Sanibel Island (renting, condos, house)

[tracydawn]

Originally Posted by kinkytoes

Hi,

I just came back from a trip to Sanibel. It's beautiful! I don't know if I would recommend living there, though. It's pretty far away from everything, so if you drive to work , you may be PO'd every day.

Other than that I would recommend it for vacation. The houses are pretty and the area is clean and probably crime-free. I did not see many children, which for me is a plus ha ha ha.

The other issue is that this is an island and it's more prone to storms than a place on the mainland. My real estate agent said that islanders and not friendly to "outsiders" which I took to mean ahem ethnic people and that you can get a place there for as little as 200 -300K. Based on my insurance research you may pay about 3K per year for insurance.

If you have a good job by N.E. standards, that price may be ok (no spell checking)

I live on Sanibel and I love it. I would agree that Islanders are not always fond of "outsiders", but that defientely does not refer to minoritites or "ethnic people" as you put it. For the most part an "outsider" would be someone who is rude and does not go with the flow of our island life. If you attempt to be patient in traffic, you are not rude to the people who work on the island, and you do not get angry about the time you have to wait in line at the Bean we love you.

[kinkytoes]

That's nice to know. I guess I misinterpreted what she said!
My husband are an international interracial couple and I think feeling comfortable where I live is key to my quality of life.
Maybe we will take another look at Sanibel Island.

[lobsterss]

Im laughing again i go to Sanibel often. Funny thing is to the beach as well as shopping. ITS CHEAPER than most stores . For example i bought a t shirt , a bracelet and a 2 neclaces for $12 total. PLus i had lunch there for $7 a plate , and a i mean a HUGE plate! I'll tell ya i do that often and have a blast. Even water is a $1 ~ cigaretts if you smoke runs about $3 so YA to me its worth every penny to spend on sanibel . Relaxed and wonderful.. Matter of fact i met many locals in the restaurants and they are WONDERFUL people even in the stores. I even met a policemen! So ya its a great place to visit or live!

[Compression]

I lived on Sanibel, when I first moved here in '91. It is a very beautiful island, and the residents there are very protective of it. After six months there, a bit of "island fever" began to set in, as there isnt much to do there, other than go to the beach, or patronize extremely pricey eateries. The long ride to the mainland(depending on where you are on the island, I was all the way up at Blind Pass)and the cost of the toll got the better of me. I moved into Ft Myers for a bit, then eventually into Cape Coral.
I have many good and loyal customers there, and I am still on the island several times a month. The new causway gives some very nice views as you drive onto the island. Very Expensive, and exclusive, a off water building lot would set you back $500,000.00 in 1991, dont know what R.E. costs out there now, but I'm certain it's well out of my league.
A wonderful place to visit for an afternoon, or to go to the beach. I wouldnt want to live there.
There's an old saying there as well..."The island is 12 miles long, and two minutes wide"...everyone knows everyone else's business.....

[JMadison]

Originally Posted by tracydawn

I live on Sanibel and I love it. I would agree that Islanders are not always fond of "outsiders", but that defientely does not refer to minoritites or "ethnic people" as you put it. For the most part an "outsider" would be someone who is rude and does not go with the flow of our island life. If you attempt to be patient in traffic, you are not rude to the people who work on the island, and you do not get angry about the time you have to wait in line at the Bean we love you.

Hmm... I grew up on the other coast. Near Jupiter Island. With Palm Beach Island to the south.

Let's be honest... "outsiders" means non-rich people.

Is it not easier to be non-rude when you have life by the financial derriere? Time freedom is often a privilege of the wealthy. People get rude when they are harried for time, which on average is more likely for worker bees.

Having had times in my life where I was working hard, and times when I had money, but no work... I was definitely a more elegant, considerate and better person when I had money and didn't have to work.

If for no other reason than that, I say richer is better. Unfortunately I'm not smart enough to figure out how to get a big enough pile of money to live in that state of affairs for the duration.

[capthooked]

I lived on Sanibel for several years during which time i made my living as a charter captain. I also lived in the Punta Rassa area just off the Island and the Iona Cove area a little farther inland and for a year in Fort Myers.

I would still be living there if it was not for the decline in the water quality of the marine environment and the fact that Red Tide is almost a household word.

