Category: Island Update

Join Adventures in Paradise for their annual Easter Egg Hunt & Dolphin Cruise on April 9. Departing from dock “G” at the Port Sanibel Marina, located at 14341 Port Comfort Road in Fort Myers, the event will have two sessions: from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. and from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

During the cruise, guests will have the opportunity to see dolphins in their natural habitat as they travel through San Carlos Bay. A knowledgeable captain and naturalist will be onboard to provide insightful narration throughout the journey. The destination is “Easter Island,” also known as Picnic Island, where participants will enjoy searching for more than 1,000 Easter eggs.

Easter pails and bottled water will be provided to all participants to ensure a comfortable experience. Tickets for the event are priced at $69 per adult and $59 per child, and reservations are required to secure a spot.

For tickets or more information, call 239-472-8443 or visit www.adventuresinparadise.com

As of April 4th, 2023, the J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge has reopened. Visitors can now access the Wild Drive, Visitors and Education Center, Wildlife Observation Tower, as well as sections of the Indigo Trail, Wildlife Education Boardwalk, and Wulfert Key Trail. Wild Drive will be open from 7am to 5pm, Saturday through Thursday, and closed on Fridays. The admission fees are $10 for vehicles and $1 for pedestrians and cyclists. Moreover, the Refuge Nature Store will be available from 9am to 4pm, Saturday through Thursday.

Sanibel Recreation Center Week at a Glance April 3rd to 9th

The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club, located in Sanibel, has revealed plans to regrass the entire 18-hole championship course with Paspalum turfgrass, replacing the current Bermuda grass on the tees, fairways, and roughs.

The club has stated that Paspalum is considered the most adaptable warm season grass species, as it can withstand dry conditions and higher salinity levels that can be detrimental to other types of turfgrass.

Although regrassing is typically done gradually, the Dunes Golf & Tennis Club has decided to transition the entire course at once while simultaneously renovating the dining area and tennis/pickleball facilities, which were affected by a recent hurricane. The club is expected to resume operations on October 1st.

Part of The Inns of Sanibel, The Dunes Golf & Tennis Club is at at 949 Sand Castle Road, Sanibel.

On April 5th, the Lee County Commission will make a decision to either approve or deny the Eden Oak zoning request put forward by Romas Kartavicius, an Ontario-based developer, to construct 55 residential units and a 13 multi-slip docking facility on a 45-acre portion of the property, as reported by The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.

According to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Eden Oak is situated near the Sanibel Causeway toll booth, west of Shell Point Boulevard, and is adjacent to the Caloosahatchee River mouth. The property spans 306 acres, comprising mangroves, wetlands, and uplands, and is highly environmentally sensitive. The proposed development would necessitate the dredging and filling of these ecologically significant areas. Not only does this region provide storm protection to the current neighboring residents, but it also serves as a habitat for wild birds, biologically vulnerable terrapins, and endangered sawfish.

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Residential Active Listings Snapshot

Condo Active Listings Snapshot

Residential Pending Listings Snapshot

Condo Pending Listings Snapshot

YTD 2023 Sold Listings by Price Range

The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel has announced the release of its post-Hurricane Ian reopenings in honor of the National Wildlife Refuge System’s 120th anniversary on March 14. Following the devastating storm on September 28, which severely damaged the refuge’s habitat and facilities, public access to all its waters and land was prohibited. However, the Tarpon Bay Recreation Area was reopened on February 1. On April 4, the gate to Wildlife Drive will be reopened for the first time, accompanied by a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Sanibel & Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce. The refuge’s Visitor & Education Center will also be reopened on that day.

The Wildlife Drive hours will start out on Saturday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrance fees remain the same as pre-Ian: $10 for vehicles, and $1 for pedestrians and cyclists older than 15.

Along with the exhibit area in the Visitor & Education Center, the Refuge Nature Store will be open on Saturday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center’s auditoriums and classroom will remain closed until further notice.

Facilities also to remain closed will include: most of the Indigo Trail, except for the segment between Wildlife Drive and the Wildlife Education Boardwalk; Mangrove Overlook; Calusa Shell Mound Trail; and the trails of Bailey Tract. Staff continues cleanup efforts in these areas with the help of volunteers. No reopening dates have been set for these facilities.

At the Tarpon Bay Recreation Area, the Tarpon Bay Explorers recreation concession is offering limited facilities, rentals, and tours. Hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, with last rentals issued at 3 p.m. Guided kayaking tours of the Commodore Creek Trail are available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10 a.m. Click here for the full article

Due to factors such as exchange rates and climate, Canadians are currently primarily purchasing homes in Florida for the purpose of enjoying its sunny and warm weather. This desirable climate continues to attract 45% of Canadians’ neighbors to the North to invest in Florida real estate.

Calgary.com analyzed data from the National Association of Realtors’ 2022 International Transactions in U.S. Residential Real Estate report to determine the preferred destinations of Canadian snowbirds in the United States. According to the report, foreign buyers acquired 98,600 homes in the U.S. from April 2021 to March 2022, accounting for 1.6% of all 6 million existing-home sales. These buyers can be classified into three categories.

• non-U.S. citizens who have permanent residences outside the U.S.
• non-U.S. citizens who immigrated less than two years before the time of the purchase
• nonimmigrant visa holders who live in the U.S. for more than six months of the year for professional, educational, or other reasons

The top three countries of origin for foreign homebuyers in the U.S. are Canada, Mexico, and China. Canadians constitute the largest group of foreign purchasers, accounting for 11% of all such buyers and spending around $5.5 billion on U.S. properties.

Since there are no citizenship requirements for purchasing a home in the U.S., individuals from any nation are eligible to do so. Moreover, citizens of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) member countries, including its successor the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), have access to special U.S. immigration status options, which make it even easier to own a home across borders.

However, the reverse is not true, as Canada has banned foreign buyers from purchasing homes starting in 2023 in an effort to address the country’s housing price crisis.

According to a survey by the National Association of Realtors, the most common reason why Canadians buy homes in the U.S. is for use as vacation properties.

One reason for this trend could be the declining affordability of U.S. homes for Canadian buyers. While housing prices in Canada became unaffordable in 2022 due to higher mortgage interest rates, the median housing cost in the U.S. has also surged. The COVID-19 pandemic led to limited home building and a sharp rise in housing demand. Additionally, the Federal Reserve’s efforts to combat record inflation by raising interest rates have further reduced the affordability of American homes.

Despite these challenges, data suggests that Canadians seeking homes in the U.S. are still targeting many of the same popular destinations favored by American buyers over the past decade.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians have become the largest group of foreign homebuyers in the U.S., surpassing Chinese buyers.

In 2022, Florida, Arizona, and California emerged as the most popular states for Canadian homebuyers. These locations are also popular retirement destinations for Americans and feature fewer cold weather days compared to northern states.

For instance, the Phoenix metropolitan area has been a popular destination for both American and Canadian “snowbirds” who reside in northern regions during summer but prefer to spend winters in warmer climates. It’s a widespread trend, and businesses in the area cater to and rely on the influx of customers during the winter months, often welcoming “snowbirds” with signs and advertisements.

Canadian snowbirds spend approximately $1 billion each season in Arizona, while Florida’s economy benefits from around 350,000 Canadian snowbirds who call the state their home for a portion of the year.

• Florida: Share of all Canadian purchases: 45%
• Arizona: Share of all Canadian purchases: 23%
• California: Share of all Canadian purchases: 12%
• Washington: Share of all Canadian purchases: 4%
• Michigan: Share of all Canadian purchases: 3%
• South Carolina: Share of all Canadian purchases: 3%
• Nevada: Share of all Canadian purchases: 2%
• Utah: Share of all Canadian purchases: 2%
• Illinois: Share of all Canadian purchases: 2%
• New York: Share of all Canadian purchases: 2%