Fall Flowers in Bokeelia

 

With ever so slightly cooler temperatures, flowers are still blooming in Bokeelia.  The silk floss trees are really magnificent, you can seem some near Baypoint Road in Bokeelia, that are magenta/red.

I was happy to pick sunflowers from my own back yard, and will be planting some more soon.

Migrating fall birds on Pine Island

Pine Island is one of the best places in Florida to bird watch.  In the fall, dozens of species of birds migrate here for the winter, many hawks, warblers, plovers, hummingbirds, ducks and other shore birds.

My friend and client Martha Huard has turned photography from a hobby to a vocation and was announced as a finalist in the Ding Darling Photography Contest winner for 2019!  I think the winners will all be announced on October 20 at the Ding Darling Days celebration on Sanibel.

She and I met up at the pier in Pineland over the weekend, and she took this great photograph of a roseate spoonbill who was wading there.  Spoonbills are here year round, but you more commonly see them in the fall and winter.

 

You can enjoy more of Martha's photographs are the Wild Child Gallery, in Matlacha, the gateway to Pine Island.

Snapshot of Real Estate Sales on Pine Island, Florida first 3 Quarters of 2019

Three quarters into 2019, there has been $88,412,260. in real estate sales on Pine Island, Florida in the communities of Bokeelia, Matlacha and Saint James City, with a total of 388 real estate closings.

Here is what is selling:

107 Water front single family homes sold, median price $372,000, average sale price $408,206.
4 Golf course homes sold, median price $296,000, average sale price $311,000.
57 Off-water homes sold, median price $210,080, average sale price $228,282.
80 Manufactured homes sold, median price $157,453, average sale price $260,478.
16 Condominiums sold, median price $285,000., average sale price $276,894.
1 Commercial Lot sold for $210,000.
25 Water front lots sold for $median price of $150,000, average sales price $208,980.
61 Off water inland lots, under one acre, sold for a median price of $18,500, average $20,780.
25 Off water inland lots sold, over one acre, median sale price $73,000, average $145,460.

16 agricultural acres in Bokeelia sold in 2019 for $500,000.  Interested in Pine Island Real Estate?
Contact me, Erika Foye, real estate broker for All Island Realty, Inc. at ErikaFoye@embarqmail.com.
I am an accredited buyer's representative, and specialize in helping buyers of homes, condominiums or land here on beautiful Pine Island.
 

First Day of Fall on Pine Island!

Fall at last on Pine Island!  Last week was so calm, the waters over Pine Island sound were like glass, reflecting the clouds above.

Then the winds switched around with Hurricane Jerry out in the Atlantic, and we've been getting nice northeasterly breezes, especially up on Charlotte Harbor, where a couple guys were netting mullet and bait over the weekend.

But it is still tropical here, warm enough that bananas, papaya and mangos are still growing.  Friends gave me this GIANT bunch of bananas from their tree yesterday!  Time to make banana bread!

 

For more information about real estate here on Pine Island, whether it is waterfront or agricultural land, email me, Erika Foye, at ErikaFoye@embarqmail.com.  I am the real estate broker and accredited buyer's representative at All Island Realty, Inc.

12 Pine Island Restaurants you can paddle or boat to

Now that the slight breezes from the very outer bands of Dorian have passed by, it's back to being great weather for paddling around Pine Island.  Pine Island is pretty unique in that there are about a dozen restaurants you can paddle (or motor boat) to.

 

In Bokeelia,  you can paddle to the Bocilla Island Seaport, dock and walk on over to Captain Con's restaurant.   The fishing pier is right out front, where you can fish for $8.00 daily.  Also in Bokeelia, you can paddle from the County Marina on Barrancas Road to The Lazy Flamingo, which has great fish sandwiches, burgers and cold beer.

 

Down the road about 4 miles in Pineland, Tarpon Lodge is well known as one of the best restaurants on the island.  There are docks out front where you can tie up, and enjoy lunch or dinner, and a drink or beer in it's historic bar.

