Feature Property!

Beautiful Island Home! 

Check out this beautiful island retreat in a great location. Walking distance to shops and restaurants. Backing up to conservation land this home offers a beautiful backyard retreat. Pool, spa and newer cage and screen. 

4 Bedroom and 3 Bathroom home! 

Call John Petel today to schedule a showing 239-560-4960

Click Here to view this home directly

Click Here to view the Team Petel website

A Glowing Endorsement!

John Petel and the Petel Team were pleased to receive a wonderful letter from a recent client! 

"John helped us price and list [our] house...We did get a full price contract on our house in February 2012. Do to circumstances that no-one could have foreseen, the purchaser decided that she could not go through with the deal, and asked to get out of that contract...During the interim between getting the signed contact and the buyer deciding she could not close...we had signed a contract to buy a unit...For this contract to close it was necessary that we sell [our] house...and the cancellation of that contract could have caused this purchase to fail also...John pulled a rabbit out of his hat, however, when he called several agents who had contracted him after we had signed to sell the house...and one of these parties came to see the house that day, and presented a contract to purchase, that we accepted, the next day...John helped us get through this very stressful process with a minimum of anxiety. He kept us informed every step of the way, and advised us on how to deal with the challenges that arose...We would like to thank John Petel and John R. Wood Realtors for the professional service we received during the sale of our home and the purchase of our new home. We will recommend John to anyone who needs the services of a Realtor." - William Stewart

Real Estate transactions can be a step into the unknown. Coupled with a confusing marking during these touch economic time, buying or selling can make for a stressful life transition. Make your next transaction as seamless and stress free as possible by contacting a Realtor with proven results. Call John Petel today at 239-560-4960 or visit our website by Clicking Here.

Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum Exhibit Renovations Planned

The Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum is currently renovating the Raymond Burr Memorial Exhibit, established in memory of the deceased actor prior to his death in 1993. The exhibit, currently housed in the lower level of the museum, will be relocated into the Great Hall of Shells and will feature newly acquired shells from his personal collection as well as memorabilia from Mr. Burr’s very illustrious career.

Idyllic and isolated South Seas islands were magnets for Burr, who in 1965 purchased Naitamba Island in Fiji. There, he and his partner, Robert Benevides, collected shells as a relaxing hobby. Mr. Benevides recently donated items from his personal collections to the museum to support the renovation of the exhibit about Burr.

The actor, most popular for his roles on the television series Perry Mason and Ironside, spent many hours on Sanibel as benefactor and fundraiser for the museum. As an early supporter of the museum, Burr chaired its first capital campaign and graciously hosted several fundraisers. The museum established the Raymond Burr Memorial Garden to recognize his pivotal role in helping to establish the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum.

Island Sun (May 18, 2012)

This Week's Recipe - YUM!

Berry Lemonade Iced Tea

Ingredients:

3 quarts water

8 wild berry tea bags (Celestial Seasonings Wild Berry Zinger or similar) 3/4 — 1-1/4 cups sugar  1 12-oz. can of frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed Lemon slices  A few raspberries, blackberries, or a combination of the two (optional)
Stir in sugar and lemonade concentrate. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices and berries if desired.
Stir in sugar and lemonade concentrate. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices and berries if desired.

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, bring water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add tea bags. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. 

What To Do This Weekend?

There is always something great happening on the Islands of Sanibel and Captiva!

Have you tried Captiva Cruises? Captiva Cruises offers a variety of cruise destinations around Southwest Florida from half day to whole day trips! Here is a sampling of cruises offered:

Cabbage Key/Useppa Island Lunch Cruise. Choose your island destination and enjoy a narration on the history and wildlife along the way. Cabbage Key and the Dollar Bill Restaurant is a true "Old Florida" island hide-a-way. Useppa Island, with lush vegetation and pink pathways, is the site of the historic Collier Inn and award-winning history museum.

Dolphin & Wildlife Adventure Cruise. Spotting the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin is always a highlight for visitors to Southwest Florida and Captiva Cruises offers the perfect family cruise that provides the opportunity to see dolphins playing and birds feeding in Pine Island Sound.

