Another Friday has snuck up on us with more real estate activity again this week on sunny Sanibel.

I was encouraged during my daily drive-arounds to see many gulf-front complexes constructing new drainage plans and adding new landscaping. Waiting until just before the rainy season to put in those plants makes good sense. (In Southwest Florida, that season is May 15 through Oct 15.) Let Mother Nature do the watering.

More nice weather with temps reaching into the 80’s (degrees F) is expected over the weekend and through next week. Many visitors have been enjoying their spring vacations on the islands as evidenced by often-packed beach parking lots and even waits for dinner in some restaurants.

About 50% of the pre-Ian hotel rooms are available now, and I heard that 90% of those are booked currently. Yay!

Locals out doing daytime chores have learned that to save time we should do them between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Personally, I love being stuck in traffic when the weather is nice. Put down the windows, enjoy the fresh air, and be thankful that the islands are rebounding so well. It has taken time, but it’s getting there – and properties are coming back in such better condition!

Island Scoop

Junonia Shells – Those doing the Sanibel Stoop have been finding oodles of shells this week including many Junonia shells. I have looked for 36 years and have yet to find a whole one. The search continues.

Sandalfoot – This 5-building 60-unit condo association at 671 East Gulf Dr has reopened for vacation rentals. With both 1- and 2-bedroom apartments that are either gulf-front or gulf-view, it has been an East End favorite since the early 70’s. Now many units are like-new! They had their grand re-opening this week with their buildings, grounds, easy on-site rental office, and restored amenities look terrific.

Sanibel Distressed Properties – At the last City Council meeting a first reading was held about an Ordinance change to the Land Development Code to authorize the City to take action to abate unsecured or unkept properties that have been declared “distressed”. A Code Enforcement Hearing covering several properties is scheduled for Monday, March 31. The next City Council Meeting is Tuesday. More info including meeting agenda and links to listen to the meetings are on MySanibel.com.

Shalimar Beach Resort – It has been a year since the groundbreaking of the new buildings of this hotel at 2823 West Gulf Dr. They certainly looks different from the previous 1959-style olde-Florida cottages, but their advertising touts that all of the 33 new accommodations, including hotel studios and 1- and 2-bedroom villas will have kitchens and balconies. It still looks like construction has a long way to go, but they just announced that they are taking reservations for stays beginning in October.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors

During the local Association of Realtors Caravan meeting yesterday, more info was shared, including plenty of new listings and price reductions, plus a few sales. I was happy to announce a SanibelSusan Realty condo listing going under contract and another with a terrific price reduction.

After the meeting an East End Caravan followed with eight homes and two condos open for easy viewing.

Our Association of Realtors also warned us late yesterday there have been more reports today of local Realtors getting text messages from fraudulent sellers. Thankfully, Florida Realtors provides its agents with an app called Forewarn where we enter a phone number and instantly verify caller identity, criminal history, property and vehicle ownership, financial data, and additional phone and address history. You can be sure that we use it when we get calls from numbers our phones do not recognize.

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

As the tables below show, there now are 539 residential properties for sale on Sanibel, 94 on Captiva. That compares to 255 sold last year on Sanibel, 21 on Captiva. This year-to-date, Sanibel has had 63 closed sales, 1 on Captiva.

While we hope that the other properties that are under contract (40 on Sanibel, 6 on Captiva) will also successfully close, market recovery is slow. Too slow but still moving in the right direction.

SANIBEL RESIDENTIAL	CONDOS			HOMES			LOTS
	#	Avg Price	DOM	#	Avg Price	DOM	#	Avg Price	DOM
For sale:	188	987,611	119	310	1,736,853	111	41	871,034	273
Under contract	19	812,278	100	21	1,576,850	76	0	N/A	N/A
Sold to 3/28/25	22	830,484	122	38	1,530,572	71	3	1,350,000	66
Sold 2024	75	818,493	117	165	1,472,757	114	15	1,403,533	192
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:	57	1,283,280	147	34	6,300,088	148	3	9,916,666	231
Under contract	4	1,449,750	340	2	7,072,500	62	0	N/A	N/A
Sold to 3/28/25	0	N/A	N/A	1	910,000	86	0	N/A	N/A
Sold 2024	13	1,728,846	185	8	4,887,187	182	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 Mar 21-28

Sanibel

CONDOS

6 new listings: Captains Walk #E2 2/1.5 $369K, Blind Pass #D105 2/2 $615K, Lighthouse Point #132 2/2 $649K, Sandalfoot #4D1 2/2 $725K, Sundial #J104 2/2 $1.048M, Wedgewood #106 3/3.5 $3.5M.