 

Matlacha offers several options for waterfront dining:  The Island Seafood market will cook your fish sandwich and you can sit out back and watch the fishing boats come in.  Also a great place to buy fish or shrimp or crab cakes to take back home.  Other water front eateries in Matlacha include:  The Perfect Cup, The Old Fish House Marina, and Blue Dog Restaurant, Berts Bar and Grill (awesome views, a famous "dive bar" with great food too) and Micheli's (outside dining with Italian specialties, and also docking out back), and the Yucatan, also has awesome views of Matlacha Bay and daily seafood specials.

 

On the south end of the Island, Saint James City has three restaurants you can boat to, all with outdoor seating, and mostly dog friendly.  From South to north, The Waterfront is a long time local favorite, Woody's restaurant, and The Low Key Tiki,  The "Ragged Ass" saloon known more as a bar with snacks than a restaurant, but you can boat there too, and there is often music on weekends.

 

Work up an appetite boating and check out one of Pine Island's great eateries.

 

Dorean not coming to Pine Island

Glad to report that the weather effects of Dorian aren't being felt on Pine Island, just a bit of wavy weather, with a stiff wind coming out of the north on Charlotte Harbor.

The wind is blowing about 12-15 mph out of the north.  When the direction of the storm was not yet clear, I stopped by the Pine Island Chamber of Commerce to see if any hurricane plans were under way.  Jennifer and the other women of the Pine Island Chamber of Commerce (www.pineislandchamber.org).  They showed me this awesome website www.windy.com that has an elaborate interactive aerial mapping feature that shows wind fields across the hemisphere.  I encourage everyone to take a look at www.windy.com.

Hoping for the best for all those effected, especially the those in the Bahamas, which is really taking a beating.

 

Manatees swimming around Pine Island

Paddling in Matlacha Bay yesterday, my friend and I had the most amazing experience...we were surrounded by about a dozen manatees!  They are gentle, grass eating giants, some were longer than our paddle boards (about 12 feet long).  The warm weather and abundant sea grasses probably attracts them to these waters.    This part of Matlacha is well away from heavy boat traffic, also ideal for both paddlers and manatees.

Unfortunately, manatees were just declassified from "endangered" to "threatened" species.  If you don't have a paddle board, you can rent them from Gulf Coast Kayak in Matlacha.  Contact them at www.gulfcoastkayak.com.
 

5 Places to Launch your Paddle Board on Pine Island

Paddle boarding is a great way to get to know the beauty of nature in the waters around Pine Island.  Here are 5 locations where it's easy to launch your board and enjoy quiet waters, largely without traffic from motor boats:

1) At the end of Portobello Street in Bokeelia, you'll find a small marina with a boat ramp for non-motorized boats.  For $5.00, you can park and launch your paddle board or kayak and explore the north end of Pine Island.  Most of the land surrounding you is conservation land (including Calusa Island).  There are some sandy beaches to come ashore and relax.  We've seen dolphin, sea turtles and lots of fish, not to mention many birds.  The water is pretty shallow so you won't encounter a lot of motorized boat traffic.  Round trip paddle around Calusa Island is about 4 miles.

2) Bocilla Island Seaport, Main Street, Bokeelia.  Just adjacent to Captain Con's

restaurant in Bokeelia, you'll find the Bocilla Island Seaport.  It opens on to a large bay that leads to the Back Bay in Bokeelia, a short cut out to Cayo Costa Island and the intra coastal waterway.  For $10.00, you can park all day and launch your motor boat, canoe or kayak.  There's plenty of parking.  Watch out for heavier boat traffic here.

3) In Pineland, a few hundred yards south of Pineland Marina at 13921 Waterfront Drive, you'll find
Batty's Landing, a Lee County owned launch for non-motorized boats (kayaks and paddle boards)  The water is quite shallow here, and there are oyster beds, so it is best to go out on a high tide.  From here you can head south into Pine Island sound and explore the undeveloped islands of Cat Key, Cove Key, Wood Key, Rat Key, Terrapin Key, Josslyn Island and Mesmer Key.  In Foster Bayou you may see a large flock of bright pink roseate spoonbill.  There is only parking (free) for about 6 vehicles so arrive early to get a spot.

 

4) In Matlacha, there is a County Park that has a ramp for motorized boats at 4577 Pine Island Road.  But follow through the park and on your right (east) side of the park is a floating ramp that is an ideal spot to launch a paddle board or kayak for free.  This is a great park that has picnic spots, a basketball court, and play ground.  There is lots of parking here.

 

5)  From the 4-way stop of Pine Island, head south about 4 miles and turn left on to Tropical Point Drive, on the left side (east) of Stringfellow Road.  Follow along in about a quarter mile you'll come to Tropical Point Park.  This is a nice spot to launch a non-motorized boat or fish from shore, with a nice sandy bottom.  There are picnic tables and grills, but parking only for about 6-8 vehicles. 

 

Free Fishing for Kids at the Bokeelia Fishing Pier

Don't miss the chance to take your kids fishing at the Bokeelia Fishing Pier! 

 

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from now until August 28, kids fish free, with an adult paying the daily entrance fee of $8.  Two kids per adult limit, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.  Bait is available and rod rentals are too.  The Bokeelia fishing pier is a great way to introduce your kids to fishing without the expense of power boating.  If you are a Florida resident, you qualify for a free shoreline fishing permit.

 

The most common fish found in the waters around Pine Island, during the summer months, are sea trout, snook, redfish, mackeral, grouper, sheepshead, cobia, permit, pompano and tarpon.  There is no closed season on mackerel, sheepshead, some groupers, pompano and cobia.  Check Florida Wildlife Commission for closed seasons on snook, gag grouper, and red fish, www.myfwc.com

 

The photo above is a Goliath grouper.  After fishing, you can grab a bite at the adjacent Captain Con's restaurant, or nearby the Lazy Flamingo has great seafood and will cook your own fish.

 

The Lazy Flamingo is adjacent to Four Winds Marina at 16501 Stringfellow Road, Bokeelia, about a 1/2 mile south of the Bokeelia fishing pier.  There you can purchase a lot of nautical and fishing equipment, and water proof charts.   The chart showing Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Bay, San Carlos Bay and the outer islands of Cayo Costa, Cabbage Key, North Captiva and Captiva is #25F, www.waterproofcharts.com.

Checklist for Defining your Pine Island Dream Home

This checklist comes from the Florida Realtors magazine and it could be helpful to buyers in defining the type of island home you are looking for.

 

 

The main communities on Pine Island are Bokeelia, Matlacha, Pine Island Center and Saint James City.  Also to define:  waterfront or not, lot size, and ground level or elevated home.

If you'd like a pdf file of this checklist, or want more information on Pine Island real estate, including land and waterway maps, email me, Erika Foye, at ErikaFoye@embarqmail.com

Agricultural Land for sale on Pine Island

Torrential rains burst open on Bokeelia this morning, with lots of lightning.  The road by Pineland Marina was under water when I rode down there on my bike.

One of the unique things about Pine Island is the proximity of so much agricultural land to the Gulf of Mexico.  Right now, there are 32 agricultural parcels for sale on Pine Island, ranging from 2.5 acres to more than 122 acres.  The median asking price is $178,450. for a 5 acre parcel.  The least expensive parcel is 2.5 acres for $89,900. and 122 acres for $1.8 million.

The types of agricultural uses on Pine Island land varies from nursery plants and trees, to fruit and vegetable crops, to bee keeping, to pasture lands, to fish farming.  Some raise chickens and sell the eggs a local farm markets.  The two biggest agricultural crops on Pine Island are mango groves and tropical trees, mostly palms and bamboo.

 

These cattle are grazing on a 10 acre parcel next to the Bokeelia fire station.  If you'd like more information about agricultural land for sale on Pine Island, contact me.  I am Erika Foye, real estate broker for All Island Realty, Inc. based in beautiful Bokeelia.  Email me: ErikaFoye@embarqmail.com.

