Why Renters Become Buyers on Sanibel Island

Well, it happened again.

I received an email yesterday notifying me that my rentals guests in my condo for 3 months are not renewing for next year because they are buying a unit of their own.

They are not buying in my complex, but regardless, they are transitioning from renting on the Island to owning on the Island.

That makes the 8th couple who have rented either our condo or our home, Toucan House, to make this leap in the course of 13 years.

I have a gut feeling this is not the usual thing, and am going to share this with other vacation rental owners to see what their experience has been.

But the action does not surprise me, as this was indeed the way the our ownership began.

While we have traveled in much of the world, admired it, and even returned as vacationers, there were few places where we wished to return so badly that we entertained ownership. And of the few places where we visited with the thought of buying, we learned enough in researching the ownership to put us off sufficiently. With properties out of the country, we were always a little leery about being foreign land holders. But even able to overcome the apprehension, the pure cost of ownership from that distance added a real monetary disadvantage to the equation. Even when the property was not priced very high, in many countries there are so many add on costs for purchasing, it took affordable properties and rendered them unaffordable.

With vacation rentals within the country, it was all about destination satisfaction as we would want to use the vacation rental ourselves, share it with friends and relatives and get all the benefits of a second home while we covered all costs with rentals revenues. We would, of course, want a tranquil and peaceful location. But not tranquil and peaceful to the exclusion of intellectual stimulation. And, of course, we also wanted full amenities as well as the benefits of nature.

When we got to bottom lines (and believe me we looked hard), there was not a place in the country that better matched our needs and desires than Sanibel Island. It's serenity and seclusion balanced by a full array of cultural activities, its abundance of nature complemented by all the restaurants and shops a person could want on vacation or in residence.

So while I think it is a bit unusual to have so many people cross the line from vacationers to owners, it is certainly not surprising when one considers the very unique nature of this lovely tropical island.

Art Fair on Sanibel Provides Great Day of Viewing, Chatting

We have been staying at our vacation rental home, Toucan House, for the past 5 weeks with 4 more to go.

This has been an unusal experience as we are generally rented for November and December and have never spent this much time on the Island or in the house.

Being here has confirmed our belief that Sanibel is indeed a unique vacation destination. And, having glorious weather for these last few weeks has enhanced our pleasure with the house and with the Island.

The crowning glory this past week was the Sanibel Masters Art Festival held this past week-end. The new space for the show is more visible than the old location and there is more room to roam and look at the beautiful work.

We were dazzled and entertained for a couple of hours, viewing the paintings, sculpture and jewelry presented.

Our biggest joy was meeting a Brazilian-American nature photographer who had a spectacular display of shots he took locally as well as some stunning pictures he has taken in Brazil.

We chatted with him a while learning of the scarlet Ibis in one of his photographs, a bird more commonly seen in South America. But he had spotted and shot it right here in SW Florida.

It's quite a beautiful photograph, as were the egrets and other Sanibel birds he had for sale, but our favorite was a little Toucanet.

Needless to say, we purchased it and are looking for the right spot in Toucan House to hang it!

How to be a Perfect House Guest on Sanibel

We have been at our Toucan House on the Island for nearly 4 weeks.

In all the years we have owned Toucan House, this is the longest period we have stayed in the home.

Being here for this stretch gives us a better understanding of the Sanibel, our neighborhood and the nuances of being a house guest as we have had several in this last month.

We have enjoyed our time with all, showing them around Sanibel and discovering the Island in ways we have not done before.

Every guest has been a good guest, some better than others.

But observing them, I think I have some suggestions for others who may own or rent a home and have visitors come for any period of time.

So here are my recommendations for being a perfect house guest, tongue in cheek to some degree:

• Realize that Sanibel is a small, casual, tropical island and you really need not pack up your jewels from home to bring them here. The wildlife of the Island will not be impressed. In fact, do yourself a favor and pack as little as you can. It will make your life much easier.
• While not a must, it's always better for you to ring the door bell with your elbow....an old saying in my family which translates into "better to arrive with a house gift" than empty handed. Even a small token of a consumable (candle, bath soaps, bottle of wine, etc.) goes a long way in saying hello with a smile.,
• Observe the flow of the house hold and either a. follow it or b. ask your home owner if it's cool to get up at noon when every one else rises at 7. Your host will probably say it is fine what ever you choose, and then leave you to your own schedule.
• What ever time you arise, please come to breakfast fully dressed with hair combed. You may love the just got out of bed look, but more than likely your home owner will not. If your hosts are people who arrive at the table in what they will wear for the day, your PJ's are not appropriate breakfast attire.
• If there is something you would really like to do and your house partners ask, do tell them. It may be suggested that you all do them together or you may be directed in seeking out your activities on your own, but either way it gives you all a starting point on how to plan the day.
• Know a little about the Island before you arrive. Sanibel is garden of pleasures and treasures for those who value being near the sea and close to nature. If your expectation and/or need is a wild night life, you will probably be disappointed.
• Have a great time. That is the best gift you can give yourself and your hosts. And, when you get home and get settled, regardless of your level or your hosts level of technology, send a thank you note. Yes, a snail mail, old fashioned, hand written hard copy card to tell your host that you had a nice time. Thank you never gets to be a boring word if it is sincere.

The good, the bad and the Ugly about Sanibel Island

A young relative of mine, wildly enthusiastic about wild life, is visiting Sanibel with her family.

They are staying at our condo on the Island and we were able to get to our house there today to have dinner for everyone.

It was a lovely time, but the conversation disturbed me.

She and her family were on the beach over the last several days and at one point observed a Cormorant who appeared quite listless. Because she handles wild animals in her career as a naturalist, she knew what to do to rescue the bird from the beach and was able to get it to C.R.O.W. (the Center for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife) to see what was wrong.

While C.R.O.W. does an amazing job in saving injured and sick animals on the island and all over the area, they were not able to help the Cormorant. It was undetermined exactly what caused the illness, so we can't jump to the conclusion that it was caused by human hands.

But when I heard some other stories of beach goers taking live shells from the beach, I could not help but wonder if there are people coming to the Island who do not know the rules. I felt especially so when I also heard of another couple who were tramping around in the cordoned off dune areas where birds and turtles nest.

For my own visiting family members, this was difficult to watch and though they spoke to the beach goers and advised them that taking live shells is not permitted nor is sitting and walking in protected areas, they were essentially told that it was none of their business.

But it was their business. They, I, we, when we are on Sanibel Island all must act as stewards of the land. They, I, we must be aware that this little barrier island is a safe haven for many species of wild life and that the rules are put into place to protect the ecology of the Island and to assure that the non human residents there in have a safe harbor.

I have never, in all the years of writing this blog, asked for any and all readers to pass on a post, but I do so now.

Please know the laws of Sanibel before you visit, and please make sure that everyone in your party knows and understands why they must be observed.

Thanks for reading this through....