The most expensive home to sell in Lee County, Florida during July 2010 was a Sanibel gulf front home located in the Gulf Pines subdivision.  This 3,716 SF home located at 906 Snowberry Lane Sanibel, FL features 4 BR / 4.5 BA.  The selling price was $2.4M / $646 SF.

Congratulation to selling Realtor Eleanor See of John R. Wood Island Real Estate for closing the most expensive residential property in July 2010.

Honorable mention for 2nd most expensive Lee County home sold in July was a single-family home located in Bonita Springs the Quail West community at 28901 Girard Terrace, Bonita Springs, Florida.  This home is 4,600 SF and features 4 BR / 4.5 BA with water and golf course views and a stunning porte-cochere covered walkway. The selling price was $1.3M / $283 SF.

Congratulations to selling Realtor Kathie Soller of Coldwell Banker for closing this transaction.

In July 2010 there were two residential transactions in Lee County with a selling price over $1M, down from twelve in June 2010, seventeen in May 2010 and thirteen in April 2010. The luxury market here is Southwest Florida is in a bit of a lull this summer.

Here is a resource if you are interested in learning more about Fort Myers luxury homes that are currently listed for sale.

The most expensive home to sell in Lee County, Florida during May 2010 was a Sanibel home on nearly an acre gulf-front parcel.  This home is located at 4099 W. Gulf Drive in Sanibel 15017 and features 5 BR and 4.5 BA.  The home was built in 1992 and features panoramic views of the beach and gulf.  The selling price was $3.275M / $963 SF.

Congratulations to selling Realtor Art Corace of RE/MAX of the Islands for closing the most expensive residential property in May 2010.

Honorable mention for 2nd most expensive Lee County home sold in May was a single-family home located on Sanibel in the Chateaux Sur Mer neighborhood at 4709 Rue Belle Mer Sanibel.  This home is 2,148 SF and features 3 BR / 2 BA with awesome views of the beach and Gulf. The selling price was $2M / $931 SF.

Congratulations to selling Realtor Michael McMurray of VIP Realty Group for closing this transaction.

In May 2010, there were seventeen residential transactions in Lee County with a selling price over $1M, this is up from thirteen in April 2010, seven transactions in March 2010 and five transactions in February 2010.  It is safe to say that we continue to see a slight rebound in the Fort Myers area luxury market!

Here is a resource if you are interested in learning more about Fort Myers luxury homes that are currently listed for sale.

Sanibel Lighthouse

TripAdvisor named Sanibel as one of its Travelers’ Choice 2010 winners in the beach & sun category.  A TripAdvisor award is the real deal as winners are derived from millions of real and unbiased reviews and opinions on the TripAdvisor website.

Sanibel has almost completely erased the damage caused by Hurricaine Charley and is back firing on all cylinders as a world-class destination.

TripAdvisor sums up the Sanibel experience quite succinctly:

Most vacation spots are either relaxing (Tahiti) or family-friendly (Orlando). Sanibel Island, however, is that rare place which is both. Spend a quiet afternoon shell-collecting, or find a hotel with a kids’ program so you can enjoy a trip to the spa or a round of golf.

I have to agree with TripAdvisor that Sanibel is truly a fantastic place to visit and an even better place to call home.

For many Southwest Florida residents, their first experience in the area was a vacation on Sanibel or Captiva. My first visit to Lee County was a week-long vacation at SouthSeas on Captiva Island.  It is truly easy while enjoying the beach to forget about the snow back home and visualize making Southwest Florida your permanent home.

If you have pondered making Sanibel your permanent home, now may be a good time to take a look.  Sanibel real estate prices have compressed, although nowhere near the off-island levels of surrounding Lee County communities. From Sanibel gulf front resort condos to homes on golf courses, there are a diverse variety of Sanibel real estate options currently available.

Sanibel condos available under $300,000

Sunset on Sanibel Beach

Have you ever looked at Sanibel condos and passed because the prices were outside of your comfort zone?  It just might be time to take another look as prices have compressed in the Sanibel condo market.

At present, there are nine condos listed for sale with asking prices below $300,000.  Six of these are 2 BR units with a minimum of 750 SF of living space.  Units in this price range are generally 20+ years old and not upgraded with the latest finishes like granite counters and stainless appliances……but certainly these are projects that can be tackled after purchasing a unit.

While beachfront units are not available in the sub $300K price range, most are located within walking distance or a short bike ride from one of Sanibel’s wonderful Gulf beaches.

East End Sanibel condo developments with listings priced under 300,000 include: Captains Walk; Tennis Place; Sundial; Mariner Point

Mid Island Sanibel condo developments with listings priced under $300,000 include: Lake Palms

West End Sanibel condo developments with listings priced under $300,000 include: Blind Pass Condo

Here is a resource to view active Sanibel condo listings.

The most expensive home to sell in Lee County Florida during January 2010 was a Fort Myers riverfront single-family estate located at 14000 Schultz Road, Fort Myers.  This riverfront estate home is 12,838 SF and features 5BR and 8 BA.  The home was built in 1980 and is sited on 7.5 acres fronting the Caloosahatchee River, just north of Gulf Harbour.

The selling price was $3.7M / $288 SF.  Congratulations to selling Realtor Marilyn Kistler of Prudential Florida Realty for closing the most expensive residential property in January 2010.

Honorable mention for 2nd most expensive Lee County home sold in January was a single-family home located at 561 Lighthouse Way, Sanibel.  This gulf access canal-front home in the Sanibel Estates neighborhood of is 3,416 SF and features 5 BR and 4 BA.