 

New Pine Island Fire Station Opening in Matlacha

 

 

On Pine Island Road, while just entering Matlacha, the gateway to Pine Island, this beautiful new fire station is opening.  The tropical colors and design are really nice, but the greatest thing is better first responder/fire protection for those living in Matlacha.  The addition of the Matlacha fire station brings to four the total number of fire stations on Pine Island.  There are also fire stations in Saint James City, Pine Island Center, and Bokeelia, so almost all, if not all, homes on Pine Island are within 5 miles of a fire station, a criteria home insurance companies look at while establishing home owners insurance rates. 

Full Moon on Anniversary of Moon Landing Bokeelia

There was a beautiful full moon shining over Pine Island Sound in Bokeelia this week, syncing up with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing.  This date is particularly poignant for me, since on the same evening in 1969, my parents threw a moon landing party that coincided with my 14th birthday.  Another full moon, summer event on Pine Island is the rare blooming of the night blooming cereus, a succulent cactus that only thrives in hot subtropical or tropical climates.  The flower has the nick name "queen of the night" and can be found climbing many trees, up to about 12 feet tall, on Pine Island.

 

Pine Island is an especially great place for moon and star gazing, because there is very little light pollution, so you can count the constellations in the milky way and catch many shooting stars.  Pine Island will be a great place to watch the upcoming Perseid meteor showers, peaking August 12 and August 13 this year.  I hope to watch from one of the fishing piers in Bokeelia this year.  For more information about Pine Island, or buying real estate here, contact me, Erika Foye at ErikaFoye@embarqmail.com.  You can search for Pine Island real estate on my website, www.pineislandhomesandland.com.

Round up of Pine Island Real Estate Sales, 2019

Real Estate Sales in 2019 have been brisk, one reason I haven't posted to my blog in a while!  Nearly $68 million in real estate transactions have closed in 2019, a total of 296 transactions.  Here is the breakdown of real estate sales in the Pine Island Communities of Bokeelia, Matlacha, Pineland, Pine Island Center, and Saint James City:

79 Waterfront, Gulf Access Homes have sold on Pine Island, for a median price of $380,000.
44 Off-water Single Family Homes have sold on Pine Island, for a median price of $207,500.
14 Condominiums have sold on Pine Island, for a median price of $285,000.
55 Manufactured Homes have sold on Pine Island, for a median price of $179,000.
23 Waterfront Home sites have sold on Pine Island, for a median price of $147,000.
50 Off-water home sites, less than one acre, have sold on Pine Island for a median price of $18,250.
19 Agricultural parcels, more than one acre, have sold for a median price of $29,200. per acre.

Here are some scenes of summer on Pine Island.  The fruit orchards are overflowing with mangoes, lychee, jackfruit, avocado and papaya, among other tropical fruits.   Flowers are also in full bloom enjoying the summer rains we get almost every afternoon.

 

 

I am Erika Foye, accredited buyer's broker for All Island Realty, Inc., based in beautiful Bokeelia.  For more general information or to request a map of Pine Island, email me at ErikaFoye@embarqmail.com.

Beautiful May Weather on Pine Island

It has been a beautiful month of May here on Pine Island.  Flowers are in bloom everywhere and little calves are grazing in Bokeelia.

It's been perfect weather for paddle boarding, with calm clear water in Charlotte Harbor and light breezes. Today, a large manatee came swimming up next to us as we were paddle boarding Pine Island has one of the best access locations in Southwest Florida and compared with other Southwest Florida islands,   For more information about real estate here on Pine Island, contact me, Erika Foye, real estate broker for All Island Realty, Inc.  I'm at ErikaFoye@embarqmail.com or call me 239-560-8514. 

April Flowers on Pine Island

April arrived warm and windy on Pine Island this week.  There was a big thunderstorm on Thursday and I noticed on my bike ride today many flowers have come into bloom. Three of my favorites are the red bottlebrush flower (with the bee in this photo), gardenia Calla lily.   I'm not sure what the purple flower is.

 

In May, expect another riot of color from frangi pangi, silk floss trees, royal Poinciana, and jacaranda trees, to name of few.  Our sub-tropical climate allows for an incredible variety of flora and fauna to thrive on Pine Island, Florida, making it a gardener's and bird watchers paradise.

First Quarter 2019 - Pine Island Florida Real Estate Sales

This morning was warm and cloudless, the waters in Charlotte Harbor, looking north from Bokeelia, were smooth as glass.  The people in this boat were poling along, so as not to disturb the fish, while casting.

I can hardly believe tomorrow is April!  Real Estate Sales in the Pine Island communities of Bokeelia, Saint James City and Matlacha so far this year.  In the first quarter, there have been 121 closed sales, representing a dollar volume of $26.7 Million in sales.

39 Waterfront Homes sold with a median price of $379,000.  (up 2.8% over 2018).
19 Off Water Homes sold with a median price of $210,000. (down 4% from 2018.)
6 Condominiums sold with a median price of $286,000. (up 21% over 2018.)
20 Manufactured homes sold with a median price of $170,000. (up 21% over 2018.)
13 Water front home sites sold with a median price of $147,000. (down 2% from 2018.)
29 Off water home sites sold with a median price of $20,000. (same as 2018.)

I had a great weekend on Captiva with my oldest best buddy a few weeks ago, but still love living on Bokeelia, in beautiful Pine Island.  To find out more about real estate and things to do in Bokeelia, Saint James City, and Matlacha, contact me, Erika Foye, real estate broker and accredited buyer's agent, at ErikaFoye@embarqmail.com.  I am the real estate broker for All Island Realty, Inc. based in beautiful Bokeelia.

Erin go Bragh on Pine Island

My Bokeelia neighbors celebrate most holidays with a unique display of skeletons swinging to whatever the most recent holiday is...here is their take on the coming Saint Patrick's Day!

The Pine Island has been nice and green lately since we've had 7 inches of rain this year already, though most days have been sunny and warm so far.  Later this week, I'll compare real estate prices on Pine Island, and that other Emerald Isle, the Republic of Ireland, to see where you get more for your dollar (or Euro).

For more information about Pine Island, Florida real estate, contact me, Erika Foye, Broker for All Island Realty, Inc. at ErikaFoye@embarqmail.com



 

At the tip of Bokeelia, a fishing pier and art gallery

It was a warm and windy day at the end of Bokeelia today, over looking Charlotte Harbor.  A lot of people were walking and biking and enjoying the fishing pier.  Two paddle kayakers braved the south wind.

 

The paddle kayaks allow you to peddle with your feet and remain hands free for fishing.

 

Next I was happy to find my favorite island Gallery "Crossed Palms Gallery" open a short walk from the fishing pier.  They have an amazing Charlotte Harbor front location, with a beautiful selection of fine art, pottery, blown glass, sculpture and jewelry.  Crossed Palms Gallery is located at 8315 Main Street, Bokeelia, FL. 33922, phone 239-283-2283, Open Tuesday - Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

 

Pine Island Neighborhoods - Alden Pines

Alden Pines is a small community surrounding Pine Island's only golf course in Pineland, Florida, which is right next to Bokeelia.

It's a popular area that's known for it's well kept homes and quiet walkable neighborhood.  You can walk to the Pineland marina, the Pineland pier and kayak/paddle board beach launch, Randell Research archeological research and conservation area, and the Tarpon Lodge restaurant.

On Pine Island golf carts are "street legal" in some neighborhoods from dawn to dusk and Alden Pines is one of those neighborhoods. 

There are 4 homes in Alden Pines for sale right now, the median asking price is $395,000.  There are 5 lots for sale in Alden Pines right now, the median asking price is $42,000.  The most recent sale price of a home in Alden Pines was $414,000. for a new home with a swimming pool, shown below:

It's not mandatory for Alden Pines home owners to join the Alden Pines golf course, but memberships are available.  Rates run from about $25 to $40 per round of golf and there is a nice clubhouse with bar, snacks and cold drinks.  For more info. about golfing there, www.aldenpinesgolf.com.