Captiva Island businesses including restaurants, art galleries, shops, real estate offices, tour operators andresorts will introduce the Captiva Holiday Village beginning Friday, November 26 and continuing every weekend through December 19. Offering an array of events, holiday shopping, entertainment, parades, live music and decorations, the village will be a winter wonderland in a subtropical paradise.
“The Captiva Holiday Village is the result of local businesses coming together to offer our guests an unforgettable island holiday experience,” said Paul McCarthy, co-chair of the village committee.
Captiva Holiday Village begins at ‘Tween Waters Inn, continues to Andy Rosse Lane (extending between the gulf and the bay) and proceeds down to Chadwick’s Square, located across from South Seas Island Resort.
For more information visit www.CaptivaHolidayVillage.com
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
2nd Annual 10K Race for FISH
2nd Annual Sanibel 10K Race 4 FISH
Saturday October 16, 2010Introduction Friends In Service Here (FISH) is the leading non-profit, non-sectarian, human services organization focused on “neighbors helping neighbors” on Sanibel and Captiva. The 10K Race 4 FISH on October 16th is our key fundraising event for 2010. The race will be held on Sanibel and is run in conjunction with the Fort Myers Track Club. We are expecting over 500 runners this year, most of the runners will be from South West Florida, including a significant number of Sanibel and Captiva residents who will be taking part. We have even had some early entries from as far away as Indiana!
We serve over 900 clients on Sanibel and Captiva, and in 2009 with our 195 FISH volunteers we delivered the following services:
Provided 9,475 miles of transportation on 304 medical related appointments
Delivered 1,906 hot meals to the housebound or those living alone
Provided 237 pieces of medical equipment
Collected and distributed 31,574 lbs of food from our Food Pantry to 60 families
Provided $74,025 of emergency financial assistance to 75 families/ individuals
Made 699 daily reassurance phone calls with investigative follow up if no answer
Made 225 client visits for those housebound needing interactive conversation
Encouraged 320 participants to come to our monthly ‘Friendly Faces Luncheon’
Helped 552 walk in clients at the Walk-In-Center
Provided 56 holiday meals
Helped 17 young people with Youth Scholarships, including lunch.
Saturday October 16, 2010Introduction Friends In Service Here (FISH) is the leading non-profit, non-sectarian, human services organization focused on “neighbors helping neighbors” on Sanibel and Captiva. The 10K Race 4 FISH on October 16th is our key fundraising event for 2010. The race will be held on Sanibel and is run in conjunction with the Fort Myers Track Club. We are expecting over 500 runners this year, most of the runners will be from South West Florida, including a significant number of Sanibel and Captiva residents who will be taking part. We have even had some early entries from as far away as Indiana!
We serve over 900 clients on Sanibel and Captiva, and in 2009 with our 195 FISH volunteers we delivered the following services:
Provided 9,475 miles of transportation on 304 medical related appointments
Delivered 1,906 hot meals to the housebound or those living alone
Provided 237 pieces of medical equipment
Collected and distributed 31,574 lbs of food from our Food Pantry to 60 families
Provided $74,025 of emergency financial assistance to 75 families/ individuals
Made 699 daily reassurance phone calls with investigative follow up if no answer
Made 225 client visits for those housebound needing interactive conversation
Encouraged 320 participants to come to our monthly ‘Friendly Faces Luncheon’
Helped 552 walk in clients at the Walk-In-Center
Provided 56 holiday meals
Helped 17 young people with Youth Scholarships, including lunch.
Monday, September 6, 2010
10 tips for hiring a home remodeling contractor
YORK, Pa., – Sept. 3, 2010 – An uptick in homeowners are opting to remodel to increase a potential sales price or just upgrade their living space. According to StateofLife.com, remodelers should keep the following in mind:
Tip No. 1: Does your contractor have proof of insurance?Ask the contractor to have his insurance company mail or fax a copy of his current contractor insurance card to you. If the contractor can’t do this – stay away. Why? If there is an accident at your home, you are then liable. This also applies to any sub-contractor or employee that the contractor may use – those individuals should have active insurance cards faxed or mailed to you as well.
Tip No. 2: Check references and see photos Ask for at least three references with two for the same type of project you’re planning – and call the references. Additionally, ask the contractor to provide photos of previous work, especially for the same type of project. If he produces lawn and garden photos and you’re planning a bathroom remodel, you may want to check with another contractor.
Tip No. 3: Does your contractor take debit or credit cards?Besides your ability to earn a few points, bonus miles or cash back, credit card acceptance is a good sign that a contractor is financially savvy and has a bank behind his business. Even many small, one-man shops take cards if they have a good relationship with their business bank or credit union.
Tip No. 4: Manners and appearance If the contractor drove his vehicle to your home to give you an estimate, take a look at the way he keeps the equipment and vehicle. Are things clean? Neatly arranged? The way a contractor treats his tools is a direct connection to how he’ll treat your home. During the initial meeting, does the contractor present himself in a professional way? Do you feel comfortable around him or his employees? They will be working in your home.
Tip No. 5: Clean up policy If your improvement is a multi-day project, will the contractor clean up at the end of every day or will he leave the dust, wood chips and other mess lying there for day No. 2?
Tip No. 6: Will the contractor put it in writing? Is your contractor willing to put both his bid and the scope of work in writing? If not – walk away immediately. Many homeowners have been duped by contractors who verbally say what’s included, but, in the middle of the job, require extra money to finish, effectively holding the owner hostage with an uncompleted home project.
Tip No. 7: Availability Can the contractor get the job done in your timeline rather than his timeline? On the flip side, if you can’t find a good contractor that’s willing to commit to your timeline, your expectations may be too high and you may need to adjust your timeline.
Tip No. 8: The use of subcontractors Does your contractor do everything himself or will he subcontract work? For example, if remodeling a bathroom, you may need a plumber, electrician and carpenter. It’s okay if the contractor subcontracts work out to these specific trades – it shows he wants the work done right – and it’s standard practice for the contractor to mark up the services to earn a profit. To save money, owners can subcontract the work themselves, but managing a total project brings its own challenges.
Tip No. 9: Quoting and billing procedure Ask the contractor about his quoting procedure. Will it contain general information, or will it be specific? For example, most contractors will charge a fuel surcharge, material up-charges, waste removal, labor, etc. Some will show you these exact costs in a line item invoice, but others roll it up into one big bill. How much detail do you want? Clarify that with your contractor upfront. Also: What is the payment or billing policy? If money is required upfront, go back to No. 1 and No. 2 above to make sure you have the contractor’s references checked and have a copy of his contractor’s insurance.
Tip No. 10: Did your contractor get the permits? Ask your contractor to take care of the permits. Although permits cost money, the inspection process also protects you from poor workmanship and makes sure everything is being built to code.
© 2010 Florida Realtors®
Tip No. 1: Does your contractor have proof of insurance?Ask the contractor to have his insurance company mail or fax a copy of his current contractor insurance card to you. If the contractor can’t do this – stay away. Why? If there is an accident at your home, you are then liable. This also applies to any sub-contractor or employee that the contractor may use – those individuals should have active insurance cards faxed or mailed to you as well.
Tip No. 2: Check references and see photos Ask for at least three references with two for the same type of project you’re planning – and call the references. Additionally, ask the contractor to provide photos of previous work, especially for the same type of project. If he produces lawn and garden photos and you’re planning a bathroom remodel, you may want to check with another contractor.
Tip No. 3: Does your contractor take debit or credit cards?Besides your ability to earn a few points, bonus miles or cash back, credit card acceptance is a good sign that a contractor is financially savvy and has a bank behind his business. Even many small, one-man shops take cards if they have a good relationship with their business bank or credit union.
Tip No. 4: Manners and appearance If the contractor drove his vehicle to your home to give you an estimate, take a look at the way he keeps the equipment and vehicle. Are things clean? Neatly arranged? The way a contractor treats his tools is a direct connection to how he’ll treat your home. During the initial meeting, does the contractor present himself in a professional way? Do you feel comfortable around him or his employees? They will be working in your home.
Tip No. 5: Clean up policy If your improvement is a multi-day project, will the contractor clean up at the end of every day or will he leave the dust, wood chips and other mess lying there for day No. 2?
Tip No. 6: Will the contractor put it in writing? Is your contractor willing to put both his bid and the scope of work in writing? If not – walk away immediately. Many homeowners have been duped by contractors who verbally say what’s included, but, in the middle of the job, require extra money to finish, effectively holding the owner hostage with an uncompleted home project.
Tip No. 7: Availability Can the contractor get the job done in your timeline rather than his timeline? On the flip side, if you can’t find a good contractor that’s willing to commit to your timeline, your expectations may be too high and you may need to adjust your timeline.
Tip No. 8: The use of subcontractors Does your contractor do everything himself or will he subcontract work? For example, if remodeling a bathroom, you may need a plumber, electrician and carpenter. It’s okay if the contractor subcontracts work out to these specific trades – it shows he wants the work done right – and it’s standard practice for the contractor to mark up the services to earn a profit. To save money, owners can subcontract the work themselves, but managing a total project brings its own challenges.
