Tag Archives: Shelling

Sanibel Sharing, Singing, Shelling, Sales, & Scoop

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Sanibelcityseal logoFamilies on spring break are on Sanibel – or at least those wanting an environmentally-fun outdoor vacation with fabulous weather. Traffic is challenging with the City encouraging no unnecessary travel from 3 to 7 p.m. That’s what happens in “peak” season. The City traffic app showing the cameras at the intersections helps us plan our routes which always includes turning “right”, not left.

At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

Sanibelsusan LogoThe team and I got our Friday work done early this week to give me time to run home and change for our BIG ARTS Community Chorus Spring Concerts. Singers were/are required to be on-stage for pre-performance warm-ups at 6 p.m. and with the traffic being iffy, extra time was anticipated. It took me 45 minutes last night at 5 p.m. to drive the 3 miles from my east-end home to get back to BIG ARTS. Hopefully, it will be easier tonight. Last night’s performance was a sell-out!

Chorus Pic spring 2018.jpgThese concerts were early this year because the buildings at the BIG ARTS campus on Dunlop Road will be coming down in just a few weeks when the construction project for the new facility begins. Next year, when the new performance hall is complete, the entire chorus will fit on the stage and the audience will enjoy more comfy seating.

With our listings, teammate Dave held three open houses again this week and we had closings yesterday and today where they are both our listing and our sale. All of the action posted this week in the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service follows a couple of news items below. You’ll notice that price reductions continue, but there also was good sales action.

1st Meeting of the New Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District

We heard excellent news yesterday following the first meeting of the entirely new board of the South Florida Water Management District. You may remember that just days after he took office, Florida’s Governor DeSantis called for the resignation of the former board members. Over the course of the last few weeks, Gov DeSantis appointed new board members.

Chauncey GossIn West Palm Beach yesterday, at the first meeting of this new board, they chose their new leaders to fulfill the District’s flood control, water quality projects, environmental restoration and water supply missions. The new board elected Sanibel’s-own Chauncey Goss as their Chairman. That is great for the 8.1 million residents of South Florida. Congratulations, Chauncey!

Shell Identification App

banner-shellmuseumappThe Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum has announced that their shell identification app now is available. Many members of the local shell club including SanibelSusan helped for several months with the beta version as the shell library was compiled.

The app is available through the link below and is helpful in several ways. First it helps identify shells, provides a full-color shell guide, offers info from museum experts about shells, and provides info on the daily activities and special events at the museum, and beach walks. You can take a picture of a shell and quickly identify it using the app. That’s the part of the testing where I participated.

https://www.shellmuseum.org/shell-app

Florida Homes Are Hot

Posted on-line by FloridaRealtors® on Tuesday, this article is sourced to “Builder” magazine  (03/11/19) Sowers, Scott:builder

“Florida ranked as the No. 1 place for buyers, according to a recent Lending Tree survey. “Out of all mortgage requests made during the study, 9.1% were for homes in Florida, and moving companies that worked with out-of-state homebuyers reported that 12.4% of all requested destinations were in Florida. Builder magazine calls Florida’s growth “explosive.”

florida“The study broke Florida down into five distinct housing markets.

“”In Southwest Florida you have a lot of retirees. In central Florida you have retirees and international buyers,” says Tony Polito, Metrostudy’s regional director for the Tampa area. “In South Florida you have a lot of international buyers.”

“The largest pool of buyers in Jacksonville are first-time and entry-level buyers impacted by a lack of choices and affordability. In Central Florida, there is local demand as well as a diversified base of buyers that includes investors, seasonal residents, international and vacation homebuyers.

“High demand and low inventory have pushed prices up, according to Toby Hoff, Metrostudy regional director.

“Builders moving out of the core areas of Central Florida have been able to bring more affordable homes online. Buyers in this supply-constrained market are now willing to deal with longer commutes or less-than-desirable schools in order to find something that is both new and in their price range,” he says.

“Although Tampa, Sarasota and St. Petersburg are all interconnected, they are very different housing markets, with Tampa booming and generating new jobs. “We have two counties that account for 90% of the housing activity. Hillsborough, which the city of Tampa sits in, and Pasco County to the north,” says Polito. “Between Pasco and Hillsborough County, today we have a 14.8-month supply of vacant lots. Market equilibrium in this market is 24 to 36 months. Anything below 24 months means land prices are still rising. You can’t even find a small orange grove to develop.””

