It’s SanibelSusan with another report about island real estate and happenings. Another sunny blue-sky Friday it is with local temperatures again expected to be record setting (low 90’s). The calendar says fall, but it still sure feels like summer.
Upcoming Events
As the roadways continue to fill up, the island events calendar also is in full swing. Below are some happenings scheduled this weekend, but first a photo taken this morning at Sanibel’s Pond Apple Park. Thanks to Yves-Pascal and Susanna for sharing. Look closely, they said they saw about 12 baby gators. They are cute when they are this size!
Island Paw’s 15th Annual Howl-O-Ween – Today from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Over Easy Café Patio with pet costume contest & fundraiser to benefit Flying Fur Animal Rescue.
11th Annual F.I.S.H. 10K Race – tomorrow, Saturday, Oct 26, race starts at 7:30 a.m. & finishes at The Community House. Sign-ups begin at 6:30 a.m. (SanibelSusan again is the volunteer guard for any vehicles entering/exiting Sanibel Square. Other Realtors® & Rotary volunteers will be on safety patrol at other driveway intersections along the route.) During the 10K Road Race, a Kids Race (up to age 10) will take place at the Sanibel Community Park (across the street from our office). The Kids Race is just for fun with all participating children to receive a ribbon and treat from Joey’s Custard.
34th Annual Bailey Fest – Sunday, Oct 27 from noon until 4 p.m. at Bailey’s Center. Free & open to the public, this is the Center’s annual thank you to their patrons. Festivities include parade featuring the king and queen from the Sanibel School (winners of the essay contest, “What Sanibel Means To Me”) & stage performances by the school’s steel drum band & elementary choir performing. Free food, pony rides, water slide, giveaways, games, & more.
Red Tide Update
The red tide reported in last week’s blog was short-lived, thank goodness. When I received two offers Sunday afternoon about the same time that social media was posting reports of bad smells and photos of fish washing up on the beach, I thought we might be in trouble. But, by Monday the worst of it was gone and most beaches were back to normal. Those darn red tide occurrences can be as unpredictable as shelling. Whenever there is a change in the weather or wind direction, it can affect what comes ashore. Some of what came ashore last week was red drift algae which as mentioned in earlier updates, is not the same as red tide. Last week’s red tide event was likely from an upwelling of nutrients from the ocean floor from recent gulf storms that triggered the algae blooms – a natural event that sometimes comes at the most inopportune time.
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission website posts the last eight days of their test results on their on-line map. Yesterday, that map showed just three spots of high red tide readings in Florida. Those were in the middle of Pine Island Sound between Captiva/North Captiva and St. James City. Today, Lighthouse Beach was also tagged as an area with high readings. Some medium readings were shown sporadically in a few areas from North Captiva to Marco Island Beach. Most Florida areas showed low to no evidence.
At West Wind Inn
This afternoon, I stopped at West Wind Inn’s Normandie Seaside Café for a quick lunch and to check the beach there. Though the wind was blowing on shore, I did not notice any smell or have any eye or throat irritation. The gulf was a little stirred up from the breeze, but there were swimmers in the water and pelicans diving.
West Wind’s café and bar manager, Kim who faithfully posts the best pictures from the Upper Deck poolside was working inside the restaurant, training up a new employee. Got smiles out of them both. West Wind is a long-time favorite of both locals and visitors. Music most nights at the Upper Deck for sunset and consistent reasonable meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Photo below by Kim at the Upper Deck on Wednesday.
Smiling gals at Normandie Seaside Café. Kim on right, with new employee Marlaina on left.
Lee County Property Fraud Alert Service
It sure is scary to hear about the fraud occurring these days. The below article was posted on-line in August by attorney Kaylee Tuck with Henderson-Franklin.
“Did you know that liens can be filed on your real property without your knowledge or consent, even if they’re not valid? Did you know those liens can affect title to your property? Did you also know someone can create a fraudulent deed that gives your real property to someone else? It’s all very scary and, unfortunately, happens frequently. That’s why the Lee County Clerk of Courts recently launched a new Property Fraud Alert program.
“The Property Fraud Alert program is completely free and allows subscribers to register their name (or any name) into the fraud alert system, and the system will alert registered users within 48 hours if a document has been recorded with the name of a registered user. This system will allow early detection of potentially fraudulent activity, which allows property owners to act fast and avoid issues down the road.
“Why is the system so important? Property owners will never know if an official record has been recorded in their name or on their property if they are not consistently monitoring Lee County’s official records. The Property Fraud Alert system does the work for you. If you are a registered user, the system will email you if a document has been recorded with your name on it. The email will also give you a link to review the recorded document. If the document is fraudulent or a mistake has been made, you have the opportunity to take immediate action to fix the potentially fraudulent activity
“Are you ready to subscribe yet? If so, just go to this link: https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/FraudAlert.
Enter the name of the person or business you want to monitor and the email address where you would like to receive the alerts. You can monitor as many names as you wish.
“Tips for subscribing: Use a personal email address that you check regularly. This system can’t help if alerts aren’t received. Register your name as follows:
- First and Last
- First, Middle, and Last
- First, Middle Initial, and Last
“The system will only notify the registered user if the name on the recorded document exactly matches the registered name. Make sure to register multiple variations of your name.
“Register yourself and other family members. There is no limit for how many names you choose to monitor, so keep an eye on yourself and your family.
“If you think you are a victim of a fraudulently recorded document, contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office fraud line at 239-258-3292 or by email at fraudline@sheriffleefl.org. You may also wish to contact an attorney to determine whether you should take legal action to undo the fraudulent recording.”
Sanibel’s Leaders Working for All of Us
Yesterday, City councilor and friend Holly Smith returned from her trip this week to the Capitol. She was there as part of the Florida League of Cities for an event called FAST (Federal Action Strike Team) Federal Fly-in to Washington DC. Sanibel’s City leaders sure work hard for us. Thank you, Holly!
Below is some info from her Facebook post:
Florida water warriors. East coast & west coast working together. Holly on the right, with Port St Lucie Councilor Jolien Caraballo & Florida Congressman Brian Mast in the center.
“I am part of the FAST Committee for the Florida League of Cities. About 55 Elected Officials from around the State work together in unified and diverse voices – we don’t wear our political affiliations on our sleeves -speaking to our outlined 2020 legislative priorities. This is a non-partisan advocacy trip to meet with various White House Departments, FL Congresswomen, FL Congressmen and our esteemed FL Senators Rubio and Scott to discuss and bring to attention these vital Federally-regulated issues.”
In addition to Holly, other Lee County municipally-elected officials participating included City of Fort Myers Councilwoman Teresa Watkins Brown, Village of Estero Mayor Bill Ribble, and Bonita Springs Councilman Fred Forbes, joined by a group of elected advocates. Here posting continued with:
“Our 2020 priorities (not in particular order) included:
“1. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) – We Floridians basically pay 3:1 or 4:1 Nationally. You all see your premiums increase. The Citizens of Florida should not bear the financial weight of National disasters. Our Ask – A long-term reauthorization NFIP package which provides affordability for existing and future policy holders, accurate flood mapping, resiliency incentives.
“2. Cyber Security – We have all seen the number of municipalities and private sector hit by Cyberattacks and held for ransom. This can and has been crippling and/or expensive to those compromised. We support Federal funding for technical assistance, threat assessments, employee training, infrastructure improvements and data protection to help cities be better prepared for the next cyberattack.
“3. ADA Compliance for Municipal Websites – I was the spokesperson to this issue for my group. There is a cottage industry of litigation throughout Florida stemming from unclear accessibility standards for Website ADA Compliance. I can speak from personal experience to this matter. Public and private sector entity websites across the state have seen a steady increase in legal claims. It’s a racket – settle for a specified amount – then no follow up. We need the DOJ to clarify the rules on Website Accessibility Standards. It was initiated – then halted. Let’s get this vague language eliminated and have rules of specificity we can all comply with. Also allow for a period to cure rather than awarding these unscrupulous attorneys to benefit unjustly. Some municipalities have literally had to shut down their public websites as they are unable to afford the cost of litigation
“4. Investing in Infrastructure, Water Supply and Water Quality – through grants, low-interest loans and technical Assistance. An estimated 48.71 Billion is needed over the next 30 years to meet the needs for drinking water, wastewater, flood control, nutrient pollution, Everglades Restoration and beach/inlet erosion. I don’t have to tell you how proactive Sanibel is in this priority. Mayor Kevin Ruane, Director James Evans, and I return to DC on Sunday to directly advocate for our Cities priorities.
“Other priorities included transportation infrastructure, broadband infrastructure funding opportunities, federal preemption of small wireless infrastructure deployment (meaning providers can now put up a structure in local rights of way without much, if any restrictions- so not right), advance refunding on municipal bonds, and Risk Rating 2.0 (urging FEMA to provide more details to better comprehend the impacts to Floridians).
“We also can claim victory as President Trump just approved one of our priorities: To approve a Category B reimbursement to offset the costs to local Governments incurred for emergency protective measures!
“Very grateful to all of our Federal Partners and Federal Elected Officials who were generous with their time and look forward to their efforts in helping us move these priorities forward. STAY TUNED!”
Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 18-25, 2019
Sanibel
CONDOS
5 new listings: Sundial #F205 1/1 $429K, Loggerhead Cay #332 2/2 $549K, Loggerhead Cay #263 2/2 $665K, Villa Sanibel #3A 2/2 $689K, Sand Pointe #212 2/2 $739K.
3 price changes: Sanibel Arms #D7 1/1 now $389K, Mariner Pointe #1052 2/2 now $519.9K, Cyprina Beach #1 3/3 now $1.395M.
2 new sales: Sanibel Arms West #E2 2/2 listed at $849K (our listing), White Pelican #114 2/2 listed at $850K.
3 closed sales: Sanibel Arms West #I1 2/2 $529K, Sunset South #6B 2/2 $538.6K, Gulfside Place #305 2/2 $1.15M.
HOMES
5 new listings: 1027 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 $499K, 1925 Roseate Ln 2/2 $669K, 5672 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 3/2 $715K, 979 Whelk Dr 3/2.5 $995K, 2268 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 $1.995M.
11 price changes: 1401 Sandpiper Cir 3/2.5 half-duplex now $499.9K; 1585 Bunting Ln 3/2 now $575K; 707 Cardium St 3/2 now $729K; 788 Nerita St 3/3 now $887K; 1244 Par View Dr 4/3 now $899K; 829 Birdie View Pt 4/3.5 now $1.08M; 815 Limpet Dr 3/3 now $1.699M; 4809 Tradewinds Dr 3/3.5 now $1.875M; 2391 Shop Rd 3/2.5 now $1.997M; 5615 Baltusrol Ct 4/6/3 now $2,999,999; 4709 Rue belle Mer 3/2 now $3.225M.
1 new sale: 572 Kinzie Island Ct 5/5 listed at $2.15M.
3 closed sales: 1695 Serenity Ln 3/2 $485K, 1119 Seagrape Ln 2/1 $689K, 4080 West Gulf Dr 3/2 $955K (our buyer).
LOTS
1 new listing: 6008 White Heron Ln $899K.
No price change or new sales.
1 closed sale: 5737 Baltusrol Ct $280K (our listing).
Captiva
CONDOS
No new listing.
1 price change: Tennis Villas #3220 1/1 now $335K.
No new or closed sales.
HOMES & 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.
Happy Halloween next week! SanibelSusan still is trying to come up with an outfit for the Realtors® Thursday Morning Caravan Meeting (& costume contest). Wish me luck!
Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan
Though business has improved a little, the real estate world here still hasn’t rebounded from the summer water woes. Snowbirds continue to arrive, but phones aren’t ringing much. I was out showing a couple of times and again met with owners thinking of selling. Teammate Dave has been out showing too and three of us will be out showing this weekend. Sure hope some of these lookers are real buyers.
Today in Boston at the National Association of Realtors® 2018 Conference and Trade Expo, “Florida Realtors® and the Panamanian Association of Real Estate Brokers and Promoters (ACOBIR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the cooperation of the two Realtor organizations in developing a mutually beneficial relationship for their respective association members. As posted on-line at FloridaRealtors®:
From the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s (SCCF’s) email blast this week:
The islands’ Association of Realtors® annual meeting last night included a report by President Dustyn Corace summarizing another good year for our healthy organization. Progress in the continued fight for better water quality and several fund-raising events for community charities were recognized, with contributors thanked for their help and participation. Congratulations to Realtors® George Kohlbrenner and Connie Walters, both elected to the incoming Board of Directors.
It was quiet at our office this week and our open houses didn’t yield many lookers. Like our colleagues, we look forward to reverting to the weekly Thursday morning caravan schedule next week.
Though Southwest Florida water conditions late this summer generated plenty of negative news, it was a good season for sea turtles nesting on Sanibel/Captiva and their hatchlings. According to SCCF’s (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation) Sea Turtle Program Coordinator and as reported today in the “Island Sun”: “This year’s nesting season was actually pretty good. We’ve had four record-breaking seasons in a row, and while we didn’t set any records this year, it was an above average season.”
Sanibel
Until next Friday, remember at SanibelSusan Realty, it’s all about treats – no tricks here! Happy Halloween!
Today is another sunny day on the islands where we are excited to report cooler temperatures and low humidity. It’s always a nice change to have windows open and to wear long-sleeves again. Those local changes also indicate changes up north too, with cooler norther temps resulting in more inquiries and a boost in business here. Temperatures today were expected to reach the low 80’s before another cool front arrives tomorrow after a few showers. Then, temperatures are expected to go into the 50’s at night, with days in the 70’s.
Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®
9th Annual 10K Race 4 F.I.S.H. – Tomorrow morning Oct 28 – Race begins at The Community House at 7:30 a.m. Periwinkle Way will be closed to one lane during the race.
Thanksgiving Beach Walk – Thursday Nov 23 from 8:45 to 10 a.m. with Doc Bruce, Sanibel Sea School, 414 Lagoon Dr. Walk the beach with him, learn about the eco-system, and explore creatures found along the way. Free & kid-friendly.
As of Wed, mySanibel.com reports that the “first sweep” of the island is 93.35% complete with 78.08 miles out of the 83.64 miles of roads completed. 28 streets (or a portion) out of 256 public and private roads remained to be done with two streets remaining due to sagging Comcast lines. City crews are using small vehicles to collect the debris on the roads blocked by Comcast lines.
Notice from City of Sanibel – “From Monday Oct 30 through Friday Nov 10 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., the vegetation along Periwinkle Way will be trimmed from Lighthouse Beach Park to Tarpon Bay Rd. Intermittent lane closes are expected. Drivers and pedestrians, please proceed slowly and cautiously through areas when workers are present.” 
Anyone who knows where I live, recognizes that I like my yard neat and trimmed. Thankfully, my landscaper does a good job of keeping it that way. One of my neighbors, on-the-other-hand, prefers the jungle look. Sometimes a few of their trees, a big one in particular, grow out over my property.
Last week, Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum held another educational event for those wanting to become Shell Ambassadors. You may have seen those folks on the beach, wearing blue tee-shirts and helping those shelling. One of these days, I hope to become a Shell Ambassador too, but in the meantime, I thought one of their handouts had some good info. Aka Important Contact Information, it includes some number that might come in handy if you see injured wildlife or perhaps a tourist violating a local rule. I’ve added the info to my website “Useful Phone #s & Links” tab. FYI, here it is:
Happy Halloween!