It’s Not Black Friday Here – Bright Blue Sky & Sunshine

Posted on November 27, 2020 by SanibelSusan

Happy day after Thanksgiving! The SanibelSusan Team hopes you had a good holiday. It’s pretty quiet in our office today, though the roadways and bike paths are busy as it is bright and sunny with temperatures in the low 80’s.

As the holiday approached, island traffic picked up significantly. It was back to looking like “season”. The rare overcast foggy morning, like Monday, brought out shoppers and more traffic directors at the 4-way stops. All good, as island businesses need activity.

Though there was no local Association of Realtors Zoom Caravan meeting this week (next meeting is Dec 3), there was plenty of activity posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The week’s MLS postings follow a couple of news items.

First an updated island inventory summary. It is shaping up to be a good year with an unbelievable bounce-back from the early pandemic months. With only 79 Sanibel homes for sale and over 300 sold this year, it will be interesting to see what happens over the winter. Not quite as extreme is the situation with Sanibel condos. There are under 100 for sale and nearly 200 sold to date.

Inventory numbers like that usually indicate a sellers’ market, but the sales this year have been a tad slanted regarding what products are selling. More mid-range homes and more high-end residential-type condos have sold, likely pandemic-driven and related to occupancy and safety. In the winter when the islands are busiest usually is when there are the most sales. This year that could be tempered because of inventory.

	Condos		Homes		Lots
	#	Avg Price $	#	Avg Price $	#	Avg Price $
SANIBEL
For sale	96	773,127	79	1,911,043	55	805,241
Under contract	46	794,145	47	1,406,424	9	412,495
Sold year-to-date	150	731,868	254	948,367	20	632,418
Sold 2019	127	694,392	211	949,790	15	372,200
Sold 2018	155	720,617	218	1,112,747	21	602,095
Sold 2017	140	728,793	186	1,004,236	32	327,228
CAPTIVA
For sale	28	1,432,571	29	4,486,999	2	6,472,500
Under contract	6	783,000	8	2,548,375	1	795,000
Sold year-to-date	39	825,706	22	2,905,545	3	3,150,000
Sold 2019	29	1,037,077	17	2,737,503	1	1,375,000
Sold 2018	27	797,532	25	2,127,352	0	N/A
Sold 2017	34	671,551	22	2,457,022	2	2,312,500

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.

Farmers Markets & Christmas Trees

Captiva Farmers Market reopened this week. Those are on Tuesdays through April 27 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 5400 Plantation Rd at the entrance of South Seas Resort.

Sanibel Farmers Market reopened a few weeks ago. It is Sundays through May 30 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sanibel City Hall, 800 Dunlop Rd. Local Roots also runs six other markets in SW Florida. More info about their start dates, hours of operation, and locations is on their website at www.LocalRoots.com.

Sanibel-Captiva Lions Christmas Tree Sale – begins tomorrow, Nov 28. All proceeds benefit local charities. Located next to Island Cinema in the Bailey’s Shopping Center, they offer fresh Michigan Fraser firs from 5 to 10’ plus wreaths and stands. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sunday, with island delivery and set-up available. On-line ordering also beings Nov 28 at www.SanCapLions.com.

City of Sanibel – COVID-19

On Tuesday, Acting Mayor Denham extended the island declared state of emergency due to COVID-19. Now it goes until December 1, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.) The City face covering mandate remains in effect through the period.

From Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 84. Cases are rapidly increasing here. NINE more cases in the last week.

Weeks-ending 3/29 through 5/31 – 2 months = 11 cases

Weeks-ending 6/7 through 8/30 – 2 months = 30 cases

Weeks-ending 9/6 through 11/1 – 2 months = 22 cases

Weeks-ending 11/8 through 11/22 – 3 WEEKS = 21 cases (that is seven more cases than last week)

Please stay vigilant – continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and avoid group gatherings.

U.S. Borders with Canada, Mexico Remain Closed Through Dec. 21

Posted Wed on FloridaRealtors®: “Don’t get hopes up for cross-border holiday travel. With the pandemic apparently escalating, the borders aren’t expected to open anytime soon.

“McLEAN, Va. – If you were hoping that the United States’ borders would reopen for holiday travel, don’t get your hopes up. The land borders with Canada and Mexico will remain closed through Dec. 21, Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Thursday.

““In order to continue to prevent the spread of COVID, the U.S., Mexico, & Canada will extend the restrictions on non-essential travel through Dec. 21,” he wrote on Twitter. “We are working closely with Mexico & Canada to keep essential trade & travel open while also protecting our citizens from the virus.

“Canada’s Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair, wrote on Twitter that border-closure decisions “will continue to be based on the best public health advice available to keep Canadians safe.” Though these travel restrictions have been extended in monthly increments throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the borders are not expected to open anytime soon. The U.S. has the most COVID-19 cases of any country with more than 11 million, while Mexico and Canada have more than 1 million and 300,000, respectively.

““The pandemic seems to be escalating in both of our countries. That would seem to suggest that these measures are with us for a while,” Canadian ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman said Tuesday, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.

“Both U.S. land borders were closed to all but essential traffic in mid-March after the coronavirus pandemic hit, with government officials announcing multiple extensions as case counts continued to rise, especially in the U.S. The previous extension, announced in mid-October, was due to expire Nov. 21. Despite the closure of land borders, U.S. citizens can still travel by air.

“Canada has begun allowing extended family members who live in the U.S. to seek an exemption allowing them to travel north amid these restrictions, provided they follow that country’s COVID-19 requirements. Lawmakers have called on President Trump to do the same on the U.S. side.”

County Commissioners Approve Toll Transponder Agreement

From this week’s “Island Reporter”, “On Nov 17, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve an agreement to allow motorists to use E-ZPass transponders – widely used along the East Coast and beyond – to drive on Lee County toll roads.

“The E-ZPass toll network includes 18 states throughout the Northeast and Midwest. The agreement would allow people who already have those transponders to use them on Lee County toll bridges….

“The agreement that allows the use of E-ZPass in Lee County is with the Central Florida Expressway, which joined the E-ZPass group in 2018. The Central Florida Expressway would process transactions with no transaction fee charged to the County.

“The transponders will be accepted locally starting early next year. Local motorists can continue to use LeeWay and SunPass transponders. For more information about Lee County toll programs, visit www.leewayinfo.com.”

The Double-Edged Housing Boom

Another good article by Lawrence Yun, NAR’s Chief Economist, in the November-December 2020 “REALTOR®” magazine:

“Eye-popping home sales and prices pose longer-term problems.

“Remarkably, in the midst of the pandemic, the housing market is in a clear V-shaped recovery. Sales for both existing and new home sales in August hit their highest mark since 2006. The data popped out as round numbers: existing-home sales at an even 6 million and new-home sales at exactly 1 million on an annualized basis, up 10.5% and 43.2% from a year ago. Pending contracts also hit an all-time high.

“Buyer activity this winter is unlikely to chill: Mortgage applications for home purchases are up about 30% compared to a year ago. Due to the extraordinary demand home prices have reached an all-time high. The national median home price was … up 11.4% from a year earlier. The strong price run-up is partly due to a latent boom in the luxury market and to a jump in multiple offers for starter homes. While those situations result in multiple “losers”, buyers are persevering. They aim to take advantage of record-low mortgage rates.

“Such a frenzy of activity, reminiscent of 2006 raises questions about a bubble and the potential for a painful crash. The answer: There’s no comparison. Back in 2006, dubious adjustable-rate mortgages taxed many buyers’ budgets. Today, buyers are taking out 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. Fourteen years ago, there were 3.8 million homes listed for sale, and home builders were putting up about 2 million new units. Now, inventory is only about 1.5 million homes, and home builders are underproducing relative to historical averages.

“But let’s look at current trends through a different lens. Escalating home prices will soon cause damage of a different sort, shutting out first-time buyers. That’s why more supply is critical. Only when home prices rise roughly in line with income growth can we say that the market is in equilibrium. Perhaps as people continue to flee crowded cities, new construction will get a boost. Greater flexibility to work from anywhere and improved broadband access in rural areas could spur home buying in remote areas, a market trend to watch for in the years ahead.”

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity November 20-27, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

6 new listings: Sanibel Moorings #441 2/2 $585K, Cottage Colony West #125 1/1 $609K, Cottage Colony West #119 1/1 $619K, Heron at The Sanctuary II #2A 3/2.5 $869.5K, Sanibel Arms West #E4 2/2 $889K, Sanibel Arms West #D2 2/2 $960K.

4 price changes: Spanish Cay #A4 2/2 now $430K, Loggerhead Cay #373 2/2 now $662.5K, White Sands #23 2/2 now $1.099M (our listing, yellow arrow, followed by view), Sundial #L205 3/2 now $1.395M.

4 new sales: Captains Walk #B4 2/2 listed at $395K, Seawind #A108 2/2.5 listed at $527K, Sanctuary Golf Villages I #4-1 3/3 listed at $899K, Sundial #O405 2/2 listed at $1.25M.

6 closed sales: Sanibel Arms #D7 1/1 $315K, Mariner Pointe #952 1/1 $350K, Sandpebble #2B 2/2 $457K, Seawind #A103 2/2.5 $565K, Island Beach Club #320C 2/2 $829K, Plantation Village #322 3/3 $2.275M.

HOMES

6 new listings: 2985 Island Inn Rd 2/2 $649.5K, 1850 Farm Trl 3/2 $699K, 2464 Blind Pass Ct 3/2 $1.295M, 1366 Tahiti Dr 3/2.5 $1.4M, 4166 Dingman Dr 4/4 $2.2M, 950 Victoria Way 4/4 $2.3M.

2 price changes: 9277 Belding Dr 3/3 now $850K, 1672 Hibiscus Dr 3/2 now $899K.

6 new sales: 6141 Henderson Rd 3/2 listed at $658.5K, 3251 Twin Lakes Ln 3/2 listed at $819K, 3020 Turtle Gait Ln 3/2 listed at $849K, 6176 Henderson Rd 3/2 listed at $998K, 509 Lake Murex Cir 3/2.5 listed at $1.225M, 4381 West Gulf Dr 5/5.5 listed at $11.5M.

4 closed sales: 9248 Dimmick Dr 3/3 $675K, 1304 Par View Dr 3/3 $730K, 549 East Rocks Dr 3/2.5 $1.085M, 1520 Angel Dr 5/5.5 $1.4M.

LOTS

2 new listings: 6428 Pine Ave $305K, 1825 Long Point Ln $389K.

No price changes.

1 new sale: 3013 Poinciana Cir listed at $239.9K.

2 closed sales: 1048 Fish Crow Rd $323K, 4995 Joewood Dr $2.38M.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings, price changes or new sales.

3 closed sales: Bayside Villas #5218 1/2 $387.5K, Beach Villas #2522 1/1 $529K, Lands End Village #1608 3/3 $2.025M.

HOMES

2 new listings: 11431 Dickey Ln 3/2 $1.258M, 11551 Paige Ct 5/6 $6.495M.

No price changes.

