Record Temps & Picture-Perfect Sanibel & Captiva Islands Weather

Posted on January 11, 2013 by SanibelSusan

Photo courtesy of Jim Anderson, JMA Photography

You probably have heard about Florida in the news this week. It was the warmest state in the nation several times and set records some days for some of the highest recorded January temperatures in SW Florida. Gorgeous bright blue skies and sunny days with 80 degree weather have kept islanders – and visitors and vacationers – smiling.

The roads and bike paths thinned out a little this week when the holiday visitors departed, but my pals in reservations tell me that they had a few record days with bookings this week – undoubtedly thanks to our terrific weather – and the opposite in other parts of the world. Be sure and tell your friends/family planning an island visit this winter that they should not delay in making reservations. Rumor has it that many popular peak nights already are fully booked.

Check-ins are expected to be light again tomorrow and the following Saturday, with the big influx of winter visitors expected to arrive on the 26th. The island will be busy from then until Easter.

Here are a few real estate and island news items followed by the activity reported in the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service this week.

Traveling from Sanibel to Captiva

Teammates Dave and Lisa viewed some Captiva properties that were open for Realtor® Caravan yesterday. During their travels, they took a few pictures of the wildlife in Clam Bayou and along Sanibel-Captiva Road.

View into Clam Bayou

Eagle’s nest in Gulf Pines

Gopher Tortoise stopping traffic on San-Cap Road

Osprey in flight with fish

Quite a few upcoming happenings were added to my island events calendar too. Check them out if you are looking for things to do on particular day. It’s going to be busy winter here, http://sanibelsusan.com/island-events-calendar/

Beginning the New Year at The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

David, Lisa, and I attended the local Association of Realtors® Installation and Awards Banquet on Saturday night. Incoming Florida Realtors® President Dean Asher came to Sanibel to perform the induction ceremony. I was one of twenty local Realtors® to receive an Honor Society Award – perhaps the only one for the 20th year in a row. Honor Society awards are presented annually to those of our ~300 Realtor® members earning recognition for their professionalism through education, participation, and community service. Our leadership’s goal this year is to get more of those Realtors® involved.

In 2013, I again am chairing the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® Professional Development Committee. Several educational events already are scheduled and others planned.

My other committee work this year will be with the Professional Standards Committee. That group is the Realtors® governing body that hears ethics and arbitration cases that have passed Grievance Committee and need resolution. The beauty of working on these small islands, where most business is handled professionally, is that Professional Standards usually hears few if any cases. I sure hope that applies this year too.

Another New Sanibel Restaurant – The Sandbar

Islanders always get excited when we hear a new restaurant is opening. If you have seen the many contractor vehicles parked at the 2761 West Gulf Drive location of the former Stone Crab restaurant, it was purchased in December by the same island residents who own the nearby Shalimar Cottages and Motel. Called “The Sandbar”, the new restaurant opened this week with hours from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It features a new open-view kitchen and retail market. The general manager who has previously managed other popular island restaurants advises they will feature creative entrees of fresh fish and choice beef, plus menu staples like King crab, shrimp, Maine lobster, and mile-high mud pie. They have a full liquor license too.

Another Coffee Shop Also Coming

This week, Bennett’s Roast was cleared for a City Permit for a 40-seat coffee shop with outdoor seating at 1020 Periwinkle Way, the former Century 21 office east of the Lazy Flamingo. You may remember, I mentioned it several weeks ago, that their permitting process had a few hurdles. The challenges include the property being located in a bald eagle nest buffer zone, wetlands in the back, and being on Sanibel’s highest traffic area near the 4-way stop. Kudos were handed out from both sides for the way the applicants and city staffers worked together to overcome the hurdles.

Island Water & Piping Work Done at The Dunes

The big project to replace old water pipes in The Dunes subdivision is complete ahead of schedule. All Island Water member water meters were replaced with radio-read meters too. The second phase of this two-phase project was not expected to begin until this year, but instead was fully accomplished before Christmas! Way to go Island Water! Did you know that Island Water was incorporated 47 years ago, in 1965, and franchised by Lee County as a member-owned not-for-profit association? As part of our Realtor® education, many of us have toured the facility, seen how the reverse-osmosis water is made, its usage and conservation. It’s a fascinating process. Island Water’s winter newsletter says they will be putting more info on their website this year, check it out at http://www.islandwater.com.

Where The Jobs Will (And Won’t) Be In 2013

Here is part of an interesting forecast that was posted in December on-line at www.Forbes.com.

“Though Florida is still recovering from the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008 and the state unemployment rate sits at 8.5% (almost a point higher than the national rate of 7.7%), some pockets of the state are experiencing strong job growth. In fact employers in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area are projecting a net job increase of 23%, the highest in the nation, according to the latest employment outlook survey by the employment services firm, ManpowerGroup. One other Florida metropolitan area, Lakeland-Winter Haven, also landed in the top 15 cities for job growth, according to Manpower….

“In Cape Coral, employment has gotten a boost from the recovering housing market and the fact that the city has a low density rate, at 45%, so there is plenty of room to grow. As home construction has revived, property values have climbed, going up 18%-20% since the trough, says Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce President Mike Quaintance. Housing growth has also fueled growth in restaurants and retail chains…. Cape Coral is getting a new Wal-Mart and a Sam’s Club store. Jobs at those budget retailers don’t tend to pay well, concedes Quaintance. But the housing recovery is also funding better-paying construction-related jobs and home-based businesses like landscaping.

“In neighboring Fort Myers, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Colleen DePasquale says job growth may in part be seasonal, because the population always swells in the winter months, and two baseball teams, the Twins and the Red Sox, go to Fort Myers for spring training. At the same time, clothing chain Chico’s is based in Fort Myers and doing well, and the city just opened a new waterfront development, with plans for a hotel and other businesses.

“Second on Manpower’s list after Cape Coral-Fort Myers: two Arizona metro areas in a tie, Phoenix Mesa-Scottsdale, and Tucson, with a net employment outlook of 20%…. At the other end of the spectrum, St. Louis has the worst employment outlook in the country at -5%. The next-worse is Portland, ME, at ‑2%, followed by Wichita, at -1%….”

Florida Releases Info on State Insurance Companies

Florida Realtors® posted the following article this week:

“The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has released its 2012 Fast Facts report, created to give interested parties statistical data about Florida’s insurance market. The report compiles financial and regulatory information, insurance premium volume, number of domestic insurance companies and related entities, enforcement actions/consumer recoveries, public hearings and more. The Fast Facts report also includes four “Top 20” lists with information about insurance companies in Florida for personal residential, personal automobile, life and annuity, and accident and health lines of business. For residential homeowner policies, Florida-owned Citizens Property Insurance tops the state list with 1.4 million policies, or more than the number covered by the four largest private insurers combined.

“The latest report includes the following breakdown for residential insurance writers by size, followed by number of Florida policies in December 2012:

1. Citizens Property – 1,423,160
2. Universal Property & Casualty – 578,825
3. State Farm Florida – 453,997
4. St. Johns Insurance – 174,021
5. Security First – 147,080
6. USAA – 142,733
7. Castle Key Indemnity (Allstate) – 131,759
8. Castle Key Insurance (Allstate) – 127,540
9. Homeowners Choice – 122,737
10. ASI Assurance – 113,603
11. Florida Peninsula – 112,372
12. American Integrity – 106,052
13. Tower Hill Prime – 104,594
14. American Bankers – 96,381
15. United Property & Casualty – 95,036
16. Florida Family – 87,059
17. ASI Preferred – 78,977
18. Tower Hill Signature – 78,816
19. Universal Insurance – 76,559
20. Southern Fidelity – 74,556

The Fast Facts report can be downloaded through the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation website.”

Vote Sanibel as “Happiest Seaside Town”

Coastal Living Magazine listed Sanibel Island as one of ten of its “Happiest Seaside Towns” of 2013. The locations chosen were based on criteria like well-being index, percentage of sunny days, healthiness of beaches and “coastal vibe”.

Starting yesterday (Jan 10) and running through February, you can go online and cast your vote to make it number one at www.coastalliving.com/happytowns2013.
Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service Activity January 4 – 11

Sanibel
CONDOS
2 new listings: Sundial #G106 1/1 $292.9K, Seawind #A102 2/2.5 $439.9K.
5 price changes: Tennisplace #D31 1/1 now $179K, Tennisplace #B32 2/1 now $249K, Blind Pass #D205 2/2 now $291K (short sale), Ibis at The Sanctuary #A202 2/2 now $384.9K, Island Beach Club #220B 2/2 now $499K.
3 new sales: Tennisplace #C35 2/1.5 listed for $249K, Blind Pass #B103 3/2 listed for $469K, Oceans Reach #1B4 1/1 listed for $698K.
1 closed sale: Coquina Beach #1D 2/2 $362K.

HOMES
7 new listings: 1809 Farm Trl 3/2 $499K, 525 N Yachtsman Dr 3/2 $579K, 5431 Shearwater Dr 3/3 $825K, 1213 Par View Dr 3/2.5 $890K, 4709 Rue Belle Mer 3/2 $2.1M, 4461 Waters Edge Ln 5/5.5 $5M.
7 price changes: 2079 Wild Lime Dr 3/2 now $460K, 5650 San-Cap Rd 2/2 now $635K, 928 Pepper Tree Place 2/2 now $639.9K, 977 Black Skimmer Way 3/2 now $649K, 569 Lighthouse Way 3/3 now $795K, 9007 Mockingbird Dr 3/3 now $1.1M, 1826 Woodring Rd 3/2 now $1.595M (foreclosure).
4 new sales: 2985 Island Inn Rd 3/2 listed for $399K (our listing), 2560 Coconut Dr 3/3 listed for $495K, 967 Beach Rd 2/2 half-duplex listed for $498K, 1032 Lindgren Blvd 3/2.5 listed for $615K.
3 closed sales: 3050 West Gulf Dr 3/2 $542K, 963 Kings Crown Dr 3/3 $700K, 4689 Rue Belle Mer 3/2 $1.975M.

LOTS
No new listings.
2 price changes: 3005 Turtle Gait Ln now $249K, 1898 Woodring Rd now $2.695M.
No new or closed sales.

Captiva
CONDOS
No new listings.
1 price change: Bayside Villas #4106 1/2 now $295K.
1 new sale: Bayside Villas #5326 3/3 listed for $639.5K.
No closed sales.

HOMES
No new listings.
3 price changes: 16838 Captiva Dr 6/7.5 now $5.995M, 15747 Captiva Dr 5/6.5 now $6.95M, 15172/174 Wiles Dr 12/1 multi-family now $11.5M.
No new sales.
1 closed sale: 15783 Captiva Dr 5/5.5 $8.5M.

LOTS
No new listings, price changes, or new sales.
1 closed sale: 11516 Wightman Ln $650K.

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.

Hooray for the weather in Sanibel & Captiva Islands on January 11, 2013!

It’s glorious!

Photo by Jim Anderson, JMA Photography

Sanibel & Captiva Real Estate in Paradise 2013

Posted on January 4, 2013 by SanibelSusan

It is another Friday afternoon on Sanibel Island. Here are a couple of pictures taken at noon today at a West Gulf Drive beach access. If you closely in the first one you can see some folks behind these dunes grasses doing the “Sanibel stoop” in a tidal pool – always a good spot to find a few barely-buried shells.

With the holidays winding down, it is bittersweet to see island decorations being put away for another year. Here’s a photo of Santa being put away at Jensen’s Twin Palms Resort and Marina on Captiva. Note the supervisory ibis atop the davit.

The New Year‘s week visitors had terrific weather nearly every day with warm afternoons (70s to 80s) and cool evenings (50s & 60s). Unusual fog both yesterday and today burned off early and we even had a surprise shower this morning – all good for keeping the islands lush green and tropical. We saw our first “season” traffic jams this week, with Periwinkle Way busier than it has been since last year at this time. Afternoons find Sanibel’s finest directing traffic at most of the 4-way-stops.

Mid-week, teammate Dave held a couple of open houses in hopes of attracting business; but with the weather so nice, attendance was sporadic. I had a good walk-in New Year’s eve – 1st-time visitors to the island. It didn’t take them long to decide that Sanibel is a very special place; so both Wed and Thurs afternoons, we looked at condos. It is great fun to share the wonders of the island with folks like that.

Little sales action was announced at our Realtor® Caravan meeting yesterday.

Below is an update of Sanibel’s current inventory, followed by the 2012 sales, compared to 2011.

Condos Homes Lots

# Avg Price # Avg Price # Avg Price

For sale 184 697,093 218 1,305,070 87 590,657

Closings pending 13 512,900 20 739,055 2 514,000

Sold/Closed in 2012 151 551,244 181 825,837 33 487,687

Sold/Closed in 2011 142 591,861 179 826,130 19 363,729

It will be interesting to see what happens when new government changes are enacted – or not. Some prospective buyers say that they are waiting to see what is happening with the “fiscal cliff” – others are taking stock market funds and instead investing in real estate where they see greater investment potential.

Below is some real estate news – beginning with the “fiscal cliff” – followed by the weekly report of action posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service.

Real Estate Provisions in “Fiscal Cliff” Bill

Here is the Issue Brief that was posted on line Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors®:

“On January 1, 2013 the Senate and House passed H.R. 8, legislation to avert the “fiscal cliff,” the bill will be signed by President Barack Obama on January 2, 2013. Below are a summary of real estate related provisions in the bill.

“Real Estate Tax Extenders –

Mortgage Cancellation Relief is extended for one year to January 1, 2014
Deduction for Mortgage Insurance Premiums for filers making below $110,000 is extended through 2013 and made retroactive to cover 2012
Leasehold Improvements: the 15 year straight-line cost recovery for qualified leasehold improvements on commercial properties is extended through 2013 and made retroactive to cover 2012.
Energy Efficiency Tax Credit: the 10% tax credit (up to $500) for homeowners for energy efficiency improvements to existing homes is extended through 2013 and made retroactive to cover 2012.

“Return of the “Pease” limitations on itemized deductions for high income filers – Under the agreement so called “Pease Limitations” that reduce the value of itemized deductions are permanently repealed for most taxpayers but will be reinstituted for high income filers. “Pease” limitations will only apply to individuals earning more than $250,000 and joint filers earning above $300,000. The thresholds are indexed for inflation so will rise over time. Under the formula, filers gradually lose the value of their total itemized deductions up to a total of a 20% reduction. First enacted in 1990, and named for the Ohio Congressman Don Pease who came up with the idea, the limitations continued throughout the Clinton years. The limitations were gradually phased out starting in 2003 and were completely eliminated in 2010-2012. NAR has never had an official position on Pease limitations. The reinstitution of these limits has far less impact on the mortgage interest deduction than a hard dollar deduction cap, percentage deduction cap, or reduction of the amount of MID that can be claimed.

“Capital Gains – Capital Gains rate stays at 15% for those the top rate of $400,000 individual and $450,000 joint return. After that, any gains above those amounts will be taxed at 20%. The 250/500k exclusion for sale of principal residence remains in place.

“Estate Tax – The first $5 million dollars in individual estates and $10 million for family estates are now exempted from the estate tax. After that the rate will be 40%, up from 35%. The exemption amounts are indexed for inflation.”

Rental Demand to Edge Higher in 2013?

An article posted on Wednesday’s “Daily Real Estate News” said:

“Five to six million new renter households may be created within the next 10 years, likely caused from low inventories of homes available and tight credit conditions, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Rental demand is expected to particularly increase among seniors looking to downsize their homes, as well as young adults and a growing immigrant population. “We expect to see an increase in household formation and for a variety of reasons that household formation is likely to be more heavily concentrated among renters and households who are likely to be renters for somewhat longer than was the case for the last 20 years,” Barry Zigas, director of Housing Policy for Consumer Federation of America, told HousingWire.

“Tight credit conditions continue to be one main culprit holding back home ownership among some potential buyers. “Credit for home ownership borrowing will likely be tighter and potentially more expensive, relative to earlier times,” Zigas predicts. “Families will likely have less wealth because the rising generation is starting with less wealth. If down payments are at any significant level, it will be a barrier to acquiring a home for longer than may have been the case in the past.””

Seven Housing Markets Needing Big Jolt in 2013

Another “Daily Real Estate News” article also on Wednesday, mentions several Florida towns including our local area:

“While the housing market has made notable gains in the past year, some areas are seeing a longer road to recovery. AOL Real Estate recently listed some of the least healthy housing markets going into 2013, based on employment, foreclosures, home sales, and prices. Nearly all of these housing markets have seen notable improvements recently, but they still remain the nation’s least healthy housing markets entering 2013, according to AOL Real Estate.

Detroit: Foreclosures remain high and home values lost nearly 60% of their peak value.
Fort Lauderdale: Home prices likely hit bottom in 2012 but Fort Lauderdale still has the nation’s 3rd largest foreclosure inventory.
Miami: Foreign buyers are driving demand for luxury housing here, but Miami still faces the 4th highest unemployment rate in the nation.
West Palm Beach: Foreclosures remain high here with one out of every 349 homes having received a foreclosure notice in July.
Cape Coral-Fort Myers: While higher construction permits is a bright spot here, the area faces high foreclosure rates.
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville: Home sale prices have remained low, and this market was dubbed the No. 1 “foreclosure capital” in the nation as of July.
Chicago: Foreclosures remain high with the foreclosure rate rising 18% in 2012.”

View the 7 Healthiest Housing Markets for 2013.

Free “Island Jazz” Concerts

For those lucky enough to be on the islands, from now until Easter is when the most educational and entertainment-related events are offered here. The first of the year’s free Sunday afternoon jazz concerts is January 13 at 3 p.m. in the Boler Garden of BIG ARTS. Comprised of eight local popular and well-seasoned jazz musicians, “Island Jazz” plays all styles of music from jazz standards and Dixieland to bop, pop, and more. At SanibelSusan Realty, our Sunday agents look forward to these winter events where we open our back door and hear the tunes. To attend in person, there is plenty of parking at BIG ARTS, but bring your beach chair as seating is limited.

Other concert dates and events through spring are posted on SanibelSusan’s calendar.

Two New Baby Bald Eagles

Here is a link to the Southwest Florida “Eagle Cam” which provides a 24/7 live video stream of an active pair of bald eagles in their nest in North Fort Myers. These bald eagles have been coming to the nest for the past 5 years between the months of October to April. Last night the second baby eaglet hatched. Take a look: http://www.ustream.tv/SouthwestFloridaEagleCam

Sanibel & Captiva Island Multiple Listing Service Activity December 28 – January 4

Sanibel
CONDOS
1 new listing: Loggerhead Cay #451 2/2 $495K.
3 price changes: Blind Pass #D205 2/2 now $300K (short sale), Sanibel Moorings #1042 2/2 now $419K, Mariner Pointe #1052 2/2 now $475K.
4 new sales: Sandpebble #1F 2/2 listed for $349.9K, Sanibel Arms West #L8 2/2 listed for $479K, Sandpiper Beach #404 2/2 listed for $695K, Gulf Beach #205 2/2 listed for $725K.
5 closed sales: Colonnades #9 1/1 $110K, Seashells #15 2/2 $255K (short sale), Sanibel Moorings #341 2/2 $380K, Compass Point #213 2/2 $510K, Sandpiper Beach #106 2/2 $635K.

