It’s the end of another terrific week on Sanibel, with bright blue skies and summer-like temperatures. The island again is reporting to be at full occupancy, including a few spring breakers here with families. The bike paths and beaches are busy, the Sanibel Thriller continues to draw the dolphin followers, the fishermen are reporting great catches, and waits are the norm at local restaurants. Multiple island day-time and evening events continue keeping everyone busy too.
Most of us in the real estate business are crowing that is this is the busiest winter ever, with many of us working not quite 24/7, but certainly 10-14/7. Be sure to check out the action posted in the Sanibel and Captiva Multiple Listing Service over the last seven days after a few news items below.
SanibelSusan Realty Sponsors BIG ARTS Photography Scavenger Hunt
Mark your calendars for the BIG ARTS Photography Scavenger Hunt on Tuesday, April 7. SanibelSusan Realty again this year is sponsoring, with the proceeds to benefit BIG ARTS scholarship programs.
This fun-filled event demonstrates what happens when a scavenger hunt meets the digital age. Grab your camera and some teammates to join in the adventure where you will walk, bike, or drive on your quest to photograph your own interpretations of the clues. Creativity is encouraged!
3 p.m. Pick up clues & map at BIG ARTS Center.
5 p.m. Return to BIG ARTS for a gourmet boxed dinner.
6 p.m. Dessert reception & video showcase of the day’s digital photographs, with awards ceremony.
Tickets are $45 for the full event or $8 for the reception only. Teams should have 2-4 members. Tickets available at the BIG ARTS Marks Box Office or for more info call 239-395-0900.
20 Housing Markets That Are Heating Up
Here’s some good news just in time for spring around the country (posted on “Daily Real Estate News” on Monday.)
“Just in time for spring selling season to start, sellers are finally starting to put their homes on the market, upping the selections for buyers, according to the latest analysis from realtor.com®. Higher inventories and buyer demand are expected to boost closings this month, according to realtor.com®. “The biggest macro trend is that we’re finally seeing inventory grow,” says Jonathan Smoke, realtor.com®’s chief economist. “This is a very important trend for many reasons – in particular, because it will help keep prices at a more moderate level down the road.”
“Affordability had become a chief concern recently in the housing market. So what’s changed and why are more sellers putting their homes on the market? Smoke says home owners are being encouraged by the current higher prices. But Smoke says those will level out as supply rises to meet demand.
“According to realtor.com®’s February data, 20 markets are already showing a big upswing based on the ratio of listing views at realtor.com® to the number of listings for-sale. Those 20 markets are:
- Waco, Texas
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
- Santa Rosa, Calif.
- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colo.
- Vallejo-Fairfield, Calif.
- Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Fort Wayne, Ind.
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, Calif.
- Charleston, W.Va.
- San Luis Obispo et al, Calif.
- Columbus, Ohio
- Boulder, Colo.
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Mich.
- Hartford-West Hartford et al, Conn.
- Manchester-Nashua, N.H.
- San Francisco-Oakland et al, Calif.
- San Diego-Carlsbad, Calif.
- Charleston-North Charleston, S.C.
- Toledo, Ohio
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Mass.-N.H.”
BIG ARTS Community Chorus Spring Concerts
SanibelSusan’s March blog would not be complete without a plug for the BIG ARTS Community Chorus Spring Concerts. Most readers know that I stay sane “in season” with the Tuesday nite diversion of chorus rehearsals. Having grown from just a handful of singers in the early 90’s, the chorus is now 80+singers strong. Though we also will be performing the “Star Spangled Banner” at the Red Sox/Minnesota Twins last spring training game on April 1, our spring concert essentially ends the year for us, or at least until October rolls around again.
Tickets went on sale last week and already are going fast for the spring concert which this year again will be performed two nights to fill the demand. Get advance tickets at BIG ARTS Box Office at 900 Dunlop Road. Performances are at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 24, and Thursday, March 26.
Guaranteed to give you a few smiles and keep you humming for days, this year we are performing a variety of doo-wop tunes, a medley of “Carousel” show song, famous music from Strauss operetta “Die Fledermaus”, and my favorite, a patriotic number called “Song for the Unsung Hero”.
Sanibel Traffic
It seems that every island discussion this week has some mention of the traffic. Rental organizations are hearing complaints from tenants, Realtors® are hearing protests from prospective buyers, restaurants advise patrons are missing their reservation times, and the general public acknowledges that it takes longer and without reliability these days to get from one end of the island to the other.
Some say it is because the island is at 100% capacity. Some say it is because of the “day-trippers”. Others are convinced that though it’s a short-term problem (just a few months out of each year), it is one that has been neglected or not solved.
So, it was with interest that I read the article in the “Island Sun” today advising that the topic came up at Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting. Several members voiced support for a traffic study being conducted by local Metropolitan Planning Organization offering to lend their assistance in the execution of that investigation.
Here’s hoping that the subject does not get pushed to the back burner once island traffic gets back to “normal” after season, because the problem is bound to resurface again next winter when I bet there is even more traffic thanks to the extended bad weather up north this year. The accommodations businesses are reporting that their bookings for 2016 are already “off the charts”.
Sanibel and Captiva “may be enjoying too much of a good thing”, said one report commenter. That may be true, but there certainly are solutions to making the roadways safer and delay-free. It is good news to hear that Sanibel again is pro-active.
Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 6-13
Sanibel
CONDOS
2 new listings: Lighthouse Point #132 2/2 $497K, Sanctuary Golf Villages I #4-4 2/2.5 $699K.
5 price changes: Captains Walk #C7 1/1 now $237.9K, Sanibel Arms #E7 1/1 now $369K, Ibis at The Sanctuary #201 2/2 now $459.5K, Signal Inn #18 3/2 now $1.049M, Clam Shell #C 2/2 now $1.175M.
9 new sales: Colonnades #44 1/1 listed for $189.9K, Colonnades #41 1/1 listed for $194.5K, Sundial #I301 1/1 listed for $389K, Gulf Beach #102 2/2 listed for $749K, Kings Crown #216 2/2 listed for $940K, Kings Crown #101 2/2 listed for $1.195M, Lantana #102 4/3.5 listed for $1.495M, Seascape #104 3/3 listed for $2.195M (our sale), Somerset #B101 3/2.5 listed for $2.2M (our listing).
View from Seascape of Sanibel #104
View from Somerset at The Reef #B101
3 closed sales: Cottage Colony West #118 1/1 $600K, Wedgewood #305 3/3.5 $1.25M, West Shore #903 3/3 $1.7M.
HOMES
11 new listings: 1667 Sabal Sands Rd 3/2 $440K, 5089 SanCap Rd 3/2 $489.9 (short sale), 9106 Mockingbird Dr 2/2 $565K, 543 Chert Ct 3/2 $639K, 257 Daniel Dr 3/2 $649K, 1209 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 $789.9K, 2999 Twin Ponds Dr 3/2 $865K, 489 Lake Murex Cir 3/2.5 $975K, 820 Sand Dollar Dr 2/2 $989K, 5773 SanCap Rd 2/2 $1.159M, 1136 Golden Olive Ct 4/4.5 $2.4M.
10 price changes: 838 Rabbit Rd 2/1 now $399K, 4636 Buck Key Rd 2/2 now $429K, 778 Cardium St 3/3 now $479K, 2220 Camino Del Mar 3/3 now $649K, 5424 Shearwater Dr 3/2.5 half-duplex now $849K, 1351 Middle Gulf Dr #1A (Moonshadows) 3/3 now $899K, 4620 Rue Bayou 3/3 now $949K, 1328 Seaspray Ln 4/4 now $949K, 1314 Par View Dr 4/3 now $999.9K, 518 N Yachtsman Dr 3/3 now $1.129M.
10 new sales: 1938 Roseate Ln 3/2 listed for $329K, 868 Rabbit Rd 3/2 listed for $385K, 3716 Coquina Dr 3/2 listed for $459K, 1825 Ardsley Way 3/2 listed for $515K, 401 Lagoon Dr 4/4 listed for $875K, 5880 SanCap Rd 3/2 listed for $889K, 1331 Sand Castle Rd 3/2.5 listed for $945K, 261 Ferry Landing Dr 2/2 half-duplex listed for $998.5K, 2617 Coconut Dr 3/2.5 listed for $1.35M, 5235 Indian Ct 4/3.5 listed for $1.598M.
7 closed sales: 3001 Singing Wind Dr 3/2 $405K (short sale), 457 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 $475K, 1674 Bunting Ln 3/2 $525K, 598 Boulder Dr 3/2 $533K, 8987 Mockingbird Dr 3/2.5 $667K, 1287 Par View Dr 3/2 $865K, 857 Birdie View Pt 3/2.5 $925K.
LOTS
No new listings.
4 price changes: 1311 Par View Dr now $259.9K, 5290 Punta Caloosa Ct now $347K, 2494 Blind Pass Ct now $649K, 6217 Starling Way now $1.379M.
2 new sales: 1301 Par View Dr listed for $219,555; 1311 Par View Dr listed for $259.9K.
1 closed sale: 1316 Par View Dr $320K.
Captiva
CONDOS
No new listings.
1 price change: Captiva Bay Villas #B 3/3.5 now $1,995,555.
2 new sales: Sunset Beach Villas #2337 2/2 listed for $674.9K, Lands End Village #1654 3/3 listed for $1.685M.
1 closed sale: Marina Villas #903 2/2 $60K
HOMES
No new listings.
3 price changes: 11523 Andy Rosse Ln 5/5.5 now $2.695M, 16897 Captiva Dr 5/5.5 now $3.19M, 13550 Palmflower Ln 4/3.5 now $4.995M.
2 new sales: 1 Sunset Captiva Ln 2/2.5 listed for $2.395M, 16183 Captiva Dr 4/3.5 listed for $3.985M.
No closed sales.
LOTS
1 new listing: 16297 Captiva Dr $1.75M.
No price changes, new listings, or price changes.
This representation is based, in whole, or in part, on data supplied by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® or its 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 general real estate activity in the community and does not imply that SanibelSusan Realty Associates is participating or participated in these transactions.
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Until next Friday, happy weekend from SanibelSusan. Though I will likely be showing real estate all weekend, I bet teammate Dave is taking a few photos with his new camera lens. Here’s one he took earlier and shared with us in the office.