2 new sales: 11523 Andy Rosse Ln 5/5.5 listed at $2.189M, 11555 Wightman Ln 3/2 listed at $3.695M.

No closed sales.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

1 closed sale: 925 South Seas Plantation Rd $5.6M.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Enjoy your weekend! Susan Andrews aka SanibelSusan

The Friday Before Thanksgiving 2020… on Sanibel & Captiva Islands

Posted on November 20, 2020 by SanibelSusan

The island continues to get busier as early Thanksgiving holiday vacationers/families arrive, and more snowbirds return. The weather this week finally took a long-awaited turn toward fall with lower humidity and daytime temperatures barely out of the 70’s on Wednesday. With little to no chance of rain, it also looks like the rainy season also finally is over. The forecast for the next ten days shows more of the same beautiful weather. Should be perfect for extended social distancing and outside holiday dining next week.

Many friends have returned to Sanibel for the holiday and shared photos taken this week. The below roseate spoonbill shots were taken Monday, Nov 16 at the wildlife refuge. Thank you, Dr Paul & Lynn.

While the next photo from our pal Scott was taken from Woodring Rd. Thanks for sharing!

At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

It also was another week of good action with our listings. With eight closings already in the hopper, all expected to close before the end of the year, we were happy to get another listing under contract yesterday. It should be our first closing in 2021. This has kept Dave busy following up on deposits, community applications, attending inspections, and ensuring sale action items are on time. Simultaneously, Elise has fielded more weekday showing requests and feedback, while Lisa and I cover those on the weekend. We are beating the bushes for new listings, if you know anyone thinking of selling.

The info the action posted since last Friday in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

City of Sanibel – Politics, COVID-19, & More

Like much of the nation, islanders anxiously follow COVID updates and hope that SW Florida stays safe. This week Sanibel former-Mayor Kevin Ruane, who stepped down when he ran for a Lee County Commissioner seat, was officially sworn in as our County Commissioner for District 1. On Tuesday, his colleagues on the commission also elected him as their board chairman for next year. On Sanibel, that bumped Vice Mayor Mick Denham into the Acting Mayor position.

On Tuesday, Acting Mayor Denham extended the island declared state of emergency due to COVID-19. Now it goes until November 24, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.) The City face covering mandate remains in effect through the period.

From Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 77. Cases are rapidly increasing here. NINE more cases in the last week.

Weeks-ending 3/29 through 5/31 – 2 months = 11 cases

Weeks-ending 6/7 through 8/30 – 2 months = 30 cases

Weeks-ending 9/6 through 11/1 – 2 months = 22 cases

Weeks-ending 11/8 through 11/15 – 2 WEEKS = 14 cases (that is nine more cases than last week)

Please stay vigilant – continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and avoid group gatherings.

Work Space, Outdoor Living, & The Burbs

A good article in the new FloridaRealtor® magazine (Nov/Dec 2020) summaries what is happening on Sanibel too, “as the pandemic changes what homebuyers are looking for…”

“With schools closed and businesses shuttered, many people found their entire lives confined to the four walls of their homes. From working and homeschooling to eating and entertaining, daily life started and ended at home, causing many people to recognize the importance of a comfortable, practical place to live.

“As more companies realize that working from home is a viable option and many schools are on a virtual or a hybrid leaning schedule, these shifts seem to be more than a passing fancy….”

Below are the four trends that followed:

“Trend 1 – More indoor space for remote working and family members. What buyers want: Home office, home gym, well-appointed kitchen, walk-in pantry….

“Trend 2 – Increased consumer appetite for more outdoor and entertainment space. What buyers want: Private and spacious outdoor area, pool, backyard, patio….

“Trend 3 – Move from urban to suburban. What buyers want: Less densely populated location, single-family living….

“Trend 4 – More tech-enabled homes. What buyers want: High-speed WiFi connectivity, tech improvements/upgrades….

The article ends with a note from John “Chuck” Fowke, Tampa-based custom home builder and chairman of the board of the National Association of Home Builders, Washington, D.C.: “About 88% of our buyers indicated their home has become very important or more important because of the pandemic. There’s a trend of people thinking that, because they’re in the suburbs and not in congested areas, the health opportunities are much better. Emphasize the outdoor recreation and freedom of movement outside rather than being inside or in small spaces.””

8 Do’s & Don’ts of Owning a Vacation Rental

Also from the Nov/Dec 2020 issue of “FloridaRealtor®” magazine: “Are you considering a vacation home purchase that will produce valuable rental income when you’re not using the property? If so, check out these dos and don’ts to get the most out of your financial investment.

“DO: Create a financial plan. This will help you predict the potential revenue and expense of owning a rental property.

“DO: Work with a knowledgeable Realtor® when buying. A good agent can help you find a property in a good location with the best rental potential.

“DO: Get to know your property. Carefully check all parts of the property and repair and replace items that need it.”

“DO: Choose a property manager carefully. Check their reputation in the area, then ask how they’ll: Maintain the property so it stays in good condition, communicate with you and maximize your revenue.

“DON’T: Ignore preventive maintenance. It’s better to fix or replace that aging hot water heater or HVAC system now than have it break during a renter’s stay.

“DO: Be strategic about using the property yourself. If your goal is to maximize rental income, stick to planning your stay during the off season.

“DO: Plan to reinvest in the property. Figure you may have to spend 1% of the property value each year on maintenance.

“DO: Be realistic about pricing. Research area rental rates and don’t overprice. Your ultimate goal is to make a reasonable profit and that will require a high occupancy rate.”

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity November 13-20, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

3 new listings: Spanish Cay #A4 2/2 $450K, Sanibel Arms West #J3 2/2 $589K, Sundial #L205 3/2 $1.495M.

5 price changes: Sanibel Arms #C7 1/1 now $349K, Blanca #8 2/1 now $365K, Sanibel Arms #H6 1/1 now $384.9K, Sundial #F108 1/1 now $450K, Sanibel Inn #3512 2/2 now $726K.

6 new sales: Breakers West #B5 2/2 listed at $569K; Compass Point #221 2/2 listed at $639,999; Sanctuary Golf Villages I #1-4 3/3 listed at $799K; Sundial #T201 2/2 listed at $799K; Pointe Santo #D47 2/2 listed at $974K; Junonia #103 3/2 listed at $1.295M.

10 closed sales: Sundial #I405 1/1 $405K, Sundial #D308 1/1 $414K, Mariner Pointe #813 2/2 $525K, Loggerhead Cay #573 2/2 $657.5K, Lighthouse Point #229 3/2 $712K (our listing), Sunset South #14B 2/2 $920K, Blind Pass #G105 4/3 $950K, Blue Gulf #201 3/2 $1.135M, Sunward #201 3/2 $1.2M, High Tide #B302 3/2 $2.08M.

View from Lighthouse Point #229, sold full price!

HOMES

4 new listings: 1027 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 $499K, 9254 Kincaid Ct 2/2.5 $499.9K, 490 Sawgrass Pl 3/2.5 $1.595M, 4961 Joewood Dr 4/4 5.2M.

4 price changes: 1684 Bunting Ln 2/2 now $514,555; 721 Durion Ct 3/3 now $649.9K; 6141 Henderson Rd 3/2 now $658.5K; 1743 Jewel Box Dr 3/3.5 now $1.35M.

9 new sales: 1357 Jamaica Dr 2/3 duplex listed at $559K, 1142 Shell Basket Ln 3/2 listed at $625K, 1015 Fish Crow Rd 3/2 listed at $649K (our listing), 482 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 listed at $789K, 660 Oliva St 3/3 listed at $829K, 769 Pyrula Ave 3/3.5 listed at $1.395M, 677 Anchor Dr 5/5.5 listed at $1.895M, 2268 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 listed at $1.995M, 4067 West Gulf Dr 4/4.5 listed at $5.9M.

1015 Fish Crow Rd

8 closed sales: 1410 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 $612,408; 9128 Mockingbird Dr 3/2 $635K; 9307 Dimmick Dr 3/2 $680K; 1326 Tahiti Dr 2/2 $700K; 525 N. Yachtsman Dr 3/2 $775K; 917 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 $850K; 770 Elinor Way 3/2.5 $895K, 2343 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 $1.39M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 5301-25 Sanibel-Captiva Rd $1.2M.

No price changes.

1 new sale: 5116 Sea Bell Rd listed at $229K.

1 closed sale: 2297 Wulfert Rd $179K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

1 closed sale: Bayside Villas #5136 1/2 $380K.

HOMES

No new listings.

1 price change: 16447 Captiva Dr 7/6/2 now $2.79M.

No new sales.

1 close sale: 15147 Captiva Dr 6/5.5 $2.85M.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Best wishes from The SanibelSusan Team for a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Tropical Storms, Multiple Offers, & Other Island Fun!

Posted on November 13, 2020 by SanibelSusan

The real estate market craziness continues here even with a tropical storm thrown in on Wednesday to complicate things. Lee County schools were closed Monday because of the bad weather forecast. At that time who knew where Tropical Storm or Hurricane Eta would end up? That was one unpredictable storm.

Schools were back in session Tuesday and students also instructed to attend on Wednesday (Veterans’ Day) which was a previously scheduled holiday, but instead used as a hurricane make-up day. No sooner were the kiddos settled in their classrooms on Wednesday when the weather took a turn for the worse and parents were notified that schools would close three hours early.

It was wild and wooly outside the office then too. Teammate Elise and I watched as driving rain and wind sometimes knocked down branches at City park across the street. By late morning, there also were periodic power outages. During this, Teammate Dave was at a home inspection that finally was halted when the electricity went out there too.

Coming back to the office, Dave noted flooding all over the east-end and long lines of traffic going off-island at the 4-way stop. This water accumulation was different from the 100-year rain event earlier in October. This one was salt water from the gulf being driven ashore by the wind – especially causing havoc at high tide. Earlier, the City had removed some of the beach walkway mats at Lighthouse Beach where the parking lot flooded, becoming impassable.

Dave also took a drive by my house, noticing a few tipsy trees, downed branches, and my dock mostly submerged. East-end beaches had all but disappeared with water coming up the beach paths onto the roadways and parking lots in many areas.

We heard the causeway was closed temporarily while debris was removed from the roadway. When Elise left the island about noon for school pick-up, she reported that waves were crashed over the cars as they neared the bridge. Later, when Dave left, he saw front-end loaders removing sand from the roadway on Summerlin just off-island past the toll booth.

After closing at 5 p.m., as I drove home, there was little activity on Periwinkle Way. I passed just a lone “Prime” delivery vehicle and a couple of parked cars at just a handful of businesses still open. Most were closed.

It was not long after I got home that the rain stopped, the wind let up, and a stray biker in a rain slicker pedaled down my street. Sanibellians and her visitors make the best out of any weather!

By yesterday morning, the weather was back to normal, though the parking lots at the fishing pier side of the lighthouse and the big one at Blind Pass remained closed due to standing water.

Today, it was back to being a beautiful bright-blue sunny 78-degree morning as I drove to the office. The forecast for the next ten days is much the same. I probably should not say it too loud, but the 2020 hurricane season may finally be over! Or almost!

