Island Life

With the possibility of finding a great deal on the purchase of a Sanibel Island property right now, many people are considering buying a dream home and moving to the island. Moving to an island, especially a smaller one may seem like a dream, but there are some things to consider about island culture and lifestyles before you make a huge life change. 

Things to Consider Before Moving to an Island

Choose an Agent that Lives and Works on the Island

The utmost plan for success with any real estate purchase is to ...

The Sanibel Island Causeway is now open to all people. It is good to note that if you do not live on Sanibel Island most of the activities on Sanibel Island are currently unavailable as there is still a large portion of rebuilding to take place. One of the most important things to note if you plan on visiting Sanibel Island now that the Causeway is open to everyone is that the beaches are still closed.

However, there are many Sanibel Island businesses that have re-opened since the storm hit in September. The businesses of Sanibel Island could really use the help of both locals that live on Sanibel Island and those who would like to visit with their support by enjoying a meal at...

Getting back to a sense of somewhat normal everyday life on Sanibel Island after Hurricane Ian is important for all residents of the island both adults and children. One way to help your kids get back to everyday life when you live in Sanibel is to sign them up for fun programs where they can spend some time with other people their age. 

If you live on Sanibel Island a great activity to sign your kids up for is the January Fun Days hosted by the Sanibel Island Recreation Center. The rec center recently opened up...

The Sanibel Island Recreation Center is open again after hurricane Ian. Currently, the recreation center is open to all residents for free from Tuesday to Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM. If you have any questions about events or programs taking place currently at the recreation center you can call the number 239–472–0302 or 239–395–1860.

The Sanibel recreation center has been open for one week and is located at 3880 Sanibel Captiva Rd. You can check out all the latest information about the recreation center at www.mysanibel.com or on the Facebook page linked above.

Current weekly activities offered at the Sanibel Recreation Center

The recreation center offers a number of great programs including many fitness classes. Here is the current activity offerings.

Playground, gymnasium, and pools

Currently, all...

As the island is still working to get back up on its feet and functioning better than it ever did before, the City of Sanibel has shared some important information on where residents of Sanibel Island can get their mail while services are still waiting to be restored at a normal capacity. 

Where to Get Your Mail on Sanibel Island After Hurricane Ian

The City of Sanibel has been broadcasting live update videos from its Facebook page. The live Facebook video on the City of Sanibel Facebook page from November 17th shared information from the Sanibel Island postmaster Tirzah Althouse. Tirzah...

If you own a home in southern Florida or are considering a move here, you. may be wondering if it is a good investment to purchase a home or how your home value has been impacted after seeing the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. 

Do hurricanes create a negative impact on the local housing market?

Research several times has shown that there is a positive long-term impact as a result of hurricanes. These reports also show that home sales happen less frequently and at a lower cost immediately following storm damage. This probably comes as no surprise. Research from former hurricanes has also shown that pending sales can drop by as much as 50% in Florida housing markets post-hurricane. But...

The City of Sanibel shared on Sunday 11/13 updated information about restoring power to a structure on the island. This latest information has to do with the proper channels that electrical contractors and electrical engineers must go through in order to request that the LCEC turn on the power to a structure on the island. 

Protocols for Electrical Contractors to Request Power Restoration

An electrical contractor that is licensed within the state of Florida may inspect and submit an affidavit to restore power to residential structures requiring service less than 600 A or 240 V and commercial structures requiring less than 800 A or 240 V.

...

Residents of Sanibel Island celebrated as the Sanibel causeway was repaired to a point of being able to accept traffic again on October 19, much sooner than expected. When the hurricane hit at a category four level of intensity on September 28 some expected it to be several months before the bridge would be usable.

The impact of the Causeway in getting people back to their properties on the island was understood and government authorities expedited the repair process to be ready for allowing traffic on October 21. It was met with much anticipation and happiness that the Causeway was able to take traffic days earlier. The Causeway is still closed to anyone...

Residents of Sanibel Island have just begun to return to their homes on the island in the last couple of weeks. As they are able to return to their property they have begun taking the necessary steps to rebuild their homes by documenting the damage and reporting a claim to their insurance company. But what if your insurance company is dragging its feet in response to you? Or is not offering the coverage you feel it should? Or what if they are not offering any coverage at all? Do you have to take their answer or is there a way you can get help to push back and renegotiate?

Is it common to receive an unexpected response from your insurance company?

It is not uncommon...