Wrapping June & Looking Forward to July On Sunny Sanibel

Posted on June 28, 2019 by SanibelSusan

It’s another sunny Friday on Sanibel, with island merchants, restaurants, and Realtors® all hoping for a boost in business from soon-arriving holiday vacationers and visitors. With very little rain this week until a couple of late day thunderstorms yesterday, bay and gulf waters remain clear and bright.

The weather continues to be warmer than usual for this early in the summer, with near-record temperatures almost every day. Those temperatures dropped a little after the showers last night, with more typical high-80’s expected for the next few days with occasional scattered thunderstorms. Betcha we have another one tonight.

First another royal poinciana tree photo – a great vision of red against a blue sky. They are about gone by now, but will be back in bloom next May/June.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association or Realtors® June Membership Meeting

Yesterday was the June Monthly Membership Meeting of the local Association of Realtors®. Attendance was light.

Speaker was Ashley Gibbons, Member Services Manager at the Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce. She explained how visitor traffic to both islands, their facility, and their website continue to increase following a tough period after last summer’s red tide. The Chamber’s renovation is complete, several staff members are new, and their social media, including Instagram, also continue to get more followers.

The real estate announcements that followed were few, with just a handful of sales and price reductions. Caravan included six new listings open for viewing.

SanibelSusan Realty Associates

It was a busy week for the team, with a closing, a new sale, and action items accomplished with both active listings and upcoming closings. Our detailed report of the activity in the Sanibel and Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a few news items below, including the local island July 4^th events.

Island Holiday Happenings

Pancake Breakfast from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Sanibel Community Church, complimentary all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausage, juice, & coffee, with donations to benefit Boy Scout Troop 1740.

29^th Annual Independence Day Parade begins at 9:30 a.m. at the intersection of Periwinkle Way and Tarpon Bay Road. The theme this year is “Seas the Day” with Captains for Clean Water serving as grand marshal. The parade runs east on Periwinkle and ends at Casa Ybel Road. Parade judges will be stationed in front of Winds. Parade watchers are reminded to arrive early, Periwinkle Way from Donax Street to Tarpon Bay Road will be closed beginning at 9 a.m. (and reopen about noon).

July 4^th Celebration at Jerry’s Shopping Center begins after the parade, until 2:30 p.m. with complimentary hot dogs & snow cones, plus water slide, bounce house, face painting & other patriotic fun for kiddos.

40^th Sanibel-Captiva Optimist Club Road Rally which is an automobile scavenger hunt, begins at noon at The Timbers parking lot. Proceeds fund local youth benefits and scholarships. Entry forms are available at Bailey’s, Sanibel Café, Sanibel-Captiva Community Bank, or online at www.sancapoptimist.org. Rally is limited to 50 vehicles. Prizes are awarded for correct time and mileage, most correct answers to the quiz, best decorated vehicle, team coming from the farthest location, and team finishing last. I’ve done this several times and it ain’t easy, but it’s fun!

An Awesome 4^th of July as advertised by The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., includes a backyard BBQ dinner, DG, swimming, putting course, and fireworks. Reservations required 239-472-3355.

Fireworks at dusk from the end of Bailey Road out over the bay. Best viewing on the causeway and bay side of the island.

The Future of Southwest Florida International Airport

Southwest Florida International Airport, aka RSW, is one of the newest airports in the nation, with a terminal less than 15 years old. Even so, with 9 to 10 million travelers a year passing through the airport, lines often are backed up “in season”. With more and more people moving to SW Florida, plans are in the works to stay ahead of the growth with a $200M renovation in the works.

In the local news this week, it was reported that getting through TSA (Transportation Security Administration) will be faster as part of this airport expansion with a new plan to make checkpoints more efficient. Even with RSW’s unique design of three separate security checkpoints determined by airline, there are reports of it taking more than an hour to get through security in the throes of season. Lee County Port Authority already had announced a $1.7 million plan to cut back on these wait times. The plan creates up to two additional security lines per concourse. These changes are expected to be completed by October/November and will allow passengers to board faster.

Plans to expand RSW are more than halfway complete, with renderings including a new gate, amenities, and consolidating concourses. The most significant change planned is an 18-line centralized security checkpoint, which will be usable by 2023. According to a Wink News article published Tuesday, airport leaders are looking even farther ahead of this project with their long-range plan including space for a second runway.

Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs Budget With Real Estate Priorities

On Tuesday, posted by FloridaRealtors® on-line:

“TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the 2019 state budget late last week, and while he used his line-item veto power to remove some budget items, a number of items that impact real estate made it through the process.

“$682 million for environmental projects – A massive bill to help the environment includes $400 million for Everglades restoration, $100 million for springs restoration, $50 million for beach restoration projects, $25 million to combat blue-green algae and red tide, and $25 million for a septic-to-sewer cost-share program.

“$200 million-plus for affordable housing projects – Lawmakers allocated money from the state and local government housing trust funds for affordable housing programs, with more than half the money ($115 million) destined to assist Panhandle residents whose properties were devastated by Hurricane Michael.

“$15 million to continue LIDAR mapping – The Division of Emergency Management may continue spending the

$15 million currently being used for LIDAR (light detection and ranging) mapping. LIDAR is a next-generation mapping technique and has the potential to lower flood insurance rates throughout Florida.

“$500,000 to prevent unlicensed real estate activity – The Legislature allocated money from the Professional Regulation Trust Fund to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) for its ongoing effort to combat unlicensed real estate activity.”

Gov. DeSantis Announces Plan to Crack Down on Environmental Crimes

There was more good “water” news on Tuesday when, during a visit to Stuart, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a new plan to crack down on Florida’s environmental crimes. During a news conference at the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, he signed a bill that creates a Division of Law Enforcement within Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) which allows the DEP to conduct criminal investigations into environmental crimes. Officials said the DEP’s Division of Law Enforcement will be made up of sworn officers. Since taking office in January, Gov. DeSantis has made Florida’s environment a top priority.

Construction Progress at BIG ARTS

If you have attended an event or taken a class at BIG ARTS, you will appreciate how quickly their new building is progressing. The former buildings were demolished in early April, right after their annual Spring Concerts. Click on the blue link below for a 4-minute walk through the construction site with Architect Amy Nowacki.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SrTXWQXSyA

(Amy is a busy multi-talented gal, also singing for many years in the BIG ARTS Community Chorus. She also is the architect for the renovations underway at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum, scheduled to reopen mid-July.)

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity June 21-28, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

No new listings

4 price changes: Seashells #36 2/2 now $375K, Mariner Pointe #642 2/2 now $593K, Sanctuary Golf Villages I #5-1 2/2.5 now $773.9K, White Pelican #114 2/2 now $895K.

4 new sales: Tennisplace #D31 1/1 listed at $235K; Sanibel Moorings #1622 2/2 listed at $499K; Surfside12 #A3 3/2 listed at $749,999; White Pelican #133 3/3 listed at $1.595M.

3 closed sales: Mariner Pointe #122 1/1 $347.5K (our buyer), Tarpon Beach #304 2/2 $987.5K, Compass Point #183 2/2 $1.15M.

HOMES

2 new listings: 6496 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 3/3.5 $899K, 1285 Par View Dr 4/2.5 $919K.

11 price changes: 785 Rabbit Rd 3/2 half-duplex now $379K, 1550 Centre Ct 3/2 now $599K, 1418 Sanderling Cir 3/3 now $649.9K, 9446 Beverly Ln 3/3.5 now $674K, 9401 Beverly Ln 3/3 now $719K, 1559 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 now $754K, 1350 Middle Gulf Dr, #1F 3/3 half-duplex now $779K, 731 Durion Ct 3/2 now $785K, 335 Cowry Ct 4/3.5 now $799.9K, 0 Dinkins Lake Rd 3/3.5 now $969.5K, 4080 West Gulf Dr 3/2 now $995K.

5 new sales: 993 Fish Crow Rd 3/3 listed at $684.9K, 3284 Twin Lakes Ln 4/4 listed at $785K, 947 Cabbage Palm Ct 3/3.5 listed at $995K, 1349 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 listed at $999K, 1351 Middle Gulf Dr, #2C 3/3 listed at $1.495M (our listing).

6 closed sales: 745 Martha’s Ln 3/2 $462.5K, 1427 Sandpiper Cir 2/2 half-duplex $460K, 458 Cas Ybel Rd 3/2.5 $655K, 702 Durion Ct 3/2 $754K, 2984 Wulfert Rd 3/4 $1.09M, 1561 San Carlos Bay Dr 3/4 $1.8822M.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

1 price change: Sunset Beach Villas #2216 1/1 now $519.9K.

1 new sale: with contingencies: Tennis Villas #3230 2/2 listed at $469K.

1 closed sale: Bayside Villas #4124 1/2 $387.5K.

HOMES

1 new listing: 16525 Captiva Dr 3/4 $1.65M.

No price changes.

2 new sales: 16801 Captiva Dr 3/3.5 listed at $2.095M, 17030 Captiva Dr 6/7.5 listed at $6,999,990.

1 closed sale: 16798/802 Captiva Dr 4/4 $5.65M.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

This representation is based in part on data supplied by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service. Neither the association nor its MLS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. The information provided represents the general real estate activity in the community and does not imply that SanibelSusan Realty Associates is participating or participated in these transactions.

Best wishes for a fun safe 4^th of July holiday,

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Longest Day of 2019 on Sunny Sanibel & Captiva Islands

Posted on June 21, 2019 by SanibelSusan

It may be the longest day of the year, with plenty of sunshine on Sanibel today, but the island sure has thinned out. Looks like the last of the snowbirds have headed off to other summer locations. Too bad. The water is looking fantastic as evidenced by the below photos taken yesterday afternoon near the end of Dixie Beach Blvd overlooking Pine Island Sound and San Carlos Bay. The water was so pretty I couldn’t decide which photo to post.

Island weather this week has included partly cloudy days with on and off showers. It sure didn’t take long for the dry island vegetation to perk up. Before long, it will be “mow your lawn twice a week time”. But, before that happens, the forecasters say we are in for a hot dry weekend. Florida summer weather = continually changing.

Lee County Mosquito Control already is back to work, tracking when it rains, and keeping us skeeter-free, while the island is gearing up for the July 4^th holiday with plenty annual celebratory events in the works. More details on the parade, scavenger hunt, and fireworks next week.

SanibelSusan Realty Happenings

This was an off week for the islands’ Thursday morning Realtor® Caravan meeting. Instead teammate Dave accompanied a home inspection, while teammate Elise got her report ready with the Multiple Listing Service action since last Friday. Dave held several Open Houses again this week too. Attendance at those has slacked off, as have sales. There was just one new sale on Sanibel this week, none on Captiva.

The “Island Sun” gave me some good press with the following article on page 28 of today’s paper.

“Broker Makes Commitment to Excellence

“Susan Andrews, RSPS, SCIS, TRC, Eco-Broker, and Broker/Owner of SanibelSusan Realty Associates, Sanibel, FL, has earned the Commitment to Excellence from the National Association of Realtors®. This endorsement goes to Realtors® who have demonstrated knowledge and competency in 10 core areas of real estate practice.

Client service
Professional reputation
Real estate law
Realtor® Code of Ethics
Equal service to all (Article 10 of the Code)
Advocacy of real property ownership
Trust and integrity
Use of technology
Data privacy
Areas of practice

“Launched in November 2018, this innovative program sets the standard for what it means to be a professional in the real estate brokerage business.

“The C2EX endorsement is available only to Realtors®. It is earned through a self-directed program that enables real estate professionals to assess and build on their competency in each of the core areas. As a broker-owner, in addition to demonstrating competency in all 10 areas, Susan Andrews was required to show a commitment to creating and maintaining an environment that promotes excellent customer service consistent with these standards.

““Earning the Commitment to Excellence endorsement is a true accomplishment and an affirmation to consumers that you stand for ethics and professionalism in your work,” says 2019 NAR President John Smaby. “Advances in technology and online user experience are making our business more and more seamless, and that’s fantastic,” Smaby says, “But with new technology can come vulnerabilities. A C2EX endorsement offers consumers the ease of mind that they have a skilled adviser, committed to conducting business at the highest standards, helping them through what may be the largest purchase or sale in their life.”

“The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing over 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

“This is Susan’s 30th year as a Realtor®, first in Virginia and on Sanibel for 27 years. At the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®, she has served as their President and received recognition as their Realtor of the Year, “Top Gun”, Community Service Award, and she is a 26-year member of their Honor Society. At the state level, as a member of their leadership team since 1998, she also is a 20-year member of the Florida Realtors® Honor Society. At the national level, Susan is the first island Realtor® inducted into the NAR Hall of Fame. Now, she also is first to earn the C2EX Endorsement.”

Shell Market (Bourse) This Weekend

This weekend during the Conchologists of America 48^th Annual Convention at South Seas Plantation, is an event known as the largest shell market, “The Bourse”. With free admission and parking, it will feature about 30 vendors selling marine-related items and shells from all over the world. The word “bourse” dates back to the 1500’s in France and means “an exchange”. The Bourse will be open from Saturday June 22 from 1 to 8 p.m. and Sunday June 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the South Seas Island Resort Convention Center, next to Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grill, on Captiva. Several island Shell Club pals are volunteering at the event.

Sanibel’s Five-Star Library

Did you know that in 2018, Sanibel Public Library was given the five-star designation? One of just 257 libraries in the nation, Sanibel Library is the only Five-Star in Florida, and one of only three in Florida who have earned Star designation. This is an objective ranking bases on overall circulation, circulation of electronic materials, library visits, program attendance and public internet computer use. With more than 140,000 visits per year and usage rates that consistently rank it at or near the top of all libraries in the state of Florida, locals and visitors alike treasure the Library as a vital community asset.

Library Hours in the summer are:

9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays & Thursdays
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Fridays
Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Here are some fun summer events and programs for children and youth:

These are all on Tuesdays in June & July at 3 p.m.

June 25 – Showtime for Kids – All family & kid show with comedy, magic audience participation, & balloon sculpting.
July 2 – Tampa Bay Bats – Educational presentation & chance to see live bats.
July 9 – Stories & Slime – Stories & slime-making (for school-aged children)
July 16 – Sculpture Craft with the Kellys – Styrofoam sculpture crafting (for elementary school-aged children)
July 23 – World of Reptiles with John Storms – With real reptiles, big & small.

Movie Matinee Mondays at 1 p.m. – June 24, July 1, 8, 15, & 22.

Wednesday Family Storytime at 11 a.m. – June 26, July 3, 10, 17, & 24.

Wednesday VIP After-Hours for Teens at 6 p.m. – June 26, July 3, 10, 17, & 24.

Why Aren’t Boomers Downsizing Their Homes?