Florida Realtors® & Dubai Land Dept. Sign Agreement to Encourage Collaboration

Florida Realtors logoHaving visited Dubai last year, it was fun to read the below Wednesday news release from Florida Realtors® – where friends President Eric Sain and President-Elect Barry Grooms represented our organization at MIPIM 2019.Dubai govt

“CANNES, France, March 13, 2019 — Florida Realtors and the Dubai Land Department today signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during MIPIM 2019, the international real estate and property investors conference held March 12-15, 2019, in Cannes, France.

dubai land dept“The MoU establishes the parties’ cooperation in developing a mutually beneficial relationship in the general field of real estate, building a foundation for future business opportunities.

““As professionals in the real estate industry, we take pride in providing our knowledge and expertise to clients in Florida, Dubai and throughout the world,” said 2019 Florida Realtors President Eric Sain. “Florida Realtors and the Dubai Land Department share mutual goals for future success. We look forward to strengthening our cooperative efforts and building more connections to enhance business opportunities for all of our members.”

“As part of the agreement, Florida Realtors and the Dubai Land Department “affirm the value of international collaboration and agree to exchange information in the general field of real estate, promote professionalism in the real estate industry and engage in other activities that offer mutual benefits.”

“According to Her Excellency Ms. Majida Ali Rashed, CEO of the real estate investment promotion and management sector of the Dubai Land Department, establishing this relationship with Florida Realtors enables the parties to develop a greater mutual understanding and more mutually beneficial opportunities.

“The MoU signing took place today at the Dubai Pavilion. Florida Realtors 2019 President-Elect Barry Grooms attended the signing along with President Sain; Her Excellency Ms. Majida Ali Rashed, CEO of the real estate investment promotion and management sector of the Dubai Land Department; Mr. Shadi Bteddini, CEO of AQARI Global, the USA Trustee of the Dubai Land Department; and Florida Realtors Director of Global Business Maria Grulich.

“Also in attendance: Spanish International Realty Alliance CEO Francis Fernandez Ariza, representing another global partner with Florida Realtors; André Perrissel, president of FNAIM Provence International Committee, FNAIM Aix Marseille Provence; Michel Platero, president of FNAIM Grand Paris; Ingrid Damoiseau, president of World Property Business Club; and Adam Scott, an international delegate also representing the last three groups, all highly regarded real estate organizations in France that also are global partners with Florida Realtors..

“Representatives of several sponsors and partners with Florida Realtors for this year’s MIPIM were present as well, including: Enterprise Florida, Florida Power & Light, the Orlando Regional Realtor Association (ORRA) and the Pinellas Realtors Organization (PRO).”

Island Water Reminders For Seasonal Residents

island-water-logoThere was a nice checklist in the spring issue of the “IWA Pipeline. Here’s the abbreviated version for keeping your water secure when you are away.

  • Take advantage of IWA’s annual free turn-off and turn-on of your water at the meter. If you don’t have a pool or irrigation system, it makes sense that you have IWA do this if you are heading north and won’t be back until next “season”.
  • If you don’t want your water turned off at the meter and don’t have a backflow prevention device, turn off your house water valve. That turns off all spigots inside the house. If you do this, it is wise to also shut off the hot-water heater valves and corresponding circuit breaker.
  • As a precaution remove any outside hoses that won’t be used while you are away.
  • Have your home-watch read your water meter to see if water is going through the meter or if you have high usage. IWA reads meters only once a month.
  • Check the usage and amount of your water bill every month.
  • Put a fresh battery in your irrigation controller. Power outages and surges are common in the summer. Irrigations system controllers have battery back-up for these instances, but if the battery is dead, some systems will default to water every day. Also check your rain sensor to be sure that it’s operating correctly for your property. Speaking of sensors, Sanibel irrigation systems are required to have a working rain sensor.

Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service Activity Mar 8-15, 2019sancap GO MLS logo

Sanibel

CONDOS

3 new listings: Sanibel Arms West #M1 2/2 $515K, Sanibel Siesta #109 2/2 $525K, Pine Cove #C 2/2 $1.095M.

6 price changes: Donax Village #10 1/2 now $349K, Sundial #H210 1/1 now $399K, Island Beach Club #240F 2/2 now $749K, Surfside 12 #A3 3/2 now $799K, Yacht Haven #2 3/2 now $1.049M, Sanibel Surfside #231 3/3.5 now $1.25M.

3 new sales: Spanish Cay #F7 1/1 listed at $249K, Pine Cove #204 2/2 listed at $1.45M, Atrium #207 2/2 listed at $1.55M.

3 closed sales: Captains Walk #B2 1/1 $214K (our listing & sale), Lighthouse Point #128 3/2 $650K (our listing & sale), Loggerhead Cay #143 2/2 $715K.