Tip No. 9: Quoting and billing procedure Ask the contractor about his quoting procedure. Will it contain general information, or will it be specific? For example, most contractors will charge a fuel surcharge, material up-charges, waste removal, labor, etc. Some will show you these exact costs in a line item invoice, but others roll it up into one big bill. How much detail do you want? Clarify that with your contractor upfront. Also: What is the payment or billing policy? If money is required upfront, go back to No. 1 and No. 2 above to make sure you have the contractor’s references checked and have a copy of his contractor’s insurance.
Tip No. 10: Did your contractor get the permits? Ask your contractor to take care of the permits. Although permits cost money, the inspection process also protects you from poor workmanship and makes sure everything is being built to code.
© 2010 Florida Realtors®
Monday, August 16, 2010
Sanibel/Captiva Ten Year Real Estate Market Analysis
CLICK TO ENLARGE GRAPHS
Attached are two sets of bar graphs: One for single family homes, the other for condominiums. The top graph shows the number of closed sales each year, since 2001. The bottom graph shows the average closed sales price for each of those years. For 2010, it is for the number sales and the average closed sales price, through August 11th.
Attached are two sets of bar graphs: One for single family homes, the other for condominiums. The top graph shows the number of closed sales each year, since 2001. The bottom graph shows the average closed sales price for each of those years. For 2010, it is for the number sales and the average closed sales price, through August 11th.Number of Closed Sales. For both homes and condos, the peak in the number of sales was reached in 2004/2005. In 2006, the number of sales dropped precipitously by about 42%. Since that time, the number of sales has remained fairly steady. However, we do note that the number of home sales in 2010 should be about equal to 2009 (and the three previous years), since we're about 7.5 months into the year and the seasonal sales are behind us. However, condo sales seem to have picked up quite a bit. We are in mid-August, 2010, and we are only 8 sales short of 2009 sales. As you can see, condo sales over the past four years dropped further than the single family home sales, so we needed this portion of our market to make a rebound - of sorts.
Average Sale Prices. The average sale price of SF homes continued to surge upward into 2007, even though the number of sales had slowed in 2006. The same is true for condominiums, with average sales price rising through 2006, even though the number of sales had dropped, starting in that year. When we look at the rise and fall of the average sale prices, it shows that for single family homes, the increases from 2001 through 2007 were at an average of 10.6% per year. For the three years since, the average price declines were at an average of 11% per year - almost exactly the same rate. No precipitous rise or fall, which we feel speaks strongly of the Sanibel/Captiva market. On the condominium side, the average rise in sales price was 11.4% per year and the average decline was 9.4%. Again, no precipitous rise or fall in these average sales prices.
Average Sale Prices. The average sale price of SF homes continued to surge upward into 2007, even though the number of sales had slowed in 2006. The same is true for condominiums, with average sales price rising through 2006, even though the number of sales had dropped, starting in that year. When we look at the rise and fall of the average sale prices, it shows that for single family homes, the increases from 2001 through 2007 were at an average of 10.6% per year. For the three years since, the average price declines were at an average of 11% per year - almost exactly the same rate. No precipitous rise or fall, which we feel speaks strongly of the Sanibel/Captiva market. On the condominium side, the average rise in sales price was 11.4% per year and the average decline was 9.4%. Again, no precipitous rise or fall in these average sales prices.
To see everything thats for sale on Sanibel and Captiva please visit my website at http://www.sanibelhomeseeker.com/
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Single Family Housing Permit Applications on Sanibel Exceed Four Previous Years -20th Permit Application for Current Fiscal Year-
Kathy Carik
07/29/2010 09:28 am
Today Sanibel City Manager Judie Zimomra announced that the City has received the 20th single-family home permit application for the current Fiscal Year, which started October 1, 2009.
In comparison, for the entire Fiscal Year of 2005, 16 single family home permits were issued on Sanibel; in 2006, 19 single family home permits were issued for the entire year; in Fiscal Year 2007, 17 single family homes were constructed; and in 2008, 11 permits were issued for new single family homes on Sanibel Island.
Upon releasing the statistics, Zimomra stated, "As a community Sanibel offers an excellent quality of life to our residents. As our City continues to reach build-out the remaining lots on the Island are very desirable, perhaps even more so during the current economic climate. We are especially pleased that our new construction is not confined to a single neighborhood but is occurring Island-wide.”
For information on property for sale in Sanibel or Captiva please see my website at www.SanibelHomeseeker.com
07/29/2010 09:28 am
Today Sanibel City Manager Judie Zimomra announced that the City has received the 20th single-family home permit application for the current Fiscal Year, which started October 1, 2009.
