Summer-Like Weather After Thanksgiving on Sanibel Island

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Here is hoping that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Today it is just SanibelSusan at the office, enjoying the traffic from the Sanibel Masters Art Fair across the street and playing catch-up. This is the time of the year when we most often find that folks are more involved with their holiday plans than they are with their real estate purchases, so I was pleasantly surprised to receive an offer on one of our listings yesterday. Negotiations are ongoing. We actually had a few other good inquiries this week too. The pictures above are from my travels out showing bay-front homes earlier in the week.

A little scuttlebutt here last weekend was the official posting in one of the local newspapers that Sundial Resort is for sale. No news on the price or conditions of the sale, so we will keep our ear to the ground on that one.

The week’s Sanibel and Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service activity follows a couple of news items below.

Sanibel Weather

remains delightful. It was 68 degrees when I headed to the office this morning, with a high in the upper 70’s expected both today and right through the weekend. Monday a little rain is forecast, bringing in a cool front. I still get tickled to say that a Florida cool front is when it drops into the low 70’s during the day. That is what the weather is expected to be by mid-week, just in time for 27th year of the Sanibel Luminary next Fri night (12/2). Luminary strollers like wearing scarves and Santa hats, with their shorts and flip flops, so the weather should be perfect for that. Captiva Luminary is next Sat night (12/3). Here’s a link to the Captiva Holiday Village events calendar. The holiday events have already begun!

Weekend Happenings

If you are out and about on the islands this weekend be sure to catch the Sanibel Masters Art Festival on the grounds of the Community House both today and tomorrow (Sat) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The BIG ARTS Community Chorus is singing two mini-concerts from their holiday repertoire at the festival late-morning tomorrow. Plus Katie Gardenia, renown island baker, artist, and former owner of The Bubble Room, will be there autographing her new combo cookbook and coffee table book called “A Bubble Moment”. She will be selling her fabric sculpture and fabric art pieces too. www.KatieGardenia.com

Tomorrow night (Sat), there is a Livingston Taylor Concert at BIG Arts. When I stopped into the BIG ARTS office right behind my office, I heard there still are tickets. Livingston often hangs out at The Bean when he is in town, though I have not spotted him there yet this year. If you are a fan and are here, his concerts always get raves.

Sanibel City Council & Chamber of Commerce Host Resort Redevelopment Workshop

On Tues Nov 29 at 8 a.m., the Chamber in conjunction with the City will host a workshop at the Sanibel Community House to discuss resort redevelopment. The workshop is being held to help explain recent changes to the Land Development Code. As background, shortly after the incorporation of Sanibel in 1974, the Sanibel Plan created a resort housing district. This district included most of the resorts that then existed on the island. In 2010, City Council determined that there was a need to allow for the rehabilitation or reconstruction of these now aging resort housing district buildings. Most of these resort district properties are short-term rentals. Council considered their preservation to be in the interests of residents and businesses. Over a 12-month period, the Sanibel Planning Commission reviewed the Land Development Code in order to identify any necessary changes to enable progress toward these updating objectives. Specific recommendations for changes were developed, discussed in public meetings, and accepted by City Council in June.

HealthPark Medical Center

It is pretty common in the real estate business for those new to the area to ask us about the closest medical facility. In that HealthPark Medical Center, just off-island, recently turned “20”, it seems like a good time to provide an update of what is available close to Sanibel and Captiva Islands. Beginning in the mid-1980’s as a 120-bed satellite hospital for Lee Memorial Health System’s downtown Fort Myers campus, HealthPark evolved initially as a 220-bed medical center with a grand 4-story glass atrium and a location on a 400-acre planned HealthPark Florida campus that would offer services to the south Lee County community. It took four years to design, three to build. To ensure the new hospital’s success and to ease challenges at Lee Memorial downtown, pediatric, obstetrics, and cardiac care services were moved to this new facility. When the Medical Center opened in 1991, with it came a new era of medical care in Southwest Florida, often described as “ten years ahead of its time.” I have always been amazed with the bright cheerful atrium. Some say their initial impression is hotel, not hospital. How many hospitals have a grand piano being played in their lobby? fresh popcorn for visitors? and single-sized rooms equipped for overnight guests?

In 1994 the campus expanded to include The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida and an expansion in 2005 added medical surgery and critical care beds, upping the facility’s beds to 368. In 2013, the Center will continue to grow with a 6-story 148-bed children’s hospital which will also free up more adult cardiac beds. Like Children’s Hospital, the HealthPark campus continues to grow. Today, it is 85% built out and home to the Cypress Cove retirement and assisted living community, HealthPark Care Center, Lee Memorial Health Services Outpatient Services, the Ronald McDonald House of Southwest Florida, and other health-related facilities. A 3-story 78-bed private psychiatric hospital is under construction and shops and restaurants are staring to open in a new retail center too. Commuting time from SanibelSusan Realty to the hospital varies depending on the time of day and time of the year – but is under 30 minutes.

Sanibel & Captiva Island Multiple Listing Service Activity November 18-25:

 Sanibel

CONDOS

6 new listings: Captains Walk #A2 1/1 $179K, Sanibel Arms #G2 1/1 $460K, Loggerhead Cay #434 2/2 $625K, Tarpon Beach #104 2/2 $679K, Pelicans Roost #101 2/2 $809K, Signal Inn #18 2/2 $949K.

6 price changes: Tennisplace #C23 2/1.5 now $269.9K, Lighthouse Point #217 3/2 now $392.5K, Lighthouse Point #230 2/2 now $495K, Snug Harbor #311 2/2 now $589K, Kings Crown #211 3/2 now $699K, Pointe Santo #B45 2/2 now $730K.

2 new sales: Sundial #C208 1/1 listed for $298K, Gulfside Place #104 3/2 listed for $1.195M.

No closed sales.

HOMES

5 new listings: 967 Beach Rd 2/2 half-duplex $575K, 1854 Farm Trail 3/2 $625K, 450 Sea Walk Ct 3/3 $649.9K, 5885 PIne Tree Dr 3/2 $699K, 6211 Starling Way 4/4.5 $2.495M.

6 price changes: 490 Old Trail Rd 3/2 now $449K, 1123 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 now $539.9K, 3861 Coquina Dr 3/3 now $749K, 1360 Eagle Run Dr 5/3.5 now $960K, 720 Periwinkle Way 3/35 now $1.497.5M, 1290 Isabel Dr 6/4 now $2.49M (short sale).

3 new sales: 9248 Belding Dr 3/2 listed for $269K, 436 Glory Cir 3/3 listed for $549.9K, 1287 Par View Dr 3/2 listed for $774.9K.

No closed sales.

LOTS

1 new listing: 1594 Century Ct $139.9K.

No price changes or new sales.

1 closed sale: 3001 Poinciana Cir $139K.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Marina Villas #807 2/2 $630K.

2 price changes: Tennis Villas #3224 1/1 now $260K, Marina Villas #603 2/2 now $540K.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: Bayside Villas #5330 3/3 $550K.

HOMES

1 new listing: 16891 Captiva Dr 3/2 $1.389M.

3 price changes: 11490 Dickey Ln 3/2 now $875K, 11521 Wightman Ln 4/3 now $1.495M, 15009 Binder Dr 4/5.5 now $3.95M.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: 16891 Captiva Dr 3/2 $1.15M.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the association nor its MLS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. The information provided represents the general real estate activity in the community and does not imply that SanibelSusan Realty Associates is participating or participated in these transactions. If your property currently is listed with another broker, this is not intended as a solicitation of that listing.

Hope you all are enjoying those turkey sandwiches…until next week…SanibelSusan

Best Weather Comes Right After Summer

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What a quick week. How can it already be Friday? Below are a few news items followed by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands MLS activity for the past week. Lisa will be in the office tomorrow updating our inventory lists. Be sure and let us know anytime you would like an update. They continue to be “best sellers”.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

There was no Realtor Caravan meeting this week, but next Thursday is our monthly Membership Meeting with breakfast and speaker (talking about our canals and waterways). I will be monitoring our Orientation Session for new Realtors® on Tuesday morning (yes, there really are new agents still joining this profession) and was just advised of our annual Professionals Standards training in November. Our Realtor® organization requires that each Association have trained representatives to handle arbitration and ethics complaints. I have been part of that group for years and may eventually qualify as an official Mediator.

Island Weather

After seeing what has been happening around the nation this week, I am almost embarrassed to report how wonderful the weather has been here on the islands. We have had mostly sunny bright days with occasional showers, just enough to keep the temperatures down and the sunsets magnificent. The views driving over the causeway on the Labor Day weekend were postcard picture- perfect, though the beaches and waterways were not very busy. September truly is a wonderful time to be here. Traffic is light and it is a fun-time for the locals to enjoy the islands.

Planning Ahead

If you are thinking about what will be happening on the islands between now and the end of the year and when you should plan your next visits, keep these dates in mind. These are a few of my favorites:

Oct 16-22 – “Ding” Darling Days (we again are sponsors this year)

Oct 23 – 26th Annual Bailey Fest (with a few tunes by the Sanibel Community Chorus – tra-la)

Nov 4 – Sanibel Cracker Fest 2011 by START (Solutions to Avoid Red Tide)

Nov 6 – Sanibel Farmers Market reopens (Sunday mornings on City Hall grounds)

Nov 13 – CROW’s 30th Annual Taste of the Islands (across the street from our office)

Nov 26 – Livingston Taylor at BIG ARTS

Dec 2 – Sanibel Luminary

Dec 4 – Gulf Coast Symphony at BIG ARTS

Dec 8 – BIG ARTS Holiday Concert (with your favorite Realtor® again in the alto section)

Dec 17 – Clyde Butcher Photographer “Adventures in the Swamp) at BIG ARTS

Flooding Affects All of Us

A call to action by our National Association of Realtors® President yesterday was a strong reminder that this year flood insurance has become more important on the national level, as the Eastern seaboard faces the aftermaths of incredible storms. While wind and erosion were issues, the lasting legacy and real expense is related to flooding. Every state has flooding at some time or another, but Congress has yet to extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which expires on September 30. If there is no program, buyers cannot get insurance. They cannot get a mortgage. They cannot close.

Personally, I think it is ridiculous that every year this program goes through the same gyrations and often expires before the program is eventually extended. It is about time for the program to be changed to “natural disaster” insurance, Realtors® have been lobbying for that for years. In the meantime if you are inclined, please write to your congressmen. It might help. We do not want settlements delayed because buyers cannot get insurance.

High-End Still Selling Best

I just did a quick MLS search to confirm recent comments that it is the “high-end” that remains the top commodity on the islands. Here are the results:

Median Asking Price Today – on Sanibel $599,000 – on Captiva $1,295,000

Median Sale Price – 1/1 to 9/9/2010 – on Sanibel $1,608,000 – on Captiva $1,335,000

Median Sale Price – 1/1 to 9/9/2011 – on Sanibel $2,450,000 – on Captiva $2,936,250

What does all of this really mean? There still is a lot of island property for sale – over 500 listings on Sanibel and nearly 150 on Captiva. This year has had more sales over $2M than in many years, but like the lower-end, the well-priced properties are selling to astute cash buyers. We still have a long way to go with most properties selling at 2000 to 2003 prices.

Sanibel & Captiva MLS Activity September 2 to 9

Sanibel
CONDOS
3 new listings: Mariner Pointe #1082 2/2 $349.9K, Seashells #6 2/2 $359K, Sand Pointe #211 2/2 $669K.
2 price changes: Colonnades #47 1/1 now $155K (our listing), Tarpon Beach #201 2/2 now $639K.
4 new sales: Colonnades #10 1/1 listed for $175K, Sundial #C201 1/1 listed for $269K (short sale), Spanish Cay #B1 2/2 listed for $299K, Gulfside Place #128 3/2.5 listed for $1.895M.
2 closed sales: Seashells #35 2/2 $200K, Heron at The Sanctuary II #2B 3/3.5 $599K.

HOMES
2 new listings: 9454 Cotten Ct 3/3 $619K, 1516 Angel Dr 3/2.5 $1.095M (foreclosure).
3 price changes: 766 Donax St 2/2 duplex now $320K, 4210 Old Banyan Way 3/2 now $599K, 1817 Buckthorn Ln 4/3.5 now $1.16M.
3 new sales: 3808 West Gulf Dr 3/2 listed for $425K, 4248 Old Banyan Way 3/2 listed for $479K, 533 N Yachtsman Dr 3/2 listed for $499K.
2 closed listings: 1615 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 half-duplex $360K, 720 Birdie View Pt 3/3 $900K.
LOTS
No new listings.
1 price change: Periwinkle Way now $310K.
No new or closed sales.

Captiva
CONDOS
1 new listing: Bayside Villas #5228 1/2 $299K.
1 price change: Seabreeze #1251 3/3 now $1.695M.
No new or closed sales. 

HOMES
Nothing to report.

LOTS
Nothing to report.

This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors or its Multiple Listing Service. Neither the association nor its MLS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the association or its MLS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. The information provided represents the general real estate activity in the community and does not imply that SanibelSusan Realty Associates is participating or participated in these transactions. If your property currently is listed with another broker, this is not intended as a solicitation of that listing.