At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

Even during the wild weather this week, there were three more SanibelSusan Realty sales. There also are reports of multiple offers and some properties selling at or over asking price. As more visitors arrive and snowbirds return, inquiries and showing requests continue to increase. The action this week in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

City of Sanibel – Emergency Declaration, COVID-19

Again, Sanibel’s Mayor extended the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19, now it goes until November 17, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.) The City face covering mandate remains in effect too.

Per the Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 68. Numbers are being posted now by the week, but unfortunately like much of the nation, cases are increasing here too. Below is a summary to put the number of cases in context, over time:

Week-ending 3/29 through 5/31 – two months = 11 cases
Week-ending 6/7 through 8/30 – two months = 30 cases
Week-ending 9/6 through 11/1 – two months = 22 cases
Week-ending 11/8 – 1 week = 5 cases

Please stay vigilant – continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and avoid group gatherings.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors

Yesterday, the local Association of Realtors® hosted a brokers’ roundtable Zoom meeting. Officers and directors of the association were in attendance as were brokers from John Gee & Company, John Naumann & Associates, John R Wood Island Real Estate, Pfeifer Realty Group, ReMax of the Islands, Royal Shell Real Estate, South Seas Sanibel & Captiva Properties, VIP Realty Group, and, of course, SanibelSusan Realty. Updates were provided on the City review of requirements for temporary business signs, on requirements for Realtor® team advertising, and on recent MLS monitoring, changes, and improvements.

Biweekly Zoom caravan meeting will continue followed by caravan open houses with safety precautions. The next one is next Thursday.

Last night the Association held a toy drop-off event called “Merry F.I.S.H.-mas” to provide donations to F.I.S.H. for the upcoming Christmas season. Donations (unwrapped toys, gift cards, checks made out to “F.I.S.H.”) are being accepted at the Association Office until the end of the month.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity November 6-13, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

5 new listings: Mariner Pointe #1091 2/2 $559K, Sandalfoot #2C2 2/2 $657K, Island Beach Club #210A 2/2 $759K, Sand Pointe #113 2/2 $799K, Pelicans Roost #203 2/2 $925K.

3 price changes: Lighthouse Point #120 3/2 now $620K, Sundial #T201 2/2 now $799K, Pointe Santo #C23 3/2 now $1.1M.

12 new sales: Spanish Cay #F3 1/1 listed at $325K (our buyer), Sundial #D309 1/1 listed at $434K, Coquina Beach #2B 2/2 listed at $479K, Sandpebble #2B 2/2 listed at $480K, Mariner Pointe #522 2/2 listed at $484.9K (our listing), Blind Pass #G201 2/2 listed at $540K, Sanibel Arms West #M2 2/2 listed at $546K, Sanibel Arms West #K7 2/2 listed at $562.5K, Sunset South #9D 2/2 listed at $599K, Gulf Beach #106 2/2 listed at $849K (our buyer), Sayana #103 2/2 listed at $948.5K, Atrium #103 2/2 listed at $1.175M.

3 closed sale: Mariner Pointe #1083 2/2 $465K, Sundial #O201 3/2 $810K, Sundial #K402 2/2 $1.04M.

HOMES

1 new listing: 660 Oliva St 3/3 $829K.

2 price changes: 2001/2003 Mitzi Ln 6/6 duplex now $859K, 1245 Isabel Dr 3/3.5 now $2.149M.

6 new sales: 1764 Bunting Ln 2/2 listed at $524K; 1125 Captains Walk St 3/3 listed at $739,937; 1467 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 listed at $789K, 250 Hurricane Ln 3/2.5 listed at $1.049M, 1717 Jewel Box Dr 3/3.5 listed at $2.2685M, 1718 Jewel Box Dr 4/4.5 listed at $2.749M.

5 closed sales: 1403 Sandpiper Cir 3/2.5 half-duplex $483K, 1296 Par View Dr 3/3 $710K, 9393 Peaceful Dr 3/2.5 $750K, 4156 West Gulf Dr 3/2 $1.115M, 1558 San Carlos Bay Dr 3/3.5 $3.05M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 5301-25 Sanibel-Captiva Rd $1.2M.

1 price change: 6008 White Heron Ln now $819K.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: 2486 Wulfert Rd $100K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings or price changes.

2 new sales: Lands End Village #1659 2/2 listed at $975K, Ventura Captiva #2B 3/3 listed at $979K.

No closed sales.

HOMES

1 new listing: 11540 Laika Ln 3/2.5 $1.29M.

2 price changes: 16189 Captiva Dr 6/4 now $3.75M, 16660 Captiva Dr 5/6.5 now $15.95M.

1 new sales: 16611 Captiva Dr 6/6.5 listed at $4.889M.

No closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Until next Friday, here’s hoping you are storm-free & safe! Be well, too!

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

How Island Realtors® Can Tell It Snowed Somewhere

Posted on November 6, 2020 by SanibelSusan

At SanibelSusan Realty, last weekend when New England was getting their first accumulation, there also was a flurry of activity with multiple offers on our Tarpon Beach condo listing and multiple showings at our new home listing on Olga Ave. Both properties now are successfully under contract.

It always happens after cold weather hits up north, as the remainder of the week brought more inquiries and showings at other listings. The number of listing internet viewings also are up.

This website, Realtor.com, and Zillow usually get the most hits, but it was interesting to get my monthly report from ListHub (which syndicates to some 47 lesser known real estate sites). Through them, our listing hits increased from 24 in September to 1,005 in October. Another good sign that Sanibel sales are picking up.

Unfortunately, as traffic has increased, with more arrivals, COVID-19 cases have increased too. More info about that below, followed by other news items, then the action in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service since last week.

City of Sanibel – Emergency Declaration, COVID-19

Again, Sanibel’s Mayor extended the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19, now it goes until November 10, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.) Additionally, the City face covering mandate was reaffirmed and remains in effect through the period.

Per the Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 67. (That is an increase of five since I posted last week. Please stay vigilant – continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and avoid group gatherings.)

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors Annual Meeting

Yesterday was our first local Realtor® Association annual meeting via Zoom. Zoom meetings certainly are not as much fun as networking in person. The 2021 slate of officers and board of directors were approved with reports provided by outgoing President Mike Badenoch, Treasurer Amy Wainright, Executive Officer Bill Robinson, RPAC Co-Chair Dave Arter, and Governmental & Political Affairs Co-Chairs Eric Pfeifer and Dave Schuldenfrei.

RPAC – Big congratulations to the RPAC Committee for their recent successful Zoom auction fundraiser. In addition to the amounts raised and percentage of goal reached during such a challenging year, rumor has it that our percentage of member participation puts the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® within the top “10” in the nation. Even when the going gets tough, you can always depend on our island association rallying. Thank you to all who worked so hard, sponsored, donated, purchased, and made it another banner year for the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® RPAC.

Though we still await some election results, 95% of Florida Realtors® PAC-endorsed candidates won their elections, including ten Realtor® Legislative Caucus members. That means our Association is well-positioned to successfully advocate for the profession and real estate industry in the upcoming legislative sessions. On top of that news, Amendment 5, which Florida Realtors® supported, was approved by 74.5% of Florida voters. As a result, beginning on January 1, 2021, accrued Save Our Homes benefits may be transferred for three years, instead of the previous two. This increase in the portability period will benefit some homeowners by allowing them to maintain their property tax benefits longer as they transition between living situations.

Caravan – This was the first week in many when properties could be held open for a morning Realtor® caravan of new listings. Just four properties were held open. At SanibelSusan Realty, we continue to follow CDC and state guidelines, opening properties with precautions, no in-person Open Houses for us yet. It does not seem to be hurting our sales though, as I was happy to announce that five of our listings have gone under contract since our last meeting. (Next Zoom Caravan is in two weeks, November 19.)

Governmental & Political Affairs Committee Report

Here are a few tidbits from committee co-chairs:

Seawalls – An offshoot of the Planning Commission, Land Development Code Subcommittee, is discussing a new seawall repair method. Many original island concrete seawalls are aging and deteriorating. One way to repair them is to install a vinyl corrugated material on the waterside of the walls to prevent further damage. Questions have come up regarding this type of installation both from environmental and coverage angles. Will the material increase the size of the lot, thus affecting coverage limits? Make the canal traffic path smaller? If you have an opinion or want to attend the next meeting, Planning Commission meets Tuesday, November 10 at 9 a.m. at City Hall, the subcommittee meeting follows.

Sanibel Budget – With income reduced from COVID shutdowns, the City budget had to work around a $6 million deficit.

No Red Tide – Regarding water quality, the news is good, though bayside water has a brown tint right now from recent Lake O releases. The good news is that so far there is no red tide, with the Army Corps of Engineers slow in its water releases into the estuary. More lake water is being released than preferred right now, because of recent heavy rain resulting in high water levels in the lake. Unless there is a huge rain this weekend from Hurricane Eta, the releases should lessen. The funded reservoir projects (east, west, and south) are on schedule as is the project to raise Route 41, with the eventual goal of sending more water to the Everglades.

Algae Solutions – Regarding blue green algae (which can grow in fresh, brackish and marine water) and has been found in Lake O, a contract has been signed with an Israeli company called BlueGreen Water Technologies. This company has been successful in other countries working to eliminate the algae in both large and small bodies of water. It is unknown if their methods will work on red tide (which is in salt water), but tests are underway. In the water world, this is better news than in a long time. Thanks to our local committee folks for keeping us informed.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 30-November 6, 2020

Sanibel®®

CONDOS

5 new listings: Spanish Cay #F3 1/1 $325K, Sundial #D309 1/1 $434K, Blind Pass #G201 2/2 $540K, Loggerhead Cay #411 2/2 $599K, Sunset South #9D 2/2 $599K.

2 price changes: Sundial #D305 1/1 now $519.9K, Atrium #103 2/2 now $1.175M.

5 new sales: Sanibel Arms West #K6 2/2 listed at $579K; Loggerhead Cay #212 2/2 listed at $589,985; Loggerhead Cay #222 2/2 listed at $599K; Sundial #H203 2/2 listed at $739K; Tarpon Beach #207 2/2 listed at $899K (our listing).

1 closed sale: Sundial #D204 1/1 $430K.

HOMES

4 new listings: 1125 Captains Walk St 3/3 $739,937; 509 Lake Murex Cir 3/2.5 $1.225M; 1308 Eagle Run Dr 4/4 $1.695M; 819 Tulip Ln 5/4 $2.995M.

4 price changes: 1764 Bunting Ln 2/2 now $524K; 3935 Coquina Dr 4/3 now $879,978; 9426 Sage Ct 3/3 now $995K, 1245 Isabel Dr 3/3.5 now $2.099M.

4 new sales: 555 Rabbit Rd 3/2 listed at $599K, 1467 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 listed at $789K, 1120 Olga Ave 3/2 listed at $950K (our listing), 1237 Isabel Dr 5/6.5 listed at $2.749M.

10 closed sales: 1752 Serenity Ln 3/2 $430K; 9036 Mockingbird Dr 3/2 $530K; 934 Cormorant Cir 3/2 $685K; 702 Durion Ct 3/2 $799K; 1170 Buttonwood Ln 4/2 $868K; 1777 Serenity Ln 5/4.5 $895K; 1724 Bunting Ln 3/3.5 $912.5K; 1081 Captains Walk St 4/2.5 $932,050; 595 West Rocks Dr 3/3 $1M; 5757 Baltusrol Ct 3/3 $1.52M.

LOTS

No new listings.

2 price changes: 0 Bunting Ln now $229,555; 1837 Buckthorn Ln now $499K.

2 new sales: 1048 Fish Crow Rd listed at $340K, 4995 Joewood Dr listed at $2.45M.

2 closed sales: 489 Ponce De Leon Rd $210K, 2501 Tropical Way $658.5K.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Ventura Captiva #2B 3/3 $979K.

No price changes or new sales.

4 closed sales: Bayside Villas #4204 1/2 $375K, Bayside Villas #5228 1/2 $380K, Bayside Villas #4220 1/2 $390K, Beach Villas #2422 1/1 $525K.

HOMES

No new listings.

1 price change: 11541 Paige Ct 3/4/2 now $4M.

2 new sales: 11521 Laika Ln 3/3 listed at $1.385M, 17101 Captiva Dr 7/6.5 listed at $2.695M.

1 closed sale: 1124 Longifolia Ct 4/5 $2.5M.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 11525 Murmond Ln listed at $795K.

No closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Don’t forget to remember Veterans on Wednesday!

Until next week, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Stay Safe… It’s a Full Moon, Turn-Back-Clocks, Booo-tiful, Halloween, Pre-Election, Pandemic Weekend!

Posted on October 30, 2020 by SanibelSusan

It has been a week of nice weather on sunny Sanibel with a little extra breeze midweek as Hurricane Zeta churned out in the gulf. The forecast says early next week, we may experience daytime temperature highs only in the 70’s, nights in the 60’s, for the first time in many months. That usually is a good indication that the rainy season is wrapping up. Hooray!

Here at SanibelSusan Realty, teammate Dave and I both have been working offers. Those can become challenging when buyers leave the islands or when there are national and international events causing distractions. There certainly have been enough of those this year.

Daytime traffic on Periwinkle again has picked up as more snowbirds return. The activity since last Friday posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

The ink is barely dry on our new listing on Olga Avenue which was professionally photographed this morning. Watch for those photos next week.

Openings & Re-Opening

Nature Store2 is expected to have its grand opening November 20 in Sanibel Square, so we will have a new neighbor. Launched by the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society Friends, this new off-campus store will feature a monitor streaming images of the wildlife, scenery, and activities at the refuge. It will carry many of the same popular items at their flagship store and on ShopDingDarling.com, but it also will be more art oriented.

The Savoury Spoon which debuted four years ago at the Sanibel Farmers Market has now opened a breakfast, brunch, smoothie, sandwich, lunch spot in the Bailey Shopping Center, hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., phone 239-312-8132

T2 Restaurant at The Village Shops has re-opened & serving food and drinks all day, Tuesday – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Their nearby shop also is open Tuesday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 5 p.m.

City of Sanibel – Emergency Declaration, COVID-19

Again, this week, Sanibel’s Mayor extended the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19 until November 3, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.) Additionally, the City face covering mandate was reaffirmed and remains in effect through the period.

Per the Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 60. (No increase since last week. Please stay vigilant – continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and avoid group gatherings.)

Best Places (Metro Area) to Retire?

13 of the ‘Top 25’ Are in Florida

Posted on FloridaRealtors® on October 14, 2020, by Kerry Smith:

“U.S. News & World Report’s latest ranking of top retirement communities could have almost said, “Pick any town in Fla.” Seven Fla. metros are in the top 10: Sarasota (No. 1), Fort Myers (2), Port St. Lucie (3), Naples (4), Ocala (6), Miami (9) and Melbourne (10).

“WASHINGTON – U.S. News & World Report unveiled its 2020-2021 Best Places to Live and Best Places to Retire in the United States. The new lists evaluate the country’s 150 most populous metropolitan areas based on affordability, job prospects and desirability.

“In the “Best Places to Retire” category, Florida metro areas stood out with seven out of the top 10 slots and 13 of the top 25 slots.

““After a prolonged period of staying at home, people are taking a critical look at where they live, and many are looking to find a place they can feel happier, afford more or pursue new opportunities,” says Devon Thorsby, real estate editor at U.S. News. “The Best Places rankings can help people examine the details they consider important in a larger community.”

“This year, U.S. News increased the number of metropolitan areas evaluated for both sets of rankings from 125 to 150, to provide a broader and more accurate reflection of where Americans can live and retire.

“Best places to retire

“U.S. News & World Report’s announcement of top retirement destinations says it’s “dominated by Florida metro areas, largely due to affordable homes, low taxes and high ratings for happiness and desirability.”

“An increase in Desirability and Job Market scores lifted Sarasota from No. 2 last year to No. 1 this year – but it overtook another Florida city, Fort Myers, which became No. 2. And while Port. St. Lucie’s Housing Affordability score decreased slightly, increases in Desirability, Job Market and Health Care scores helped it jump two places to No. 3.

“Miami also saw a decrease in Housing Affordability, but it broke into the top 10 this year, jumping five places to No. 9 thanks to Desirability and Job Market score increases.

“The top 25 places to retire also includes three Texas communities, and two places each in Michigan, North Carolina and Tennessee.

““Moving to a new place for retirement can reduce your cost of living and improve your quality of life,” says Emily Brandon, U.S. News senior editor for retirement. “The Best Places to Retire includes information about housing costs, access to quality hospitals and the strength of the job market, which can help you find a retirement spot that will meet your needs.”

“The 2020-2021 Best Places to Retire were determined based on a methodology that factored in happiness, housing affordability, health care quality, retiree taxes, desirability and job market ratings. These measures were weighted based on a public survey of individuals across the U.S. who are nearing retirement age (ages 45-59) and those who are of retirement age (60 or older) to find out what matters most when considering where to retire.

“Data sources include the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as U.S. News rankings of the Best Hospitals.

“2020-2021 Best Places to Retire – Top 25

Sarasota
Fort Myers
Port St. Lucie
Naples
Lancaster, Pa.
Ocala
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Asheville, N.C.
Miami
Melbourne
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Nashville, Tenn.
Jacksonville
Manchester, N.H.
Daytona Beach
Orlando
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
Lakeland
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Tampa
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Houston, Texas
Charlotte, N.C.
San Antonio, Texas
Pensacola

Taste of the Islands Reimagined

CROW’s (The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) 39^th Annual Taste of the Islands this year is a month-long fundraiser. For $10, attendees can purchase a passport that contains a list and map of the 31 participating along with the “Taste” items being offered at each restaurant. A portion of the proceeds from those designated food and beverage items will be donated to CROW. Items may be enjoyed dining in or ordered as take-out.

The restaurants participating are participating for the whole month of November, so the timing of your purchase is flexible. With each visit, the restaurant will stamp or punch your passport. With passport holders eligible to vote for their favorite eatery to win the coveted “People’s Choice Award.” Additional awards will be judged for “Best Appetizer”, “Best Seafood”, “Best Meat”, “Best Vegetarian”, “Best Dessert”, “Taste of the Taste”, and a new one, “Best Drink”.

Passport holders also will be eligible for prize drawings with ballot boxes set up around the islands. Passports must be turned in by December 4 at 4 p.m.

Another new element this year is a “CROW Crawl” each Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Each one focuses on restaurants in a different area of the island. These events will have CROW tent, sponsors, and giveaways. The CROW Crawls schedule is:

November 1 – Crow’s Nest, Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille Captiva, The Green Flash, Lazy Flamingo (original), The Mucky Duck, Old Captiva House, & Sunset Grill.

November 8 – Great White Grill, Love Boat Ice Cream (Jerry’s Center), The Pecking Order Fried Chicken & Pies, Sanibel Deli, T2, & The Timbers Restaurant & Fish Market.

November 15 – Blue Giraffe, Island Pizza Company, Mudbugs Cajun Kitchen, Sanibel Fish House, Sweet Melissa’s Café, & Traders.

November 22 – The Clam Shack, Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille Sanibel, Joey’s Custard, Normandie Seaside Café, Spoondrift Island Bowls, & Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant.

November 29 – Cielo, Lazy Flamingo II, Matzaluna’s Italian Kitchen, Sanibel Fresh, Sea Breeze Café (Sundial), & Tipsy Turtle Restaurant & Bar.

Passports are for sale at CROW’s Visitor Education Center, Bank of the Islands, and Edison National Bank branches, Bailey’s General Store locations, and Huxter’s Market & Deli. They also can be purchased at any of the participating eateries or at www.CROWClinic.org (for pickup).

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 23-30, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

3 new listings: Kimball Lodge #264 1/1.5 $570K, Kimball Lodge #302 1/1 $574K, Sundial #H203 2/2 $739K.

2 price changes: Coquina Beach #2B 2/2 now $479K, Mariner Pointe #732 2/2 now $564K.

6 new sales: Mariner Pointe #952 1/1 listed at $388,990; Spanish Cay #F4 2/2 listed at $399,999; Beach Road Villas #105 2/2 $479K, Loggerhead Cay #462 2/2 listed at $579K; Compass Point #232 2/2 listed at $599K (our listing); Sundial #O201 3/2 listed at $819K.

2 closed sales: Island Beach Club #P1A 2/2 $570K, Compass Point #222 2/2 $595K.

HOMES

2 new listings: 1467 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 $789K, 1120 Olga Ave 3/2 $950K (our listing).

1120 Olga Ave

3 price changes: 1035 S.Yachtsman Dr 5/4.5 now $1.05M, 1391 Jamaica Dr 4/3 now $1.299M, 1718 Jewel Box Dr 4/4.5 now $2.749M.

11 new sales: 1403 Sandpiper Cir 3/2.5 half-duplex listed at $490K, 1603 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 half-duplex listed at $580K, 753 Nerita St 3/2 listed at $589K, 1653 Bunting Ln 3/2.5 listed at $647K, 2480 Library Way 3/2.5 listed at $649K, 280 Southwinds Dr 3/3.5 listed at $699K, 1610 Sabal Sands Rd 3/2 listed at $714.9K, 3926 Coquina Dr 3/2 listed at $769K, 1308 Tahiti Dr 3/3 listed at $949K, 1720 Dixie Beach Blvd 3/3 listed at $995K, 1152 Buttonwood Ln 3/3.5 listed at $1.695M.

8 closed sales: 9455 Beverly Ln 2/2 $503K; 690 Durion Ct 3/2 $675K; 1223 Par View Dr 3/2 $680K; 4455 Gulf Pines Dr 3/2 $706.5K; 734 Anchor Dr 3/2 $830K; 979 Whelk Dr 3/2.5 $875K; 537 Lake Murex Cir 3/3 $1,044,750; 1352 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 $1.095M.

LOTS

2 new listings: 5398 Osprey Ct $299K, 575 Sea Oats Dr $389.9K.

1 price change: 6095 Dinkins Lake Rd now $269,555.