HOMES

6 new listings: 1418 Sanderling Cir 3/3 $699K, 6103 Starling Way 2/2 $739K, 247 Christofer Ct 3/2 $825K, 547 N Yachtsman Dr 4/3.5 $975K, 2552 Harbour Ln 3/2 $1.195M, 1035 Blue Heron Dr 3/2 $1.695M.

20 price changes: 9465 Coventry Ct 3/2 now $599,999; 573 Lake Murex Cir 3/2 now $645K; 3017 Turtle Gait Ln 3/2 now $689K; 749 Cardium St 3/2 now $689K; 678 Durion Ct 3/2 now $749.9K; 5747 Pine Tree Dr 3/3 now $795K; 405 Tiree Cir 3/2 now $799K; 1050 White Ibis Dr 4/3.5 now $849K (our listing); 1410 Albatross Rd 3/3 now $875K; 478 Sea Oats Dr 3/3 now $949K; 6123 Starling Way 3/2.5 now $969K; 1199 Par View Dr 3/2.5 now $999K; 1345 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 now $1.12M; 2984 Wulfert Rd 3/4 now $1.195M; 2282 Wulfert Rd 4/4.5 now $1.295M; 1525 San Carlos Bay Dr 4/2 now $1.485M; 4630 Rue Bayou 4/4.5 now $1.495M; 2411 Blue Crab Ct 4/4.5 now $2.499M; 1136 Golden Olive Ct 4/4.5 now $2.59M; 3615 West Gulf Dr 3/2 now $2.95M.

Pool View

Pool & water view at 1050 White Ibis Dr in Gulf Shores

13 new sales: 9248 Kincaid Ct 2/1 listed at $399K, 651 Donax St 4/2 duplex listed at $524.9K, 9277 Dimmick Dr 3/2 listed at $549K, 5306 Ladyfinger Lake Rd 3/2 listed at $595K, 6143 Henderson 4/3 listed at $599K, 955 S Yachtsman Dr 3/2 listed at $699K, 5306 Umbrella Pool Rd 4/3 listed at $749K, 1309 Eagle Run Dr 3/2.5 listed at $1.095M, 1126 Harbour Cottage Ct 3/2 listed at $1.169M, 569 Lighthouse Way 3/3 listed at $1.185M, 4992 Joewood Dr 3/3.5 listed at $1.365M, 5606 Baltusrol Ct 4/6 listed at $1.795M, 6170 Dinkins Lake Rd 3/3 listed at $2.374M.

2 closed sales: 9448 Cotton Ct 3/2 $800K, 742 Sand Dollar Dr 2/3 $900K.

LOTS

1 new listing: 223 Robinwood Cir $329K.

No price changes, new, or closed sales.

Captiva

CONDOS

1 new listing: Bayside Villas #4124 1/2 $399,999.

1 price change: Gulf Beach Villas #2004 2/2 now $638K.

1 new sale: Beach Villas #2636 2/2 listed at $759K.

1 closed sale: Beach Villas #2428 2/2 $625K.

HOMES

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 55 Sandpiper Ct 3/2 listed at $929K.

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.

Enjoy your weekend! st pats day.jpg

Until next Friday, Susan Andrews, aka SanibelSusan

Working Together to Make a Difference

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All’s well again on another Sanibel sunny Friday as we push forward to what are traditionally the busiest real estate months of the year on the islands – February and March. That activity may even stretch a few weeks longer this year with Easter not until April 16.

At SanibelSusan Realty Associates

This week we had another nice condo closing, a home listing that went under contract, an excellent sprinkling of showings, and good Open House action. Once February visitors settle in inquiries should pick up too. We already are getting requests for viewings in March during spring breaks.

gatorI had lunch today with a client who made me a “gator”. Shown here on our office sofa, I intend to take him home where he will recline on a special spot on my red love seat, but in the meantime, she said he needs a name.

Now called “Gator #5″ because he’s the 5th one she has made, I need suggestions! He’s going to be a neck scarf on the next cool day too, sure hope I don’t have to wait until next January. Isn’t he great? Thank you, Dianne! What’s your name for my gator?

Sanibel & Captiva Island Real Estate

sancap GO MLS logoWith January over, it is a good time to look at market inventory. The report of the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Multiple Listing Service activity over the last seven days follows a few news items below and includes many price adjustments. Here is a quick summary of the number of units for sale, compared to the activity last year.

How Many for Sale

Condos –  116 on Sanibel; 30 on Captiva

Homes – 186 on Sanibel; 38 on Captiva

Lots – 68 on Sanibel; 2 on Captiva

How Many Under Contract

Condos – 14 on Sanibel; 4 on Captiva

Homes – 27 on Sanibel; 3 on Captiva

Lots – 5 on Sanibel; 1 on Captiva

How Many Sold in January 2017

Condos – 11 on Sanibel; 2 on Captiva

Homes – 19 on Sanibel; 1 on Captiva

Lots – 5 on Sanibel; 0 on Captiva

How Many Sold in January Last Year

Condos – 15 on Sanibel; 1 on Captiva

Homes – 10 on Sanibel; 5 on Captiva

Lots – 3 on Sanibel; 0 on Captiva

Florida Realtors® PAC

rpacAs follow-up to my posting last week about the four awards that the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® won for 2016 at FloridaRealtors®.

Here are a few highlights of how those RPAC dollars work.

  • 92% of all endorsed candidates were elected (23 of 25 Senate candidates won, 23 of 26 Congressional candidates won, 67 of 73 State House candidates won).
  • Constitutional Amendments 3 & 5 passed (grant tax exemptions for disabled first responders and seniors, and a big WIN for homeowners)
  • Won victories for homeowners and Realtors® (removed regulatory fees (HB 303), helped pass statewide comprehensive water policy to effectively manage and protect Florida’s natural resources (SB 552), revised the Value Adjustment Board process (HB 499)).

Working Together To Make a Difference in January

Sanibel realtors logoWritten by yours truly, here is the first 2017 press release from the local Association of Realtors® Communications and Public Relations Committee. It was published in the “Santiva-Chronicle” this morning.

“Ever wonder what members of a Realtor® organization do other than list and sell real estate?

“This year “Working Together to Make a Difference”, the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® will report each month highlighting some other things accomplished by its members. Association members include Realtors®, their brokers, office managers, staff and affiliate business partners (mortgage brokers, insurance providers, home inspectors, appraisers, title companies, decorators, builders, non-profit organizations, attorneys, etc.).

“This is the first monthly report. It covers volunteer activities that members of the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Association of Realtors® did in January.

“Mints for the Military – From January 9 until mid-March, local Girl Scout Troop 673 is collecting donations for boxes of Girl Scout cookies as part of their Mints for the Military drive. Association member Carol McCarley, Noack & Company CPA’s, and her daughters help in this effort, with hundreds of boxes expected to go overseas from their troop. Last year, the Girl Scouts Gulf Coast of Florida Council sent 57,854 boxes in total. That’s a lot of cookies!

“Water Quality – On January 11 and 25, Association Past-President and Realtor® David Schuldenfrei and others attended and spoke in Tallahassee at Florida Senate subcommittee hearings on Lake Okeechobee discharges. The hearings went well, with Senator Joe Negron on January 27 filing SB 10 for the purchase of land south of the lake for water storage and cleaning before it goes south into the Everglades and Florida Bay. The bill now must pass the House and Senate, before being signed by the Governor. It has a long way to go, but is headed in the right direction. Thank you, David!

“Collections, Contributions, Volunteers, & Donations – “Working Together to Make a Difference” the CRPC members will be reaching out to local organizations and non-profits to find: ways the Association may get more cooperatively involved in the community; if donation items are needed and if there is a time of the year when they are needed most; and if there are small hands-on projects that could use a team of 5-10 volunteers to get them done. An investigation already is underway to help the Sanibel Historical Preservation Committee, which is chaired by Realtor® Deb Gleason, with the new Sanibel Heritage Trail.

“If you have suggestions, please contact Association Communications & Public Relations Committee members: Realtors® Judie Anderson, Sarah Ashton, Deb Gleason, Kelly Huguenin, Cathie Lewis; Affiliate Business Partners: Nanci Berlin, Barrier Island Title Services and Angela Larson Roehl, Rosier Insurance; or Realtor® Chair Susan Andrews.

Watch next month for our February progress report.”

Cost vs. Value: Which Home Improvements Offer the Highest Return on Investment in 2017?

ris-media-logoThis article was posted on-line Jan 16, 2017 at “Housecall” which is RISMedia’s blog. Since we get asked this question too, it’s interesting to hear their take. Note the projects vary based on the geographic area and price of the property.

“With the many different projects reported annually in Remodeling Magazine’s Cost  vs. Value Report, not much has changed from last year…and that’s not a bad thing. The 29 projects found on this year’s report paid back an average of 64.3 cents on the dollar in resale value. Looking at the 24 most tracked projects (projects consistently tracked for the last six years), their payback for 2017 was also 64.3 cents—only three-quarters of a penny higher than 2016 projections.

“Why the little change? Simply put: the differences in underlying numbers was minimal year-to-year. The average cost for those 24 projects rose a meager 3%, while the value that real estate professionals put on said projects only rose 4.2%. Minor gains, yes, but we’ll take what we can get.

“Recent and long-time trends continued, reports Remodeling. Curb appeal projects like changes to doors, windows and siding garnered a higher ROI than work done inside the home. Replacement projects, like doors or windows, scored higher among real estate pros than did remodels.

“On a national scale, the top five projects with the greatest ROI in the report’s “midrange” cost category are:

  1. Attic Insulation (Fiberglass) (107.7% ROI), Average Cost: $1,343, Average Resale Value: $1,446
  2. Entry Door Replacement (steel) (90.7% ROI), Average Cost: $1,413, Average Resale Value: $1,282
  3. Manufactured Stone Veneer (89.4% ROI), Average Cost: $7,851, Average Resale Value: $7,019
  4. Minor Kitchen Remodel (80.2% ROI), Average Cost: $20,830, Average Resale Value: $16,699
  5. Garage Door Replacement (76.9% ROI), Average Cost: $1,749, Average Resale Value: $1,345

“The top five projects with the greatest ROI in the report’s “upscale” cost category are:

  1. Garage Door Replacement (85.0% ROI), Average Cost: $3,304, Average Resale Value: $2,810
  2. Entry Door Replacement (fiberglass) (77.8% ROI), Average Cost: $3,276, Average Resale Value: $2,550
  3. Window Replacement (vinyl) (73.9% ROI), Average Cost: $15,282, Average Resale Value: $11,286
  4. Window Replacement (wood) (73.0% ROI), Average Cost: $18,759, Average Resale Value: $13,691
  5. Grand Entrance (fiberglass) (70.1% ROI), Average Cost: $8,358, Average Resale Value: $5,855

“Regionally, the Pacific division (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii) saw an average payback of 78.2% for all projects, with 10 projects posting cost-recouped levels of at least 90%. The East North Central states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin, however, saw an average of just 54.9%, with no single project offering a payback of as much as 80 cents on the dollar.

“At the other end of the spectrum are projects with the lowest returns on investment—improvements generally not in demand by the market. Again, on a national scale, the five projects with the lowest ROI in the “midrange” cost category are:

  1. Bathroom Remodel (64.8% ROI), Average Cost: $18,546, Average Resale Value: $12,024
  2. Master Suite Addition (64.8% ROI), Average Cost: $119,533, Average Resale Value: $77,506
  3. Backyard Patio (54.9% ROI), Average Cost: $51,985, Average Resale Value: $28,546
  4. Backup Power Generator (54.0% ROI), Average Cost: $12,860, Average Resale Value: $6,940
  5. Bathroom Addition (53.9% ROI), Average Cost: $43,232, Average Resale Value: $23,283

“The five projects with the lowest ROI in the “upscale” cost category are:

  1. Major Kitchen Remodel (61.9% ROI), Average Cost: $122,991, Average Resale Value: $76,149
  2. Master Suite Addition (59.9% ROI), Average Cost: $250,687, Average Resale Value: $150,140
  3. Bathroom Remodel (59.1% ROI), Average Cost: $59,979, Average Resale Value: $35,456
  4. Bathroom Addition (57.1% ROI), Average Cost: $81,515, Average Resale Value: $46,507
  5. Deck Addition (composite) (56.4% ROI), Average Cost: $39,339, Average Resale Value: $22,171

“The 2017 Cost vs. Value Report compares, across 99 markets, the average cost of 29 popular remodeling projects with their average value at resale one year later. Average resale value is calculated based on estimates provided by real estate professionals. View the full report, including project descriptions and city-level data, here.”

Late January Island Weather

Sanibelcityseal logoWith January bringing serious cold/snowy/icy winter weather to so much of the nation, the islands got some residual effects. With Sanibel under tornado watch through the early morning hours of January 23, the local papers this week said the City reported no significant damage. The fast-moving storm brought little rain and wind, considering what had been projected. Though gusts of up to 60 mph were reported, in most areas the beaches gained sand.

pam-shells-01-25-17

Pam Rambo, local shelling expert, from her site iLoveShelling.com, called this photo posted 1/25/17, “Just a drop in the bucket”. So many shells on the beach!

Among the resulting beach debris were 250 crab traps which the City collected and crabbers retrieved from Public Works. It probably goes without saying that because of the storm, fishing was not the best, but the shelling was outstanding. After winter storms is often the best time for finding “big” shells.

 

The last few days of January were a little chilly – island sweater weather, but since then and for the next week temperatures in the mid to high 70’s are expected.

The Housing Crunch for Older Adults Nears

ForbesPosted on-line Tuesday at “Realtor®Mag” under “Daily Real Estate News” this article is sourced to Forbes.com:

“The 65-plus population is expected to surge from 48 million to 79 million in the next 20 years. Yet, the availability and affordability of housing to meet this blooming population is inadequate, according to a recent Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies report.

“The report shows that only 3.5% of today’s housing contains the following three key elements of “universal design”: zero-step entrances, single-floor living, and wide halls and doorways. Further, nearly 6.4 million low-income renters will likely need to devote more than 30% of their income to housing by 2035, the report notes.

Housing experts say builders are not growing the supply enough to meet future demands from older adults and instead are continuing to put most of their focus on higher-end construction.

““The Harvard study was a scary forecast,” says Lukas Krause, CEO of Real Property Management, the largest property management franchise in the nation. “The senior sector will be one of the hardest hit for affordability. The most important thing we can do is find affordable housing for older Americans and contemplate layout and design to accommodate the older population.”

“More homes will need to be tailored to older adults. For example, homes likely will need to be retrofitted as single-floor living with a master suite, wider doorways to accommodate wheelchairs, and walk-in showers with grab bars.

“Retrofitting needs to extend to the multifamily sector too. Landlord and property owners have not yet largely embraced retrofitting apartments to accommodate older Americans, Krause says. “As the older population grows, economic factors will change and it will be more attractive to build more versatile homes,” he says.

Also, expect some changes in the way people live as the older population grows. For example, cohabitation and shared housing may grow in popularity as affordability concerns brew. And, expect a growth in mother-in-law suites in single-family residences as well as grandparents living with their families like previous generations once did, Krause says. Furthermore, programs like the Johns Hopkins project, CAPABLE, may expand. The Johns Hopkins program seeks to help people age in place by assigning them a nurse, an occupational therapist, and a handyman.”

Sanibel & Captiva Multiple Listing Service Activity Jan 27-Feb 3, 2017

Sanibel

CONDOS

5 new listings: Captains Walk #D5 2/1 $325K, Sanibel Moorings #931 2/2 $550K, Heron at The Sanctuary #1B 3/2.5 $620K, Bayview Village #1A 3/3 $789K, Pointe Santo #D32 2/2 $819K.

7 price changes: Mariner Pointe #1412 1/1 now $349.9K, Donax Village #3 2/2 now $464K, Mariner Pointe #712 2/2.5 now $498K, Mariner Pointe #533 2/2 now $499K, Pointe Santo #D6 2/2 now $719K, High Tide #A102 3/2.5 now $1.695M, High Tide #A302 3/2 now $1.725M.

5 new sales: Sundial West #F103 2/2 listed at $459.5K, Coquina Beach #2C 2/2 listed at $599K, Compass Point #222 2/2 listed at $689K, Sundial West #K203 2/2 listed at $879K, Somerset #302 3/2.5 listed at $1.65M.

3 closed sales: Coquina Beach #4C 2/2 $430K, Sundial East #P201 2/2 $760K, Gulfside Place #115 2/2 $1.4M (our buyer). 

HOMES

7 new listings: 1940 Periwinkle Way 3/2 half-duplex $495K, 9446 Yucca Ct 3/2 $609K, 3784 Coquina Dr 3/3 $714K, 1717 Sand Pebble Way 3/2 $719K, 3359 Barra Cir 3/3 $789K, 1294 Par View Dr 3/2.4 $949K, 687 Anchor Dr 4/3 $1.795M.

15 price changes: 1651 Sand Castle Rd 3/2.5 half-duplex now $477.5K, 1212 Par View Dr 2/2 now $619K, 1073 Fish Crow Rd 3/2.5 now $699K, 4694 Rue Bayou 3/3 now $699K, 1429 Jamaica Dr 3/3 now $699.9K, 978 Black Skimmer Way 3/2 now $712K, 5757 Pine Tree Dr 3/2.5 now $799K, 1314 Par View Dr 4/3 now $899K, 1174 Harbour Cottage CT 3/3 half-duplex now $1.05M, 1270 Bay Dr 3/2 now $1.249M, 5403 Shearwater Dr 4/3 now $1.295M, 500 Periwinkle Way 3/3 now $1.295M, 1475 Angel Dr 3/4.5 now $1.649M, 1743 Venus Dr 4/3.5 now $1.749M, 900 Snowberry Ln 4/3 now $3.495M.

5 new sales: 608 Boulder Dr 3/3 listed at $869K, 537 Lake Murex Cir 3/3 listed at $899K (our listing), 2920 West Gulf Dr 3/2 listed at $939K, 935 Lindgren Blvd 3/2 listed at $696K, 3557 West Gulf Dr 3/3.5 listed at $4.5M.

6 closed sales: 474 Lake Murex Cir 2/2 $360K, 810 Elinor Way 3/2 $570K, 750 Nerita St 3/2 $650K, 5751 Baltusrol Ct 3/4 $975K, 1665 Sabal Palm Dr 3/2 $1.05M, 800 Sand Dollar Dr 3/3.5 $1.625M.

LOTS

2 new listings: 5116 Sea Bell Rd $185K, 5126 Sea Bell Rd $185K.

1 price change: 5687 Baltusrol Ct now $315K.

No new sales.

1 closed sale: 2462 Wulfert Rd $200K.

Captiva

CONDOS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: Beach Villas #2322 1/1 listed at $499K.

1 closed sale: Tennis Villas #3121 1/1/2 $253K.

HOMES

No new listings.

2 price changes: 1114 Schefflera Ct 4/3.5 now $2.65M, 11551 Wightman Ln 4/4.5 now $4.9M.

1 new sale:13500 Palmflower Ln 4/4 listed at $1.795M.

No closed sales.

LOTS

No new listings or price changes.

1 new sale: 953 South Seas Plantation Rd listed at $2.1M.

No closed sales.

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

Until next Friday – enjoy the sunset, your weekend, & don’t forget to help me “name that gator”!

Susan Andrews aka SanibelSusan

sanibel-sunset

Winding up a Holiday Week on Sanibel Island

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It was a great July 4th on Sanibel Island from the parade right through to the fireworks. Unfortunately, since then we have had rain almost every day, though today we have lucked out so far and the space shuttle was able to take off.

Sanibel School Earns “A” for 13th Straight Year

It was announced last week that for the 3rd straight year, the Lee County School District achieved an “A” grade for its district-wide achievement by earning 537 points. An “A” grade is awarded for 525 points. Also for the 13th consecutive year, The Sanibel School earned an “A” grade, garnering 692 points. The Sanibel kindergarten through 8th-grade facility reported 97% of its students met the high standard in reading, 95% in math, 93% in writing and 86% in science. According to Sanibel School Principal Barbara Von Harten, The Sanibel School also has received notification that they have been ranked the top K-8 educational facility in the entire state of Florida. Pine Island Elementary is the only other school in the local district to earn an “A” grade since the school grade reports began in the 1988-89 academic year. To see a complete listing of the school grades visit www.leeschools.net.

Shelling & Fishing

Locals and visitors alike have commented that the fishing and shelling over the past holiday weekend were both excellent. It is always fun to see the newspaper reports with photos of the “finds”. The good ones this week included: several rather large prized junonia shells, a couple of foot-sized whelks, snook up to 42″, and even a 150‑lb tarpon.

32nd Annual July 4th Road Rally

If you are thinking of making your plans now for the 4th of July holiday next year, consider the Road Rally after the parade. This was my first year and though the prizewinners haven’t been announced yet, it was a lot of fun. Sponsored as a fundraiser by our local Optimists Club, it begins at The Timbers Restaurant parking lot at noon, with staggered start times. It is not a race, but rather a game of timing, mileage, and wit. Once provided with detailed driving directions around the island, and instructions that include “no backing up”, entrants are given question and answer sheets with more than 100 questions to answer. It is much like a scavenger hunt but without picking up items (well maybe a few). Most of the questions can be answered by carefully following the driving directions and being “very” observant. One would think that a carload of island Realtors® would have a good advantage, but we found at The Timbers Afterglow Party that several of the visiting vacationers beat us on some of the questions. How the Optimists could come up with so many difficult questions after 31 years is a surprise too. Some of the entries have been participating since the beginning. Maybe we will do better next year.

Captiva Beach Re-Nourishment Project

I heard from one of my Captiva pals that plans are underway for another beach re-nourishment project on Captiva in 2013/2014. That is always a pricey undertaking, but also great news for Sanibel as we always manage to get the sand eventually. Sometimes, it is just best to be an east-west oriented island.

Not Enough Done on Housing

Florida REALTORS® reposted an article yesterday from the “Washington Post” where “President Obama made a rare admission of a policy misstep, acknowledging that his administration failed to provide enough support to struggling homeowners and recognize the scope of the nation’s housing crisis. Despite predictions by Obama’s advisers that the housing market would rebound by now, real estate prices are falling once again. And the administration’s efforts to push banks to modify the mortgages of families who missed their monthly payments have been widely criticized as lacking. Obama first raised the issue Wednesday when a questioner during a town hall event asked what mistakes the president had made in handling the economy. “The continuing decline in the housing market is something that hasn’t bottomed out as quickly as we expected,” Obama responded. Later, he added, that his administration’s efforts to help struggling homeowners were “not enough. And so we’re going back to the drawing board,” he said.

