Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, & Flip Flops on Sanibel

Posted on February 12, 2021 by SanibelSusan

SanibelSusan here reporting that island weather this week again has been terrific with daytime temperatures in the 70’s, sometimes 80’s, with plenty of blue skies and sunshine. As the week progressed, teammates doing the on-/off-island commute saw a noticeable increase in traffic as incoming Valentine’s Day vacationers, week-enders, and Presidents’ Day holiday visitors began arriving. Traffic probably will be up next week too.

At SanibelSusan Realty

The local association of Realtors® had no meeting this week, but there still was plenty of island sales action reported again, even as the market responds to lack of inventory.

Tuesday, I showed a new-to-market $2M gulf-front residential condo. It already had received four offers in just a few hours. It is difficult to convince a prospect that they are not overpaying when they are in “no hurry” to purchase. When we hear that and they say, “we can wait for the next one to come along”, that could be a long time in today’s environment. That seller purchased in 1980. It is doubtful that anyone wants to wait 40 years to make their island dream come true, but one thing that is for sure in this real estate business – surprises happen every day with both buyers and sellers.

Within the same 24-hour period, I got texts from two agents working with buyers who had viewed one of our listings that recently went under contract. The texts said their clients were sorry that they had not made an offer(s). They wanted to know if the sale is “solid”. Then I got a call from an off-island broker asking about the same property. Where were these buyers during the last year+ that this property was listed for sale?

Of course, until a sale goes “pending” (meaning with no contract contingencies), we welcome back-up contracts. I have never had a buyer in 2^nd position turn into the successful purchaser, but there is always a first time. We keep advertising our listings every week until every contingency in a contract is met. Once that occurs, the MLS listing status changes from “contingent” to “pending”.

Inventory continues to dwindle, as The SanibelSusan Team and our colleagues search for properties that match prospects requirements. It was a shock yesterday to tell a buyer, that there now are only nine Sanibel homes for sale priced under $1M. (Only 54 available in total, 69 under contract, 37 sold/closed year-to-date, compared to 288 sold last year.)

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

Bike, Walk, or Drive FREE on President’s Day

In honor of President’s Day, Monday, February 15, Wildlife Drive at the J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge will be fee-free all day from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. For this national holiday, the Visitors and Education Center will be closed, but all other facilities including the America’s Best Restroom, Tarpon Bay Explorers rentals and tours, Bailey Tract, and all trails will remain open.

Average Long-Term Mortgage Rates Unchanged for 3^rd Week

Most island sales continue to be “cash”, but mortgage rates remain great for those looking for financing. The 30-year fixed-rate for a home averaged 2.73% this week, as it has for the last two weeks. These near-record lows compare to the 3.47% rate last year. The pandemic resulted in suppressed mortgage rates through most of 2020. As the economy recovers, economists forecast only modest increases in loan rates this year. It continues to be a great time to buy for those seeking a mortgage.

3 Major Home Insurance Mistakes to Avoid

Following up on the insurance theme where last week flood insurance was discussed, below is the article posted online February 8, 2021 at FloridaRealtors®. It was written by Kathryn Pomroy, 2021 Local TV LLC.

“Homeowners trying to cut costs often focus on property insurance and cutting back will save money. But if something happens, they’ll regret it.

“NEW YORK – Due to COVID-19, unemployment has become one of the most critical economic issues facing the country. As a homeowner, you may be trying to find ways to save money. Revisiting your home insurance policy to make sure you’re getting the best deal and that your home is properly covered makes good sense.

“Avoid these 3 home insurance mistakes Your home is your largest financial investment. Yet it is vulnerable if left unprotected from theft and vandalism, fire, a natural disaster, injuries suffered while on the property, or some other mishap. Many people think things like this will never happen – until it does. That’s why it’s important to explore your home insurance options and avoid these three main home insurance mistakes.

Not having enough insurance coverage
Not having the appropriate coverage in advance
Not having natural disaster insurance.

“Not having enough insurance coverage. Underinsuring your home can be a costly mistake. Many homeowners only have enough coverage to cover their mortgage. But if your mortgage or the equity in your home is only worth 75% of your home’s value, you may only receive that amount if it’s destroyed. That may not cover rebuilding.

“Likewise, you may have a policy that only covers the current value of your home. But your home’s current value may not cover the actual cost to rebuild at today’s prices. That’s why it’s important to know what it will cost to rebuild and get coverage close to that amount. This is also true concerning your personal belongings.

“Comparing multiple insurance quotes can potentially save you hundreds of dollars per year. Generally, there are two types of coverage-replacement cost and actual cash value.

“Replacement cost value. Unlike actual cash value insurance, when a tragedy happens, replacement cost insurance will replace your belongings at their current value. For instance, if a fire damages your computer, and the cost to replace it today is $1,200, you are paid $1,200, even though you may have paid $1,000 two years ago.
“Actual cash value. Actual cash value insurance will reimburse you for the cash value of your personal belongings. However, your belongings are not worth as much as they were when you bought them because of depreciation, so you are paid the actual cash value at the time the tragedy occurs, not what you paid for them.

“Not having the appropriate coverage in advance. “Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to discover that your homeowner’s insurance policy doesn’t cover natural disasters, or only part of the damage is covered. Worse yet, the type of damage you suffer is excluded from your policy.

“Most standard policies have hazard coverage, which covers the physical loss and damage to your property and possessions, and liability courage, which covers injuries to people while on your property, like slipping on your front steps. According to the Insurance Information Institute, standard coverage may also include damage from:

Explosions
Riots and civil unrest, vandalism, and malicious mischief
Theft and vandalism
Volcanos
Windstorms and hail
Damage from an aircraft or vehicle
Fire and smoke damage
Falling objects
Lightning strikes
In-home water damage (from within the home only)
Snow, ice storms and sleet.

“You may also want to cover personal possessions like expensive jewelry, musical instruments, cameras, or electronics that may be stolen or damaged. Or coverage for living outside your home while it’s being rebuilt. If someone slips on your front steps, you’ll want to have enough coverage to pay their medical bills.

“Having enough insurance is vital. Having the appropriate insurance coverage is just as important. To ensure your insurance is suitable for your circumstances, visit Credible to check out plans, providers, and costs.

“Not having natural disaster insurance. Depending on where you live, you may need flood, earthquake, or region-specific insurance to ensure you have adequate home insurance in the case of a natural disaster. These coverages are not generally standard with most homeowners insurance policies.

“Flood insurance is a federal program that accepts everyone who needs coverage, so it’s not hard to get. If you live in earthquake-prone areas, your insurance carrier may also require earthquake coverage to qualify for a mortgage.

“Extra flood and earthquake insurance can cost from about $70 to $250 per month on top of your homeowner’s policy, depending on the value of your home and location, according to FEMA.

“If you’re searching for a new policy, renewing your current policy, or investigating your options as a new homeowner, you may also want to consider if you want coverage not typically standard on most homeowners’ policies. Add-ons to your policy may cover things like termites or other pests, mold, sewer backups, or damage due to lack of maintenance on the residence….”

Sanibel – COVID-19

The City declared State of Emergency, issued in response to COVID-19, has been extended by Mayor Mick Denham until February 16, 2021, unless further extended. Per State Statute, the maximum duration for a Mayoral Declaration of Emergency is seven (7) days and thus must be updated weekly as long as the emergency conditions are present.

Additionally, the City of Sanibel face covering mandate is reaffirmed to be consistent with the Governor’s Order 20-244 and shall remain in force and effect through the duration of the 7-day state of local emergency. Social distancing encouraged and group gatherings are to be avoided.

From Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 through February 10 is 223 cases. This is the number of cases for zip code residents. It does not include Captiva and the many workers and visitors that come and go.

Timing for number of cases reported included 134 cases last year (with 50 being in December). January was the highest month with 69 cases. The first ten days in February, 20 cases were reported. PLEASE CONTINUE TO STAY VIGILANT.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity February 5-12, 2021

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Captains Walk #B5 2/1 $392K, Pointe Santo #E2 2/2 $964K, Pointe Santo #E26 2/2 $1.299M, Gulfside Place #301 3/3 $1.95M.

2 price changes: Sanibel Arms #C5 2/2 now $450K, Pointe Santo #C23 3/2 now $995K.

13 new sales: Spanish Cay #B2 2/2 listed at $469.5K; Sundial #J102 1/1 listed at $499K; Loggerhead Cay #223 2/2 listed at $594.5K; Loggerhead Cay #274 2/2 listed at $669K; Sandalfoot #3C3 2/2 listed at $698K; Sand Pointe #217 2/2 listed at $795,555; Sandpiper Beach #105 2/2 listed at $825K; Yacht Haven #4 3/2 listed at $895K; Pointe Santo #A31 2/2 listed at $949K; Pointe Santo #C25 3/2 listed at $1.125M, White Pelican #111 2/2 listed at $1.2999M, Pine Cove #202 3/2 listed at $1.395M, Royale Tern #204 3/3.5 listed at $2.495M.

5 closed sales: Sundial #F205 1/1 $400K, Sandalfoot #4B2 1/1 $475K, Heron at The Sanctuary #2B 3/3.5 $749.9K, Pointe Santo #E23 2/2 $830K, Sanctuary Golf Villages I #4-1 3/3 $899K.

HOMES

3 new listings: 694 Heather Ln 3/3.5 $1.475M, 2355 Wulfert Rd 3/3.5 $1.798M, 4664 Rue Belle Mer 5/5 $1.896M.

3 price changes: 1035 S. Yachtsman Dr 5/4.5 now $999K, 1890 Middle Gulf Dr 3/3 now $1.15M, 5439 Osprey Ct 4/3 now $1.644M.

15 new sales: 1415 Sandpiper Cir 2/2 half-duplex listed at $459K, 984 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 half-duplex listed at $499K, 2010 Wild Lime Dr 4/4 listed at $759K, 1052 Fish Crow Rd 3/2 listed at $799K, 3570 Bunny Ln 3/3 listed at $869K, 6041 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 2/1 listed at $949K, 1312 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 listed at $979K, 1158 Harbour Cottage Ct 3/2.5 half-duplex listed at $1.095M, 1259 Par View Dr 3/4 listed at $1.175M, 1147 Buttonwood Ln 3/2 listed at $1.335M, 751 Windlass Way 5/5 listed at $1.595M, 2391 Shop Rd 3/2.5 listed at $1.695M, 488 Lighthouse Way 4/4 listed at $3.695M, 4961 Joewood Dr 4/4 listed at $5.2M, 4323 West Gulf Dr 6/6 listed at $7.995M.

8 closed sales: 1030 Kings Crown Dr 2/2 $820K; 4180 West Gulf Dr 2/2 $845K; 761 Nerita St 3/2 $853,870; 5757 Pine Tree Dr 3/2.5 $915K; 1155 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 $922K; 201 Violet Dr 3/2 $1M; 829 Pyrula Ave 3/3 $1.175M; 2564 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 $1.785M.

LOTS

3 new listings: 2310 Wulfert Rd 299K, 217 Violet Dr $549K, 3304 Saint Kilda Rd $599K.

1 price change: 3308 Saint Kilda Rd now $469,555.

5 new sales: 1340 Eagle Run Dr listed at $315K, 2933 Wulfert Rd listed at $349K, 5821 Pine Tree Dr listed at $439K, 1872 Middle Gulf Dr listed at $495K, 1874 Middle Gulf Dr listed at $979K.

1 closed sale: 836 Limpet Dr $1.26M.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Marina Villas #708 2/2 $765K.

No price changes.

3 new sales: Tennis Villas #3212 1/1 $320K; Bayside Villas #5118 1/2 listed at $399,999; Beach Homes #18 4/3 listed at $3.375M.

1 closed sale: Marina Villas #703 2/2 $750K.

HOMES

No new listings.

1 price change: 11559 Laika Ln 3/3 now $7.5M.

2 new sales: 11504 Wightman Ln 4/3.5 listed at $1.495M, 11505 Gore Ln 5/5 listed at $1.695M.

No closed sales.

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”.

Happy Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, & weekend,

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Replenishing Our Acorns at SanibelSusan Realty

Posted on January 29, 2021 by SanibelSusan

As we wrap up another week of nice winter island weather, I must mention the unusual fog seen here midday Wednesday. Coming onto the island late morning, the fog was so thick that one could barely see the water beyond the causeway island bridge railings, much less the shores of Sanibel. Calls from those beachside in the afternoon reported lingering fog just off the shoreline east end. Rarely do we see fog here.

The SanibelSusan Team had a couple of nice closings this week plus a super sale. Also had other listings shown and worked with buyers too. Tomorrow, after tenant checkout and unit cleaning, I will be at our new listing at Kings Crown where seven showings are scheduled during a short window. Hopefully, my nearby presence will make it easier for agents to get in and out quickly – while still adhering to COVID protocols.

Kings Crown

Yes, the real estate market here is nuts! Good nuts! Now providing an opportunity for us to replenish the acorns that were depleted during the pandemic shut-down when business was off.

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

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

Again, there was no weekly Zoom Caravan meeting this week, but the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® did win four state awards at the Florida Realtors® RPAC (Realtors® Political Action Committee) Awards Zoom event Tuesday Night.

Thank you to our RPAC Committee, its Chairman Dave Arter, and our members, both REALTORS® and Affiliate Business Partners for helping the Association meet and exceed its 2020 RPAC goals. The Association earned four State RPAC Awards in the Small Board Category:

Highest Total Cash
Highest Participation Rate
Highest Percentage of Goal
Highest Number of Major Investors

Since 1969, RPAC has promoted the election of pro-REALTOR® candidates across the U.S. The purpose of RPAC is clear: voluntary contributions made by REALTORS® are used to help elect candidates who understand and support their interests. These are not members’ dues; this is money given freely by REALTORS® in recognition of the importance of the political process. The REALTORS® Political Action Committee and other political fundraising are the keys to protecting and promoting the real estate industry.

Florida Realtors®

This week, I also attended more of Florida Realtors® Mid-Winter Business Meetings and events via Zoom.

Tuesday, the 3-hour Realtor®-Attorney Joint Committee covered upcoming revisions proposed to the Florida Realtors®/Florida BAR contract, and the “As Is” version of the contract and its associated comprehensive riders.

In the 29 years that I have been using this contract in Florida, it has evolved may times, with the times. The “As Is” version is the most widely used. Many of the proposed changes are technology related, some regarding personal property that conveys with the real estate. Others tighten up timeframes and requirements in mortgage contingencies. Another good change clears confusion related to properties being sold that are short-term rentals. All are good improvements. Though not yet official, these committee recommendations will be submitted to the Florida BAR for their June meeting and if approved will move on to Florida Realtors® for consideration at their annual meeting in August. All indications are that these revised contracts will be released late summer.

Thursday night was the Florida Realtors® 2021 Inaugural with after party. Pretty hard to party via Zoom, but the entire event was a lot of fun and it was so great to see colleagues from around the state, even though it was through a computer screen.

This year, Florida surpassed other states in their total Realtor® membership. It is now the largest in the U.S., 204,000 members. It is amazing but not surprising to hear that membership increased during the pandemic. The word is out that the sunshine state offers more than just nice weather! (I remember when there were just 100,00 members and that was a staggering number.) Congratulations to our new President Cheryl Lambert and her terrific team.

Condo Question & Answer: What Happens If Reserve Funds Aren’t Enough?

Posted Wednesday on FloridaRealtors® on-line. This article covers an often-asked question about condo reserve monies. Author is “Steven J. Adamczyk Esq., a shareholder of the law firm Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross, PLLC. The information provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The publication of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader and Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross, or any of our attorneys. Readers should not act or refrain from acting based upon the information contained in this article without first contacting an attorney, if you have questions about any of the issues raised herein. The hiring of an attorney is a decision that should not be based solely on advertisements or this column. © 2021 Journal Media Group

“A condo complex reserves funds every year to repaint buildings every seven – but it’s time to paint and the money falls short. Can they use other money for painting?

“STUART – Question: Our condominium has been reserving every year to repaint the buildings every seven years. We are now approaching seven years, and it turns out the paint reserve fund was never on track to be fully funded, and we are going to be short. Can we use money set aside for other projects or do we have other options? – W.C.S., Port St. Lucie

“Answer: This is a common situation. In Florida, the general rule applicable to condominiums is that reserves must be fully funded unless the membership votes to underfund or waive reserve funding altogether. This means that your board should have received a quote or reserve opinion seven years ago to repaint the buildings, subtract any leftover balance in the paint fund, and then divide the difference by seven so that you are equally putting money away each year. The board can also take interest, inflation and annual changes in materials and labor into consideration when setting reserve amounts.

“In Florida, the default rule is also that you have straight line reserves, meaning you separately account for each reserve component, and you can only use money in the paint fund, for example, on painting, and the membership must approve any other use.

“One option available to you is to review your corporate history to see whether the association ever voted to approve a switch to pooled reserve funding. A pooled reserve is funded differently because it is based on cash flow, but the benefit in your situation is that you can use any dollar in the reserve account for any component in the pooled reserve. For example, a pooled reserve could have repainting, resurfacing, roof replacement, pool equipment, pool furniture, clubhouse windows and pool deck paver components. With a pooled reserve system, you could use any balance set aside for the pool equipment to fund the paint shortfall.

“You obviously need to make up the difference over time so that you can replace the pool equipment when necessary, but there is a lot of flexibility. If you have not done this in the past, the threshold to switch to pooled reserve requires only a majority of the votes cast in person or by proxy at a meeting of the members, and thus, you could also schedule a meeting to approve this switch and this could provide the flexibility you are seeking.

“If you have straight line reserves and you want to keep straight line reserves, another option is to seek the membership’s approval to use reserve dollars currently allocated to another component. The threshold is the same as the switch to pooled reserves, meaning you could, for example, schedule a special members’ meeting to seek approval to use dollars currently in the roof reserve account for the current paint shortfall.

“Another option would be to fund the shortfall through your annual operating budget. If you know the shortfall is $250,000, for example, then you could add a line item to your annual budget for this year only for the $250,000 and fund the shortfall through normal assessment obligations. To accomplish this, I would first seek an opinion from your legal counsel to determine whether your specific condominium documents place any restrictions on whether your operating budget can accommodate this expense. Obviously, this may increase your assessments, but at least owners would be able to pay the shortfall quarterly or monthly depending on your assessment schedule.

“The board could also levy a special assessment. This is the typical response to a shortfall in reserves because the reserve expenditure is typically a one-time expenditure and special assessments typically provide a lump sum influx of capital to meet the needs. Again, you would want to consult your legal counsel to determine whether your specific condominium documents have any self-imposed restrictions or procedural requirements that would impact the board’s ability or timing to levy a special assessment for this purpose.

“Finally, the board could borrow. Credit is generally available for condominium associations, and your board could consider drawing on a line of credit or obtain a term loan for this purpose. One of the benefits of borrowing is that it provides the association with instant liquidity to meet contractor payment schedules while allowing owners to repay over a longer period and possibly for the duration of the loan repayment.

“Once again, you would want to consult your legal counsel to determine whether your specific condominium documents have any self-imposed restrictions on borrowing or voting requirements to open a line of credit or draw on a line of credit. Depending on the amount of the loan and the lenders’ underwriting requirements, you may also need to levy a special assessment dedicated to repay the loan, so you also need to consider whether you have any special requirements to levy a special assessment as described above.”

Sanibel – COVID-19

From Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 through January 27 is 201 cases. This is 13 cases in the last seven days. This is the number of cases for zip code residents. It does not include Captiva and the many workers and visitors that come and go. PLEASE stay vigilant, continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and avoid group gatherings.

With the process of getting vaccine appointments by phone often unsuccessful and frustrating, this week Florida’s site to preregister on line was announced. If you are a health care worker or Florida resident over the age of 65, go to www.MyVaccine.FL.gov to sign up. It takes just seconds and says you will be contacted (either by phone, text, or email) when your appointment is scheduled. All 67 Florida counties will have the system available to them soon. Luckily, Lee County was one of the first in the roll-out.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Jan 22-29, 2021

Sanibel

CONDOS

6 new listings: Sanctuary Golf Villages I #5-2 3/3 $899K; Sanibel Arms West #C4 2/2 $920K; Sundial #Q401 2/2 $978,808; White Sands #13 2/2 $979K; Loggerhead Cay #101 2/2 $998,899; Tarpon Beach #206 2/2 $998,899.

2 price changes: Sanibel Arms #C5 2/2 now $465K, Mariner Pointe #732 2/2 now $559K.

6 new sales: Sanibel Arms #2E 1/1 listed at $385.4K, Sanibel Arms #C7 1/1 listed at $349K, Sanibel Arms West #A3 2/2 listed at $529K, Loggerhead Cay #192 2/2 listed at $719K, Pointe Santo #E22 2/2 listed at $899K, Sundial #A301 2/2 listed at $1,099,999.

6 closed sales: Spanish Cay #A4 2/2 $430K, Sundial #I102 1/1 $442.5K, Sundial #D305 1/1 $495K, Lighthouse Point #117 3/2 $540K (our listing), Mariner Pointe #421 2/2.5 $550K, Junonia #103 3/2 $1.265M.

HOMES

8 new listings: 888 Rabbit Rd 3/2 $749.9K, 1052 Fish Crow Rd 3/2 $799K, 709 Pyrula Ave 3/3 $1.125M, 757 Windlass Way 3/2.5 $1.249M, 994 Whelk Dr 3/2 $1.395M, 742 Sand Dollar Dr 3/3 $1.675M, 2479 Harbour Ln 4/3 $1.795M, 4323 West Gulf Dr 6/6 $7.995M.

No price changes.

11 new sales: 4115 Sanibel-Captiva Rd 3/1 listed at $585K, 1985 Sanibel Bayou Rd 3/2 listed at $780K, 2620 West Gulf Dr 3/2 listed at $789K, 640 Periwinkle Way 3/2 listed at $825K, 1155 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 listed at $919K, 567 N. Yachtsman Dr 3/3 listed at $979K, 1391 Jamaica Dr 4/3 listed at $1.299M, 1366 Tahiti Dr 3/2.5 listed at $1.4M, 418 Bella Vista Way 4/4 listed at $1.75M, 784 Birdie View Pt 4/4 listed at $1.795M, 1238 Isabel Dr 4/4.5 listed at $3.495M (our listing).

5 closed sales: 721 Durion Ct 3/3 $620K, 1015 Fish Crow Rd 3/2 $640K (our listing), 3251 Twin Lakes Ln 3/2 $815K, 3020 Turtle Gait Ln 3/2 $839K, 4381 West Gulf Dr 5/5.5 $11M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 1313 Par View Dr $324.9K.

3 price changes: 575 Sea Oats Dr now $385K, 6505 Pine Ave now $759K, 6519 Pine Ave now $799K.

1 new sale: 3941 West Gulf Dr listed at $3.695M.

1 closed sale: 3945 West Gulf Dr $2.85M.

Captiva

CONDOS

2 new listings: Captiva Cove #2A 3/2 $1.295M, Beach Homes #25 3/2 $1.995M.

No price changes.

3 new sales: Gulf Beach Villas #2112 1/1 listed at $492.5K, Lands End Village #1651 2/2 listed at $1.265M, Lands End Village #1615 2/2 listed at $1.45M.

1 closed sale: Beach Villas #2028 3/3 $1.04M.

HOMES

No new listings or price changes.

3 new sales: 16500 Captiva Dr 6/6/2 listed at $6.289M, 15361 Captiva Dr 5/4.5 listed at $2.795M, 16394 Captiva Dr 5/4 listed at $6.599M.

No closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

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

Enjoy your weekend! Susan Andrews aka SanibelSusan

Spectacular Sanibel Sunsets This Week

Posted on January 22, 2021 by SanibelSusan

This week has been a tad chilly, though mostly sunny, on Sanibel & Captiva. Great “open the sunroof” weather. There have been some terrific sunsets this week too, sunset last night was especially spectacular.

A weather warm-up is expected by Sunday with daytime temperatures forecast to be back in the 70’s next week.

After a short post-holiday lull, island traffic and business pick-up mid-January and boost again February 1, with February and March usually the months when the most sales occur here. After a couple of news items below is the activity posted since last Friday in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

Early Thursday morning was our Annual Installation and Awards event. No group meeting, no shared breakfast at The Sanctuary, but a fun Zoom event with a couple of videos presented that highlight 2020. It’s always fun to transfer the gavel to the incoming President in person, though not always fun to be oldest past-President (1999). The gavel-passing video used photos taken during our years as President. Passing of the Gavel Video

Congratulations to Kelly Huguenin for being selected for the “Community Service” award and Dave Arter for “Affiliate Business Partner”. They both rallied our members through 2020, even without in-person meetings. Wendy Kirschner was “Rookie of the Year” and 23 Realtors® earned Honor Society membership (my 28^th year). 2020 Awards Video

Florida Realtors®

On Wednesday and Thursday, I attended more Florida Realtors® Mid-Winter Business Meetings via Zoom. At the Faculty and Curriculum Subcommittees (under the Professional Development Committee), it was reported that 58,182 Realtors® attended state-sponsored classes this year. That is almost double the number of attendees in 2019. It is excellent news to hear that over a quarter of Florida’s members made good use of COVID downtime. The GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute) series had 1,744 of those students which is a 110% jump over 2019.

Thursday, at The Resort & 2^nd Home Specialist Think Tank, it was interesting to hear that though up and down, Florida’s vacation rental market survived the pandemic and has rebounded. That market is huge with over 15 million rentals a year.

A presentation by Denis Hanks, Executive Director of the Florida VRMA (Vacation Rental Managers Assoc) in an overview of 2020, said that vacation rentals had many challenges, as we all did, because of the pandemic.

When travel was suspended, hotels and timeshares open, but vacation rentals closed or limited to 30 days, vacation rental managers struggled to comply with 67 different regulations which were often vague and varied county-to-county.

Once those vacation rentals reopened, a huge increase in “drive” visitors (versus those flying) turned Florida’s panhandle into the hot market of 2020. Throughout the state, beach markets also have done well, though their business more up and down, and bookings sporadic. With lessons learned and the industry forced to become resilient, rental managers have had to adjust quickly to new cleaning protocols and adopt new guidelines including wait periods between stays, contactless check-ins, protection of staff and guests, COVID waivers, screening, cancellation policies, deposits/refunds, taxation, and chargebacks. The state VRMA also will soon be rolling out a program to train new employees and retrain those workers coming back into the industry.

Sanibel – COVID-19

On Tuesday, Sanibel Mayor Mick Denham extended the island declared state of emergency due to COVID-19 until January 26, 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 through January 20 is 188 cases. This is just the number cases for zip code residents. It does not include Captiva and the many workers and visitors that come and go. PLEASE stay vigilant – continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and avoid group gatherings. Essentially no relief yet for the thousands of county residents over 65 looking to get vaccinated.

LCEC – 13 Years

For 13 years Lee County Electric Co-op has not had a rate increase. Best electric service provider, that SanibelSusan has experienced. I am always amazed, particularly during the summer rainy season, when electric outages happen, and they respond quickly.

When a property sells, The SanibelSusan Team recommends that sellers DO NOT CANCEL their electric service, but rather TRANSFER it. That way, there is no lapse in service and the buyer is not charged a connection fee. When your property is under contract and getting ready to close, please call LCEC, tell them the date of the scheduled closing, and ask them to transfer service then. They will not take a buyer’s contact info for billing until a seller calls first. With a transfer of service, LCEC takes a meter reading to document when your service responsibility completes and the buyers begins.

Sanibel Library Ranks High

According to the January 20 “Island Reporter”, the state library rankings are out, and the Sanibel Public Library ranks at or near the top in many areas, including materials borrowed, program attendance, and percentage of population with a library card. The 2020 ratings are based on FY 2018 Florida Library Statistics, which measures 82 libraries/library systems in the state. Sanibel was ranked number one per capita (per 1,000) for: circulation (number of books or items borrowed); availability of print, audio, video and other material to check out; local and state operating revenue; and square footage availability.

The library has been at or near the top ranking for about 15 years. It has also won national Star Library Awards (top 200 public libraries of 9,000 measured nationally) for five of the last 10 years. The library has been No. 1 on Trip Advisor for “Things to Do on Sanibel” many times and has won a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence every year since 2014, nearing Hall of Fame status on the site.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity January 15-22, 2021

Sanibel

CONDOS

5 new listings: Spanish Cay #F2 1/1 $325K; Sundial #F307 1/1 $479K; Sandalfoot #3C1 2/2 $649,950; Sandpiper Beach #303 2/2 $825K; Kings Crown #104 2/2 $999K (our listing).

Beach path at Kings Crown

4 price changes: Sanibel Inn #3512 2/2 now $725K, Pelicans Roost #203 2/2 now $895K, Pelicans Roost #102 2/2 now $930K, Sandals #A 3/3.5 now $1.825M.

9 new sales: Sundial #F108 1/1 listed at $435K, Blind Pass #E207 2/2.5 listed at $489K, Mariner Pointe #1091 3/2 listed at $559K, Sandpebble #2D 2/2 listed at $568.5K, Kings Crown #110 2/2 listed at $795K, Pointe Santo #D35 2/2 listed at $795K, Pointe Santo #E23 2/2 listed at $899K, Sanddollar #B104 2/2 listed at $998K, By-The-Sea #B301 2/2 listed at $1.595M.

3 closed sales: Seawind #A108 2/2.5 $502.5K, Loggerhead Cay #411 2/2 $580K, Oceans Reach #4D1 2/2 $840K.

HOMES

5 new listings: 1155 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 $919K, 567 N. Yachtsman Dr 3/3 $979K, 2313 Wulfert Rd 4/3 $1.099M, 3019 Poinciana Cir 5/3.5 $1.195M, 1133 Buttonwood Ln 3/2.5 $1.395M.

3 price changes: 418 Bella Vista Way 4/4 now $1.75M, 1306 Seaspray Ln 4/4 now $4.525M, 1349 Bay Dr 4/4 now $7.395M.

7 new sales: 1835 Ardsley Way 2/2 listed at $457K, 4661 Rue Bayou 2/2 listed at $679K, 1012/1014 4/2 duplex listed at $699K, 9277 Belding Dr 3/3 listed at $850K, 5757 Pine Tree Dr 3/2.5 listed at $1.05M, 829 Pyrula Ave 3/3 listed at $1.295M, 3009 Turtle Gait Ln 4/4.5 listed at $2.595M.

8 closed sales: 956 Dixie Beach Blvd 2/1 $430K, 555 Rabbit Rd 3/2 $585K, 6141 Henderson Rd 3/2 $645K, 966 Kings Crown Dr 3/2 $965K, 3827 Coquina Dr 3/2 $1.055M, 2268 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 $2.1M, 2411 Blue Crab Ct 4/4.5 $2.35M, 4067 West Gulf Dr 4/4.5 $5.55M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 6141 Starling Way $875K.

1 price change: 2515 Wulfert Rd now $239.5K.

3 new sales: 2372 Wulfert Rd listed at $147.5K, 5398 Osprey Ct listed at $299K, 1825 Long Point Ln listed at $389K.

1 closed sale: 4566 Buck Key Rd $148K (our listing).

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

1 price change: Lands End #1615 2/2 now $1.45M.

No new or closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings or price changes.

3 new sales: 16727 Captiva Dr 5/4 listed at $1,999,999; 15146 Wiles Dr 2/2 listed at $2.389M; 16163 Captiva Dr 3/2 listed at $2.395M.

1 closed sale: 53 Sandpiper Ct 2/2.5 $886.7K.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

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

Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

What’s Hot in the Sanibel Island Real Estate World

Posted on January 15, 2021 by SanibelSusan

It is time to wrap up a week of iffy weather on Sanibel & Captiva. Several days have been cloudy and chilly (nights in the 50’s, days in the 60’s/low 70’s), with short shower interruptions as several cold fronts passed SW FL. (Coming from Maine, it still gives me a chuckle that 50 degrees is considered a cold front.) The forecast says, chilly days will continue until it is fully sunny again on Tuesday, followed by a warm-up next week. We are ready!

Like the weather, the red tide reports change daily. Though the news seems to report that the sky is falling, the red tide readings this week have been minimal. Here is the link again for the NOAA site that tracks those measurements in the Gulf of Mexico, https://habforecast.gcoos.org/ Most of the high readings, have been south of the islands, with Lighthouse Beach sometimes affected.

Here at SanibelSusan Realty, the team has been keeping things moving with both our listings and sales. We also have a new listing, Kings Crown #104. A bit tough to get a property sold during a pandemic when there is a paying guest, meaning one cannot get in. This renter is there until the end of the month. Makes it challenging to view a property, get professional photos, and market without having access; but we like challenges. Even sight-unseen buyers like to see what the inside looks like, but the beach there is fantastic. See below!

Beach in front of Kings Crown

Our listings had more showings this week and more action was reported in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service. Our closing late last Friday also has been posted. That info follows a few news items below.

What’s Hot & What’s Not

First, it always makes sense to look at the larger complexes and communities. For example, at Sundial Beach & Golf Resort, 26 units sold last year, compared to 20 in 2019. Today, five units are under contract and just three are for sale. Safe to say that community is hot!

Likewise, at The Dunes, 39 homes sold last year, compared to 20 in 2019. There, four homes are under contract and just two are available.

Canal-front homes like in Sanibel Estates and Shell Harbor also sold well last year. In 2020, 37 sold, compared to 20 in 2019. There, three homes are under contract, while eight are for sale. More inventory here is somewhat indicative of what has been happening with the high-end product.

Last year on Sanibel, 503 residential properties (condos, homes, lots) sold, median price was $700,000. In 2019, 353 sold, with the same median price ($700,000). Comparing that to today’s Sanibel inventory: there are 192 properties for sale, median asking price is $859,000.

Of the 192 Sanibel properties for sale today, 26 are over $2M. Of the 503 that sold last year, only 26 were over $2M – perhaps illustrating that there is a year’s worth of high-end available.

With homes being the hottest commodity during the pandemic lockdown months, it was interesting to see lots moving once the more-affordable island homes started disappearing. Last year, 23 Sanibel vacant residential lots sold. In 2019, that number was 15. Today, 18 already have sold or are under contract.

Condo sales which were a little sluggish during the lockdown are moving well now too. First quarter, when the most condo visitors are in town, is generally when we sell the most condos. This year should be no exception, however, just 84 Sanibel condos are available, compared to 192 sales in 2020, 127 in 2019, 29 under contract.

Florida Realtors®

Florida Realtors® Mid-Winter Business Meetings have begun. This is when the state committees meet (via Zoom, this year) and the annual installation of officers occurs. Wed morning, I attended the Forms Content Committee meeting. Next week, I’ll be Zooming in at the Realtor® Town Hall, Faculty and Curriculum Subcommittees, and Resort & 2^nd Home Specialist Think Tank.

Sanibel – COVID-19

On Tuesday, Sanibel Mayor Mick Denham extended the island declared state of emergency due to COVID-19 until January 19, 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 through January 14 is 176 cases. Locals are trying to stay calm, but that is 19 cases in seven days. This is just the number cases for zip code residents. It does not include Captiva and the many workers and visitors that come and go. PLEASE stay vigilant – continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and avoid group gatherings. Essentially no relief yet for the thousands of county residents over 65 looking to get vaccinated.