The selling price was $1.4M / $410 SF.  Congratulations to selling Realtor Chuck Bergstrom of RE/MAX of The Islands for closing this transaction.

In January 2010, there were four residential transactions in Lee County with a selling price over $1M.

For those of you considering dipping your toe in the Florida real estate market, Jim Cramer believes that we are at the bottom. The supporting logic behind this proclamation is that builders stopped new construction in Florida two years ago and inventory is being absorbed by our continued low interest rates. Cramer suggests that Florida will lead the nation out of the housing crisis.

At the present time, there are interesting real estate investment opportunities across the Southwest Florida market in Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Estero, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Sanibel and Captiva.

The most expensive home to sell in Lee County Florida during March 2009 was a single-family bay-front home located at 1571 San Carlos Bay Drive on Sanibel Island. This recently renovated home overlooks San Carlos Bay with expansive views to Punta Rassa and Pine Island. This home offers 3,121 SF and features 4BR and 4BA.

The selling price was $3.0M / $961 SF. Congratulations to selling Realtor Peter Aldrian of Captiva Realty, LLC for closing the most expensive home in March 2009.

Honorable mention for 2nd most expensive Lee County home sold in March was a single-family home located at 4600 Schooner Drive on North Captiva Island. This newly-built home offers 5BR and 5BA and a 1/7th ownership interest in a lot providing deeded beach access.

The selling price was $1.475M. Congratulations to Mark Muller of Resort Properties Internationale, LLC for closing this transaction.

The most expensive home to sell in Lee County Florida during January 2009 was a single-family home located at 11515 Wightman Lane in Captiva. Whightman Lane is located in the village of Captiva and is one block north of the famed Andy Rosse Lane. This home is 2,650 SF and features 5BR and 5BA.

The selling price was 2.275M / and a whopping $858 SF. Congratulations to selling Realtor Kara Cuscaden of Royal Shell Preferred Properties for closing the most expensive home in January 2009.

Honorable mention for 2nd most expensive Lee County home sold in January was a Sanibel canal-front, single-family home located at 513 Lighthouse Way on Sanibel. This sailboat access home offers is 3,023 SF and features 3BR and 3BA.

The selling price was $1.575M / $521 SF. Congratulations to Glenn Carretta of John R. Wood Island Real Estate for closing this transaction.

The New York Times published an informative column on the Lee County barrier island of Boca Grande.

Boca Grande sits just north of Cayo Costa Island and offers unprecedented peace and tranquility. Boca Grande residents have the opportunity to rub elbows with the rich and famous as recent visitors have included George H. W. Bush (my niece sat behind him in church recently!), Katherine Hepburn and George Steinbrenner.

If you have shopped for property on Boca Grande recently, you may still have sticker shop about the price of entry into this fine island community. Many Boca Grande buyers also consider Sanibel Island as an alternative. While Sanibel is busier than Boca Grande, the west end offers a similar feel. Sanibel certainly has a wider range of housing options and a more manageable price for entry.

Humorous column about vacationing on Sanibel in the Sunday Times UK by Irish columnist Terry Prone.

The second home market in Southwest Florida is busier right now than it has been the last two seasons. Throughout the real estate market downturn, the Sanibel real estate market has remained relatively stable. Sanibel will never be overbuilt and continues to be a good place to invest.

Is 2009 the year you find the Sanibel home of your dreams?

Sanibel Planning Commission Approves Chateaux Sur Mer project

After a nearly a year of contention between Chateaux Sur Mer homeowners, their neighbors and the city planners, the Sanibel Planning Commission gave the go ahead to building a new waterfront home.

This case was a classic, “we don’t want a trophy home“ in our neighborhood debate and in the end everything worked out when a revised plan was submitted and appproved.

Chateaux Sur Mur is a waterfront Sanibel beach community of 73 single-family homes located in the West End of Sanibel off Sanibel-Captiva Road.

Mimms’ revised home plans receive approval [The Island Reporter]

Congratulations Ocean’s Reach, the first development on Sanibel Island to be designated a Florida Green Lodge by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Ocean’s Reach was awarded this designation by demonstrating best practices in communication, water conservation, energy efficiency, waste reduction and clean air.

Ever thought about getting a place on Sanibel?

I know, during your last visit you checked out a few units and cringed at the prices……..Might it be time to rethink Sanibel as a viable 2nd home option?

Today there are four Sanibel condos available for under $300,000 and a total of 36 available for under $500,000.

One of the best Sanibel deals is a 2BR condo at Spanish Cay, on Middle Gulf Drive, across from the beach. This property is listed for $285,000.

Another interesting option is a 2BR condo at Seashells of Sanibel, located on West Gulf Drive. This property is listed for $345,900.

Drop us a note if you want to check out Sanibel options.

Here is an interesting concept from a local firm, the Seacoast Cottage Company. This company is developing a niche focusing on high-end not-so-big construction. In this era of trophy homes and over-zealous mcmansions, a focus on quality over quantity is a fresh and welcomed approach.

The Not So Big movement was created by architect Sarah Susanka, who has since 1998 published six books on the topic.

Many of the buildable lots in treasured oceanside locations like Sanibel, Captiva, Boca Grande and Fort Myers Beach are smaller and unable to support a large trophy home. Seacoast Cottage truly offers a great solution this application.

Seacoast Cottage is planning on building a model home in The Dunes community on Sanibel. I look forward to viewing this property when complete.

Beach cottage industry not big on building large [News-Press]