidents’ Day weekend which in pre-storm years brought additional visitors will do that this year. But there are oodles of accommodation vacancies with many offering huge discounts.

Below, with data from the MLS are summary tables of the island residential sales statistics, followed by the MLS action reported this week.

With 471 residential listings now on Sanibel and 78 on Captiva, a lot more buyers are needed. Sanibel has had just 22 closed sales year-to-date. Captiva has had only one.

With commercial inventory, the former site of the Island Cow is on the market. It includes both 2153 and 2163 Periwinkle Way for $4.75M which is approved for a new restaurant plus eight residences (three single family, a duplex, and a tri-plex).

Also, the gas station at 1067 Bailey Rd, at the corner of Periwinkle Way, closed for $2M.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Feb 7-14

Sanibel

CONDOS

14 new listings: Spanish Cay #A8 2/2 $375K, Mariner Pointe #713 2/2.5 $449K (SanibelSusan listing), Tennisplace #B31 2/1.5 $479K, Sundial #C406 1/1 $615K, Beach Road Villas #103 2/2 $629K, Donax Village #6 2/2 $649K, Blind Pass #A203 3/2 $690K, Island Beach Club #P1F 2/2 $774K, Sundial #A203 1/1 $799K, Sanibel Siesta #112 2/2 $875K, Sanibel Arms #F4/2/2 $895K, Sanctuary Golf Villages I #2-PH5 2/2.5 $995K, Oceans Reach #4D2 2/2 $1.095M, Sundial #S301 3/2 $1.195M.

1 back-on-market: Sanibel Moorings #1541 3/2 $859K.

6 price changes: Captains Walk #F3 2/2 now $499K, Spanish Cay #B3 2/2 now $549K, Oceans Reach #2B2 1/1 now $725K, Oceans Reach #4D1 2/2 now $850K, Heron at The Sanctuary III #2B 3.2,5 now $999K, Nutmeg Village #309 2/2 now $1.195M.

No new sales.

2 closed sales: Gulfside Place #209/2/2 $1.125M, Seascape #302 3/3.5 $1.4M.

HOMES

22 new listings: 220 Hurricane Ln 2/2 $725K, 1027 Bird Watch Way 3/2 $825K, 662 East Rocks Dr 3/2 $844K, 810 Elinor Way 3/2 $849K, 785 Rabbit Rd 3/2 $900K, 588 Boulder Dr 3/3.5 $1.125M, 495 Birdsong Pl 3/2 $1.287M, 752 Windlass Way 3/2 $1.295M, 3025 Turtle Gait Ln 3/2 $1.32M, 2999 Twin Ponds Dr 4/3.5 $1,349,400; 716 Rabbit Rd 3/2,5 $1.388M, 926 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 $1.475M, 252 Daniel Dr 3/2 $1.495M, 1980 My Tern Ct 3/2 $1.495M, 734 Pyrula Ave 3/2.5 $1.549M, 1666 Middle Gulf Dr 3/2 $1.595M, 5402 Osprey Ct 4/3 $1,849,555; 780 Beach Rd 3/3.5 $1.895M, 5423 Shearwater Dr (1/2 duplex) 3/3 $1.895M, 2312 Starfish Ln 3/3.5 $1.995M, 991 Whelk Dr 4/3 $1.998M, 1674 Sabal Palm Dr 3/3 $2.3M.

1 back-on-market: 485 Peachtree Rd 3/3 $1.05M.

24 price changes: 4452 Gulf Pines Dr 3/2 now $685K, 4560 Bowen Bayou Rd 3/2 now $749K, 588 Hideaway Ct 3/2 now $790K, 4596 Buck Key Rd 3/2 now $799K, 1677 Sabal Sands Rd 3/2 now $799,555; 1679 Bunting Ln 3/2 now $879K, 575 Hideaway Ct 3/2 now $799K, 589 Rabbit Rd 2/2 now $869K, 5309 Umbrella Pool Rd 3/3 now $885K (SanibelSusan listing), 838/840 Rabbit Rd (multi-family) 4/2 now $899K, 9225 Dimmick Dr 4/2.5 now $899K, 754-756 Donax St (multi-family) 4/2 now $949K, 1113 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 now $1.099M, 720 Elinor Way 3/2 now $1.245M, 1311 Par View Dr 3/3 now $1.29M, 1985 Wild Lime Dr 3/2 now $1.395M, 748 Windlass Way 3/3 now $1.425M, 250 Christofer Ct 4/3,5 now $1.549M, 2450 Wulfert Rd 4/3 now $1.695M, 930 Kings Crown 4/3 now $2.2M, 1543 San Carlos Bay Dr 5/4 now $2.999M, 1480 Angel Dr 3/3.5 now $3M, 1083 Bird Ln 4/2.5 now $4.495M, 4513 Waters Edge Ln 3/2.5 now $5.25M.

1 new sale: 1125 Captains Walk St 3/3 listed at $550K.

2 closed sales: 557 Lake Murex Cir 3/2,5 $1.35M, 803 Lindgren Blvd 4/4.5 $1.655M.

LOTS

2 new listings: Bowmans Beach Rd 27 $232K, 466 East Gulf Dr $795K.

1 price change: 2453 Wulfert Rd now $399K.

No new sale: 4501 Waters Edge Ln listed at $2.499M.

No closed sales.

CAPTIVA

CONDOS

No new listing:

2 price change: Bayside Villas #4116 1/2 now $575K, Tennis Villas #3132 2.2 now $689K.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

1 new listing: 1 Sunset Captiva Ln 2/2.5 $4.495M.

2 price changes: 11523 Andy Rosse Ln 5/5.5 now $4,911,100, 16979 Captiva Dr 7/7.5 now $6.9M  

No new or closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.