No new or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

2 new listings: Marina Villas #808 2/2 $779K, Lands End Village #1651 2/2 $1.265M.

1 price change: Bayside Villas #5118 1/2 now $399,999.

1 new sale: Lands End Village #1608 3/3 listed at $2.085M.

2 closed sales: Tennis Villas #3213 1/1 $350K, Lands End Village #1667 2/2 $1.02M.

HOMES

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

1 closed sale: 16531 Captiva Dr 8/8 $2.35M.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new, or closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Enjoy your Halloween! Stay safe!

Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

A “King Tide” Kinda Friday on Sunny Sanibel

Posted on October 16, 2020 by SanibelSusan

Another Friday is here with Sanibel and Captiva continuing to get busier with increased daytime traffic on Periwinkle Way. Our days are getting shorter with sunsets closer to 7 p.m. Temperatures have been a little cooler too, often with lower humidity. I heard on a weather report yesterday that the average date for local temperatures to dip below 90 degrees F is October 30. So soon, it will be even cooler. This week, it has been mostly sunny and breezy with day-time temps in the mid-80’s, nights mid-70’s.

This afternoon when teammate Dave and I were checking a new listing at Mariner Pointe, I noticed the canal water over the boat docks. When I mentioned it, Dave said “that’s because of the king tide”. Those happen, usually once or twice a year, in coastal communities. Typically, the highest tides of the year, that made me take my time heading back to the office as I snapped a few photos from a few other locations.

King tide at Mariner Pointe 2020-10-16, see the water over dock area.

On entry road to Sanibel Lighthouse 2020-10-16

Bay beach access at end of Bailey Rd 2020-10-26

End of Dixie Beach Blvd 2020-10-16

Our weekly update about the activity posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

How COVID-19 Has Changed The Real Estate Market

If you did not read the Sunday article on “ForbesLife” titled “COVID-19 Has Changed The Housing Market Forever”, here are a few tidbits.

“Amid all the uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 over the past six months, one thing is assured: the pandemic has re-ordered real estate markets across the board on an unprecedented scale. Some of this may be irreversible. Real estate’s re-sorting this time isn’t just based on markets crashing (the Great Recession), political turmoil (the 1979 oil embargo), or financial speculation (the first and second dot.com busts)—after which there’s generally confidence that overall consumer demand and buyer preferences will sooner or later snap back to normal.

“Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, more deep-seated, tectonic-sized questions beyond markets and interest rates are being asked this time around that no one really has the answers to yet—like will people feel safer living in the south and southwest where they can spend all year social distancing outside? What if companies let workers work remotely for the rest of their lives? Why go back to retail shopping when I’m already ordering everything online? What’s the point of living “downtown” if half of the restaurants, bars, and museums never open back up?

“How these questions get answered will fundamentally re-order how Americans live in the “new” pandemic normal, and as a result will play a huge X-factor in which cities and states will experience growth, demand, and price appreciation over the next 3-5 years, and which ones will stagnate and lose out….

“Against this backdrop, real estate’s new normal is also creating huge swathes of opportunity. Dozens of cities and counties that were once considered too small, too southern, too hot, too flat, or lacking in amenities, culture, or sophistication are now finding themselves being swooned to the top of the real estate desirability lists as Americans seek warmer, healthier, less dense, better educated, and more mobile places to live that offer closer access to the outdoors, better hospitals, smaller schools, and more open space with no clear end to the pandemic in sight….

“The repercussions of America’s great COVID migration has the potential to re-shuffle the essential demographic and economic balance of America for the next generation. Realtors, investors, and politicians should be paying attention…. By every metric, Americans are moving faster now than they were before the pandemic. Page-per-property views on real estate platforms like Realtor and Zillow are up over 50% year-over-year almost everywhere, inventory in America’s 100 top metro markets has been shrinking since March, along with days on market and the gap between list-to-sale price. A lot of real estate experts prefer the word “despite” when it comes to accounting for this phenomenon while the pandemic’s still raging, when it’s probably more accurately “because of”.

““Real estate markets have undergone noticeable shifts since the start of the coronavirus pandemic,” …“In the wake of the lockdowns in March, Americans discovered that existing homes were not adequate for the new work, teach, exercise, cook and live at home reality. Based on realtor.com surveys of consumers, we learned that home shoppers are looking for more space, quieter neighborhoods, home offices, newer kitchens and access to the outdoors, traits which have revived a strong interest in the suburbs and smaller metro areas.”

“…So what’s the bottom line? Keep your bathing suit and laptop ready to pack. The longer COVID-19 continues to push Americans into the “new” normal, the more of us will be moving south and west, working by the pool….”

City of Sanibel – Emergency Declaration, COVID-19, & Rental Property Deadline

Again, this week, Sanibel’s Mayor extended the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19 until October 20, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.) Additionally, the City face covering mandate was reaffirmed and remains in effect through the period.

Per the Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 57. (Yes, that is a big increase in the last couple of weeks. Everyone is urged to continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and to avoid group gatherings.)

Also, this week, the City posted a notice to owners of island rental property reminding them that Dwell Rental License and Registration application submission is required by Friday, October 30. Questions about this process should be addressed to Code.Enf@MySanibel.com or Planning at 239-472-4136.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 9-16, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Compass Point #232 2/2 $599K (our listing), Mariner Pointe #411 3/2 $599K (our listing), Surfside 12 #B1 3/2 $1.075M, Kings Crown #302 2/2 $1.499M.

Drone photo of Compass Point taken 2020-10-15 by JMA Photography

View from Compass Point #232

3 price changes: Loggerhead Cay #274 2/2 now $679K, Sanibel Inn #3512 2/2 now $726.5K, Tarpon Beach #207 2/2 now $899K (our listing).

Gulf view from Tarpon Beach #207

9 new sales: Spanish Cay #F6 1/1 listed at $293K, Sanibel Arms #B7 1/1 listed at $356.5K, Seashells #43 2/2 listed at $429K, Seashells #26 2/2 listed at $439.9K, Blind Pass #B111 2/2 listed at $475K, Mariner Pointe #813 2/2 listed at $569K, Villas of Sanibel #B202 3/3 listed at $1.895M, Plantation Village #B222 3/3 listed at $2.53M, Wedgewood #102 3/3.5 listed at $2.595M.

6 closed sales: Kimball Lodge #263 1/1.5 $490K, Pointe Santo #D32 2/2 $700K, Sundial #J107 2/2 $700K, Sandpiper Beach #202 2/2 $760K, Gulfside Place #121 2/2 $1M, Sanibel Sunset #301 3/2 $1.8M.

HOMES

5 new listings: 1860 Ibis Ln 5/3 $895K, 770 Elinor Way 3/2.5 $899K, 9277 Belding Dr 3/3 $925K, 1308 Tahiti Dr 3/3 $949K, 513 Lighthouse Way 3/3 $2.195M.

7 price changes: 9195 Dimmick Dr 2/2 now $449K, 315 East Gulf Dr 3/2 half-duplex now $579K, 1142 Shell Basket Ln 3/2 now $625K, 1001 East Gulf Dr 2/2 now $639K, 1610 Sabal Sands Rd 3/2 now $714.9K, 1430 Sanderling Cir 4/3.5 now $870K, 1069 Bird Ln 4/3.5 now $4.495M.

4 new sales: 9248 Dimmick Dr 3/3 listed at $699K, 1304 Par View Dr 3/3 listed at $750K, 734 Anchor Dr 3/2 listed at $829K, 2957 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 listed at $1.525M.

10 closed sales: 9247 Dimmick Dr 3/2 $565K, 490 + 460 Old Trail 3/2.5 $675K, 9024 Mockingbird Dr 3/2 $780K, 215 Robinwood Cir 4/3 $800K, 756 Windlass Way 4/3 $810K, 776 Conch Ct 3/2 $850K, 919 Pecten Ct 3/3/2 $900K, 545 Lake Murex Cir 3/3 $1.035M, 790 Beach Rd 4/3.5 $1.18M, 3615 West Gulf Dr 3/2 $2.6M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 6000 White Heron Ln $889K.

No price changes.

1 new sale: 2279 Wulfert Rd listed at $318K.

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings or price changes.

2 new sales: Bayside Villas #5136 1/2 listed at $399K, Lands End Village #1667 2/2 listed at $1.088M.

No closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings.

1 price change: 16189 Captiva Dr 6/4 multi-home now $4.099M.

1 new sale: 1124 Longifolia Ct 4/5 listed at $2.649M.

1 closed sale: 15879 Captiva Dr 3/3 $2.1M.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 925 South Seas Plantation Rd listed at $5.899M.

No closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Sanibel & Captiva Scoop – Columbus Day Weekend

Posted on October 9, 2020 by SanibelSusan

SanibelSusan here reporting another day of beautiful weather on Sanibel. The islands continue to slowly reopen, as sea turtle nesting and rainy season finish up for the year. News on both is positive.

A few days ago, SCCF posted on their Facebook page that “Sea turtle season is really winding down on the islands. Currently, we are monitoring 12 nests, a substantial difference from the record number of 669 nests on Sanibel and 268 nests on Captiva earlier this season. So far, a total of 33,267 hatchlings have made it to sea.”

Water quality was an agenda item at Tuesday’s Sanibel City Council meeting. Acting Director of Natural Resources, Holly Millbrand reported that although Lake Okeechobee water level is up and there has been some increase in water releases, there are no signs of any negative effects here, no red tide or blue green algae. “I’m pleased that the corps has been willing to take a more cautious approach,” she said, referring to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that determines when and how much water to release from the lake. “We encourage the corps to weigh all the factors…,” she said, adding that there is not so much concern from the corps of potential dyke failure even though the level is high.

Though that is all good news for returning snowbirds and the additional vacationers expected over the holiday weekend, many have been carefully watching the weather and the track of Hurricane Delta. All clear here today with that tropical weather pattern resulting in some lower humidity this week. The forecast says next week it will be in the mid to high 80’s with the usual chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. That usually equates to nice beach weather during the day, followed by a spectacular sunset. There have been some beauties lately.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

Still closed for group meetings, the islands Association of Realtors® has revised plans for a couple of their annual events. Our end-of-season golf outing, party, and auction to benefit RPAC which were postponed from May until this month is revised again with a 2-day auction coming up next week (October 12-14) followed by an hour-long Zoom party.

Through the years, our RPAC dollars have worked on many ownership issues affecting islanders. As an example, last week, a bill that funded the federal government through December 11 was signed into law. That bill includes a full-year extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and surface transportation funding. Under the agreement, NFIP authority is extended through September 30, 2021. This is the second year in a row for a full fiscal year extension for flood insurance. While Realtors® continue to work toward comprehensive insurance reform and long-term reauthorization, the marketplace needs stability and continuity. In the continuing resolution is a similar extension of surface transportation funding. Transportation projects take years from concept to completion, and any lapse in funding is especially disruptive. This is a win for those looking toward a post-coronavirus market.

