Don’t Feed the Alligators on Sanibel Island!

It seems like common sense, right?

Yet, it only takes one time for an alligator to mentally register that receiving food from a human then means that humans are now “food” and then that very alligator becomes a potential risk and will probably end up being killed after either harming, or even attempting to harm, a child, pet or adult in the future.

What a shame, especially when they are only acting on what they instinctually were taught via someone feeding them.

Therefore, please please never feed an alligator on Sanibel or Captiva Islands.  Oh yes, and I forgot to mention the little $500 fine for those who are caught doing so…  Yikes!

There are plenty of websites out there describing the differences between southern Floridian alligators and crocodiles, so I won’t go into too much detail here, but you can read below the wonderful safety tips from our very own Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation:

Take the ALLIGATOR QUIZ and see how much you already know!

Click the link above and it will pop you over to the quiz… I’m sure you know more than you think you do!  😉

Have a great weekend!!

Sandy and Rob

p.s.   Sanibel Island Real Estate is still rockin’ at SanCap One Source!

Hurricane Season Again Already?

Well, well, well…

Yes, I felt it was time again to remind everybody of the importance of being prepared for our annual storm season.

Even though money’s tight these days for everyone, we shouldn’t skimp on buying the things that truly could save our lives if the situation ever arises.

Five years ago, Rob and I, ourselves rode out Hurricane Charley and let me tell you, it was scary!

But, we were prepared, thank goodness, and therefore, no tragedy happened with us personally.

Below I’ve included the National Hurricane Center’s “Disaster Kit” List, as well as a video also showing things that you should always have at the ready.

Let’s all be safe this season and hopefully, we won’t even need to use it, but NOT having these items on hand is not a risk that I want to take…

Good Luck!!

Have a great last week of August,

Sandy and Rob

p.s.  You can also get some really great information at the FloridaDisaster.org site right here!

p.s.  SanCap One Source Real Estate Rocks!!

Property Values on Sanibel and Captiva Islands Hold Strong Amidst Lee County Troubles

Well, let’s just say that it’s really no surprise that Lee County is experiencing the same thing that the majority of the country is experiencing, and that is a fall in property values across the board.

Depending on where you are in the country these days, with very few exceptions, homeowners are seeing between a 10%-50% drop in the value of their home.

One job that I certainly would not enjoy at this moment is that of a real estate appraiser.  These folks are not looked upon positively by homeowners as they arrive to do their inspections and make their relatively subjective assessments.

However, do keep in mind that they are answering to someone above them, as well, that is giving them the new ranges of home values to base their numbers on relative to the area where the property is located.

Take for example, the article that just came out yesterday regarding Lee County Property Values, which specifically speaks of Lehigh Acres, just inland from Ft. Myers away from the beach.  The homes there are taking a beating, however, we are also here in Lee County and our location is still holding pretty strong!

Yes, we are working with island and beach property homes and investments, but there are beach communities everywhere up and down the east and west coasts that are seeing home values significantly decline, but thank goodness, our investments for clients are still hanging in there!

Bottom line: Call us to list your property IF you need to and definitely call us if you are searching for quality investment opportunities, or just a great second home with some seriously fun island living attached!

That’s it for this week…

Have a great weekend,

Sandy and Rob

p.s. Sanibel Island Real Estate awaits your visit…

Who’s Excited About Blind Pass Opening?

Has the day finally arrived that Blind Pass is open? Well, sorta.

It seems Blind Pass, itself, was anxious to open up and jumped the gun by splitting its retaining wall a tad earlier than the contractors had planned. After the final dredging was completed on Friday, Mother Nature decided, “Ok, that’s it, I’m goin’ in!” and stirred up a storm with waves that broke through the sheet pile wall and let the Gulf flow right on in!

One group that’s excited for sure is the fishermen! Now, they have their favorite fishing “hole” back. Another group is the homeowners that live along the channel that now have their direct boat access to the Gulf back after losing it for all these years. This is a dream come true for them.

But, more importantly than anything else, are the improvements that will be seen over time in the ecosystems that have not been able to receive the water flow from the Gulf keeping the environment healthy and in flux for wildlife, for plant life and for us to enjoy!

If you haven’t seen the work done yet, you should take a drive out there and have a look, it’s pretty impressive.

Here’s a couple of links to some recent articles on the topic as well:

• Mother Nature Gives Blind Pass an Early Debut
• Recreation at Blind Pass

Ok, that’s it for this week…

Have a great weekend!

Sandy and Rob