In comparison, for the entire Fiscal Year of 2005, 16 single family home permits were issued on Sanibel; in 2006, 19 single family home permits were issued for the entire year; in Fiscal Year 2007, 17 single family homes were constructed; and in 2008, 11 permits were issued for new single family homes on Sanibel Island.
Upon releasing the statistics, Zimomra stated, "As a community Sanibel offers an excellent quality of life to our residents. As our City continues to reach build-out the remaining lots on the Island are very desirable, perhaps even more so during the current economic climate. We are especially pleased that our new construction is not confined to a single neighborhood but is occurring Island-wide.”
For information on property for sale in Sanibel or Captiva please see my website at www.SanibelHomeseeker.com
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
It's Paradise.........for buyers
"It's Paradise … for buyers"headlined a recent Fort Myers News Press article
We all know what the big news is in the Gulf. And it doesn't just concern vacationers. We'd be naïve not to realize that homebuyers, although they have a longer horizon of interest, would be wondering about the effect of the BIG Spill on property values on Sanibel and Captiva.
Since we had planned to dedicate this issue of the Islands Telegraph to the local real estate scene anyway, let's launch right into it.
The article referenced above is accompanied by a photograph of a Periwinkle Way motel, recently sold for $1.75 million. (Unstated in the article is the fact that the sale of the motel was brokered by Royal Shell Real Estate.)
We are on the leading edge when it comes to knowing what is happening on the islands and making it happen. We've seen average prices for single family homes on Sanibel recede to 2004 levels. Single family homes on Captiva are at 2001 levels. Condo prices on both Sanibel and Captiva are back to those of 2002.
At Royal Shell Real Estate, we are seeing generally good news on Sanibel and Captiva. Cases in point: For 2010 year to date, listings sold are up 40% over the same period in 2009. The total dollar volume of sales YTD 2010 is up 10.37%, while the average sale price is down 21.15%.
Analysis: This is a superb time to buy real estate on Sanibel and Captiva. Real Estate sales are up; Real estate prices are down. Average prices are down to where they were well before the real estate "bubble" drove them up.
Case in point: Royal Shell Real Estate has current condo listings as low as $185,000.
And the larger, more luxurious homes on the islands are moving well. A Captiva 3/3/1 bayfront private home sold for $2,500.000, 20% below the listed price. A 3/3/0 Beach Villas condo on Captiva sold for $780,000, about 6% below listed price. A sweet 2/2/0 condo unit at Sanibel's Loggerhead Key sold for $416,000, almost 13% below the listed price.
Here's one waiting to be snapped up: $2,350,000 on Captiva's Roosevelt Channel, after a $100,000 price reduction. Check with our Captiva office for details.
As you can see, the prices are good, the values are great, the traffic is active. Local mortgage brokers are placing loans on all types of properties and 30-year fixed rate mortgages are at the lowest since they started tracking them decades ago. This is an excellent time to tap into a deal on your home, second home or investment home on Sanibel-Captiva.
We all know what the big news is in the Gulf. And it doesn't just concern vacationers. We'd be naïve not to realize that homebuyers, although they have a longer horizon of interest, would be wondering about the effect of the BIG Spill on property values on Sanibel and Captiva.
Since we had planned to dedicate this issue of the Islands Telegraph to the local real estate scene anyway, let's launch right into it.
The article referenced above is accompanied by a photograph of a Periwinkle Way motel, recently sold for $1.75 million. (Unstated in the article is the fact that the sale of the motel was brokered by Royal Shell Real Estate.)
We are on the leading edge when it comes to knowing what is happening on the islands and making it happen. We've seen average prices for single family homes on Sanibel recede to 2004 levels. Single family homes on Captiva are at 2001 levels. Condo prices on both Sanibel and Captiva are back to those of 2002.
At Royal Shell Real Estate, we are seeing generally good news on Sanibel and Captiva. Cases in point: For 2010 year to date, listings sold are up 40% over the same period in 2009. The total dollar volume of sales YTD 2010 is up 10.37%, while the average sale price is down 21.15%.
Analysis: This is a superb time to buy real estate on Sanibel and Captiva. Real Estate sales are up; Real estate prices are down. Average prices are down to where they were well before the real estate "bubble" drove them up.
Case in point: Royal Shell Real Estate has current condo listings as low as $185,000.
And the larger, more luxurious homes on the islands are moving well. A Captiva 3/3/1 bayfront private home sold for $2,500.000, 20% below the listed price. A 3/3/0 Beach Villas condo on Captiva sold for $780,000, about 6% below listed price. A sweet 2/2/0 condo unit at Sanibel's Loggerhead Key sold for $416,000, almost 13% below the listed price.
Here's one waiting to be snapped up: $2,350,000 on Captiva's Roosevelt Channel, after a $100,000 price reduction. Check with our Captiva office for details.
As you can see, the prices are good, the values are great, the traffic is active. Local mortgage brokers are placing loans on all types of properties and 30-year fixed rate mortgages are at the lowest since they started tracking them decades ago. This is an excellent time to tap into a deal on your home, second home or investment home on Sanibel-Captiva.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Oil Free Sanibel chosen for the release of Pelicans, Gannets
By Anne Mitchell
A large number of brown pelicans and northern gannets rescued from the oil spill along the Louisiana coast were transported to Sanibel Monday and released at an oil-free island beach.
Twenty-one brown pelicans and 11 northern gannets were airlifted in transport crates aboard a U.S. Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from New Orleans Airport to Page Field General Aviation Airport in Fort Myers. They made the trip to Sanibel in four rented vans. The birds, which had been rescued and rehabilitated after being oiled in the Gulf Coast waters, were set free before a crowd of onlookers at Gulfside City Park. The release was authorized and coordinated under the direction of the Unified Commands in New Orleans, Houma, Mobile and Miami with assistance from the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Coast Guard, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and the City of Sanibel.
Officials chose Sanibel as a release site based on three criteria, said Dr. Jenny Powers, the NPS wildlife veterinarian who accompanied the birds from New Orleans. “First is the suitability of habitat and then the oil trajectory and weather,” she said. “The release site also needs to be close to an airport.”
Because Sanibel Island lies well outside the area that will likely be affected by oil-spill impact (experts predict a one percent likelihood of impact) and is similar in environment
to the birds’ homelands along the Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi coast, and within the species’ home range, it made an ideal release spot.
The birds had been rescued and treated by various agencies in the Gulf Coast states. They were in rehabilitation for 10 to 14 days, according to Dr. Powers. Pelicans have among the best recovery rates among birds impacted by oil, she added. On Sanibel, the pelicans were released at water’s edge following the release of the gannets directly into the water. A crowd of media, refuge staff, and beach-goers gathered to applaud their flawless release.
Rehabilitation center staff banded the birds’ legs with alpha-numeric red bands, as
well as traditional aluminum bands. The red bands allow birdwatchers to more easily identify the birds and the public is requested to help in reporting any sightings to the refuge or at 800-327-BAND. “We’ve only released immature birds up to this point, and they often return to near the vicinity they came from,” said Dr. Powers. “We don’t know what the adults will do.”
A large number of brown pelicans and northern gannets rescued from the oil spill along the Louisiana coast were transported to Sanibel Monday and released at an oil-free island beach.
Twenty-one brown pelicans and 11 northern gannets were airlifted in transport crates aboard a U.S. Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from New Orleans Airport to Page Field General Aviation Airport in Fort Myers. They made the trip to Sanibel in four rented vans. The birds, which had been rescued and rehabilitated after being oiled in the Gulf Coast waters, were set free before a crowd of onlookers at Gulfside City Park. The release was authorized and coordinated under the direction of the Unified Commands in New Orleans, Houma, Mobile and Miami with assistance from the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Coast Guard, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and the City of Sanibel.
Officials chose Sanibel as a release site based on three criteria, said Dr. Jenny Powers, the NPS wildlife veterinarian who accompanied the birds from New Orleans. “First is the suitability of habitat and then the oil trajectory and weather,” she said. “The release site also needs to be close to an airport.”
Because Sanibel Island lies well outside the area that will likely be affected by oil-spill impact (experts predict a one percent likelihood of impact) and is similar in environment
to the birds’ homelands along the Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi coast, and within the species’ home range, it made an ideal release spot.
The birds had been rescued and treated by various agencies in the Gulf Coast states. They were in rehabilitation for 10 to 14 days, according to Dr. Powers. Pelicans have among the best recovery rates among birds impacted by oil, she added. On Sanibel, the pelicans were released at water’s edge following the release of the gannets directly into the water. A crowd of media, refuge staff, and beach-goers gathered to applaud their flawless release.
Rehabilitation center staff banded the birds’ legs with alpha-numeric red bands, as
well as traditional aluminum bands. The red bands allow birdwatchers to more easily identify the birds and the public is requested to help in reporting any sightings to the refuge or at 800-327-BAND. “We’ve only released immature birds up to this point, and they often return to near the vicinity they came from,” said Dr. Powers. “We don’t know what the adults will do.”
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