This article was posted on-line Monday at FloridaRealtors®:

“NEWARK, N.J. – June 17, 2019 – It’s always been a sort of final chapter of the American dream: Get married and have kids. Buy a house. Move to a bigger house. Downsize to a smaller one. But a growing number of aging baby boomers are saying, “No, thanks” to downsizing, choosing instead to remain in the same sprawling houses in which they raised kids and created lifelong memories. “We’re just not seeing that much downsizing,” says Alexandra Lee, a housing data analyst at Trulia, a real estate research firm.

“While many older Americans are still stepping down to smaller homes, they’re doing so later in life. The trend is contributing to a housing supply shortage across much of the country. A more modest home typically means less upkeep and a potential financial windfall as a big chunk of the proceeds from the sale of the larger property can help bolster retirement nest eggs. Boomers, however, are defying the traditional bounds of advancing age just as they rebelled against the establishment in the 1960s and work- and family-centered values in the 1970s in favor of self-fulfillment. “They have refused to follow what the traditional expectations were,” says Barbara Risman, a sociology professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“There are other forces at work. Boomers, generally those age 54 to 73, are working longer and putting off retirement. Many of their millennial children are living with them well into adulthood. And there’s a dire shortage of less expensive, entry-level houses across the country, pushing up prices in that category and making the trade-off less appealing.

“Fifty-two percent of boomers say they’ll never move from their current home, according to a Chase bank survey of 753 boomer homeowners released earlier this year. Chase doesn’t have comparable data from an earlier period. An Ipsos/USA TODAY poll of 45- to 65-year-olds in 2017 found 43% anticipated remaining in their current residence through their retirement, possibly indicating the share of non-downsizers is rising.

“Many boomers are staying in their longtime homes and communities because they’re deferring retirement. About 20% of Americans 65 and older are working or looking for jobs, up from 12.1% in 1996, Labor Department figures show. Older people are staying in the workforce because they’re healthier and will need bigger nest eggs to finance longer retirements, according to Jennifer Schramm, senior strategic policy adviser for the AARP Public policy Institute. Also, many older workers’ retirement savings were hammered a decade ago, she says….

“The tendency to age in place is also rooted in boomers’ better health and desire to stay active.”Baby boomers don’t want to become old in a way that has negative connotations,” Risman says. “Remaining in one’s old house is part of remaining in the prime of one’s life longer.”

“Even when they retire, boomers are staying engaged through volunteer work and other activities, says Phyllis Moen, a sociologist at the University of Minnesota. “They are in the space opening up for the first time in history between the career-and family-building years and the frailties associated with old age,” Moen says. Boomers’ penchant to stay in their long-time homes is likely playing a role in low housing supplies, says Danielle Hale, chief economist of realtor.com. The crunch has improved since last year, but housing stocks are still well below normal levels.

“To be sure, many aging Americans are moving to traditional retirement havens like Florida and Arizona. But even among those who plan to move, 43% want their next home to be the same size as their current one, and 22% want it to be larger, according to a January survey of 50- and 60-year-olds by Del Webb, which builds communities for age 55-plus Americans.

“Trulia analysts believe older Americans are simply deferring downsizing. Both in 2005 and 2016, 5.5% of households 65 and over moved, with that share evenly split between those moving to single-family and multifamily homes, according to a Trulia analysis of Census Bureau data. But in 2016, the youngest age at which seniors moving to multifamily homes began to outnumber those moving to single-family houses was older (late 70s) than it was in 2005 (early 70s)….

Other reasons many boomers are staying where they are:

Millennial kids in the house – Millennials have lived with their boomer parents longer than prior generations as those graduating college between 2008 and 2010, in particular, struggled to launch their careers. In 2016, 16.1% of senior households had younger generations living with them, up from 14.4% in 2005, according to Trulia and Census figures.
Starter home crunch – The housing supply shortage is especially curtailing the inventory of the kind of smaller, less expensive homes that boomers may target, Hale says. That makes it harder to find a compact house and pushes up its price, reducing the net profits of any downsizing. From 2012 to February 2019, the bottom third of homes with the lowest prices appreciated an average 8.03% a year, versus 6.39% for mid-level homes and 5.01% for the most expensive units, according to a Trulia analysis.
Many upgrading, not selling – Many boomers put off renovations during and after the housing crash because they couldn’t take out home equity loans as prices plunged, says Amy Bonitatibus, chief marketing officer for Chase Home Lending. Now that home prices have more than recovered from a skid in prices, the Chase survey showed nearly nine in 10 boomers are looking to make improvements. As a result, many boomers are focused on upgrades rather than downsizing.
Many boomers have finally paid off their mortgages and don’t want to start making house payments again.”

Don’t Feed Algae

Did you know Sanibel fertilizer ordinances to protect waterways, they include a blackout period from July 1 to September 30. During that time:

Fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorus CANNOT be applied.
Fertilizers cannot be applied within 25’ of a body of water.
Fertilizers cannot be applied to impervious surfaces such as roads, driveways, and sidewalks.
Fertilizers cannot be applied to storm-water conveyance systems.

Lenders Must Accept Private Flood Insurance Policies After July 1

Posted on-line Tuesday on FloridaRealtors®:

“WASHINGTON – June 18, 2019 – The threat to home closings during a National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) shutdown may be muted or nonexistent should Congress fail to extend the program in the future. After July 1, a federal law forces mortgage lenders to accept private coverage if it satisfies criteria outlined in the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012.

“In February, five federal regulatory agencies – the FDIC, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, National Credit Union Administration and Farm Credit Administration – issued a joint final rule to implement provisions of the Act, which outlines the new private flood insurance mandate and the steps insurance companies and mortgage lenders must follow.

“The rule, which takes effect July 1, 2019:

Implements the Biggert-Waters Act requirement that regulated lending institutions accept private flood insurance policies that satisfy criteria specified in the Act
Allows institutions to rely on an insurer’s written assurances in a private flood insurance policy stating the criteria are met
Clarifies that institutions may, under certain conditions, accept private flood insurance policies that do not meet the Biggert-Waters Act criteria
Allows institutions to accept certain flood coverage plans provided by mutual aid societies, subject to agency approval

“Private flood insurance could be offered as a stand-alone policy or as an endorsement attached to a full property insurance policy. Lenders won’t have to verify that a flood policy or endorsement is acceptable, providing it includes the following endorsement: “This policy meets the definition of private flood insurance contained in 42 U.S.C. 4012a(b)(7) and the corresponding regulation.”

“However, the law also allows a lender to do its own due diligence if it prefers not to rely on the statement.

A full copy of the 90-page order is posted on the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of the Comptroller of the Currency website.”

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity June 14-21, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

No new listings

1 price change: Compass Point #221 2/2 now $699,999.

No new sales.

2 closed sales: Spanish Cay #F7 1/1 $249K, Sundial #G405 1/1 $375K.

HOMES

2 new listings: 1159 Golden Olive Ct 3/2 $1.59M, 852 Lindgren Blvd 3/3 $1.595M.

7 price changes: 1731 Serenity Ln 4/3 now $639K, 823 Birdie View Pt 4/3 now $824K, 760 Cardium St 3/2 now $839.5K, 5659 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 2/2 now $875K, 1345 Tahiti Dr 3/2.5 now $1.15M, 1730 Jewel Box Dr 4/3 now $1.499M, 815 Limpet Dr 3/3 now $1.599M.

1 new sale: 705 Rabbit Rd 3/3 listed at $569,555.

5 closed sales: 3350 Barra Cir 3/2 $620K, 406 Lighthouse Way 3/3.5 $630K, 728 Windlass Way 3/2 $845K, 434 Lake Murex Cir 4/3 $850K, 3850 Coquina Dr 3/3 $980K.

LOTS

1 new listing: 1048 Fish Crow Rd $414.9K.

1 price change: 0 Bunting Ln now $219,555.

No new sales closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

2 price changes: Tennis Villas #3217 1/1 now $320K, Lands End Village #1608 3/3 now $2.385M.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: Marina Villas #901 2/2 $750K.

HOMES

No new listings.

2 price changes: 16801 Captiva Dr 3/3.5 now $2.095M, 16596 Captiva Dr 6/8.5 now $6.499M.

No new sales or closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

Here’s hoping that you enjoy your longest day of 2019 & say cool!

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

There’s Still Time to Buy Dad a Piece of Paradise on Sanibel & Captiva Islands

Posted on June 14, 2019 by SanibelSusan

It’s time for another Friday update from SanibelSusan. The summer rainy season is here now with clouds rolling in almost daily, sometimes from the mainland and occasionally from the gulf. Miami pals reported some heavy rain there off-&-on all week, sometimes with accumulation, while here it has been just an occasional shower – not enough, that sprinklers are off for the summer, but close.

The forecast calls for scattered showers until Wednesday when a full day of sunshine is expected. It could be a little wet for Fathers Day on Sunday, but even so, a rainy day on Sanibel is better than any day elsewhere (or so says, SanibelSusan).

Though the rain has begun, gulf and bay waters remain a brilliant blue. The below photo, I took just a couple of hours ago in front of West Wind Inn. The gulf sand is a little stirred up from the recent rain, but the water is the color we love!

This week, WinkNews posted the below aerial photos of the lighthouse end of the island, comparing this year to last. What a difference a year makes!

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors

Our meeting yesterday at the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® was well attended, but with a couple of brokers noticeably absent – summer family vacations have begun. During the 9 a.m. Caravan that followed, only four new listings were open for viewing, including our new one at 1558 Sand Castle Rd in The Dunes (shown below). Dave held that open into the early afternoon with many Realtors® and several interested neighbors visiting.

SanibelSusan Realty Associates

Here at SanibelSusan Realty, we had another closing today, several listings had showings, two went under contract, and we have been tracking action items for upcoming closings – all-in-all a little more activity than typical for this time of the year. Comparing notes with Barrier Island Title, they report the same. We are thankful that our sales continue and look forward to a few more in the upcoming weeks.

The activity posted this week in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows some news below. Again, it was a week with no sales on Captiva, while Sanibel had seven condo sales (two SanibelSusan listings) and six home sales.

World Sea Turtle Day Kicks Off with a Free Guided Beach Walk

In this week’s News by the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society:

“Refuge celebrates World Sea Turtle Day on June 17. Take a free guided beach walk, watch a free film, and take advantage of free upcycled sea turtle crafts, Refuge Nature Store specials, and hand-outs on World Sea Turtle Day at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, on Monday, June 17, 2019. Free sea turtle lessons and a showing of the 90-minute film Turtle: The Incredible Journey take place throughout the day at the refuge Visitor & Education Center. The morning’s ranger-led beach walk and clean-up departs from the refuge’s Perry Tract, accessible from Gulfside City Park. The first 20 to show up for the beach walk receive a free gift and a 10% discount coupon for sea turtle items in the Refuge Nature Store.

““My interns and I decided to celebrate the day by drawing attention and educating people about the plight of threatened sea turtles in our oceans,” said refuge conservation educator Sara Hallas, whose team is organizing the event. Below is the full schedule for turtle-friendly and free fun throughout the day:

9-10 a.m. – Free Beach Walk & Cleanup at Perry Tract (parking fees apply at Gulfside City Park)
11-11:30 a.m. – Free Sea Turtle Lesson in the Visitor & Education Center Classroom
12 noon – 1:30 p.m. – Free showing of the film Turtle: The Incredible Journey
12 noon – 2 p.m. – Ongoing free Make-&-Take Sea Turtle Crafts in the Visitor & Education Center Classroom
2:30 p.m. – Free Sea Turtle Lesson in the Visitor & Education Center Classroom

“For more information about World Sea Turtle Day at the refuge, call 239-472-1100 ext. 236 or visit http://dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/event “

Governor’s Task Force Tackles Toxic Algae

Posted yesterday on-line at FloridaRealtors®:

“TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – June 13, 2019 – Reducing harmful nutrients in state waters, through moves such as more monitoring and staffing, is an expected short-term goal of a new task force set up by Gov. Ron DeSantis to look at toxic algae fouling Florida waterways.

“But with a brief timeline for the five-member Blue Green Algae Task Force to reach its initial findings, don’t expect proposals for massive state rule changes related to farming practices or moving away from septic systems.

“Task force member Michael Parsons, a professor of marine science at Florida Gulf Coast University and director of the Coastal Watershed Institute and Vester Field Station, said rather than replace regulations, as some environmental groups contend is needed, a more realistic approach would focus on “fine-tuning” existing rules. “In any field, if you make the rules too strong, too stringent, too unfair, they won’t be followed,” Parsons said. “I think there is a compromise between allowing people the flexibility to work within certain frameworks as well as getting the needed results or the intended results within that framework. You can’t force people to do things, but on the other hand, we do have goals we need to meet, so there has to be a compromise between the two.”

“The task force, which held its first meeting Wednesday in Tallahassee, was created in January through an executive order by DeSantis in response to outbreaks of toxic algae and red tide across the state last year. The problems particularly drew attention in Southeast and Southwest Florida, as algae plagued water bodies such as the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers and red tide caused fish kills.

“The panel Wednesday mostly received an overview about state roles in addressing algal issues, the regulatory structures for water quality and wastewater and agricultural best-management practices involving nutrients such as fertilizers.

“Audubon Florida Executive Director Julie Wraithmell said environmentalists are expecting action from the task force, which will meet every three to four weeks through August. “The causes of our blue-green algae problems are well understood,” Wraithmell said. “At this point, we need folks who are going to scour the science, look at our regulatory structure, and draft a bold prescription for how to get us out of the problems we are facing right now.”

“St. Johns Riverkeeper Lisa Rinaman cautioned that an unintended result of prioritizing one part of the state is that others may lag in protection. “We can’t buy our way out of Florida’s algae crisis,” Rinaman said. “We need to not only have projects but enhanced regulatory protections and education.”

“The focus of the task force is Lake Okeechobee and waters on both sides of the lake, but the state is also looking at possible algae impacts as far north as the St. Johns River.

“Florida Land Counsel Executive Director Ernie Barnett said it’s important to treat water before it reaches Lake Okeechobee.

“Thomas Frazer, Florida’s chief science officer, said the state is already doing a lot, but more could be done.

“If we need to do more monitoring, for example to evaluate the effectiveness of various projects, we should probably be doing that,” Frazer said. “If we need to look at a regulation and change that regulation so there is more oversight, people are more accountable, that’s on the table as well.” Frazer added he’s “optimistic that what we come up with here is not going to sit on a shelf. … We have an executive order with a charge that says we’re here to make a difference and we’re going to use this committee to identify areas where we can insert science to make better decisions with how we allocate our resources,” Frazer said.

“Among the longer-term goals could be figuring out how to move residents from septic tanks to sewer systems, which has always been a matter of cost. The Florida Department of Health oversees septic-tank issues.

Task Force member James Sullivan, executive director of Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, said the Department of Environmental Protection should have oversight because of the impact of nutrients released by septic systems. Florida has 12.6 million septic tanks, accounting for 12% of the systems in the nation.

“The inaugural meeting came after conservation groups Tuesday sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior over the handling of releases from Lake Okeechobee that contain toxic algae. Discharges go into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers and their estuaries.

“Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein said he hopes to see a list of proposals from the task force that could range from process improvements within current rules to changes in department rules or even statutory changes. “Let’s get used to every few years asking ourselves again, ‘Don’t get comfortable with the status quo,'” Valenstein said. Valenstein expects to see additional water monitoring and field staffing to review data, as part of $680 million for environmental work that is in the proposed 2019-2020 state budget (SB 2500). DeSantis is expected to act on the budget next week.

“The proposed budget includes $4 million to expand “statewide water quality analytics for the nutrient over-enrichment analytics assessment and water quality public information portal.”

“Source: News Service of Florida, Jim Turner. News Service Assignment Manager Tom Urban contributed to this report.”

Is Sea Rise Wrecking Coastal Home Values? The Answer: Maybe

Growing up on the water in southern Maine, not far from Salisbury, Massachusetts, it is interesting to read the below Associated Press article by Philip Marcelo, from May 14, 2019:

“SALISBURY, Mass. (AP) — For sale: waterfront property with sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean. Waves erode beach regularly. Flooding gets worse every year. Saltwater damage to lawn.

“Asking price: anyone’s guess.

“Some research suggests rising sea levels and flooding brought by global warming are harming coastal property values. But other climate scientists note shortcomings in the studies, and real estate experts say they simply haven’t seen any ebb in demand for coastal homes.

“So how much homeowners and communities should worry — and how much they should invest in remedies — remains an open question….

“A drop in home values could shatter a community like Salisbury, which relies almost exclusively on beachfront real estate taxes to fund schools, police and other basic services, researchers warn. And, they say, families could face financial ruin if they’ve been banking on their home’s value to help foot the bill for pricey college tuitions or even retirement.

““People are looking at losing tens of thousands of dollars of relative value on their homes,” said Jeremy Porter, a data scientist for the First Street Foundation, which describes itself as a “not-for-profit organization of digitally-driven advocates for sea level rise solutions” on its Facebook page. “Not everyone can sustain that.”

“Still, home prices in coastal cities have been rising faster than those of their landlocked counterparts since 2010, according to data provided by the National Association of Realtors.

“And waterfront homes are still generally more expensive than their peers just one block inland, said Lawrence Yun, the association’s chief economist. “The price differential is still there,” he said. “Consumers are clearly mindful that these climate change impacts could be within the window of a 30-year mortgage, but their current behavior still implies that to have a view of the ocean is more desirable.”

“A nationwide study by the First Street Foundation suggests climate change concerns have caused nearly $16 billion in lost appreciation of property values along the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast since 2005. The study singles out Salisbury as the hardest-hit community in Massachusetts….

“In another recent study, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder’s School of Business found coastal properties most exposed to sea level rise sold, on average, for 7% less than equivalent properties the same distance from shore but not as threatened by the sea.

“And in Florida’s Miami-Dade County, higher-elevation properties are appreciating faster than lower ones as companies and deep-pocketed buyers increasingly consider climate change risks, a study in the publication Environmental Research Letters found last year….”

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity June 7-14, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

3 new listings: Blind Pass #B111 2/2 $475K, Pointe Santo #C45 3/2.5 $1.2M, Somerset #101 3/2.5 $1.875M.

1 price change: Mariner Pointe #642 2/2 now $595K.

7 new sales: Tennisplace #D22 1/1 listed at $235K, Captains Walk #F4 2/2 listed at $349K (our listing), Seashells #31 2/2 listed at $439K, Signal Inn #4 1/1 listed at $499.9K (our listing), Loggerhead Cay #562 2/2 listed at $595K, Pointe Santo B2 2/2 listed at $699K, Pine Cove #C 2/2 listed at $1.049M.

2 closed sales: Sundial #C410 1/1 $470K, Sundial #J204 2/2 $732,509.

HOMES

1 new listing: 6065 Dinkins Lake Rd 3/2 $564.5K.

10 price changes: 1585 Bunting Ln 3/2 now $579K; 610 Hideaway Ct 3/2.5 now $619K; 1550 Centre St 3/2 now $625K; 1973 Wild Lime Dr 4/3 now $629.9K; 513 Rabbit Rd 3/2 now $648K; 1586 Century Ct 3/2.5 now $675K; 993 Fish Crow Rd 3/3 now $684.9K; 1223 Par View Dr 3/2 now $799,999; 599 Lake Murex Cir 3/3.5 now $1.324M; 5250 Caloosa End Ln 3/2.5 now $1.45M.

6 new sales: 681 Rabbit Rd 3/2.5 listed at $599K, 247 Christofer Ct 3/2 listed at $799K, 4460 Waters Edge Ln 3/2 listed at $799K, 5240 Caloosa End Ln 3/3 listed at $850K, 510 Sea Oats Dr 3/2.5 listed at $969K, 955 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 listed at $985K.

4 closed sales: 974 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 half-duplex $485K, 984 Black Skimmer Way 3/2 $529.5K, 1217 par View Dr 3/3 $690K, 466 Sea Oats Dr 4/3.5 $950K.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

3 closed sales: 9441 Peaceful Dr $215K (our listing), 5321 Punta Caloosa Ct $336K, 5251 Punta Caloosa Ct $525K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

2 price changes: Tennis Villas #3220 1/1 now $349K, Bayside Villas #5136 1/2 now $394.5K.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings.

5 price changes: 11525 Wightman Ln 3/2 now $1.195M, 11501 Laika Ln 3/3 now $1.35M, 11547 Laika Ln 4/4 now $2.1M, 16221 Captiva Dr 5/6.5 now $4.45M, 17030 Captiva Dr 6/7.5 now $6.99999M.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: 16333 Captiva Dr 4/2/2 $1.825M.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

The SanibelSusan Team sends good Fathers Day wishes to all Dads!

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

June Happenings on Sanibel & Captiva Islands

Posted on June 7, 2019 by SanibelSusan

It’s another sunny Friday on Sanibel, following another week of fantastic weather until the first summer shower gave us a quick dousing this morning. Maybe the rainy season has begun. We don’t like using the “h” word, but that season has begun too (Jun 1 to Nov 30).

Meanwhile, the gulf and bay waters surrounding the islands are a brilliant blue and sparkling green. The color and clarity changes each summer when the rains stir up the sand and vegetation along the waterways, so it always pays to enjoy this view when you can.

With swimming pools already needing extra water and some grassy buffers along the bike paths looking like straw, rain is needed. The typical pattern for this time of the year is a quick daily shower or two. As the saying goes in Florida in the summer, “wait a minute and the weather will change.” Summer sunsets following a shower are the best.

SanibelSusan Realty Associates

Here at SanibelSusan Realty, we appreciated a nice closing on Monday and several of our listings continue to get good interest and showing activity. The action posted this week in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follow some news below.

There was no Association of Realtors® Caravan Meeting yesterday, but I had 15 Realtors® there attending my “Resort & 2^nd Home Market” class on Monday. It always is fun to share with colleagues. If we all do a better job, it helps everyone.

Attendees wearing their pop quiz prizes from 2019 Resort & 2nd Home class of the SCIS (Sanibel & Captiva Islands Specialist) designation. SanibelSusan instructing.

Summer Projects & Other Scoop

Il Cielo at 1244 Periwinkle Way –A sign says “closed for renovations, reopening in the fall”.

Malia Island Fusion Cuisine at 1100 Par View Drive in Beachview Estates, next to Sanibel Golf Club – Tried to celebrate our Monday closing there for lunch but found out that they have new summer hours. Open Mon-Thu from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. Open Fri & Sat from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Pointe Santo at 2445 West Gulf Dr – Will finish up their concrete-restoration building-exterior project late summer/early fall. Buildings A, B, D, and E are done with the work accomplished during the “off season” to least affect vacations and rentals. The spalling work in Building C is scheduled this year between Aug 11 and Oct 19.

View from Pointe Santo #C43. Make an offer now & seller agreeable to closing after summer restoration work is done.

Sanibel Delivery opened yesterday according to a recent article in the “Islander”. It’s an interesting concept. Sanibel Delivery will pick up and drop off take-out orders from restaurants, grocery and convenience store items, pet food and supplies, legal documents and run bank errands, pick up flowers, take packages to and from the post office or shipping stores, get ice, drinks, prescriptions. It also will stock a residence before an arrival or pick up items for donations. Sanibel Delivery services just Sanibel, not Captiva or west of Clam Bayou Ln/Pine Tree Dr. Operating Tues through Sun from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. To schedule a delivery, call or text 239-308-5353 or email david@sanibeldelivery.com.

Condo Q&A: Who’s Responsible for Water Damage?

Since a condo owner recently asked me this same question, it was timely to read the below article posted this week on-line at FloridaRealtors®. Maybe this is of interest to you too:

“By Steven J. Adamczyk

“June 3, 2019 – Question: A unit owner in our building suffered water damage in his unit due to a clog in his drain pipes. He is claiming that the association should pay for all of the repairs inside the unit. Coincidentally, this owner does not have insurance and the drains have otherwise been working fine. Is there any merit to the owner’s claim? – T.R, Deerfield Beach

“Answer: Any time there is water damage, the first question is whether the damage is the result of an insurable event. When there is an insurable event, the statute will dictate who is responsible for what damage. Likewise, if there is no insurable event, the declaration of condominium will dictate who is responsible for what damage.

Here, we will assume it was an insurable event. If so, the statute provides that the condominium association is responsible to repair and replace property insured by the condominium association. With this type of damage, it means the association will likely repair and replace drywall, but the statute then provides that the owner is responsible to repair and replace interior portions of the unit such as kitchen cabinets, floor coverings, paints, and personal property such as furniture within the unit.

“It is possible that the above delegation of responsibility can be shifted so that one party is responsible for everything. Under the statute, this can happen if one party is negligent or if they fail to follow a rule.

For example, if the association had been notified that the common element pipes had been malfunctioning for a long time and the association ignored the problem, it is possible the association would be responsible for everything, assuming the damage here was the result of that ignored common element problem. Likewise, if the rules prohibit shoving paper towels down a drain and the clog was due to these paper towels, the owner could be responsible for all damage.

“We often see these aggressive accusations when there is no insurance for the obvious reason that the owner knows the association has insurance. That being said, it is highly unlikely that you are responsible for all of the damage, and you should consult with your attorney and insurance carrier to determine the extent of your responsibilities.

“Editor’s note: Attorneys at Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross, PLLC, respond to questions about Florida community association law. The firm represents community associations throughout Florida and focuses on condominium and homeowner association law, real estate law, litigation, estate planning and business law.”

Captiva Testing Iguana Removal Program

This article came from today’s “Island Sun”: “A pilot program funded by the Captiva Community Panel (CCP) is addressing the iguana problem currently plaguing the island. “The (iguana) issue came up at one of our panel meetings, and it’s been a topic of conversation for a while,” said Dave Jensen, CCP board member. “People have been seeing iguanas on their properties, and they can do some damage.”

“According to Jensen, he called the City of Sanibel to investigate how the neighboring community addresses their invasive species issue. They city’s department of natural resources put him in touch with Alfredo Fermin of AAA Wildlife Trapping & Removal Services, a professional trapper based in Cape Coral.

“Iguanas are very aggressive… they have a nasty bite and their tails can hurt you, too,” said Fermin, who has more than 10 years of experience trapping wildlife. “They can tear up your garden, they burrow near seawalls which causes a lot of damage, and their poop is dangerous because they carry diseases….”

“Iguanas can grow up to six feet long, have no natural predators. One female may lay between 40 and 70 eggs at a time, and the species is a direct threat to burrowing owls.”

“One month ago, the CCP agreed to hire AAA Wildlife Trapping & Removal Services to come to Captiva, trap and remove nuisance iguanas. The pilot program requests that island residents give permission to Fermin to access their property and remove the iguanas.

“On his first visit to Captiva on May 7, Fermin visited 20 properties and removed 21 iguanas. Since then, he has returned to more than 50 properties and eliminated 56 iguanas.

“If you don’t know what you are doing, it can be nearly impossible to catch them,” said Fermin, who uses a noose bar to snare the iguanas. “It’s still too early to give an estimate on the number of iguanas there are on Captiva, but I’ll be out there every Tuesday until the funds run out.”

“Jensen added that if AAA Wildlife Trapping & Removal Services determines that there is an overpopulation of iguanas on Captiva, the CCP will request that Lee County assist with the funding of the removal program.

“To give permission for AAA Wildlife Trapping & Removal Service to access your island property, call Dave Jensen at 470-5389. For iguana-specific questions, contact Alfredo Fermin via email at AAAWildlife1@yahoo.com or by calling 440-7783.”

Families & Friends of The Sanibel School

The Sanibel School (Elementary & Middle) (A Florida School of Excellence & nationally rated Blue Ribbon school) currently is accepting students and approving off-island attendance waivers.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity May 31 – June 7, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

2 new listings: Tarpon Beach #305 2/2 $1.1M, Kings Crown #302 2/2 $1.6M.

9 price changes: Sundial #H210 1/1 now $379K; Blind Pass #E202 2/2 now $450K; Mariner Pointe #642 2/2 now $597K; Sandalfoot #3C1 2/2 now $674K; Surfside 12 #A3 3/2 now $749,999; Sandpiper Beach #303 2/2 now $759.9K; Shell Island Beach Club #7C 2/2 now $799K; Oceans Reach #3A1 2/2 now $899.5K, Island Beach Club #340E 2/2 now $1.231M.

4 new sales: Spanish Cay #B4 2/2 listed at $399K, Sundial #G405 1/1 listed at $419,555; Sundial #C310 1/1 listed at $459,750; Sundial #J204 2/2 listed at $793K.

5 closed sales: Sanibel Siesta #109 2/2 $510K, Cottage Colony West #112 1/1 $585K, Lighthouse Point #229 3/2 $650K, Loggerhead Cay #582 2/2 $680K, White Sands #25 2/2 $957K.

HOMES

2 new listings: 5307 Ladyfinger Lake Rd 3/2.5 $685K, 2739 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 $1.375M.

6 price changes: 430 Old Trail Rd 3/2.5 now $639K, 1550 Centre St 3/2 now $645K, 1244 Par View Dr 4/3 now $949K, 1743 Venus Dr 4/3.5 now $1.6399M, 1133 Golden Olive Ct 3/3.5 now $2.299M, 4709 Rue belle Mer 3/2 now $3.125M.

5 new sales: 9052 Mockingbird Ln 3/2 listed at $650K, 3050 West Gulf Dr 3/2.5 listed at $799.9K, 845 Birdie View Pt 3/3 listed at $1.169M, 2303 Troon Ct 3/3.5 listed at $1.189M, 2689 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 listed at $1.747M.

2 closed sales: 5869 Pine Tree Dr 3/2 $589K (our buyer), 3941 Coquina Dr 3/2 $800K.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings, price changes or new sales.

1 closed sale: Captiva Cove #C 5/4 $3.475M.

HOMES

1 new listing: 956 South Seas Plantation Rd 6/6 $5.5M.

1 price change: 41 Oster Ct 2/2.5 now $998,899.

2 new sales: 31 Urchin Ct 3/3 listed at $995K, 16825 Captiva Dr 3/2.5 listed at $2.695M.

No closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

Until next Friday, make it a great one! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Why It’s a Good Banana Week

Posted on May 31, 2019 by SanibelSusan

It’s Susan reporting another sunny Sanibel Friday following a busy Memorial Day weekend/week for The SanibelSusan Team. We got new listings, good activity with listings, and action items accomplished on upcoming closings too.

That’s the funny thing about this real estate business, once it seems too quiet, things can change with no logical explanation. Realtors® often say their work comes in bunches, like bananas. Let’s just say that it was a good banana week for SanibelSusan Realty.

I forgot last Friday to post the below photo taken by Kim at the West Wind Inn pool bar. Not-to-worry, it has looked exactly the same as this every day this week too – bright blue skies with sparkling clear gulf waters. Sometimes a few white puffy clouds come across from the mainland late in the day (if, as the locals say, they can afford the bridge toll). Soon they will bring rainy-season showers, but now it really is a wonderful time to be here with summer-like weather and very little traffic.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

At our Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® Caravan meeting yesterday, a $5+K check was presented to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s (SCCF) new CEO, Dr. Ryan Orgera. The Association raised this money during our recent annual end-of-season golf outing/auction. It will go toward SCCF’s water quality efforts. Additional raised funds raised at the same event are going to RPAC the Realtors® PAC that supports property issues like water quality, short-term rentals, flood insurance, and candidates that are pro-homeowner rights.

During the meeting announcements, I was happy to announce two new listings and two new sales. The activity posted this week in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

Monday morning, at the Association, I’ll be teaching the 2019 “Resort and 2^nd Home Property” class to Realtors® looking to earn or update a Sanibel & Captiva Islands Specialist designation. Since authoring that class in 2012, I’ve updated and taught it every summer. It’s always a good exercise to confirm that Florida remains the state with the highest number of vacation and 2^nd homes. (My home state of Maine remains the one that has the largest number compared to population.) The most popular vacation home destination is the BEACH.

The National Association of Realtors® periodically surveys investment and home buyers. Their latest survey shows that 72% of vacation property owners and 71% of investment property owners believe that now is a good time to buy. Here’s hoping that means more sales on the islands.

Is Vice President Pence Returning?

Yesterday, when Jim Anderson owner of JMA Photography stopped in to get a key for filming one of our new listings, he mentioned that he needs to get the drone aerials done quickly as the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has issued a notice that a “very important person is due to arrive on Sanibel on Friday for a five-day stay.”

Past similar announcements saying “VIP Movement Notification” were related to Vice President Mike Pence visiting. The Pences have vacationed on Sanibel for years, often staying at their friends’ home here (which SanibelSusan sold to them).

The Pence’s last island visit was just a short stay, March 1-3 when he flew into SW Florida International Airport on Air Force Two and his security detail came across the causeway late evening. He also returned to the area in late March to deliver a speech on religious freedom at Ava Maria University. Last year, the Pences were here for a week, spending Easter on the island.

Sea Turtle Nests Up This Year

Worried about fall-out from the water woes last summer, it was great news to read today in the “Island Sun” that the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) reports that sea turtle nest counts are up significantly from last year. Peak nesting for loggerheads typically occurs in mid to late June, so numbers are expected to grow too.

As of May 27, on Sanibel’s east end, there are 24 loggerhead nests, compared to 19 last year at this time. On Sanibel’s west end, there are 89 loggerhead nests and 2 green nests, compared to 59 loggerheads & no greens last year, same time. On Captiva there are 36 loggerhead nests compared to 22 in 2018. Hooray for the turtles. You can follow the nests at http://sccf.org/our-work/sea-turtles.

FREE Fishing Weekend

The Florida Fish & Wildlife conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a license-free saltwater fishing weekend tomorrow and Sunday, June 1 and 2, and a license-free freshwater fishing weekend next weekend on Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8. During these weekends a fishing license is not required for Florida residents or visitors. These free fishing weekends are part of the eight license-free fishing days FWC offers each year. All bag limits, closed areas and size restrictions still apply. More info about licenses at www.myFWC.com/license and fishing tips at www.myFWC.com/fishing.

What’s a Homeowners’ Association To Do With Surplus Funds?

Here are the question and answer response posted on Florida Realtors® news this week:

“Question: I live in a homeowner’s association, and I have two questions regarding issues that are of concern to me. First, what is the board supposed to do when there is a surplus of funds at the end of the fiscal year and second, do I have a right to request a copy of the association’s receivable report from the association, as there has been a large amount written off as bad debts? – E.K., Port St. Lucie

“Answer: Regarding your first question, the board of directors has a few options when actual expenses are less than anticipated at the end of the fiscal year. One option is for the board to carry over the surplus to the next fiscal year. Another option is to refund the surplus to the members. This option usually is not recommended.

A third option is for the board to vote to transfer the surplus of funds to a contingency reserve or other board-made reserve account. This is to be distinguished from reserve accounts subject to Section 720.303, Florida Statues, which were either established by a vote of the members or initially by the developer of your community.

In regard to your second question on the right to view the association accounts receivable report, you have a right to inspect this report pursuant to Section 720.303(4)(j), Florida Statutes.

“The association has a duty to maintain accounting records for seven years. You should verify whether the association has adopted a process for how to request an inspection and copying of the official records of the association and follow the adopted procedure.

“Harris B. Katz, Esq., is managing partner, Boca Raton of the law firm Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross, PLLC. The information provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The publication of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader and Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross or any of our attorneys. Readers should not act or refrain from acting based upon the information contained in this article without first contacting an attorney, if you have questions about any of the issues raised herein. The hiring of an attorney is a decision that should not be based solely on advertisements or this column. Editor’s note: Attorneys at Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross, respond to questions about Florida community association law. The firm represents community associations throughout Florida and focuses on condominium and homeowner association law, real estate law, civil litigation, estate planning and commercial transactions.

Florida Tax Holiday on Hurricane Supplies Begins Today

As posted this week on-line at Florida Realtors®:

“TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – May 29, 2019 – A little nudging for storm prep shouldn’t be necessary after Matthew battered Florida’s east coast in 2016, Irma essentially drenched the entire state in 2017, and Michael ground up a chunk of the Panhandle last year.

“Still, Floridians will have seven days to build a hurricane-season stockpile – including batteries, flashlights and radios – free of sales taxes, beginning Friday. “You’ll have the opportunity to get pretty much whatever you need. It is very important to do so,” says James Miller, the Florida Retail Federation’s external affairs director. “Make sure you have your disaster preparedness and emergency kits ready to go, because we ultimately will have a storm at some point.”

“The discount is part of a tax-relief package (HB 7123) that lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved earlier this month. The week-long sales tax holiday is expected to save shoppers $800,000, nearly one-tenth of the total tax-package savings projected for the fiscal year beginning July 1, according to state economists.

The discounted items will likely coincide with hurricane-season enticements from businesses, such as Lowes, Home Depot and Harbor Freight, that are already highlighting the arrival of the six-month 2019 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which begins Saturday. “During that time, obviously all of the stores will be stocked in preparation for the holiday and in preparation hopefully for no upcoming storms,” Miller said.

“The discounted supplies are just part of what Floridians need to be prepared for any disaster, says Mark Wool, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. “You need to be able to be self-sufficient, without the aid of anyone else, including EMS (emergency medical services), for three to five days,” Wool said. “We need a gallon of water per person and pet per day, non-perishable foods, flashlights, battery-powered radios, batteries for your flashlight, prescriptions, and make sure your gas tank is full.”

“Jim Zingale, executive director of the Florida Department of Revenue, encouraged all Floridians to exploit the “holiday.” “While living in and visiting Florida offers many benefits and advantages, it is important to keep the potential for severe weather hazards and threats in mind,” Zingale says.

“Items eligible for the May 31-June 6 tax break

Reusable ice that costs $10 or less
Self-powered light sources, $20 or less
Gas or diesel fuel tanks, $25 or less
Nonelectric food storage coolers, $30 or less
Packs of AA-cell, AAA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt or 9-volt batteries, $30 or less
Self-powered radios, two-way radios or weather-band radios, $50 or less
Tarpaulins or other flexible waterproof sheeting, $50 or less
Tie-down kits, $50 or less
Portable generators, $750 or less
The rental or repair of items doesn’t qualify for the exemption, and items sold at airports and theme parks aren’t included in the deal.”

Source: News Service of Florida, Tom Urban, Jim Turner

Sanibel’s Summer Youth Activities

Yesterday was the last day of school in Lee County public schools. For families looking for something for children to do over the summer, the City of Sanibel and several island organizations still have openings for a variety of programs and camps. Here are a few:

Sanibel Recreation Center – Summer Day Camp, a 9-week traditional camp from June 3 to August 2, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (no camp July 4). Available for children entering kindergarten through eighth grade. More info at www.MySanibel.com

Sanibel Sea School – camps on marine-related topics from early June to early August. Most are day camps for ages 6-13 Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There also are half-day camps for ages 4-6 or “Sea Squirts” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Most include time at the beach with island skills camps for little ones, and paddle-boarding and reef snorkeling for teens. There too are several overnight camping expeditions for ages 11-12 and 13-15, separately. Visit www.SanibelSeaSchool.org/sanibel-camps for more info.

The Community House – Home to the Culinary Education Center of Sanibel, kids summer cooking classes are offered from July 29 to Aug 2 for ages 8-14. A second camp is scheduled for August 5-9. (both are 9 a.m. until noon). More info at www.SanibelCommunityHouse.net .

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity May 24-31, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

5 new listings: Mariner Pointe #1041 2/2 $484K, Sanibel Moorings #1622 2/2 $499K, Yacht Haven #4 3/2 $899K, White Pelican #114 2/2 $988K, Tarpon Beach #104 2/2 $1,149,555.

4 price changes: Sanibel Arms #C7 1/1 now $399.9K, Sunset South #6B 2/2 now $596.5K, Pointe Santo #D21 2/2 now $629K, Seawind II #2 2/2.5 now $876.5K.

1 new sale: Spanish Cay #F7 1/1 listed at $249K.

5 closed sales: Sundial #H108 1/1 $415K, Loggerhead Cay #471 2/2 $522.5K, Kings Crown #210 2/2 $775K, Sanddollar #C203 3/2 $1.15M, Sanibel Surfside #231 3/3.5 $1.2M.

HOMES

2 new listings: 730 Cardium St 2/2 $599K, 1558 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 $749K (our listing).

View from 1558 Sand Castle Rd

8 price changes: 6447 Pine Ave 3/2.5 now $595K, 4245 Gulf Pines Dr 3.2 now $695K, 9401 Beverly Ln 3/3 now $739K, 405 Tiree Cir 3/2 now $755K, 218 Daniel Dr 3/2.5 now $799K, 534 N Yachtsman Dr 3/2 now $969K, 772 Birdie View Pt 3/3.5 now $1.139M, 2915 Wulfert Rd 5/6.5 now $2.895M.

6 new sales: 1886 Farm Trl 3/3 listed at $629K, 640 Oliva St 3/2 listed at $649K, 4779 Rue Helene 3/3.5 listed at $699K, 556 Chert Ct 4/3 listed at $799K (our listing), 9454 Calla Ct 3/2 listed at $889K, 1561 San Carlos Bay Dr 3/4 listed at $2.395M.

556 Chert Ct

5 closed sales: 651 Donax St 4/2 duplex $475K, 328 Palm Lake Dr 3/2 $546.5K, 1159 Golden Olive Ct 3/2 $1.14M, 2282 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 $1.34M, 2332 Troon Ct 4/5 $1.525M.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

2 new sales: 9270 Kincaid Ct listed at $149K (our listing), 5618 Baltusrol Ct listed at $339K.

9270 Kincaid Ct

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

1 price change: Seabreeze #1253 3/3 now $1.6999M

No new sales.

1 closed sale: Beach Villas #2418 2/2 $655K.

HOMES

1 new listing: 42 Oster Ct 2/2.5 $1.095M.

1 price change: 17030 Captiva Dr now $7.4M.

1 new sale: 11530 Laika Ln 4/4 listed at $2.13M.

1 closed sale: 56 Sandpiper Ct 2/2.5 $825K.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

Until next Friday, we’re hoping for more bananas! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Almost Mother’s Day on Sanibel & Captiva

Posted on May 10, 2019 by SanibelSusan

Another sunny Sanibel Friday has arrived. The rainy season may be beginning as the first of the big white summer popcorn clouds rolled in late yesterday which resulted in some island showers last night. This afternoon, after a morning of bright blue sky, it looks like those clouds again are forming on the eastern horizon. Early summer is when rain often come across the state & rolls onto the island from the mainland. The joke is that though the rest of Lee County gets wet from these showers, they always don’t make it to the island – as they don’t have toll money.

This was the first week of the Association of Realtors® off-season biweekly Caravan schedule, so there was no meeting yesterday. There has been some sales activity though, three condos and two homes on Sanibel went under contract this week. I got one of them done last Sunday with folks who viewed Saturday and were at the airport boarding. Gotta love modern technology!

Mom & child

The SanibelSusan Team wishes all the Mom’s a Happy Mother’s Day on Sunday.

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

A Look at the Real Estate Market Nationally

REALTOR-Magazine_Logo_ Realtor® magazine’s May-June 2019 issue had another article from my favorite economist, Lawrence Yun. Though his comments are about real estate nationally, it has good news.

“Consumer confidence remains high and many people are saying now is a good time to buy. Inventory is also increasing, reducing buyers’ concerns they’ll be elbowed out of the way whey they try to buy.

“But the market is bifurcated. Moderately priced homes are in high demand while upper-end homes are moving slowly. Affordability is what consumers are looking for….

“With the economy set to grow this year, we expect to set a record with more than 120 consecutive months of GDP expansion. More than 20 million net new jobs have been added, and the average wage has increased to $23.18 per hour, up 3.5%, the largest annual rise in a decade. Consumer confidence is following suite; the index reached 124 in March compared to the 50-year average figure of 93. Moreover, 37% of consumers strongly believe now is a good time to buy, according to National Association of Realtors® figures for the 1^st quarter of 2019, up from 34% in the prior quarter. Low mortgages rate help. But a good economy and more inventory are also boosting consumers’ outlook….”

“Existing home sales jumped almost 12% in February. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun attributes the surge largely to the Federal Reserve’s plan to keep interest rates low for the remainder of the year. The one-month gain is among the largest ever recorded by NAR.”

Want Flood Insurance for Hurricane Season? Hurry Up!

Good reminder article posted on-line at Florida Realtors® on Monday:

“WASHINGTON – May 6, 2019 – While some Florida homeowners have private options, national flood insurance has a 30-day waiting period in most cases – and hurricane season starts in 25 days.

“As it stands now, the entire National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) expires on May 31, 2019. Should that happen, homeowners won’t lose coverage, but homebuyers may not be able to secure coverage even if it’s demanded by their lender. Congress may have a new plan in place for the program by then, or they may authorize a short-term extension as they have done in the past.

“In any case, homeowners and buyers should prepare for the possibility of another NFIP hiatus. NFIP issued the following commonly asked questions about flood insurance coverage:

“Why do I need flood insurance? Standard homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover floods, and it’s wise to consider flood insurance even if you are not required to purchase it. Even if you live outside a high-risk flood zone, called a Special Flood Hazard Area, it’s a wise decision to buy flood insurance. In fact, statistics show that people who live outside high-risk areas file more than 25% of flood claims nationwide.

“It’s often said that wherever it rains, it can flood. So, while flood zones are specific geographic areas where there is a higher statistical probability of a flood occurring, floods do occur elsewhere. Florida, for example, has exceeded that statistical probability, putting more homes and properties at risk than expected over the last five years.

“FEMA calculates that just three inches of floodwater in a home likely will require replacing drywall, baseboards, carpets, furniture and making other necessary repairs. If you don’t have flood insurance, your likely out-of-pocket cost (based on a 1,500-square-foot, one-floor home) is estimated at $15,000. For six inches of water, estimated loss jumps to an estimated $23,000. And 18 inches or more could require repairs to electrical, heating and cooling systems plus replacing doors, appliances and cabinetry. The estimated cost: $30,000.

“How does flood insurance work? If a community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), both building and contents coverage can be included in a policy for homeowners and businesses. Renters can get coverage for contents only. Policies issued by the NFIP pay even if a federal disaster isn’t declared.

“In Florida and other states recently impacted by hurricanes, NFIP streamlined the claims process, enabling policyholders to receive advance payments to jump-start rebuilding. Some policyholders were recently able to get advance payments up to $5,000 without an adjuster visit or additional documentation. Some received advance payments of up to $20,000 if they had photos/video evidence and receipts or a contractor’s estimate.

A Preferred Risk Policy (a lower-cost flood insurance policy) provides both building and contents coverage for properties in moderate-to-low risk areas. This policy can be purchased for as little as $325 per year.

“When should I buy a policy? As soon as possible. There’s a waiting period. NFIP cannot pay a claim without a policy in effect when damage occurs. A new insurance policy from NFIP becomes effective 30 days after you buy it, unless the purchase is associated with the origination, renewal or extension of a federally backed loan on property in a high-risk area.

“Even if I’m not in a flood hazard area, can I purchase flood insurance? Yes, providing your community participates in NFIP. You’re eligible to purchase a flood policy with the same coverage you would receive if you lived in a high-risk area.

“Can I get flood insurance if I’m renting a property? Yes. If you live in a community that participates in NFIP as a renter, flood insurance covers the contents of your home, apartment or business at a rented location. An insurance agent can talk about the costs and ways to lower those costs.

“NFIP policy holders choose their amount of coverage. The maximum for one to four family residential structures is $250,000 in building coverage and $100,000 in contents coverage. For residential structures of five or more units, the maximum is $500,000 in building coverage and $100,000 in contents coverage. The maximum for businesses is $500,000 in building coverage and $500,000 in contents coverage.

“How much will I get from NFIP after flood damage? There are some misconceptions about the amount a policyholder will receive following flood-caused damage. While a policy may state it covers losses up to a certain amount:

The amount paid to the policyholder on a homeowner’s flood insurance policy will cover only the cost of actual damage caused by the flood.
The amount paid on contents will cover only actual losses caused by the flood.
The amount paid to businesses covered for structure and contents will be only for actual losses by the flood.

“Where can I buy flood insurance? Contacting your insurance company or agent. For an agent referral call 800-427-4661 or visit FloodSmart.gov.”

SanibelSusan Realty has the following local insurance providers on their vendor list:

Monteagle Insurance, Theresa Carney TCarney@MontEagleInsurance.com, 239-541-2222
Private Client Insurance Services, Dave Arter, Darter@PCIS-FL.com, 239-481-1949
Rosier Insurance, Angie Larson-Roehl, ALarson@RosierInsurance.com, 239-472-115

Visit the BIG ARTS Construction Site

If you are wondering about the progress of the new facility being constructed at BIG ARTS on Dunlop Road next to City Hall & the Historical Village & Museum, they have installed a camera on the construction site. You can click on the video all summer on at https://bigarts.org

Work is ahead of schedule with the grand opening expected in January 2020. In the meantime, BIG ARTS staff have expanded their temporary office space behind SanibelSusan Realty.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity May 3-10, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

3 new listings: Blind Pass #E202 2/2 $470K, Gulfside Place #326 2/2 $1.449M, Pine Cove #202 3/2 $1.55M.

5 price changes: Sand Pointe #111 2/2 now $684.5K, Island Beach Club #210B 2/2 now $739K, Sundial #P203 2/2 now $899K, Beachcomber #D101 2/2 now $1.05M, Villas of Sanibel #A102 3/3 now $1.295M.

3 new sales: Loggerhead Cay #471 2/2 listed at $544K, Cottage Colony West #112 1/1 listed at $605.9K, Lighthouse Point #229 3/2 listed at $675K.

5 closed sales: Island Beach Club #310B 2/2 $635K, Oceans Reach #4B1 1/1 $680K, Sundial #A201 2/2 $825K, Loggerhead Cay #133 2/2 $870K, Signal Inn #19 3/2 $1.045M.

HOMES

3 new listings: 1550 Centre St 3/2 $665K, 955 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 $985K, 1460 Middle Gulf Dr 3/4.5 $1.949M.

12 price changes: 1357 Jamaica Dr 2/3 duplex now $549K, 681 Rabbit Rd 3/2.5 now $599K, 1441 Sand Castle Rd 3/2.5 now $649K, 1223 Par View Dr 3/2 now $810K, 5659 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 2/2 now $924.9K, 1244 Par View Dr 4/3 now $979K, 772 Birdie View Pt 3/3.5 now $1.169M, 2303 Troon Ct 3/3.5 now $1.189M, 2385 Wulfert Rd 4/5 now $1.299M, 599 Lake Murex Cir 3/3.5 now $1.349M, 4709 Rue Belle Mer 3/2 now $3.199M, 6111 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 5/4/3 now $16.895M.

2 new sales: 5869 Pine Tree Dr 3/2 listed at $595K (our buyer), 9224 Dimmick Dr 3/2 listed at $859.9K.

5 closed sales: 1018 Demere Ln 4/2 $599K, 1160 Junonia St 3/2 $700K, 2510 Harbour Ln 2/2 $1.15M, 928 Beach Rd 4/3 $1.295M, 4355 West Gulf Dr 4/4/2 $5.25M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 2438 Wulfert Rd $349K.

No price changes or new sales.

1 closed sale: 6217 Starling Way $1.3M.

Captiva

CONDOS

Nothing to report.

HOMES

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

1 closed sale: 11535 Wightman Ln 4/4 $1.73M.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

mother-duck Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

The clip art to the right is reminiscent of Dave’s open house yesterday on Limpet Dr. He found ducks frolicking in the swimming pool. “When the owners’ away, the ducks will play.”

Happy Mother’s Day!

Sanibel Bunnies, Easter, & Real Estate

Posted on April 12, 2019 by SanibelSusan

Though the national news this week has been filled with reports of late snow and winter storms up north, on Sanibel and Captiva Islands the weather again has been almost summerlike, including a couple of midweek showers.

marsh bunny Here at SanibelSquare the bunny population continues to explode. I haven’t been able to get to my phone quickly enough to get a photo of the entire group at once. Usually when I am leaving in the office in the evening, I am the last car out of the parking lot. That’s when they are out chowing down on the grassy area in front of my car.

I’ve seen as many as six together (three grown-ups and three small ones). They sure are cute. I’m featuring a few photos of them in my Easter ad next week in the “Island Sun”.

SanibelSusan’s Real Estate Market Predictions

An island homeowner who lives in Gumbo Limbo dropped in at the office recently and asked about the real estate market. He often bikes his neighborhood and was surprised to see so many “for sale” signs.

Gumbo Limbo probably offers a good market representation. Today, there are 13 homes for sale there. In a community with fewer than 200 properties, to the passer-by, that may seem alike a lot for sale at once. Looking at the community’s sales history, in 2017, 12 Gumbo Limbo homes sold. Last year, only six, plus a vacant lot. Year-to-date one home has sold and closed, while two other homes and our lot listing are under contract.

Do these numbers reflect that inventory is up and are prices down? Yes, inventory is up and prices may be trending down, but it probably is too soon to make that prediction. I prefer to view the status of the market today as a correction to the downturn caused by the water quality issues of last summer.

When I stopped on my way home midweek to view the progress at our bayfront listing that is undergoing renovation, I couldn’t help but take a couple of pictures of the water in San Carlos Bay (see below). Unlike its appearance last fall, it was as beautiful as I remember seeing it, in all my 30-some years here. You know the look, sparkling clear and bright teal in color, like often photographed in the Caribbean.

04-10-19 San Carlos 1 04-10-19 San Carlos 2

Inventory is up because there have been fewer sales. Fewer visitors came to the island this winter. Traffic reports about causeway traffic indicate that fewer cars came onto the island last month which usually is the busiest month here. Late 2018 traffic was off even more. I’ll never forget the times last year that I drove across the causeway and did not see a vehicle (on land or water) or a person or bird in any direction. It was eerie.

The good news is that from that catastrophe, more positive “water” things are happening, more people are involved, more water solutions are in the works, more money is being allocated to fund solutions, and construction is underway on others. Unfortunately, the results of those efforts take time to implement. Seems that the good news takes longer to disseminate than the bad news – which seems to spread fast!

Perhaps some would-be first-time island winter visitors this year decided to vacation elsewhere. Can’t blame them for that, if they don’t really know what the beaches and waterways really are like. Future rental bookings with many income-producing properties are showing less income this year too.

What will happen to the islands’ real estate market in the upcoming months? That’s tough to predict. Often there are buyers that return in the spring who are folks that vacationed here in the winter but could not view all the listings that met their requirements. This year there are plenty of choices for those returning prospects.

In the spring, do these buyers sometimes try to negotiate better terms thinking sellers may not want to hold a property over the slower summer selling season which also is hurricane-prone rainy season? I’m sure you know the answer to that.

Some folks think the economy and political unrest are affecting the market today. They may be true to some extent, but I think that island lovers will continue to see the value in owning a piece of paradise where winter weather is tropical, development is controlled, island ambience is like stepping back in time, and concerned citizens are pro-environment and taking action to protect the areas we live in, work in, and love.

Some also say that the upcoming Federal elections in 2020 will affect real estate sales here. It could be that the islands are immune to that hype. Historical data does not support that elections affect sales, other than maybe the few days around and including the actual voting day.

My crystal ball says that provided there are no national emergencies or hurricanes, the Sanibel and Captiva market will continue to rebound from the downturn of last year. Yes, it’s a good time to buy because there is plenty of good inventory, but it also is a good time for sellers, particularly those that have their properties priced right.

Upcoming Holiday Happenings

In response to inquiries about events over the holiday next weekend, here is a summary:

Helping Those Needing a Hand-Up

F.I.S.H. of Sanibel-Captiva is assembling Easter food and bunny baskets for those in the community needing a hand-up during the holiday. To donate items, please call 239-472-4775. Distributions will be on April 17 & 18.

Family Events

“25^th Annual Spring Festival” to benefit The Children’s Center of the Island at Sanibel Community Park, across the street form SanibelSusan Realty, Saturday, April 20 from 9 to 11 a.m. with Easter egg hunt for children of all ages followed by pony & unicorn rides, face painting, slide, games/crafts, & more. The Easter bunny will be there for photos at 10:15 a.m.
“Community Easter Egg Hunt” at Sanibel Community Church, Saturday, April 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. includes thousands of eggs, pony rides, games, bounce houses, face painting, lunch, & more.
“Annual Easter Egg Hunt & Dolphin Cruise” by Adventures in Paradise aboard 45’ power catamaran departing at 9 a.m. Easter Sunday from Port Sanibel Marina, reservations needed 239-472-8443.

Sanibel Farmers Market – open Easter Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the grounds of City Hall.

Easter Sunday Services

“Annual Sunrise Celebration on the Beach” by Sanibel Community Church on Causeway Island A at dawn. More info at www.SanibelChurch.com
Also, services at the church (Sanibel Community Church) at 8, 9, & 11 a.m.
Captiva’s Chapel by the Sea at 11 a.m. More info at www.CaptivaChapel.com
Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ services at 7:45, 9, & 11 a.m.
Saint Isabel Catholic Church services at 7, 9, & 11 a.m.
St. Michaels & All Angels Episcopal Church services at 7:30, 9:30, & 11:30 a.m.

Easter Eats

“Easter on the Gulf” at Sundial Beach Resort with seating on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call for reservations 239-395-6017.
“Sunday Brunch Buffet” at The Fish House Restaurant from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Easter Dinner” at Traditions on the Beach from 4 p.m., reservations recommended 239-472-4559

Recession Fears “Over Blown”

Posted Wednesday on FloridaRealtors® on-line, this article has an interesting perspective on how past recessions affect home values.

“GREENSBORO, N.C. – Apr 10, 2019 – Research on how past recessions affected home values shows current conditions – including a shortfall in housing construction – likely mean the next recession will have a less severe impact on housing than the recession in 2008 did, according to the spring edition of The Housing and Mortgage Market Review (HaMMR) by Arch Mortgage Insurance Company.

“Housing market trends are now nearly the complete opposite of conditions in the months prior to the Great Recession, according to Dr. Ralph G. DeFranco, global chief economist for Arch Capital Services. “A recession is inevitable at some point, but it’s likely to be far less severe for the housing market than the Great Recession,” DeFranco says. “We estimate that the current market is underbuilt by 1 million or more homes, buyers are more cautious and loan quality is far higher. In 2007, conditions were completely flipped: housing was hugely overbuilt, speculative demand was off the charts and the market was awash with high-risk loan products.”

“DeFranco also notes that home prices were overvalued by 25% or more then and are closer to expected values now. “In the 11 recessions recorded over the past 80 years, major price declines for housing have been more the exception than the rule, with home values only turning negative once in the five recessions since 1975,” he says. “The ongoing housing shortage is likely to limit price declines in a recession to 0-5% for a year or two before home values start to recover.”

“The quarterly Arch MI Risk Index, a statistical model based on nine indicators of the health of local housing markets, suggests that the probability U.S. home prices will be lower in two years is 9%, an increase from 6% in the previous HaMMR.

“In Florida, an Arch index infographic suggests that Florida home values have only a 6% chance of declining in two years. However, a higher risk (25%) in Miami suggests the chances are even lower in the rest of the state.

Nationally, the overall risk of a decline in home prices remains better than the historic average of 17%. Every state is expected to have positive home price growth over the next two years, continuing recent trends.

“The states with the highest risk of lower home prices in two years are North Dakota (27%), Alaska (24%), Wyoming (23%) and Connecticut and West Virginia, both at 22%.

“Among the 100 largest metros, the areas with the highest risk of having lower home prices in two years are Miami and San Antonio, Texas (25%), because of overvalued home prices. Those areas are followed by three metros in Connecticut – Bridgeport-Stamford, Hartford and New Haven (all at 22%) – which have shrinking populations of homebuyers and a state economy that lags behind the nation.”

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity April 5-12, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

6 new listings: Seashells #15 2/2 $439K, Captains Walk #F4 2/2 $349K (our listing) (exterior photo below – professional interior photos & streaming video coming after estate sale next week), Mariner Pointe #952 1/1 $429K, Sanibel Siesta #601 2/2 $689K, Sanctuary Golf Villages I #1-4 3/3 $899K, Gulf Beach #107 2/2 $925K.

9 price changes: Donax Village #10 1/2 now $339K, Sundial #I103 1/1 now $465.9K, Breakers West #A5 2/2 now $499.9K, Sunset South #1A 2/2 now $720K, Sanibel Moorings #1111 2/2 now $969K, Kings Crown #102 2/2 now $1.05M, Bandy Beach #B101 3/2 now $1.299M, White Pelican #133 3/3 now $1.595M, Sandals #A 3/3.5 now $1.997M.

1 new sale: Gulfside Place #305 2/2 listed at $1.249M.

3 closed sales: Sunset South #9B 2/2 $565K, Sand Pointe #228 2/2 $740K, Pine Cove #204 3/2 $1.5M.

HOMES

13 new listings: 785 Rabbit Rd 3/2 $479K; 745 Martha’s Ln 3/2 $495K; 9406 Beverly Ln 3/2 $629K; 1585 Bunting Ln 3/2 $649K; 1731 Serenity Ln 4/3 $699,999; 1175 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 $759K; 728 Windlass Way 3/2 $897K; 788 Nerita St 3/3 $949K; 845 Birdie View Pt 3/3 $1.169M; 1667 Venus Dr 3/2 $1.2M; 4156 West Gulf Dr 3/2 $1.329M; 2190 Starfish Ln 3/3 $1.444M; 1718 Jewel Box Dr 4/4.5 $2.699M.

17 price changes: 3017 Turtle Gait Ln 3/2 now $679K; 198 Southwinds Dr 3/2 now $719.9K; 280 Southwinds Dr 3/3.5 now $739K; 1559 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 now $759K; 702 Durion Ct 3/2 now $759K; 513 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 now $769K; 686 East Rocks Dr 3/2 now $799K; 1410 Albatross Rd 3/3 now $849K; 1307 Par View Dr 3/3 now $899K; 446 Surf Sound Ct 3/2 now $999,999; 466 Sea Oats Dr 4/3.5 now $1.149M; 829 Birdie View Pt 4/3.5 now $1.15M; 430 Glory Cir 4/5.5 now $1.275M; 1525 San Carlos Bay Dr 4/2 now $1.4695M; 6425 Pine Ave 4/3 now $1.489M; 1035 Blue Heron Dr 3/2 now $1.539M; 4143 West Gulf Dr 3/3.5 now $5.995M.

9 new sales: 6141 Henderson Rd 2/1.5 listed at $424.5K, 1870 Farm Trl 3/2 listed at $575K, 1442 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 listed at $649K, 750 Martha’s Ln 3/2 listed at $699K, 1217 Par View Dr 3/3 listed at $729K; 4791 Rue Helene 3/2 listed at $850K, 1550 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 listed at $1.189M, 2282 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 listed at $1.245M, 599 Lake Murex Cir 3/3.5 listed at $1.399M.

4 closed sales: 9248 Dimmick Dr 3/3 $580K, 1438 Causey Ct 3/2 $849.5K, 1260 Par View Dr 3/3 $889K, 569 Lighthouse Way 3/3 $970K.

LOTS

2 new listings: 2462 Wulfert Rd $229K, 2133 Starfish Ln $419K.

2 price changes: 6411 Pine Ave now $329K, 1219 Par View Dr now $349K.

2 new sales: 1204 Par View Dr listed at $329K; 5321 Punta Caloosa Ct listed at $377,555.

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

1 price change: Sunset Captiva #103 2/2 now $829K.

No new, or closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 16798/802 Captiva Dr 4/4 listed at $5.75M.

No closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

Until next Friday… enjoy your weekend, Susan Andrews aka SanibelSusan

Update of Island Real Estate & Life on the Gulf of Mexico

Posted on April 5, 2019 by SanibelSusan

It has been another week of beautiful summer-like weather on the islands.

Photos below taken by JMA Photography at Gulfside Place where The SanibelSusan Team has a new listing overlooking this beautiful Gulf of Mexico beach. On the 2nd floor, this condo was just remodeled top-to-bottom.

Island traffic and occupancy are down a little, making the Periwinkle trek more manageable than in recent weeks. For buyers, now through Memorial Day is an excellent time to both look and purchase.

At the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® Caravan meeting yesterday, a handful of new sales were announced, along with more price reductions. Just nine new west-end listings open for viewing. The east-end one week, west-end the next, Caravan rotation will end this month with new listings in any location allowed beginning May 1 and running through the summer.

The action posted since last Friday in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service follow a couple of news items. Inventory on both islands remains high with vacation rentals tapering off as northern weather improves and snowbirds head home.

Sanibel Historical Village Remains Open During BIG ARTS Construction

The Sanibel Historical Village will remain open during the ongoing BIG ARTS construction project. The project will continue through the remainder of the historical village’s season and into next season, with parking and access available for village guests and volunteers.

Last week, the traditional entrance to the village was closed off and a new temporary entrance made, just west of the former exit drive. That drive will now function as both an entrance and exit access. Signs were added at both places.

The Sanibel Historical Village is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with guided tours at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The village is at 950 Dunlop Road (next to BIG ARTS) and there is handicap access to the buildings. Admission is $10 for adults over 18, with members and children free. For more info or to donate, visit http://www.sanibelmuseum.org or call (239) 472-4648.

Condos, Rentals, Etc.: If You Break It, You Fix It

Sourced to Florida real estate attorney, Gary M. Singer, the below article was posted on-line at FloridaRealtors®.

“April 1, 2019 – Question: The tub in my condo flooded and my kitchen and the public hallway were damaged. I do not have insurance. My association wants me to pay for the repairs. Do I have to? – Alina

Question: I replaced the shutters on my condo with impact windows. Am I responsible for fixing the holes on the exterior? – Trish

“Answer: If your actions cause damage to another person or business, you are responsible. While your condominium association is responsible for repairing and maintaining the common areas, it is allowed to seek reimbursement if someone purposefully or negligently caused the damage.

“This idea does not just apply to condos; it is consistent throughout the law. If you drive over your neighbor’s mailbox, leave your tools out and someone trips, or are texting and bump into another car, you can be held responsible and be asked to pay for the damage you caused.

“If you purposefully caused the damage, like the reader leaving holes in the exterior of her unit, you will need to pay for the repair. If you do not, the association will hire someone to do it, and the bill will probably be higher than if you hired the contractor. It is always easier to spend someone else’s money.

“The analysis can be more complicated when the damage was not intentional. A flood can be caused by many reasons. If the tub overfilled because you left it on and forgot about it when the phone rang, you can count on footing the bill. If it flooded because a pipe burst that should have been maintained by the building, you may be off the hook. Sometimes bad things happen, and there is no one to blame.

“You should talk with your association about the damage and try to come to a compromise that you both can live with. See if they can get their insurance involved and offer to split the deductible or find a competent contractor that is more reasonably priced than the one your community wants to use.

“I cannot recommend strongly enough that you should get insurance even if you live in a condo. While no one likes to pay insurance premiums, it is much harder to pay for accidental damage or write a big check to a lawyer because your unnoticed leak ruined the apartment below you and they decided to take you to court.

“About the writer: Gary M. Singer is a Florida attorney and board-certified as an expert in real estate law by the Florida Bar. He practices real estate, business litigation and contract law from his office in Sunrise, Fla. He is the chairman of the Real Estate Section of the Broward County Bar Association and is a co-host of the weekly radio show Legal News and Review. He frequently consults on general real estate matters and trends in Florida with various companies across the nation. © 2019 Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Gary Singer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.”

What Does a ‘Normal’ Housing Market Look Like? This One

Posted this week on FloridaRealtors® and sourced to the “Wall Street Journal” (04/01/19):

“NEW YORK – April 2, 2019 – The spring home-buying season could be the best in years, with falling mortgage rates and rising inventory already reducing bidding wars and resulting in price cuts.

“”It’s been a rough go for homebuyers since the bottom of the housing market, and there are signs we’re entering a period of normalcy,” says CoreLogic Deputy Chief Economist Ralph McLaughlin.

McLaughlin believes current conditions could be the most favorable for buyers since the housing market bottomed in 2012.

“However, economists say that even as activity rises, it’s unlikely that the market will return to a period of booming home sales. Nationally, home prices have jumped more than 50% since the bottom of the market in 2012, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index, which has made affordability a challenge for many buyers.

“Economists note that inventory is rising – not necessarily because more homeowners are putting their homes on the market but because homes are taking longer to sell.

“”All the signs are pointing to the fact that people are just having a harder time selling their homes,” says Trulia chief economist Issi Romem.

“However, it appears that buyers are reaching deals faster, with Redfin data showing that the time it takes a buyer to find a home has hit a six-year low of 73 days.

“Mike McCann, an associate broker at Keller Williams Philly, notes: “It’s a good time to buy as long as you’re going to stay in the property five-plus years.””

Upcoming Island Events

19^th Annual SanCap Cares Celebration – Sunday, April 7, at The Sanctuary, to benefit Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. More info at www.SanCapCares.org.

Annual PoetryFest – Monday, April 8, at 3:30 p.m. in Room Four at the Sanibel Library.

“Southern Comfort” – End-of-Season 5^th Annual CROW Fundraiser, next Friday, April 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Community House. Includes dinner, games, auction, raffles.

“Octifest” on the Beach – Sanibel Sea School Fundraiser, Saturday, April 13, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Sanibel Causeway Island A. Tickets at www.OctiFest.org.

8^th Annual “Beer in the Bushes” – SCCF fundraiser on Saturday, April 20 from 6 to 10 p.m., reservations at www.beerinthebushes.com

What You May or May Not Want to Know About Termites

From Nov 2018 “Connect” magazine by the Royal Palm Coast Realtor® Association, by Jason Woodbury, Infinite Pest Solutions:

“If there’s one thing every homeowner dreads – it’s termites. It may be a topic you’ve heard a lot about but don’t necessarily KNOW a lot about. Southwest Florida is one of the “hottest” areas in the entire world for termite activity. Given that fact, there is a lot of misinformation about termites as well, so here are some fast facts about the different types of termites.

“Subterranean termites have very high moisture requirements, so they need contact with the soil. For this reason, mud tubes are created to move between the soil and wood. Inside damaged wood, you will see soil as well. A “mature” colony will have about 60,000 to 3 million individuals and takes 4-10 years to become mature. They can eat 2.5 feet of 2×4 wood in a year, and basically eat WITH the grain. Due to the high moisture content, these can be detected with visual inspection, moisture meters, and infrared cameras. Subterranean termites can be treated with soil or spot treatment, as well as fumigation and baiting. All new homes built in the state of Florida are required to be pre-treated for subterranean termites.

“Drywood termites are completely aerial, meaning they do not need contact with the soil. Due to lower moisture requirements, they are not as easily detected with moisture meters and infrared cameras. Visual detection such as finding termite swarmer wings or termite droppings is how a drywood colony is found. Drywood colonies will have up to 3,000 individuals and it takes up to 15 years to become fully mature. Being significantly smaller colonies, they eat much less wood than Subterranean termites. Drywoods eat ACROSS the grain of the wood. New construction in Florida is NOT required to be pretreated for drywood termites….

“There are also a couple of invasive species of termites that are less common but are taking over the habitat in this area. These are Formosan and Asian Termites. It has been confirmed that they have been able to hybridize in the wild (swarming at the same time). These termites are significantly more aggressive than native species, eating up to 50 feet of 2×4 wood each year, and having 10 million individuals in a colony. If you are interested in learning more, the University of Florida has an interactive map of locations where invasive species have been identified by an entomologist. This can be found at: http://www.flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/termites-in-florida/termite-distribution/ “

Note from SanibelSusan – Because most Sanibel/Captiva property is built on sand (rather than soil), termites here generally are the drywood variety. When I came to Sanibel over 27 years ago, rarely were termites discovered during a home inspection. Today, it’s more unusual for them NOT to be found.

The tropical rough-headed drywood termite swarms at night, from April through July. The tropical smooth-headed drywood termite can swarm any time of the year. Most of those colonies swarm in the afternoon between March and May. The western drywood termite has been identified during the day along both coasts in Florida.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 29-Apr 5, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Seashells #31 2/2 $439K, Mariner Pointe #321 3/2 $579K, Sanibel Arms #F2 1/1 $599K, High Tide #101 2/2 $1.495M.

11 price changes: Sundial #H210 1/1 now $389K, Loggerhead Cay #471 2/2 now $544K, Pointe Santo #D21 2/2 now $650K, Snug Harbor #312 3/2 now $658K, Loggerhead Cay #223 2/2 now $669K, Kings Crown #213 2/2 now $799K, Shell Island Beach Club #7C 2/2 now $819.9K, Oceans Reach #3A1 2/2 now $924.9K, Pine Cove #C 2/2 now $1.059M, Plantation Village #312 3/2.5 now $1.49M, Wedgewood #203 3/3.5 now $2.495M.

3 new sales: Loggerhead Cay #322 2/2 listed at $569K, Sanctuary Golf Villages I #3-1, 2/2.5 listed at $640K, Villa Sanibel #2G 2/2 listed at $685K.

6 closed sales: Seashells #3 2/2 $425K, Spanish Cay #C2 2/2 $450K, Sundial #B407 1/1 $492K, Loggerhead Cay #233 2/2 $675K, Pointe Santo #B3 2/2 $650K, Shorewood #3C 3/2 $1.31M.

HOMES

5 new listings: 6141 Henderson Rd 2/1.5 $424.5K, 1607 Sand Castle Rd 3/2.5 half-duplex $579K, 9401 Beverly Ln 3/2 $769K, 4791 Rue Helene 3/2 $850K, 4709 Rue Belle Mer 3/2 $3.4M.

17 price changes: 970 Greenwood Ct 3/2.5 half-duplex now $436.5K, 1442 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 now $649K, 5747 Pine Tree Dr 3/3 now $750K, 702 Durion Ct 3/2 now $779K, 3050 West Gulf Dr 3/2.5 now $799K, 247 Christofer Ct 3/2 now $799K, 9393 Peaceful Dr 3/2.5 now $824K, 501 Lagoon Dr 3/2 now $899K, 1307 Par View Dr 3/3 now $989K, 772 Birdie View Pt 3/3.5 now $1.199M, 2282 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 now $1.245M, 430 Glory Cir 4/5.5 now $1.295M, 532 Sea Oats Dr 4/4 now $1.298M, 532 Sea Oats Dr 4/4 now $1.298M, 1351 Middle Gulf Dr #2C 3/3 now $1.495M (our listing – view in below photo), 815 Limpet Dr 3/3 now $1.649M, 1743 Venus Dr 4/3.5 now $1.67M. View c (2)

10 new sales: 9446 Arum Ct 4/2 listed at $549K, 922 Pepper Tree Pl 2/2 listed at $599K, 697 Birdie View Pt 3/2 listed at $739K, 4787 Rue Helene 4/3 listed at $895K, 6123 Starling Way 3/2.5 listed at $954K, 5411 Osprey Ct 3/2 listed at $999K, 2984 Wulfert Rd 3/4 listed at $1.195M, 2510 Harbour Ln 2/2 listed at $1.199M, 1159 Golden Olive Ct 3/2 listed at $1.295M, 2502 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 listed at $1.849M.

9 closed sales: 5260 Caloosa End Ln 3/2 $530.2K, 955 S Yachtsman Dr 3/2 $650K, 1225 Seagrape Ln 3/3 $695K, 3136 Twin Lakes Ln 3/2 $865K, 225 Violet Dr 3/2 $925K, 1230 Par View Dr 4/2.5 $1.05M, 1248 Par View Dr 4/4.5 $1.1M, 1653 Hibiscus Ln 3/2 $1.3M, 2251 Starfish Ln 4/3.5 $1.375M.

LOTS

2 new listings: 9345 Dimmick Dr $365K, 1837 Buckthorn Ln $699K.

1 price change: 6141 Starling Way now $947K.

2 new sales: 9441 Peaceful Dr listed at $249K (our listing), 1770 Dixie Beach Blvd listed at $649K.

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Tennis Villas #3220 1/1 $355K.

1 price change: Sunset Captiva #103 2/2 now $839K.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: with contingencies: 16548 Captiva Dr 4/4 listed at $4.5M.

No closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

Until next Friday, here’s wishing you wonderful weather too! If it’s not, come to Sanibel & Captiva Islands where we love to share island life & the weather!

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

MaliaLogoFIN P.S. I had lunch today at Malia (located on Par View Drive within Beachview Country Club Estates, next to Sanibel Island Golf Club). Also had dinner there last weekend. Both meals were excellent. If you haven’t been & enjoyed a “poke bowl”, you are missing out. Those are only available at lunch or you can create your own at their sister establishment Spoondrift Bowls in The Bailey’s Shopping Center. Healthy yummy zippy crunchy!

Redfish Pass South Seas to North Cap Apr 2 2017

At Redfish Pass between South Seas Lands End, Captiva, & North Captiva

Sanibel Bunnies, Real Estate News, & More

Posted on March 22, 2019 by SanibelSusan

Reporting another sunny Friday on Sanibel following a week with mixed weather. After a cloudy Tuesday, Wednesday was mostly off-and-on showers. Rain needed by dry local vegetation, but probably not appreciated by visiting vacationers and Lee County kiddos on spring break this week.

Beach Path.jpg

When beautiful weather returned yesterday, the bike paths and roadways again were busy, with the City posting notice about heavy late afternoon/early evening traffic. I left the office at 6 p.m. after watching Periwinkle traffic at a crawl in front of the office since mid-afternoon. I took the favored “back way” and made it home on the east end in 17 minutes. Later, I read on social media that someone leaving the Shell Museum at the same time endured nearly 2 hours getting to the causeway via Periwinkle. Yikes! When in doubt, watch the traffic cams. (http://www.mysanibel.com/Live-Street-Cams)

The forecast for the next seven days, says mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid- to high-70’s, so we can expect to continue to share the islands with extra visitors. We hope they are coming to buy real estate too.

March Association of Realtors® Membership Meeting

Yesterday was the monthly membership meeting at the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®. Membership meetings include a speaker in addition to the standard Thursday Caravan announcements.

Living with Island Animals – Holly Milbrandt, Sanibel’s Information Officer and an environmental biologist with the City’s Natural Resources Department, was the speaker. She is one of five biologists that work for the City. Her topic was “living with island animals including those that can be nuisance”.

Holly reminded attendees of the Sanibel Plan and its vision statement which says: “Sanibel is and shall remain a barrier island sanctuary, one in which a diverse population lives in harmony with the Island’s wildlife and natural habitats. The Sanibel community must be vigilant in the protection and enhancement of its sanctuary characteristics.” She talked about species that are native as well as ones that are exotic, which animals are here now and how the City deals with those that are a nuisance or safety issue.

This is one of the many bunnies often seen munching behind SanibelSusan Realty.

The first critters discussed were the marsh rabbits that have increased in numbers in recent years. She explained why. They are able to reproduce when just two months old and can have up to seven litters a year with as many as seven young in each litter. Without a deterrent, that’s a lot of bunnies. She expects that natural evolution will take care of them, in the meantime she warned that young green shoots and grass are their favored snacks. She suggested using natural ground cover in landscaping to deter them.

Next, she spoke about coyotes. They were first noticed on wildlife cameras in the wildlife refuge in 2011. The worry with them, in addition to preying on small pets, is their interference with sea turtle nests. She said though they are noisy and sound like a huge pack when they howl, they have not documented more than four together. A University of Georgia study done here in 2015/2016 determined that there were 27 individual animals on the island. Based on that number, she said today that could be as many 29-64.

Exotic lizard control was her next subject. These are the critters that need to be trapped and removed. She showed pictures proving that Green Iguanas are not always green. She also noted that a Nile Monitor Lizard has not been documented here in many years. The non-emergency number to call for removal of exotics is to the Police Department at 239-472-3111. She said that though the City Iguana Control Office/Trapper is only on the island Wednesdays, if an iguana is in a neighborhood another day, chances are it will be nearby on Wednesday too. Please call to report them. Since 2015, the City has removed over 3,500 at a cost of nearly $100K. The way to keep the island safe is what she calls EDRR (Early Detection & Rapid Response).

She finished her talk with a fun photo quiz of what animals have been on Sanibel and which ones have not. Sanibel does not have and has not had any Burmese Pythons or Lemurs (though there are lemurs on display in Periwinkle Park). There was a black bear on Sanibel several years ago and today there are cane toads. These toads are dangerous to pets.

No venomous snakes have been confirmed on Sanibel in 40 years, though she said folks often mis-identify a Florida water snake which is native. Alligators are native too and found all over the island. They are removed when they are found to be a safety hazard. The two crocodiles on Sanibel today are thought to both be female.

Real Estate Announcements – It was another week of many announcements, mostly with new listings and price reductions, though a few sales were touted too. The activity posted this week in the Sanibel-Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

Flood Insurance Overhaul Starts Next Year

The below article posted on FloridaRealtors® on-line Monday is sourced to a “Wall Street Journal” article of the same day.

“WASHINGTON – March 19, 2019 – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the rollout of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) updates that will become effective next year.

“While FEMA released few specific details about the new program, it appears to downplay the role of flood zones in determining a home’s cost of coverage in favor of other variables, such as the distance from a potential flooding source rather than an all-or-nothing “in a flood zone” or “not in a flood zone” test.

“As part of Monday’s announcement, FEMA noted important dates: The new program becomes effective on Oct. 1, 2020, and homeowners will find out how much their policy will go up or down on April 1, 2020.

“FEMA said the new plan would assess properties individually and consider multiple variables, such as the potential for hurricanes, the homes distance from a body of water and the risk from coastal surges. It would also consider new “loss-estimation technology” that can account for threats from climate change and a home’s replacement cost.

“Florida – home to about 35% of all NFIP policies – could see a big impact from the proposed changes. It’s likely that homeowners in current flood zones would see an increase in their flood insurance premiums, but the state already pays more into NFIP than it gets back in post-flood claims, so some homeowners should see their rates go down.

“NFIP currently expires on May 1, 2019, and Congress is working on a solution to extend it for at least a few years. Should lawmakers reach agreement, it’s unclear how a legislative fix might impact the just-announced FEMA regulatory fix. Under U.S. law, FEMA is limited in its ability to raise rates. It’s also unclear how those limitations might impact increases under NFIP’s new risk model.”

Fun Stuff

Tomorrow, Saturday, March 23, Annual Open House at Sanibel’s Fire House Station 171 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with fire apparatus and equipment on display. Great time for children and families to interact with firefighters, get on trucks, and experience a fire smoke simulation. There will be Sanibel Police Department, County Sheriff’s SWAT Team, and LCEC vehicles there too, as well as booths with info/animals from CROW, Ding Darling, and a local animal shelter.

Poke bowl New at Bailey’s Center – Spoondrift Bowls – Opened by same family that opened Malia Restaurant in Beachview Estates a few months ago, Spoondrift Bowls started at the Farmer’s Market and now is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bailey’s Center. The bowls are healthy and can be create-your-own with a variety of protein, base, topping, sauce, and finish options. Or you can select a predesigned combination or daily special. They also offer healthy homemade desserts and beverages. (www.SanibelSpoondrift.com)

Shell Harbor Dredging

Work began last Friday dredging the entrance channel to Shell Harbor. The channel will remain open during the project which may take a few weeks, but boaters are advised to travel slowly and cautiously.

Kick-Off for Kevin Ruane’s County Commissioner Campaign

Ruane I attended this event on Tuesday night at The Community House. It was great to see a huge turnout including mayors from Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, and Fort Myers. Introduced by Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson, followed by Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, and Former Sanibel Mayor Marty Harrity, they offered insight into the experience and praised the accomplishments of Mayor Ruane, particularly in the areas of finance and water quality. The new Chairman of the South Florida Water Management District, Chauncey Goss, was at the event too. (During his first meeting, the contract was signed to construct the C43 Reservoir. It will take four years to complete but will be usable after two.) All positive steps in the right direction, having these champions representing islanders is important. Please give them your support too.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 15-22, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

1 new listing: Sandalfoot #3C1 2/2 $699K.

8 price changes: Sundial #G205 1/1 now $455K; Sundial #C310 1/1 now $459,750; Sanibel Arms #B1 1/1 now $468K; Sanctuary Golf Villages I #2-5 2/2.5 now $714.9K; Loggerhead Cay #133 2/2 now $929K; Pointe Santo #C43 3/2 now $995K (our listing); Bandy Beach #B101 3/2 now $1.359M; Wedgewood #203 3/3.5 now $2.595M.

View from Pointe Santo #C43

5 new sales: Tennisplace #B22 2/1.5 listed at $309K, Sanibel Arms West #K5 2/2 listed at $579K, Island Beach Club #240F 2/2 listed at $749K, Sundial #E205 2/2 listed at $1.395M, Somerset #B202 3/2.5 listed at $1.995M.

2 closed sales: Cottage Colony West #116 1/1 $590K, Sanctuary Golf Villages I #3-4 3/3 $905K.

HOMES

3 new listings: 4737 Rue Belle Mer 3/2 $799,999; 5313 Punta Caloosa Ct 4/3 $899K; 500 Sawgrass Pl 8/8/3 $3.495M.

19 price changes: 693 Rabbit Rd 3/2 now $517.5K, 401 Raintree Pl 3/1.5 now $519K, 1805 Ibis Ln 2/2 now $519K, 945 S Yachtsman Dr 2/2 now $575K, 640 Oliva St 3/2 now $649K, 632 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 now $735K, 1978 Roseate Ln 3/2 now $748K, 1677 Sabal Sands Rd 3/2 now $759K, 257 Daniel Dr 3/2 now $765K, 1755 Jewel Box Dr 3/2 now $775K, 3013 Turtle Gait Ln 3/2.5 now $799K, 6033 Dinkins Lake Rd 3/3.5 now $799K, 1350 Middle Gulf Dr #1F 3/3 half-duplex now 799K, 6123 Starling Way 3/2.5 now $959K, 5411 Osprey Ct 3/2 now $999K, 982 Whelk Dr 3/2.5 now $1.175K, 772 Birdie View Pt 3/3.5 now $1.249M, 599 Lake Murex Cir 3/3.5 now $1.399M, 4143 West Gulf Dr 3/3.5 now $6.495M.

6 new sales: 974 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 half-duplex listed at $509K, 1327 Tahiti Dr 2/2 listed at $619K, 9248 Dimmick Dr 3/3 listed at $619.9K, 3832 Coquina Dr 4/4 listed at $995K, 297 Ferry Landing Dr 3/3 listed at $1.195M, 401 Bella Vista Way 4/4 listed at $2.75M.

5 closed sales: 1442 Sandpiper Cir 2/2 $395K; 4755 Ruelle 3/3 $734,630; 4760 Rue Helene 3/2 $750K; 1350 Middle Gulf Dr #2E 3/3 $825K (our buyer); 931 Snowberry Ln 4/4 $1.275M.

LOTS

3 new listings: 3324 Saint Kilda Rd $449K, 976 Whelk Dr $660K, 4995 Joewood Dr $2.85M.

4 price changes: 3013 Poinciana Cir now $244K, 6411 Pine Ave now $341.7K, 1026 Fish Crow Rd now $425K, 1305 Seaspray Ln now $650K.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: 2933 Wulfert Rd $315K.

Captiva

CONDOS

3 new listings: Bayside Villas #4220 1/2 $425K, Lands End Village #1667 2/2 $1.199M, Lands End Village #1613 2/2 $1.7M.

4 price changes: Bayside Villas #5114 1/2 now $405K, Beach Villas #2426 1/1 now $537.5K, Sunset Captiva #103 2/2 now $849K, Captiva Shores #8B 3/2.5 now $1.398M.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings.

2 price changes: 11547 Laika Ln 4/4 now $2.295M, 15133 Captiva Dr 3/3 now $2.995M.

1 new sale: 11535 Wightman Ln 4/4 listed at $1.849M.

No closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Sanibel kite-boarders love a good breeze. Is that teammate Dave?

Sanibel Sharing, Singing, Shelling, Sales, & Scoop

Posted on March 15, 2019 by SanibelSusan

Families on spring break are on Sanibel – or at least those wanting an environmentally-fun outdoor vacation with fabulous weather. Traffic is challenging with the City encouraging no unnecessary travel from 3 to 7 p.m. That’s what happens in “peak” season. The City traffic app showing the cameras at the intersections helps us plan our routes which always includes turning “right”, not left.

At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

Sanibelsusan Logo The team and I got our Friday work done early this week to give me time to run home and change for our BIG ARTS Community Chorus Spring Concerts. Singers were/are required to be on-stage for pre-performance warm-ups at 6 p.m. and with the traffic being iffy, extra time was anticipated. It took me 45 minutes last night at 5 p.m. to drive the 3 miles from my east-end home to get back to BIG ARTS. Hopefully, it will be easier tonight. Last night’s performance was a sell-out!

Chorus Pic spring 2018.jpg These concerts were early this year because the buildings at the BIG ARTS campus on Dunlop Road will be coming down in just a few weeks when the construction project for the new facility begins. Next year, when the new performance hall is complete, the entire chorus will fit on the stage and the audience will enjoy more comfy seating.

With our listings, teammate Dave held three open houses again this week and we had closings yesterday and today where they are both our listing and our sale. All of the action posted this week in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below. You’ll notice that price reductions continue, but there also was good sales action.

1^st Meeting of the New Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District

We heard excellent news yesterday following the first meeting of the entirely new board of the South Florida Water Management District. You may remember that just days after he took office, Florida’s Governor DeSantis called for the resignation of the former board members. Over the course of the last few weeks, Gov DeSantis appointed new board members.

In West Palm Beach yesterday, at the first meeting of this new board, they chose their new leaders to fulfill the District’s flood control, water quality projects, environmental restoration and water supply missions. The new board elected Sanibel’s-own Chauncey Goss as their Chairman. That is great for the 8.1 million residents of South Florida. Congratulations, Chauncey!

Shell Identification App

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum has announced that their shell identification app now is available. Many members of the local shell club including SanibelSusan helped for several months with the beta version as the shell library was compiled.

The app is available through the link below and is helpful in several ways. First it helps identify shells, provides a full-color shell guide, offers info from museum experts about shells, and provides info on the daily activities and special events at the museum, and beach walks. You can take a picture of a shell and quickly identify it using the app. That’s the part of the testing where I participated.

https://www.shellmuseum.org/shell-app

Florida Homes Are Hot

Posted on-line by FloridaRealtors® on Tuesday, this article is sourced to “Builder” magazine (03/11/19) Sowers, Scott:

“Florida ranked as the No. 1 place for buyers, according to a recent Lending Tree survey. “Out of all mortgage requests made during the study, 9.1% were for homes in Florida, and moving companies that worked with out-of-state homebuyers reported that 12.4% of all requested destinations were in Florida. Builder magazine calls Florida’s growth “explosive.”

florida “The study broke Florida down into five distinct housing markets.

“”In Southwest Florida you have a lot of retirees. In central Florida you have retirees and international buyers,” says Tony Polito, Metrostudy’s regional director for the Tampa area. “In South Florida you have a lot of international buyers.”

“The largest pool of buyers in Jacksonville are first-time and entry-level buyers impacted by a lack of choices and affordability. In Central Florida, there is local demand as well as a diversified base of buyers that includes investors, seasonal residents, international and vacation homebuyers.

“High demand and low inventory have pushed prices up, according to Toby Hoff, Metrostudy regional director.

“Builders moving out of the core areas of Central Florida have been able to bring more affordable homes online. Buyers in this supply-constrained market are now willing to deal with longer commutes or less-than-desirable schools in order to find something that is both new and in their price range,” he says.

“Although Tampa, Sarasota and St. Petersburg are all interconnected, they are very different housing markets, with Tampa booming and generating new jobs. “We have two counties that account for 90% of the housing activity. Hillsborough, which the city of Tampa sits in, and Pasco County to the north,” says Polito. “Between Pasco and Hillsborough County, today we have a 14.8-month supply of vacant lots. Market equilibrium in this market is 24 to 36 months. Anything below 24 months means land prices are still rising. You can’t even find a small orange grove to develop.””

Florida Realtors® & Dubai Land Dept. Sign Agreement to Encourage Collaboration

Having visited Dubai last year, it was fun to read the below Wednesday news release from Florida Realtors® – where friends President Eric Sain and President-Elect Barry Grooms represented our organization at MIPIM 2019.

“CANNES, France, March 13, 2019 — Florida Realtors and the Dubai Land Department today signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during MIPIM 2019, the international real estate and property investors conference held March 12-15, 2019, in Cannes, France.

dubai land dept “The MoU establishes the parties’ cooperation in developing a mutually beneficial relationship in the general field of real estate, building a foundation for future business opportunities.

““As professionals in the real estate industry, we take pride in providing our knowledge and expertise to clients in Florida, Dubai and throughout the world,” said 2019 Florida Realtors President Eric Sain. “Florida Realtors and the Dubai Land Department share mutual goals for future success. We look forward to strengthening our cooperative efforts and building more connections to enhance business opportunities for all of our members.”

“As part of the agreement, Florida Realtors and the Dubai Land Department “affirm the value of international collaboration and agree to exchange information in the general field of real estate, promote professionalism in the real estate industry and engage in other activities that offer mutual benefits.”

“According to Her Excellency Ms. Majida Ali Rashed, CEO of the real estate investment promotion and management sector of the Dubai Land Department, establishing this relationship with Florida Realtors enables the parties to develop a greater mutual understanding and more mutually beneficial opportunities.

“The MoU signing took place today at the Dubai Pavilion. Florida Realtors 2019 President-Elect Barry Grooms attended the signing along with President Sain; Her Excellency Ms. Majida Ali Rashed, CEO of the real estate investment promotion and management sector of the Dubai Land Department; Mr. Shadi Bteddini, CEO of AQARI Global, the USA Trustee of the Dubai Land Department; and Florida Realtors Director of Global Business Maria Grulich.

“Also in attendance: Spanish International Realty Alliance CEO Francis Fernandez Ariza, representing another global partner with Florida Realtors; André Perrissel, president of FNAIM Provence International Committee, FNAIM Aix Marseille Provence; Michel Platero, president of FNAIM Grand Paris; Ingrid Damoiseau, president of World Property Business Club; and Adam Scott, an international delegate also representing the last three groups, all highly regarded real estate organizations in France that also are global partners with Florida Realtors..

“Representatives of several sponsors and partners with Florida Realtors for this year’s MIPIM were present as well, including: Enterprise Florida, Florida Power & Light, the Orlando Regional Realtor Association (ORRA) and the Pinellas Realtors Organization (PRO).”

Island Water Reminders For Seasonal Residents

There was a nice checklist in the spring issue of the “IWA Pipeline. Here’s the abbreviated version for keeping your water secure when you are away.

Take advantage of IWA’s annual free turn-off and turn-on of your water at the meter. If you don’t have a pool or irrigation system, it makes sense that you have IWA do this if you are heading north and won’t be back until next “season”.
If you don’t want your water turned off at the meter and don’t have a backflow prevention device, turn off your house water valve. That turns off all spigots inside the house. If you do this, it is wise to also shut off the hot-water heater valves and corresponding circuit breaker.
As a precaution remove any outside hoses that won’t be used while you are away.
Have your home-watch read your water meter to see if water is going through the meter or if you have high usage. IWA reads meters only once a month.
Check the usage and amount of your water bill every month.
Put a fresh battery in your irrigation controller. Power outages and surges are common in the summer. Irrigations system controllers have battery back-up for these instances, but if the battery is dead, some systems will default to water every day. Also check your rain sensor to be sure that it’s operating correctly for your property. Speaking of sensors, Sanibel irrigation systems are required to have a working rain sensor.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 8-15, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

3 new listings: Sanibel Arms West #M1 2/2 $515K, Sanibel Siesta #109 2/2 $525K, Pine Cove #C 2/2 $1.095M.

6 price changes: Donax Village #10 1/2 now $349K, Sundial #H210 1/1 now $399K, Island Beach Club #240F 2/2 now $749K, Surfside 12 #A3 3/2 now $799K, Yacht Haven #2 3/2 now $1.049M, Sanibel Surfside #231 3/3.5 now $1.25M.

3 new sales: Spanish Cay #F7 1/1 listed at $249K, Pine Cove #204 2/2 listed at $1.45M, Atrium #207 2/2 listed at $1.55M.

3 closed sales: Captains Walk #B2 1/1 $214K (our listing & sale), Lighthouse Point #128 3/2 $650K (our listing & sale), Loggerhead Cay #143 2/2 $715K.

HOMES

6 new listings: 1418 Sanderling Cir 3/3 $699K, 6103 Starling Way 2/2 $739K, 247 Christofer Ct 3/2 $825K, 547 N Yachtsman Dr 4/3.5 $975K, 2552 Harbour Ln 3/2 $1.195M, 1035 Blue Heron Dr 3/2 $1.695M.

20 price changes: 9465 Coventry Ct 3/2 now $599,999; 573 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 now $645K; 3017 Turtle Gait Ln 3/2 now $689K; 749 Cardium St 3/2 now $689K; 678 Durion Ct 3/2 now $749.9K; 5747 Pine Tree Dr 3/3 now $795K; 405 Tiree Cir 3/2 now $799K; 1050 White Ibis Dr 4/3.5 now $849K (our listing); 1410 Albatross Rd 3/3 now $875K; 478 Sea Oats Dr 3/3 now $949K; 6123 Starling Way 3/2.5 now $969K; 1199 Par View Dr 3/2.5 now $999K; 1345 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 now $1.12M; 2984 Wulfert Rd 3/4 now $1.195M; 2282 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 now $1.295M; 1525 San Carlos Bay Dr 4/2 now $1.485M; 4630 Rue Bayou 4/4.5 now $1.495M; 2411 Blue Crab Ct 4/4.5 now $2.499M; 1136 Golden Olive Ct 4/4.5 now $2.59M; 3615 West Gulf Dr 3/2 now $2.95M.

Pool & water view at 1050 White Ibis Dr in Gulf Shores

13 new sales: 9248 Kincaid Ct 2/1 listed at $399K, 651 Donax St 4/2 duplex listed at $524.9K, 9277 Dimmick Dr 3/2 listed at $549K, 5306 Ladyfinger Lake Rd 3/2 listed at $595K, 6143 Henderson 4/3 listed at $599K, 955 S Yachtsman Dr 3/2 listed at $699K, 5306 Umbrella Pool Rd 4/3 listed at $749K, 1309 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 listed at $1.095M, 1126 Harbour Cottage Ct 3/2 listed at $1.169M, 569 Lighthouse Way 3/3 listed at $1.185M, 4992 Joewood Dr 3/3.5 listed at $1.365M, 5606 Baltusrol Ct 4/6 listed at $1.795M, 6170 Dinkins Lake Rd 3/3 listed at $2.374M.

2 closed sales: 9448 Cotton Ct 3/2 $800K, 742 Sand Dollar Dr 2/3 $900K.

LOTS

1 new listing: 223 Robinwood Cir $329K.

No price changes, new, or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Bayside Villas #4124 1/2 $399,999.

1 price change: Gulf Beach Villas #2004 2/2 now $638K.

1 new sale: Beach Villas #2636 2/2 listed at $759K.

1 closed sale: Beach Villas #2428 2/2 $625K.

HOMES

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 55 Sandpiper Ct 3/2 listed at $929K.

No closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

Enjoy your weekend!

Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association or Realtors® June Membership Meeting

SanibelSusan Realty Associates

Island Holiday Happenings

The Future of Southwest Florida International Airport

Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs Budget With Real Estate Priorities

Gov. DeSantis Announces Plan to Crack Down on Environmental Crimes

Construction Progress at BIG ARTS

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity June 21-28, 2019

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SanibelSusan Realty Happenings

Shell Market (Bourse) This Weekend

Sanibel’s Five-Star Library

Why Aren’t Boomers Downsizing Their Homes?

Don’t Feed Algae

Lenders Must Accept Private Flood Insurance Policies After July 1

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity June 14-21, 2019

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SanibelSusan Realty Associates

World Sea Turtle Day Kicks Off with a Free Guided Beach Walk

Governor’s Task Force Tackles Toxic Algae

Is Sea Rise Wrecking Coastal Home Values? The Answer: Maybe

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity June 7-14, 2019

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SanibelSusan Realty Associates

Summer Projects & Other Scoop

Condo Q&A: Who’s Responsible for Water Damage?

Captiva Testing Iguana Removal Program

Families & Friends of The Sanibel School

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Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

Is Vice President Pence Returning?

Sea Turtle Nests Up This Year

FREE Fishing Weekend

What’s a Homeowners’ Association To Do With Surplus Funds?

Florida Tax Holiday on Hurricane Supplies Begins Today

Sanibel’s Summer Youth Activities

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity May 24-31, 2019

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A Look at the Real Estate Market Nationally

Want Flood Insurance for Hurricane Season? Hurry Up!

Visit the BIG ARTS Construction Site

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity May 3-10, 2019

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SanibelSusan’s Real Estate Market Predictions

Upcoming Holiday Happenings

Recession Fears “Over Blown”

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity April 5-12, 2019

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Sanibel Historical Village Remains Open During BIG ARTS Construction

Condos, Rentals, Etc.: If You Break It, You Fix It

What Does a ‘Normal’ Housing Market Look Like? This One

Upcoming Island Events

What You May or May Not Want to Know About Termites

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 29-Apr 5, 2019

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March Association of Realtors® Membership Meeting

Flood Insurance Overhaul Starts Next Year

Fun Stuff

Shell Harbor Dredging

Kick-Off for Kevin Ruane’s County Commissioner Campaign

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 15-22, 2019

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At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

1st Meeting of the New Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District

Shell Identification App

Florida Homes Are Hot

Florida Realtors® & Dubai Land Dept. Sign Agreement to Encourage Collaboration

Island Water Reminders For Seasonal Residents

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 8-15, 2019

Enjoy your weekend!

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1^st Meeting of the New Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District