Month: July 2022

Proposed small cell towers along Captiva Drive discussed at Community Panel meeting

In response to increased community complaints about inadequate cell service on Captiva, Verizon has developed a plan to install five small cell towers along Captiva Drive to boost reception and improve service. Your property is one of those selected for such a tower, so the Captiva Community Panel wanted to reach out to inform you of this proposal.

These locations are dictated by the technological needs of the small cell system. The specific locations on each property were selected to minimize visual impact of the cell towers to property owners and to maintain minimum required distance from overhead power lines.

The towers will be 50 feet high and painted black (see photos). Verizon maintains that the towers must be black with no ability to camouflage using other paint colors. It will be possible to landscape up to about a 5-foot radius around the towers. An open pathway to the towers from Captiva Drive must be maintained.

The five locations are:

• 16990 Captiva Drive. The tower will be installed about 15 feet north of the driveway entrance and be set back about 10 feet from the paved roadway.
• 16530 Captiva Drive. The tower will be installed on the southern property line and set back about 10 feet from the roadway.
• 16250 Captiva Drive. The tower will be set about 25 feet south of the driveway and be set back about 10 feet from the roadway.
• Tween Waters Inn. The tower will be set on the beach side of the roadway across from the southernmost cottages.
• Community Center. The tower will be placed adjacent to the southern parking area between the parking lot and the beach access walkway.

This proposal, which must be approved by Lee County (since they are in the public right-of-way) as well as other regulatory bodies, was discussed in the last Captiva Community Panel meeting held on Tuesday, July 12, beginning at 9 a.m. The meeting was held via Zoom to make it easier for the community to attend and participate. Verizon is expected to request letters of support from the Community Panel and the Captiva Fire District to assist in the governmental approval process.

Closed Sales
Closed sales for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2022 were down 20.4% from the preceding 12-months, from 41,956 to 33,397.  The 2,656 sales posted for the month of June were down 33.7% when compared to June of 2021, a time when the market was still posting a record-breaking sales pace. However, excluding last year, closed sales for the month were the highest on record for June.

Listing Inventory / New Listings
As of June 30, 5,124 properties were available, up 105.8% from a year prior and up 23% from the prior month. New listings for the 12-month period ending June 30, 2022 were down 6.3% from the preceding 12-months, from 39,361 to 36,865. For the month of June, new listings were up 11.3% from June of 2021.  1.84 months of supply was posted as of June 30, 2022 and, although more than double that of last year, still denotes a sellers’ market. In Southwest Florida, 6 to 12 months of supply is generally considered a balanced market.

Average Selling Price
The average selling price for the 12-month period through June 30, 2022 was $723,540, up 22.2% from the preceding 12-month period when the average selling price was $592,323.

Summary
The market continues to move away from its previous frenzied pace. Newly pending sales for June occurred at a steady rate, trending slightly below pre-pandemic levels which suggests that closed sales in coming weeks may follow a similar pattern. It’s not unusual, when a market is undergoing a shift, that we see an ebb and flow in the pace of sales. One of many encouraging indicators is that the market hasn’t shifted at a dramatic rate and, instead, has been steadily undergoing a correction over the course of the year. Even though the market remains well into sellers’ market territory, sellers whose expectations haven’t yet adjusted with the shift in the market may need some guidance on current market trends and the best strategies to sell their home. Instead of a seller’s home selling in hours with multiples bids, it will likely require more time before offers and possibly even showings begin to materialize. And pricing may have to be more in line with recent relevant closed sales rather than adding the kinds of significant mark-ups that were occurring last year. Although pricing continues to post increases, the rate of increase has subsided and will likely continue to do so until the market finds equilibrium. A slower rate of increase doesn’t necessarily mean pricing will decline, so buyers may want to take this into consideration before potentially passing up a great home due to an expectation that they’ll find another one just like it at a lower price later on. With more listings now on the market, buyers who had put their search on pause may find this to be a good time to reengage the market.

Through June, John R. Wood Properties continues to be the leading brokerage in both closed dollar volume and transaction sides in Southwest Florida!

Click here for the complete report

The operator of the Island Store on Captiva, Bailey’s General Store on Sanibel is going to host The Calling Wine Tasting on July 21 at 6 p.m. at the Captiva Civic Center, at 11550 Chaplin Lane, Captiva.

Guest speakers South Florida Sales Manager Pablo Pelaez and District Manager Eric Narvaez, both with the Brittany Sales Company, will join Bailey’s wine steward Calli Johnson to present The Calling lineup. The featured wines are: 2019 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, 2019 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay, 2016 Sullivan Vineyard Chardonnay, 2019 Russian River Pinot Noir, 2019 Fox Den Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2018 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2018 “Our Tribute” Cabernet Sauvignon.

They will be paired with hors d’oeuvres by Chef Karl Hamme, with the Sanibel Catering Company.

James MacPhail pursued his dream to become a winemaker in the mid-1990s, mentored by some of Sonoma Country’s most respected winemakers and growers. Through the experience, MacPhail honed his craft focusing on pinot noir and chardonnay sourced from the Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley.

Cost is $49.99 per person and space is limited.

Registration is required before July 14.

For more information or to make a reservation, visit https://www.baileys-sanibel.com/.