Night Sky Astronomy Cruise. Captiva Cruises' naturalist identifies planets, stars and constellations, mythologies and mysteries, and features of the Milky Way Galaxy, as well as the greater universe. A truly magical way to experience the night sky on the water.

Reservations for all cruises are required. Call Captiva Cruises at 239-472-5300 or go to www.captivacruises.com for more information and to make reservations.

Here is Ann, a Team Petel employee, along with her husband and friends enjoying the Sunset Catamaran sail offered by Captiva Cruises!

Feature Property!

Stratford Place!

The perfection location in Southwest Florida! Beautiful renovation on this 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo with over 1,500 sq feet. Beautiful tile, fresh paint, renovated kitchen, central vac. This unit offers deeded carport and golf cart storage. Swimming pool and clubhouse! Be close to shopping, beaches and the airport in this 55+ community.

Click Here to link directly to this property.

Click Here to link directly to the Team Petel website.

Or call John Petel directly to schedule a showing! 239-560-4960

Captiva winner of 'Best of the Best Resotred Beaches' contest

By Shannen Hayes

                To celebrate 10 years of honoring Best Restored Beaches, the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) recently hosted a “Best of the Best Restored Beaches” online contest asking people across the nation to vote for their favorite restored beach.

                Captiva’s beach was declared the winner of the ‘Florida Gulf Coast Beaches’ category after garnering more than 10,000 votes of the 27,000 that were cast.

                “I think that it really is a testament to our community spirit,” said Captiva resident and business owner Sandy Stilwell. “We sent it out to our friends and family and asked them to vote and as a team we did it.”

                Navarre Beach, in northwest Florida, took the top community beach category and earned the highest overall votes. It also was the only other winning beach in the state.

                Since all the beaches already have been honored for their success, and survival, this contest wasn’t about which one is the better restored beach, but simply the ones that did the best job to get out the vote.

                Another motivation behind the contest was to remind people that so many of his country’s favorite beaches have been restored. It was a way to highlight the importance of sound costal management, as well as the need to maintain our costal infrastructure to keep it healthy and wide for all users.

                For the past 40 years, beach restoration has been the preferred method of shore protection in coastal communities. Beach restoration is the process of placing beach0quality sand on dwindling beaches to reverse or offset the effects of erosion.

                The main reasons for restoration are storm protections, habitat restoration and recreation. During economic hardships, the beach can become and even more desirable vacation destination. Each year, governments take in $320 in taxes from beach tourists for every dollar it spends on beach restoration.

                In addition, well over half of the nation’s gross domestic product - $7.9 trillion – is generated in 673 counties along the oceans and Great Lakes, according to the NOAA’s National Ocean Economic Program.

                Winning beach communities will be honored at a special ceremony during the 2013 ASBPA National Summit, to be held next year in Washington D.C. Complete descriptions of each of the breaches that were in the running for Best-of-the-Best beach are online at www.asbpa.org.

This Week's Recipe - YUM!

The Best Breakfast Quesadillas

Ingredients:

Quesadillas:

1 Tbsp. butter
2 slices bacon, finely chopped
1/4 cup shredded potatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped smoked sausage
2 green onions, sliced
4 eggs, beaten
Pinch paprika
1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese or jalapeno cheddar
2 12-inch flour tortillas
Nonstick cooking spray

Tangy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce:

3 Tbsp. salsa verde
2 Tbsp. minced red pepper or seeded red jalapeno
1/2 cup sour cream
Pinch cayenne
1 Tbsp. chopped chives

Directions:

In a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, add butter. Add the bacon and cook for 3 — 4 minutes until slightly crisp. Add the potatoes, sausage, and onions and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently until the potatoes develop some color. Add the eggs and paprika. Cook until the eggs are set. Remove the egg mixture to a bowl. Wipe skillet or griddle clean.

Spray skillet or griddle with nonstick spray. Place a tortilla on the skillet and fill one half of the tortilla with half of the eggs. Top with half of the cheese. Fold to form a half-moon and cook for 2 — 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut quesadilla into wedges and serve with dipping sauce.

