Sure Doesn’t Feel Like January on Sunny Sanibel

Sea Oats

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.)

 

SZ6A6936

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® Installation of 2020 Officers & Awards Breakfast

Sanibel realtors logoYesterday 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.)

2020 BODOur 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

SanibelSusan Realty from Periwinkle WayThis 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:

American_Momentum_Bank_Logo“$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

BridesBlushlogo_v2I 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:

tacky-houses-joanna-101“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

realtor-mlsSanibel

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.

istockphoto-512459044-612x612Until next Friday, enjoy your weekend!

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Happy November Has Begun on Sunny Sanibel

Though November is here, it was sunny summer weather again this week on Sanibel and Captiva Islands. The bright blue skies are great, but it would be wonderful to be rid of record-breaking high temperatures. Looking ahead, the island forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-80’s for the next ten days. If we get lucky, some evenings may go down into the high 60’s.

At SanibelSusan Realty

office pix 09-12-17At 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.

Red Tide Update

This week, evidence and reports of red tide have varied day-to-day and hour-to-hour with changes in wind direction, tides, and weather. The latest red tide sampling map posted by Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission shows high concentrations at Blind Pass, just off the Captiva beach, and in Pine Island Sound. Medium concentrations are noted at beach at end of Tarpon Bay Rd and at Lighthouse Beach. Concentrations also are high on Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Beaches, and Naples. A cool snap sure might help.

Ground Breaking for C-43 Reservoir

C43 reservoir.jpgOne 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.

Last Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited the C-43 site to break ground on the embankments and canals. “This is a big step forward in expediting one of our most important Everglades restoration projects,” DeSantis said. “Once complete, the C-43 Reservoir will store approximately 55 million gallons of water, with 19 miles of embankments and 15 miles of canals to reduce harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee and help bring the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary back to health. I thank our partners at the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the Department of Environmental Projection who I know will work hard to see this project through.”

sfwmd LOGOIslanders 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.

Island Happenings

2019 HalloweenThere 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.

sanibel Jazz festival pixSunday, 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.

Roadways & Construction

Sanibelcityseal logoHere are a few areas where you may experience road delays next week. Info from http://www.mySanibel.com.

Periodic Lane Closures Coming on Island – The project to install new overhead signs approaching the island, on McGregor Blvd (Summerlin between Shell Point and the toll both) has been extended through next Fri, Nov 8.

Inspection of 3 Bridges – by Florida Department of Transportation will occur on the causeway bridges between Nov 5 and 7. The first two days most of the work will be done from barges below, but on Thursday, there may be roadway lane shifts.

Vegetation Trimming – on south side of San-Cap Rd from Blind Pass to Tarpon Bay Rd through next Friday, Nov 8.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 25 – November 1, 2019

paragon black knight logoSanibel

CONDOS

8 new listings: Spanish Cay #F8 2/2 $399K, Sundial #H307 1/1 $419K, Sundial #C210 1/1 $485K, Mariner Pointe #721 2/2 $534K, Sanibel Siesta #108 2/2 $579K, Compass Point #222 2/2 $695K, Kings Crown #213 2/2 $799K, Sanctuary Golf Villages #4-1 3/3 $925K.

4 price changes: Cottage Colony West #102 1/1 now $589K, Island Beach Club #P1A 2/2 now $619K, Loggerhead Cay #192 2/2 now $745K, Sanibel Moorings #1111 2/2 now $947K.

4 new sales: Yacht Haven #4 3/2 listed at $869K, Compass Point #181 2/3 listed at $1.195M, Villas of Sanibel #A102 3/3 listed at $1.295M, Gulfside Place #326 2/2 listed at $1.449M.

No closed sales.

HOMES

5 new listings: 5303 Ladyfinger Lake Rd 3/2 $679K, 3256 Twin Lakes Ln 3/3 $724.9K, 706 Nerita St 3/2 $774K, 1031 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 $820K, 938 Pecten Ct 3/2.5 $1.039M.

5 price changes: 430 Old Trail Rd 3/2.5 now $579K, 4245 Gulf Pines Dr 3/2 now $700K, 1717 Venus Dr 3/2.5 now $1.199M, 872 Limpet Dr 3/3 now $1.495M, 1238 Isabel Dr 4/4.5 now $3.595M (our listing).

View

The home is just as stunning as the view at 1238 Isabel Dr in Sanibel Harbours!

