Another Busy Friday on Sunny Sanibel

It has been another week of wonderful weather on sunny Sanibel and Captiva. More warm temps (low 80’s) are expected in the days to come, with a few showers possible too. As the Florida drought continues, we are thankful for every sprinkle.

Periwinkle traffic remains heavy and the shared-use paths busy. It also is wonderful to see more island visitors returning and enjoying springtime here. With additional occupancy, comes more real estate activity. Not a lot more, but a little. The SanibelSusan Team is grateful for that and offers some advice below for owners.

If You Are Thinking of Selling

Being a Realtor for more than 37 years, one might think they have encountered every hiccup possible with getting a sale closed. Nope, there is always more to learn and since the recent storms, there have been new glitches to overcome. If you are selling or thinking about it, here are few items to consider so last minute frustrations are avoided. We want everyone to have a smooth transaction from start to finish.

Legal Property Owner – Listing and sale documents need to be signed by the legal owner(s) of a property. The Lee County Tax Appraiser website, LEEPA.org has property info. Though the info is not guaranteed, anyone can look up a property address, check when it sold and then follow the link to the deed recorded at the County courthouse. Other than by individual(s), a property owner could be a trust, a company, limited partnership, etc.

Trust, Company, Partnership Owners – Being a trust trustee or company manager does not always mean that individual has the right to sell a property. Before a title company issues title commitment, they check to be sure title is clear. They ask for trust and company documents for their underwriters to review. Sometimes, a trust allows a trustee to manage a property and handle financials but requires agreement of beneficiaries to sell. Also with an LLC or company required to file an annual report, the company needs to be active with required reports filed. Easy to check company records at Florida’s SunBiz.org.

Permits – With the Florida “As Is Residential Contract for Sale and Purchase” if a Buyer identifies open permits or work that required a permit, the seller is to cooperate and assist. To check for permits, go to the City website at MySanibel.com and look up the address. Sometimes an owner thinks if work was accomplished and a contractor paid, the permit is closed. Not always, particularly with all the restoration work and emergency permits issued in the last few years. If a final inspection was not performed, the permit may not be closed. Always check to be sure permits are complete. If they are not, contacting the contractor or hiring a new one and reopening the permit may be necessary. Check with the City for the easiest way to rectify. They are helpful.

Community Special Assessments – Particularly with condos, there have been more special assessments in recent years. Those may be for repairs, insurance, engineering studies, reserves, payback of SBA (Small Business Administration) loans, etc. Like with a City sewer assessment, usually community special assessments must be paid off when a property closes, even those that have payments spread out for multiple years. However, associations do not all have the same requirements so be sure to know what your property/community obligations are.

Liens – Some associations and properties also have liens filed against them that are related to lawsuits, contractors that were not paid/or dismissed, etc. In some cases, an association will not agree to a sale unless funds are withheld to satisfy liens.

Insurance – Be prepared to provide your Realtor with the contact info for your insurance agent, the types of insurance you have (homeowners, wind, flood) and the annual cost for each policy. If you have a new roof, windows, and doors or repairs to them, you also should have a new Wind Mitigation Report if you have wind coverage. This info helps a buyer understand ownership costs. Many buyers want to continue with the same insurance provider if you are happy with them. Also, most flood policies are assumable if a seller is willing.

Property Disclosures – Florida is a full-disclosure state, meaning if there is anything that affects a property value, it needs to be disclosed. The SanibelSusan Team is known for providing good details, so please be prepared to complete a Florida Realtors Seller Property Disclosure which covers such topics as appliances, flooding, termites, plumbing, roof, pool, HOA/COA, roads, claims, etc.

Where Has SanibelSusan Sold?

Those thinking of selling sometimes ask me where I have sold the most. With a name like SanibelSusan, it definitely is in Sanibel. Though with successful sales all over the islands, it is in the communities or complexes that have the most properties or where I have owned personally where I have sold the most.

When I again got this question this week, I looked up where I have had ten or more completed transactions. The communities are listed below and show the number of sales closed in each to-date:

·         Mariner Pointe                                  42          (Owned/lived there)

·         Sanibel Estates                                24          (Currently own/live here)

·         Sundial                                              24

·         The Dunes                                        20

·         Loggerhead Cay                              19

·         Spanish Cay                                    19

·         Gumbo Limbo                                  17          (Did a flip there)

·         Pointe Santo                                    17

·         Shell Harbor                                     17

·         Sandalfoot                                         15

·         Beachview Country Club Estates   13          (Owned/lived there)

·         Seagull Estates                                12

·         Lighthouse Point                              11

·         Gulfside Place                                  10

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors

Yesterday was a Wast-End Caravan Meeting at the Association of Realtors, after which just a single Sanibel home was open for easy viewing. Next Thursday is an East-End Caravan Meeting.

Island Real Estate Scoop

Looking at the residential real estate activity posted in the SanCap MLS, since last Friday, there have been 16 new sales: nine Sanibel homes, four Sanibel condos, two Sanibel lots, and a Captiva home.

During the same time, there were 12 new residential listings and 16 price changes.

Our commercial condo listing at 1640 Periwinkle Way, Lime Tree Center #4, also went under contract this afternoon.

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

SANIBEL Residential	CONDOS			HOMES				LOTS
	#	Avg Price	DOM	#	Avg Price	DOM		#	Avg Price	DOM
For sale	182	1,011,792	189	226	1,639,187	137		55	1,463,216	258
Under contract	19	1,036,421	216	42	1,481,901	143		4	4,149,250	201
Sold to 3/27/2026	27	713,407	189	65	1,839,096	149		6	409,000	237
Sold 2025	104	755,564	153	159	1,291,016	140		7	952,857	252
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

CAPTIVA Residential	CONDOS			HOMES			LOTS
	#	Avg Price	DOM	#	Avg Price	DOM	#	Avg Price	DOM
For sale	49	1,529,263	210	28	6,606,535	252	3	10,166,666	499
Under contract	1	1,250,000	13	2	2,550,000	190	0	N/A	N/A
Sold to 3/27/2026	11	937,181	168	3	4,833,333	296	0	N/A	N/A
Sold 2025	16	931,187	214	12	2,480,375	90	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

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 20-27

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Sandalfoot #3D2 2/2 $650K, Sanibel Moorings #1521 2/2 $749K, Sandalfoot #1D3 2/2 $1.135M, Island Beach Club #P5D 2/2 $1.495M.

1 back-on-market: Gulfside Place #310 2/2 $1.299M.

5 price changes: Coquina Beach #4A 2/2 now $599K, Lighthouse Point #214 3/2 now $659K, Shell Island Beach Club #7A 2/2 now $799K, Sunward #102 2/2 now $930K, Sundial #K303 2/2 now $1.449M.

4 new sales: Sundial #C307 1/1 listed for $499K, By-the-Sea #B202 2/2 listed for $500K, Bayview Village #1A 3/3 listed at $995K, Gulfside Place #105 2/2 listed for $1.189M.

7 closed sales: Mariner Pointe #713 2/2.5 $335K (SanibelSusan listing), Cottage Colony West #101 1/1 $450K, Sanibel Shores #A1 2/2 $550K, Sanibel Surfside #223 2/2 $765K, Sundial #K103 2/2 $893K, High Tide #C201 2/2 $950K, Gulfside Place #125 2/2 $1.51M.

HOMES

6 new listings: 1314 Tahiti Dr 3’2 $579K, 240 Southwinds Dr 4/3 $899K, 1751 Jewel Box Dr 4/4 $900K, 1400 Albatross 3/3 $1.125M, 5427 Osprey Ct 3/3.5 $1.795M, 3324 Saint Kilda Rd 4/4.5 $3.95M.

1 back-on-market: 742 Nerita St 3/2 $1.55M.

8 price changes: 1972 Roseate Ln 3/2 now $599K, 9225 Dimmick Dr 4/2.5 now $750K, 2011 Mitzi Ln 2/2 now $750K, 1417 Causey Ct 3/2 now $980K, 1450-1460 Court Pl (multi-family) 5/4.5 now $995K, 3131 Twin Lakes Ln 3/2 now $1,075,999; 3990 Coquina Dr 3/2 now $1,098,500; 1114 Seagrape Ln 3/2 now $2.895M.

9 new sales: 4560 Bowen Bayou Rd 3/2 listed for $599K, 1595 Bunting Ln 3/2 listed for $599K, 5307 Ladyfinger Lake Rd 3/3 listed at $750K, 2417 Wulfert Rd 3/3 listed for $1.699M, 1517 Sand Castle Rd 4/3.5 listed for $1.995M, 985 Oyster Ct 5/4 listed for $1.998M, 918 Limpet Dr 4/4.5 listed for $2.595M, 1133 Golden Olive Ct 4/3.5 listed for $3.5M, 1552 San Carlos Bay Dr 4/3.5 listed for $4.695M.

9 closed sales:  2162 Egret Cir (1/2 duplex) 3/2 $435K, 5892 San-Cap Rd 3/3 $487.5K, 1019 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 $975K, 2525 Lands End Pl 4/3 $1.15M, 417 Lake Murex Cir 4/3 $1.25M, 821 Lindgren Blvd 3/3 $1,316,500; 290 Southwinds Dr 4/3.5 $1.4M, 2337 Wulfert Rd 4/3 $1.4M, 865 Birdie View Pt 4/4.5 $1.75M,

LOTS

1 new listing: 2605 West Gulf Dr $2.8M.

No price changes.

2 new sales: 1321 Seaspray Ln listed at $799K, 4155, 4163, & 4171 West Gulf Dr listed at $14M.

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

 No new listings.

3 price changes: Beach Villas #2615 2/2 now $825K, Lands End Village #1647 2/2 now $1.475M, Lands End Village #1641 2/2 now $1.695M.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: Marina Villas #601 2/2 $649K.

HOMES

1 new listing: 11536 Wightman Ln 4/3 $1.999M.

No price changes.

1 new sale: 38 Sea Hibiscus Ct 2/2 listed for $1.6M.

1 closed sale; 11550 Paige Ct 5/5.5.5 $5.95M.

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.