To make the dipping sauce, mix together all ingredients and set aside. Serve with the quesadilla wedges.

Sanibel Historical Village named the Best Place to Get In Touch With Old Florida

Submitted by Emilie Alfino

                The Sanibel Historical Museum & Village has been named the Best Place To Get In Touch With Old Florida by Florida Weekly newspaper, it was reported in the paper’s May 2-8 edition.

                “Sanibel did an unusual thing for an island dependent on tourism,” the newspaper reported. “Instead of bulldozing its historic buildings to make way for high-rises, it banned high-rises and set aside land for a recreated historic village. Here island leaders moved, clustered, and meticulously restored Sanibel’s treasures.”

                “This is a very rewarding achievement for us here at the village,” said Manager Emilie Alfino. “Our board members, our docents and staff are all very committed to the village and what it means for the preservation of Sanibel’s history. The village’s mission is to protect, share and celebrate our island’s history, and to educate those less familiar with it so they can better appreciate the island and its pioneers.”

                The Florida Weekly article continued, “Visitors can also tour typical island-style cottages, a post office, store, and even a [replica of] a 1900 packing house. Wander back in time through an old-Florida time capsule at 950 Dunlop Road.”

                The Sanibel Historical Museum and Village is located at 950 Dunlop Road, next to BIG ARTS just past Sanibel City Hall. Summer hours, now in effect, are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Adult admission is $5; people under age, 18 and members are free. Single memberships are $50, and other levels are available. Call (239) 472-4648. The museum’s mailing address is PO Box 413, Sanibel, 33957. The museum’s website, www.sanibelmuseum.org, is undergoing a redesign right now but remains open and available for use.

Island Reporter  (May 11, 2012)

Feature Property!

Boater's Delight! Call John Petel today to make an appointment to see this wonderful canal home. Located on a wide and deep canal with direct access to San Carlos Bay this home has an 80 foot dock, 16,000# boat lift and amp service! Pull up to your dock and spend the evening relaxing by the pool. Retire to your top floor master retreat. Updated kitchen with granite! 3 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms.

Click Here to link directly to this property.

Click Here to link directly to the Team Petel website.

Sam Bailey's Island Nights!

The 19th annual Sam Bailey's Islands Night is Wednesday, May 16 at Lee County Sports Complex. All islanders are invited to join in the fun as the Fort Myers Miracle takes on the Charlotte Stone Crabs. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., the pre-game parade around the ballfield starts at 6:15, and game time is 7:05. Tickets are free and available at Bailey's General Store and most island businesses.

Sponsorships are still available at $100 each. proceeds support local charities. Call Bailey's at 239-472-1516 or send your check payable to: Islands Night, 2477 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957. If you will be participating in the parade, call Bailey's to reserve your spot.

(Island Sun May 4, 2012)

Happy Mother's Day!

From our family to yours,

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

John R Wood Island Real Estate Performance!

Deal with the leader in Sanibel and Captiva real estate, John R Wood Island Real Estate!

At the end of the 2012 first quarter John R Wood Island Real Estate was up 77% in volume - outperforming the Board by 55%! Also, the John R Wood office was up 27% in sales made - outperforming all other agents by 16%.

Team Petel, a proud member of John R Wood Island Real Estate office, wants to represent you in your next real estate transaction. Contact John Petel today 239-560-4960, email teampetel@msn.com or Click Here to visit our website.

Open Houses!

Friday, Saturday and Monday! Open Houses! Tour these lovely homes:

1477 Albatross Road, Sanibel. Located in the beautiful community of The Dunes this home has been expanded and renovated. 4 Bedrooms and 3 Bathrooms. Newer cage and screen. Pool and spa. Backyard retreat overlooking conservation land. $624,500. Click Here to link directly to this home for more information.
OPEN 1 P.M. - 4 P.M. ON FRIDAY 5/11, SATURDAY 5/12 AND MONDAY 5/14


1516 Angel Drive, Sanibel. Beautiful canal home in a fabulous community. Located on a wide and deep canal with direct access to San Carlos Bay offering a boater's dream! 80 foot dock, 16,000# lift and amp service. Updated kitchen with granite, fresh and bright, pool, top floor master retreat! Click Here to link directly to this home for more information.
OPEN 1 P.M. - 4 P.M. ON SATURDAY 5/12 AND MONDAY 5/14.