Here is another unusual twist because of COVID-19. For our local RPAC auction, SanibelSusan often donates a Maine Lobster Bake which is a dinner kit that comes from The Lobster Net in Brewer, ME. Included are not only jumbo fresh lobsters and a large pot for cooking them, but also all of the other ingredients, supplies, and instructions needed for a complete party-style meal, from appetizers to desserts. For years, the donation has sold for far more than the actual value. Imagine my surprise when I checked their website this year and found this message “Due to pandemic, live lobsters 2.0 – 4.0 lbs. are temporarily next to impossible to find.” So, this year’s donation is a little different.

The Association Annual Meeting and election of officers will be by electronic voting in early November. No word yet on when group in-person committee and Caravan meetings will resume.

The week’s action posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

City of Sanibel

Again, this week, Sanibel Mayor Ruane extended the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19 until October 13, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.) Additionally, this week, the City face covering mandate was reaffirmed and remains in effect through the period.

Per the Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 54.

Other Upcoming Events & Openings/Reopenings

The Sanibel Sprout Juice Bar & Vegan Café – reopened this week in their new just-remodeled location in Islander Center, 2407 Periwinkle Way, (former location of Totally Baked).

The Island Store (Captiva) – at the corner of Andy Rosse Lane & Captiva Drive, reopened this week after a nearly year-long renovation. Operated by Bailey’s General Store, it is open daily Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sanibel Historical Village – reopening October 20 with safety protocols. Will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All visitors, volunteers, and staff will be required to wear a mask and observe social distancing. Guided tours are suspended until January. However, visitors may make appointments for guided tours with 48-hour advance notice (for minimum of six, no more than ten guests). For self-tours, there are audio buttons in each building and brochures. Annual gala fundraiser canceled, but several Twilight Talks are in the planning stages. Events will be posted on museum website, http://www.SanibelMuseum.com.

Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum “Mollusk Monster Mash” – October 27 at Traders. The Shell Museum’s kick-off fundraising event for the season will have a few new twists. Tickets include a gourmet meal served with wine either at the restaurant or with a takeout option delivered to your car. With socially-distance seating inside and out, reservations are needed. Call 239-395-2233 for more info.

SCCF’s “Wines in the Wild 2020” – November 13 – This year the event will not be at the Bailey Homestead, but at your homeINstead with SCCF providing the ingredients for a fun evening. The portable party “to go” will be available for touchless drive-by pickup at the Bailey Homestead on November 13. Included are a bottle of white and red wine; food by chefs from Cielo, Catering by Leslie Adams, Spoondrift, and Sweet Melissa’s Café; a centerpiece designed by the Native Landscapes & Garden Center; a link to a specially curated Wines in the Wild music playlist; & a yummy dessert, & surprises too. Contact SCCF by November 6 to reserve your box.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 2-9, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Spanish Cay #F6 1/1 $293K, Breakers West #B5 2/2 $569K, Loggerhead Cay #462 2/2 $579K, Sanibel Sunset #201 3/2 $2.195M.

3 price changes: Cottage Colony West #101 1/1 now $585K, Sanibel Inn #3514 2/2 now $699K, Sanibel Surfside #124 2/2 now $1.025M.

3 new sales: Sundial #D204 1/1 listed at $450K, Island Beach Club #320C 2/2 listed at $829K, Sanibel Surfside #123 2/2 listed at $935K.

3 closed sales: Blind Pass #E205 2/2.5 $380K, Sandpebble #4E 2/2 $460K, Sunset South #11A 2/2 $537K.

HOMES

7 new listings: 1603 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 half-duplex $580K, 3926 Coquina Dr 3/2 $769K, 640 Periwinkle Way 3/2 $825K, 966 Kings Crown Dr 3/2 $1.06M, 1152 Buttonwood Ln 3/3.5 $1.695M, 677 Anchor Dr 5/5.5 $1.895M, 418 Bella Vista Way E 4/4 $1,995,900.

3 price changes: 9426 Sage Ct 3/3 now $1.059M, 201 Violet Dr 3/2 now $1.1M, 1761 Venus Dr 4/4 now $2.195M.

5 new sales: 4044 Coquina Dr 2/2 listed at $499K, 1223 Par View Dr 3/2 listed at $725K, 1326 Tahiti Dr 2/2 listed at $775K, 4345 Gulf Pines Dr 4/4 listed at $855K; 1352 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 listed at $1.095M.

4 closed sales: 1954 Roseate Ln 3/2 $520K, 4339 Gulf Pines Dr 3/2 $620K, 2439 Harbour Ln 3/3 $950K, 1175 Bird Ln 4/3/2 $3M.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 2486 Wulfert Rd listed at $129K

2 closed sales: 978 Main St $162,450; 4334 West Gulf Dr $900K.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Beach Homes #6 3/3 $2.998M.

3 price changes: Gulf Beach Villas #2112 1/1 now $492.5K, Captiva Shores #1B 3/2.5 now $1.799M, Lands End Village #1608 3/3 now $2.085M.

2 new sales: Gulf Beach Villas #2005 2/2 listed at $755K, Captiva Hide-A-Way #2A 2/2 listed at $900K.

2 closed sales: Beach Villas #2418 2/2 $765K, Beach Homes #30 4/4.5 $3.15M.

HOMES & LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Enjoy your weekend! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

October = Good Time to Buy for a Sunny Winter!

Posted on October 2, 2020 by SanibelSusan

A reminder of how just beyond the Clam Bayou bridge is some of the best shelling in the world. Our condo listing at Blind Pass #E101 is just steps from the beach path.

This week’s real estate activity in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

Sanibel Farmers Market Back for 13^th Season with Changes

With new safety guidelines, the Sanibel Farmers Market will return this weekend (October 4) and be open on Sundays through May 2021 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sanibel City Hall. Market parking is in the lots at City Hall, the Library, BIG ARTS and Schoolhouse Theater. Handicap parking and bicycle parking are in designated areas at City Hall.

Organized by Local Roots which is co-owned by island residents Jean Baer and Betsy Ventura, the weekly market will feature a mix of vendors and products, plus crafters. With the ongoing pandemic, Local Roots has implemented several new protocols to keep the community/shoppers safe and vendors following CDC guidelines.

Most importantly, everyone (market visitors and vendors) will be required to wear a mask. Every vendor will have hand sanitizer, and it will be available upon entering and exiting the site. While the market in the past has served as a sort of gathering place for the community, this season, a “grab and go” format will be promoted to prevent lingering and gatherings. You are asked to “only touch if you are buying.” New signs will remind visitors of the mask requirement, to social distance, wash their hands. In spread vendors out, their number has been reduced and will be adjust as needed.

Shoppers will be able to stock up on fresh produce, seafood, breads and pastries, smoothies, BBQ, plants/flowers, and more. New vendors include: Swell Snacks with dried fruits, Chef Mazotta with frozen prepared meals and crab cakes, Daily Delice with French specialties, Uhmaze with fresh-pressed juices, Twila Mae Chicken Salad, Traveling Salad Bar, Sinless Sweets, Dream Earth Bowls, and Fresh Catch with seafood, pot pies, stuffed chicken breasts, beef, and pork. Returning favorites include: Island Seafood, Andre’s French Bakery, Pete’s Fresh Mozzarella, Venus Veggies Organic Farm, Dynasty Guacamole, Cherie’s Sweet Treats, and Ernesto & Luigi Sauces. There also will be five craft vendors each week – four permanent ones and one rotating artisan.

A different local nonprofit also will be provided a space every week, including the local PTA and Boy Scouts. Again, this year, Local Roots is partnering with F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva to help fill its pantry shelves with a program where market visitors may bring food donations or donate funds to buy items.

The market does not allow dogs, only service animals are permitted. The market also is free of plastic straws and plastic bags. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own bag and swing by – and grab their items “to go”. More info online at www.BuyLocalLee.com.

Other Upcoming Events

Classic Car Show Tomorrow – The San Cap Motor Club Cruise-ins are resuming for season, with the kickoff tomorrow, October 3 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Periwinkle Place shopping center. Masks are required. Donuts from Bailey’s General Store will be available along with complimentary coffee. All are welcome to bring their classic cars. No pre-registration is necessary.

39^th Taste of the Islands – Renamed “Taste of the Islands Reimagined” – This year the event which is an annual C.R.O.W. fundraiser will move into island restaurants and last through the month of November. All month, each participating restaurant will offer their “Taste” items to showcase their cuisine. A portion of the proceeds from those food and beverage sales will be donated to C.R.O.W. Additionally, every Sunday, a different “C.R.O.W. Crawl” will feature different restaurants for patrons to visit. The C.R.O.W. tent with Animal Ambassadors will be at these events. In lieu of admission, participants will purchase a “Taste Passport” with a list and map of the participating restaurants. To track their progress, each restaurant will stamp/punch the passport when a patron visits them. Only passport holders will be eligible to vote for their favorite restaurant to win the coveted “People’s Choice Award”. Passport holders also will be entered into a drawing for prizes, including vacation stays and gift certificates. Passports will be available at C.R.O.W. and the participating restaurants, or on-line at “will calls” both on and off Sanibel.

Luminary 2020 – The Sanibel & Captiva Chamber of Commerce has extended Luminary 2020 from seven hours to seven days for the “Coastal Distance Edition” on December 4-11. Instead of just single night events, this year, it will take place from Friday through Friday during normal operating hours when businesses will offer special discounts and deals. Retailers, restaurants, accommodations, personal services, attractions, recreational activities, and other local operations are invited to participate. The Chamber will create a dedicated landing Webpage for showcasing the week’s offers. With the tagline, “Eat, Shop, Stay, Play” like traditional Luminary celebrations, it promotes commerce on Sanibel and Captiva. Unlike past Luminaries, however, this year there will be no luminary light bags, alcohol (except where licensed), and no entertainment, events, or activities that might attract a crowd.

City of Sanibel

Again, this week, Sanibel Mayor Ruane extended the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19 until October 6, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.)

Per the Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 50.

Home Buying & Selling During COVID-19

From FloridaRealtor® magazine October 2020: “As work, play and education turn to virtual environments, a new survey by Realogy indicates that Americans ages 50 and older want comfort, virtual tours and home inspections…. Additional findings from the consumer survey reveal a generational divide between those under the age of 50 and those 50+. Older Americans prioritize different things in the home, indicate different moving location preferences and have different plans for how they would use additional monetary funds.

“Virtual Tours & Inspections May Ease Home Buying Decision Making – Over half of Americans say they would be comfortable putting their home on the market for sale virtually and more than a quarter of the 50+ population are comfortable buying a home having seen it only virtually and not in person. Among Americans who are uncomfortable or only somewhat comfortable buying a home virtually, a majority say virtual tours of the home, virtual home inspections and detailed neighborhood information and high-quality photos would ease their decision to buy a home virtually.

“Americans 50+ Prioritize the Home Differently Amidst COVID-19 – Comfort and convenience reign supreme: Americans 50+ are more likely than Americans under 50 to say top priority features include: laundry in the home, a patio/deck, accessibility and convenience, and an open layout. Most Americans of all ages say a yard or access to outdoor space is priority….

“Dreams of Urban Living Shift to the Suburbs – Among those who currently live in an urban area, nearly 40% are thinking about moving to a suburban or rural area in the future due to COVID-19….