“The housing issue threatens to loom over Obama’s re-election campaign, with foreclosures piling up and real estate markets in turmoil in pivotal swing states such as Florida and Nevada, which voted for him in 2008. Obama has not often discussed the housing crisis with much of his time in Washington and on the campaign trail focused on job creation and deficit reduction. But the issue repeatedly came up Wednesday as Obama conducted his first ever town hall meeting via Twitter. One person asked in a tweet: “How will admin work to help underwater homeowners who aren’t behind in payments but are trapped in homes they can’t sell?” Later, another questioner – whose Twitter handle was @Shnaps – asked a follow-up question about whether the market could heal itself. Obama responded that “given the size of the housing market, no federal program is going to be able to solve the housing problem.” He later added: “Some folks just bought more home than they could afford and probably they’re going to be better off renting.”

“Much of the criticism of the administration’s housing policy has focused on the Treasury Department’s foreclosure prevention initiative called the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP. The program was funded by the financial bailout and carved out tens of billions of dollars to pay banks to modify the mortgages of distressed homeowners, or at least lower their monthly payments. The administration has said that HAMP helped more than a million families in this way. But critics say that the aid was not long lasting, and that the initiative’s design was too complicated for the industry to implement effectively.

“During Wednesday’s town hall, Obama said his administration would press banks to modify loans more quickly and, where possible, reduce the principal owed by homeowners. The questions submitted to the president were wide ranging, though Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who moderated the event, noted that 6 percent of the tweets focused on housing. Other hot topics included jobs, the economy and education.

“The president spent much of the time responding to questions verbally, leaving it to his staff and officials from Twitter to parse his words down to 140-character tweets, the maximum allowed on the micro-blogging Web site. Obama sent a live tweet only once, patting himself on the back for being the first president in history to do so.

“While the event was billed as a “discussion,” the format provided a platform for Obama to repeat his positions on the economy with little follow-up from the moderator and Twitter users. Obama got a laugh, though, when he took a question from House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), who is known as @speakerboehner on Twitter. Boehner asked, “Where are the jobs?” Obama joked: “This is a slightly skewed question.” He then acknowledged that job growth has been slow. But he also accused Republicans of standing in the way of infrastructure and public works programs that would have created work for Americans. “Eventually, I’m sure the speaker will see the light,” Obama quipped.”

Island Real Estate Scoop This Week

Attendance was down yesterday at our biweekly Realtor® Caravan Meeting and just a handful of new listings were on tour. Even with the holiday vacationers and rain hampering outside activities, not many properties were shown and little real estate action was reported. Here are the MLS changes since last Friday.

Sanibel & Captiva MLS Activity July 2-8

Sanibel
CONDOS
1 new listing:  Signal Inn #18 2/2 $949K.
1 price change:  Sanctuary Golf Villages I #3 3/3 now $719K.
1 new sale:  Sundial #R203 2/2 listed for $499K.
5 closed sales:  Sanibel Moorings #241 1/1 $260K, Sanibel Siesta #403 2/2 $340K, Sanibel Arms West #M4 2/2 $375K, Compass Point #243 2/2 $460K, Atrium #306 3/2 $1.1M.
 
HOMES
4 new listings:  491 Rabbit Rd 2/2 $339K; 1439 Albatross Rd 3/2 $439,555; 1470 Middle Gulf Dr 4/5.5 $2.395M; 4431 Waters Edge Ln 4/4 $2.85M.
2 price changes:  3145 Twin Lakes Ln 3/3 now $499,994; 2479 Blind Pass Ct 3/2 now $1.1M.
2 new sale:  1035 South Yachtsman Dr 5/4.5 listed for $799K, 1360 Eagle Run Dr 5/3.5 listed for $1.039M (short sale).
1 closed sale:  9292 Belding Dr 3/2.5 $350K.
 
LOTS
1 new listing:  761 Donax St $189K.
1 price change:  2562 Coconut Dr now $399K.
No new sales.
1 closed sale:  5618 Baltusrol Ct $180K.
 
Captiva
CONDOS
1 new listing:  Tennis Villas #3219 1/1 $245K.
4 price changes:  Tennis Villas #3229 1/1 now $240K, Bayside Villas #3406 3/3 now $638K, Beach Villas #2618 2/2 now $685K, Beach Villas #2628 2/2 now $699K.
No new or closed sales.
 
HOMES
No new listings.
1 price changes:  15631 Captiva Dr 5/4.5 now $2.95M.
No new or closed sales.
 
LOTS
Nothing to report.

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