It is SanibelSusan with another Friday Sanibel and Captiva Islands real estate report. If you are wondering if the weather here is fantastic, if the islands are packed, and if the market still is hot, all are true again this week. The most challenging three weeks year-to-date traffic-wise likely will be those ahead as it seems the entire world wants to be visiting SW Florida this spring.
Last night, what forecasters call another “cold” front arrived. That means daytime temperatures will remain in the 70’s for over the weekend. Those from north of Florida, probably still get a chuckle about these tropical “cold fronts.” Below is a photo taken this afternoon from Woodring Rd, bayside where the breeze is evident and the water looking beautiful. (The full video is on my Facebook page.)
Best Beach Town is “Sanibel Island”
If you follow “Southern Living” magazine, you will see that their April 2021 issue features an island photo on the cover.
That is because their inside article says “Sanibel Island” is the best beach town!
Grab a copy to read about the South’s best beach towns, barbeque joints, bakeries, cities, parks, and other hidden gems.
Sanibel & Captiva Real Estate Scoop
Meanwhile, low interest rates are keeping bankers slammed, while title companies are swamped with closings, and prospective buyers continue to think we are nuts when we tell them that inventory is low – or that there is nothing in their price range that meets their requirements.
Looking at island inventory in general terms, there now are just 159 residential properties for sale on Sanibel and Captiva. That includes homes, condos, and lots. If you think that sounds like a lot, compare it to the 186 that are under contract awaiting closing, and the 185 that have already sold and closed this year. Those total 371 sales in less than three months. For the entire year, 583 Sanibel/Captiva properties sold last year, while in 2019, 400 sold.
It certainly does not take a crystal ball to figure out that by the end of this month or first quarter 2021, as many island properties will have sold as in all of 2019. Betcha there will be more records set before the year is out.
The two news articles below provide an economic and political spin on things. After those is the action posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service since last Friday, followed by our “Island Sun” ad from today’s paper today. Happy spring!
The Brighter Path Ahead
Nice outlook posted in the March-April 2021 “Realtor®” magazine by NAR Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun:
“More inventory and better access to vaccines are welcome news.
“The 2020 pandemic-induced recession was unique in terms of the sudden and massive slashing of jobs. It was also the first recession during which overall income grew. No doubt there are families struggling paycheck to paycheck, but due to the massive stimulus packages – including the initial deposit of $1,200 and enhanced unemployment benefits – the financial condition of many families was better in a recession than before the pandemic.
“Total income for the country in late 2020 was 4% higher than a year earlier. This was the figure reported just before the second stimulus checks of $600 per person went out in late December. It also does not include wealth accumulation from the record-high stock market or rising home prices. Also not reflected in the totals are the proceeds from mortgage refinances last year or the relief expected from a new stimulus. Still consumers remain cautious, as spending opportunities have been restricted by COVID-19. For the year, consumer spending fell by 2%. And the savings rate consequently rose to twice the pre-pandemic levels.
“The situation translates into the potential for a great unleashing of spending in 2021. The positive impact will be increasingly felt as jobs come around. The full effect will be evident once herd immunity is established with the vaccine, likely in autumn. That is to say, 2021 is a growth year that will take us out of the recession.
“The housing market continues to shine brightly. The main frustration is for buyers who find themselves outbid during multiple offer situations. More inventory is needed to give buyers more options and lessen the heat.
“It’s encouraging to see that builders are ramping up production of homes with backyards, which are now at their highest level in 13 years. Activity has been particularly robust in Southern states where land is more plentiful and building regulations are less onerous.
“Moreover, with the wider availability of COVID-19 vaccines, homeowners, especially older Americans who have been more hesitant about strangers visiting their homes, now may be more ready to list. Many seniors own their homes outright and have sizable housing equity for the next home purchase. They may even need to buy a larger place to accommodate more family visitors. After all, in the new economy, remote-work flexibility may mean more days working from grandma’s house.”
Political Power Shift Could Generate Changes in the U.S. Luxury Housing Market
On the other hand, the below article by Michele Lerner and published on “Mansion Global”, was linked to the February 2021 issue of the RSPS (Resort & Second-Home Property Specialist) newsletter. It was prefaced with:
“Everything from capital gains tax policy to a more stable political environment will affect how affluent buyers view their wealth and appetite for home purchases.
“There’s a new political party in charge in Washington, D.C., one that hopes to make some big changes in the U.S. economy, including tax reform. While the initial priorities of the Biden administration and Congress focus on mitigating the devastating impact of the pandemic, the new political dynamic could eventually create a shift in the luxury housing market.
““The luxury market has done very well in recent years thanks to low mortgage rates and to the performance of the stock market, which is influenced by politics,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist for realtor.com in Washington, D.C.
““Political actions have both a direct and an indirect impact on the housing market. “We’ve never been at a time when the political landscape has continued to seem so uncertain,” said Frederick Peters, CEO of Warburg Realty in New York City. “Politics has an effect on the stock market, which in turn has an effect on the luxury real estate market.”
“While most of the Biden administration’s initial housing policies focus on the affordable housing crisis, Marco Rufo, a partner with The Agency real estate brokerage in Los Angeles, said that the possible extension of the federal eviction moratorium beyond the current date of March 31 could have implications for the higher end of the housing market in the future. “Most of our buyers are extremely wealthy and many of them own lots of property that they rent to tenants,” Mr. Rufo said. “If policies are put in place that reduce their ability to collect rent on multiple properties, that could have a negative impact on their net worth and willingness to upgrade into more expensive properties.”
“Another political issue that’s already had a major effect on luxury housing markets is tax reform. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that went into effect in 2018 has several provisions, such as lower tax rates, a higher lifetime estate and gift tax limit, and a higher standard deduction that are set to expire at the end of 2025. Democrats are anticipated to address those expiring provisions and other tax issues eventually.
““Most of the tax reform ideas impact people with incomes above $400,000 and capital gains of more than $1 million, the demographic that matches our homebuyers,” Mr. Rufo said. “If everything was enacted, it probably wouldn’t mean that people won’t buy homes, but it could mean that they pause a little to consider their options.”
“Some potential tax reforms include:
“Lifting SALT deduction limitations. The 2018 limitation on the deductibility of state and local taxes (SALT) to $10,000 was significant in markets like New York and California, said Mr. Peters, who anticipates a positive impact on those tax-heavy locales if that limit is lifted by Democratic tax reform efforts. “It’s not just a matter of money and getting a larger tax deduction, it’s also the perception,” he said. “It would make people feel less anxious about buying in states with higher taxes.” In the Washington, D.C. area, where the luxury market mostly centers on homes priced between $1.5 million and $2.5 million, the SALT deductibility cap slowed the pace of sales, reduced luxury listings and reduced home buyers’ budgets, said Jeff Detwiler, president and CEO of Long & Foster Real Estate in D.C. “We saw $2 million homes sit on the market for a year or longer,” he said. “Now we have only a two-month supply of luxury homes because of migration trends and a frothy market in 2020. If the SALT cap is lifted, we’d see even more demand because those deductions directly impact the finances of our buyers.” Migration trends after the SALT cap meant that more people left high-tax states to move to lower tax states like Florida and Texas. “If your SALT deductions aren’t limited, then you can be agnostic over where you live,” said Melissa Cohn, executive mortgage banker with William Raveis Mortgage in New York City.
“Higher income tax rates. Increasing income taxes always has a negative impact on the luxury market, Ms. Cohn said. However, she doesn’t expect tax rates to rise in the near future. “The pandemic changed everything, and the focus now is on rebuilding the economy. So even if the Democrats want to raise taxes eventually, now is not the time,” she said. An increase in tax rates for high earners probably won’t take buyers out of the market, said Mr. Detwiler, but it could reduce their price point by several hundred thousands dollars or more. “The good news about tax reform that would cause wealthier people to pay more is that it would be a federal issue that people can’t escape by moving to Florida,” Mr. Peters said.
“Higher capital gains tax rate. While home sellers can exclude up to $250,000 in profit if they’re single and up to $500,000 if they’re married from a capital gains tax on their primary residence, an increase in the long-term capital gains tax rate could still hurt the luxury housing market. Currently, the highest capital gains tax rate is 20%. “If the capital gains tax rate is increased, that could have negative repercussions,” Ms. Cohn said. “People wouldn’t want to sell their homes, especially if they hoped the rates would roll back again in the future, and that would limit the supply of homes.” Mr. Detwiler said he thinks a higher capital gains rate could have a bigger impact on the second-home market. Currently, the long-term capital gains tax rate depends on your income and is either 0%, 15% or 20%. Single taxpayers who earn $441,450 or more and married taxpayers who earn $496,600 pay the top rate. “Sellers have to pay capital gains taxes on the profit of the sale of a home that’s not their primary residence,” Mr. Detwiler said, “In addition, if people have to pay more taxes on other gains, that shrinks their portfolio and changes how much they’ll want to pay for a house.”
“Elimination of 1031 Exchange option. A 1031 Exchange allows investors to swap one property for another and postpone paying capital gains tax on the sale until you sell the next property. Without the 1031 Exchange, investors would have less money to put into their next deal, Ms. Cohn said. “Getting rid of the 1031 Exchange would have a direct impact in our area because we have a lot of luxury rentals at $40,000 to $50,000 a month in Los Angeles,” Mr. Rufo said. “Owners of these properties would pull back from buying and selling them if they had to pay capital gains on the transaction, and that would have a direct impact on property values.”
“Broader Impact of Politics on the Housing Market – Real estate market performance is tied to the fundamentals of supply and demand, which can also be influenced by political policies, realtor.com’s Ms. Hale said. (Mansion Global is owned by Dow Jones. Both Dow Jones and realtor.com are owned by News Corp.) “Demand is based on income and consumer confidence,” Ms. Hale said. “If wealthy households see their income go down due to a higher tax burden, it’s conceivable that their spending could decline and that would impact the housing market.”
However, a growing economy, especially one that drives stock gains, could mean after-tax incomes are higher for wealthy households, she said. “The way politics matters the most is how it makes people feel,” Mr. Peters said. “As real estate agents, we’re selling people a belief in their future. That’s a lot harder to do when people feel freaked out by the present. They’re less likely to take on large financial commitments when they’re concerned about the future.”
“Personally, Mr. Peters is optimistic about the impact of the new power configuration for his market in New York. “It’s not entirely irrelevant that the new Senate majority leader [Charles Schumer] is from New York,” he said.”
Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity March 12-19, 2021
Sanibel
CONDOS
2 new listings: Sundial #F206 1/1 $479K, Pointe Santo #E24 3/2 $1.495M.
1 price change: White Sands #13 2/2 now $949K.
6 new sales: Sanibel Arms West #A1 2/2 listed at $534K, Heron at The Sanctuary I #1B 3/3.5 listed at $872.7K, Pointe Santo #E3 2/2 listed at $889K, Sanibel Arms West #D6 2/2 listed at $955K, Pointe Santo #E2 2/2 listed at $964K, Somerset #D102 3/2.5 listed at $1.849M.
6 closed sales: Sandpebble #2D 2/2 $534K, Sandpebble #2B 2/2 $535K, Heron at The Sanctuary II #2A 3/2.5 $830K, Sundial #A301 2/2 $1.1M, Sanddollar #C101 2/2 $1.117M, Island Beach Club #220D 2/2 $1.34M.
HOMES
4 new listings: 3009 Singing Wind Dr 2/1.5 $657K, 1117 Captains Walk St 2/2 $857K, 6412 Pine Ave 3/2.5 $1.589M, 3385 Twin Lakes Ln 5/5 $1.695M.
3 price changes: 5100 Sea Bell Rd 4/2.5 now $869K, 1747 Jewel Box Dr 3/2 now $999K, 742 Sand Dollar Dr 3/3 now $1.599M
12 new sales: 2015 Wild Lime Dr 3/3 listed at $570K, 1606 Bunting Ln 3/2 listed at $649K, 2985 Island Inn Rd 2/2 listed at $649.5K, 3781 Coquina Dr 3/2 listed at $789K, 1657 Sabal Sands Rd 3/2 listed at $797.5K, 5424 Shearwater Dr 3/2.5 listed at $999K, 1890 Middle Gulf Dr 3/3 listed at $1.15M, 2464 Blind Pass Ct 3/2 listed at $1.2M, 2843 Wulfert Rd 4/5 listed at $1.295M, 2479 Harbour Ln 4/3 listed at $1.695M, 2964 Wulfert Rd 5/5.5 listed at $2.998M, 1253 Anhinga Ln 4/4 listed at $3.795M.
4 closed sales: 430 Old Trail Rd 3/2.5 $550K, 610 Hideaway Ct 3/2.5 $690K (our buyer), 2391 Shop Rd 3/2.5 $1.61M, 5618 Baltusrol Ct 4/4/2 $2.195M.
610 Hideaway Ct
LOTS
No new listings or price changes.
2 new sales: 1292 Par View Dr listed at $349.9K, 9056 Mockingbird Dr listed at $380K.
4 closed sales: 9436 Beverly Ln $200K, 0 Bunting Ln $225K, 717 Birdie View Pt $370K, 1837 Buckthorn Ln $460K.
Captiva
CONDOS
No new listings.
1 price change: Beach Cottages #1423 2/2 now $1.195M.
No new or closed sales.
HOMES
1 new listing: 11514 Andy Rosse Ln 5/5 $2.349M.
No price changes.
2 new sales: 18 Urchin Ct 2/2 listed at $1.15M, 16813 Captiva Dr 3/3 listed at $2.25M.
2 closed sales: 11520 Wightman Ln 3/2 $2.225M, 16500 Captiva Dr 6/6/2 $6M.
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, have a great week! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan
Here at the office, we got access Saturday to our new listing at Mariner Pointe which had teammate Lisa scurrying to get keys made so that the Realtors® with prospective buyers could get in over the weekend. That unit had a flurry of showings, multiple offers, and was under contract by noon Tuesday.
Note: In the groupings above, the 1st line in each group provides Sanibel statistics, the 2nd line Captiva. This representation is based on data supplied by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service 3/12/2021.
The City declared State of Emergency, issued in response to COVID-19, has been extended by Mayor Mick Denham until March 16, 2021, unless further extended. Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven (7) days and thus must be updated weekly so long as the emergency conditions are present.
From Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 through March 10 is 234 cases. That is five cases in seven days. PLEASE CONTINUE TO STAY VIGILANT.
Dan Krispinsky with Lake Michigan Credit Union, who for years has been a local go-to lender for condotels, recently sent me the below “Wall Street Journal” article (January 9, 2021) which likely will affect those buyers needing financing. (FYI, a condotel is a condominium where units are individually owned but where there may be an on-site rental office where units are rented like a hotel. Several island non-residential complexes that allow short-term vacation rentals fall into that category.)
“Getting a mortgage for a resort-area condo might become more difficult after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac moved to tighten rules on buildings with many short-term rentals and hotel-like amenities, some Realtors® and bankers say.
“Fannie Mae last month changed its rules to make it clearer that it won’t back certain loans in high-rent vacation areas, with Freddie Mac taking similar steps that go into effect next month….
Sanibel
Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.
84th Annual Shell Festival runs though tomorrow at The Community House (today until 3 p.m. and tomorrow March 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.), while the 2021 Virtual Sanibel Shell Show is premiering on YouTube today and tomorrow (March 5 & 6 from noon until 3 p.m.). For more info, visit 
Zonta On-Line Art Auction this year replaces their annual Peek of the Unique. The auction runs through March 10 with full catalog at 
FYI, from the March 2021 issue of “FloridaRealtor®”: “When Florida lawmakers convene on March 2 for the 2021 legislative session, they face a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall created by the pandemic. Although the budget gap will be a top priority for legislators, they will consider several bills that could help the real estate industry and property owners. At press time, Florida Realtors® identified six legislative priorities for the 2021 session:
The real estate market remains hot and we are down to just two listings – both getting action. That activity plus the postings since last Friday in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service follow a couple of news items below.
The City declared State of Emergency, issued in response to COVID-19, has been extended by Mayor Mick Denham until March 2, 2021, unless further extended. Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven (7) days and thus must be updated weekly so long as the emergency conditions are present.
Susan here, reporting that The SanibelSusan Team is beating the bushes looking for listings. With island sales brisk, it is a first for us to only have two available properties in February. Our other listings are all under contract as we work through the sale milestones associated with those purchase contracts.
Below is an update of the island sales stats. The number of sales in 2020 was higher than in decades, but the year-to-date sales are even more remarkable. Remember, The Sanibel Susan Team updates our island-wide inventory lists every weekend. If you would like a new one, they easily are e-mailed or snail mailed, just let us know.
Before showing property, it always makes sense to thoroughly discuss with the prospect how the sale process works here. It is not only the Florida sales contracts that are different. But on-island, deposits are much higher than on the mainland. The basic contract most often used also is not the norm. Add to that the extra time needed in a “hot market” to accomplish inspections, appraisals, and surveys. These also are opportunities where it pays to have strong vendor relationships. The “golden rule” goes a long way in this real estate business.
Yesterday was the local Realtor® Association February membership meeting. Meeting via Zoom sure ain’t like in person, but the monthly meeting is when we have a speaker, so always interesting.
A couple of changes at SCCF is their new logo which was recently launched, illustrating their evolution and based on the three elements inspired by their work to protect land, water, and wildlife. The logo features sawgrass which is an iconic wetland plant, water (representing water quality, marine life, and sea-level rise), and a royal tern representing shorebirds and the monitoring and research SCCF performs with various species of wildlife.
Another SCCF change is their new magazine called “Connecting You to Nature” which will be published three times a year. The first issue is arriving now in mailboxes. It reflects on SCCF’s progress since 1967, including projects completed, underway, and in planning.
Some other SCCF projects that Ryan mentioned included their help in the relocation of 300 Florida box turtles discovered from a nearby poaching ring. It was a surprise to hear that 40% of China families have a pet turtle because of the animal’s religious significance in Buddhism. He asked that everyone report to the police any suspicious activity with any wildlife – not just turtles. He also mentioned that poachers often are involved in other serious crimes, like human and drug smuggling. Who knew?
Following up on the Sanibel Sea School, it became wholly part of SCCF in January 2020. One of their new endeavors is a scholarship program called “Girls in Science” (with Florida Gulf Coast University) whereby girls interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education may take advantage of SCCF’s program which brings them to the island. He mentioned girls living within five miles of Sanibel that have never been here to experience the water, wildlife, environment.
RPAC Awards – The Association of Realtors® RPAC Committee again thanked members for their continued contributions to RPAC. In 2020, The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association won four state awards and two national awards, including the Triple Crown. Local RPAC contributions placed our association within the top 15 in the nation.
Easter Donations for F.I.S.H. – The Association’s Communication & Public Relations Committee is spearheading efforts to provide donations to F.I.S.H. for Easter. Between now and March 19, members and the public are asked to drop of contributions at the Association Office. Items needed for children’s Easter baskets and holiday dinners include the baskets themselves and basket filler, plus children’s books, toys, candy, plastic eggs, etc. and such canned/packaged food items as corn, peas, mashed potatoes, pasta, etc.
Jensen’s Twin-Palm Cottages & Marina – Posted this week in the local MLS was the sale of Jensen’s on Captiva. Including both business and real estate, the sale included over an acre on the bayside of Captiva with 14 historic rental cottages, 35 marina slips, fuel dock, boat fleet, ship store, and offices. On the market off-&-on since late 2017, the sale price of $11M was significantly less than the original ask ($19,850,000). Purchaser was Roberts Development Corp.
The Green Flash – Another recent sale was this Captiva restaurant. The new owners are Captiva Hospitality Restaurant Group (owned by Tim and Julie McGowan). The sale included both the real estate and restaurant. The McGowan’s have already expanded the outdoor patio seating and initiated dinner service to the dockside tables at The Green Flash, which has 15 dock slips so diners may arrive by boat.
The City declared State of Emergency, issued in response to COVID-19, has been extended by Mayor Mick Denham until February 23, 2021, unless further extended. Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven (7) days and thus must be updated weekly as long as the emergency conditions are present.
Annual Kiwanis Spaghetti Dinner Canceled
SanibelSusan here reporting that island weather this week again has been terrific with daytime temperatures in the 70’s, sometimes 80’s, with plenty of blue skies and sunshine. As the week progressed, teammates doing the on-/off-island commute saw a noticeable increase in traffic as incoming Valentine’s Day vacationers, week-enders, and Presidents’ Day holiday visitors began arriving. Traffic probably will be up next week too.
At SanibelSusan Realty
In honor of President’s Day, Monday, February 15, Wildlife Drive at the J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge will be fee-free all day from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. For this national holiday, the Visitors and Education Center will be closed, but all other facilities including the 
Most island sales continue to be “cash”, but mortgage rates remain great for those looking for financing. The 30-year fixed-rate for a home averaged 2.73% this week, as it has for the last two weeks. These near-record lows compare to the 3.47% rate last year. The pandemic resulted in suppressed mortgage rates through most of 2020. As the economy recovers, economists forecast only modest increases in loan rates this year. It continues to be a great time to buy for those seeking a mortgage.
Following up on the insurance theme where last week flood insurance was discussed, below is the article posted online February 8, 2021 at FloridaRealtors®. It was written by Kathryn Pomroy, 2021 Local TV LLC.
Sanibel
With only a month on the books, the Sanibel/Captiva real estate market started with a bang. As inventory disappears, Realtor® colleagues, like us, are worried about what we will sell once inventory is gone. We are out beating the bushes looking for listings. If someone you know is thinking of selling, please refer them to The SanibelSusan Team.
Good article in today’s “Island Sun” by Angela Larson Roehl, with Rosier Insurance on Sanibel (
This week’s ““Ding” on the Wing” by the “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge Society says “The Refuge has received the greenlight on offering socially distanced tours of 10 people or less. There’s no set schedule, so monitor the 
Yes, the real estate market here is nuts! Good nuts! Now providing an opportunity for us to replenish the acorns that were depleted during the pandemic shut-down when business was off.
Thank you to our RPAC Committee, its Chairman Dave Arter, and our members, both REALTORS® and Affiliate Business Partners for helping the Association meet and exceed its 2020 RPAC goals. The Association earned four State RPAC Awards in the Small Board Category:
This week, I also attended more of Florida Realtors® Mid-Winter Business Meetings and events via Zoom.
In the 29 years that I have been using this contract in Florida, it has evolved may times, with the times. The “As Is” version is the most widely used. Many of the proposed changes are technology related, some regarding personal property that conveys with the real estate. Others tighten up timeframes and requirements in mortgage contingencies. Another good change clears confusion related to properties being sold that are short-term rentals. All are good improvements. Though not yet official, these committee recommendations will be submitted to the Florida BAR for their June meeting and if approved will move on to Florida Realtors® for consideration at their annual meeting in August. All indications are that these revised contracts will be released late summer.
Thursday night was the Florida Realtors® 2021 Inaugural with after party. Pretty hard to party via Zoom, but the entire event was a lot of fun and it was so great to see colleagues from around the state, even though it was through a computer screen.
This year, Florida surpassed other states in their total Realtor® membership. It is now the largest in the U.S., 204,000 members. It is amazing but not surprising to hear that membership increased during the pandemic. The word is out that the sunshine state offers more than just nice weather! (I remember when there were just 100,00 members and that was a staggering number.) Congratulations to our new President Cheryl Lambert and her terrific team.
From Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 through January 27 is 201 cases. This is 13 cases in the last seven days. This is the number of cases for zip code residents. It does not include Captiva and the many workers and visitors that come and go. PLEASE stay vigilant, continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and avoid group gatherings.
With the process of getting vaccine appointments by phone often unsuccessful and frustrating, this week Florida’s site to preregister on line was announced. If you are a health care worker or Florida resident over the age of 65, go to 
Early Thursday morning was our Annual Installation and Awards event. No group meeting, no shared breakfast at The Sanctuary, but a fun Zoom event with a couple of videos presented that highlight 2020. It’s always fun to transfer the gavel to the incoming President in person, though not always fun to be oldest past-President (1999). The gavel-passing video used photos taken during our years as President. 
Thursday, at The Resort & 2nd Home Specialist Think Tank, it was interesting to hear that though up and down, Florida’s vacation rental market survived the pandemic and has rebounded. That market is huge with over 15 million rentals a year.
Assoc) in an overview of 2020, said that vacation rentals had many challenges, as we all did, because of the pandemic.
to comply with 67 different regulations which were often vague and varied county-to-county.
well, though their business more up and down, and bookings sporadic. With lessons learned and the industry forced to become resilient, rental managers have had to adjust quickly to new cleaning protocols and adopt new guidelines including wait periods between stays, contactless check-ins, protection of staff and guests, COVID waivers, screening, cancellation policies, deposits/refunds, taxation, and chargebacks. The state VRMA also will soon be rolling out a program to train new employees and retrain those workers coming back into the industry.
For 13 years Lee County Electric Co-op has not had a rate increase. Best electric service provider, that SanibelSusan has experienced. I am always amazed, particularly during the summer rainy season, when electric outages happen, and they respond quickly.
According to the January 20 “Island Reporter”, the state library rankings are out, and the Sanibel Public Library ranks at or near the top in many areas, including materials borrowed, program attendance, and percentage of population with a library card. The 2020 ratings are based on FY 2018 Florida Library Statistics, which measures 82 libraries/library systems in the state. Sanibel was ranked number one per capita (per 1,000) for: circulation (number of books or items borrowed); availability of print, audio, video and other material to check out; local and state operating revenue; and square footage availability.