 

4 new sales: 256 Daniel Dr 3/2 listed at $747K, 9436 Yucca Ct 3/2 listed at $839K (our buyer), 788 Nerita St 3/3 listed at $887K, 5615 Baltusrol Ct 4/6/3 listed at $2,999,999.

3 closed sales: 1060 White Ibis Dr 3/2 $735K, 1305 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 $925K, 772 Birdie View Pt 3/3.5 $1.1M.

LOTS

No new listings.

1 price change: 1303 Par View Dr now $319K.

No new or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

2 closed sales: Sunset Beach Villas #2216 1/1 $483.5K, Beach Villas #2426 1/1 $512.5K.

HOMES

1 new listing: 14865 Mango Ct 2/2 $1.295M.

1 price change: 15879 Captiva Dr 3/3 now $2.489M.

No new or closed sales.

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.

We love fallUntil next Friday, here’s to a new month and more fall fun!

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Pre-Halloween Happenings & Good Real Estate Action at SanibelSusan Realty

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!

IMG_8834

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.

baileyfest 201934th 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.

Floria Fish & Wildlife LogoFlorida 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.

IMG_8835IMG_8838

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.

2019-10-24 WW pool bar

IMG_8840.jpg

Smiling gals at Normandie Seaside Café. Kim on right, with new employee Marlaina on left.

Lee County Property Fraud Alert Service

henderson-franklinIt 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

2019-10-23 DC Federal fly inYesterday, 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:

Port St Lucie Councilor Jolien Caraballo Congressman Brian Mast

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.

Halloween treat-clipart-halloweenHappy 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

No Snow Here, But This Egret Sure is White!

It’s SanibelSusan reporting that the island roadways are getting busier. With 2018 off, it sure is great to again see activity pick up in October. In the summer, I often make a quick trip home during the noon lunch hour. That 2.9-mile trip up Periwinkle, in the off-season, usually takes about seven minutes. By yesterday, that time had expanded to 15 minutes. But, that’s OK, businesses need those returning owners and visitors.

Island friends, Ed and Ellie stopped in this week to say “hello” and Ellie shared the below photo she took at the Sanibel fishing pier. I told her this beauty will be the star of this week’s blog! It’s a beautiful great white egret (I think), not a snowy egret. Those are smaller and have the opposite coloring – still bright white, but black beak and yellow feet. Great white herons are similar too. Also large and their coloring is like the great white egret, but they have large heavy bills. If I guessed wrong, I bet a birder will set me straight!

2019-10 Ellie's bird

It still feels like summer! Weather this week cooled down to the high 80’s (degrees F) during the days, low 70’s at night – mostly sunny with occasional showers inland off-island. We need rain, so on Saturday the Army Corps of Engineers initiated minimum water flows from Lake O to the Caloosahatchee estuary. During certain times of the year, scientists say water releases like this are necessary to maintain a health estuary. The releases were expected to continue until tomorrow.

With the news reporting big weather changes elsewhere – huge temperature drops, plus snow and ice storms. That should make Sanibel & Captiva even more appealing.

Teammate Elise advises that the Lee County Schools first quarter ends today – that was fast. Local kiddos also get a full week off for Thanksgiving vacation this year, usually they just get a few days.

We did not have a local Association of Realtors® Caravan meeting this week. Next Thursday is our annual meeting. After a few news items below, check out the action since last Friday reported in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service. You will notice that in comparison to last week, there was not much. We hope that changes with the holiday weekend and that you enjoy your weekend too!

Vice President Pence to Visit Sanibel Again This WeekendVice Presidents Logo

Once again, the island is a twitter with the news that Vice President Mike Pence is expected to make another trip to Southwest Florida this weekend. A TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) has been issued for VIP movement at Southwest Florida Regional Airport and southern Sanibel Island from Thursday at 11:45 p.m. through Sunday at 12:00 p.m.

During that time, the airspace around Sanibel has been designated as “national defense airspace,” which is common when the president or vice-president visits an area. The Sanibel Causeway and other roads are expected to close at times during the high-profile visit, but please know that it is not much of a disruption. He stays at a client’s home here that is off the beaten path so unless you happen to be on Periwinkle or the Causeway when he is on the move, you probably won’t even know that he is in town.

Process for Registering Sanibel Short-Term Rentals

Sanibelcityseal logoRecently, Sanibel City Council approved establishing a registration process for island short-term rentals. Council supports an ordinance to create registration of dwelling rentals and rental licenses. The purpose of the process is to regulate and ensure compliance of non-resort housing and platform vacation rentals like Airbnb and to preserve the character of residential neighborhoods. (It is basically a record and licensure process to ensure that rules already in place are followed. Sanibel Code says that compliant resort dwellings have no rental time or frequency limit, while non-resort dwellings must be rented for four consecutive weeks or more.) More on this in the weeks to come.

Events & ReOpenings

“Season” begins with lots of annual happenings:

Sanibel shellsSanibel-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.

historical village logoSanibel 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 www.sanibelmuseum.org

Tower gallery13th Annual Tower Gallery Attic Sale– Fri & Sat, October 18 & 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. www.towergallery.net

 

4th Annual Sanibel Blues & Jazz Fest – Sun, November 3 from noon to 7 p.m. in the backyard of Bailey’s Center sponsored by the Sanibel-Captiva Optimist Club. Annual fundraiser for the club’s charities, including scholarships and summer youth programs at the Sanibel Rec Center. sanibel Jazz festival pixPerformances by islander Johnny Jensen at 1 p.m., the local Marty Stokes Band at 2 p.m., Sean Chambers featured on the U.S. Billboard Blues Album Chart at 3:30 p.m., & British Blues Hall of Famer Matt Schofield at 5 p.m. A jam session featuring all of the performers ends the event. Tickets at www.eventbrite.com, Bailey’s General Store, Sanibel-Captiva Community Bank, & George & Wendy’s Seafood Grille.

Hobie cat race 2019.pngSouth 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 (www.hobieclass.com).

crow-logo2019 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 keepers loglCoastal 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.

UCF Economist: Recession No Threat to Florida

Florida Realtors logoThe below article was posted on-line this week at Florida Realtors®.

“ORLANDO, Fla. – Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Forecasting, expects Florida’s economy to grow faster than the U.S. economy over the next three years.

His third-quarter economic forecast indicates that the state’s “powerful” economy will produce a higher percentage of jobs than the nation and attract more job seekers from other states through 2022. Snaith predicts that much of the job growth will come from the professional/business services, education/health care services, and construction sectors.

““Florida’s economy continues to hit on all cylinders, and there are no economic storm clouds on the horizon,” he says. “Our biggest challenge over the upcoming years will revolve around how best to manage and facilitate economic growth.” In addition, Snaith says the fundamentals of the state’s housing market remain “solid,” and economic and job growth and the influx of retiring baby boomers should continue to support the upward trend on sales.

““Low inventories of existing homes for sale and lagging housing starts growth contribute to an environment where home prices continue to rise,” Snaith adds. “The shortage in the single-family market will be rectified as the pace of single-family housing starts to ramp up over the next several years. Single-family housing starts in 2022 are expected to increase by 79.7% from 2014 levels.””

Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune (10/03/19) Hielscher, John

© Copyright 2019 INFORMATION INC., Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 4 – 11, 2019

Sanibel realtors logoSanibel

CONDOS

3 new listings: Sunset South #2C 2/2 $609K, Sanibel Inn #3512 2/2 $727.5K, Sundial #J208 2/2 $769K.

No price changes, new, or closed sales.

HOMES

3 new listings: 610 Hideaway Ct 3/2.5 $629K, 1163 Seagrape Ln 4/4 $1.295M, 550 N Yachtsman Dr 3/3 $1.35M.

5 price changes: 1401 Sandpiper Cir 3/2.5 half-duplex now $504.9K, 1717 Sand Pebble Way 3/2 now 645K, 1676 Middle Gulf Dr 3/2 now $825K, 1285 Par View Dr 4/2.5 now $889K, 982 Whelk Dr 3/2.5 now $1.15M.

3 new sales: 1800 Ardsley Way 3/2 listed at $695,555; 198 Southwinds Dr 3/2 listed at $699.9K; 823 Birdie View Pt 4/3 listed at $799K.

No closed sales.

LOTS

No new listings.

1 price change: 1837 Buckthorn now $629K.

No new or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Lands End Village #1619 2/2 $1.549M.

2 price changes: Bayside Villas #5136 1/2 now $419K, Bayside Villas #5228 1/2 now $429K.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

1 new listing: 11528 Andy Rosse Ln 1/2.5 $2.9M.

No price changes.

1 new sale: 17041 Captiva Dr 2/2 listed at $1.699M.

No closed sales.

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.

christopher-columbus-day-clip-art-661308Best wishes for a fun holiday!

SanibelSusan Realty will be open so you won’t need Columbus. We can help you find what you want!

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

 

A Sunny Warm Grateful Friday on Sanibel Island

It is SusanSusan reporting that all is well on Sanibel after a fearful few days of Dorian-watching. It certainly was heart-breaking to see the devastation in the Bahamas. The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® has teamed with the Over Easy Café and is a drop-off point for Bahamas donations. The first two days of contributions at Over Easy have already been delivered to their next destination, with collections continuing for at least another week.

As probably expected, the holiday weekend here turned into a bust with many visitors/vacationers opting to cancel their plans. There has been very little traffic on Periwinkle all week. Some pretty spectacular sunrises and sunsets, though.

Sanibel sunset 2011

SanibelSusan Realty Associates

Though a quiet week, the team and I were happy to get a new listing in Sanibel Bayous over the weekend. Then, on Tuesday, teammate Dave got all of our listing “for sale” signs back in place.

paragon black knight logoThe 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.

The new system offers a Collaboration Center where both prospective buyers and sellers may access the system, make changes to their search criteria, save favorite listings, delete others, and request additional information. If you would like your email address to be set up for a search followed by automatic notifications, just let us know.

sundial-logoMid-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.

At our listing at Sanibel Arms West, the building is being painted this month, with no rental bookings allowed until Oct 5. Showings still will be permitted, however, so we are trying to drum some up. It gets tough with income-producing properties to get access “in season”, so now is a good time for those investors to be looking.

View c

View from Sanibel Arms West #E2

At the Caravan Meeting yesterday at the islands’ Association of Realtors®, there were few announcements, and no new listings were open for viewings. That break in the usual program provided a nice opportunity for me to pass along a couple of the “giving keys” that I purchased recently at the Florida Realtors® RPAC Jamboree. “Giving keys” are typical-looking house keys, but each is stamped with an inspirational word. Worn on a chain around your neck. “Giving keys” are to be enjoyed, then shared, by passing them along to someone else who also may be inspired by their message. I passed along three keys, “hope”, “trust”, and “strong” to Association members Kasey Albright, Megan Rose, and Mary Lou Bailey, encouraging them to also “pay them forward”.

After a couple of news items below, you will find an update of the activity posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service since last Friday.

Temporary Closings

dining clip artThe 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”.

Restaurants Closed
Blue Rendezvous French Bistro Now through Oct
Blue Giraffe Sep 2-16
Gramma Dot’s Sep 3-26
Il Cielo Now through Oct
Joey’s Custard Sep 20-Oct 3
Lighthouse Waterfront Restaurant Month of Sep
Over Easy Café Sep 9-19
Pecking Order Closed Sundays thru Sep
Sand Dollar (Sanibel Island Beach Resort) Breakfast only

Dinner only Fri & Sat

Schnapper’s Sep 3-16
Sweet Melissa’s Sep 8-30
Traders Sep 16-30
T2 Sep 16-30
Traditions Closed Sundays thru Oct 20

Closed Sep 1-22, & Nov 16

Island Cinema – Also closed temporarily for annual maintenance is Island Cinema in the Bailey’s Shopping Center. It is closed all month and expects to reopen in early Oct.

rosieRosie’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.

Upcoming Events

PrintCaptiva 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:

  • Ages 6-8: 100-yard swim, 0.5-mile run
  • Ages 9 & 10: 100-yard swim, 1-mile run
  • Ages 11-15: 200-yard swim, 1-mile run

The race is to benefit Community Cooperative’s Growing Healthy Kids and Mobile Food Pantry programs. More info at https://www.gearedup.biz/.

Sanibel Sea School2nd 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 www.sanibelseaschool.org/flipflopfundraiser or by calling 239-472-8585.

Crow classic 2019Annual 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 www.CROWClinic.org.

Positive Trends for Florida Real Estate

Posted yesterday on LinkedIn by local Realtor® colleague Wendy Humphrey with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty:

“SALT, the cap on state and local tax deductions, is likely to lead to a Florida population boom according to estimates from Demographic Estimating Conference.

“The controversial $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions encourages moving cash from high tax northern states to lower-tax states like Florida while it remains in effect. It is due to expire in 2025.

“Then there’s actually some relatively good news for Florida and other southern states regarding global warming.

“Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which examines annual temperatures for the U.S. indicates warming is very uneven with some states barely warming at all.

The Washington Post“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.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity August 30 – September 6, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Ibis at The Sanctuary #B102 2/2 $489K, Sanddollar #A101 2/2 $1.25M, Sundial #E108 3/2 $1.3M, Cyprina Beach #1 3/3 $1.45M.

No price changes or new sales.

2 closed sales: Seashells #42 2/2 $375K, Bandy Beach #B101 3/2 $1.185M.

HOMES

2 new listings: 1203 Kittiwake Cir 3/2.5 $539K, 1954 Roseate Ln 3/2 $599K.

3 price changes: 9195 Dimmick Dr 2/2 now $424K, 430 Old Trail Rd 3/2.5 now $599K, 743 Windlass way 3/2 now $669K.

2 new sales: 1305 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 listed at $998.5K, 2915 Wulfert Rd 5/.5 listed at $2.875M.

No closed sales.

LOTS

DCIM101MEDIADJI_0180.JPG

Lot at 4566 Buck Key Rd in Sanibel Bayous

1 new listing: 4566 Buck Key Rd $149K (our listing).

2 price changes: 1219 Par View Dr now $299K, 1305 Seaspray Ln now $599K.

No new or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

Nothing to report.

HOMES

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

1 closed sale: 11530 Laika Ln 4/4 $1.797M.

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 fridayUntil next Friday, wishing everyone a great weekend & week,

Susan Andrews aka SanibelSusan

From Sanibel to Orlando

The Sanibel weather has been great this week, although hot and with a few quick afternoon rain showers. With news reporting dangerous heatwaves in other parts of the country, I hope you have been staying cool where you are.

1C69D697-8D51-416F-97DB-DF1EF4EC55CAThe 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.C55AE7AA-E304-4086-86BC-8FAF51E87A34

The convention educational sessions and expo have wrapped up, with committee meetings today and tomorrow. The highlight today was at the Capital Club annual luncheon with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. It was so inspiring to hear the many positive initiatives underway, thanks to his leadership, including in water quality. As he said, it’s all about “Florida first”. He is without a doubt, smart, energized, and working hard for our state.

240E8040-E5F3-4B47-94D6-475F102AF94A

Below are a few local news items from the Sanibel team, before a summary of the islands’ Multiple Listing Service activity this week.

County Approves Wulfert Bayous Acquisition

Ding FundraiserAs 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.

Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 program will fund $6.5 million of the total $9.5 million cost to purchase the property. DDWS has raised the additional $3 million through private donations. The refuge, for its part in the collaboration, will manage the property as part of its complex.

The city of Sanibel had already approved development of the land with up to 28 new homes. To preserve the tract from such development, DDWS, in February 2019, kicked of its public campaign to preserve the acreage.

Located along Wulfert Road and Sanibel-Captiva Road and adjacent to refuge boundaries, the property is home to a number of species that would be seriously threatened by development of the habitat. The preserved acreage will also help protect water quality as a natural filter.

The conservation and planned restoration of the Wulfert Bayous property will forward the goals and objectives of the Gulf of Mexico and the Greater Everglades Ecosystem restoration plans. In addition to 16 acres of existing mangroves, Wulfert Bayous contains 15 acres of wetlands that can be restored and enhanced to create wading bird colony of roseate spoonbills, wood storks, white ibis, and other egrets and herons, while serving as a natural water filter.

If you would like to help restore Wulfert Bayous’ 68 acres, contact DDWS at 472-1100 ext 232 or director@dingdarlingsociety.org.

2019 “Ding” Darling Day

ding darling goose logoSunday, 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:

TOURS:

8 a.m.   Birding with a biologist

9 a.m.   Biking at the Refuge (4 miles)

10 a.m. Birding Indigo Trail (meet at flagpole)

10-4     Tram tours on Wildlife Drive (every hour) sign up at the Tram Booth

ACTIVITIES

10 a.m. Nature sketching on Indigo Trail (meet at flagpole)

10 a.m. Wildlife yoga (in classroom)

11 a.m. iPhone photography walk (meet at flagpole)

12 p.m. Wildlife origami (in classroom)

1 p.m.   Canvas painting (in classroom) limited to 1st 25

2 p.m.   Wildlife cartoons with Dave Horton (in Visitor & Education Center)

PRESENTATIONS

10 a.m. “Ding” Day Amateur Nature Photography Contest (in classroom)

10 a.m. & 3 p.m. Live animals with C.R.O.W. (under the Big Top tent)

11 a.m. Python talk (under the Big Top tent)

11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Puppet show (in classroom)

12 p.m. Cartoon content award ceremony (auditorium A & B)

1-3 p.m. Federal & Junior Duck Stamp award ceremony (auditorium A & B)

2 p.m.   Snakes Alive (under the Big Top tent)

ON-GOING

Exhibitor booths, face painting, live music, nature crafts, archery, chalk drawing, hot dogs, butterfly house, fly-fish demos, art demos, plein-air artists, fire equipment demos

ON-GOING AT TARPON BAY EXPLORERS

Touch tank, stand-up paddle-boarding.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity August 16-23, 2019

Sanibel

CONDOS

No new listings.

1 price change: Sanibel Arms #B1 1/1 now $450K.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: Cottage Colony West #117 1/1 $605K.

HOMES

No new listings.

4 price changes: 9195 Dimmick Dr 2/2 now $437K, 1684 Bunting Ln 2/2 now $499.5K, 1536 Bunting Ln 3/2 now $599.5K, 772 Birdie View Pt 3/3 now $1.189M.

4 new sales: 980 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 half-duplex listed at $549.9K, 1060 White Ibis Dr 3/2 listed at $749K, 1119 Seagrape Ln 2/1 listed at $800K, 534 N. Yachtsman Dr 3/2 listed at $899K.

No closed sales.

LOTS

No new listings.

2 price changes: 2372 Wulfert Rd now $134.9K, 9345 Dimmick Dr now $359K.

1 new sale: 933 Strangler Fig Ln listed at $495K.

1 closed sale: 1817 Longpoint Ln $269K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listing or price changes.

1 new sale: Sunset Captiva #204 2/2 listed at $1.149M.

No 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.

To those asking about the gulf waters, though not taken personally, here is a photo posted yesterday afternoon on Facebook’s “Beautiful Sanibel” page, from a West Gulf Dr beach. With a storm now stalled out over the Atlantic off the east coast, a rainy weekend is expected. Let’s hope it still looks like this next week! Enjoy your weekends!

77D7B743-2CCC-4AAD-AC86-8F953A54A987.jpeg

Until next Friday! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Sanibel Bunnies, Easter, & Real Estate

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 bunnyHere 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.For sale sign

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 104-10-19 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.

crystal ballMy 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

  • happy easter“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.
  • “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 bike

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”

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

Arch-logo“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, 2019sancap GO MLS logo

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.

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

 

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

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.DCIM100MEDIADJI_0893.JPG

 

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.

Sanibel realtors logoAt 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

Museum LogoThe 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.

Touring-the-Sanibel-Historical-Village-MuseumThe 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

Florida Realtors logoSourced 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

wall street journalPosted 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

SancapCares201919th 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 5th Annual CROW Fundraiser, next Friday, April 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Community House. Includes dinner, games, auction, raffles.

Octifest2019“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.

8th 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 Termitesroyalcoast_home_top_logo

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, 2019sancap GO MLS logo

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.

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, 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

MaliaLogoFINP.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

 

Wrapping Up 1st Quarter on Sanibel & Captiva Islands

BeachIt’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 number of new sales announced yesterday at the local island Realtor® Caravan Meeting was an improvement over the last couple weeks. We hope the trend continues.

A few rental organizations have reported that April reservations are off, so some have reduced their “high season” rates in hopes of getting more bookings. They say it’s working! So, it’s a great time to schedule an island spring visit. The weather here is fantastic – mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid 70’s to low 80’s.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Real Estate – First Quarter to March 29, Last Year Compared to 2019

1st quarter 2018 1st quarter 2019
Sanibel Condos
# of sales 33 30
Average sale price $749,628 $603,292
# of price reductions 68 80
Sanibel Homes
# of sales 60 35
Average sale price $1,269,355 $1,143,691
# of price reductions 194 228
Captiva Condos
# of sales 11 7
Average sale price $911,783 $1,292,571
# of price reductions 7 14
Captiva Homes
# of sales 8 1
Average sale price $2,462,500 $2,800,000
# of price reductions 16 30

Another Decrease in Closed Sales for February

royalcoast_home_top_logoShortly after posting the Friday update last week, the below press release was issued by the Royal Palm Coast Realtor® Association. This county snapshot covers Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Estero, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Leigh Acres, North Fort Myers, Pine Island, and Sanibel/Captiva.

“Lee County’s housing market saw a decrease for the fifth straight month in February, according to the latest statistics just released by Florida Realtors®. Year-over-year, sales were down for both, but only by 4% for single family and 1% for condos.…The active listings have risen for the last six months, pushing inventory up to its highest since 2015…Broken down by cities, Single Family sales in Bonita Springs and Pine Island again saw an increase in the number of Closed Sales, year-over-year. All the remaining cities saw a decrease over last year, with Sanibel/Captiva showing the largest decrease at -45.5% compared to last year…”

Here’s Another Perspective – “Freddie Mac: Economy Dicey, But We’re Bullish on Housing”

FreddieMacLogo_3The 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.

“Lower mortgage rates are making for a rosy spring selling season, even if the economy is starting to show some sluggishness, economists note in Freddie Mac’s March forecast.

“”The real estate market is thawing in response to the sustained decline in mortgage rates and rebound in consumer confidence – two of the most important drivers of home sales,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Rising sales demand coupled with more inventory than previous spring seasons suggests that the housing market is in the early stages of gaining momentum.”

“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to a 4.28% average last week – lower than the 4.45% average from a year ago, Freddie Mac reports. “Mortgage rates have dipped quite dramatically since the start of the year and house prices continue to moderate, which should help on the homebuyer affordability front,” Khater says. Freddie economists predict that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage will average 4.5% in 2019 and increase to 4.8% in 2020.

“Home price growth likely will continue to slow, researchers note. Freddie is projecting annual home price growth increases of 3.5% in 2019 and then 2.5% in 2020.

““But with demand growing for housing, Freddie Mac economists are upbeat that housing construction will increase this year. Total housing starts will likely increase over the next two years, with the most growth coming from the single-family housing segment, according to the report. Total housing starts are forecasted to rise to 1.27 million units in 2019 and to 1.33 million units in 2020.

“However, while the housing market looks poised to gain steam, the economy overall is showing some signs of weakening compared with a year ago. A decline in consumer spending has lowered economists’ GDP growth rate forecasts for the first quarter of 2019 to 1.2%.”

seahorse-festivalSanibel School Seahorse Festival 2019

Tomorrow, March 30, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 3840 San-Cap Road is the annual school fund raiser with food trucks, live music, silent auction, inflatable and obstacle courses and games for all ages.

Free admission with unlimited Kid Zone wristbands for $20. More info at http://TheSanibelSchoolPTA.com.

Sanibel Estates Annual Meeting

Last night was the annual meeting of my Homeowners Association, Sanibel Estates. Held at The Community House, as many of the meetings are, we were treated with City updates by both City Manager Judie Zimomra and Police Lt. Grace Towler, followed by and a community update by our Association President, Former Sanibel Mayor Jerry Muench.Sanibel estates mtg 03-18-19

A few tidbits include:

News You Can Use – Citizens were encouraged to receive City news electronically. Sign up today at www.MySanibel.com to get “news you can use”. You can specify your preferences, i.e. construction projects, travel, trash collection times, weather, traffic advisories, meeting agenda (City Council, Planning Commission), etc.

2019 Sanibel Hurricane Seminar – Scheduled for Friday, May 10 at 11 a.m. at The Community House. If you can’t attend, it will be videoed and on the City website following the event. Be sure and keep your Hurricane Pass in your car glove box to ensure quick access back on the island after a storm.

When to Call the Non-Emergency Police Department # – For information on identity theft, to report an iguana or other invasive species, to put your property on the City’s dark home or vacation check.

Proposed Dredging Funding – The current City resolution adopted in 2011 estimated the need to dredge the canal entrance into the bay every two years with the City contributing 33%, property owners’ associations contributing 27%, and the marina 40%. With more summer storms and dredging underway now, the City is recommending that the homeowners’ assessment, currently $20/annually for each canal-front property, be increased to $40/annually, plus a one-time assessment of $40 in fiscal year 2020. The timeline for changing this special assessment includes working through the proper channels of City and county governments, presumably with the updated assessment reflected on property tax notices this November.

East-End Fire/Rescue Improvements – Studies are underway analyzing responses to east-end emergencies with consideration toward bettering those times and perhaps adding a facility or equipment on that end of the island. Mention was made of the kitchen fire last week at Sandalfoot condominiums and the quick response by both Sanibel and Iona/McGregor departments.

No HOA Fee in 2019 – With good resources on-hand and beach accesses and bridges in good condition, no HOA fee will be charged to owners in Sanibel Estates this year.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 22-29, 2019sancap GO MLS logo

Sanibel

CONDOS

3 new listings: Sunset South #11A 2/2 $639K, Tarpon Beach #304 2/2 $1.029M, Gulfside Place #222 2/2 $1.429M (our listing). Bottom photo below is the view from #222.

7 price changes: Sundial #H108 1/1 now $438,999; Blind Pass #D205 2/2 now $460K; Sundial #H409 1/1 now $519K; Island Beach Club #P1A 2/2 now $639K; Surfside 12 #A1 3/2 now $749K; Sanibel Surfside #224 2/2 now $789K; Yacht Haven #2 3/2 now $1.029M.

9 new sales: Sanibel Arms #D2 1/1 listed at $399K, Sundial #I401 1/1 listed at $489.9K, Sanibel Siesta #109 2/2 listed at $525K, Sanibel Arms West #K1 2/2 listed at $569K, Island Beach Club #310B 2/2 listed at $649K, Heron at The Sanctuary #3B 3/2.5 listed at $859K, Loggerhead Cay #133 2/2 listed at $929K, Signal Inn #19 3/2 listed at $1.095M, Sanibel Surfside #231 3/3.5 listed at $1.25M.

5 closed sales: Tennisplace #D33 1/1 $225K, Tennisplace #B22 2/1.5 $305K, Tennisplace #E24 2/1.5 $314K, Sundial #J101 1/1 $423K, Atrium #207 2/2 $1.484M.

HOMES

6 new listings: 9448 Begonia Ct 3/2.5 $699K (our listing) (photos below), 4115 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 6/2 $799K, 6041 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 2/1 $949K, 4155 Dingman Dr 4/5 $950K, 2510 Harbour Ln 2/2 $1.199M, 5089 Joewood Dr 5/4 $3.495M.

19 price changes: 328 Palm Lake Dr 3/2 now $599K; 4619 Brainard Bayou Rd 3/2 now $610K; 681 Rabbit Rd 3/2.5 now $619K; 3350 Barra Cir 3/2 now $649,946; 697 Birdie View Pt 3/2 now $739K; 256 Daniel Dr 3/2 now $747K; 4787 Rue Helene 4/3 now $895K; 823 Birdie View Pt 4/3 now $899K; 6123 Starling Way 3/2.5 now $954K; 510 Sea Oats Dr 3/2.5 now $969K; 1349 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 now 1.035M; 1010 Kings Crown Dr 3/3 now $1.15M; 3386 West Gulf Dr 3/3.5 now $1.199M; 2282 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 now $1.27M; 784 Limpet Dr 4/3 now $1.649M, 1520 Angel Dr 5/5.5 now $1.685M; 2284 Troon Ct 4/4.5 now $1.95M; 2391 Shop Rd 3/2.5 now $1.997M; 4431 Waters Edge Ln 3/4 now $6.49M.

5 new sales: 945 S Yachtsman Dr 2/2 listed at $575K, 2552 Harbour Ln 3/2 listed at $1.195M, 734 Pyrula Ave 3/2.5 listed at $1.195M, 1450 Royal Poinciana Dr 3/2.5 listed at $1.248M, 4355 West Gulf Dr 4/4/2 listed at $5.995M.

3 closed sales: 848 Rabbit Rd 3/2 $525K, 659 Donax St 2/2 $537K, 5606 Baltusrol Ct 4/6 $1.55M.

LOTS

3 new listings: 898 Rabbit Rd $170K (our listing), 1303 Par View Dr $329K, 255 Hurricane Ln $395K.

2 price changes: 4538 Bowen Bayou Rd now $236,999; 6095 Dinkins Lake Rd now $249K.

No new or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Lands End Village #1651 2/2 $1.299M.

2 price changes: Lands End Village #1659 2/2 now $975K, Beach Cottages #1409 3/2 now $1.225M.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

1 new listing: 11541 Paige Ct 3/4/2 $3.9M.

2 price changes: 15879 Captiva Dr 3/3 now $2.75M, 11549 Wightman Ln 3/4 now $3.65M.

1 new sale: 1129 Longifolia Ct 4/5 listed at $6.499M.

No closed sales.

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.

Island Inventory Lists

If you would like a Sanibel & Captiva Islands Inventory list, The SanibelSusan Team has been tracking sales for more than 27 years and we update our list every weekend. Organized by island and property type (condos, homes, and lots), then community, complex or subdivision, it includes all of the property for sale in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service.

For comparison, it also includes recent sales – from 2017 until the present. Send me an email at Susan@SanibelSusan.com, if you’d like it emailed or mailed to you.

Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Sanibel Bunnies, Real Estate News, & More

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.

Sanibel bunny

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.

Sanibel realtors logoReal 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

wall street journalThe 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.

fema“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

sanibel-fire-logo-e1539870118355Tomorrow, 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 bowlNew 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

RuaneI 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, 2019sancap GO MLS logo

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 b

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.

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, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

kiteboarding

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