14 price changes: Colonnades #1 1/1 now $239K, Mariner Pointe #713 2/2.5 now $399K (SanibelSusan listing), Sundial #I207 1/1 now $445K, Cottage Colony West #132 1/1 now $535K, Beach Road Villas #103 2/2 now $585K, Blind Pass #F104 2/2 now $599K, Donax Village #19 2/2 now $620K, Lighthouse Point #232 3/2 now $795K, Loggerhead Cay #184 2/2 now $939K, Sundial #R401 2/2 now $1.19M (SanibelSusan listing), Nutmeg Village #309 2/2 now $1.15M, Heron at The Sanctuary #1-3A 3/2.5 now $1.298M, La Playa #3B 3/2 now $1.75M, High Tide #B101 3/2 now $2.1M.

 

6 new sales: Colonnades #51 1/1 listed at $245K, Sunset South #7D 2/2 listed at $599K (SanibelSusan listing), Island Beach Club #P1F 2/2 listed at $774.8K, Sanibel Inn #3511 2/2 listed at $825K, Lighthouse Point #323 3/2 listed at $950K, Somerset #E101 3/2.5 listed at $1.749M.

3 closed sales: Sandalfoot #5B2 1/1 $575K, Lighthouse Point #317 3/2 $585K, Oceans Reach # 1A4 2/2 $850K.

HOMES

6 new listings: 970 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 $969K, 1986 Wild Lime Dr 3/2 $979K, 707 Cardium St 3/2 $1.095M, 3702 Coquina Dr 4/3 $1.295M, 1103 Schooner Pl 4/3 $1.45M, 461 Lake Murex Cir 4/2.5 $2.4M.

1 back-on-market: 421 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 $899K.

25 price changes: 662 East Rocks Dr 3/2 now $699K, 4560 Brainard Bayou Rd 3/2 now $724K, 1813 Long Point Ln 4/2.5 now $789K, 1410 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 now $799K, 3362 Barra Cir 2/2 now $799K, 486 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 now $799K, 713 Durion Ct 3/2 now $850K, 3941 Coquina Dr 3/2 now $875K, 996 Greenwood Ct N (1/2 duplex) 3/3 now $899K, 9247 Dimmick Dr 3/2 now $919K, 604 Sea Oats Dr 4/3 now $999K, 1270 Par View Dr 3/2 now $1.145M, 9439 Cotten Ct 3/4.5 now $1.15M, 1339 Par View Dr 3/2.5 now $1.195M, 3711 Agate Ct 3/2.5 now $1.195M, 640 Periwinkle Way 3/2 now $1.299M, 4353 Gulf Pines Dr 3/2.5 now $1.495M, 544 Sea Oats Dr 4/4 now $1.55M, 939 Beach Rd 4/3.5 now $1.55M, 3744 West Gulf Dr 4/4 now $1.699M, 4166 Dingman Dr 4/4 now $1.797M, 1507 Angel Dr 3/2.5 now $1.8M, 4090 West Gulf Dr 5/3 now $1.995M, 880 Limpet Dr 4/3.5 now $3.099M, 4709 Rue Belle Mer 3/2 now $3.99M.

4 new sales: 254 Daniel Dr 3/2 listed at $1.195M, 1313 Eagle Run Dr 3/3 listed at $1.695M, 6407 Pine Ave 3/2 listed at $1.899M, 479 Lagoon Dr 3/3 listed at $1.998M.

3 closed sales: 209 Robinwood Cir 3/2 $585K, 589 Rabbit Rd 2/2 $790K, 539 N Yachtsman Dr 4/3.5 $1.595M.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

1 closed sale: 6015 Clam Bayou Ln $975K.

CAPTIVA

CONDOS

1 new listing: Gulf Beach Villas #2122 2/2 $1.95M.

1 price change: Lands End Village #1655 2/2 now $1.189M.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

1 new listing: 16886 Captiva Dr 5/4.5 $7.5M.

3 price changes: 11523 Andy Rosse Ln 5/5.5 now $4.675M, 15891 Captiva Dr 5/4.5 now $6.1M, 16512 Captiva Dr 7/5.5 now $7.95M.

1 new sale: 16500 Captiva Dr 6/6.5 listed at $7.895M.

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.

Enjoy your weekend,

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan