It is SanibelSusan reporting the end of another week of terrific Florida weather. Traffic on Sanibel and Captiva Islands has subsided a little, but the islands remain fairly busy. The good news is the locals again are talking about being able to get in at restaurants without much of a wait. It also appears that most of the buyers returning to view property now are serious! Yay!

I missed chatting with client/friends from California who stopped in at the office last Saturday while I was writing an offer. While they were talking to Lisa, Scott gave me the AOK to share his recent osprey photos in my blog. So thank you, Scott.

SanibelSusan Realty Happenings

The SanibelSusan Team and I are happy to report that we had a nice closing yesterday, one of those where we had to go find the property as none were for sale in that particular complex. Big shout-out to Arika at VIP for coming to our rescue on that one. Picture below of the view at Gulfside Place #318. 

Though it does not happen often at this time of the year, Dave, Elise, Lisa, and I have all been on listing presentations this week. Good to know that some fresh listings may be coming on the market this summer.

Over the last couple of days, I also have been negotiating several offers. Some are still cooking and one has been accepted verbally. They include offers coming in on our listings and a couple that I have written. That confirms, it has been a busy week!

With at least two new listings coming our way, all-in-all, it was yet another productive week for SanibelSusan Realty and good to see island good real estate action continuing during the time we often refer to as the “shoulder” period. More buyers are coming over the weekend too. Over the next few days, Dave and I both will be out showing property.

Good Multiple Listing Service activity was posted over the last seven days as shown below. First a couple of news items:

SanCapGoMLS

The Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service has announced a new mobile app. “SanCapGoMLS”, designed for use on smart phones/tablets, zeroes in on the user’s location and identifies properties for sale in the surrounding area. It also can perform quick property searches for any listings in the MLS. The user specifies the search criteria and the results are immediate, mapped, and with all the photos.

If you’d like us to email you a link so you can install the app too, just send me a quick email (Susan@SanibelSusan.com) or text message (239-565-3128). It’s free!

Fun to use too, if you are one of those folks who wonders about the details of a property when you see a “for sale” sign. Of course, the database also contains properties for sale in the communities that do not allow signs too. So get all the scoop about all the listings with SanCapGoMLS. It’s a great tool.

Celebrate Earth Day Tomorrow at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge

Join in the celebration tomorrow at the “Ding” Darling Refuge where Wildlife Drive is FREE to hikers and bikers from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. FREE bike rentals will be provided by Tarpon Bay Explorers (pick the bikes up at Tarpon Bay Explorers’ location). Earth Day mascot “Bagzilla” will make appearances throughout the earth-friendly day and free program. Click here for flier.

Real Estate Likely to Ride a 3-Year Wave

Here’s a positive article from last Friday’s “Daily Real Estate News”, sourced to “Urban Land Institute”:

“The real estate industry is expected to strengthen this year and continue to get stronger through 2017, according to a new report released from the Urban Land Institute Center for Capital Markets and Real Estate, which is based on a survey of the industry’s top economists and analysts.

“Survey respondents said that the residential, single-family housing sector remains in recovery mode and economists predict that housing starts will rise from 647,000 in 2014 to 700,000 in 2015; to 815,000 in 2016; and 900,000 by the end of 2017.

“Economists predict that existing home prices will rise through 2017 — rising 5% this year; another 4% in 2016; and by 4% in 2017.

“”In summary, almost all U.S. real estate participants would be very pleased if the future unfolded as predicted by the ULI consensus forecast,” says ULI leader William Maher, director of North American strategy for LaSalle Investment Management in Baltimore. “The forecast represents almost the perfect combination of strong economic and property market fundamentals, combined with an orderly wind-down of monetary stimulus.”

“Although an economic downturn could throw off these predictions, as well as interest rate spikes or oversupplies, “real estate pros predict three more years of smooth sailing for U.S. real estate,” Maher adds.

Survey respondents were also upbeat with their forecasts for the commercial market, including:

• Office sector: Respondents expect rental rates in office space to rise 4% this year, 4.1% in 2016, and 3.5% in 2017.
• Apartments: Respondents expect rental rates continue to push upward, rising by 3.5% in 2015, 3% in 2016, and 2.7% in 2017.
• Retail: Analysts expect that rental rates in the retail sector to rise by 2% in 2015, 3% in 2016, and 2.9% in 2017.
• Industrial/warehouse: Analysts expect rental rates in the warehouse sector to rise by 4% this year, 3.8% in 2016, and 3.1% in 2017.”

Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service Activity April 10-17 

Sanibel

CONDOS

2 new listings: Loggerhead Cay #353 2/2 $499K (our listing), Nutmeg Village #214 2/2 $995K.

 

5 price changes: Captains Walk #C7 1/1 now $229.9K, Spanish Cay #C5 2/2 now $369.9K, Tarpon Beach #204 2/2 now $750K, Sundial #F201 2/2 now $769K, Sanddollar #A104 2/2 now $799K.

4 new sales: Sundial #F303 2/2 listed for $495K, Sundial #R304 2/2 listed for $799K, Dosinia #2B listed for $1.299M, Seascape #205 3/3 listed for $1.849M.

5 closed sales: Sunset South #9D 2/2 $360K, Sanibel Arms West #L5 2/2 $500K, Gulf Beach #102 2/2 $695K, Gulfside Place #318 2/2 $1.25M (our buyer), Beachcomber #C102 2/2 $1.5275M.

HOMES

No new listings.

4 price changes: 778 Cardium St 3/3 now $449K, 2984 Island Inn Rd 3/2 now $619K, 4620 Rue Bayou 3/3 now $899K, 904 Almas Ct 3/2.5 now $1.045M.

5 new sales: 750 Martha’s Ln 3/2 listed for $579K, 1445 Causey Ct 3/2 listed for $849.9K, 757 Windlass Way 3/2.5 listed for $1.149M, 1138 Harbour Cottage Ct 3/2.5 listed for $1.195M, 428 Bella Vista Way E 4/4 listed for $1.695M.

8 closed sales: 2621 Sanibel Captiva Rd 3/2 $247K, 702 Donax St 2/2 $370K, 1712/1714 Sand Pebble Way 4/2 duplex $389K, 1347 Jamaica Dr 2/2 $500K, 2596 Roosevelt Pl 3/2 $665K, 732 Durion Ct 3/2 $700K, 625 Sea Oats Dr 3/3 $748K, 5721 Sanibel Captiva Rd 3/3/2 $1.3M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 4538 Bowen Bayou Rd $299K.

1 price change: 1310 Par View Dr now $359,555.

1 new sale: 1336 Eagle Run Dr listed for $245K.

1 closed sale: 3792 Coquina Dr $305K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: Beach Homes #19 3/3 listed for $2.695M.

2 closed sales: Beach Villa II #2418 2/2 $630K, Lands End Village #1606 3/3 $1.85M.

HOMES

No new listings.

1 price change: 1105 Tallow Tree Ct 3/3 half-duplex now $2.15M.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: 16183 Captiva Dr 4/3.5 $2.785M.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 16970 Captiva Dr listed for $2.995M.

No closed sales.

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

Until next Friday, when I hope we have more good news to report,

Susan Andrews (aka SanibelSusan)