The Friday Before Thanksgiving 2020… on Sanibel & Captiva Islands

Posted on November 20, 2020 by SanibelSusan

The island continues to get busier as early Thanksgiving holiday vacationers/families arrive, and more snowbirds return. The weather this week finally took a long-awaited turn toward fall with lower humidity and daytime temperatures barely out of the 70’s on Wednesday. With little to no chance of rain, it also looks like the rainy season also finally is over. The forecast for the next ten days shows more of the same beautiful weather. Should be perfect for extended social distancing and outside holiday dining next week.

Many friends have returned to Sanibel for the holiday and shared photos taken this week. The below roseate spoonbill shots were taken Monday, Nov 16 at the wildlife refuge. Thank you, Dr Paul & Lynn.

While the next photo from our pal Scott was taken from Woodring Rd. Thanks for sharing!

At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

It also was another week of good action with our listings. With eight closings already in the hopper, all expected to close before the end of the year, we were happy to get another listing under contract yesterday. It should be our first closing in 2021. This has kept Dave busy following up on deposits, community applications, attending inspections, and ensuring sale action items are on time. Simultaneously, Elise has fielded more weekday showing requests and feedback, while Lisa and I cover those on the weekend. We are beating the bushes for new listings, if you know anyone thinking of selling.

The info the action posted since last Friday in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

City of Sanibel – Politics, COVID-19, & More

Like much of the nation, islanders anxiously follow COVID updates and hope that SW Florida stays safe. This week Sanibel former-Mayor Kevin Ruane, who stepped down when he ran for a Lee County Commissioner seat, was officially sworn in as our County Commissioner for District 1. On Tuesday, his colleagues on the commission also elected him as their board chairman for next year. On Sanibel, that bumped Vice Mayor Mick Denham into the Acting Mayor position.

On Tuesday, Acting Mayor Denham extended the island declared state of emergency due to COVID-19. Now it goes until November 24, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.) The City face covering mandate remains in effect through the period.

From Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 77. Cases are rapidly increasing here. NINE more cases in the last week.

Weeks-ending 3/29 through 5/31 – 2 months = 11 cases

Weeks-ending 6/7 through 8/30 – 2 months = 30 cases

Weeks-ending 9/6 through 11/1 – 2 months = 22 cases

Weeks-ending 11/8 through 11/15 – 2 WEEKS = 14 cases (that is nine more cases than last week)

Please stay vigilant – continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and avoid group gatherings.

Work Space, Outdoor Living, & The Burbs

A good article in the new FloridaRealtor® magazine (Nov/Dec 2020) summaries what is happening on Sanibel too, “as the pandemic changes what homebuyers are looking for…”

“With schools closed and businesses shuttered, many people found their entire lives confined to the four walls of their homes. From working and homeschooling to eating and entertaining, daily life started and ended at home, causing many people to recognize the importance of a comfortable, practical place to live.

“As more companies realize that working from home is a viable option and many schools are on a virtual or a hybrid leaning schedule, these shifts seem to be more than a passing fancy….”

Below are the four trends that followed:

“Trend 1 – More indoor space for remote working and family members. What buyers want: Home office, home gym, well-appointed kitchen, walk-in pantry….

“Trend 2 – Increased consumer appetite for more outdoor and entertainment space. What buyers want: Private and spacious outdoor area, pool, backyard, patio….

“Trend 3 – Move from urban to suburban. What buyers want: Less densely populated location, single-family living….

“Trend 4 – More tech-enabled homes. What buyers want: High-speed WiFi connectivity, tech improvements/upgrades….

The article ends with a note from John “Chuck” Fowke, Tampa-based custom home builder and chairman of the board of the National Association of Home Builders, Washington, D.C.: “About 88% of our buyers indicated their home has become very important or more important because of the pandemic. There’s a trend of people thinking that, because they’re in the suburbs and not in congested areas, the health opportunities are much better. Emphasize the outdoor recreation and freedom of movement outside rather than being inside or in small spaces.””

8 Do’s & Don’ts of Owning a Vacation Rental

Also from the Nov/Dec 2020 issue of “FloridaRealtor®” magazine: “Are you considering a vacation home purchase that will produce valuable rental income when you’re not using the property? If so, check out these dos and don’ts to get the most out of your financial investment.

“DO: Create a financial plan. This will help you predict the potential revenue and expense of owning a rental property.

“DO: Work with a knowledgeable Realtor® when buying. A good agent can help you find a property in a good location with the best rental potential.

“DO: Get to know your property. Carefully check all parts of the property and repair and replace items that need it.”

“DO: Choose a property manager carefully. Check their reputation in the area, then ask how they’ll: Maintain the property so it stays in good condition, communicate with you and maximize your revenue.

“DON’T: Ignore preventive maintenance. It’s better to fix or replace that aging hot water heater or HVAC system now than have it break during a renter’s stay.

“DO: Be strategic about using the property yourself. If your goal is to maximize rental income, stick to planning your stay during the off season.

“DO: Plan to reinvest in the property. Figure you may have to spend 1% of the property value each year on maintenance.

“DO: Be realistic about pricing. Research area rental rates and don’t overprice. Your ultimate goal is to make a reasonable profit and that will require a high occupancy rate.”

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity November 13-20, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

3 new listings: Spanish Cay #A4 2/2 $450K, Sanibel Arms West #J3 2/2 $589K, Sundial #L205 3/2 $1.495M.

5 price changes: Sanibel Arms #C7 1/1 now $349K, Blanca #8 2/1 now $365K, Sanibel Arms #H6 1/1 now $384.9K, Sundial #F108 1/1 now $450K, Sanibel Inn #3512 2/2 now $726K.

6 new sales: Breakers West #B5 2/2 listed at $569K; Compass Point #221 2/2 listed at $639,999; Sanctuary Golf Villages I #1-4 3/3 listed at $799K; Sundial #T201 2/2 listed at $799K; Pointe Santo #D47 2/2 listed at $974K; Junonia #103 3/2 listed at $1.295M.

10 closed sales: Sundial #I405 1/1 $405K, Sundial #D308 1/1 $414K, Mariner Pointe #813 2/2 $525K, Loggerhead Cay #573 2/2 $657.5K, Lighthouse Point #229 3/2 $712K (our listing), Sunset South #14B 2/2 $920K, Blind Pass #G105 4/3 $950K, Blue Gulf #201 3/2 $1.135M, Sunward #201 3/2 $1.2M, High Tide #B302 3/2 $2.08M.

View from Lighthouse Point #229, sold full price!

HOMES

4 new listings: 1027 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 $499K, 9254 Kincaid Ct 2/2.5 $499.9K, 490 Sawgrass Pl 3/2.5 $1.595M, 4961 Joewood Dr 4/4 5.2M.

4 price changes: 1684 Bunting Ln 2/2 now $514,555; 721 Durion Ct 3/3 now $649.9K; 6141 Henderson Rd 3/2 now $658.5K; 1743 Jewel Box Dr 3/3.5 now $1.35M.

9 new sales: 1357 Jamaica Dr 2/3 duplex listed at $559K, 1142 Shell Basket Ln 3/2 listed at $625K, 1015 Fish Crow Rd 3/2 listed at $649K (our listing), 482 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 listed at $789K, 660 Oliva St 3/3 listed at $829K, 769 Pyrula Ave 3/3.5 listed at $1.395M, 677 Anchor Dr 5/5.5 listed at $1.895M, 2268 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 listed at $1.995M, 4067 West Gulf Dr 4/4.5 listed at $5.9M.

1015 Fish Crow Rd

8 closed sales: 1410 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 $612,408; 9128 Mockingbird Dr 3/2 $635K; 9307 Dimmick Dr 3/2 $680K; 1326 Tahiti Dr 2/2 $700K; 525 N. Yachtsman Dr 3/2 $775K; 917 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 $850K; 770 Elinor Way 3/2.5 $895K, 2343 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 $1.39M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 5301-25 Sanibel-Captiva Rd $1.2M.

No price changes.

1 new sale: 5116 Sea Bell Rd listed at $229K.

1 closed sale: 2297 Wulfert Rd $179K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

1 closed sale: Bayside Villas #5136 1/2 $380K.

HOMES

No new listings.

1 price change: 16447 Captiva Dr 7/6/2 now $2.79M.

No new sales.

1 close sale: 15147 Captiva Dr 6/5.5 $2.85M.

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.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Best wishes from The SanibelSusan Team for a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Sanibel & Captiva Scoop – Columbus Day Weekend

Posted on October 9, 2020 by SanibelSusan

SanibelSusan here reporting another day of beautiful weather on Sanibel. The islands continue to slowly reopen, as sea turtle nesting and rainy season finish up for the year. News on both is positive.

A few days ago, SCCF posted on their Facebook page that “Sea turtle season is really winding down on the islands. Currently, we are monitoring 12 nests, a substantial difference from the record number of 669 nests on Sanibel and 268 nests on Captiva earlier this season. So far, a total of 33,267 hatchlings have made it to sea.”

Water quality was an agenda item at Tuesday’s Sanibel City Council meeting. Acting Director of Natural Resources, Holly Millbrand reported that although Lake Okeechobee water level is up and there has been some increase in water releases, there are no signs of any negative effects here, no red tide or blue green algae. “I’m pleased that the corps has been willing to take a more cautious approach,” she said, referring to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that determines when and how much water to release from the lake. “We encourage the corps to weigh all the factors…,” she said, adding that there is not so much concern from the corps of potential dyke failure even though the level is high.

Though that is all good news for returning snowbirds and the additional vacationers expected over the holiday weekend, many have been carefully watching the weather and the track of Hurricane Delta. All clear here today with that tropical weather pattern resulting in some lower humidity this week. The forecast says next week it will be in the mid to high 80’s with the usual chance of afternoon and evening thunderstorms. That usually equates to nice beach weather during the day, followed by a spectacular sunset. There have been some beauties lately.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

Still closed for group meetings, the islands Association of Realtors® has revised plans for a couple of their annual events. Our end-of-season golf outing, party, and auction to benefit RPAC which were postponed from May until this month is revised again with a 2-day auction coming up next week (October 12-14) followed by an hour-long Zoom party.

Through the years, our RPAC dollars have worked on many ownership issues affecting islanders. As an example, last week, a bill that funded the federal government through December 11 was signed into law. That bill includes a full-year extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and surface transportation funding. Under the agreement, NFIP authority is extended through September 30, 2021. This is the second year in a row for a full fiscal year extension for flood insurance. While Realtors® continue to work toward comprehensive insurance reform and long-term reauthorization, the marketplace needs stability and continuity. In the continuing resolution is a similar extension of surface transportation funding. Transportation projects take years from concept to completion, and any lapse in funding is especially disruptive. This is a win for those looking toward a post-coronavirus market.

Here is another unusual twist because of COVID-19. For our local RPAC auction, SanibelSusan often donates a Maine Lobster Bake which is a dinner kit that comes from The Lobster Net in Brewer, ME. Included are not only jumbo fresh lobsters and a large pot for cooking them, but also all of the other ingredients, supplies, and instructions needed for a complete party-style meal, from appetizers to desserts. For years, the donation has sold for far more than the actual value. Imagine my surprise when I checked their website this year and found this message “Due to pandemic, live lobsters 2.0 – 4.0 lbs. are temporarily next to impossible to find.” So, this year’s donation is a little different.

The Association Annual Meeting and election of officers will be by electronic voting in early November. No word yet on when group in-person committee and Caravan meetings will resume.

The week’s action posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

City of Sanibel

Again, this week, Sanibel Mayor Ruane extended the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19 until October 13, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days and thus must be updated weekly as the emergency exists.) Additionally, this week, the City face covering mandate was reaffirmed and remains in effect through the period.

Per the Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 54.

Other Upcoming Events & Openings/Reopenings

The Sanibel Sprout Juice Bar & Vegan Café – reopened this week in their new just-remodeled location in Islander Center, 2407 Periwinkle Way, (former location of Totally Baked).

The Island Store (Captiva) – at the corner of Andy Rosse Lane & Captiva Drive, reopened this week after a nearly year-long renovation. Operated by Bailey’s General Store, it is open daily Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sanibel Historical Village – reopening October 20 with safety protocols. Will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All visitors, volunteers, and staff will be required to wear a mask and observe social distancing. Guided tours are suspended until January. However, visitors may make appointments for guided tours with 48-hour advance notice (for minimum of six, no more than ten guests). For self-tours, there are audio buttons in each building and brochures. Annual gala fundraiser canceled, but several Twilight Talks are in the planning stages. Events will be posted on museum website, http://www.SanibelMuseum.com.

Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum “Mollusk Monster Mash” – October 27 at Traders. The Shell Museum’s kick-off fundraising event for the season will have a few new twists. Tickets include a gourmet meal served with wine either at the restaurant or with a takeout option delivered to your car. With socially-distance seating inside and out, reservations are needed. Call 239-395-2233 for more info.

SCCF’s “Wines in the Wild 2020” – November 13 – This year the event will not be at the Bailey Homestead, but at your homeINstead with SCCF providing the ingredients for a fun evening. The portable party “to go” will be available for touchless drive-by pickup at the Bailey Homestead on November 13. Included are a bottle of white and red wine; food by chefs from Cielo, Catering by Leslie Adams, Spoondrift, and Sweet Melissa’s Café; a centerpiece designed by the Native Landscapes & Garden Center; a link to a specially curated Wines in the Wild music playlist; & a yummy dessert, & surprises too. Contact SCCF by November 6 to reserve your box.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 2-9, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Spanish Cay #F6 1/1 $293K, Breakers West #B5 2/2 $569K, Loggerhead Cay #462 2/2 $579K, Sanibel Sunset #201 3/2 $2.195M.

3 price changes: Cottage Colony West #101 1/1 now $585K, Sanibel Inn #3514 2/2 now $699K, Sanibel Surfside #124 2/2 now $1.025M.

3 new sales: Sundial #D204 1/1 listed at $450K, Island Beach Club #320C 2/2 listed at $829K, Sanibel Surfside #123 2/2 listed at $935K.

3 closed sales: Blind Pass #E205 2/2.5 $380K, Sandpebble #4E 2/2 $460K, Sunset South #11A 2/2 $537K.

HOMES

7 new listings: 1603 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 half-duplex $580K, 3926 Coquina Dr 3/2 $769K, 640 Periwinkle Way 3/2 $825K, 966 Kings Crown Dr 3/2 $1.06M, 1152 Buttonwood Ln 3/3.5 $1.695M, 677 Anchor Dr 5/5.5 $1.895M, 418 Bella Vista Way E 4/4 $1,995,900.

3 price changes: 9426 Sage Ct 3/3 now $1.059M, 201 Violet Dr 3/2 now $1.1M, 1761 Venus Dr 4/4 now $2.195M.

5 new sales: 4044 Coquina Dr 2/2 listed at $499K, 1223 Par View Dr 3/2 listed at $725K, 1326 Tahiti Dr 2/2 listed at $775K, 4345 Gulf Pines Dr 4/4 listed at $855K; 1352 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 listed at $1.095M.

4 closed sales: 1954 Roseate Ln 3/2 $520K, 4339 Gulf Pines Dr 3/2 $620K, 2439 Harbour Ln 3/3 $950K, 1175 Bird Ln 4/3/2 $3M.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 2486 Wulfert Rd listed at $129K

2 closed sales: 978 Main St $162,450; 4334 West Gulf Dr $900K.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Beach Homes #6 3/3 $2.998M.

3 price changes: Gulf Beach Villas #2112 1/1 now $492.5K, Captiva Shores #1B 3/2.5 now $1.799M, Lands End Village #1608 3/3 now $2.085M.

2 new sales: Gulf Beach Villas #2005 2/2 listed at $755K, Captiva Hide-A-Way #2A 2/2 listed at $900K.

2 closed sales: Beach Villas #2418 2/2 $765K, Beach Homes #30 4/4.5 $3.15M.

HOMES & LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Enjoy your weekend! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Labor Day Weekend 2020 on Sunny Sanibel Island

Posted on September 4, 2020 by SanibelSusan

There was an uptick in real estate showings and inquiries this week at SanibelSusan Realty. Many neighborhoods and complexes have annual maintenance and summer repair projects underway, yet the islands are expected to have more visitors over the three-day holiday weekend.

Following a couple of news items below are the week’s postings in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service.

City of Sanibel

On Tuesday, Sanibel Mayor Ruane issued City Proclamation 20-061, extending the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19.

Per the Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26, as of August 31, is 42. That is the total number of positive cases reported during that 5+month period, not current cases.

Proclamation 20-061:

Extends temporary prohibitions of alcohol on beaches. (Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages are prohibited from 7 a.m. through 5 p.m. seven days a week at all City-operated beaches & associated parks or picnic areas with public parking (including Bowman’s Beach, Blind Pass, Gulfside City Park (Algiers), Lighthouse Beach & fishing pier, Trost lot (Tarpon Rd beach), Bailey Rd north beach, & picnic areas at Sanibel boat ramp).
Extends temporary parking fines. (Until November 30, 2020, parking fines remain $200 to prevent overcrowding at beach parking lots & around beach access points.)
Extends until November 30, 2020, the temporary allowance for certain outdoor displays of merchandise.

The state of emergency extension is until September 8, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute the maximum time for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days, so it must be updated weekly while there are emergency conditions.)

Shoreline Stabilization Project at Turner Beach

On Monday, the City posted that Turner Beach Park will be closed September 8 through November 6 for a construction project.

The project includes the removal and replacement of the rip-rap revetment along the south side of the park, drainage improvements throughout the entire park, ADA accessibility improvements, and dune restoration.

Lee County Tourist Development Council is providing the funding.

SCCF Documents Most Loggerhead Nests Ever

2020 is a record-breaking nesting season on both islands for loggerhead sea turtles. As of September 2, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) sea turtle team has documented 679 nests on Sanibel breaking the previous record of 649 in 2017. On Captiva, 265 nests have been recorded, beyond the previous record of 194 in 2016.

Sea turtles have complex life cycles – females lay more than one nest per year but do not typically reproduce every year, so even when the population is stable, it is natural to see fluctuations from year to year.

After the red tide during the 2018 nesting season stranded more than 100 loggerheads, there was concern that the number of adults lost would have a negative impact on the nesting season this year. SCCF has a research project underway to better understand how these algae blooms affect the health of surviving turtles.

Sanibel School Back in Session

The Sanibel School is back in session this week, with students adjusting to some changes due to the pandemic. The school has been shut down since Spring Break in March, when lockdown orders were issued, and the Lee County School District transitioned into a remote learning program.

This week, school leaders expected about two-thirds of its enrollment – or about 180 students – to be back in class for face-to-face learning. New safety protocols are in place aimed at keeping students and faculty safe. The remaining students opted for one of three home study options offered by the school district.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity August 28 – September 4, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Ibis at The Sanctuary #202 2/2 $487.5K, Loggerhead Cay #373 2/2 $669,555; Seawind #A103 2/2.5 $579K, Sunset South #10C 2/2 $725K.

1 price change: Sanibel Arms #D7 1/1 now $339K.

2 new sales Sunset South #14B 2/2 listed at $950K, Yacht Haven #2 3/2 listed at $999K.

6 closed sales: Blind Pass #E202 2/2 $392.5K; Sand Pointe #227 2/2 $715K; Seawind II #2 2/2.5 $763,225; Sand Pointe #116 2/2 $870K; Somerset #C302 3/2 $1.5M; High Tide #A301 3/2 $1.845M.

HOMES

4 new listings: 555 Rabbit Rd 3/2 $629K; 1410 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 $645,750; 2343 Wulfert Rd 3/3.5 $1.42M; 4067 West Gulf Dr 5/4.5 $5.9M.

3 price changes: 734 Anchor Dr 3/2 now $850K, 1717 Jewel Box Dr 3/3.5 now $2.348M, 1069 Bird Ln 4/3.5 now $4.595M.

7 new sales: 915 Main St 2/1 listed at $439K, 1752 Serenity Ln 3/2 $450K, 4455 Gulf Pines Dr 3/2 listed at $738K, 756 Windlass Way 4/3 listed at $869K, 3351 Barra Cir 3/2.5 listed at $1.199M, 2739 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 listed at $1.25M, 790 Beach Rd 4/3.5 listed at $1.295M.

8 closed sales: 968 Greenwood Ct S 3/2.5 half-duplex $377K (our listing), 1890 Farm Trl 3/2 $524K, 1559 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 $640K, 3117 Twin Lakes Ln 3/2 $788K, 1358 Sand Castle Rd 4/3.5 $925K, 3850 Coquina Dr 3/3 $1.04M, 912 Kings Crown Dr 3/3.5 $1.175M, 5089 Joewood Dr 6/5 $2.85M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 2501 Tropical Way $695K.

2 price changes: 355 Cowry Ct now $295K, 1048 Fish Crow Rd now $340K.

2 new sales: 2307 Wulfert Rd listed at $199K, 2319 Wulfert Rd listed at $199K.

2 closed sales: 2462 Wulfert Rd $207K, 1219 Par View Dr $275K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

1 price change: Captiva Hide-A-Way #1C 2/2 now $879K.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings.

1 price change: 16447 Captiva Dr 7/6/2 now $2.89M.

1 new sale: 53 Sandpiper Ct 2/2.5 listed at $889K.

No closed sales.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Enjoy your weekend! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Island Real Estate Selling During the Pandemic

Posted on August 14, 2020 by SanibelSusan

SanibelSusan reporting that it has been another quiet week on Sanibel. Some of the local private schools reopened (Canterbury School this week, Bishop Verot next week). On-island, late vacationers are here enjoying the beaches while dodging seasonal showers and business has settled into the dog days of summer.

August/September often is when island lovers start thinking about the upcoming winter and planning their upcoming escapes from cold weather. We are working with buyers from afar as they await Florida’s full reopening.

Redfish Pass at the tip of Captiva earlier this week.

The action posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service since last Friday follows a few items, including the status of the local real estate market and latest COVID-19 info.

Sanibel & Captiva Real Estate Scoop

Buyers are asking what the repercussions have been from the pandemic on real estate sales. That question is heard almost as often as “what happened following Hurricane Irma in 2017” and the later water woes.

Below is a comparison of island real estate closings during COVID for the six months of 2020, from Valentines’ Day through August 14, and the same time frame before Irma in 2017 and the years with red tide 2018/2019.

Island Sales from February 14 to August 14

Year	CONDOS			HOMES			LOTS			ALL RESIDENTIAL
Year	#	Price $	DOM	#	Price $	DOM	#	Price $	DOM	#	Price $	DOM
SANIBEL
2020	78	725,852	157	135	964,248	165	6	471,166	364	217	865,647	167
2019	80	668,828	146	143	910,134	168	10	419,900	725	233	806,242	184
2018	104	728,529	183	142	1,161,457	155	13	815,538	288	259	970,255	173
2017	82	742,847	193	120	1,036,917	166	21	334,738	600	223	862,659	217
CAPTIVA
2020	14	944,000	107	9	3,561,555	171	2	1,925,000	462	25	1,964,800	158
2019	13	1,023,230	401	11	3,216,686	258	0	N/A	N/A	24	2,028,564	335
2018	12	769,354	115	12	2,225,942	197	0	N/A	N/A	24	1,487,648	156
2017	20	681,512	265	15	2,611,466	410	2	2,312,500	1,005	37	1,552,087	364

(Info from Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service, disclosure at bottom applies.)

What I glean from these statistics is that regardless of what happens in the world, with the weather, the water, the economy, or the year. Sanibel and Captiva have been and continue to be desirable. Even during the recession, island real estate continued to sell and sell well. Prices fluctuate with inventory and seller motivation. Island inventory is low, but from the pandemic, demand is increasing.

Florida’s Single-Family For-Sale Inventory Hit Record Low in 2Q

The following article by Kerry Smith was posted yesterday online at FloridaRealtors®: “ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida homeowners: There’s never been higher demand for your home. Economists generally consider a six-month supply of for-sale homes (inventory) to be balanced between buyers and sellers. An inventory greater than six months is a buyer’s market; an inventory less than six months is a seller’s market. In the second quarter of 2020, Florida’s inventory of homes was 2.8 months.

““Apart from the condo-townhouse category, we are at record lows right now,” says Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. Brad O’Connor.

“Florida Realtors records sales of condominiums and townhouses separately, and at 5.7-months’ supply in the 2Q, the condo-townhouse market remains in seller territory, but it’s closer to a balanced market.

The coronavirus-related shutdown impacted Florida’s single-family inventory, but more homes now appear to be coming into the market.

“Still, demand from buyers, thanks in part to record-low mortgage rates, has not subsided. Selling prices have continued to trend upward as buyers find too-few available homes for sale. In the second quarter, the median price for a Florida single-family home was $277,500 – 4.7% higher year-to-year.

““All indications are that Florida will continue to see home sales surge through the end of the summer, with our biggest near-term issue being a severe lack of single-family inventory,” O’Connor said in the report. “With mid-year inventory levels down over 27% compared to last year, the scarcity of homes on the market will continue to propel prices upward. Price growth has remained so strong throughout the pandemic that at the mid-point of the year, Florida has already seen close to $50 billion worth of closed single-family home sales – less than 2% off last year’s pace.”

“The inventory problem isn’t just in Florida. Fannie Mae’s latest U.S. market report found similar conditions nationwide, with a few buyers pulling back as home prices continue to rise.

““Supply constraints appear to be applying upward pressure to consumers’ home price expectations, which in turn has contributed to both a sharp reversal in optimism about whether it is a good time to buy a home and further improvement in home-selling sentiment,” says Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie Mae. © 2020 Florida Realtors®”

To bring this closer to home, the sold info below is extracted from my table above and compares those island sales over the last six months (during the pandemic) to today’s inventory:

Status	CONDOS			HOMES			LOTS
Status	#	Price $	DOM	#	Price $	DOM	#	Price $	DOM
SANIBEL
Sold 2/14-8/14/20	78	725,852	157	135	964,248	165	6	471,166	364
Under contract	22	713,968	151	48	973,223	150	7	349,193	386
Available today	115	826,994	224	111	1,654,230	189	58	824,531	461
CAPTIVA
Sold 2/14-8/14/20	14	944,000	107	9	3,561,555	171	2	1,925,000	462
Under contract	10	759,145	144	4	1,876,000	264	0	N/A	N/A
Available today	34	1,162,582	231	41	2,873,024	249	3	3,563,000	555

(Info from Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service, disclosure at bottom applies.)

Applying the economist definition about six months of inventory, it remains a buyer’s market for condos and vacant lots on both islands, as well as Captiva homes. But it now is a seller’s market for Sanibel homes.

This could change as recovery from the pandemic continues and winter approaches. Coming up are the months when the most island listings usually come on the market. I wonder if it will be different this year. Being safe may be as important to some as the islands being eco-friendly, natural, and laid-back. That could mean sellers will hold tight and it also could mean there will be more buyers. An interesting period is ahead. 2020 may continue to be a year for the record books in more ways than one.

Tidbits from NAR Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun

Yesterday was the first monthly membership meeting of the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® since the pandemic began.

Granted it was by Zoom, but it featured one of my favorite economists, Dr. Lawrence Yun.

Here are a few of my notes from his presentation.

2^nd quarter was softer from the government-imposed economic lockdown.
Migration into Florida continues with about two-thirds of those here wanting a comfortable life with no income tax.
A surge in spending is coming (pent-up).
Today mortgage applications are 20% higher than a year ago.
Real estate is always a good hedge against inflation.
Today’s massive federal deficit will result in inflation.
The long-term real estate outlook in Sanibel/Captiva is bright with more companies offering flexibility on working from home and more retirees looking to come to the sunshine state.
The Federal Reserve likely will be accommodating for the next two years. Expect 3% rates to remain for the next 18 months, then slowly rising in 2022.
Encourage buyers to lock into the low rates before inflation appears.

Openings/Closings/Rescheduling

On Tuesday, Mayor Ruane extended Sanibel’s declared State of Emergency in response to COVID-19, until August 18, 2020, unless further extended. (Per State Statute the maximum time for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven days, so it must be updated weekly while there are emergency conditions.)

Since March 26, a total of 40 COVID 19 cases have been reported on Sanibel by Florida Department of Health (DOH), five on Captiva.

2021 Shell Show Cancelled – As a member of the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club, I received the following email notice on Wednesday: “On August 10, 2020, the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club Board of Directors held a Zoom meeting to discuss the merits of having the 2021 Sanibel Shell Show vs. the health risks. As the number of positive Corona Virus cases continue to escalate in Florida and throughout the country, and because of the inability to predict the status of the virus in the early months of 2021, the Board erred on the side of caution and voted to cancel the show. Our major concern with having a Shell Show like we have had in the past is the safety, health, and welfare of everyone involved. However, there will be a Shell Festival and the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club will support the Sanibel Community Assn. and work with them to make it a success. We are investigating the possibility of having an educationally oriented virtual Shell Show event that would begin on the opening day of the festival. The bottom line is that we hope to have a Shell Show, but it will be different from the competitive show that we have had in the past. The October issue of The Junonia will have updated information about the Board’s plans.”

Sanibel Library – Temporarily closed for sanitization, but open for digital borrowing. Phone and email support available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library’s eShelf and all online services remain available 24/7. All user fees waived during the closure. For more info, call 239-472-2483 or visit http://www.SanLib.org.

SanCap Cares – Posted this week on SanCap Cares Facebook page: “Given the current state of the pandemic, and after much discussion among the SanCap Cares committee members, we have made the decision to cancel the rescheduled 20th Anniversary Celebration that was slated for November 22, 2020…. The 2021 annual event is still on for March 28, 2021 at the Sanctuary Golf Club. Lee Health and Golisano Children’s Hospital needs us now more than ever! See you in 2021”

Sanibel Recreation Center & Playgrounds – Community Park (across from our office) and Bowman’s Beach playgrounds are open. At the Rec Center, registration for the After-School Youth Program is open. A new on-line reservation system also has been set up for members using the lap pool, tennis courts, and weight room. To comply with social distancing protocols, use of the Rec Center is by appointment only with reservations. Go to www.MySanibel for more info.

Travel Restrictions Removed by Governor – On August 6, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Executive Order 20-192, which addresses short-term vacation rentals and rescinds the travel restrictions for the tri-state area: New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. People from those areas had been advised to self-quarantine for two weeks. The executive order also rescinds the previous employee screening requirements for restaurant employees. This means employees who have previously tested positive do not need to receive two negative tests before they can come back to work. Employers are required only to implement screening protocols pursuant to CDC guidance. The executive order also removes the requirement that employees who have traveled through an airport in the last 14 days be prohibited from working in a restaurant.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity August 7-14, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Ibis at The Sanctuary #102 2/2 $479K; Seawind #108 2/2.5 $529K; Lighthouse Point #121 3/2 $609,906; Blind Pass #G105 4/3 $969K.

3 price changes: Gulf Beach #106 2/2 now $849K, Somerset #A101 3/2.5 now $1.7M, Plantation Village #322 3/3 now $2.55M.

2 new sales: Spanish Cay #A3 1/1 listed at $293K, Sandpebble #4E 2/2 listed at $475K.

4 closed sales: Sundial #B406 2/2 $732.5K, Sundial #T301 2/2 $805K, Sanctuary Golf Villages I #4-3 3/3 $900K, Loggerhead Cay #514 2/2 $965K.

HOMES

5 new listings: 1797 Serenity Ln 2/2 $445K, 600 Boulder Dr 3/2 $599K, 9240 Belding Dr 3/2.5 $620K, 1001 East Gulf Dr 2/2 $649K, 545 Lake Murex Cir 3/3 $1.075M.

2 price changes: 718 Durion Ct 3/2 now $599K, 4345 Gulf Pines Dr 4/4 now $855K.

5 new sales: 4606 Brainard Bayou Rd 2/2 listed at $469.9K, 9240 Belding Dr 3/2.5 listed at $620K, 1350 Middle Gulf Dr #1F (Moonshadows) 3/3 half-duplex listed at $729K, 1724 Bunting Ln 3/3.5 listed at $949.5K, 1121 Skiff Ln 3/3 listed at $999K.

3 closed sales: 1010 Kings Crown Dr 3/3 $980K, 3706 West Gulf Dr 4/3 $1.2M, 4775 Rue Helene 4/3 $1.499M.

LOTS

No new listings.

1 price change: 1048 Fish Crow Rd now $350K.

1 new sale: 978 Main St listed at $169.9K.

No closed sale.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings or price changes.

5 new sales: Tennis Villas #3120 1/1 listed at $308K, Bayside Villas #4112 1/2 listed at $375K, Bayside Villas #5114 1/2 listed at $380K, Bayside Villas #5234 1/2 listed at $399K, Beach Villas #2418 2/2 listed at $759K.

No closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings

1 price change: 1124 Longifolia Ct 4/5 now $2.649M.

No new or closed sales.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Until next Friday, stay safe, enjoy your weekend & this recent sunset photo shared by our photographers, Jim and Jimmy Anderson with JMA Photography. Their photo was taken recently from one of their drones overlooking the same area of South Seas Plantation as my photo above (Lands End Village overlooking Redfish Pass). Summer sunsets are the best!

Susan Andrews aka Sanibel Susan

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

When It Rains on The Islands, Just Wait a Few Minutes

Posted on July 17, 2020 by SanibelSusan

It has been another week of typical July weather on Sanibel and Captiva Islands – bright blue skies with big white puffy popcorn clouds often rolling in, bringing along a quick shower and resulting in some terrific sunsets. I took a quick detour on my way back to the office about 1 p.m. this afternoon trying to capture a photo of those clouds. My quick trip up Bailey Road was not fast enough, so I tried Dixie Beach Blvd. You can see from the photos below that it was already raining off island with waves forming on San Carlos Bay and Pine Island Sound. Now the rains have stopped, with both islands first getting a good dousing.

From the lot at the end of Dixie Beach looking toward Woodring Rd

Already raining across Pine Island Sound.

A few little white caps on San Carlos Bay

New real estate action was down a little this week following the departure of holiday visitors, but overall, closed sales are doing well. Below is a summary comparison of island sales (from January through today) over the last three years. Current inventory also is shown.

For those who can work from home or want to spend more time here, there is plenty of inventory and lenders are offering some of the best programs in decades. Prudent buyers also will note that prices again are creeping up.

Residential Property – Condos, Homes, & Lots
	Sanibel		Captiva		Total Both Islands
Sold/Closed from 1/1 to 7/17	#	Avg Price	#	Avg Price	#	Avg Price
2020	214	879,346	32	2,024,593	246	1,028,321
2019	227	841,871	22	1,856,533	249	931,522
2018	272	1,011,547	29	1,430,385	301	1,051,900
For Sale Now	316	1,156,219	86	2,610,933	401	1,469,652

Looking more carefully at sales to-date this year, here are answers to some questions often posed to Realtors®. (My answers are based on the island Multiple Listing Service.)

What is the cost of a 2-bedroom condo on the gulf? On Sanibel, today there are 55 for sale, average asking price $815,576. On Captiva, seven are for sale, average asking price $1,285,214.

What if I need 3 bedrooms? Expect to pay a lot more. On Sanibel, 16 are for sale, average asking price $1,634,125. On Captiva, six are for sale, average asking price $2,456,500.

How much do properties sell off their asking price? Looking at those same property types and sales this year, 33 Sanibel 2-bedroom gulf condos sold in prices ranging from $508,000 to $1,200,000 (a huge spread). Average sale price compared to average list price = 94%. On Captiva, there were just four gulf-side 2-bedroom condo sales. Prices ranged from $674,500 to $1,480,000. There, average sale price compared to list price is 96%.

What is the cost of a single-family 3-bedroom home with pool near-the-beach? That is the most popular island property. On Sanibel, 14 are for sale, average asking price $855,278. Year-to-date, 13 have sold at prices ranging from $447,000 to $1,167,500. Average sale price $875,657 is 94% of the average asking price. On Captiva, four are available, average asking price $1,818,500. Year-to-date, just two have sold. Average sale price of $1,862,500 is 94% of average list price.

Below are a few news items followed by the activity this week in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service. You will notice that there was just one new Sanibel condo sale, while there were eight home sales. Closings were similarly split this week with no Sanibel condo closings, but 11 Sanibel homes closed. Usually condo buyers are here now… hopefully they are coming soon!

City of Sanibel

On Tuesday, Sanibel City Council met for their regularly scheduled meeting. One item discussed was the City budget and the expected 2020 millage rate.

As reported in today’s “Island Sun”: “Despite COVID-19, island property values are projected to have risen this year, although by less than one percent, and the City is projected to have the lowest tax rate since 2007.”

There was no change in the Mayor’s State of Emergency Proclamation Due to COVID-19, other than extending it until July 21.

Great News from Turtle Patrol

Posted Wed on SCCF’s (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation) FaceBook page:

“Captiva has broken its record for the most loggerhead sea turtle nests ever documented! With 231 nests, the island is well ahead of last year’s record of 193 loggerhead nests.

“On Sanibel, we are up to 585 loggerhead nests with a couple weeks of nesting still to go. The previous record on Sanibel was set in 2017 for loggerheads, with 649 nests.

“We are now tracking three loggerheads that nested on our beaches this summer. Last week, our team tagged a loggerhead named Periwinkle…. Pepper, Junonia, and Periwinkle received satellite transmitters this nesting season to learn more about the inter-nesting movements, migratory pathways, and foraging grounds of loggerheads nesting on our beaches. Click here to track these turtles! https://www.trackturtles.com/”

Why We Love It Here

Here are a few reminders of why so many love Sanibel and Captiva:

Tops in Nation – Widely recognized & consistently ranged as one of the country’s top destinations for beach combing, shelling, kayaking, bird watching, and biking. Family Fun magazine has rated Sanibel a top overall family attraction.

Popular Winter Destination – The American Society of Travel Agents has ranked the beaches of Sanibel and Captiva in their top ten most popular winter destinations. The Weather Channel also has ranked the islands in its top five winter escapes, along with Key West, Kahului (in Maui), Honolulu, and Miami.

Sanibel Shell Festival – Beaches are ranked some of the best in the world for shelling. More varieties can be found here than anywhere else in North America. Shelling posture is so common, that it has a name – The Sanibel Stoop. It also is no wonder that the Sanibel Shell Festival will celebrate its 84th year in 2021. Among the rare shells collected here are the brown speckled junonia, sculpted lion’s paw, coveted golden olive, golden tulip, and Scotch bonnet. Live shelling is banned, but shell seekers are encouraged to pick up abandoned treasures that wash up on shore.

J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge – Occupying more than half of Sanibel, the national wildlife refuge was named for Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Jay Norwood Darling, who also was the first environmentalist to hold a presidential cabinet post (Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration).

Boating – There are plenty of opportunities on the islands and surrounding waterways for water enthusiasts, from easy kayaking to serious tarpon fishing. Boat straight across the state from Fort Myers/Sanibel to Palm Beach via the Caloosahatchee River and Okeechobee Waterway, both part of the intra-coastal waterway.

Creativity Abounds Here – From authors to artists to musicians & more – Anne Morrow Lindbergh, the wife of America’s famous aviator, wrote her best-selling book, “A Gift from the Sea,” without identifying it as Captiva Island.

Gladiolus Capital – Some of Lee County’s original settlers were flower growers from the Benelux region of Europe. At one time their horticultural efforts made nearby Fort Myers the “Gladiolus Capital of the World.”

Update on The Wildlife Refuge

From the July 16, 2020, “’Ding’ on The Wing”, News from the ‘Ding’ Darling Wildlife Society:

“Tarpon Bay Explorers has restructured its Sealife and Nature Cruises schedule. Currently, the tours depart every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 11, 1:30, and 6. Keep current on developments via our COVID-19 web page. In the meantime, we urge you to #StayHome as much as possible, get out in nature when you can, and maintain social distance and mask guidelines when you must go out.”

At the Refuge store, their special edition Sanibel Shells masks are in stock and more Roseate Spoonbill masks are expected to arrive soon. Easy to order at ShopDingDarling.com.

Realtor.com’s Website Has ‘Record-Level’ Buyer Interest

Posted July 10 on FloridaRealtors® on line:

“The site created a Housing Market Recovery Index just a few weeks ago to gauge the market’s return to “normal,” and real estate is already close to pre-pandemic levels.

“Realtor.com says its monthly website traffic hit an all-time high of 86 million unique users in June 2020, breaking May’s record of 85 million unique users. It also broke its daily record on June 25 when 7 million unique users visited the site.

“Realtor.com created a new Housing Market Recovery Index in early June to gauge how fast the pandemic-slowed real estate market returned to “normal.” The index considers a score of 100 to represent the real estate market on Feb. 1, 2020 – before the pandemic hit – and any current metro score below 100 represents its relative weakness compared to the pre-pandemic market.

“In many metro areas, however, the index has returned to something close to normal; in some areas, it’s even improved.

“In the four Florida metro areas realtor.com includes in its Index, one has already passed the Feb. 1 baseline – Jacksonville with an index of 100.4 – and the other three are only slightly below for the week ending July 4.

Nationwide, the index number reached 97.8, which is the largest weekly increase since the index was introduced. The week’s 2.1-point increase week-to-week brings the index just 2.2 points below the pre-COVID baseline. However, supply remains the biggest factor that will slow a recovery, realtor.com analysts say. Total listings on realtor.com are down 31% year-to-year.

“All-time low mortgage rates and easing job losses have boosted buyer confidence back to pre-pandemic levels,” says Javier Vivas, director of economic research for realtor.com. “With supply at record lows, the backlog of demand portends increased competition and a seller’s market in the weeks ahead. While buyers are back, growth in home sales this summer will be constrained by the slow return of sellers and the limited amount of homes hitting the market.

“Nationwide, listings spent three days less on the market year-to-year the week of July 4. Asking prices on realtor.com were up 6.2%, and the number of new listings were down 4%. Out of the 50 metros included in the Index, the Boston area ranked first with a score of 119.9; the Milwaukee metro area ranked last with a score of 85.8.”

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity July 10-17, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

5 new listings: Spanish Cay #F4 2/2 listed at $399,999; Kimball Lodge #263 1/1.5 $525K; Loggerhead Cay #542 2/2 $699K; Sundial #T201 2/2 $830K; Surfside 12 #A4 3/2 $849K.

4 price changes: Sanibel Arms #B1 1/1 now $419K, Sundial #C301 1/1 now $460K, Mariner Pointe #421 2/2 now $589K, Kings Crown #306 2/2 now $838K.

1 new sale: Sanibel Surfside #126 2/2 listed at $799K.

No closed sales.

HOMES

1 new listing: 1304 Par View Dr 3/3 $775K.

1 price change: 1720 Dixie Beach Blvd 3/3 now $995K.

8 new sales: 9426 Beverly Ln 3/2 listed at $575K, 1827 Middle Gulf Dr 2/2 listed at $589K; 6033 Dinkins Lake Rd 3/3.5 listed at $698.5K; 1515 Angel Dr 3/2 listed at $849,948; 1358 Sand Castle Rd 4/3.5 listed at $995K; 1010 Kings Crown Dr 3/3 listed at $997K; 3706 West Gulf Dr 4/3 listed at $1.325M; 3615 West Gulf Dr 3/2 listed at $2.995M.

11 closed sales: 1695 Serenity Ln 3/2 $514K, 3947 Coquina Dr 2/2 $550K, 990/992 Greenwood Ct N 3/2.5 duplex $640K, 9418 Moonlight Dr 3/2 $655K, 1978 Roseate Ln 3/2 $680K, 1285 Par View Dr 4/2.5 $700K, 1220 Sand Castle Rd 3/2.5 $775K, 676 Emeril Ct 3/2 $830K, 847 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 $850K, 1230 Bay Dr 3/2 $1.45M, 2460 Harbour Ln 3/3 $1.75M.

LOTS

No new listings.

1 price change: 0 Island Inn Rd now $599,555.

No new or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

2 price changes: Bayside Villas #5234 1/2 now $399K, Beach Homes #30 4/4.5 now $3.65M.

2 new sales: Tennis Villas #3114 1/1 listed at $329K, Beach Homes #21 3/3 listed at $3,000,050.

No closed sales.

HOMES

1 new listing: 11520 Wightman Ln 3/2 $2.589M.

1 price change: 16500 Captiva Dr 6/6/2 now $6.389M.

1 new sale: 11547 Laika Ln 4/4 listed at $1.995M.

2 closed sales: 11520 Wightman Ln 3/2 $2.5M, 16221-16217 Captiva Dr 5/5.5 $3.6M.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Until next week, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Wear a Mask, Wash Your Hands, Stay Well… Please!

Posted on July 10, 2020 by SanibelSusan

Another Friday – time for another update from SanibelSusan. As the holiday week wraps up on Sanibel, the island vibe seems to have settled into an odd combination. Islanders, particularly older ones, are sticking close to home. Visitors and vacationers, on the other hand, are “out and about”, though carefully selecting where they go and what they do. Mostly, simply enjoying the best of Sanibel – the beach and nature.

Photo at right taken this week by JMA photography showing the foot bridge over Clam Bayou to Bowman’s Beach.

Second photo is of a sunset this week, also at Bowman’s Beach. It’s the site of many of the best sunsets. Super shelling too!

Thankfully, island appeal continues to be up while we all adjust to new ways of life and business, while staying safe.

Below is a summary of the status of the City of Sanibel proclamation (as of July 7) followed by a couple of news items that may be helpful in this new world. After that, is our weekly update of the activity posted in the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service.

City of Sanibel Status as of July 7, 2020

State of Emergency Proclamation Due to COVID-19 extended through July 14, 2020 (which is when the next City Council meeting is scheduled). Listen to that audio or read the latest proclamation in full at www.MySanibel.com.

Face coverings – required while inside public places and outdoors in public places when social distancing is not possible. (exceptions listed in Proclamation 20-040). Minimum age for children to wear coverings is six.

Beach parking – is open, illegal parking fines are $200. Possession & consumption of alcohol from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at all City operated beaches, parks, picnic areas is prohibited.

Public lodging – occupancy caps removed, but reservations including vacation rentals, motels & timeshares with guests from areas identified by Governor as high risk (NY, NJ, CT) must be for periods longer than quarantine period established by Governor (14 days). International travelers prohibited.

Retail – may operate at full capacity with social distancing and sanitization.

Museums, movie theaters, auditoriums, playhouses, concert houses – may operate at 50% capacity with social distancing & sanitization.

Huge Spike in Internet Viewings in June

Every month, I get a report showing the number of viewings our listings receive through ListHub. ListHub is a real estate syndication service that synchronizes listings from hundreds of Multiple Listing Services with 150+publisher websites. How it works is, ListHub connects to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The broker in charge of company listings sets up their desired distribution for their listings. Then, LisHub pulls the listing info and synchronizes to each website selected. As new listings are added or existing listings are updated, ListHub automatically distributes the new info. Then, monthly, ListHub collects the traffic metrics from the publisher websites and compiles them into reports provided to the brokers.

Through ListHub, I syndicate SanibelSusan Realty’s listings to 68 of the sites available to our MLS. Some of those are HomeFinder.com, Homes.com, The Real Estate Book, Homes & Land, HomeSpotter, HomeWinks, Homes.net, HousesForSale, HousingNow, IdealEstate, International Property Network, Juwai, LuxuryRealEstate.com, Point2 Homes, Properties Online, PropertyPath, and PropertySimple.

Our listings get hits from this additional exposure, as they do through the Internet Data Exchange network that is offered by Florida Realtors®. In reviewing our last report, I noticed a marked increase in searches during the pandemic, in April and May when so many viewers were “at home”. More surprising is that in June our listings were viewed a whopping eight times more frequently than in May. Here’s hoping those lookers turn into buyers.

Protect Your Meetings from Unwanted Visitors

Good article in the July issue of Florida Realtor®: “As large numbers of people turn to video-teleconferencing (VTC) platforms to stay connected in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, reports of VTC hijacking (also called Zoom-bombing”) are emerging nationwide. The FBI has received multiple reports of conferences being disrupted by pornographic and/or hate images and threatening language.

“As individuals continue the transition to online lessons and meetings, the FBI recommends exercising due diligence and caution in your cybersecurity efforts. The following steps can be taken to mitigate teleconference hijacking threats.

“Do not make meetings or classrooms public. In Zoom, there are two options to make a meeting private: require a meeting password or use the waiting room feature and control the admittance of guests.
“Do not share a link to a teleconference or classroom on an unrestricted publicly available social media post. Provide the link directly to specific people.
“Manage screensharing options. In Zoom, change screensharing to “Host Only”.
“Ensure users are using the updated version of remote access/meeting applications. In January 2020, Zoom updated their software. In their security update, the teleconference software provided added passwords by default for meetings and disabled the ability to randomly scan for meetings to join.
“Lastly, ensure that your organization’s telework policy or guide addresses requirements for physical and information security.

“If you were a victim of a teleconference hijacking or any cybercrime, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.”

9 Ways to Prepare for a Virtual Showing

Viewing real estate likely will continue to be a mix of in-person and virtual showings. Below are suggestions from Florida Realtors® for the best of virtual showings:

“Declutter. Clutter is a major distraction when buyers are viewing a home. You want them to focus on all the great features of the house not look at the stack of mail cluttering the kitchen counter.
“Depersonalize. Remove items like framed family photos and memorabilia. It’s hard for a buyer to picture living in the home if they see photos of you everywhere.
“Remove all signs of your pet. In the same way that you should depersonalize, tuck away your pet’s toys, bowl, and bed. Not everyone is a pet person.
“Turn on lights & open doors. To minimize the surfaces your Realtor® is touching, turn on all the lights and open all doors before your Realtor® walks through to livestream or film your home.
“Open blinds. Natural light is an essential when filming a home. Open the blinds and let as much light in as possible so the camera picks up all the beautiful details of each room.
“Plan the route around the house. If you’re showing the home without a Realtor® present, be sure to work with your agent to plan a clear route around the home that shows off each room and is clear of trip hazards.
“Think about your prospective buyer. If your Realtor® is doing the showing, be sure to tell them some personal stories or unique details about the home so they can relay it in the livestream or video.
“Tackle outdoor spaces. Prune any overgrown landscaping, cut back tree branches and mow the lawn.
“Clean up the front entrance. The walkway to your property and the front entrance are your home’s first impression. Power wash outside, touch up paint in the entryway and clear out any dirt and grime that has collected around the edges.”

Openings/Closings/Reopenings

It is getting hard to keep track of what is open, closed, and reopened, but here is scoop on a few that I noticed this week.

Cielo – As a precautionary measure for guests and staff, closed their dining room beginning Tuesday July 7. They now are open for take-out/curbside pick-up only, until such time as they feel they can safely reopen. Check their website for updates at https://cielo-sanibel.com/

The Sanibel Sprout – The sign went up this week at their new location in Islander Center at 2407 Periwinkle Way (former site of Sanibel Baked), but their Facebook page says they are remodeling, expecting to reopen in August.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity July 3-10, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

2 new listings: Spanish Cay #A3 1/1 $293K, Sundial #D305 1/1 $539K.

4 price changes: Colonnades #C3 1/1 now $249K, Sanibel Arms #B7 1/1 now $356.5K, Mariner Pointe #1083 2/2 now #490K, Sanibel Siesta #302 2/2 now $676K.

4 new sales: Colonnades #C13 1/1 listed at $299K, Villa Sanibel #3A 2/2 listed at $669K, Sand Pointe #227 2/2 listed at $729K, Sand Pointe #116 2/2 listed at $899K.

3 closed sales: Sundial #H208 1/1 $470K, Blind Pass #B209 2/2 $470K, Seawind #A107 2/2.5 $500K.

HOMES

3 new listings: 9247 Dimmick Dr 3/2 $590K, 9106 Mockingbird Dr 3/2 $749K, 5672 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 3/2 $879K.

6 price changes: 5151 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 2/2 now $467K, 718 Durion Ct 3/2 now $619K, 9421 Moonlight Dr 3/2 now $775K, 1777 Serenity Ln 5/4.5 now $930K, 1358 Sand Castle Rd 4/3.5 now $995K, 4577 Waters Edge Ln 4/3 now $2.995M.

4 new sales: 1476 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 listed at $695K, 660 Durion Ct 3/2 listed at $849K, 345 Cowry Ct 3/4.5 listed at $875K, 2477 Wulfert Rd 3/4 listed at $1.249M.

5 closed sales: 1401 Sandpiper Cir 3/2.5 half-duplex $460K, 970 Palm St 3/2 $535K, 1056 S. Yachtsman Dr 3/2 $840K, 1606 Sabal Sands Rd 3/2 $875K, 792 Birdie View Pt 3/3.5 $983,750.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 4767 Tradewinds Dr listed at $1.595M.

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

4 new listings: Tennis Villas #3114 1/1 $329K, Bayside Villas #5114 1/2 $380K, Beach Villas #2418 2/2 $749K, Captiva Hide-A-Way #1C 2/2 $889K.

2 price changes: Tennis Villas #3213 1/1 now $354.9K, Bayside Villas #4220 1/2 now $415K.

No new sales.

1 close sale: Seabreeze #1253 3/3 $1.325M.

HOMES

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

1 closed sale: 6 Sunset Captiva Ln 2/2 $2.55M.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Until next Friday, please heed the precautions, wear a mast, wash your hands, & stay well!

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Gearing Up For Fathers’ Day Weekend 2020

Posted on June 19, 2020 by SanibelSusan

Though today is not a bright and sunny Friday, it again is a welcomed weekend on Sanibel.

With off-&-on summer showers yesterday too, our long-time photographer, Jim Anderson, had a challenge filming our two new listings.

Though he prepares his streaming videos using aerials captured by drone (rather than from plane or helicopter, like years ago), for him to feature a property at its best, he sometimes must return to photograph the outside after weather clears.

As they say on the islands, from June through September, “if it starts to rain, just wait a few minutes, and it likely will change.” That is just way of life in a tropical paradise.

Sea Turtle Nest Update

Following up on my post last week about the island sea turtle nests lost from high tides and surf from Tropical Storm Cristobal, this week, SCCF (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation) volunteers report the first hatchlings of the season and that the islands now have over 460 recorded turtle nests.

I also saw on social media a posting by Periwinkle Park where they are following the leatherback turtle, named Juniper. Already this season, she has made three nests on Sanibel and Captiva. It is amazing how far these turtles swim.

You can see Juniper’s recent route from south of Naples to north of Sarasota and all the stops in between on the map here, from www.trackturtles.com. It is fun to follow her.

At SanibelSusan Realty

In the office, we had a busy week including some positive inquiries/showings. In addition to the two new listings, we got a nice price reduction on another listing and managed follow-up events for listings that are under contract progressing toward closings, i.e. inspections, repairs, appraiser visits, insurance info, etc.

All-in-all, I think it is safe to say that island real estate business is busier than it typically is in June – making up for those weeks that were lost during the pandemic – and likely because of the pandemic and other recent events.

The report below, with the islands Multiple Listing activity since last Friday, shows that two Sanibel condos, 12 Sanibel homes, and a Captiva condo have gone under contract over the last seven days. That is a lot for mid-June.

Comparing that number of sales to the same time last year, just one island condo and one home sold then.

Covid-19 Precautions

If you have followed the news, you undoubtedly have noticed that the number of virus cases in Florida has increased dramatically over the last week. Today, the state total is close to 90,000, the Lee County total is 3,475, and the Sanibel total is up to 13. The percentage of Florida positive tests has increased to 10% in just two weeks, after many weeks holding steady at 3%.

Honestly, it is no surprise. I drove home at noon to grab a quick lunch and Periwinkle Place shopping center is as packed with cars as I have ever seen it. The bike paths likewise had many riders, big and small, with people coming and going in both directions. There was a crowd outside Whitney’s Bait & Tackle too, but I didn’t see a single mask driving either direction.

Though our office practices social distancing and we wear masks in public places, not everyone is doing that. (We have a basket of new masks for anyone coming in that needs one, thanks to my sewing sister.)

At Sanibel Square, next door at Island Therapy, patients and staff must wear masks, while across the parking lot at Sanibel Beauty Salon, their staff is wearing masks and they keep their entry door locked to be sure patrons are protected.

The island continues to get busier and busier, with more businesses reopening, more vacationers arriving. Of course, businesses need the business and we want vacationers to enjoy their visit. We just hope they are careful. These words from a social media post today are worth repeating:

“I wear my mask while in public for three reasons:

Humility: I don’t know if I have COVID as it is clear that people can spread the disease before they have symptoms.
Kindness: I don’t know if the person I am near has a kid battling cancer, or cares for their elderly Mom. While I might be fine, they might not.
Community: I want my community to thrive, businesses to stay open, employees to stay healthy. Keeping a lid on COVID helps us all!”

Please, let’s flatten the curve!

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity June 12-19, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Sundial #F106 1/1 $440K, Lighthouse Point #117 3/2 $549K (our listing), Island Beach Club #340E 2/2 $1.149M, Junonia #103 3/2 $1.295M.

Patio at Lighthouse Point 117

5 price changes: Coquina Beach #2B 2/2 now $499K, Sunset South #A11 2/2 now $549K, Sandalfoot #2D2 2/2 now $659K (our listing), Sandpiper Beach #205 2/2 now $835K, Sandals #A 3/3.5 now $1.85M.

View at Sandalfoot #2D2

3 new sales: Blind Pass #E202 2/2 listed at $429K, Sundial #B406 2/2 listed at $799K, By-The-Sea #B301 2/2 listed at $1.595M.

2 closed sales: Blind Pass #B205 2/2.5 $415K, Villas Sanibel #2H 2/2 $684K.

HOMES

6 new listings: 9465 Calla Ct 3/2 $545K; 4044 Coquina Dr 2/2 $549K; 1593 Sand Castle Rd 3/2.5 half-duplex $589K; 1142 Shell Basket Ln 3/2 $644,444; 1015 Fish Crow Rd 3/2 $674K (our listing); 6457 Pine Ave 3/2 $697.5K.

1015 Fish Crow

7 price changes: 4606 Brainard Bayou Rd 2/2 now $469.9K, 9426 Beverly Ln 3/2 now $575K, 1567 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 now $635K, 1223 Par View Dr 3/2 now $740K, 5422 Shearwater Dr 3/2.5 now $799K, 3706 West Gulf Dr 4/3 now $1.325M, 2964 Wulfert Rd 5/5.5 now $2.998M

12 new sales: 9214 Kincaid Ct 2/2 listed at $380K; 1476 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 listed at $695K; 1978 Roseate Ln 3/2 listed at $699.9K; 1807 Serenity Ln 3/2 listed at $725K; 5834 Pine Tree Dr 2/2 listed at $739,555; 3323 Twin Lakes Ln 3/3 listed at $784.9K; 676 Emeril Ct 3/2 listed at $850K; 938 Pecten Ct 3/2.5 listed at $899K; 847 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 listed at $899K; 1199 Par View Dr 3/2.5 listed at $999K; 4775 Rue Helene 4/3 listed at $1.499M; 1230 Bay Dr 3/2 listed at $1.619M.

3 closed sales: 1677 Atlanta Plaza Dr 2/1.5 $380K, 550 Leather Fern Pl 3/2 $600K, 478 Sea Oats Dr 3/3 $760K.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: Bayside Villas #5104 1/2 listed at $400K.

1 closed sale: Captiva Hide-A-Way #1B 2/2 $837.5K.

HOMES

2 new listings: 11559 Laika Ln 3/3 $7.7M, 16660 Captiva Dr 5/6.5 $18M.

2 price changes: 14865 Mango Ct 2/2 now $1.195M, 16801 Captiva Dr 5/5 now $2.25M.

No new or closed sales.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Below is our fun ad from this week’s “Island Sun”. Happy Fathers’ Day!

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

A Sunny Sanibel Friday!

Posted on June 12, 2020 by SanibelSusan

Following lots of showers last weekend when Tropical Storm Cristobal passed out in the gulf, this week Sanibel and Captiva Islands returned to a more typical summer rain pattern. That includes sunshine and blue skies most days, with the occasional late afternoon or evening thunderstorm. The lack of island precipitation, over an unusually dry winter, has changed dramatically.

More than half the year’s rain accumulation to-date in Lee County was received in May (5.42”). It will be interesting to see the June numbers, as probably more than that fell just this week. Lawns are green, tropical vegetation is growing like crazy, and the baby bunnies at my house are having a field day with all the juicy new sprouts.

SCCF’s Turtle Nest Update – Post-Cristobal

Posted Wednesday by Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF):

“Turtle Update: Our team has completed the beach assessment ~ we lost 29 loggerhead nests to the high tides and surf of Tropical Storm Cristobal last weekend.

“Many more nests were washed over, but that’s not necessarily a death sentence and can actually help keep eggs cooler.

“The rough seas didn’t deter Juniper, a rare leatherback sea turtle, though. She returned to our shores on Saturday and nested again on Captiva!

“The total count of nests that have been laid is now at 401 for Sanibel and Captiva….”

At SanibelSusan Realty

In the office, things are starting to get back to normal. Even with few island offices physically open, local agents are heeding CDC precautions, properties are being shown, and real estate is moving. We continue to hear that the pandemic and city unrest are making the islands more desirable. Periwinkle Way was busy this afternoon and though some vacation rental bookings have been canceled, others are getting new bookings. The rising number of virus cases in many states has caused some to postpone their trip to Florida.

The action posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service this week is after a couple of news items below. First a summary of island inventory today.

	Condos		Homes		Lots
Status	#	Avg Price	#	Avg Price	#	Avg Price
SANIBEL
For sale	122	815,840	147	1,607,858	65	794,611
Under contract	16	619,894	40	851,991	4	688,000
Sold 2020 thru 6/12	72	738,410	99	1,038,885	4	849,666
Sold 2019 thru 6/12	72	693,020	113	998,367	6	502,666
CAPTIVA
For sale	36	1,058,495	39	3,380,564	3	3,563,000
Under contract	5	969,400	6	2,681,333	0	N/A
Sold 2020 thru 6/12	11	916,181	10	3,532,200	2	1,925,000
Sold 2019 thru 6/12	12	1,307,375	7	2,623,928	0	N/A

Instant Reaction to Federal Reserve Announcement – June 10, 2020

Below is the National Association of Realtors® Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun’s reaction to the Fed’s Announcement this week:

“The Federal Reserve’s view that a rate hike will not occur for three years is a signal to the market to expect an all-in accommodative monetary policy. It is also very likely that the Fed will be aggressively purchasing mortgage-backed securities behind the scenes. That means mortgage rates will be at or near 3% and near record-lows for an extended period of time. Consumer price inflation is not an issue, even with so much money printing. It’s the right policy at the right time. If inflation, for an unexpected reason, should pop up, then mortgage rates will rise independent of the Fed as lenders need to compensate for the loss of purchasing power of the dollar, which happened during the 1970’s.”

What’s Happening In Florida

As the first full week of Florida’s Phase 2 reopening wraps up, the big activity out of the Governor’s office this week was about education. Yesterday he released a list of recommendations that local schools should consider as they deliberate over their summer/fall planning. How and when schools reopen is purely a local decision though.

As of today, 55 Florida county vacation rental reopening plans have been approved, meaning owners and property managers in 82% of Florida counties can reopen their vacation rentals. Some of the new additions to the approved list include Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach.

There were no new executive orders this week.

National Association of Realtors® Asks White House for More COVID-19 Relief

NAR sent a letter to the White House this week, urging further relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter included a number of provisions to help REALTORS® and real estate remain a strong force in our economy. The proposals included:

Reforms to the PPP program (some of which were subsequently addressed in the “PPP Flexibility Act,” which passed this week and is expected to be signed by the President).
A reduction in the minimum loan amount for financial relief under the Federal Reserve Main Street Lending Program to allow more small businesses and non-profits to access yet another avenue of financial assistance that may better fit their business needs.
Support for liability protections for businesses that reopen following federal and state guidelines.
Housing relief for renters including emergency rental assistance, as well as relief for rental housing providers.
Expansion of forbearance and unemployment assistance.
Reforms to the opportunity zones program to encourage investment.
Elimination of the marriage penalty in the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction.
Support for remote notarization legislation.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity June 5-12, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

5 new listings: Mariner Pointe #1083 2/2 $495K, Sanibel Arms West #K6 2/2 $579K, Loggerhead Cay #274 2/2 $699K, Sanddollar #C101 2/2 $999K, Royale Tern #204 3/3.5 $2.35M.

4 price changes: Colonnades #3 1/1 now $263K, Colonnades #13 1/1 now $299K, Sanibel Arms #B1 1/1 now $428K, Compass Point #222 2/2 now $619K.

5 new sales: Sundial #H208 1/1 listed at $485K, Mariner Pointe #542 2/2 listed at $590K, Island Beach Club #320B 2/2 listed at $685K, Villa Sanibel #2H 2/2 listed at $717,007; Tantara #203 3/2 listed at $1.095M.

1 closed sale: Loggerhead Cay #461 2/2 $508K.

HOMES

2 new listings: 9214 Kincaid Ct 2/2 $380K, 9455 Beverly Ln 2/2 $534.9K.

10 price changes: 1667 Atlanta Plaza Dr 2/1.5 now $425K; 1890 Farm Trl 3/2 now $549.4K; 1559 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 now $677K; 9024 Mockingbird Ln 3/2 now $819K; 2417 Wulfert Rd 3/3 now $944.5K; 1672 Hibiscus Dr 3/2 now $949K; 2439 Harbour Ln 3/3 now $1.089K; 6101 Starling Way 3/3.5 now $1,148,990; 1175 Bird Ln 4/3/2 now $3.25M; 1349 Bay Dr 4/4 now $7.895M.

10 new sales: 968 Greenwood Ct S 3/2.5 half-duplex listed at $399K (our listing); 3001 Singing Wind Dr 2/2 listed at $472K, 1356 Jamaica Dr 2/1.5 listed at $549K; 990/992 Greenwood Ct N 3/2.5 duplex listed at $700K; 2100 Sunset Cir 3/2 listed at $729,555; 1223 Par View Dr 3/2 listed at $749K; 1755 Jewel Box Dr 3/2 listed at $750K; 1606 Sabal Sands Rd 3/2 listed at $899.9K; 1430 Causey Ct 3/2 listed at $949K; 2385 Wulfert Rd 4/5 listed at $999.9K.

1 closed sale: 836 Donax St 3/2 $510K.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 5847 Pine Tree Dr listed at $339K.

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Bayside Villas #4204 1/2 $389K.

1 price change: Bayside Villas #5304 3/3 now $667.5K.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES & LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibleSusan

Blind pass 2020-05-30

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Posted on June 5, 2020 by SanibelSusan

Another Sanibel Friday, just not a sunny one this week. The islands have experienced off-&-on rain for days with more expected over the weekend and into next week.

Florida’s vegetation is growing like crazy with the exploding bunny population enjoying every juicy morsel. During one of my stops at home this week, I caught one chewing a palm frond knocked off in an earlier shower. That is a new one, who knew bunnies like palm fronds?

The island continues to reopen slowly. Plenty of vehicles have been at Periwinkle Place during the rainy days, while the bike paths have had riders, both rain and shine.

Here at the office, teammates and I are back to a more regular schedule. Our listings had a few showings, one went under contract, we had a listing presentation yesterday, and a home inspection. Inventory remains low with business picking up. Good news for sellers.

The local Association of Realtors® office remains closed to Realtors® for at least another two weeks. No word yet on when weekly Caravan, Committee, and Membership Meetings will resume in person. The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Specialist Designation classes which typically are offered now, have been postponed until fall.

The activity posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service this week is after a couple of news items below.

Status of Sanibel’s Re-Opening

Below are the status of things following Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Public Lodging

Occupancy cap percentages removed from hotels/motels/timeshares
International travelers prohibited
Reservations for guests from areas identified by the Governor as high risk (currently NY, NJ, CT, LA) must be for periods longer than the quarantine period established by the Governor (currently 14 days).
Must adhere to state-approved county Safety Plan.

Beaches

City-owned & operated parking lots are open.
Prohibited possession & consumption of alcohol from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the beaches, parks, picnic areas.
Through Labor Day consumption or possession of alcohol at beaches, parks, picnic areas by 10 or more persons requires a City of Sanibel Special Event Permit.

Restaurants, Retail, Museums, Private Fitness Centers

May operate at 50% indoor capacity

Weddings – temporary restrictions lifted.

Barber Shops & Salons – May operate with safety protocols.

Sanibel Public Library

Phase 1 opening began Monday with social distancing & masks. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays & Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Fridays; & 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays in June, July, & August.

Sanibel Recreation Center – Phase 1 reopening & Youth Summer Camp will open June 15.

Governor DeSantis Announces Phase 2

At a press conference in Orlando on Wednesday, Governor DeSantis announced that today Florida will be entering phase 2 of its reopening and recovery. This move sees many of the establishments and venues that have remained closed since the pandemic struck now able to reopen at 50% of their indoor capacity. It includes the reopening of places like bars (seated service only), movie theaters, bowling alleys, auditoriums at 50% capacity with appropriate distancing and sanitation procedures in place. At this time, Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties are not part of phase 2 reopening.

Executive Order 2020-139, contains info on what is summarized above. For continued reference, Executive Order 2020-123 contains information regarding the full phase 1 of Florida’s reopening. Additionally, all of the governor’s executive orders can be found here.

Instant Reaction to Jobs Report – June 5, 2020

As a long-time fan of NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun, it was good to read his “instant reaction” today to the May Jobs Report.

“Employment data quickly turned for the better with surprising net job creation in May. There are still people getting laid off and filing for unemployment insurance for the first time, but job creations are exceeding that by a good margin of 2.5 million in May. Total personal income actually grew during the lockdown from the massive stimulus package, including enhanced unemployment insurance, and savings rose tremendously. People saved around 8% of their income before the pandemic and they saved 33% of their income in the latest month. With many economies advancing in phases of reopening, more money will be spent and more job additions will follow. Some jobs were temporarily furloughed – such as in dental offices, hair salons, and home building – and there is a sizeable pent-up demand for these services. Construction jobs, which had fallen by nearly 1 million in April, came back in May with 464,000 additions. Given the strong return of housing demand, construction jobs will continue to be added – perhaps more aggressively than in the past.

“The housing sector is in a V-shaped recovery. The broader economy will not be, and the double-digit unemployment rate may persist until the end of the year. Still, the latest jobs data is showing much better recovery potential.”

First Reported Sanibel Case Since May 7

We were not happy to see the posting this afternoon by the City. It says:

“Today, June 5, 2020, the Florida Department of Health announced a new confirmed COVID-19 positive case on Sanibel. The last confirmed case on Sanibel was reported on May 7, 2020.

“The City’s home page has direct access to the Florida Department of Health’s updated COVID-19 daily report for today. The total number of cases reported on Sanibel since March 26, 2020 is 12.

“The Florida Department of Health conducts all case and contact tracking; the Florida Department does not provide the City any additional information than what appears on these reports. The Florida Department of Health provides no identifying information to the City such as name, age, gender, or address of the persons who test positive.

“Additionally, the City’s Home Page includes a direct link to the Florida Department of Health daily dashboard as well as the State-wide statistics release to the City sorted by zip code.”

Stay safe, islanders and visitors. Please keep wearing masks, washing hands, and abiding by social distancing.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity May 29-June 5, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

7 new listings: Sandpebble #2D 2/2 $568.5K, Sandpebble #1D 2/2 $574.5K, Oceans Reach #2X1 1/1 $695K, Pointe Santo #B3 2/2 $699K, Sand Pointe #227 2/2 $739K, Pointe Santo #D47 2/2 $974K, By-The-Sea #B301 2/2 $1.595M.

4 price changes: Sandpebble #4E 2/2 now $475K, Pointe Santo #D21 2/2 now $549K, Pointe Santo #E21 2/2 now $899K, Pointe Santo #C3 3/2 now $1.125M.

3 new sales: Sanibel Shores #A2 2/2 listed at $459K, Sanibel Arms West #B2 2/2 listed at $534.9K, Blue Gulf #201 3/2 listed at $1.199M.

1 closed sale: Coquina Beach #5B 2/2 $434K.

HOMES

2 new listings: 5056 Joewood Dr 3/2 $824.5K, 2405 Blue Crab Ct 4/4.5 $2.5M.

9 price changes: 1027 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 now $449K, 4115 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 3/1 now $585K, 1978 Roseate Ln 3/2 now $699.9K, 990/992 Greenwood Ct N 3/2.5 duplex now $700K, 1220 Sand Castle Rd 3/2.5 now $795K, 1437 Causey Ct 3/2.5 now $925K, 1430 Causey Ct 3/2 now $949K, 919 Pecten Ct 3/3/2 now $999K, 2385 Wulfert Rd 4/5 now $999.9K.

8 new sales: 970 Palm St 3/2 listed at $559K, 1973 Wild Lime Dr 4/3 listed at $574.9K, 987 Sand Castle Rd 4/3.5 listed at $695K, 1285 Par View Dr 4/2.5 listed at $789K, 901 S.Yachtsman Dr 2/2 listed at $799K (our listing), 5855 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 3/2 listed at $975K, 1010 Kings Crown Dr 3/3 listed at $997K, 2460 Harbour Ln 3/3 listed at $1.999M.

3 closed sales: 857 Rabbit Rd 1/1 $429K, 2186 Egret Cir 3/2 $530K, 1564 Middle Gulf Dr 3/2.5 $1.075M.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings or price changes.

2 new sales: Lands End Village #1651 2/2 listed at $1.199M, Seabreeze #1253 3/3 listed at $1.495M.

1 closed sale: Captiva Shores #9 3/2 listed at $1.725M.

HOMES

1 new listing: 6418 Pine Ave 3/3 $1.849M.

2 price changes: 16531 Captiva Dr 8/8 now $2.85M, 15147 Captiva Dr 6/5.5 now $3.995M.

1 new sale: 11525 Wightman Ln 3/2 listed at $1.225M.

2 closed sales: 1074 South Seas Plantation Rd 3/3.5 $2.025M, 15843 Captiva Dr 3/3 $6.899M.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Until next Friday, stay dry, & enjoy your weekend,

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Sanibel Is Opening Slowly… Just in Time for Memorial Day

Posted on May 22, 2020 by SanibelSusan

This week brought the first of the islands’ good summer showers which already have greened things up and affected some of the bright orange blooms on the big Royal Poinciana trees that are so spectacular here in May.

Also spectacular is the color of the gulf and bay waters. Though that changes when the rainy season begins and things get stirred up, this week many islanders remarked that driving across the causeway looks like a Caribbean postcard. (This photo was gulf side yesterday.)

Today is another quiet Friday at SanibelSusan Realty, but the island could get busier soon. Check out the scoop below about the City Council Meeting yesterday. After that is info about the action this week in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service.

Sanibel Emergency Proclamation Extended

As background on City openings, on Tuesday, Sanibel’s Mayor extended the City’s Emergency Proclamation another seven days – or until May 26. The following three changes were part of the updated Proclamation which may be read on http://www.MySanibel.com.

The temporary parking restrictions at Pond Apple Park (1380 Periwinkle Way) and at The Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center (1159 Causeway Rd) are lifted.
Earlier restrictions on beach/pool chairs/equipment were modified to allow chair/equipment in the same percentage as the occupancy allowed (for example, hotels/resorts/timeshares approved for 50% occupancy may provide for guest use the same amount of chairs/equipment).
Additionally, the 227 units in the on-site resort rental program at Sundial were added to the hotel/resort/timeshare list based on their recent receipt of a motel license from Florida Division of Business & Professional Regulation.

So, Sanibel’s pay-parking lots remain closed through the Memorial Day holiday (will reopen June 1, unless there is another change). At that time, vacation rentals remained limited to 30 days or longer, except those properties with licenses as hotels/resorts/timeshares which may rent up to 50% occupancy (with safety precautions and with guests from COVID hotspots not allowed).

I ventured into a couple of off-island Publix this week and was surprised to find few patrons wearing masks and adhering to the social distancing precautions. At Bailey’s, they continue to provide a mask if you do not have one.

Sanibel Opens Vacation Rentals, With Restrictions & Exceptions

Last Friday afternoon, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that beginning this past Monday, Florida was in full Phase One of reopening. Full Phase One includes a stipulation that vacation rentals can reopen on a county-by-county basis as long as the county submits a plan to Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and it is approved by the secretary of DBPR. As of today, in just a week’s time, 26 Florida countries have received state approval for vacation rentals.

The plan was unanimously approved by the Lee County Commission on Tuesday and later in the week Lee County’s Safety Plan received state approval. Those plan details say:

Vacation rentals should open and operate for in-state reservations only (i.e. only Florida residents).
Short-term rental properties should prohibit rentals to persons traveling internationally or from a state or locality with a substantial community spread of COVID-19.
Short-term rental properties should maintain 72 hours between guest check-ins to allow for effective cleaning and disinfecting of the rental unit.
Short-term rental properties shall thoroughly clean and disinfect the property between rentals following CDC guidelines. cdc.gov/…/2019-ncov/community/disinfecting-building-fac…
Short-term rentals shall post signage in all units detailing cleaning and sanitation procedure.

The county plan was revised and approved by the state to restrict vacation rentals to residents of states that have less than 700 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. That currently means residents of Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island are prohibited.

Those changes resulted in a Sanibel City Council Meeting yesterday afternoon which unanimously adopted the county plan.

During further Council discussion yesterday, regarding face masks, a motion to make them mandatory in public places (where social distancing cannot be done) was defeated 3-2, but a motion passed that recommends them, following the CDC requirements regarding face coverings. Those details were posted on www.MySanibel last night.

Things in Florida seem to be moving at a steady pace in the Full Phase One Reopening with places like gyms and fitness centers opening back up, and more people going into restaurants and stores. The latest breaking news was the Governor’s announcement that he will be lifting all restrictions on youth activities such as summer camps and youth sports. Hopefully, this will begin to provide some relief to both parents and kids as everyone settles into a new normal. The last day for Lee County Schools is right around the corner, June 3.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity May 15-22, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Sanibel Siesta #302 2/2 $699K, Sandpiper Beach #202 2/2 $789K, Yacht Haven #4 3/2 $895K, Sayana #103 2/2 $948.5K.

No price changes.

3 new sales: Casa Blanca #6 1/1 listed at $353K, Blind Pass #B205 2/2.5 listed at $469K, Sand Pointe #131 2/2 listed at $729K.

3 closed sales: Sandy Bend #7 2/2 $790K, Gulfside Place #221 2/2 $1.05M, Cyprina Beach #1 3/3 $1.36M.

HOMES

1 new listing: 1170 Buttonwood Ln 4/2 $899K.

6 price changes: 1567 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 now $670K, 701 Nerita St 3/2 now $698K, 1031 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 now $699K, 1978 Roseate Ln 3/2 now $719K, 1285 Par View Dr 4/2.5 now $789K, 4577 Waters Edge Ln 4/3 now $3.095M.

10 new sales: 1667 Atlanta Plaza Dr 2/1.5 listed at $439K, 954 Donax St 3/3 listed at $525K, 1339 Tahiti Dr 3/2 duplex listed at $525K, 1826 Ardsley Way 4/3 listed at $625K, 1021 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 listed at $694.5K, 1828 Farm Trl 3/2 listed at $695K, 1271 Par View Dr 3/3 listed at $899K, 2154 Starfish Ln 3/3 listed at $1.399M, 6071 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 5/4.5 listed at $1.75M, 5044 Joewood Dr 4/4.5 listed at $2.15M.

2 closed sales: 730 Cardium St 2/2 $491.5K, 5842 Pine Tree Dr 3/2 $925K.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

3 new sales: 6411 Pine Ave listed at $329K, 6419 Pine Ave listed at $889K, 6053 Sanibel-Captiva Rd listed at $1.195M.

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

1 price change: Seabreeze #1253 3/3 now $1.545M.

1 new sale: Beach Villas #2227 1/1 listed at $539K.

1 closed sale: Captiva Shores #8B 3/2.5 $1.125M.

HOMES

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 13500 Palmflower Ln 4/4 listed at $2.695M.

1 closed sale: 11542 Wightman Ln 5/5 $3.08M.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, new or closed sales.

Below is our ad from today’s “Island Sun”.

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend.

Rain is expected here on Monday, but we need it & afternoon showers will soon be our norm.

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

City of Sanibel – Politics, COVID-19, & More

Work Space, Outdoor Living, & The Burbs

8 Do’s & Don’ts of Owning a Vacation Rental

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity November 13-20, 2020

Share this:

Like this:

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

City of Sanibel

Other Upcoming Events & Openings/Reopenings

Share this:

Like this:

City of Sanibel

Shoreline Stabilization Project at Turner Beach

SCCF Documents Most Loggerhead Nests Ever

Sanibel School Back in Session

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity August 28 – September 4, 2020

Share this:

Like this:

Sanibel & Captiva Real Estate Scoop

Florida’s Single-Family For-Sale Inventory Hit Record Low in 2Q

Tidbits from NAR Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun

Openings/Closings/Rescheduling

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity August 7-14, 2020

Share this:

Like this:

City of Sanibel

Great News from Turtle Patrol

Why We Love It Here

Update on The Wildlife Refuge

Realtor.com’s Website Has ‘Record-Level’ Buyer Interest

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity July 10-17, 2020

Share this:

Like this:

City of Sanibel Status as of July 7, 2020

Huge Spike in Internet Viewings in June

Protect Your Meetings from Unwanted Visitors

9 Ways to Prepare for a Virtual Showing

Openings/Closings/Reopenings

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity July 3-10, 2020

Share this:

Like this:

Sea Turtle Nest Update

At SanibelSusan Realty

Covid-19 Precautions

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity June 12-19, 2020

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Status of Sanibel’s Re-Opening

Governor DeSantis Announces Phase 2

Instant Reaction to Jobs Report – June 5, 2020

First Reported Sanibel Case Since May 7

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity May 29-June 5, 2020

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: