U.S. Independence Day 2009 on Sanibel Island Has Arrived!

Well, it’s that time of year again… One of the most fun events on Sanibel and Captiva Islands is always our Fourth of July Festivities!

This year we celebrate the 19th Annual Sanibel Island Fourth of July Parade featuring beautiful floats and fun activities for everyone to come out and enjoy.

The Annual Parade begins Saturday morning at 9:30am on the corner of Tarpon Road and Periwinkle Way with a big old-fashioned BBQ lunch at Bailey’s Center just after the parade.  Do not miss out on this!

The afternoon is action-packed watching the oldest July 4th annual event on the Island and that it the Sanibel Island Road Rally – which is really a mind-bending scavenger hunt based on clues to be found and followed around the island.  Around 30 cars/groups participate and believe me, it can get quite exciting out there as the competition heats up over the 2-3 hours until someone finds (and deciphers!) all the clues and wins!  This is really fun to watch!!

Lastly, fireworks will begin at sundown at the end of Bailey Road and this year promises to be one of the best years ever, so do not miss out on these either!

You can read about all the details of any of these activities right here at Captiva-Sanibel.com

Overall, a very fun day is to be had by all and Rob and I look forward to seeing you all out there enjoying yourselves…

We’re only a week out, so make your plans now!

I also found a new toy called “Wordle“ and was playing with it.  I made a few flyers below that are all about our festivities next Saturday, so if you want to click on them to enlarge and then right-click and save, or print them out, you can certainly feel free to do so!  Enjoy!

Have a great weekend,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  Psssst… SanCap One Source awaits your visit… 🙂

Blind Pass “Pole and Troll” Zone Ready on July 8th

As each day brings us closer to the finish of the long-awaited project of Dredging Blind Pass on July 10th, the J.N. “Ding” Darling NWR and Lee County officials will be drawing the boundaries in Wulfert Flats and setting up the buoys that will establish the new “Pole and Troll” zone for boaters to raise their outboard motors out of the water and proceed with caution.

You can read all the details from the past two weeks right here or download it if you would like:  Blind Pass Dredging Update

For some reason, there was no fourth page this time?  Oh well…

Have a great week and we’ll see you on Friday!

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  Our SanCap One Source Realty website awaits your visit… see you over there!

Will Remodeling Help Sell Your Home Faster?

There’s a saying in the real estate world that the “kitchen and bathrooms” sell the home!

Hmmm, is that so…

In that case, it makes perfect sense to focus on making them look their best by doing some very simple, and relatively inexpensive, things like replacing door handles, sink handles, floor boards or carpet and repainting.  This has been the “modus operandus” for years.

However, as we all know, it is getting a little bit tougher these days (but far from dire) as the markets continue to try and scare us out of our wits!

Now, more than ever, sellers need to stand out of the crowd and make their property outshine all the rest because the buyers are definitely still out there!

So, how do you do that?

What we’ve seen is some beautiful makeovers, particularly kitchen and bath makeovers, that are great talking points for prospective buyers, as well as “a shiny new look” in what could be a somewhat aging home.

There are many examples on the island of just how effective it is in selling your home quicker when you invest in a partial or multi-room makeover.

One of the best outfits on Sanibel Island to assist you and show you some great examples of home makeovers is Jonathon Tongyai over at Island Styles Remodeling.  Jonathon and his team will be able to help you make sense of exactly what would benefit you in the sale of your home without overspending on unnecessary detail.

Give Jonathon a call and if you don’t have your home listed yet, then give us a call and we’ll take your home “to the moon” as far as exposure to targeted buyers!  😉

That’s it for this week…

Have a great weekend!

Sandy and Rob

p.s.   Access the Sanibel/Captiva MLS Search right here on our main website… Sanibel Island MLS Listings

Can Sanibel Island Go Fertilizer-Free?

A hot island topic, to be sure, is the use of fertilizers in landscaping on Sanibel Island.

As summer approaches, we all must become aware again of the dangers that fertilizers containing nitrogen and phosphorous have to our local water quality.  The run-off that occurs when placed too close to bodies of water or hard surfaces and storm drains poses a significant threat to our natural environment.

Records show that the sale of residential fertilizer in the Caloosahatchee region increased 62 percent between 2003 and 2006 causing unnecessary risk and potential harm to our coastal wildlife, as well as encouraging algae bloom growth.

The Sanibel Fertilizer Ordinance was adopted in 2007 and to this day, remains an example for all Florida landscapers when it comes to protecting water quality and the local environment.

Many homeowners simply do not understand that over-fertilizing is not only harmful, but a lot of the time is completely unnecessary, especially with a little education in knowing which plants to use in their yards and gardens that do not require fertilizer at all.  You can see an excellent article and list of the right and wrong plants right here at the Sanibel’s Waters excellent website.

An article on News-Press.com just yesterday reminded me that this would be a great topic to discuss today due to its timeliness and need for awareness, so I hope that this has been informational and that you will help spread the word regarding a “Fertilizer-Free Sanibel Island”.  Thanks!

Have a great weekend,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  Check out our new listings over at SanCap One Source Realty!

Blind Pass Dredging Sees Manatee, Pilings and Beach-Goers

In keeping with our promise to keep you updated on the Blind Pass Dredging project, we are writing an extra post this week showing you the progress that’s being made at Blind Pass.

This Lee County report is for the last week of May and shows that as the project is winding down, and that some unexpected visitors decided to “join the party” and show up for the dredging.

Namely, a manatee entered the work area and approached within 100 feet of  Dredge “Michael” prompting work to shut down until our curious friend left the area!

As well, a shorebird nest was found and caused a slight shift in direction of activity to avoid it.

Lots going on as the project moves toward completion.  You can read all about it below of download it here at Blind Pass Dredging:

Have a great week… See you Friday!

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  Don’t forget to visit SanCap Once Source Realty!

Attention: Amateur Photographers on Sanibel Island

Ready, Fire…Aim!

Your cameras, that is…

The Annual “Ding” Darling Days Nature Photography Contest is on and June 1st was the first day that entries could begin being submitted for consideration in winning one of top awards to be given out on Oct. 24th during the “Ding” Darling Days Celebration.  The final day for submissions is at 4pm on September 30th, so you have plenty of time!

All types of nature photos are being accepted.  The more interesting and original, obviously, the better.  But, judges will also be looking for technical expertise and creativity when they choose the winners.

There are no special requirements or age limits, only that the photos are, in actuality, taken by an amateur and not a professional.

We want a fair competition, after all.

You can read all about the submission details and contact information right here at this link for the “Ding” Days Photo Contest.

So, get out there and have fun with this…

Have a great weekend!

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  Believe it or not, we are closing on several properties in these challenging times, head on over to our main site and check things out at SanCap One Source Realty