I chose Sanibel for the natural beauty as it was an environmentally planned Island and i wanted to work the water.

Unfortunately, the waters that surround the Island have become subject to widespread algal blooms thanks to the billions of gallons of agriculturally polluted freshwater that get dumped into the Pine Island Sound via the caloosahatchee River. When the levels of Lake O get too high,the Franklin Locks are opened and the vicious cycle starts.

If I was going to contemplate home ownership in SW FL, i'd do your research because there is trouble in paradise.

[kroeran]

Originally Posted by capthooked

I lived on Sanibel for several years during which time i made my living as a charter captain. I also lived in the Punta Rassa area just off the Island and the Iona Cove area a little farther inland and for a year in Fort Myers.

I would still be living there if it was not for the decline in the water quality of the marine environment and the fact that Red Tide is almost a household word.

I chose Sanibel for the natural beauty as it was an environmentally planned Island and i wanted to work the water.

Unfortunately, the waters that surround the Island have become subject to widespread algal blooms thanks to the billions of gallons of agriculturally polluted freshwater that get dumped into the Pine Island Sound via the caloosahatchee River. When the levels of Lake O get too high,the Franklin Locks are opened and the vicious cycle starts.

If I was going to contemplate home ownership in SW FL, i'd do your research because there is trouble in paradise.

sometimes when I am on the FM pier the water looks eye popping turquoise and tropical and other times not so much - is it the water quality from lake dumps? Is there a seasonality to this? Is there a website that says when these dumps are happening?

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by kroeran

sometimes when I am on the FM pier the water looks eye popping turquoise and tropical and other times not so much - is it the water quality from lake dumps? Is there a seasonality to this? Is there a website that says when these dumps are happening?

No. It is exactly what he says. This is common knowledge among the locals. What happens is they dump all that fertilizer and crap from the middle of the state. Out there is BIG agriculture. BIG sugar and the like. With BIG money that contribute heavily to politicians. The feds had a huge fight with them to straighten out the Everglades as it is.

I have no idea what the cycle is. I've never googled it.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by MidwestCruiser

Sanibel Island is sooooo beautiful. As far as crime I don't think there is any there. I've only vacationed there a couple times but would love to live there. These mid-western winters are getting to cold for me The place I always stay is Island Inn [URL="http://www.islandinnsanibel.com/"]Sanibel Island Resorts & Hotels: Island Inn[/URL]

No place is perfect, but I agree it's very safe. I mean, I wouldn't recommend leaving your wallet or jewelry in your beach bag while you go for a walk. However, when you think about it, if a burglar held up a store, where would he go? All the police have to do is call the drawbridge operator and the perp will be landlocked.

Originally Posted by JMadison

Let's be honest... "outsiders" means non-rich people.

I lived on Sanibel for 2 years and the people were very friendly, but that was in 1994 & 1995. Sanibel business owners survive by catering to "outsiders" so I don't understand why anyone would be unwelcoming. Just don't break the rules by littering and keep your dog on a leash. It's almost irresistible to let your pooch run on the sand, but dogs frighten migratory birds and they dig up turtle nests. However, there are many dog friendly inns for pets if they come with well behaved pet owners.

Originally Posted by kinkytoes

I just came back from a trip to Sanibel. It's beautiful! I don't know if I would recommend living there, though. It's pretty far away from everything, so if you drive to work , you may be PO'd every day.

Nah, I can't afford a house on Sanibel Island, but it's a pretty, serene place to live and I never felt "Po'd" when I got home at night. Quite the contrary. As I drove over the bridge I could feel the stress leaving my body.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by capthooked

Unfortunately, the waters that surround the Island have become subject to widespread algal blooms thanks to the billions of gallons of agriculturally polluted freshwater that get dumped into the Pine Island Sound via the caloosahatchee River. When the levels of Lake O get too high,the Franklin Locks are opened and the vicious cycle starts.

If I was going to contemplate home ownership in SW FL, i'd do your research because there is trouble in paradise.

Very sad. The effects of irresponsible business practices on our environment can be devastating. Then there are those idiots who keep exotic pets and later release them. I mean how did nile monitors & pythons get to SWFL? Did they buy airline tickets? Even when I lived on Sanibel 16 years ago, I remember seeing iguanas and other alien creatures not native to the area.