“Retirement Still in the Cards? – Only 8% say that the coronavirus has caused them to move back their retirement date, while 3% say they plan to retire early. Over one-third of those surveyed said they have no current plans to retire….”

Remodeling Projects with the Greatest Return

Realtors® get asked this a lot, “Will I get my money back if I (do this)?” An article in the latest FloridaRealtor® magazine says that Remodeling Magazine asked real estate professionals what remodeling projects will pick up the greatest return when a home is sold. Here are their estimates for the percentage of return in the South Atlantic states.

Garage door replacement – 88.7%
Siding replacement (fiber-cement) – 80.5%
Minor kitchen remodel – 76.3%
Siding replacement (vinyl) – 76%
Roof replacement (asphalt singles) – 68.2%
Entry door replacement – 67%
Bathroom remodel – 66.7%
Major kitchen remodel – 58.7%
Bathroom addition – 53.9%

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity September 25 – October 2, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Captains Walk #B4 2/2 $395K, Sundial #I102 1/1 $450K, Sundial #O201 3/2 $819K, Wedgewood #102 3/3.5 $2.595M.

5 price changes: Coquina Beach #2B 2/2 now $494K, Sanibel Moorings #1512 2/2 now $525K, Loggerhead Cay #222 2/2 now $599K, Sanibel Inn #3512 2/2 now $727K, Sundial #T201 2/2 now $815K.

7 new sales: Sanibel Arms #D7 1/1 listed at $339K; Sundial #D308 1/1 listed at $409K; Ibis at The Sanctuary #202B 2/2 listed at $487.5K; Lighthouse Point #121 3/2 listed at $609,906; Compass Point #222 2/2 listed at $619K; Sandalfoot #2D2 2/2 listed at $659K (our listing); Loggerhead Cay #573 2/2 listed at $679K.

3 closed sales: Ibis at The Sanctuary #102A 2/2 $461K, Kings Crown #112 2/2 $655K, Yacht Haven #2 3/2 $890K.

HOMES

4 new listings: 956 Dixie Beach Blvd 2/1 $479K, 753 Nerita St 3/2 $589K, 2564 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 $1.929M, 775 Conch Ct 4/3 $1.975M.

5 price changes: 1015 Fish Crow Rd 3/2 now $649K (our listing), 1223 Par View Dr 3/2 now $725K, 2001/2003 Mitzi Ln 6/6 duplex now $920K, 1035 S. Yachtsman Dr 5/4.5 now $1.074M, 1717 Jewel Box Dr 3/3.5 now $2,268,500.

1015 Fish Crow Rd in Gulf Shores

8 new sales: 1645 Sand Castle Rd 3/2.5 half-duplex listed at $540K; 9036 Mockingbird Dr 3/2 listed at $624,999; 525 N. Yachtsman Dr 3/2 listed at $789K; 917 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 listed at $895K; 3351 Barra Cir 3/2.5 listed at $1.199M; 4156 West Gulf Dr 3/2 listed at $1.329M; 769 Pyrula Ave 3/3.5 listed at $1.395M, 1520 Angel Dr 5/5.5 listed at $1.575M.

6 closed sales: 4606 Brainard Bayou 2/2 $455K, 9240 Belding Dr 3/2.5 $600K, 1068 White Ibis Dr 3/3 $680K, 1114 Sabal St 2/2 $769K, 1121 Skiff Pl 3/3 $975K, 2739 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 $1,163,500.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

2 new sales: with contingencies: 2297 Wulfert Rd listed at $187K, 2142 Starfish Ln listed at $400K.

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Gulf Beach Villas #2005 2/2 $755K.

No price changes.

1 new sale: with contingencies: Beach Villas #2522 1/1 listed at $529K.

3 closed sales: Bayside Villas #4112 1/2 $335K, Bayside Villas #4216 1/2 $345K, Bayside Villas #5114 1/2 $370K.

HOMES & LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Enjoy your weekends, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

First Fall Friday on Sunny Sanibel

Posted on September 25, 2020 by SanibelSusan

There has been chatter this week that the run-off from recent rains has darkened the baywaters. Took this pix today at 11 a.m. overlooking San Carlos Bay. It’s a bit darker from the tannin run-offs, but there have been no releases from Lake O. The Army Corps of Engineers says there will be no releases into the Caloosahatchee River for now.

Good news today from sunny Sanibel Island. The flooding from Tropical Storm Sally has mostly disappeared. The rain that flooded the area the weekend of September 12 dropped more than 24”, culminating an already rainy week. It was a record according to a report this week by Sanibel’s Director of Community Services who categorized it as a 100-year event. Sanibel’s weirs, designed to deal with flooding, were opened that weekend when 12.1” of rain fell in one day on already soggy ground.

An added surprise from this week’s change in weather pattern was low humidity, breezy sunny days, and little rain – nice weather for the many shellers collecting the bounty that came in from the recent storms.

A few showers are expected off-and-on over the weekend, but next week, little-to-no-rain again is expected with more sunny days and low 80-degree temperatures forecast. Fall is arriving in the Sunshine State.

High tide at Sanibel Marina this morning.

Outside dining at Gramma Dot’s.

At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

It has been a quiet week at SanibelSusan Realty. About all I can say about the Zoom class, that I taught Tuesday at the Association of Realtors®, is that I am glad it is over. It sure is hard to teach to an empty room and keep attendees engaged. With renewed respect for teachers and instructors dealing with today’s challenges, I appreciate the Realtors® that attended my session.

Below are a couple of news items followed by the activity since last Friday in the Sanibel Captiva Multiple Listing Service.

Status of Sanibel’s Residential Market

Based on recent action (more than usual for September), it is a good time to compare island real estate sales last year to the unusual-ness of 2020.

The tables below show by month and property type, the number of closed sales and average sale prices. Naturally, a closing occurs several weeks and sometimes a month or so after a contract is written so look at these statistics being mindful that contracts written this month, probably will not close until October, November, maybe even December.

The first tables for Sanibel homes show how strong this year began, followed by a big slump in May. That reflects the few new sales in the preceding months (late February, March, & April) which typically are “high” season and have strong sales – not so this year.

Since June, the number of closed home sales each month has exceeded the same month in 2019. Year-to-date numbers are strong. Home prices overall are down a little but holding steady. Already, this year, more homes have sold and closed, than in all of last year.

Closed Sanibel Home Sales by Month (# Sales & Average Sold Price $)
	January		February		March		April		May
2020	15	848,755	18	1,095,708	25	1,171,820	30	1,097,441	9	732,388
2019	9	1,057,222	11	1,504,590	18	947,923	31	848,458	40	1,010,454

Closed Sanibel Home Sales by Month (# Sales & Average Sold Price $)
	June		July		August		September to 24		Year-to-Date
2020	14	716,460	39	804,765	21	959,805	20	961,160	191	953,193
2019	14	797,692	25	871,282	9	819,222	10	978,170	167	957,429

Comparing these Sanibel homes sales to current inventory, it really is astounding that even with the pandemic, 191 have sold/closed. Compare that to there just being 82 homes available for sale now. Average asking price is $1,838,648.

Another 59 homes are under contract, average asking price of those is $985,760. That large number of sales compared to inventory, indicates a sellers’ market, particularly in the median price range.

Looking at the same statistics for Sanibel condos, the picture is not as bright. Condos are moving more slowly, yet still ahead of 2019 overall. Those moving best are higher-end units mostly in residential communities. Income-producing condos have not seen a bounce-back. Investors may be wary of future rental projections, but I bet that changes in the upcoming months.

Today, there are 106 Sanibel condos for sale, which is about a year’s worth of inventory. Average asking price is $790,741. There are 27 units under contract, with an average asking price of $850,525.

Closed Sanibel Condo Sales by Month (# Sales & Average Sold Price $)
	January		February		March		April		May
2020	11	650,060	16	621,093	19	880,947	16	670,150	9	901,000
2019	6	626,875	9	622,944	16	586,312	16	744,203	20	792,350

Closed Sanibel Condo Sales by Month (# Sales & Average Sold Price $)
	June		July		August		September to 24		Year-to-Date
2020	6	622,666	14	598,642	10	792,622	13	724,769	114	720,375
2019	10	650,350	8	414,500	9	793,555	5	568,800	99	669,782

Year-to-date, nearly twice as many homes have sold as condos. Even more of a disparity between homes and condos was evident during the summer (June 20-September 20, 2020). During that time, 88 Sanibel homes sold and closed, compared to 22 Sanibel condos. That trend continued this week too. Lower-priced Sanibel homes are selling like hotcakes, condos not so much.

Great Places Where Beginning Birders Can Get Their Wings

A special to USA Today this week posted an article that began with “While most of us have stuck close to home this year, bird watching has taken flight. The outdoor activity, which naturally encourages social distancing, has soared in popularity… wildlife refuges and parks make it easy to see a wide variety of flyers and shares some prime locations:”

First on the list is J.N. ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

But this week it did not require a ride through the refuge to see my favorite roseate spoonbill. Many were spotted sloshing along the bike path in a few areas where the water has yet to recede.

City of Sanibel

Again, this week, Sanibel Mayor Ruane extended the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19 until September 29, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.)

Per the Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 49.

In other City Business, City Council will meet on September 29 at 5:01 p.m. for the final budget hearing for tax year 2020. That is when the debt service ad valorem millage rates for the tax year are adopted. That means the 2020 tax bills should come out on time, later next month.

COVID Personal Protective Equipment Kits

The City of Sanibel has received an allotment of COVID Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from Lee County, and has partnered with FISH OF SANCAP, CHR, The Rotary Club of Sanibel-Captiva, and the Sanibel Community Association (SCA) to distribute these items on Wednesday September 30 and Thursday October 1st from 11 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, with drive-thru contactless pick up. Kits are FREE to individuals and households that live or work on Sanibel. They include disposable masks, reusable cloth masks, and a bottle of sanitizer. (To help in the distribution, contact FISH at 239-472-4775.)

Openings & Fall Scoop

Sanibel Farmers Market – begins October 4 and runs through May 30, 2021 every Sunday (including Easter) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., on City Hall grounds. Parking available in lots at City Hall, Sanibel Library, BIG ARTS, & Schoolhouse Theater. Handicap parking & designated areas for bicycles at City Hall, but no pets allowed.

“B” Beach Parking Permit Sales to Resume – Following up on the suspension of the sale of “B” parking permits when beaches were closed, the City announced plans to start reselling all stickers at their normal schedule of November 1. The City offers five different parking permits. The resident “A” sticker is $12/year for taxpayers and property owners. Restricted “B” permits, for nonresidents, are $124.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity September 18-25, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

5 new listings: Sandpebble #2B 2/2 $480K, Mariner Pointe #1043 2/2 $490K, Sandpiper Beach #401 2/2 $789K, Sanibel Surfside #123 2/2 $935K, Sanibel Surfside #124 2/2 $1.05M.

2 price changes: Pointe Santo #A1 2/2 now $875K, Sanddollar #A101 2/2 now $1.15M.

