All Beach Accesses Plus Causeway Park Now Open

The big news here this week was the reopening of the causeway islands park to visitors. Closed since September 2022, Lee County announced that the park opened yesterday with its first phase of amenities ready for the public. After being closed while Florida Department of Transportation used the site during the rebuilding of the Sanibel Causeway, Lee County Parks and Recreation has now resumed their redesign and improvement efforts.

The opening offers free on-site parking, portable restrooms and trash/recycling bins. The County design phase is for improvements focusing on creating a more resilient park. That planning is expected to be completed this summer with construction to begin later this year and completion expected in 2026. Progress can be found at www.leegov.com/parks.

It was amazing both yesterday and today to see so many folks already enjoying the causeway beaches, while the bay water on either side of the bridges were also busy with boaters angling for tarpon. This morning there were so many fishing that there were too many boats to count while driving. The 13^th Annual Ding Darling Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament is next Friday, so they could be practicing!

With the island beach parking lots also open, including the Turner Beach lot on Captiva, there are plenty of spots ready for visitors. The water surrounding the islands remains a brilliant clear blue and daytime temperatures continue in the low to mid-80’s, a wonderful time of the year for water lovers.

Free Tickets to 32^nd Annual Sam Bailey Island Night

The event this year is themed the 50^th Anniversary Edition in honor of Sanibel anniversary this past November. Island Night tickets are free with the festivities beginning at Hammon Stadium on Wednesday night May 7, when gates open at 5:45 p.m. A traditional pre-game parade and ceremony follow with the first pitch thrown at 7:05 p.m. when the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels take on the Dunedin Blue Jays. A first-ever fireworks display will close out the event.

Tickets are available on line at www.gofevo.com/Islandsnight25 or pick them up on Sanibel at the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, Bank of the Islands, Huxter’s Market and Deli, Jerry’s Foods, and at The Island Store on Captiva.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors

It was a short meeting yesterday at the Islands Association of Realtors. No properties were signed up for the West-End Caravan that followed the meeting. That is a bit unusual, but late spring usually is the least popular time for new listings with the rainy season beginning soon. This also can be the time of the year when unsold listings are taken off the market for the summer and then relisted in early fall when snowbirds again start thinking about winter and Florida weather.

You can bet optimistic Realtors still look forward to more sales this summer as restoration continues and more visitors return.

Real Estate Scoop

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

There were eight new island sales again posted this week, all on Sanibel: a condo and seven homes.

SANIBEL RESIDENTIAL	CONDOS			HOMES			LOTS
	#	Avg Price	DOM	#	Avg Price	DOM	#	Avg Price	DOM
For sale:	180	971,411	127	289	1,792,555	122	44	953,827	276
Under contract	12	764,333	125	22	1,551,181	143	0	N/A	N/A
Sold to 5/2/25	40	816,849	122	56	1,426,595	106	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:	52	1,204,843	171	39	6,577,897	161	3	9,916,666	266
Under contract	2	1,492,500	234	0	N/A	N/A	0	N/A	N/A
Sold to 5/2/25	2	1,097,500	473	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 Apr 25-May 2

Sanibel

CONDO

3 new listings: Sundial #I102 1/1 $525K, Blind Pass #B101 2/2 $649K, Sanibel Surfside #233 2/2 $849.9K.

5 price changes: Spanish Cay #F2 1/1 now $389K, Sandpebble #4A 2/2 now $525K, Tantara #202 2/2 now $795K, Tamarind #B201 2/2 now $1.599M, Gulfside Place #125 2/2 now $1.65M.

1 new sales: Sandpiper Beach #103 2/2 listed at $725K.

6 closed sales: Donax Village #5 2/2 $599K, Island Beach Club #P1F 2/2 $719K, Sanibel Moorings #1112 2/2 $800K, Sanibel Surfside #135 2/2 $1.015M, Somerset #D201 3/2.5 $1.5M, Somerset #E101 3/2.5 $1.6M.

HOMES

3 new listings: 1304 Par View Dr 3/3 $1.1M, 1111 Schooner Pl 3/3 $1.395M, 213 Daniel Dr 4/3 $1.475M.

14 price changes: 910 Fitzhugh St 4/2 now $619K, 551 Sea Oats Dr 3/2 now $675,555; 1314 Tahiti Dr 3/2 now $599K, 1436 Jamaica Dr 2/2 now $679K, 1806 Ibis Ln 3/2 now $749K, 1526 Wilton Ln 4/2 now $750K, 838/840 Rabbit Rd (duplex) 4/2 now $839K, 1625 Serenity Ln 3/2 now $850K, 1006 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 now $1.249M, 799 Birdie View Pt 3/3 now $1.399M, 1666 Middle Gulf Dr 3/2 now $1.4M, 3744 West Gulf Dr 4/4 now $1.599M, 865 Birdie View Pt 4/4.5 now $1.849M, 5105 Joewood Dr 5/5 now $3.975M.

7 new sales: 1978 Roseate Ln 3/2 listed at $699K, 235 Palm Lake Dr 3/2 listed at $799K, 9067 Mockingbird Dr 3/2 listed at $879K, 811 Birdie View Pt 3/2.5 listed at $1.399M, 6010 White Heron Ln 3/2.5 listed at $1.895M, 906 Snowberry Ln 4/4.5 listed at $4.75M, 4099 West Gulf Dr 5/5.5 listed at $4.95M.

7 closed sales: 1258 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 $570K, 499 Leather Fern Pl 3/2 $850K, 2276 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 $850K, 1646 Middle Gulf Dr 3/3 $1.05M. 254 Daniel Dr 3/2 $1.1M, 1311 Par View Dr 3/3 $1.12M, 595 Birdsong Pl 3/2 $1.2M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 1032 Sand Castle Rd $399K.

No price changes, new or closed sales.

CAPTIVA

CONDOS

No new listings.

6 price changes: Tennis Villas #3135 1/1 now $399K, Tennis Villas #3233 2/2 now $675K, Bayside Villas #40 3/3 now $999K, Bayside Villas #4318 3/3 now $999K, Beach Homes #29 4/4 now $2.999M, Beach Homes #19 3/3 now $5.4M.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: Lands End Village #1650 3/3 $1.795M.

HOMES

1 new listing: 16730 Captiva Dr 5/5.5 $10.9M.

1 price change: 11525 Laika Ln (duplex) 4/2.5.5 now $1.85M.

No new or 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 in or participated in these transactions.

Enjoy your weekend, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan