Another Friday has arrived. Since last week, the weather on Sanibel and Captiva Islands has continued to be summer-like. Days have been in the mid-to-high 70’s and low 80’s with plenty of sunshine and a few intermittent clouds. That is expected to change on Monday when a cool front arrives. Being originally from Maine, it still cracks me up when they say a cool-front is daytime temperatures in the 60’s – in January. That coolness may be short-lived though. Temperatures are expected to be back into the 70’s by Thursday.
Most years, island business picks up after January 15th, particularly when the snow is flying somewhere. This year there already has been good real estate action here. The changes reported since last Friday in the Sanibel/Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service are after a couple of news items below. (First a picture from our friend, Scott, who shares his wonderful island photos.)
Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® Installation of 2020 Officers & Awards Breakfast
Yesterday was the annual Islands Association of Realtors® installation of officers and awards breakfast at The Sanctuary. Florida Realtors® Director of Local Association Services, Anne Cockayne was the installing officer. Past-President Joel Goodman emceed, and I presented pal Mary Lou Bailey with her Realtor® Emeritus pin (She’s our third island Realtor® to reach this status – 40 years and an active leader.)
Our local Honor Society recognized 25 members for their professionalism through education, participation, and community service (my 27th year), while six members completed the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Specialist program, earning their SCIS designation. Congratulations to all.
SanibelSusan Realty Associates
This week, SanibelSusan teammate Dave held several Open Houses and saw a noticeable increase in visitors. We also had some good listing inquiries and have future showings scheduled. Elise got a big post card mailing out and will process two more next week. I showed property last weekend, Dave is showing this weekend, and we also had a nice 2-sided closing Tuesday, which was the last island sale in 2019. Big thanks to Simmons Law for getting the needed court motion processed in time for the 14-day closing.
Outside-the-Box Mortgage Solutions
One of our long-time Association of Realtors® Affiliate Members, Dan Royal, sent an e-mail this week that caught my eye. Dan is a Mortgage Loan Originator with American Momentum Bank. He has been financing island real estate for as long as I can remember. Did a loan for my husband and I when we first moved to Sanibel – long before our first sale here. Here are excerpts from Dan’s email:
“$860,000 Sundial Resort Condo mortgage just funded! Non-warrantable condos welcome here. Fannie Mae has “in the box” strict guidelines. Our Portfolio Loans are “outside the box”:
- 5% down to $1 million primary home purchase
- Non-warrantable/resort condo 15% down
- 0% down new professionals
- Construction loans to $5 million
- Foreign borrower loans to $3 million
- Investor loans to $3 million.
“Please contact me if you need some out of the box mortgage solutions.”
Reach Dan at DRoyal@AmericanMomentum.Bank or toll free at 866-530-2265.
Joanna Gaines: Keep These Tacky Items Out Of The House
I saw this article on-line a few weeks ago but saved it for sharing after the holidays. It is long but has some interesting, sometimes funny, points. Written by JJ Foster, posted 11/26/19 on www.BridesBlush.com:
“The Fixer Upper Has Spoken – If there’s one person who knows what it takes to put together an awesome living room, then it’s Joanna Gaines. The reality TV personality has spent the last few years hosting the show Fixer Upper with her husband Chip. Together, they renovate and redecorate people’s homes and have helped take “Farmhouse-chic” to another level of popularity. However, with an eye for great decoration, Gaines also knows what interior designers should avoid doing. The living room is a place for play, relaxation and family time, and Gaines has shared some of the tackiest things that homeowners should keep out of their living rooms.
“Fake Plants – Sure, real plants might attract a few creepy crawlies here and there, but there’s something about them that adds a whole lot of life to the living room. More often than not though, fake plants can stick out like a sore thumb and it’s clear that they are definitely not real. As far as Joanna Gaines is concerned, you’re better off having a living room without plants than one with fake ones. She thinks they are lifeless and extremely tacky.
“Chintz Wallpaper – Chintz is a form of textiles that can trace its origins all the way back to India. However, the design, which consists of flowery patterns, is recognized these days for being used in the rooms of many bed and breakfasts, especially in the New England area. Joanna Gaines certainly doesn’t want people making their living rooms resemble anything like this. In fact, it’s more likely to look like the kind of building that contains a tomb from the 1500s.
“Ruffled Furniture Skirts – While skirts are a perfectly acceptable clothing item for certain individuals to wear, furniture isn’t one of them. Anything that doesn’t have a heartbeat and is designed to be sat on in a living room shouldn’t be wearing a skirt. We’re looking at you, sofa, table, chairs and armchair. Ruffled skirts make a modern living room feel like it’s stuck in a much older era. Either expose those furniture legs or at the very least, give them a straight skirt instead.
“Plastic Storage – So many families use plastic storage as a more affordable option of putting away stationary appliances, clothes and virtually anything else. However, there is something about seeing these structures in a living room that screams out, “I shouldn’t be here.” If it’s a child’s living room, then it might make a bit more sense. But if your kids are fully grown and you want a living room that blends luxury with sophistication, then this is not the way to go.
“Bold-Colored Walls – Joanna Gaines can’t stand it when she walks into a living room and the walls have been painted in a really bold color. As a child, she remembered that the home her family moved into had the worst-looking walls imaginable and they needed to give them a completely new coat. Not only was the living room a disgusting lime-green color, but the dining room was in her words, “cherry-red.” If you’re living room looks like Sonic’s drive-thru menu, you know you’ve got problems.
“Bookcase Wallpaper – Joanna Gaines has lost count of the number of homes she has walked into and seen this kind of decoration plastered all over the back wall of the living room. Seriously, who are these people trying to fool? It is obviously not a real bookcase. If you want to show the world that you’re educated, get some shelves and put some books on them! The irony is that those who have this wallpaper probably don’t read that many books.
“Matching the Couch With Curtains – Joanna Gaines is a firm believer that curtains and couches shouldn’t be made from the same fabric – it just shouldn’t happen. However, this will be forgiven as long as they don’t share the exact same color or pattern. It’s important to diversify the living room, finding a balance between furniture that compliments each other, while also serving its own unique, aesthetic purpose. As far as the Fixer Upper is concerned, the living room should have a motif, not a uniform.
“Mandala Tapestries – While many young people decorate their homes with mandalas, they don’t necessarily know the spiritual symbolism of this Eastern pattern. Then, there are people who discover the pattern later on in life and decide it’s a nice thing to display on one of the walls in their living room. Joanna Gaines thinks that if you don’t share the philosophy that the mandala is connected to, then it’s best to move on and decorate your living room with something a bit more understated.
“White Rooms – While a white motif can be pleasant, you should never decorate your living room in just white. Fine, white walls can work, but think of it as a canvas in which you can add various other colors to it. At the end of the day, purely white rooms remind us too much of sterile hospitals, a place where people are often struggling to stay alive. Let’s not try to remind people of that in our living room. Also, it makes un-cleanable stains look so much more obvious.
“Weird Lamps – If your living room lamp has more arms than your fake plant has branches, then you need to watch some episodes of Fixer Upper as soon as possible! It is very easy to get carried away with the design of a lamp. If your lamp resembles the Burj al-Arab or some other uniquely designed skyscraper, then something’s seriously wrong. Definitely avoid the lamps that have multiple bulbs with different colored light filters. Just go with a traditional lamp with a shade.
“Cliché Art – While it’s perfectly normal to hang up art in the living room, Joanna Gaines hates it when people go for one of the most famous paintings and treats it like some sort of cool ornamental idea. If you are planning on hanging up a copy of Van Gogh’s Starry Night or Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa in your living room, then that’s a bad omen for the room in general. Why not go for a more obscure work of art by a famous artist? Stay original, folks.
“Mounted Animal Heads – While many hunters hang animal skulls on their walls like some sort of bragging rights, many people who are not hunters buy them and hang them too. However, Joanna Gaines has her own thoughts on the matter. Whoever’s hanging these in the living room obviously has no idea what they are doing. If you are responsible for that skull, at least put it somewhere where it is not going to upset anyone. The Fixer Upper has spoken!
“Futons – Unless you are between the age of 13 and 18 and frequently having friends over for slumber parties, a futon is no longer the way to go. By the time you have graduated from college and are out there in the real world, you should have enough funds to afford something a bit more elaborate than a futon. As we get older, it is our duty to outgrow certain things and futons should be, at the very least, the top five in that list.
“Temporary Furniture – While the aim of temporary furniture is to make it look like something that is cool but also a work in progress, Joanna Gaines has zero-tolerance for the concept. As far as she’s concerned, this kind of furniture has no place in the living room and homeowners should just go with traditional furniture instead. She believes that temporary furniture only looks cool for a couple of days, that’s until it breaks for one reason or another – it’s too fragile!
“Cluttered Cables – In the age of technology in which we live, it makes perfect sense to have a plethora of devices that have wires and cables hanging from them. This takes nothing away from the fact though that a pile of cluttered cables looks ugly on the eyes. A perfectionist like Joanna Gaines would never stand for such chaos in her living room, let alone anyone else’s. At the very least, hide those cables behind the TV table, away from visitors’ eyes.
“Cheesy Photo & Picture Frames – There are so many accessories out there that people use to display family photos on. More often than not, the frame itself can distract the person away from what matters the most – the photo. With tons of cheesy imagery and buzz words on either side of the photo, these tend to just get in the way. At the end of the day, a photo needs a frame, not a dramatic canvas that might be telling a completely different story. Stick to a frame – plain and simple.
“Plastic Couch Covers – People put plastic covers on their couches for a variety of reasons. While some apply them to prevent pets from causing damage to them, others use them so that they don’t spill something on them. Either way, a plastic couch cover is always for practical reasons, not aesthetic ones. It’s less to do with the fact that it looks tacky – it just looks terrible in any situation. At the very best, it looks like the scene of a crime.
“Shot Glass Collections – Whether it be stamps, coins or Coca-Cola cans, everyone seems to have something they love to collect. However, we’d never advise hanging your collection up in the living room. Joanna Gaines especially detests it when people decide to show off their shot glass collection as some sort of living room ornament. While it may have impressed your friends back during the college years, it just looks kind of sad by the time you reach your mid-30s. Collect something new and hide it somewhere!
“Gold Fixtures – There was a time that gold fixtures were a standard “fixture” in pretty much every other house, and that was back in the ’80s. For some reason, there are families who have hung onto those gold fixtures for the last 30 years and, unsurprisingly, they have weathered and no longer look as shiny and glorious as they used to. Maybe one piece of gold furniture here and there is acceptable, but gold motif for the living room is unacceptable unless you are a Saudi prince.
“Pallet Coffee Tables – A trend that has been floating around the world of interior design is DIY pallet furniture. Better known for being used to transport large objects on forklifts, interior designs are now making pieces of furniture out of these wooden structures. One of the examples is the coffee tables which is made out of pallet. While some families might like their living rooms looking like a pile of lumber, Joanna Gaines wouldn’t be seen dead with this type of coffee table in her home.
“Shag Carpeting – While some people might like the cosy feel that shag carpeting provides, Joanna Gaines is certainly not a fan. She believes that this design trend should have stayed in the ’70s where it belongs. She compared the texture and the appearance of shag carpeting to that of wigs. Moreover, she believes it would have the same effect if you laid some hairpieces on the living room floor instead. While it might be a matter of taste, this is not Gaines’ “cup of tea.”
“Wood Paneling – There is something about wood paneling that just screams out a 1980s thriller, with the likelihood of someone in the family going on a violent rampage at some stage. Joanna Gaines believes that this style goes against what a living room represents – relaxation, fun and family time. Unless you actually live in a cabin in the woods, wood paneling is extremely dated and should have no place in any part of your home whatsoever, never mind your living room!
“Curtain-less Windows – Seeing that we are encouraged to avoid using so much electricity and resort to natural lighting, you’d think that it would be recommended to refrain from applying curtains to your living room windows. A bit of natural lighting could do your home the world of good, right? Well, gone are the days that you can kick back with a tub of ice cream in private, people are always going to see what you’re doing as they walk past.
“Blanket Ladders – If you want to have a living room that looks rustic, at least don’t make it look as if you’re trying so hard to be. One tacky design choice that is indicative of this is a blanket ladder. While these were more commonplace back in the 1800s or in one of the stories from Little House on the Prairie, some have decided to bring a ladder back and use it to hang blankets on in their living room. What’s wrong with just leaving them on the sofa?
“Barn Doors – Our only theory for this one is that someone who was having way too much fun one night ended up trespassing on someone’s farm, stole a couple of barn doors and then woke up the next day with them leaning on the wall of their living room. While Pinterest has undoubtedly built up the hype of having barn doors in our homes, and Joanna Gaines is a farmhouse chic specialist, we have no interest. If it’s not being used in a barn, it shouldn’t be used.”
Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity January 10-17, 2020
Sanibel
CONDOS
4 new listings: Sanibel Arms #A7 1/1 $359K, Sanibel Moorings #1512 2/2 $549K, Loggerhead Cay #514 2/2 $1.045M, Sanddollar #C201 2/2 $1.199M.
6 price changes: Sanibel Inn #3514 2/2 now $725K, Sand Pointe #227 2/2 now $739K, Pointe Santo #D32 2/2 now $749K, Oceans Reach #3A1 2/2 now $894.9K, Sundial #E108 3/2 now $1.225M, La Playa #B1 3/2 now $1.299M.
4 new sales: Sandpebble #1A 2/2 listed at $439K, Blind Pass #F204 2/2.5 listed at $445K, Sanibel Shores #A2 2/2 listed at $459K, Sand Pointe #227 2/2 listed at $739K.
No closed sales.
HOMES
7 new listings: 1667 Atlanta Plaza Dr 2/2.5 $439K, 1339 Tahiti Dr 3/2 $540K, 1774 Bunting Ln 3/2 $659K, 1068 White Ibis Dr 3/3 $759K, 940 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 $948K, 5633 Baltusrol Ct 4/4.5 $1.949M, 1314 Seaspray Ln 5/5.5 $6.995M.
13 price changes: 1684 Bunting Ln 2/2 now $489.5K; 430 Old Trail Rd 3/2.5 now $547K; 1536 Bunting Ln 3/2 now $588,595; 433 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 now $629K; 678 Durion Ct 3/2 now $649K; 1567 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 now $799K; 5659 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 2/2 now $800K; 1010 Kings Crown Dr 3/3 now $997K; 2857 Wulfert Rd 4/5 now $1.199M; 1671 Hibiscus Dr 5/3 now $1.249M; 1133 Golden Olive Ct 3/3.5 now $2.269M; 3009 Turtle Gait Ln 4/4.5 now $2.595M; 5145 Joewood Dr 5/4.5 now $2.75M.
6 new sales: 1458 Sandpiper Cir 3/2.5 half-duplex listed at $489.9K, 4619 Brainard Bayou Rd 3/2 listed at $595K, 668 Anchor Dr 3/2 listed at $958.5K, 2739 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 listed at $1.375M, 228 Violet Dr 4/2/2 listed at $1.749M, 5618 Baltusrol Ct 4/4/2 listed at $2.195M.
7 closed sales: 401 Raintree Pl 3/1.5 412.5K; 1558 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 $565K (our listing & sale); 238 Daniel Dr 3/2 $747,126; 245 Christofer Ct 3/2 $750K; 1121 Skiff Pl 3/3 $985K; 526 N Yachtsman Dr 3/2 $995K; 572 Kinzie Island Ct 5/5 $2.15M.
LOTS
1 new listing: 1331 Par View Dr $349K.
1 price change: 1837 Buckthorn Ln now $599K.
No new or closed sales.
Captiva
CONDOS
No new listings.
1 price change: Lands End Village #1667 2/2 now $1.189M.
No new sales.
1 closed sale: Bayside Villas #4212 1/2 $345K.
HOMES
3 new listings: 15000 Binder Dr 3/2 $1.325M, 16801 Captiva Dr 5/5 $2.295M, 16531 Captiva Dr 8/8 $2.85M.
No price changes or new sales.
2 closed sales: 11509 Chapin Ln 4/4 $1.325M, 11559 Laika Ln 2/2/2 $4.25M.
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.
Until next Friday, enjoy your weekend!
Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan
At the office, I was out showing property two days which resulted in a home sale today, while teammate Dave also showed property and opened listings for showings, plus accompanied home inspectors, contractors, and held some Open Houses. Business is picking up and the roadways are busier too. The report of the week’s action posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.
One water quality solution is the new Caloosahatchee (C-43) West Basin Storage Reservoir which will intercept and store water released from Lake Okeechobee and stormwater runoff. It will reduce discharges from the lake into the Caloosahatchee Estuary during the rainy season and will allow water managers to deliver freshwater to the river and the estuary during the dry season when it is needed.
Islanders continue to also sing the praises of Sanibel resident Chauncey Goss, SFWMD Governing Board Chairman. The SFWMD is working to build the embankments and perimeter canals, allowing the two-cell reservoir to hold 170,000 acre-feet of water. Fourteen water control structures and public recreational features also will be incorporated into the site which is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
There were lots of island Halloween events yesterday for both children and grown-ups, including a costume contest at the Association of Realtor® Caravan Meeting. Those Thursday morning meetings where we announce new listings, new sales, and price reductions will continue right through “season”. SanibelSusan’s fortune-teller costume lost out to Willy Nelson and another called “Condo Rider”, but my prediction stands for strong healthy real estate sales this winter.
Sunday, Nov 3 – Fourth Annual Sanibel Blues & Jazz Fest – from noon to 7 p.m. at Bailey’s Backyard behind Bailey’s Shopping Center. Bring your own chair, food & beverages available for purchase. $20 general admission at the event entrance. Funds raised aid the Sanibel-Captiva Optimist Club charities.
Here are a few areas where you may experience road delays next week. Info from 
Sanibel
Until next Friday, here’s to a new month and more fall fun!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club – Though the Shell Museum remains closed while the new Aquarium construction completes, the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club’s first meeting of the season is this Sunday, October 13 at the Sanibel Community House beginning at 2 p.m.
Sanibel Historical Village – reopens Tues, October 15 and will be open Tues-Sat from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with guided tours at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Season highlights include several Twilight Talks and their annual gala fundraiser February 18 at The Community House. The talks are at noon on the 1st Mondays, December through March. New museum volunteers are always needed. Training begins November 4. More info at 
13th Annual Tower Gallery Attic Sale– Fri & Sat, October 18 & 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
South Seas Hosting World Championship Hobie Class Races – from Nov 1-16. This is the 1st time since 1984, that these races are being held in the U.S. and the 1st time in SW Florida. According to race organizers, the Hobie 16 World Championships is the only sailboat class in the world to supply brand new identical boats for all competitors to race. The course will be just off Sunset Beach, at the north end of Captiva. Sailboat racing fans may enter the resort entry gate and proceed to hotel registration where $5 per vehicle will be collected, parking pass issued, and wristbands provided for each spectator. Tickets also are available for special events (
2019 Taste of The Islands – Sun, November 10 from noon to 5 p.m. at Sanibel Community Park with CROW’s animal ambassadors and silent auction in The Community House. The participating restaurants were announced this week including The Bubble Room, The clam Shack, Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, The Jac Island Bar & Grille, Matzaluna The Italian Kitchen, MudBugs Cajun Kitchen, Rosie’s Café & Grill, Sanddollar Restaurant, Sanibel Deli & Coffee Factory, Sanibel Fish House, Shima Japanese Steakhouse, T2 (Traders 2), Thistle Lodge, and The Timbers Restaurant & Fish Market.
Coastal Watch 3rd Annual Fundraiser, The Launch – Sat, November 16 from 6 to 10 p.m. at The Community House, in support of local conservation initiatives.
The below article was posted on-line this week at Florida Realtors®.
Best wishes for a fun holiday!
The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® transition to their new Multiple Listing Service continues for the second week with kinks continuing to be worked out as the system and its reports are fine-tuned to our geographic areas. If you previously received automatic email updates about a particular property type, those databases did not convert with the transition, but I am s-l-o-w-l-y setting up new searches so that you will begin receiving listings again.
Mid-week, Dave and I visited a couple of condos at Sundial Resort. It was surprising to see so few vehicles there, but like at other complexes in September, associations are making good use of the downtime. At Sundial West, the building walkways and stairs were being pressure washed.
The Chamber of Commerce has posted the below list of island temporary restaurant closures. As in past years, many take staff vacations now, do annual deep cleans, and fix-ups before “season”.
Rosie’s Café & Grill is back. After a year-long absence Rosie’s reopened recently in its former location in Palm Ridge Place. The restaurant dates back a few decades when it went by the name Rosie’s Deli & Market and was on Sanibel’s east end. The 4th generation of owners, Joanne Fitzgerald and Irving Gavin, bought the restaurant in 2009 when it was still on the east end. (Gavin is the son of Eugene, of the well-known Gavin family that settled on Sanibel in 1914.) The restaurant relocated to its current location, reopening in 2012 under the name Rosie’s Café & Grill. Currently serving breakfast and lunch; dinner will be available in-season starting in Nov. In addition to their former menu and Royal Scoop ice cream, Rosie’s now serves barbeque and soon will expand with a new bakery. Hours now are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tues through Sat.
Captiva Triathlon – is this weekend, Sat and Sun Sep 7 and 8. As a reminder, Captiva Drive will be closed tomorrow at 6:45 a.m. and remain closed until the bike segment of the race is complete. The USAT-sanctioned adult sprint triathlon is a ¼-mile swim, 10-mile bike, and 3.1-mile (5K) run on Captiva. The swim will be in the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the bike will cover the length of Captiva on closed roads, and the run will be on the golf course path along the Gulf and Redfish Pass at South Seas Island Resort. On Sunday, there will be three age groups for the USAT National Splash n’ Dash race:
2nd Annual Flip-Flop Family Scavenger Hunt – This Sanibel Sea School fundraiser will kick-off at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct 5, at Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church at 2304 Periwinkle Way. At check-in, each scavenger team (up to eight individuals) will be given a book of clues and challenges, each worth a set number of points. Included are clues that could be easily solved by younger children. Through the hunt, participants will use their knowledge of the island, marine biology, and local folklore to earn points. Along the way, teams will visit several Sanibel locations, where they may be asked to take a photo or bring back a specific shell or artifact to prove the visit. The Sea School says, “The key to hosting a successful scavenger hunt is creating clues that can be solved by anyone in the family, no matter their age.” The event is expected to be completed by 3 p.m. At the finish line check-in station, staff will tally all points collected by each team. Those teams will be able to “buy” letters with their points earned in order to solve the final puzzle. The team that solves the final puzzle correctly first will determine the winner, but that might not necessarily be the team that tallies the most points. Cost to participate is $25 per person. Participants must provide their own transportation. All proceeds will support the nonprofit’s scholarship fund which provides ocean experiences to thousands of area children each year. Tickets may be purchased on line at 
Annual CROW Classic Golf Tournament – Also on Saturday, Oct 5 at The Sanctuary is the annual CROW Classic Golf Tournament. Shotgun starts at 12:30 p.m. with check-in at 11 a.m. and lunch at 11:30. Player registration is open to 100 golfers. It features 18 holes, a helicopter ball drop, and chances to score prizes. Players may sign up as a foursome, or as individuals and will be matched up as a team. All of the proceeds from the tournament will benefit the animals at CROW, their care, public education, training, etc. The community is encouraged to sign up to play or purchase some helicopter balls. Players can register to play (through Sep 16) and players/non-players can purchase balls (through Oct 3) at 
“Northeastern states and Utah, Colorado and Wyoming have experienced extreme warming while many southern states have experience little change. Some have even cooled slightly. Florida has seen slight to moderate change. For the full report go to The Washington Post of August 13, 2019.
Until next Friday, wishing everyone a great weekend & week,
The SanibelSusan Team has been manning the office all week, while I am in Orlando attending the Florida Realtors 2019 Convention, Trade Expo, and Annual Meetings.
As reported in this week’s “Island Sun”: On August 20, the Lee County Board of Commissioners voted in favor of supporting the acquisition of the 68-acre Wulfert Bayous parcel. The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) and the JN “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge have been working with the county on the collaboration for more than a year to make the acquisition a reality.
Sunday, Oct 20, in preparation for the Refuge’s 75th Anniversary Celebration, this year’s “Ding” Darling Day is full of the best traditions and it’s FREE. Here’s a summary:
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.
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.
“25th 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.
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.
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.
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 
Posted this week on FloridaRealtors® and sourced to the “Wall Street Journal” (04/01/19):
19th Annual SanCap Cares Celebration – Sunday, April 7, at The Sanctuary, to benefit Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. More info at 
“Octifest” on the Beach – Sanibel Sea School Fundraiser, Saturday, April 13, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Sanibel Causeway Island A. Tickets at 
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!
It’s SanibelSusan with the week’s real estate update. As the end of “high season” approaches and with continued price reductions, it has become a great time to buy. Now that it’s almost the end of first quarter, below are sales statistics followed by some recent articles about real estate and the economy.
The below are article was posted on Florida Realtors® Wednesday and sourced to Freddie Mac. Today, Florida Realtors® also posted that mortgage rates just made their biggest drop in a decade.
Sanibel School Seahorse Festival 2019
“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.
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.
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. (
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.