What's Upcoming On The Islands - Join The Fun!

• JN Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge offers free family education programs June 4th - August 15th. For more information on the refuge summer programs, call 239-472-1100 or Click Here to link directly to the Ding Darling Society website.

• BIG ARTS hosts summer arts camp. Camper enrollment is now being accepted for weekly sessions beginning in June. For information on registration or to become a member of BIG ARTS visit the office at 900 Dunlop Rd, call 239-395-0900, email info@BIGARTS.org or Click Here to link directly to the BIG ARTS website. 

• The Sanibel Bicycle Club will host their annual Ride of Silence on Wednesday, May 16 at Sanibel Community Park. For more information Click Here to visit the Ride of Silence website or call Patti Sousa, event coordinator and past president, at 239-395-1695.

• Lakes Regional Park in Fort Myers will be hosting a variety of activities in the park's gardens in celebration of National Public Gardens Day on Friday, may 11 from 5:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information and to download a free parking voucher Click Here to visit the Lakes Park website. 

• Lee County Parks & Recreation is offering free parking at many of its sites on May 13 to commemorate the county's 125th anniversary. The department is also launching an online quiz that could land a few lucky winners prizes and year-round free access to parks and preserves. For more information on parking or the quiz Click Here or call 239-533-7275. Click Here for a schedule of events throughout 2012 as well as a recommended reading list, historical photo gallery, trivia questions and more.

• BIG ARTS presents Gulfshore Ballet's Spring Showcase on Sunday, May 20 beginning at 4 p.m. Click Here to visit the BIG ARTS website for more event information. To purchase tickets, stop by BIG ARTS, 900 Dunlop Road on Sanibel, or call the Marks Box Office at 239-395-0900.

As you can see, there is always something exciting happening on the islands of Sanibel & Captiva, as well as Southwest Florida. Join in the fun!

Feature Property!

Tour this lovely end unit, attached villa. Located in the desirable community of Cypress Lake Country Club Estates. 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom with a 2 car garage. Over 1400 sq ft. Perfect retirement property, second home or lovely Florida residence! Great location! Call John at 239-560-4960 for a showing. This is a short sale and subject to lender approval.

Click here to link directly to this property.

Click here to link to Team Petel and see everything we have to offer you!

This Week's Recipe - YUM!

From Eat MORE of What You Love by Marlene Koch which provides low calorie, low fat, low sugar recipes that still TASTE GREAT!

Creamy Ranch Slaw - Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

Dressing
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salad
6 cups shredded green cabbage
3 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1. For the dressing, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
2. For the slaw, in a large bowl, combine the cabbage, celery and carrots. Pour dressing over the salad and toss. Add parsley and toss lightly once more.

Tips: The creamy, crunchy texture of this salad is best when freshly dressed. The salad mix can be made up to one day in advance and held in the refrigerator. The dressing can be made up to 3 hours before serving. Once you toss the salad with the dressing, it's best to serve it within 2 hours.

Nutrition Information per Serving (3/4 cup): Calories 60 / Carbohydrates 8g (Sugars 4g) / Total Fat 4g (Sat fat .5g) / Protein 2g / Fiber 2g / Cholesterol 5mg / Sodium 240mg / Food Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1 Fat / Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2 / Weight Watcher Point Comparison: 2

ENJOY!

Feature Property

Call John today to schedule an appointment for viewing this beautiful canal home! With direct access to San Carlos Bay, this home is situated on a wide and deep canal. 80 foot dock with a lift for a 16,000# boat and amp service. Dock up and relax by the pool! Or retreat to your top floor private master suite. Updated kitchen with granite, fresh and bright!

Click here to link directly to this property.

Click here to view the Team Petel website and all we have to offer!