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Greetings!
Welcome to the March edition of our Sanibel/Captiva E-Newsletter.
Looking for that "Pot of Gold?" Look no Further because Rainbow's end is Sanibel and Captiva Island!
 | | "Pot of Gold" |
Well, the saying goes "everyone
is a little Irish" on St. Patty's Day
and that brings to mind
things that are
green, pot's of gold and luck.
March also reminds us to take a break... "Spring Break" that is to enjoy time off to relax. Time to treat your Spring Fever! There is much to tell about the 75th Anniversary Shellabration and the scoop on some Shellebrities...... we will be doing some name dropping.....
This month our Guest Columnist section will provide authoritative advice on "Real Estate Investment Strategies" from our very own Island Expert to help you optimize your real estate goals.
If you are lucky enough to be a
Sanibel/Captiva Island property owner
than you are lucky enough!!
Not there yet?
Well as Luck would have it;
there is opportunity for your to find your very own
"Pot of Gold."
Come for a visit ..... you'll want to stay for a
Lifetime .....
and we can help you make it happen ......
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| March Guest Columnist/ Get Educated
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Investors Pour Back in to
An old familiar face has been showing up around town. After years of declining values an interesting trend has emerged in South Florida since early December. Our old friend the out of state real estate investor is coming back and they are coming back strong. The low prices on the Islands of Sanibel and Captiva are a dream for a real estate investor. The old adage is still true - profits on real estate are made on purchase. It is still a buyers' market and they are taking advantage of prices at this time.
Let me give you some statistics, we specialize with two types of clients 1031 exchanges and real estate IRA buyers. From December 15 to January 31, we did 10 tax exchanges. What was unique was that all buyers were from up North. They all sold property up North and purchased replacement property in Southwest Florida. We have never seen that before. Also in our real estate IRA business, purchases have increased 40% since December 1st. These are substantial increases in both services and good signs that investors are stepping up while market prices are still low. Two community banks that we work with are reporting record number of investors that specialize in Sanibel/Captiva condo rentals. These investors are putting in loan applications and closing. These statistics are a very good sign.
If you currently own real estate, a 1031 exchange may be a perfect opportunity to upgrade your rental property to beautiful Southwest Florida. With a 1031, you are allowed to sell investment real estate and pay zero taxes as long as you follow the rules and purchase more investment real estate. All taxes are deferred upon the sale including capital gains, recapture tax, and state taxes.
Real Estate IRAs offer investors the chance to unlock their IRAs to purchase nontraditional assets like local real estate, notes, LLCs or gold. To set up a real estate IRA, you will need to work with an administrator that specializes in Self Directed IRAs. The benefit of all Self Directed IRAs is that asset sales are tax free inside the IRA. IRAs are not taxed until distributed. A self-directed IRA allows the money to stay under the tax free umbrella of an IRA and purchase alternative assets. This is a great way to
diversify your IRA accounts.
If you would like more information on either of the services we offer or to learn more about real estate investing, please give me a call anytime. We can be reached at 239-333-1031 or on the web www.advantaTRUST.com.
Welcome back Investors!
Dave Owens, CPA, CES
President of AdvantaIRA Trust, LLC
239-333-1031 x 155
www.advantaTRUST.com
Thanks for the info Dave! Back to Top |
| | Featured Property of the Month
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| CAPTIVA HIDEAWAY Proves To Be GOOD LUCK
Small, intimate, totally remodeled Bayfront complex in Captiva's Village (only 8 units)
Walk to all commercial and "Village" amenities and to the Beach
Dockage with Gulf Access
Gorgeous Sweeping Bay and Sunrise Views
New Seawall
Storm Ready
On Site Caretaker
Owner Fitness Room
Owner Workshop
Weekly Rentals
Corner Locations
Sparkling Bayfront Pool & Sundeck
Lushly Landscaped Garden w/ Meditation Bench
Covered Parking
Fishing Station
Captiva Hideaway #1B Asking $649,000
Captiva Hideaway #2B Asking $899,000
Click Here to see what people are saying about the
Captiva Hideaway!
You could be Lucky enough to own here!
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With A Little Luck You May See A Green Flash
We all like to talk about the Green Flash this time of year. Many have seen the Illusive Green Flash and many search for it. My friend John Hicks has captured it beautifully to prove it is real!
These photos were captured as the sun was setting over the Gulf of Mexico on Sanibel February 29,2012 by John Hicks, Solar Astronomer, New Forest Solar Observatory, Lake Simcoe Region, Ontario, Canada.
Now you can say you have seen a Green Flash
!
Thanks so much John for sharing your talent and your photos with us!
Don't know what a Green Flash is? CLICK HERE for some Green Flash Facts.
CLICK HERE to see what else John is discovering with his lenses.
Florida Tourism Sets Record;
Local Data Mirrors Trend
for data from the CaptivaErosion Prevention District
Another reason to consider investing on the islands!
Congrats to Sanibel School
Best In Florida!
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The Sanibel School
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Willard Loves The Islands Too!
The islands have been featured on The Today Show for the past couple
weeks due to Willard Scott broadcasting his Smuckers segment
from Sanibel and Captiva island.
He has broadcast recently from South Seas Island Resort on Captiva
as well as Casa Ybel Resort on Sanibel
"How Sweet It Is!!!"
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Everything You Wanted To Know
About Where the Shells Are On The Islands!......
Which One is the Shellebrity??
If you guessed both then you have the correct answer!
My friend
Pam
was interviewed at the Shell Fair by
Bill Geist for the
Click here to see some Shellabration in action!
Order your shelling Uniform
and shop for great gift ideas for fellow Shelling Lovers
GO TO:
Do you Sanibel Stoop or Captiva Crawl?
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Sanibel Stoop
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800-1000 people did at Bowman's Beach for the "Guinness Book of World Records"
for all the details!
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Make Island Time........Full Time
Waterfront Captiva Home 15009 Binder Dr
Waterfront Captiva Condos Near Beach Captiva Homes
Vacant Land 11517 Wightman Ln REDUCED! WAS ASKING $719,000 Act Now! Don't Be Out of Luck!
REMEMBER When They're Gone
THEY'RE GONE!!!
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The Mullets March in March 2012
 | | marchingmullet.com |
The Captiva Marching Mullet Band and their merry entourage marched to sunset and finished with an old fashioned Movie Night at Jensen's Marina.
Donations were collected for Operation Open Arms, a locally-founded, nationally recognized military outreach. Donators signed the Marching Mullet Band Mascot with their donation. The Marching Mullet Mascot will be kept, between parades, at Jensen's Twin Palm Resort and donations will continue to be accepted for Operation Open Arms www.operationopenarms.org www.gocaptiva.com
I Met Bill Geist Too! I Invited Him To Captiva  | |
CBS SUNDAY MORNING'S Bill Geist & Denice
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Wouldn't it be cool if he came back for
Captiva Holiday Village? Let's ask him.
I'll keep you posted.....
Another Shellebrity Came to
The Shellabration
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Hannah Milman
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Hannah is the executive director of crafts and holidays for Martha Stewart Living magazine.
Hannah loves Captiva also and plans to consult on some Captiva Holiday Village fun!
Have You Taken The Captiva Lifestyle Tour?
Please Share It With Your Friends 
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March! The easiest month of the year to
GO GREEN!
This month our green tip is focused on technology and how to power down to save up!
We live in the wonderful age of technology and communication, but all those gadgets have an impact on our energy consumption. Current estimates put 20% of a home's energy use from lighting and powering up electronics.
Here are some easy ways to modify your buying and home habits to have an immediate impact on your monthly electric bill:
* Turn off your computer monitor if you will be away from your computer for more than 20 minutes.
* Turn off the computer if you'll be away from it for more than two hours.
* Consider purchasing a flat-screen monitor over a regular-sized one.
* When buying a flat-screen monitor, for television or computer, choose an LED monitor. LED stands for light emitting diodes, which translates into images with very high brightness and color gamut, while requiring less energy consumption.
* Purchase energy-efficient CFL bulbs instead of standard bulbs, but please remember to dispose them properly.
* Don't leave electronics charging if their batteries are already replenished. Many gadgets are even kind enough to give you this reminder when the battery is fully charged.
And finally, when you are done with your old phones, printers, monitors and gadgets, find a way donate them. More non-profit agencies than ever are finding ways to make it easy to rid yourself of unwanted gadgets and put them to good use. Contact your local Good Will or other favorite non-profit for more information.
Happy St. Patrick's Day from all of us at Seacoast Cottage Company
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| | Sneak Peek: Follow The Construction With Us!
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Cypress Cottage Construction Update:
CONSTRUCTION IS NOW COMPLETED!
Value Priced At
$1,495,000
Have you seen the Cypress Cottage lately?
We were proud to host an open house for local realtors in February and the response was FANTASTIC! If you are looking for an investment with great rental potential, this is it as people are already asking when it will be available to rent!
Final Phase, we have added the landscaping, pavers and shell driveway. These final touches complete the Cypress Cottage's classic beach look and feel. To the rear of the cottage, the pool area has been transformed into a Key West style private escape with brick pavers, custom wrought iron accents and lush native landscape.
Some of the features include:
- Five species of palm trees including a double King Alexander, Adonidia (X-mas tree), Carpentaria, Coccothrinax and Areca palms.
- Shockingly bright ornamentals such as blue plumbago, fushia bouganvillea, ruby Ty plants, and coral honeysuckle
- Soft ground cover such as mondo and peanut grasses
Our landscape material was carefully selected for its ability to thrive with little maintenance, the choices are both environmentally friendly and attractive to wildlife.
If you haven't been by for a visit lately, you will be impressed by the transformation. The builder is available for site tours, so call today to schedule your private tour. The Cypress Cottage was designed and built by Seacoast Cottage Company, a third generation Florida General Contractor specializing in building practices for strength and energy efficiency. If you are considering building, you can view the Cypress and other cottage designs by visiting www.SeacoastCottageCompany.com or call Art Monahan directly at 239-848-8969.
view our video.
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Royal Shell Real Estate
Continues To Dominate
The High End, Luxury Market
of Captiva
This is how we stacked up with our competitors
in 2011
Call John and Denice
To "Buy and Sell" With The Leading Company On Captiva!
Now Available in the Royal Shell Vacations
Gift Shop On Corner of Andy Rosse & Captiva Dr.
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Naples Soap Co.
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Need a Hostess gift? Birthday gift? Gift for the pet sitter?
Norman Love
Chocolates, Naples Soap Co., hats, Native T's, sunglasses, beach towels, robes and so much more.....
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Norman Love Chocolates
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Alan S. Maltz Gallery On Captiva
In The Royal Shell Building
At The
Corner Of
Captiva Dr. And Andy Rosse Ln
"Beach Dreams"
Beachscape with Fisheye
Photo taken
of Sanibel
Many other beautiful photos
are displayed and
available for sale.
Please come
in and enjoy the Gallery!
Bring The Out
doors In With Art!
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| | February 2012 Sales Report
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Sanibel/Captiva Island February Sales
Total Sales: $30,690,000.00
Residential Sales
$17,703,000.00
*All statistics taken from Sanibel-Captiva MLS.
*All Information Deemed Reliable But Not Guaranteed.
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A Different Kind of Green Flash
Delicious......
The Green Flash Courtesy of Roger
Ingredients
Pina Colada Mix Rum Bostons Melon Liquor Ice Blend Pina Colada mix with Rum and ice Pour Bostons Melon Liquor in bottom of glass and top with the Pina Colada mixture on top. Add wedge of pineapple to garnish and a straw to sip. Ahhhhhhh refreshing........enjoy!!! Don't feel like cooking???..... GO TO: www.greenflashcaptiva.com/ to view the menu or call 239-472-3337 for more info..... then go see Roger to start your dining experience with a Green Flash or your other favorite beverage!
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"The day you decide to do it is your lucky day."
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Stay Up-to-Date....
We invite you to visit our website to get to know us better and to search for your own piece of paradise!
Give us a call at 239-357-5500 if you're thinking about selling and would like us to prepare a comparative market analysis.
We are happy to be of service whether you're buying or selling to help you achieve your real estate goals. Customer Satisfaction is our Specialty! We appreciate your referrals
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Sincerely,John and Denice Beggs Royal Shell Real Estate Direct: 239-357-5500 Office: 239-472-0078
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