6 new sales: Donax Village #10 1/2 listed at $358K, Sundial #I405 1/1 listed at $419K, Lighthouse Point #229 3/2 listed at $712K (our listing), Pointe Santo #D32 2/2 listed at $749K, Blue Gulf 201 3/2 listed at $1.199M, Sunward #201 3/2 listed at $1.259M

9 closed sales: Spanish Cay #A3 1/1 $280K, Casa Blanca #4 1/1 $337K, Seashells #36 2/2 $365K, Cottage Colony West #134 1/1 $575K, Sunset South #2D 2/2 $675K, Sanibel Surfside #126 2/2 $750K, Sanctuary Golf Villages I #5-4 3/3 $760K, Shell Island Beach Club #7C 2/2 $760K, Sanibel Moorings #522 3/2 $1.25M.

HOMES

1 new listing: 916 Almas Ct 3/3.5 $1.39M.

1 price change: 555 Rabbit Rd 3/2 now $599K.

17 new sales: 1403 Sandpiper Cir 3/2.5 half-duplex listed at $490K; 9455 Beverly Ln 2/2 listed at $524K; 1410 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 listed at $645,750; 1031 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 listed at $695K; 934 Cormorant Cir 3/2 listed at $729K; 1296 Par View Dr 3/3 listed at $749K; 9393 Peaceful Dr 3/2.5 listed at $799K; 702 Durion Ct 3/2 listed at $819.9K; 1430 Sanderling Cir 4/3.5 listed at $899K; 1081 Captains Walk St 4/2.5 listed at $995K; 1259 Par View Dr 3/4 listed at $1.175M; 490/460 Old Trail Rd 3/2.5 listed at $699.9K; 1073 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 listed at $795K; 1777 Serenity Ln 5/4.5 listed at $919K; 6041 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 2/1 listed at $949K; 1259 Par View Dr 3/4 listed at $1.175M, 2343 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 listed at $1.42M.

8 closed sales: 9214 Kincaid Ct 2/2 $355K, 560 Piedmont Rd 3/2 $450K, 454 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 $610K, 9106 Mockingbird Dr 3/2 $700K, 345 Cowry Ct 3/4.5 $722.5K, 940 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 $935K, 1329 Eagle Run Dr $1.28M, 4577 Waters Edge Ln 4/3 $2,754,333.

LOTS

No new listings.

1 price change: 1303 Par View Dr now $310K.

1 new sale: 2501 Tropical Way listed at $695K.

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Bayside Villas #5134 1/2 $399K.

No price changes.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: Bayside Villas #5234 1/2 $390K.

HOMES & LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Until next Friday, enjoy your fall! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Paradise Post-Sally… Just Another Sunny Friday!

Posted on September 18, 2020 by SanibelSusan

Tropical Storm Sally caused some excitement on Sanibel this week, even if she did not come ashore here. Following many rainy season days, Southwest Florida already was soggy when the storm slowly passed offshore last weekend. So slowly, that as the week began, the City reported that in just nine days, 20.47” of rain had been recorded. Then, there was more.

Late Sunday, between bands (silly me, I thought it had stopped), I went out to check a nearby listing. Just minutes from my home, I received multiple City and County tornado warning messages – cell calls, texts, and emails. Thankfully, those were just caution alerts. Within the hour, the warnings were canceled. There are some cool wall-of-water photos taken then, posted on www.MySanibel.com.

With more often-heavy rain and strong winds Sunday night, by daybreak Monday, a moat surrounded my home and Anchor Dr, at the gulf-end was impassable in a low vehicle. Since that was the last day of my Continuing Ed classes via Zoom, I opted to take them at home, while Elise opened the office.

A surprise for her was finding SanibelSquare also flooded. A little water made it in up the step and through our back door, but for the most part, the buildings here bordering Periwinkle are OK.

The back buildings were not as lucky. They remained flooded as did the parking lot until the sun came out Wednesday.

Monday when the water in our front lawn along the bike path subsided, Elise spotted the return of a marsh bunny. We were worried about those little guys.

We love our critters and got a giggle Tuesday afternoon when ducks enjoyed our parking lot, swimming by our back door.

Island-wide, including on Captiva, it took nearly all week for the water to go down in many areas. Today, when out doing sign and property checks, I saw high water at the entrance to West Rocks and in the swales along West Gulf Dr. Luckily the forecast for the next week (other than Sunday) has little or no rain expected.

At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

Our listings had a few more inquiries and showings this week. The action posted since last Friday in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

The Association of Realtors® annual 12-part educational series to earn the islands specialist designation began this week. On Tuesday morning, I will be teaching the Resort and 2^nd Home Market module by Zoom. It probably will not be as much fun as a classroom setting but I have my course material updated and will do my best to make it informative.

City of Sanibel

Again, this week, Sanibel Mayor Ruane extended the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19 until September 22, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.)

Per the Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 49.

Effective today (Sep 18, 2020), on Sanibel, irrigation is permitted only two days per week based on property address. Odd addresses on Mondays and Thursdays, even addresses on Tuesdays and Fridays. No irrigation is permitted between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. As of today, these regulations now apply year-‘round.

Another recent pro-environment City change is: As of Oct 1, 2020, plastic bags many no longer be used for yard and horticulture waste for collection by the City’s waste hauler. Yard and horticulture waste may continue to be properly bundled, collected in refuse containers, or disposed of in biodegradable paper lawn and leaf bags.

SCCF’s Turtle Patrol

SCCF Photo

The Conservation Foundation’s Turtle Patrol reported Monday that more than 50 sea turtle nests on Sanibel and about 25 on Captiva were still incubating as of Saturday. They thought about 10 nests may have washed away on Sanibel, but their team had not been able to assess Captiva due to high water.

Some nests were visibly washed out. Others had their stakes washed away, but eggs still incubating under the sand. Their turtle team worked all week to confirm which nests were fully lost. In some, they found stranded hatchlings and assisted getting them to the gulf.

Their updated report on Wednesday, said “Our team is using a GPS device to confirm which nests have been fully lost…. the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva, once crowded with a record number of yellow stakes marking nests, now host only 51 incubating nests on both islands combined. The season is all but over, with our last nests due to hatch in October. So far, 569 nests have hatched and 32,862 hatchlings have started their long journey to the Loop Current.”

Openings/Closings/September Scoop

The September vacations, deep cleans, and maintenance projects and improvements continue with the following business announcements this week:

Blue Giraffe – reopens tomorrow (Sat, Sep 18).

Cheeburger Cheeburger – reopens tomorrow (Sat, Sep 18).

Joey’s Custard – closed through Sep 30.

Over Easy Café – reopens tomorrow (Sat, Sep 18).

Paper Fig Kitchen – closed through Sep 20.

Schnapper’s – closed through Sep 20.

The Sanctuary – Is often the site of our annual Realtor® End-of-Season Golf Tournament & Auction which some old-timers still call the “Over-the-Hump Party”. This year, because of the pandemic, it was postponed from late May until mid-October. This week it was announced that The Sanctuary has canceled all member and non-member events through December, so our tournament and party are canceled. But we will still have an RPAC auction – albeit a 2-day on-line event ending with a Zoom meeting. Just another twist to 2020.

Traditions at Island Inn – Closed for vacations through Sept 29.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity September 11-18, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

3 new listings: Casa Blanca #8 2/1 $375K, Sundial #D204 1/1 $450K, Loggerhead Cay #573 2/2 $679K.

4 price changes: Seawind #A108 2/2.5 now $528K, Mariner Pointe #421 2/2.5 now $579K, Loggerhead Cay #192 2/2 now $719K, Pointe Santo #E23 2/2 now $899K.

5 new sales: Seawind #A103 2/2.5 listed at $579K, Loggerhead Cay #532 2/2 listed at $689K, Island Beach Club #220F 2/2 listed at $745K, Blue Gulf #201 3/2 listed at $1.199M, Sanibel Sunset #301 3/2 listed at $1.95M.

2 closed sales: Colonnades #3 1/1 $235K, Pointe Santo #D21 2/2 $530K.

HOMES

2 new listings: 1653 Bunting Ln 3/2.5 $647K, 1352 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 $1.095M.

1 price change: 3751 Coquina Dr 3/2 now $839K.

8 new sales: 915 Main St 2/1 listed at $439K, 1797 Serenity Ln 2/2 listed at $445K, 799 Casa Ybel Rd 5/3 duplex listed at $570K, 690 Durion Ct 3/2 listed at $695K, 9307 Dimmick Dr 3/2 listed at $699K, 1170 Buttonwood Ln 4/2 listed at $899K, 2343 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 listed at $1.42M, 1175 Bird Ln 4/3/2 listed at $3.25M.

6 closed sales: 3001 Swinging Wind Dr 2/2 $406K; 1350 Middle Gulf Dr #1F (Moonshadows) 3/3 half-duplex $708,375; 1406 Causey Ct 3/2.5 $830K; 1271 Sand Castle Rd 3/2.5 $880K; 1437 Causey Ct 3/2.5 $902K; 940 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 $935K.

LOTS

No new listings.

1 price change: 1159 Golden Olive Ct now $1.599M.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: 4767 Tradewinds Dr $1,435,750.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings or price changes.

6 new sales: Bayside Villas #5110 1/2 listed at $369.5K, Bayside Villas #4204 1/2 listed at $389K, Bayside Villas #5136 1/2 listed at $399K, Bayside Villas #5228 12 listed at $399K, Bayside Villas #4220 1/2 listed at $415K, Beach Villas #2422 1/1 listed at $545K.

1 closed sale: Tennis Villas #3120 1/1 $300K.

HOMES & LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Farmers Markets & Christmas Trees

City of Sanibel – COVID-19

U.S. Borders with Canada, Mexico Remain Closed Through Dec. 21

County Commissioners Approve Toll Transponder Agreement

The Double-Edged Housing Boom

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity November 20-27, 2020

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At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

City of Sanibel – Politics, COVID-19, & More

Work Space, Outdoor Living, & The Burbs

8 Do’s & Don’ts of Owning a Vacation Rental

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity November 13-20, 2020

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City of Sanibel – Emergency Declaration, COVID-19

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors Annual Meeting

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 30-November 6, 2020

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Openings & Re-Opening

City of Sanibel – Emergency Declaration, COVID-19

Best Places (Metro Area) to Retire?

13 of the ‘Top 25’ Are in Florida

Taste of the Islands Reimagined

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 23-30, 2020

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How COVID-19 Has Changed The Real Estate Market

City of Sanibel – Emergency Declaration, COVID-19, & Rental Property Deadline

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 9-16, 2020

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Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

City of Sanibel

Other Upcoming Events & Openings/Reopenings

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Sanibel Farmers Market Back for 13th Season with Changes

Other Upcoming Events

City of Sanibel

Home Buying & Selling During COVID-19

Remodeling Projects with the Greatest Return

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity September 25 – October 2, 2020

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At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

Status of Sanibel’s Residential Market

Great Places Where Beginning Birders Can Get Their Wings

City of Sanibel

COVID Personal Protective Equipment Kits

Openings & Fall Scoop

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity September 18-25, 2020

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Sanibel Farmers Market Back for 13^th Season with Changes