Plenty of Reasons for Optimism

Below are excerpts from an article in the January/February 2021 issue of “REALTOR®”, by National Association of Realtors® Economist, Lawrence Yun.

“The housing market was a spectacular surprise in 2020 – and the positive trend will continue this year. Home sales in 2021 are expected to rise by around 10%. Home prices will also climb, but I expect more moderate increases than we’ve seen, a break for staying at or near historic lows of 3% on average. The labor market will strengthen, especially as vaccines become widely available and life moves toward normal.

“Around 4 million net jobs could be added, a gradual rebound from the net loss of roughly 7 million during the pandemic year of 2020. The unemployment rate by the year’s end could be at 5.5%, a great improvement from 14.7% in April 2020 when the nation was under a strict lockdown, but still a few notches up from the generational low of 3.5% right before the pandemic.

Low mortgage rates have been the key reason for the housing market’s strong performance in the midst of the pandemic and high employment…. While mortgage rates are highly influential, they’re not the only factor affecting home sales. Given the substantial commitment and financial dollars at stake, consumer confidence and life-cycle events such as marriage, changes to family size, and retirement all play a role. During the pandemic, we learned that most people who work in offices could be just as productive at home, and this new reality will help fuel home sales in the post-pandemic economy. Already, big tech companies are allowing greater work-from-home flexibility. Other organizations will no doubt follow in some hybrid fashion. Perhaps the work-from-home trend was inevitable as internet speed and software improved. The pandemic just accelerated the timeline in a flash.

Owners who were content with their home before the pandemic are thinking about the benefits of another bedroom to use as a dedicated home office or are considering relocating to the countryside, knowing that commuting to downtown offices every day has become a thing of the past. Some consumers are turning to vacation properties as an appealing work-from-home option….

“The encouraging news on the home front contrasts drastically with the specter of newly empty office buildings. Those with leases are still mostly paying rent even though office spaces are not being used, and businesses with leases that are terminating are clearly reevaluating their space needs. In the second and third quarter of 2020, office usage dropped by a combined 74 million square feet. The situation will not improve until the middle of year; even then, the normal relationship between office job creation and net new leasing will not align as many companies will reevaluate and rejigger their office space needs. Downtown retail shops and eateries will also undergo a harsh transition from the reduced foot traffic….

“The housing market is facing an acute inventory shortage. Adding more demand without addressing the supply will push up home prices at an even faster clip. That is why it’s critical to turn raw land into developable lots so that homebuilders can increase production. But Biden’s proposal to remove 1031 like-kind exchanges from the tax code would hinder land sales and pile more negative pressure onto commercial real estate. Without serious reconsideration of this tax incentive, home prices could take off and essentially negate the benefit of federally supported down payment assistance programs.

“The Biden administration is also likely to appoint Federal Reserve governors who will be more tolerant of higher inflation in order to quickly bring down the unemployment rate. That means printing more money. Don’t be surprised if, over time, prices for a tangible asset like real estate consistently outpace overall consumer price inflation. Even bitcoin, with its limited supply, may attract investors.

“Finally, under a Biden presidency, overall government spending is likely to rise. The goal: Fix the economy before worrying about the deficit. Spending on programs such as high-speed internet access for rural communities and improved rail transportation to distant suburbs will have a positive impact, since demand will continue to increase outside of city centers. Land is plentiful and relatively cheap, making it easier for homebuilders to construct homes. Only when the supply of new homes is growing does stimulating additional demand make sense.

Looking to File for a Florida Homestead Exemption?

This Homestead Exemption is a constitutional benefit of up to a $50,000 exemption removed from the assessed value of your property. It is granted to those applicants who possess title to real property and are bona fide Florida residents living in the dwelling and making it their permanent home on January 1. Documentation that proves you were a resident at the homestead property is required.

Rental of the Homestead Property – Property owners who receive the homestead exemption on their residence need to be aware that personally renting their property or renting through home-sharing or collaborative consumption companies may constitute abandonment and, therefore, loss of the homestead tax exemption. Renting typically means exclusive use by a tenant on a temporary, seasonal, or annual basis. If you plan to rent, please contact the appropriate legal advisers to be sure that you do not jeopardize your homestead exemption. Relinquishing your homestead exemption will increase your property taxes.

Value Limitations (caps) – Properties granted homestead exemption automatically receive the “Save Our Homes” benefit. This is a constitutional benefit approved by the Florida voters in 1992. It places a limitation of 3% on annual assessment increase on homestead properties beginning with the 1995 tax year. For properties granted homestead exemption in the prior years, that assessed value will be the base value for the implementation of “Save Our Homes”. Thereafter, the assessed value will not increase more than 3% or the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less. Exceptions to that limitation include new additions or construction that escaped taxation in the past. When a homestead property sells, the assessed value returns to fair market value in the year following the sale. That value assessment then becomes the new owner/homestead applicant’s base value for “Save Our Homes” purposes.

When to File – Florida law requires that application for a new Florida Homestead Exemption be made by March 1^st to be eligible for up to a $50,000 Homestead Exemption. Only new applicants or those who had a change of residence need apply. Automatic renewals are mailed in January each year. The Lee County Property Appraiser’s Office offers on-line filing for Homestead Exemption is at www.LeePA.org.

There are two ways to apply, depending on certain criteria. If you meet ALL of the criteria below, application may be made online using the “Quick Apply Form”:

You are applying for Homestead Exemption ONLY
You are applying for yourself or you and your spouse
You have a valid Florid Drivers License for both you and your spouse (if applying together), and the Drivers License shows the address of the property you would like to apply for
You resided in the home prior to January 1, 2021.

If ANY of the criteria below apply, use their Homestead Online form:

You are applying for Homestead Exemption AND Portability
You are applying for Homestead Exemption for owners other than you and your spouse
You are married and your spouse is NOT applying
You have a partial interest in the property that you are applying for.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity January 8-15, 2021

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Captains Walk #B3 1/1 $299.9K, Sanibel Arms West #A3 2/2 $529K, Sanibel Arms West #B5 2/2 $569K, Pointe Santo #E22 2/2 $899K.

7 price changes: Sundial #F108 1/1 now $435K, Sanibel Arms West #J3 2/2 now $569K, Cottage Colony West #125 1/1 now $599K, Cottage Colony West #119 1/1 now $609K, Sandalfoot #3C3 2/2 now $698K, Sand Pointe #113 2/2 now $789K, Sundial #P402 2/2 now $1.189M.

6 new sales: Mariner Pointe #1043 2/2 listed at $490K, Sundial #G406 1/1 listed at $519K, Sandpiper Beach #401 2/2 listed at $775K, Sandpiper Beach #205 2/2 listed at $815K, Sanctuary Golf Villages #1-5 2/2.5 listed at $999K, Sandpiper West #1 3/3 listed at $2.15M.

3 closed sales: Beach Road Villas #105 2/2 $479K, Mariner Pointe #522 2/2 $484.9K (our listing), Breakers West #B5 2/2 $560K.

View from Mariner Pointe #522

HOMES

9 new listings: 4661 Rue Bayou 2/2 $679K, 5100 Sea Bell Rd 3/2.5 $868K, 4202 Old Banyan Way 3/2 $899.5K, 1147 Buttonwood Ln 3/2 $1.335M, 751 Windlass Way 5/5 $1.595M, 940 Whelk Dr 3/2 $1.595M, 3910 Coquina Dr 6/4 $1.95M, 1680 Hibiscus Dr 3/3.5 $2.15M, 1266 Isabel Dr 3/3 $2.895M.

1 price change: 1430 Sanderling Cir 3.5 now $799K.

10 new sales: 956 Dixie Beach Blvd 2/1 listed at $449K, 1415 Sandpiper Cir 2/2 half-duplex listed at $459K, 1076 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 listed at $750K, 9421 Moonlight Dr 3/2 listed at $775K, 1030 Kings Crown Dr 2/2 listed at $879.9K, 1308 Eagle Run Dr 4/4 listed at $1.549M, 784 Birdie View Pt 4/4 listed at $1.795M, 5771 Baltusrol Ct 3/4 listed at $1.8M, 2564 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 listed at $1.929M, 2336 Starfish Ln 3/2.5 listed at $2.195M.

5 closed sales: 753 Nerita St 3/2 $545K, 1001 East Gulf Dr 2/2 $595K, 1073 Sand Castle Rd 3/2 $740K, 482 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 $780K, 2984 Island Inn Rd 3/2 $815K.

LOTS

1 new listing: 9042 Mockingbird Dr $395K.

2 price changes: 3013 Poinciana Cir now $249.9K, 2933 Wulfert Rd now $349K.

1 new sale: 6095 Dinkins Lake Rd listed at $269,555.

1 closed sale: 1313 Par View Dr $300K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

1 price change: Beach Homes #6 3/3 now $2.879M.

2 new sales: Tennis Villas #3136 1/1 listed at $340K, Beach Homes #25 3/2 listed at $1.995M.

No closed sales.

HOMES

2 new listings: 14865 Captiva Dr 4/4 $1.699M, 14980 Binder Dr 4/4 $2.55M.

2 price changes: 11544 Wightman Ln 4/4.5 now $2.25M, 16500 Captiva Dr 6/6/2 now $6.289M.

3 new sales: 11520 Wightman Ln 3/2 listed at $2.589M, 16189 Captiva Dr 6/4 listed at $3.699M, 1119 Schefflera Ct 4/3.5 listed at $5.975M.

1 closed sale: 11521 Laika Ln 3/3 $1.275M.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

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

Until next Friday, stay warm, safe, & smiling! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Woohoo! A busy real estate kinda Friday at SanibelSusan Realty!

Posted on December 11, 2020 by SanibelSusan

It has been another busy week for The SanibelSusan Team. Two more of our listings went under contract. We are very thankful to have ten closings in our “under contract” hopper simultaneously. In many ways, 2020 is a year for the record books. Two closings for us today too with the gals at Knight Barry Title Solutions who are super busy! The second being finalized now. Woohoo!

Also, this week our office carpet got its annual cleaning. Shout-out to Tru-Clean, Carpet & Tile Care, who always does a terrific job. This year, it seemed like summer and the rainy season went on forever – then like magic, it became winter. With the 2^nd cold front here this week and another set to arrive next week, it has been a nice reprieve to have daytime highs in the 60’s – feels like Christmas is coming. We locals are bundled in our wool shirts, sweaters, and jackets, while tourists wearing tank tops and shorts are riding with tops down. It is always funny to see that.

The SanibelSusan Team island-wide holiday bulk mailing went to the post office today. With interest rates low and demand to buy high, there should be more sales in the upcoming weeks. Meanwhile, we are looking for new listings to replenish our supply and still have a few wonderful listings available. Photos below taken today from our listing at White Sands #23.

Elise also has our tree decorated and the office looking festive. Pandemic or not, we celebrate the season!

Bailey’s antique delivery vehicle decorated for the season!

Earlier this afternoon, the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® leadership team and 2021 Professional Standards Committee are attending a Florida Realtors® Zoom meeting that covers recent changes by the National Association of Realtors® to the Realtors® Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. I will be Zooming in as this update supplements the required Pro Standards training coming up in early January. Always new things to learn to stay current.

Sanibel – COVID-19

From Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases from March 26 through December 6 is 100. There were 63 cases in reported in the first seven months, but 37 in just the last six weeks. PLEASE stay vigilant – continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and avoid group gatherings.

It was a smart addition this week to see the electronic sign in front of the Chamber of Commerce coming onto the island which reads “Welcome to Sanibel”, followed by “Wear Your Mask”. City Council acted on that notice at their meeting last week. At that same meeting, the City also agreed to advise of new cases as they are reported, rather than just weekly which is when the state provides their analytics.

Last night, a post on the City’s website announced that City Council has called a special meeting to discuss potential adoption or modification of COVID-19 related restrictions. It is scheduled for Monday, December 14 at 10 a.m. You can tune in to hear the audio live at www.MySanibel.com.

Pandemic Didn’t Change Work Model So Much as Accelerate It

Posted December 7 by Jennifer Quinn, economist, and Director of Economic Development for Florida Realtors®:

“Is the work-from-home trend here to stay, along with its real estate impact on new housing and location demands? A nine-month study suggests that the change was already underway before the pandemic started. It’s simply happening faster now.

“ORLANDO, Fla. – Preliminary analysis of a nearly nine-month remote-work experiment points to the reality that the pandemic was not a change agent, but rather an accelerant. Meaning – companies were likely going to embrace more remote work and telecommuting options for their employees in the coming decade, particularly in areas where traffic is just unbearable (we are looking at you New York and Silicon Valley).

“However, adapting to the pandemic accelerated these plans, pushed forward technology adoption and created a new way of connecting and doing business. The future of work appears to have arrived earlier than previously expected. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top 10 remote work occupation categories according to the percent of people who teleworked because of the pandemic are:

Computer & Mathematical Occupations
Business & Financial Operations
Life, Physical, & Social Science Occupations
Legal Occupations
Architecture & Engineering Occupations
Community & Social Service Occupations
Educational Instruction & Library Occupations
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports & Media Occupations
Management Occupations
Office & Administrative Support Occupations.

“People who work in these occupations are seen as “suddenly mobile” – they are no longer tied to the gateway cities they lived in prior to the pandemic and are able to re-think their proximity to the office (and what the “office” even is). Faced with staggering home prices and wages that don’t seem to keep up, many are asking themselves, “Can we do this somewhere else?”

“So, if people no longer have to live near their offices, will they still choose to live where they have been? According to a survey by Upwork’s Remote Workers on the Move released in October 2020, 14 million to 23 million Americans are planning to relocate to a new U.S. city or region. The survey reveals that not all moves are minor, such as moving from an inner ring suburb to an exurb of the same city. Some of these moves are to different states entirely, depending on what percentage of their work will be conducted remotely.

“That is a lot of people whose view from their home office can go from one where snow blankets the backyard to one with a palm tree and some sand. Looking at the concentration of these top 10 industries, Florida tracks similarly to the U.S., meaning there are plenty of people here already living the dream. Focusing on in-migration from Northeastern and Western states is hardly new, as Florida has topped the lists for relocation for a while now. However, tapping into the new and potentially large suddenly mobile market could yield positive results for you and your business.

“But does this trend have legs? The Upwork survey indicates that companies find several advantages to increasing their remote workforce, chief among them lower operating costs, increased employee availability and job satisfaction. Additionally, companies throughout the world can readily tap into Florida’s increasingly diverse workforce with increased ease.

“Many believe that once the pandemic fades and people can go back to the office as they did in 2019, not all will – at least not full-time. Several large tech firms have announced long-term remote work plans for employees and others are considering the same. And it’s not just tech – 57% of small and medium-size businesses plan to offer remote work plans for the long term as well.

“Florida offers many upsides to the suddenly mobile that benefit both their employers and themselves. Home prices in Florida remain affordable compared to the more expensive housing markets that people are coming from – Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and New York City. Combined with the lack of state income tax, the calculus to make the move to Florida pencils out….”

Mortgage Unchanged From Last Week’s Record Low

By Kerry Smith at FloridaRealtors®: “Last week, the average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage hit its 14th record low this year, and it held onto that 2.71% rate. The 15-year loan was also unchanged at 2.26%.

“MCLEAN, Va. – The average 30-year mortgage rate held onto the 2.71% average rate it hit last week – the 14th record low set this year. “Mortgage rates remain at record lows, resisting their typical correlation to Treasury yields, which have recently been moving higher,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. The Treasury plays a role in mortgage rates since they are part of the funding mechanism.

““Mortgage spreads – the difference between mortgage rates and the 10-year Treasury rate – are declining from their elevated levels earlier this year,” Khater adds. “Although today’s mortgage spread is about 1.8% and still has some room to move down if the 10-year Treasury continues to rise, it’s encouraging to see that the spread is almost back to normal levels.”

“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 2.71% with an average 0.7 point for the week ending Dec. 10, 2020, unchanged from last week. A year ago, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.7%. The 15-year FRM averaged 2.26% with an average 0.6 point, also unchanged from last week. One year earlier, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.19%. Only the 5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) declined in this week’s survey. It averaged 2.79% with an average 0.3 point, down from last week when it averaged 2.86%. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.36%.”

Even with the low interest rates, we are lucky on the islands that most of our sales are “cash”. One of our closings this week was scheduled to close November 30 but delayed because the lender is so busy – or taking on more business than they can support. These buyers got frustrated and instead paid cash. Local lenders are attuned to the idiosyncrasies of mortgages on a barrier island and usually have rates as competitive as anywhere. The SanibelSusan Team has preached for years – that it always pays to use a hometown bank.

7 Top-Rated Resorts on Sanibel Island, FL

Written by Lura Seavey, this article was posted November 17 on http://www.PlanetWare.com:

“Sanibel Island acts as a barrier between the Gulf of Mexico and the larger Pine Island, connected to Fort Myers on the mainland by the Sanibel Causeway. The central and eastern part of the island is most active with tourists and is full of resorts, restaurants, and shops that can be easily reached by foot or via the trolley that stops at all the major hotels. The south-facing beaches are the island’s widest and most crowded, known for an extraordinary abundance of seashells.

“As you head west, the beaches narrow, but the resorts spread out, resulting in more privacy. At its northern tip, Sanibel Island connects via a bridge over the Blind Pass to its tiny sibling, Captiva Island. Here, you will find resorts that have shores facing both the gulf, as well as the more protected Pine Island Sound, perfect for vacationers who will be arriving by water.

“Marinas are also available on the north side of Sanibel Island, opposite the resort-lined beaches. All the island’s resorts have amazing sunsets over the gulf and offer plenty of recreational activities for both families and adults.

“Choose your tropical getaway with our list of the top resorts on Sanibel Island.

“1. Sanibel Moorings Resort – Located on the eastern end of the island near Sanibel Lighthouse, the Sanibel Moorings Resort is a quiet getaway boasting a private beach with complimentary lounge chairs and umbrellas for guests’ use. Nature-lovers will appreciate the guided beach walks and shelling lectures conducted weekly by a marine biologist, as well as tours of the property’s six-acre tropical botanical garden, which includes a butterfly garden. Resort amenities include two heated pools plus a kids’ area with a separate pool, two tennis courts, a fitness center and business center, self-serve laundry, library, and resort-wide Wi-Fi. The resort also has rentals available for canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards, as well as bicycles, so you can easily explore the island. Pet-friendly units are available, and all lodgings include a full kitchen, his and hers sinks in the master bath, and a private screened porch. There are also dockside units available for those arriving by boat. Accommodation: Sanibel Moorings Resort

“2. Sundial Beach Resort & Spa – Condominium-style lodgings at the Sundial Beach Resort & Spa range from studios to three-bedroom suites equipped with full kitchens and on-site self-serve laundry facilities. Accommodations include a full breakfast, housekeeping, and complimentary use of equipment such as paddleboards and kayaks. In addition, the resort hosts recreational activities for all ages. Sports facilities include a fitness center, tennis courts, beach volleyball, and pickleball, as well as tabletop games like ping-pong and foosball. The resort is also home to an 18-hole golf course with club rental, and an on-site day spa that offers a full range of services. Live entertainment and refreshments are available at the resort’s swimming pools, and there are plentiful poolside cabanas and deck chairs to accommodate everyone. There are five restaurants on the property that offer everything from American fare to sushi, plus a convenience store with groceries and a gift shop. Check out the Sea Breeze Cafe, which is considered some of the best waterfront dining in southwest Florida. You can grab a table outside with gorgeous views, especially at sunset. There is also a pizza restaurant that is popular with families for its slices of pizza, hot dogs, and ice-cream scoops. Accommodation: Sundial Beach Resort & Spa

“3. West Wind Inn – The West Wind Inn offers a choice of standard guestrooms or kitchenette rooms, all of which come with a screened-in balcony or deck with views of either the Gulf of Mexico or the resort’s lovely tropical gardens. The property includes a peaceful butterfly garden and goldfish pond, a heated pool with a large deck and poolside entertainment and refreshments, and a private beach. For guests’ convenience, management provides a shell-cleaning area, as well as multiple faucets throughout, where guests can rinse the sand from their feet and shoes to keep the grit out of their rooms. Beach chairs and umbrellas are available for rent, and local activities like sightseeing cruises can be booked directly by the concierge. Other resort amenities include tennis, shuffleboard, self-serve laundry, free parking, and Wi-Fi. Those with mobility issues should request a ground floor room as there is no elevator. Accommodation: West Wind Inn

“4. Casa Ybel Resort – The all-suite Casa Ybel Resort sits on 23 acres along Sanibel Island’s Knapps Point, facing south over the gulf. Every suite is oceanfront and includes a full kitchen and outdoor gas grill; a separate living room with a pullout couch; and a screened balcony or lanai, so you can enjoy the ocean views bug-free in the evening. The resort offers many ways to make guests feel welcome and get the most out of their beach vacation, including group classes like yoga on the beach at sunrise and sunset and family activities, like s’mores and a bonfire or an outdoor movie in the evening. Both experienced and new tennis players will enjoy the six courts and optional lessons and clinics, and those who want to have fun in the water can take advantage of Jet Ski, paddleboard, and ocean kayak rentals. In addition to a large, heated pool with the convenient Coconuts Grill, there is a well-shaded kiddie pool with plenty of room for parents to relax. The resort also offers on-site dining at Thistle Lodge Beachfront Restaurant. Sanibel’s most historic dining establishment, it has hosted everyone from Henry Ford to Thomas Edison over the centuries. The fine-dining restaurant serves Floridian and European fare for brunch, lunch, and dinner and has special holiday menus as well. Other resort amenities include a range of spa services, including massages. These can be enjoyed in your room, at the pool, or on the beach. Accommodation: Casa Ybel Resort

“5. Island Inn – The eco-conscious Island Inn provides guests with all the amenities of a full-service resort without the extra fees, offering lodgings ranging from standard rooms with kitchenettes to fully equipped beach cottages that can accommodate up to 12 people. Set on 10 acres, the property sits in the central part of Sanibel Island and includes a private beach, where you can enjoy educational naturalist-guided tours. There is a convenient cleaning station for shell-collectors, as well as fishermen – you can cook your catch on one of the gas grills or opt to have the inn’s restaurant expertly prepare your fresh-caught meal. On-site recreational facilities include volleyball and tennis courts, shuffleboard, and horseshoes, while rentals are available for bicycles, as well as kayaks and paddleboards. For a break from the sun or to socialize on a cool evening, the library and family lounge offers a fireplace, television, computers, books, and games. Accommodation: Island Inn

“6. South Seas Island Resort – Occupying the entire northern section of Captiva Island, the South Seas Island Resort provides guests with everything they need to enjoy this island paradise. The property is so large that a trolley runs from one end to the other, and resort activities are nearly endless. In addition to a full-service marina, the resort’s Offshore Sailing School provides lessons and rentals, and several fishing and eco-tours depart from here as well. Guided nature walks throughout the 330-acre wildlife preserve offer a chance to learn more about the ocean life, birds, and ecosystem, while guests are free to roam the 2.5 miles of pristine beach. Kids’ and teen education programs are also offered, as well as many family activities, including crafts, games, and even crab racing. Camp Skullywags is open for half or full days to kids aged three to 11, perfect for giving them a change of pace and giving parents some alone time or a chance to relax at the full-service resort spa. There are an astounding 20 pools to choose from, including the main pool area, which features dining and live entertainment.

Other recreation includes a playground, tennis, volleyball, and an arcade room, as well as fishing and a wide array of water sports. The resort also boasts a private, nine-hole, par-27 golf course with a pro shop, and multiple dining options, including full-service restaurants; a gourmet market; an ice-cream shop; and, of course, a Starbucks. The resort has a wide range of lodging options to fit every need, including hotel-style rooms, condos of various sizes, and even beach home rentals with as many as six bedrooms. Accommodation: South Seas Island Resort

“7. ‘Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa – Located in the narrow central part of Captiva Island, ‘Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa has the ambience of “old Florida” hospitality. The 13-acre property faces the water on both sides, with a private beach to the west and a marina on Pine Island Sound to the west. The marina is available for guests’ private craft and also offers rentals, as well as guided eco-adventures. In addition to the beach, water bugs can enjoy the Olympic-size pool, the smaller Serenity Pool, a hot tub, and a kiddie pool for little ones. Other resort recreation includes tennis, pickleball, and kayaking, as well as crab races, karaoke, and live entertainment nightly. The resort spa offers a full range of services to help guests relax, and although there is no golf course on the property, guests are given a discount at a nearby golf club. There are a few different dining options on-site, including the award-winning Old Captiva House restaurant. It is a national historic landmark and is famous for its homemade breads, fresh Florida cooking, and locally sourced produce all served in a nautical setting. It is open for breakfast and dinner. Also on-site is the Crow’s Nest Grille. It features views of the Gulf of Mexico and island classics served in casual, family-friendly environs. Accommodation: ‘Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa”

Sanibel & Captiva Water Conservation Rules

Highlighted in the Winter 2020 issue of IWA Pipeline, Island Water reminded property owners that Sanibel’s permitted schedule for irrigation is:

Even numbered addresses – Tuesdays & Fridays
Odd numbered addresses – Mondays & Thursdays.

For Captiva, Lee County’s permitted schedule for irrigation is:

Even numbered addresses – Thursdays and Sundays
Odd numbered addresses – Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity December 4 – 11, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

2 new listings: Sandalfoot #3C3 2/2 $710K, Sandpiper West #1 3/3 $2.15M.

2 price changes: Sundial #F106 1/1 now $465K, Cottage Colony West #102 1/1 now $579,990.

6 new sales: Sundial #F205 1/1 listed at $419K, Sandalfoot #4B2 1/1 listed at $489K, Signal Inn #10 1/1 listed at $529K, Lighthouse Point #117 3/2 listed at $549K (our listing), Sanibel Moorings #441 2/2 listed at $585K, Loggerhead Cay #411 2/2 listed at $599K.

4 closed sales: Spanish Cay #F3 1/1 $310K (our buyer), Seashells #43 2/2 $427K, Loggerhead Cay #222 2/2 $570K, Sunset South #9D 2/2 $585K.

Sanibel River area aka Panama Canal behind Spanish Cay condos

HOMES

3 new listings: 1415 Sandpiper Cir 2/2 half-duplex $459K, 5757 Pine Tree Dr 3/2.5 $1.05M, 5391 Shearwater Dr 3/3.5 $1.795M.

3 price changes: 223 Southwinds Dr 3/2 now $719K, 1323 Seaspray Ln 4/4.5 now $1.875M, 418 Bella Vista Way 4/4 now $1.8959M.

6 new sales: 718 Durion Ct 3/2 listed at $599K, 9426 Sage Ct 3/3 listed at $995K, 3827 Coquina Dr 3/2 listed at $1.075M, 201 Violet Dr 3/2 listed at $1.1M, 735 Sand Dollar Dr 3/3 listed at $1.249M, 815 Birdie View Pt 3/3 listed at $1.395M.

6 closed sales: 2480 Library Way 3/2.5 $600K, 1125 Captains Walk St 3/3 $736K, 1467 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 $790K, 1720 Dixie Beach Blvd 3/3 $925K, 2957 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 $1.475M. 1133 Golden Olive Ct 3/3.5 $2.3M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 3941 West Gulf Dr $3.695M.

No price changes.

1 new sale: 4566 Buck Key Rd listed at $149K (our listing).

4566 Buck Key Rd lot

1 closed sale: 5251 Indian Ct $600K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: Beach Homes #2 3/2 listed at $1.899M.

1 closed sale: Lands End Village #1659 2/2 $950K.

HOMES

1 new listing: 1105 Tallow Tree Ct 3/3 $2.45M.

1 price change: 11522 Andy Rosse Ln 4/4.5 now $2.495M.

1 new sale: 11540 Laika Ln listed at $1.29M.

1 closed sale: 16801 Captiva Dr 5/5 $2.049M.

LOTS

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

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

Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

A Different First Weekend In December on the Islands (2020)

Posted on December 4, 2020 by SanibelSusan

As Periwinkle Way sparkles at night, it sure is evident that the island December mood is festive even if social gatherings are discouraged and events tempered. We will miss Sanibel’s traditional Luminary tonight and tomorrow on Captiva but appreciate the extra decorating effort that makes an evening drive through the islands so special. Instead of the usual nighttime Luminary events, there are additional offerings and sales at many retail shops all week, from today through December 11.

I again took a quick spin this afternoon down to the lighthouse where the decorations are up, though the sky a little dismal from the next cool front that is arriving this afternoon (my photo below). That’s the 2nd cool front this week. The locals are so excited to wear long sleeves again! (It’s 73 degrees F now, but expected not to get out of the 60’s next Tues/Wed/Thurs.)

Here at SanibelSusan Realty, our listings have had more showings, more action items were completed for upcoming closings, and the team is working on an island-wide holiday mailing. The week’s postings in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service follow a couple of news items below.

Good News on the Waterfront

Hooray! Yesterday, the City issued a press release that says: “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District will start reducing outflows from Lake Okeechobee to the estuaries, starting Saturday, December 5. USACE will reduce releases from Lake Okeechobee gradually to allow time for the ecosystems of the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers and estuaries to adjust.

“Beginning December 5, USACE will begin the transition to dry season operations on Lake Okeechobee by implementing a 7-day release with a reduced average target flow for the Caloosahatchee Estuary of 3,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) as measured at the Moore Haven Lock & Dam (S-77). At the same time, the Corps will implement a multi-week release pattern for the St. Lucie Estuary, starting with a 5-day pause to allow for recovery of estuary health, followed by a 7-day average release of 1,500 cfs as measured at St. Lucie Lock & Dam (S-80) near Stuart….”

Sanibel – City Council, Shell Harbor, & COVID-19

City Council – At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, former councilor Jerry Muench was selected to fill the 3-month interim seat vacated by former Mayor Kevin Ruane when he ran (successfully) for County Commissioner. This seat and two others will be filled officially during the upcoming March election.

Also, at this meeting, councilors selected their new Mayor and Vice Mayor. Congratulations go respectively to Mick Denham and Holly Smith. Following those installations, Mayor Denham extended the island declared state of emergency due to COVID-19. Now it goes until December 8, 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.

Shell Harbor – Posted on the City’s website today: “Beginning Monday December 7th, the City of Sanibel will commence dredging of the entrance channel to the Shell Harbor Subdivision. The channel will remain open for use during dredging; however, there may be short periods of time when boat traffic will need to be stopped. Boaters are advised to be alert and aware of the construction operations taking place. Weather permitting, the project is expected to continue for approximately three weeks. Please PROCEED SLOWLY and CAUTIOUSLY through the area when dredging operations are underway. Contact the Community Services Department at 239-472-6397 if you have any questions regarding the Shell Harbor dredging project.”

COVID-19 – From Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 90.

Weeks-ending 3/29 through 11/29 – 36 weeks = 83 cases.

Cases since last Friday – 7 days = 7 cases.

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

Chapel by The Sea’s Christmas Eve Service

Chapel by the Sea’s Christmas Eve service has been canceled, but their lights are up and will be burning each evening until January 10, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Always a popular spot for holiday photos, viewers are advised that masks are mandatory and social distancing (6’ apart) required.

Mortgage Rates Drop to 2020’s 14th Record Low: 2.71%

If you get an offer that has bank financing, stand by for a delay. With interest rates low, lenders are busy. Loan commitments are taking longer than usual, and many closings are occurring late. Below is an article by The Associated Press, posted yesterday on FloridaRealtors.org:

“It’s only a slight drop from last week’s 2.72%, but it’s enough to break another record. One year ago, the rate for a 30-year mortgage loan averaged 3.68%.

“WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. long-term mortgage rates edged lower this week, reaching record lows for the 14th time this year against the backdrop of the pandemic-ravaged economy.

“Mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac said Thursday the average rate on the 30-year fixed-rate home loan slipped to 2.71% from 2.72% last week. By contrast, the benchmark rate stood at 3.68% a year ago. The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate loan declined to 2.26% from 2.28%.

“Home loan rates have trended downward through most of this year, bolstering demand from would-be homebuyers or people looking to refinance existing mortgages. But as Freddie Mac noted, home sales have stalled as the lack of available homes for purchase continues to stifle house hunters.

“Home prices have risen significantly in the past year as supply remains near historically low levels. In the latest sign that the economy and job market remain under stress from the resurgent viral outbreak, the government reported Thursday that the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to a still-high 712,000.”

‘Tis the Season for Predictions: Realtor.com Is First

Also posted this week on FloridaRealtors.org is the following article by Kerry Smith:

“Economists predict a 5.7% U.S. price increase and 7% growth in sales, but a closer look at 9 Fla. metros finds varying predictions. They range from a projected 1.5% sales growth (4.3% price) in Cape Coral-Fort Myers to 11.6% sales growth (4.7% price) along the Space Coast.

“ORLANDO, Fla. – What will the real estate market look like in 2021? In December, national economists start rolling out their predictions, with the first, realtor.com, publishing their expectations first.

Amid COVID-19 uncertainty, 2021 will be a robust sellers’ market for U.S. buyers as home prices hit new highs (+5.7%) and buyer competition remains strong, according to the realtor.com’s 2021 housing forecast. Their economist expects inventory to make a slow yet steady comeback, providing buyers with some relief. However, increasing interest rates and prices will make affordability a challenge throughout the year.

““The 2021 housing market will be much more ‘normal’ than the wild swings we saw in 2020,” says realtor.com Chief Economist, Danielle Hale. “Buyers may finally have a better selection of homes to choose from later in the year but will face a renewed challenge of affordability as prices stay high and mortgage rates rise. With less cash and no home equity, millennial and Gen Z first-time buyers will be impacted the most by rising home prices and interest rates. While waiting until the fall or winter months of 2021 may mean more home options to choose from, buyers who can find a home to buy earlier in the year will likely see lower prices and mortgage rates.”

“Many of realtor.com’s predictions, however, assume the COVID-19 pandemic will be under control within the first half of the year. Realtor.com’s 2021 housing market forecast

· Mortgage Rates – Up to 3.4% by year end

· Existing Home Median Price Appreciation – +5.7%

· Existing Home Sales – +7.0%

· Single-Family Home Housing Starts – Up 9%

· Homeownership Rate – 65.9%

“Realtor.com also provides a breakdown of predictions by metro area, and it varies for the nine Florida metro areas included – from a projected 1.5% sales growth (4.3% price growth) in Cape Coral-Fort Myers to 11.6% sales growth (4.7% price growth) in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville metro area. 2021 predictions for Florida markets

· Cape Coral-Fort Myers: 1.5% growth in sales, 4.3% increase in prices

· Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach: 5.4% growth in sales, 6.3% increase in prices

· Jacksonville: 9.4% growth in sales, 5.0% increase in prices

· Lakeland-Winter Haven: 5.1% growth in sales, 4.9% increase in prices

· Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach: 3.7% growth in sales, 7.1% increase in prices

· North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton: 10.3% growth in sales, 6.6% increase in prices

· Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford: 10.1% growth in sales, 5.8% increase in prices

· Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville: 11.6% growth in sales, 4.7% increase in prices

· Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater: 8.7% growth in sales, 7.5% increase in prices

“What 2021 will be like for buyers? Buyers will find some relief in 2021 as more homes hit the market, but many will struggle with affordability as home prices continue to rise. Mortgage rates will slowly rise toward 3.4% and no longer offset prices as much. The time it takes to sell a home will slow from the late 2020’s frenzy, the economists predict, but fast sales will remain in many parts of the country. It will also be more challenging than 2020 for first-time homebuyers.

“What will 2021 be like for sellers? Sellers will still hold the upper hand throughout 2021. Home prices won’t grow as fast as they did in 2020, but steady increases will continue to push them to new highs. Sellers who list can expect their home to sell relatively quickly in 2021. Many sellers who are also buyers should have their next home lined up before listing.

“Forecast 2021 housing trends: Millennials will continue to drive the market while Gen-Z become market players. Older millennials will likely be trade-up buyers while the larger, younger segment of the generation age into their key home buying years. The oldest members of Gen-Z will turn 24 in 2021 and their impact on the market will only continue to grow from here.

“Affordability will become a growing obstacle. Buyers in 2020 received a huge boost when mortgage rates pushed to new lows, but a lack of inventory and strong demand drove prices up, erasing most of that boost. Buyers will need to act with a sense of urgency if they want to lock in a low rate before home prices increase even more in 2021.

“Inventory will begin the slow road toward recovery. A lack of for-sale homes has plagued the U.S. housing market for the last five years. The problem intensified in 2020, in large part due to an estimated shortfall of nearly 4 million newly constructed homes heading into the year, as well as sellers pulling back due to COVID-19. The number of homes for sale is expected to slowly rebound in 2021, but the road to recovery will be long because the market has to make up for multiple years of declines. While additional homes will hit the market in 2021, it won’t be enough to tip the scales in favor of buyers.

“Suburbs will shine if remote work stays around. As COVID-19 lockdowns gripped many of the nation’s largest cities, it sparked intense buyer interest in suburban homes, further exaggerating a trend that had been slowly emerging over the last couple of years. The big question is what demand will look like once a coronavirus vaccine is widely available. If companies require workers to return to the office, demand may wane. Conversely, if companies commit long-term to remote work, demand for these homes could see an additional boost in 2021.

“Wildcards that could shake things up in 2021:

“COVID-19: The deck is stacked with wildcards for 2021. The most impactful will be the U.S.’s ability to control and contain the spread of COVID-19 as well as distribute a vaccine. Additional lockdowns and quarantines could put a dent in housing inventory and sales, slowing the market and putting increased pressure on buyers. Conversely, if a vaccine is rolled out quickly, it could lead to better than expected sales and a strong increase for home prices and inventory.

“Double dip recession: The possibility of a double dip recession is still in play for 2021. As the U.S. continues in a K-shape recovery, a gap is widening between those with and without jobs, as well as industries recovering well versus those seeing a continued lack of business. In the short term, this could lead to less consumer spending. In the long term, this could impact the U.S. housing market as “would-be” buyers disappear from the market, cooling demand and driving down home prices. The current question is how long the K-shape can diverge before the impact begins to cascade into the broader economy and other previously less-affected sectors such as housing.”

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity November 27-December 4, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

2 new listings: Loggerhead Cay #261 2/2 $719K, Pointe Santo #D35 2/2 $795K.

2 price changes: Heron at The Sanctuary II #2B 3/3.5 now $749.9K, Sanibel Surfside #124 2/2 now $1.05M.

4 new sales: Sundial #D305 1/1 listed at $519.9K, Coquina Beach #1D 2/2 listed at $549K, Oceans Reach #4D1 2/2 listed at $859K, Sundial #L205 3/2 listed at $1.395M.

8 closed sales: Spanish Cay #F6 1/1 $280K, Sanibel Arms #B7 1/1 $342.5K, Blind Pass #B111 2/2 $420K, Seashells #26 2/2 $425K, Ibis at The Sanctuary #202 2/2 $476.5K, Loggerhead Cay #212 2/2 $560K, Sanibel Arms West #K6 2/2 $569K, Wedgewood #102 3/3.5 $2.425M.

HOMES

4 new listings: 1030 Kings Crown Dr 2/2 $879.9K, 3827 Coquina Dr 3/2 $1.075M, 735 Sand Dollar Dr 3/3 $1.249M, 837 Sand Dollar Dr 3/3.5 $2.095M.

3 price changes: 315 East Gulf Dr #212 3/2 half-duplex now $559K, 753 Nerita St 3/2 now $579K, 9441 Peaceful Dr 3/3.5 now $1.395M.

14 new sales: 1667 Atlanta Plaza Dr 2/1.5 listed at $425K; 1027 Sand Castle Rd 2/2 listed at $499K; 1001 East Gulf Dr 2/2 listed at $639K; 721 Durion Ct 3/3 listed at $649.9K; 1850 Farm Trl 3/2 listed at $699K; 705 Rabbit Rd 3/3 listed at $699K; 1610 Sabal Sands 3/2 listed at $714.9K; 9421 Moonlight Dr 3/2 listed at $775K; 3751 Coquina Dr 3/2 listed at $839K; 5835 Pine Tree Dr 3/2 listed at $844.5K; 1430 Sanderling Cir 4/3.5 listed at $870K; 1203 Kittiwake Cir 3/3 listed at $997,898; 1259 Par View Dr 3/4 listed at $1.175M; 2564 Wulfert Rd 4/5.5 listed at $1.929M.

5 closed sales: 1357 Jamaica Dr 2/3 duplex $540K, 3926 Coquina Dr 3/2 $755K, 4345 Gulf Pines Dr 4/4 $775K, 3351 Barra Cir 3/2.5 $1.165M, 1152 Buttonwood Ln 3/3.5 $1.6M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 9436 Beverly Ln $235K.

1 price change: 3354 Barra Cir now $365K.

1 new sale: 0 Bunting Ln listed at $229,555.

2 closed sales: 2279 Wulfert Rd $295K, 2142 Starfish Ln $400K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings.

1 price change: Captiva Shores #7B 3/2.5 now $1.399M.

3 new sales: Tennis Villas #3212 1/1 listed at $320K, Sunset Beach Villas #2334 3/3 listed at $950K, Gulf Beach Villas #2028 listed at $1.085M.

1 closed sale: Gulf Beach Villas #2012 2/2 $765K.

HOMES

No new listings.

1 price change: 15138 Wiles Dr 6/5.5 now $6.195M.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: 16611 Captiva Dr 6/6.5 $4.75M.

LOTS

No new listings, price changes, or new sales.

1 closed sale: 11525 Murmond Ln $700K.

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

Until next Friday, enjoy the holiday decor! Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

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.

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

Tropical Storms, Multiple Offers, & Other Island Fun!

Posted on November 13, 2020 by SanibelSusan

The real estate market craziness continues here even with a tropical storm thrown in on Wednesday to complicate things. Lee County schools were closed Monday because of the bad weather forecast. At that time who knew where Tropical Storm or Hurricane Eta would end up? That was one unpredictable storm.

Schools were back in session Tuesday and students also instructed to attend on Wednesday (Veterans’ Day) which was a previously scheduled holiday, but instead used as a hurricane make-up day. No sooner were the kiddos settled in their classrooms on Wednesday when the weather took a turn for the worse and parents were notified that schools would close three hours early.

It was wild and wooly outside the office then too. Teammate Elise and I watched as driving rain and wind sometimes knocked down branches at City park across the street. By late morning, there also were periodic power outages. During this, Teammate Dave was at a home inspection that finally was halted when the electricity went out there too.

Coming back to the office, Dave noted flooding all over the east-end and long lines of traffic going off-island at the 4-way stop. This water accumulation was different from the 100-year rain event earlier in October. This one was salt water from the gulf being driven ashore by the wind – especially causing havoc at high tide. Earlier, the City had removed some of the beach walkway mats at Lighthouse Beach where the parking lot flooded, becoming impassable.

Dave also took a drive by my house, noticing a few tipsy trees, downed branches, and my dock mostly submerged. East-end beaches had all but disappeared with water coming up the beach paths onto the roadways and parking lots in many areas.

We heard the causeway was closed temporarily while debris was removed from the roadway. When Elise left the island about noon for school pick-up, she reported that waves were crashed over the cars as they neared the bridge. Later, when Dave left, he saw front-end loaders removing sand from the roadway on Summerlin just off-island past the toll booth.

After closing at 5 p.m., as I drove home, there was little activity on Periwinkle Way. I passed just a lone “Prime” delivery vehicle and a couple of parked cars at just a handful of businesses still open. Most were closed.

It was not long after I got home that the rain stopped, the wind let up, and a stray biker in a rain slicker pedaled down my street. Sanibellians and her visitors make the best out of any weather!

By yesterday morning, the weather was back to normal, though the parking lots at the fishing pier side of the lighthouse and the big one at Blind Pass remained closed due to standing water.

Today, it was back to being a beautiful bright-blue sunny 78-degree morning as I drove to the office. The forecast for the next ten days is much the same. I probably should not say it too loud, but the 2020 hurricane season may finally be over! Or almost!

At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

Even during the wild weather this week, there were three more SanibelSusan Realty sales. There also are reports of multiple offers and some properties selling at or over asking price. As more visitors arrive and snowbirds return, inquiries and showing requests continue to increase. The action this week in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

City of Sanibel – Emergency Declaration, COVID-19

Again, Sanibel’s Mayor extended the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19, now it goes until November 17, 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 too.

Per the Florida Department of Health, Sanibel’s total accumulative number of COVID-19 cases since March 26 is 68. Numbers are being posted now by the week, but unfortunately like much of the nation, cases are increasing here too. Below is a summary to put the number of cases in context, over time:

Week-ending 3/29 through 5/31 – two months = 11 cases
Week-ending 6/7 through 8/30 – two months = 30 cases
Week-ending 9/6 through 11/1 – two months = 22 cases
Week-ending 11/8 – 1 week = 5 cases

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

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors

Yesterday, the local Association of Realtors® hosted a brokers’ roundtable Zoom meeting. Officers and directors of the association were in attendance as were brokers from John Gee & Company, John Naumann & Associates, John R Wood Island Real Estate, Pfeifer Realty Group, ReMax of the Islands, Royal Shell Real Estate, South Seas Sanibel & Captiva Properties, VIP Realty Group, and, of course, SanibelSusan Realty. Updates were provided on the City review of requirements for temporary business signs, on requirements for Realtor® team advertising, and on recent MLS monitoring, changes, and improvements.

Biweekly Zoom caravan meeting will continue followed by caravan open houses with safety precautions. The next one is next Thursday.

Last night the Association held a toy drop-off event called “Merry F.I.S.H.-mas” to provide donations to F.I.S.H. for the upcoming Christmas season. Donations (unwrapped toys, gift cards, checks made out to “F.I.S.H.”) are being accepted at the Association Office until the end of the month.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity November 6-13, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

5 new listings: Mariner Pointe #1091 2/2 $559K, Sandalfoot #2C2 2/2 $657K, Island Beach Club #210A 2/2 $759K, Sand Pointe #113 2/2 $799K, Pelicans Roost #203 2/2 $925K.

3 price changes: Lighthouse Point #120 3/2 now $620K, Sundial #T201 2/2 now $799K, Pointe Santo #C23 3/2 now $1.1M.

12 new sales: Spanish Cay #F3 1/1 listed at $325K (our buyer), Sundial #D309 1/1 listed at $434K, Coquina Beach #2B 2/2 listed at $479K, Sandpebble #2B 2/2 listed at $480K, Mariner Pointe #522 2/2 listed at $484.9K (our listing), Blind Pass #G201 2/2 listed at $540K, Sanibel Arms West #M2 2/2 listed at $546K, Sanibel Arms West #K7 2/2 listed at $562.5K, Sunset South #9D 2/2 listed at $599K, Gulf Beach #106 2/2 listed at $849K (our buyer), Sayana #103 2/2 listed at $948.5K, Atrium #103 2/2 listed at $1.175M.

3 closed sale: Mariner Pointe #1083 2/2 $465K, Sundial #O201 3/2 $810K, Sundial #K402 2/2 $1.04M.

HOMES

1 new listing: 660 Oliva St 3/3 $829K.

2 price changes: 2001/2003 Mitzi Ln 6/6 duplex now $859K, 1245 Isabel Dr 3/3.5 now $2.149M.

6 new sales: 1764 Bunting Ln 2/2 listed at $524K; 1125 Captains Walk St 3/3 listed at $739,937; 1467 Sand Castle Rd 3/3 listed at $789K, 250 Hurricane Ln 3/2.5 listed at $1.049M, 1717 Jewel Box Dr 3/3.5 listed at $2.2685M, 1718 Jewel Box Dr 4/4.5 listed at $2.749M.

5 closed sales: 1403 Sandpiper Cir 3/2.5 half-duplex $483K, 1296 Par View Dr 3/3 $710K, 9393 Peaceful Dr 3/2.5 $750K, 4156 West Gulf Dr 3/2 $1.115M, 1558 San Carlos Bay Dr 3/3.5 $3.05M.

LOTS

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

1 price change: 6008 White Heron Ln now $819K.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: 2486 Wulfert Rd $100K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings or price changes.

2 new sales: Lands End Village #1659 2/2 listed at $975K, Ventura Captiva #2B 3/3 listed at $979K.

No closed sales.

HOMES

1 new listing: 11540 Laika Ln 3/2.5 $1.29M.

2 price changes: 16189 Captiva Dr 6/4 now $3.75M, 16660 Captiva Dr 5/6.5 now $15.95M.

1 new sales: 16611 Captiva Dr 6/6.5 listed at $4.889M.

No closed sales.

LOTS

Nothing to report.

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

Until next Friday, here’s hoping you are storm-free & safe! Be well, too!

Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

A “King Tide” Kinda Friday on Sunny Sanibel

Posted on October 16, 2020 by SanibelSusan

Another Friday is here with Sanibel and Captiva continuing to get busier with increased daytime traffic on Periwinkle Way. Our days are getting shorter with sunsets closer to 7 p.m. Temperatures have been a little cooler too, often with lower humidity. I heard on a weather report yesterday that the average date for local temperatures to dip below 90 degrees F is October 30. So soon, it will be even cooler. This week, it has been mostly sunny and breezy with day-time temps in the mid-80’s, nights mid-70’s.

This afternoon when teammate Dave and I were checking a new listing at Mariner Pointe, I noticed the canal water over the boat docks. When I mentioned it, Dave said “that’s because of the king tide”. Those happen, usually once or twice a year, in coastal communities. Typically, the highest tides of the year, that made me take my time heading back to the office as I snapped a few photos from a few other locations.

King tide at Mariner Pointe 2020-10-16, see the water over dock area.

On entry road to Sanibel Lighthouse 2020-10-16

Bay beach access at end of Bailey Rd 2020-10-26

End of Dixie Beach Blvd 2020-10-16

Our weekly update about the activity posted in the Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below.

How COVID-19 Has Changed The Real Estate Market

If you did not read the Sunday article on “ForbesLife” titled “COVID-19 Has Changed The Housing Market Forever”, here are a few tidbits.

“Amid all the uncertainty brought on by COVID-19 over the past six months, one thing is assured: the pandemic has re-ordered real estate markets across the board on an unprecedented scale. Some of this may be irreversible. Real estate’s re-sorting this time isn’t just based on markets crashing (the Great Recession), political turmoil (the 1979 oil embargo), or financial speculation (the first and second dot.com busts)—after which there’s generally confidence that overall consumer demand and buyer preferences will sooner or later snap back to normal.

“Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, more deep-seated, tectonic-sized questions beyond markets and interest rates are being asked this time around that no one really has the answers to yet—like will people feel safer living in the south and southwest where they can spend all year social distancing outside? What if companies let workers work remotely for the rest of their lives? Why go back to retail shopping when I’m already ordering everything online? What’s the point of living “downtown” if half of the restaurants, bars, and museums never open back up?

“How these questions get answered will fundamentally re-order how Americans live in the “new” pandemic normal, and as a result will play a huge X-factor in which cities and states will experience growth, demand, and price appreciation over the next 3-5 years, and which ones will stagnate and lose out….

“Against this backdrop, real estate’s new normal is also creating huge swathes of opportunity. Dozens of cities and counties that were once considered too small, too southern, too hot, too flat, or lacking in amenities, culture, or sophistication are now finding themselves being swooned to the top of the real estate desirability lists as Americans seek warmer, healthier, less dense, better educated, and more mobile places to live that offer closer access to the outdoors, better hospitals, smaller schools, and more open space with no clear end to the pandemic in sight….

“The repercussions of America’s great COVID migration has the potential to re-shuffle the essential demographic and economic balance of America for the next generation. Realtors, investors, and politicians should be paying attention…. By every metric, Americans are moving faster now than they were before the pandemic. Page-per-property views on real estate platforms like Realtor and Zillow are up over 50% year-over-year almost everywhere, inventory in America’s 100 top metro markets has been shrinking since March, along with days on market and the gap between list-to-sale price. A lot of real estate experts prefer the word “despite” when it comes to accounting for this phenomenon while the pandemic’s still raging, when it’s probably more accurately “because of”.

““Real estate markets have undergone noticeable shifts since the start of the coronavirus pandemic,” …“In the wake of the lockdowns in March, Americans discovered that existing homes were not adequate for the new work, teach, exercise, cook and live at home reality. Based on realtor.com surveys of consumers, we learned that home shoppers are looking for more space, quieter neighborhoods, home offices, newer kitchens and access to the outdoors, traits which have revived a strong interest in the suburbs and smaller metro areas.”

“…So what’s the bottom line? Keep your bathing suit and laptop ready to pack. The longer COVID-19 continues to push Americans into the “new” normal, the more of us will be moving south and west, working by the pool….”

City of Sanibel – Emergency Declaration, COVID-19, & Rental Property Deadline

Again, this week, Sanibel’s Mayor extended the declared state of emergency due to COVID-19 until October 20, 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, 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 57. (Yes, that is a big increase in the last couple of weeks. Everyone is urged to continue social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing, and to avoid group gatherings.)

Also, this week, the City posted a notice to owners of island rental property reminding them that Dwell Rental License and Registration application submission is required by Friday, October 30. Questions about this process should be addressed to Code.Enf@MySanibel.com or Planning at 239-472-4136.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 9-16, 2020

Sanibel

CONDOS

4 new listings: Compass Point #232 2/2 $599K (our listing), Mariner Pointe #411 3/2 $599K (our listing), Surfside 12 #B1 3/2 $1.075M, Kings Crown #302 2/2 $1.499M.

Drone photo of Compass Point taken 2020-10-15 by JMA Photography

View from Compass Point #232

3 price changes: Loggerhead Cay #274 2/2 now $679K, Sanibel Inn #3512 2/2 now $726.5K, Tarpon Beach #207 2/2 now $899K (our listing).

Gulf view from Tarpon Beach #207

9 new sales: Spanish Cay #F6 1/1 listed at $293K, Sanibel Arms #B7 1/1 listed at $356.5K, Seashells #43 2/2 listed at $429K, Seashells #26 2/2 listed at $439.9K, Blind Pass #B111 2/2 listed at $475K, Mariner Pointe #813 2/2 listed at $569K, Villas of Sanibel #B202 3/3 listed at $1.895M, Plantation Village #B222 3/3 listed at $2.53M, Wedgewood #102 3/3.5 listed at $2.595M.

6 closed sales: Kimball Lodge #263 1/1.5 $490K, Pointe Santo #D32 2/2 $700K, Sundial #J107 2/2 $700K, Sandpiper Beach #202 2/2 $760K, Gulfside Place #121 2/2 $1M, Sanibel Sunset #301 3/2 $1.8M.

HOMES

5 new listings: 1860 Ibis Ln 5/3 $895K, 770 Elinor Way 3/2.5 $899K, 9277 Belding Dr 3/3 $925K, 1308 Tahiti Dr 3/3 $949K, 513 Lighthouse Way 3/3 $2.195M.

7 price changes: 9195 Dimmick Dr 2/2 now $449K, 315 East Gulf Dr 3/2 half-duplex now $579K, 1142 Shell Basket Ln 3/2 now $625K, 1001 East Gulf Dr 2/2 now $639K, 1610 Sabal Sands Rd 3/2 now $714.9K, 1430 Sanderling Cir 4/3.5 now $870K, 1069 Bird Ln 4/3.5 now $4.495M.

4 new sales: 9248 Dimmick Dr 3/3 listed at $699K, 1304 Par View Dr 3/3 listed at $750K, 734 Anchor Dr 3/2 listed at $829K, 2957 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 listed at $1.525M.

10 closed sales: 9247 Dimmick Dr 3/2 $565K, 490 + 460 Old Trail 3/2.5 $675K, 9024 Mockingbird Dr 3/2 $780K, 215 Robinwood Cir 4/3 $800K, 756 Windlass Way 4/3 $810K, 776 Conch Ct 3/2 $850K, 919 Pecten Ct 3/3/2 $900K, 545 Lake Murex Cir 3/3 $1.035M, 790 Beach Rd 4/3.5 $1.18M, 3615 West Gulf Dr 3/2 $2.6M.

LOTS

1 new listing: 6000 White Heron Ln $889K.

No price changes.

1 new sale: 2279 Wulfert Rd listed at $318K.

No closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings or price changes.

2 new sales: Bayside Villas #5136 1/2 listed at $399K, Lands End Village #1667 2/2 listed at $1.088M.

No closed sales.

HOMES

No new listings.

1 price change: 16189 Captiva Dr 6/4 multi-home now $4.099M.

1 new sale: 1124 Longifolia Ct 4/5 listed at $2.649M.

1 closed sale: 15879 Captiva Dr 3/3 $2.1M.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 925 South Seas Plantation Rd listed at $5.899M.

No closed sales.

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

Until next Friday, 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

At SanibelSusan Realty

Bike, Walk, or Drive FREE on President’s Day

Average Long-Term Mortgage Rates Unchanged for 3rd Week

3 Major Home Insurance Mistakes to Avoid

Sanibel – COVID-19

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity February 5-12, 2021

Share this:

Like this:

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

Florida Realtors®

Condo Question & Answer: What Happens If Reserve Funds Aren’t Enough?

Sanibel – COVID-19

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Jan 22-29, 2021

Share this:

Like this:

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

Florida Realtors®

Sanibel – COVID-19

LCEC – 13 Years

Sanibel Library Ranks High

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity January 15-22, 2021

Share this:

Like this:

What’s Hot & What’s Not

Florida Realtors®

Sanibel – COVID-19

Plenty of Reasons for Optimism

Looking to File for a Florida Homestead Exemption?

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity January 8-15, 2021

Share this:

Like this:

Sanibel – COVID-19

Pandemic Didn’t Change Work Model So Much as Accelerate It

Mortgage Unchanged From Last Week’s Record Low

7 Top-Rated Resorts on Sanibel Island, FL

Sanibel & Captiva Water Conservation Rules

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity December 4 – 11, 2020

Share this:

Like this:

Good News on the Waterfront

Sanibel – City Council, Shell Harbor, & COVID-19

Chapel by The Sea’s Christmas Eve Service

Mortgage Rates Drop to 2020’s 14th Record Low: 2.71%

‘Tis the Season for Predictions: Realtor.com Is First

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity November 27-December 4, 2020

Share this:

Like this:

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:

Share this:

Like this:

How COVID-19 Has Changed The Real Estate Market

City of Sanibel – Emergency Declaration, COVID-19, & Rental Property Deadline

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity October 9-16, 2020

Share this:

Like this:

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors®

City of Sanibel

Other Upcoming Events & Openings/Reopenings

Share this:

Like this:

Average Long-Term Mortgage Rates Unchanged for 3^rd Week