HOMES
7 new listings: 1409 Sandpiper Cir 2/2 half-duplex #299K, 1045 Blue Heron Dr 3/3 $599K, 656 Anchor Dr 3/2 $639K, 526 N Yachtsman Dr 2/2 $649K, 1163 Seagrape Ln 4/4 $887.9K, 4164 West Gulf Dr 4/4 $1.995M, 4809 Tradewinds Dr 3/3.5 $1.69M.
5 price changes: 1366 Sand Castle Rd 3/2.5 now $649.9K, 1750 Dixie Beach Blvd 3/2.5 now $679K (short sale), 1555 San Carlos Bay Dr 3/2.5 now $975K, 6440 Pine Ave 3/2.5 now $1.64M, 775 Limpet Dr 3/3 now $1.695M.
2 new sales: 1002 Greenwood Ct N 3/2.5 half-duplex listed for $349K, 4717 Rue Belle Mer 3/3 listed for $1.895M (short sale).
3 closed sales: 1978 Roseate Ln 3/2 $435K (our listing), 656 Anchor Dr 3/2 $550K, 1314 Isabel Dr 4/3.5 $1.8M.

LOTS
1 new listing: 4538 Bowen Bayou Rd #329K.
No price changes or new sales.
1 closed sale: 659 Anchor Dr $375K

Captiva
CONDOS
Nothing to report.

HOMES
No new listings.
1 price change: 59 Sandpiper Ct 3/2 now $795K.
No new or closed sales.

LOTS
Nothing to report.

Welcome to 2013!

The Friday Before Christmas on Sanibel & Captiva Islands

Posted on December 21, 2012 by SanibelSusan

All is well on Sanibel and Captiva Islands with picture-perfect weather all week. However, thanks to a cool front today, temperatures have dropped into the 60’s and it is only expected to be in the 30’s tonight. It is breezy but with bright blue skies. Just that little bit of change excites islanders looking forward to digging out their sweaters for a couple of days each winter. We can put them away quickly though, as it is expected to be back into the high 70’s by Christmas eve and the low 80’s by Christmas day.

Here are photos of a few island-style Christmas trees. Sanibel and Captiva Islands may be snow-less, but they are festive!

At Timbers Fish & Seafood Market on Sanibel

Entry to The Sanibel Grill on Sanibel, note the water dish

Normandie Seaside Pub, Sanibel

In The Sanctuary Golf Clubhouse, Sanibel

‘Tween Waters Resort on Captiva

At the Mucky Duck Beach on Andy Rosse Lane, Captiva

South Seas Resort, Captiva

Near South Seas Resort entrance on Captiva

Bismark palm on Captiva Drive

Charlie Brown tree on Captiva Drive

At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

SanibelSusan’s Charlie Brown tree at home

Sanibel & Captiva Real Estate Action This Week

We had a few listings shown this week and a fair turn-out at yesterday’s Realtor® caravan. I had a double-dip closing on Tuesday (both listed and sold), then was out showing property too. Dave held an open house at our Sundial listing on Tuesday and Loggerhead Cay today. I have been negotiating on an offer this week that got finalized today, so all-in-all, a productive week for SanibelSusan Realty Associates, even with the holiday distractions.

Polar Bear Plunge Coming Up

As reported in the “Island Sun”:

“For those who are on-island for New Year’s, the 13th annual meeting of the Sanibel-Captiva Chapter of the National Polar Bear Club will take place at noon on January 1 at Tarpon Bay Beach. When the club started in 2000, just 29 people showed up to brave taking a dip in the Gulf of Mexico. Last year, more than 350 bears took the plunge. The meeting begins with the singing of the traditional Polar Bear anthem by the Cubbies (1st-timers), Juveniles (1-time previous dippers) and seasoned Adult bears (those who took the plunge in previous years). The bears then enter the Gulf waters backwards, facing the huge crowd of supporters, on-lookers, tourists, and Mice (those who wished they had the courage to join in). Following the traditional Polar Bear group huddle/hug (a body-warming activity), participants will have an opportunity to sip from the giant Polar Bear champagne glass, have their picture taken in the infamous shell pith helmet, and engage in story-telling about their heroic experience with fellow Polar Bears from around the world. Everyone is welcome to attend the Polar Bear plunge, now considered an island tradition (which costs nothing to participate).”

A Few Energy-Saving Tips

There were some timely reminders in the Lee County Electric Coop newsletter this month. You can conduct your own energy survey through their website at http://www.lcec.net. These tips and tricks may be helpful too:

“Keep the oven door closed. When you have to “sneak a peek” at the turkey or cookies, turn the oven light on and look through the window.
Cook with glass or ceramic pans. They heat faster, and you can set the temperature 25 degrees lower.
Use crock pots, microwave, and toaster ovens, when possible. They all use less energy than the oven.
Gently remind guests to turn off lights and fans when they leave a room. Remember, fans do not actually cool your home they only circulate the air, making you feel cooler.
Switch holiday lights to LED and set on a timer to reduce the amount of time you use them.”
“Washers – only run full loads; wash in cold water whenever possible; unplug or use circuit breaker to shut off power to washer when not in use; if possible, move washer close to your water heater to help retain heated water in pipes; always rinse in cold water, it has not effect on the cleaning of clothes; adjust waters levels to laundry load size on your washer, if possible; invest in an energy-saving washer.”

15-Year Mortgages Gain Popularity With Buyers

As follow-up to a “Wall Street Journal” article earlier in the week, “Daily Real Estate News” posted the following yesterday:

“Record-low rates are driving more borrowers to seek shorter term mortgages. Freddie Mac reports that nearly 16% of the fixed-rate mortgages that lenders sold to the agency during the 3rd quarter were comprised of 15-year mortgages. That’s up from nearly 10% a year ago. The data excludes mortgages for refinancing. For refinancing, 15-year mortgages accounted for nearly a third of loans during the first seven months of this year, according to CoreLogic. “The 30-year mortgage became the standard in lending because its lower monthly payments made real estate affordable to more Americans,” The Wall Street Journal reports. “While the 30-year remains king, the gap between the two loans’ popularity is shrinking.”

“Fifteen-year fixed-rate mortgages have recently averaged 2.81% — compared to 5.85% in mid-December 2007, according to HSH.com, a mortgage information Web site. Some refinancers are finding that by switching from a 30-year to a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage they are able to not only get big savings on the life of their mortgage but also even slightly lower monthly payments. Traditionally, refinancing into a shorter-term mortgage meant paying a heftier monthly payment. But with mortgage rates so low, some home owners are finding the monthly payment isn’t increasing and may actually be less by shortening the terms of their mortgage.”

Captiva 2013-2014 Re-nourishment Project

The Captiva Erosion Prevention District announced recently that it is accepting bids for its 2013-2014 re-nourishment project. This project consists of placing approximately 877,000 cubic yards of beach fill along six miles of shoreline and rehabilitation of existing dunes from Redfish Pass to Blind Pass and also a portion of northern Sanibel. The work will start between June 1 and September 1 and be completed by December 31, 2013. For more info, go to www.mycepd.com.

Agents Prepare Homebuyers to Compete

The islands have not yet seen the swing from buyers’ market to sellers’ market, but the following article posted this week on FloridaRealtors® was a good read nonetheless. My Realtor® friends in Miami already are seeing multiple offers. Here’s hoping our area is next:

“House buyers in a growing number of areas are finding something they haven’t seen in years when house-hunting: Competition. With housing affordability high and mortgage rates low, homebuyers are ready to cash in – but they’re finding a lot of others are as well. Bidding wars are becoming more common, particularly as the inventory of for-sale homes remains constrained across the country.

““Buyers have to change their attitude about the way the market is,” says Carol Hooks, a real estate professional with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Alexandria, Va. “Many still think it’s OK to make a low offer and ask for closing-cost assistance, but they really need to come up with a good, realistic offer….

“Real estate professionals are helping to prepare their buyers for the increased competition. For example, they’re encouraging buyers to go through the mortgage-approval process and secure financing before they look for a home, armed with more than just a lender’s prequalification letter. Eldad Moraru with Long & Foster Real Estate in Bethesda, Md., says it’s important for buyers to find a lender who will be able to provide them with an approval letter within an hour of finding the home they want to purchase. The new letter should include the address of the property and the exact amount they plan to offer so they can attach it to the offer.

“Homebuyers also need to have their earnest money deposit and down-payment ready to go, Moraru says. “A lot of buyers will have some money in stocks to sell and some money in a checking account and will tell me they need a few days to get it together,” he said. “You need to have that money consolidated and accessible in one account before you find a house.” As competition heats up, buyers need to prepare to think fast.

“If (the buyer) moves fast enough, (they) can have a home inspection before (they) make an offer, and then waive the home-inspection contingency,” Moraru says about being competitive in some multiple bid situations if you know when the seller is going to be reviewing all offers.

“Some agents compare today’s competitive housing market to the process of dating. “You need to win on both looks and personality,” says Phil Bolin, a broker with RE/MAX Allegiance in Alexandria, Va. “The personality part is the fundamental issue of financing and down-payment, but the looks part doesn’t cost you anything. It can be as simple as making sure there are no mistakes in your contract. If there are mistakes or missing items in your offer, you don’t look like a serious buyer.””

Sanibel & Captiva Island Multiple Listing Service Activity December 14-21

Sanibel
CONDO
1 new listing: Sundial #K108 3/2 $1.1M.
No price changes.
2 new sales: Blind Pass #A105 listed for $395K, Compass Point #141 3/2 listed for $899K (our listing).
1 closed sale: Sanibel Arms West #M7 2/2 $398K (our listing & sale).

HOMES
6 new listings: 1401 Sandpiper Cir 3/2.5 half-duplex $419K, 2079 Wild Lime Dr 3/2 $525K, 395 Old Trail Rd 4/3 $599K, 617 East Rocks Dr 3/2 $625.9K, 1339 Par View Dr 3/2 $680K, 512 Periwinkle Way 3/3 $1.075M.
8 price changes: 4629 Brainard Bayou Rd 3/2 now $539K, 5296 Umbrella Pool Rd 4/4 now $549.9K, 1441 Causey Ct 3/2 now $725K, 3840 West Gulf Dr 3/2.5 now $739K, 2540 Coconut Dr 4/3.5 now $740K, 2729 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 now $1.298M, 4717 Rue Belle Mer 3/3 now $1.895M (short sale), 505 Kinzie Island Ct 5/4.5 now $2.195M.
4 new sales: 1807 Serenity Ln 3/2 listed for $574K, 549 East Rocks Dr 3/2.5 listed for $795K, 1314 Isabel Dr 4/3.5 listed for $2.094M, 4689 Rue Belle Mer 3/2 listed for $2.295M.
5 closed sales: 1000 Greenwood Ct 3/2.5 half-duplex $322K, 760 Birdie View Pt 4/3.5 $769K (short sale), 1824 Woodring Rd 4/4 $1.025M, 6211 Starling Way 4/4.5 $1.95M, 1145 Bird Ln 5/5 $4.275M.

LOTS
1 new listing: 644 Sea Oats Dr $315K.
3 price changes: 5121 SanCap Rd now $249K, 6006 White Heron Ln now $749K, 837 Limpet Dr now $885K (our listing).
1 new sale: 659 Anchor Dr $448.5K.
No new sales.

Captiva
CONDO
No new listings.
1 price change: Gulf Beach Villas #2004 2/2 now $659K.
2 new sales: Marina Villas #801 2/2 listed for $552K, Sunset Beach Villas #2228 2/2 listed for $600K.
No closed sales.

HOMES
1 new listing: 11532 Wightman Ln 2/2 $1.475M.
No price changes, new or closed sales.

LOTS
Nothing to report.

Merry Christmas!

Sanibel Scoop & Captiva Chatter

SanibelSusan's Blog About What's Happening on the Islands

Tag Archives: New Year

Record Temps & Picture-Perfect Sanibel & Captiva Islands Weather

Like this:

Sanibel & Captiva Real Estate in Paradise 2013

Like this:

The Friday Before Christmas on Sanibel & Captiva Islands

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: