We read the flood, permit, dock and title record of a Carolands house before you offer, and price your offer from the sales of its own water position.
Updated October 2026 · By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, Domain Realty · Market data from Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales and parcel roll, through September 25, 2026, and Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 27, 2026
McGreevy and Comisar represent buyers across Bonita Springs from our office on South Tamiami Trail, and this is our buyer’s guide to Carolands, the 80-parcel neighborhood of bay and canal homes on McLaughlin Boulevard and Carol Court on the Estero Bay side of Little Hickory Island, described in full in our Carolands guide. It sits in the Bonita Beach area of Bonita Springs, Florida, and it is not the Carolands chateau in Hillsborough, California, which fills search results for the bare name.
If you are thinking about one of the 68 houses or 12 vacant lots in Carolands, this page gives you what a buyer needs before an offer: every recorded sale of the last 60 months, the two houses listed on October 27, 2026, the flood zone and insurance questions for bay and canal parcels, the documents to request when there is no association, what you will pay at closing and each year, and how to reach the Gulf by boat. Our Little Hickory Island buyer’s guide covers the island around it.
The Lee County Property Appraiser and the Florida Department of Revenue record 6 qualified Carolands house sales in the 60 months to September 25, 2026, from $1,600,000 to $7,700,000, and only 1 in the last 12 months, at $2,862,500. The Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 27, 2026, shows 9 closings in the 60 months to that date, from $1,600,000 to $8,650,000, and 2 houses for sale that day, at $3,995,000 and $6,195,000, with none pending. With fewer than ten sales in every window, we list the sales rather than quote a market median, because a buyer deserves the sales themselves.
To buy a home in Carolands in 2026, decide first between the bay front and the canals, get flood and wind insurance quotes on the specific house before you write an offer, read the elevation certificate, seawall and dock permits and title commitment in place of an association file, and price your offer from the few recorded sales of that water position.
Carolands is a small, water-first neighborhood with no gate, no clubhouse and no association. Every one of its 80 parcels touches water: 29 face open Estero Bay and 51 sit on the dead-end canals cut between the streets. The houses run from 1966 to 2024 on the county roll, with a median of 2,749 square feet of heated area, so the same street holds a 1970s canal ranch and a new elevated house built to the current flood map. A buyer who shops Carolands by its headline numbers will misjudge every house.
This page is the buyer’s side of our Carolands neighborhood guide. If you already own in Carolands and are selling to buy, our guide to selling a Carolands home covers the listing side, and our Carolands home valuation guide shows how we price a house there.
These are the ten facts a Carolands buyer needs most in October 2026, each drawn from the Lee County recorded sales, the Southwest Florida MLS pull of October 27, 2026, the county roll, FEMA’s flood layer, the City of Bonita Springs and Florida law.
This buyer’s guide runs from the market and the recorded sales to the house types, costs, documents, flood and insurance record, boating, financing, closing costs, schools and daily life, then the Kinleyland comparison and the answers buyers ask most. Each link jumps to its section.
The Market and the Record: How Do I Buy a Home in Carolands in 2026? · Why Work With McGreevy and Comisar as Your Carolands Buyer’s Agent? · What Is the Carolands Market Like for Buyers Right Now? · What Have Carolands Homes Sold For? · A Carolands Purchase Read From the Record
Choosing a House: Which Carolands Home Fits Which Buyer? · Should You Buy a Carolands House or a Lot? · What Will I Pay to Own a Carolands Home? · What Should I Check Before I Buy a Carolands Home? · Are There Rules on Leasing, Pets and Approvals in Carolands?
Flood, Storms, Boats and Money: Is Carolands in a Flood Zone, and What Will Insurance Cost? · What Do the Permits and Storm Record Show Since Hurricane Ian? · What Should a Boat Buyer Know About Carolands Docks and the Passes? · Can I Finance a Carolands Home? · What Will My Property Taxes and Closing Costs Be in Carolands? · How Does Buyer Representation Work in Florida After the NAR Settlement? · How Do We Negotiate a Carolands Purchase for You?
Living There and Comparing: Which Schools Serve Carolands? · What Is Daily Life Like in Carolands? · Carolands vs Kinleyland: Which Should You Buy? · How Does Carolands Compare With the Rest of Little Hickory Island and Bonita Beach? · What Are the Pros and Cons of Buying in Carolands?
Next Steps and Answers: How Do I See Carolands Homes for Sale? · How Do I Get a Personalized Carolands Buyer Consultation? · Buying a Winter Home in Carolands: What Seasonal Buyers Should Know · What Buyers Say About Working With Us · Frequently Asked Questions, Carolands, Bonita Beach Buyer Edition · Why Does a Bonita Beach Waterfront Specialist Matter When You Buy? · Ready to Buy in Carolands? Work With the #1 Team in Southwest Florida Since 2012 · Thinking of Selling Your Carolands Home? List With the #1 Team in Southwest Florida Since 2012 · Your Local Real Estate Experts · Sources and Authoritative References · Downloadable Documents
McGreevy and Comisar are a two-partner Bonita Springs team, ranked Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 and the #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012. Carolands buyers work with us because we read the flood, permit and title record of a house before you offer, price the offer from the sales of its own water position, and negotiate it ourselves.
If you are searching for the best buyer’s agent for Carolands, or thinking, “I need an agent who knows what a VE flood zone and a 10-foot bridge mean for this house,” this is how we work. We lead Domain Realty Group, whose team has sold over $2.5 billion in real estate, with McGreevy and Comisar alone accounting for over $900 million in personal sales. Our office is at 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134, in the same city as Carolands. Before you choose an agent, read our comparison of the best real estate agents in Bonita Beach and of the best real estate agents in Bonita Springs, and read more about McGreevy and Comisar.
We tracked every one of the 47 qualified Carolands house sales the county file holds from 2009 on, every one of the 6 in the last 60 months and every one of the 9 MLS closings in the same window. We read each of the 80 parcels on the county roll, the 1978 deed that created the roadway easements, and FEMA’s flood layer at all 80 parcels. That is why our first questions to a Carolands buyer are which water, which boat and which flood zone.
This page does not state or imply that we have sold, listed or represented anyone in Carolands. Our case rests on the public record we have read for you and how we would run your purchase.
The Carolands market in October 2026 gives a buyer few choices and some room: 2 houses for sale and none pending on October 27, 1 qualified county sale in the 12 months to September 25, 2026, and 9 Southwest Florida MLS closings in 60 months that sold at a median 90.12 percent of their final list price.
Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 27, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser and Florida DOR recorded sales)
The Southwest Florida MLS pull of October 27, 2026 covers every residential closing filed under the Carolands subdivision name. Each row is the median or range of those closings only, and with fewer than ten in every window the medians describe the sales listed, not a market.
| Window to October 27, 2026 | Closed | Median price | Range | Median days on market | Median sale to final list | Median per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months | 1 | $2,862,500 | $2,862,500 | 79 (1 sale) | 81.81% | $809 |
| 24 months | 3 | $7,700,000 | $2,862,500 to $8,650,000 | 44.5 (2 sales) | 89.5% | $1,500 |
| 60 months | 9 | $2,862,500 | $1,600,000 to $8,650,000 | 26 (8 sales) | 90.12% | $951 |
Days on market and sale-to-list are computed on the sales that report market time. One closing in the 24 and 60-month windows, the new house of November 2024, was entered after closing and reports none, so it counts in the prices and not in those two columns. The median per square foot uses the MLS living area, which differs from the county’s heated area.
The county file lists the deeds the state codes as qualified arm’s-length sales of improved property, and its windows end on the newest sale in the file, September 25, 2026.
| Window to September 25, 2026 | Qualified house sales | Range |
|---|---|---|
| 12 months | 1 | $2,862,500 |
| 24 months | 2 | $2,862,500 and $7,700,000 |
| 36 months | 2 | $2,862,500 and $7,700,000 |
| 60 months | 6 | $1,600,000 to $7,700,000 |
No window reaches ten sales, so the next section lists the sales themselves. The record is complete from 2009 and partial before.
On October 27, 2026 two Carolands houses were active in the MLS and none was pending. One was a McLaughlin Boulevard house of 4 bedrooms plus a den and 3,757 square feet, asking $3,995,000 after 244 days on the market, or $1,063 per square foot. The other was a McLaughlin Boulevard house of 5 bedrooms and 5,015 square feet, asking $6,195,000 after 5 days, or $1,235 per square foot.
Two active listings against one MLS closing in the last 12 months is 24.0 months of supply, and against the 60-month pace of 9 closings it is 13.3 months. Neither is a forecast, because one sale is not a pace, but both point the same way: a Carolands buyer is not competing against a crowd of other offers on the record, and a listing that has sat 244 days is a listing whose seller has heard the market.
The nine MLS closings sold from 81.8 percent to 100 percent of their final list price. The two that sold at 97.2 and 100 percent were the two largest, each above 5,000 square feet of MLS living area; the other seven sold from 81.8 to 93.5 percent. A buyer should read that range as a description of past sales, not a discount to expect, and we set every offer from the house, not from an average.
Tell us your water, your boat and your budget and we will pull the Carolands and island sales that match. Book a Carolands buyer consultation, call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida. Selling a home first? Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 or request a free Carolands home valuation.
Carolands houses sold for $1,600,000 to $7,700,000 in the county record of the last 60 months and $1,600,000 to $8,650,000 in the Southwest Florida MLS, and five of the six county sales were on the bay. The tables below list every sale in both records by month, so you can find the ones that look like the house you want.
Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 27, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser and Florida DOR recorded sales)
| Month | Price | Water | Year built | County heated sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2021 | $2,675,000 | bay | 1987 | 2,760 |
| March 2022 | $1,850,000 | canal | 1991 | 1,791 |
| April 2022 | $3,175,000 | bay | 1971 | 2,652 |
| September 2023 | $1,600,000 | bay | 1980 | 2,728 |
| November 2024 | $7,700,000 | bay | 2024 | 5,152 |
| June 2026 | $2,862,500 | bay | 1988 | 3,293 |
All six sold on McLaughlin Boulevard. The November 2024 sale was the first sale of a house completed in 2024, and it is the largest and the highest on the county record for the window. Three bay-front houses of 2,652 to 2,760 square feet sold for $1,600,000, $2,675,000 and $3,175,000, a spread of $1,575,000 between houses of nearly the same size, which tells a buyer that age, condition, elevation and timing matter more here than square footage.
| Month | Sold price | List price | Sale to list | Days on market | Beds | Living area sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2021 | $2,675,000 | $2,900,000 | 92.2% | 42 | 6 or more | 2,760 |
| February 2022 | $2,900,000 | $3,100,000 | 93.5% | 31 | 3 | 3,639 |
| March 2022 | $1,850,000 | $1,999,900 | 92.5% | 21 | 3 | 1,890 |
| April 2022 | $3,175,000 | $3,695,000 | 85.9% | 10 | 4 plus den | 3,338 |
| September 2023 | $1,600,000 | $1,950,000 | 82.1% | 8 | 4 | 2,728 |
| July 2024 | $2,200,000 | $2,500,000 | 88.0% | 242 | 4 | 3,100 |
| November 2024 | $7,700,000 | $7,700,000 | 100.0% | not reported | 6 baths | 5,133 |
| May 2025 | $8,650,000 | $8,900,000 | 97.2% | 10 | 6 or more | 5,028 |
| June 2026 | $2,862,500 | $3,499,000 | 81.8% | 79 | 3 | 3,540 |
By price, 2 closings were under $2 million, 4 were from $2 million to under $3 million, 1 was from $3 million to under $5 million and 2 were above $5 million. Days on market ran from 8 to 242 for the eight closings that report it.
The MLS carries three closings that the county file does not count as qualified house sales in the same window: February 2022 at $2,900,000, July 2024 at $2,200,000 and May 2025 at $8,650,000. A deed can be coded unqualified for reasons that have nothing to do with price, such as a sale between related entities. The MLS figures are the closings a buyer’s agent can see; the county figures are the deeds of record. We read both and tell you which we are using.
The county roll’s 2026 just value is the Property Appraiser’s assessment, not a price, but it shows how the neighborhood is layered.
| Group | Houses | Median 2026 just value |
|---|---|---|
| All Carolands houses | 68 | $1,642,631 |
| McLaughlin Blvd | 63 | $1,691,335 |
| Carol Ct | 5 | $1,050,252 |
The roll’s quartiles run from $1,062,663 to $2,625,371. In the June 2026 sale a buyer paid $2,862,500 for a 1988 bay-front house, 74.3 percent above the all-house median just value, so a buyer should not read the roll as an asking-price guide.
The county counted 6 qualified Carolands house sales in 2018, 6 in 2019, 8 in 2020 and 6 in 2021, then 2 in 2022, 1 in 2023, 1 in 2024, none in 2025 and 1 so far in 2026. The record does not give a reason for the drop after 2021 or for any one sale. A long hold is also what a neighborhood with 45 homesteaded houses out of 68 looks like, and it means a buyer who waits for the perfect Carolands house may wait a long time.
The June 2026 sale of a 1988 bay-front house on McLaughlin Boulevard shows what a Carolands purchase looks like from the buyer’s side: a list price of $3,499,000, 79 days on the market, a closing at $2,862,500, and a prior recorded sale in 2011 at $1,050,000. It is a public-record sale, and it is not ours.
Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 27, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser and Florida DOR recorded sales)
The house is a three-bedroom bay-front house built in 1988, with 3,293 square feet of county heated area and 3,540 square feet of MLS living area. It listed at $3,499,000, spent 79 days on the market and closed at $2,862,500, which is 81.8 percent of the list price and $636,500, or 18.2 percent, below it. The buyer paid $809 per square foot of MLS living area, or $869 per square foot of county heated area.
The county file holds four recorded sales of this house: March 1999 and April 2000, each at $695,000, in the part of the record that is partial before 2009, then April 2011 at $1,050,000 and June 2026 at $2,862,500. From 2011 to 2026 the recorded price rose $1,812,500, or 172.6 percent, over a hold of 15 years and 2 months.
A buyer who reads the list price as the value of a Carolands house misreads the market: this one closed $636,500 below its list price. The house was also the only closing in the 12 months, so its buyer had one recent sale and older ones to compare it with. The record does not tell us what the buyer negotiated, what the inspection found or what the flood policy cost, and we do not guess. What it shows is that a well-prepared buyer can find room in a thin market.
The right Carolands home depends on four property facts: the water behind it, its flood zone and lowest floor, its age and size, and its street. A bay-front house buys the view and the higher flood standard; a canal house buys sheltered dockage and the AE zone; a newer house buys elevation; an older house buys a lower entry price.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser roll of October 2026; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, queried October 17, 2026)
| Item | Bay front | Canal |
|---|---|---|
| Parcels | 29 (28 houses, 1 lot) | 51 (40 houses, 11 lots) |
| Flood zone, most parcels | VE 12 | AE 11 or AE 10 |
| County-qualified sales, 60 months | 5 | 1 |
| What you get | Open views west over Estero Bay toward the mangrove islands | Protected dockage and a shorter fetch in a storm |
| Construction rules for a new house | VE: open foundation, breakaway walls below the base flood elevation | AE: fill or stem wall allowed, lowest floor at least one foot above the base flood elevation under the Florida Building Code |
The 29 bay-front parcels look west over open water; the 51 canal parcels sit on the dead-end canals between the streets, and 11 of the 12 vacant lots are canal lots. A canal buyer should not read the 5 to 1 sales count as a verdict on canal houses: it reflects who sold, not what a canal house is worth.
The roll dates one Carolands house to the 1960s, 10 to the 1970s, 17 to the 1980s, 12 to the 1990s, 12 to the 2000s, 8 to the 2010s and 7 to the 2020s, and one more new building appears on the 2025 roll with 4,918 square feet of heated area. Since 2010, 15 houses have gone up. The newer houses are built up to or above the base flood elevation, often with parking and storage below the living floor; the older houses often sit closer to grade, and their lowest floor can be below the base flood elevation.
The roll records heated area from 632 to 11,451 square feet, with a median of 2,749. Twenty-nine houses have 3,000 square feet or more and 26 have 2,000 to 2,999. Three bedrooms is the most common count (39 houses), then four (14), two (7) and five (5). Thirty-eight houses are one story and 23 are two stories; the roll records a different count for six.
The roll shows a pool on 59 parcels, a garage on 65 and a seawall on 57. The dock field is filled on only 4 parcels, which undercounts the docks you can see from the water, so ask for the dock permit rather than relying on the roll.
Seventy-two parcels are on McLaughlin Boulevard and 8 on Carol Court. The roll’s median house just value is $1,691,335 on McLaughlin Boulevard (63 houses) and $1,050,252 on Carol Court (5 houses). The City maintains McLaughlin Boulevard on a 50-foot right of way; Carol Court is not on the City’s maintained-road list, so a Carol Court buyer should ask the title company who maintains it.
A Carolands buyer who wants a new house can buy one of the 12 vacant lots or a house to replace. The county recorded two Carolands lot sales in the 60 months, at $1,100,000 and $1,600,000, and none in the 36 months to September 25, 2026; the 12 vacant lots carry a median 2026 just value of $709,130.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser roll of October 2026 and recorded sales through September 25, 2026)
Eleven of the 12 vacant lots are on canals and one is on the bay. The lot median is 0.2735 acre, about 11,900 square feet, across all 80 parcels. A lot purchase is a land purchase plus a permit path: a City building permit, a floodplain review to the current FEMA map and the Florida Building Code, and dock and seawall permits for work over the water. Vacant land MLS records were not part of the residential pull: Information not available at time of publishing (checked 2026-10-10).
The two lowest county house sales in 60 months were $1,600,000 and $1,850,000, close to the two lot sales. A buyer who plans to tear down subtracts demolition, a flood-compliant foundation and the permit path from the price and compares the result with a vacant lot. On a VE bay-front lot a new house stands on piles or columns; on an AE canal lot, fill, stem walls or piles can work.
No production builder sells in Carolands. New houses are custom or semi-custom builds on lots bought individually or on teardowns. The roll does not name builders; the City permit record does, by address. The November 2024 sale at $7,700,000, the first sale of a 5,152 square foot house completed in 2024, is the clearest recorded price for what a new bay-front house has brought.
Owning a Carolands home costs no association fee, because no association appears on the Florida Division of Corporations record, but it carries property tax, flood and wind insurance, and the upkeep of the seawall, dock and lift. Each line varies more from house to house than a planned community’s dues, so price them for the specific house before you offer.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser 2025 and 2026 tax schedule, read October 17, 2026; Florida Division of Corporations, checked October 17, 2026)
| Cost | What the record says | How to price it for a specific house |
|---|---|---|
| Association fee | None; no association on the state corporation record | Confirm in the title commitment |
| Property tax | Tax district 017, 12.7970 mills for 2025, a proposed 12.8217 mills for 2026 | Apply the rate to your purchase price, less any exemption |
| Non-ad valorem charges | $50 City stormwater fee and $358.45 Lee County solid waste charge on the single-family bills we read | Read the parcel’s tax bill |
| Flood insurance | Required by a lender in a special flood hazard area; priced under FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 | Quote on the elevation certificate before the offer |
| Wind and homeowners insurance | 170 mph wind design speed | Quote on the wind mitigation and four-point reports |
| Seawall, dock and lift | 57 seawalls on the roll, each owner’s to maintain | Marine contractor’s inspection in the inspection period |
Carolands sits in Lee County tax district 017, City of Bonita Springs and Bonita Springs Fire. As an illustration only, the 2025 rate of 12.7970 mills on a $2,862,500 purchase is about $36,631 of ad valorem tax before any exemption, and on a $1,850,000 purchase about $23,674. A real bill depends on the assessed value the Property Appraiser sets and any exemption you qualify for.
The assessment resets to just value in the year after a sale. With 45 of 68 houses homesteaded, many Carolands sellers carry a bill well below what a buyer will pay, so read the seller’s tax bill as history, not as your cost. If you make the house your permanent residence, file for homestead with the Lee County Property Appraiser by March 1 of the year after purchase; the exemption then applies and the assessment growth is capped at 3 percent or the CPI, whichever is lower.
Every parcel is in a FEMA special flood hazard area, so a lender requires flood insurance. FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 prices a policy on the building’s own features, including its elevation, its replacement cost and its distance to water, and the premium does not carry over from the seller. Insurers price wind on the roof’s age and shape and the opening protection. Citizens Property Insurance requires flood coverage on its wind policies in special flood hazard areas. We do not quote premiums on this page, because each is priced on the house.
With 57 seawalls on the roll and no association, each owner carries the seawall, dock and lift. A seawall cap, a new panel run or a lift motor are the common repairs; a full seawall replacement needs a City permit and, often, a state authorization. Budget for the water side the way a condominium buyer budgets for reserves.
A Carolands buyer has no association package to read, so the due diligence file is the house’s own papers: the title commitment and the 1978 easements, the survey, the elevation certificate, the seller’s flood disclosure, the permit history since Hurricane Ian, the seawall and dock permits, and the insurance quotes. Ask for them before the inspection period starts.
Data updated: October 2026 (Florida Statutes 689.302, 689.261 and 720.401, read October 2026; Florida Division of Corporations, checked October 17, 2026; Lee County Official Records)
Carolands was laid out as lots on paper but never recorded as a plat. The county roll describes every parcel as “Carolands Unrec Subd” with a lot number from 1 to 85. The key recorded document is a 1978 deed from Carlos Corporation, Official Records Book 1280, Page 480, which describes the land running to the waters of Estero Bay and reserves roadway easements 80 feet and 50 feet wide and a 15-foot utility easement. Expect the title commitment to list those easements as exceptions, and read any restriction a specific deed adds.
An unrecorded subdivision is legal: each parcel is a deeded parcel with its own legal description. A surveyor ties the parcel to the section corners rather than to plat monuments, so ask for the seller’s old survey and order a new one if the lender or title company requires it.
The elevation certificate compares the house’s lowest floor with the base flood elevation (10 or 11 feet on the AE parcels, 12 in the VE zone). It sets your flood premium and tells you how far the house sits from the current flood rules. If the seller has none, a licensed surveyor can prepare one.
Under Section 689.302, Florida Statutes, the seller of residential property gives you a flood disclosure at or before the contract; since October 1, 2025 it asks about known flood damage, flood insurance claims and federal flood assistance during the seller’s ownership. Under Section 689.261 you receive a property tax disclosure summary that warns you not to rely on the seller’s taxes. Under Johnson v. Davis, a seller must disclose known facts that materially affect value and that a buyer cannot readily see.
Section 720.401 requires a disclosure summary when a parcel is subject to a mandatory homeowners’ association. We found no association of any kind for Carolands on the Florida Division of Corporations record, so on that record the summary does not apply. Ask the title company to confirm in writing.
Carolands has no association rules on leasing, pets or buyer approval that we could find, because we found no association. The rules that apply come from the City of Bonita Springs, which zones and permits the parcels, the 1978 deed and its easements, and the State of Florida, which licenses and taxes short-term rentals.
Data updated: October 2026 (Florida Division of Corporations, checked October 17, 2026; City of Bonita Springs Land Development Code; Florida Statutes chapter 509)
No association approves a buyer or a tenant, and there is no architectural review board. There is also no one to maintain a shared canal, enforce a paint color or carry a common insurance policy. A buyer who wants those protections should know Carolands does not offer them.
Florida requires a vacation rental license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants for a house rented more than three times a year for periods under 30 days, and sales and tourist development taxes apply to short stays. The City of Bonita Springs regulates rentals through its code. We do not quote rental income on this page; ask a property manager for a projection on a specific house.
No association pet rule applies that we could find. City and county animal rules apply as they do anywhere in Bonita Springs.
The City zones 76 parcels RS-1, residential single-family, and 4 parcels TFC-2, two-family conservation. RS-1 allows one single-family house per lot with the setbacks, height limit and lot coverage the City’s Land Development Code sets; check a TFC-2 parcel against the permitted-use table before planning a duplex.
Yes. Every Carolands parcel sits in a FEMA special flood hazard area on panel 12071C0651G, effective November 17, 2022: AE on 61 parcels at a base flood elevation of 11 feet on 37 and 10 feet on 24, and VE 12 on 19, every VE parcel on the bay front. Insurance cost depends on each house’s elevation, so get quotes before you offer.
Data updated: October 2026 (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, queried October 17, 2026; FEMA Risk Rating 2.0; Citizens Property Insurance; Lee County Emergency Management; ASCE Hazard Tool)
| Group | Parcels | Zone and base flood elevation |
|---|---|---|
| Bay front | 29 | VE 12 on 19; AE 11 on 8; AE 10 on 2 |
| Canal | 51 | AE 11 on 29; AE 10 on 22 |
We tested all 80 Carolands parcels on October 17, 2026 at the Property Appraiser’s parcel centers against FEMA’s own National Flood Hazard Layer. FEMA’s map-revision and map-amendment layers show no change inside Carolands. A parcel center is a screening point, not a footprint; the elevation certificate settles a specific house.
The VE zone is the coastal high hazard area, where FEMA expects breaking waves. A new or substantially improved house in VE must stand on an open foundation of piles or columns with its lowest horizontal structural member at or above the base flood elevation, and walls below that level must break away. VE flood premiums are higher than AE premiums for comparable buildings, which a bay-front buyer weighs against the view.
The USGS 3DEP elevation service read ground elevations of 4.5 to 7.3 feet at sample points across Carolands, below the 10 to 12 foot base flood elevations. An older house built near grade can have a lowest floor below the base flood elevation, which raises the flood premium and narrows what a renovation can do.
Lee County places Carolands in evacuation Zone A, the first zone ordered out for a storm surge threat. The ASCE wind design speed for the parcels we read is 170 mph.
We ask for the elevation certificate, the wind mitigation and four-point reports, the roof date and the seller’s current declarations, and we send them to your insurance agent in the first days of the contract. Private flood carriers also write in Lee County. We do not quote premiums, because they are priced on each building.
Hurricane Ian’s surge crossed Little Hickory Island in September 2022, and a Carolands buyer should read each house’s storm record through its permits: what was repaired, under which City permit, and whether the house was found substantially damaged. The permit file, the seller’s flood disclosure and the elevation certificate together answer that question.
Data updated: October 2026 (City of Bonita Springs; FEMA; Florida Statute 689.302, read October 2026)
In a flood zone, a renovation or repair that costs 50 percent or more of the building’s market value is a substantial improvement, and the house must then be brought up to the current flood rules. The City tracks improvement costs against the building’s value. A buyer who plans a large renovation of an older house should price it with the cumulative cost in mind, because crossing the line can mean elevating or rebuilding.
Unpermitted repairs after the storms are a negotiation item and an insurance question. We read the City permit record by address before your inspection response, so a gap is priced, not discovered at closing.
A Carolands boat buyer should know three things before falling for a dock: what the dock and lift permits allow, what shape the seawall and pilings are in, and which pass a boat reaches the Gulf through. Big Hickory Pass sits under a bridge listed at 10 feet of clearance, New Pass at 30 feet and Big Carlos Pass at 60 feet.
Data updated: October 2026 (NOAA U.S. Coast Pilot; Lee County Big Carlos Pass bridge project; Florida Department of Environmental Protection, read October 2026)
All three Gulf passes a Carolands boat uses lie north of the neighborhood. The nearest is Big Hickory Pass, at the north end of Little Hickory Island, where the NOAA Coast Pilot lists the Hickory Boulevard bridge at 10 feet of vertical clearance, so only smaller boats run it. Farther north, New Pass (30 feet in the Coast Pilot) and Big Carlos Pass, under Lee County’s new bridge built with 60 feet of vertical clearance, take larger boats to the Gulf. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection adopted an inlet management plan for Big Hickory Pass in June 2026.
Estero Bay is shallow outside the marked channels. Draft, tide and the route from the canal mouth to the channel decide whether a given boat works from a given dock. Ask the seller what boat they kept there, and run the route at low tide before closing.
The roll undercounts docks. A dock or lift is a structure with its own permit history at the City and, for larger work, the state. Docks and seawalls on Estero Bay touch state sovereign submerged lands and the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, so a buyer who wants a longer dock or a larger lift should expect a Florida Department of Environmental Protection authorization in addition to the City permit. Dock, lift and Gulf-access details per closing: Information not available at time of publishing (checked 2026-10-10).
Yes. Every Carolands MLS closing in 60 months was above $1 million, so a financed purchase there is usually a jumbo loan, and every financed purchase needs flood insurance bound before closing, a lender’s appraisal from a thin set of comparable sales, and a lender’s review of the flood zone, elevation and insurance. Cash buyers avoid the appraisal and the mortgage taxes but not the insurance questions.
Data updated: October 2026 (Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey; FEMA; sections 201.08 and 199.133, Florida Statutes)
A lender requires flood insurance on every Carolands house, because every parcel is in a special flood hazard area. It will ask for the elevation certificate and the wind and homeowners policy, and its appraiser will need comparable sales. With one county-qualified sale in 12 months, an appraiser works from older Carolands sales and the island’s bay and canal sales, and we hand the appraiser those sales with the adjustments for water, flood zone, age and size.
Freddie Mac publishes weekly average mortgage rates in its Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Jumbo rates are set by each lender. We do not name a lender on this page; ask two or three for a written loan estimate.
A thin record raises the chance of an appraisal below the contract price. A contract with an appraisal contingency lets you renegotiate, bring more cash or cancel within its terms; we discuss that choice with you before you write the offer, not after the appraisal arrives.
A financed Carolands buyer pays the mortgage note’s documentary stamps of $0.35 per $100, the intangible tax of $0.002 per $1 of the loan, the lender’s title policy, recording and lender fees and prorated taxes at closing. In Lee County the seller customarily pays the owner’s title policy and the deed stamps, though the contract controls.
Data updated: October 2026 (sections 201.08, 199.133 and 28.24, Florida Statutes; Lee County Property Appraiser 2025 tax schedule, read October 17, 2026)
The example uses $2,862,500, the June 2026 sale and the median of the nine MLS closings in 60 months, with a 20 percent down payment and a loan of $2,290,000.
| Line | Estimate | Arithmetic |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | $2,862,500 | 60-month MLS median, 9 closings |
| Loan, 80 percent | $2,290,000 | 80% of $2,862,500 |
| Note documentary stamps | $8,015 | 22,900 units of $100 at $0.35 |
| Intangible tax on the mortgage | $4,580 | $2,290,000 at $0.002 per $1 |
| Deed recording | about $18.50 to $35.50 | $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page, Section 28.24 |
| Owner’s title policy and deed stamps | customarily the seller’s | Lee County custom; the contract controls |
| Lender’s title policy, appraisal, survey, inspections, lender fees | vary by provider | Ask for the loan estimate and the title quote |
A cash buyer pays no note stamps or intangible tax. Section 201.08, Florida Statutes, sets the note stamp tax and Section 199.133 the intangible tax.
As an illustration only, the 2025 rate of 12.7970 mills on $2,862,500 is about $36,631 of ad valorem tax before any exemption, plus the $50 City stormwater fee and the $358.45 Lee County solid waste charge on the single-family bills we read. The proposed 2026 rate is 12.8217 mills. Taxes are prorated at closing, so you reimburse or are credited for the seller’s share of the year.
If the house becomes your permanent residence, file for homestead with the Lee County Property Appraiser by March 1 of the year after purchase, using form DR-501. Florida’s portability rules can carry part of an earlier Florida homestead’s assessment difference to a new one; ask the Property Appraiser or a tax adviser how it applies to you.
Since the National Association of REALTORS settlement practice changes took effect on August 17, 2024, a buyer signs a written agreement with their agent before touring a home, the agreement states the agent’s compensation, and offers of buyer-broker compensation can no longer be advertised on the MLS. Compensation is negotiable and can be paid by the buyer, the seller or both.
Data updated: October 2026 (National Association of REALTORS, practice changes effective August 17, 2024)
Before we tour a Carolands house with you, we sign a written buyer agreement that states what we are paid and how. The amount is negotiable, it is set before the first showing, and it cannot be open-ended. Florida’s brokerage relationship law, Section 475.278, also requires a disclosure of how we represent you, and we explain the choice before any confidential conversation about price.
A seller may still agree to pay part or all of a buyer’s agent’s compensation, or to give a closing-cost concession, as part of the contract. We ask for that in the offer when it helps you, and we show you how each choice changes your cash at closing.
With two houses for sale and few recent sales, a Carolands seller often has reasons to help with costs. We write the request into the offer where the record supports it, rather than assuming it.
We negotiate a Carolands purchase at the partner level, with Marc or Jesse on every offer, counter, inspection response and appraisal question. Four issues decide a Carolands contract: price against the nearest bay or canal sales, the inspection and insurance quotes, the seawall and dock, and the appraisal.
Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 27, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser and Florida DOR recorded sales)
We set the offer from the sales of the house’s own water position, then the island’s nearest bay or canal sales, adjusted for size, elevation, age and condition. The nine MLS closings sold from 81.8 to 100 percent of their final list price, the June 2026 closing sold 18.2 percent below its list price after 79 days, and one of the two active listings had been on the market 244 days on October 27, 2026. We bring those facts to the offer.
We order the inspections and the insurance quotes inside the inspection period and respond item by item. If the flood or wind quote is high, the elevation certificate, the wind mitigation report and the roof date explain why, and the response asks for repair, credit or price.
We state in the offer what conveys, what the dock and lift permits allow and whether the seawall is accepted as it stands or with a named repair. A marine contractor’s report is the basis for any request.
We ask the title company to confirm the 1978 easements and that no mandatory association applies, and we set a closing date that leaves time to bind flood and wind coverage.
Carolands is in the Lee County School District’s South choice zone, study area 2200. Lee County assigns students through a choice process within the zone, so the school a student attends depends on the application, not only on the address. The nearest public schools are about 6 to 10 miles away by road.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County School District, read October 17, 2026; OSRM drive distances)
| School | Miles by road |
|---|---|
| Bonita Springs Elementary | 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Spring Creek Elementary | 6.5 to 7.0 |
| Bonita Springs Middle | 6.2 to 6.8 |
| Bonita Springs High | 9.4 to 9.9 |
| Estero High | 11.1 to 11.6 |
The district’s student assignment office and its online zone lookup confirm the options for an address. Assignments and zones change, so confirm before you buy if a school matters to you.
Daily life in Carolands is a short street on the bay side of Little Hickory Island, a dock behind most houses and a public Gulf beach under a mile away, with the mainland’s shops and hospitals 15 to 20 minutes over the bridge. There is no clubhouse, gate or shared amenity; the amenities are public beaches, parks and the water.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Parks notices, read October 17, 2026; OSRM drive distances)
Lee County’s Little Hickory Island Beach Park is 0.5 to 1.0 mile by road, the nearest public Gulf beach. Lee County Parks report that its parking lot closed on September 8, 2026 for repairs, with pedestrian access open. Bonita Beach Park, at the south end of Hickory Boulevard, is 1.2 to 1.7 miles away; its lot and amenities also closed on September 8, 2026 for Hurricane Ian repairs, and the numbered Bonita Beach accesses remain open. Barefoot Beach Preserve in Collier County is 3.3 to 3.8 miles south, and Lovers Key State Park is 4.8 to 5.3 miles north.
| Destination | Miles | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Little Hickory Island Beach Park | 0.5 to 1.0 | 1 to 3 |
| Bonita Beach Park | 1.2 to 1.7 | 3 to 5 |
| Barefoot Beach Preserve | 3.3 to 3.8 | 11 to 13 |
| Lovers Key State Park | 4.8 to 5.3 | 10 to 12 |
| The Promenade at Bonita Bay | 5.3 to 5.8 | 11 to 13 |
| NCH North Naples Hospital | 8.5 to 9.1 | 15 to 17 |
| Coconut Point | 9.0 to 9.5 | 16 to 18 |
| Fifth Avenue South, Naples | 16.9 to 17.4 | 30 to 32 |
| Southwest Florida International Airport | 23.3 to 23.8 | 34 to 36 |
Season traffic on Bonita Beach Road and Hickory Boulevard adds time from January to April.
Bonita Springs Utilities supplies water and sewer, and Florida Power and Light supplies electricity. Waste Management collects trash on Thursday under the City contract. Bonita Springs Fire Control and Rescue District serves Carolands, and Station 27 is the closest station. LeeTran’s ULTRA on-demand service covers the area.
The roll does not describe people, only ownership: 45 of the 68 houses carry a homestead exemption on the 2026 roll, against 44.5 percent across the island’s houses, so most Carolands houses are lived in by their owners year-round. The other 23 houses carry no homestead exemption, which marks second homes and rentals together; the roll does not separate the two.
A buyer choosing between Carolands and Kinleyland is choosing between an 80-parcel bayside neighborhood with a 60-month county range of $1,600,000 to $7,700,000 and a 30-parcel recorded plat with a range of $1,800,000 to $2,100,000. Both sit on Little Hickory Island with canal and bay lots; they differ in size, flood exposure and price tier.
Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 27, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser and Florida DOR recorded sales; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer)
Kinleyland is the closest alternative on the island, on Kings Kew and Queens Kew near the Bonita Beach Road bridge. If it is on your list too, read our guide to buying in Kinleyland. The last column says what each difference means for a buyer.
| What a buyer weighs | Carolands | Kinleyland | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 80 parcels: 68 houses, 12 lots | 30 parcels: 27 houses, 3 lots | More houses and lots to choose from in Carolands |
| Water | 29 bay front, 51 canal | 15 bay, 15 canal | Carolands has more open bay frontage |
| Recorded plat | Unrecorded subdivision | Plat Book 29, Page 91 | Title work differs; Carolands rests on deeds and easements |
| Built | 1966 to 2024, median 1991 | 1974 to 2019, median 1987 | Carolands has the newest houses |
| Heated area, median | 2,749 sq ft | 2,221 sq ft | Carolands houses are larger |
| County sales, 60 months | 6, from $1,600,000 to $7,700,000 | 6, from $1,800,000 to $2,100,000 | Kinleyland’s range is tight; Carolands spans every tier |
| MLS closings, 60 months | 9, from $1,600,000 to $8,650,000 | 6, from $1,800,000 to $2,195,000 | More recent closings to compare in Carolands |
| For sale on October 27, 2026 | 2 ($3,995,000 and $6,195,000) | None | Only Carolands had a house to buy that day |
| Flood | AE on 61, VE 12 on 19; panel 12071C0651G | AE, base flood elevation 10; panel 12071C0654G | Carolands bay-front VE carries a higher flood standard |
| Seawalls on the roll | 57 | 25 | Both owners carry their own |
| Homesteaded houses | 45 of 68 | 12 of 27 | Carolands is more owner-occupied |
| Zoning | RS-1 76, TFC-2 4 | RS-1 30 | Both are single-family streets |
Carolands fits a buyer who wants open bay frontage on one of its 29 bay-front parcels, a larger house (median 2,749 square feet against 2,221), a new custom house, or a building lot, since it has 12 vacant lots to Kinleyland’s 3.
Kinleyland fits a buyer who wants a smaller canal or bay house in a recorded plat, in a single AE 10 flood zone, at a price range that in the county record has stayed between $1,800,000 and $2,100,000 for 60 months.
Carolands is one of nine sections of Little Hickory Island, and across the island’s single-family houses the same MLS pull shows 19 closings in the 12 months to October 27, 2026 at a $2,600,000 median, a 93.02 percent median sold-to-list and 79 median days on market. Carolands supplied 1 of those 19 closings.
Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 27, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser and Florida DOR recorded sales)
Little Hickory Island runs between Estero Bay and the Gulf along Hickory Boulevard, from the Big Hickory Pass bridge south to Bonita Beach Road. Carolands is on the bay side; the island’s Gulf-front houses sit on the Bonita Beach plat across the road, and its other canal sections include the 1st Addition, the Addition and Kinleyland. Our Little Hickory Island guide covers every section, and our Bonita Beach buyer’s guide covers the beach as a whole.
Carolands has the island’s highest share of full-time owners: 46 of its 80 parcels carry a homestead exemption, 45 of them on its 68 houses. Its houses change hands less often than the island as a whole, and its price range runs from older canal houses near $1.6 million to new bay-front houses above $7 million.
Buyers who want a condominium rather than a house look at the bay-front buildings near Bonita Beach Road, such as Little Hickory Bay and Hickory Bay West. Buyers who want a lower entry price on the island look at the Bonita Beach Mobile Home Villas. Across the city, our Bonita Springs buyer’s guide covers the mainland.
The pros and cons of buying in Carolands come straight from the public record: the water, the lot sizes and the ownership pattern on one side, and the flood zones, the thin sales record and the owner’s own seawall and dock upkeep on the other. Weigh both against the specific house you are considering, not the neighborhood average.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser roll of October 2026; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer; NOAA Coast Pilot)
To see Carolands homes for sale, start with the two houses active on October 27, 2026, at $3,995,000 and $6,195,000, then set a search for McLaughlin Boulevard and Carol Court so a new listing reaches you the day it appears. With so few listings, speed and preparation matter more than browsing.
Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 27, 2026)
We tracked every Carolands listing and closing in the October 27, 2026 MLS pull for this page, and we do the same for each house you ask about. Before we tour a Carolands house with you, we pull its recorded sales, its flood zone and base flood elevation, its permit history and its dock and seawall permits, so you see the house’s numbers before you see the kitchen.
Ask us to set a Southwest Florida MLS alert for Carolands, and you will see a new listing as soon as it is entered. A house that appears in Carolands may not stay long: the May 2025 closing at $8,650,000 reported 10 days on market.
Many Carolands buyers start from out of state. We tour by video, read the documents with you remotely and schedule the inspection and the marine survey before you fly in.
You get a personalized Carolands buyer consultation by booking one with Marc Comisar online or calling Marc at (239) 287-5873. We cover your water and boat, your budget and financing, the two active listings and the recorded sales that fit, and the insurance and document checks for the houses you want to see, with no obligation.
Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida, or return to the buyer consultation request on this page. McGreevy and Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008. Selling a home to buy here? Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072, read our Carolands seller’s guide, or request a free Carolands home valuation.
A seasonal buyer in Carolands should plan for three things a year-round owner handles in person: storm preparation and insurance while away, the care of the dock, lift and seawall, and the property tax bill without a homestead exemption. Most Carolands owners are full-time residents, so a seasonal owner is the exception on the street.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser roll of October 2026; Lee County Emergency Management)
Carolands is in evacuation Zone A and every parcel is in a FEMA flood zone. A seasonal owner arranges shutters or impact openings, a boat-removal or tie-down plan for storm season, and someone local to check the house after a storm.
A second home does not qualify for the homestead exemption or its assessment cap, so the tax bill follows the assessed value each year. The 23 Carolands houses without a homestead exemption include second homes and rentals together.
Florida licenses short stays in a house rented more than three times a year for under 30 days, and taxes them. No association rule limits rentals that we could find; the City’s code and the state’s rules apply.
Marc Comisar is a top-reviewed Bonita Springs buyer’s agent and Jesse McGreevy is a top-reviewed Bonita Springs realtor; every review below is copied from our Google Business Profile, a public page our clients write. We claim no Carolands sale, and none of these is offered as a Carolands review. The words are the reviewers’ own.
★★★★★ “Jesse listened to what we were looking for and found us exactly what we wanted. Jesse was always available to answer any questions and helped us through the entire process.” Verified Google review
★★★★★ “He was quick to respond with any questions about the purchase of our new home and made sure everything went smoothly! We highly recommend him as an agent!” Verified Google review
★★★★★ “Marc is one of the most down to earth realtors that really listens to your needs and is exceptional at finding the right house.” Verified Google review
★★★★★ “I have had 13 real estate transactions and this is the most professional and helpful agency that I have ever worked with. Marc actually called me with a response to my questions and concerns on a Sunday evening. The resources that this agency has access to goes above and beyond any other I have ever worked with. The professional process that they use to present your home for sale goes beyond anything I have ever experienced.” Verified Google review
These are the questions Carolands buyers ask, answered from the Lee County record, the Southwest Florida MLS, FEMA and Florida law. The neighborhood background is in our Carolands, Bonita Beach neighborhood guide. For your own purchase, call Marc at (239) 287-5873.
On the Estero Bay side of Little Hickory Island, along McLaughlin Boulevard and Carol Court off Hickory Boulevard, inside the City of Bonita Springs in Lee County.
Yes. It is one of the nine sections of Little Hickory Island, the barrier island that carries Hickory Boulevard south to Bonita Beach Road.
On October 27, 2026 two were active, at $3,995,000 and $6,195,000, and none was pending.
Six county-qualified sales in 60 months ran from $1,600,000 to $7,700,000, and nine MLS closings from $1,600,000 to $8,650,000, with a $2,862,500 MLS median.
One. The county recorded a single qualified sale in the 12 months to September 25, 2026, and the MLS one closing in the 12 months to October 27, 2026, both the June 2026 sale at $2,862,500.
The nine MLS closings sold from 81.8 to 100 percent of their final list price, with a median of 90.12 percent across the eight that report market time.
Days on market ran from 8 to 242 for the eight MLS closings that report it, with a median of 26. The active listings showed 244 and 5 days on October 27, 2026.
No association appears on the Florida Division of Corporations record, and we located no recorded declaration of covenants. There is no monthly fee.
No. Carolands has no gate, clubhouse or shared amenity; its amenities are the public beaches and parks nearby.
Yes. All 80 parcels touch water: 29 face open Estero Bay and 51 sit on canals.
On the record, yes: five of the six county-qualified sales in 60 months were bay-front, from $1,600,000 to $7,700,000, and the one canal sale was $1,850,000.
AE on 61 parcels (base flood elevation 11 feet on 37, 10 feet on 24) and VE 12 on 19 bay-front parcels, on FEMA panel 12071C0651G, effective November 17, 2022.
A lender requires it, because every parcel is in a FEMA special flood hazard area. A cash buyer is not required to carry it but should price it.
It is the coastal high hazard zone. A new or substantially improved house must stand on piles or columns with breakaway walls below the base flood elevation, and premiums run higher than in AE.
Yes, Lee County evacuation Zone A, the first zone ordered out for a storm surge threat.
The ASCE wind design speed for the parcels we read is 170 mph.
Ian’s surge crossed Little Hickory Island in September 2022. Ask each seller for the flood disclosure, the permits pulled after the storm and any substantial damage letter.
In a flood zone, work costing 50 percent or more of the building’s market value is a substantial improvement, and the house must then meet the current flood rules.
Built 1966 to 2024, median 1991. The 1980s were the busiest decade, with 17 houses, and 15 houses date from 2010 or later.
The roll’s median heated area is 2,749 square feet, and 29 houses have 3,000 square feet or more, on a median lot of 0.2735 acre.
Yes. The roll shows 12 vacant lots, 11 on canals. A new house needs a City permit and a floodplain review; the county recorded lot sales of $1,100,000 and $1,600,000 in 60 months.
Yes, north through Big Hickory Pass (10-foot bridge clearance), New Pass (30 feet) or Big Carlos Pass (60 feet). Draft and tide decide the route in shallow Estero Bay.
Most houses have a seawall (57 on the roll), and docks are common, but the roll flags a dock on only 4 parcels. Ask for the dock and lift permits.
The owner. There is no association, so each owner maintains their own seawall, dock and lift.
No association rule limits rentals that we could find. Florida licenses short stays under 30 days rented more than three times a year, and the City’s code applies.
The 2025 rate in tax district 017 was 12.7970 mills, about $36,631 on a $2,862,500 purchase before any exemption, plus the stormwater and solid waste charges.
With a loan, note stamps of $0.35 per $100 and intangible tax of $0.002 per $1; on a $2,290,000 loan that is $8,015 and $4,580, plus lender, title and recording fees.
The seller customarily pays for the owner’s title policy and chooses the closing agent; the contract controls. The buyer pays for the lender’s policy.
No. It is an unrecorded subdivision; the parcels are deeded, and the 1978 deed’s roadway and utility easements define the streets.
The City maintains McLaughlin Boulevard on a 50-foot right of way. Carol Court is not on the City’s maintained-road list, so ask the title company.
Lee County’s South choice zone, study area 2200. The nearest public schools are Bonita Springs Elementary (6.0 to 6.5 miles), Bonita Springs Middle (6.2 to 6.8) and Bonita Springs High (9.4 to 9.9).
Little Hickory Island Beach Park is 0.5 to 1.0 mile by road, 1 to 3 minutes.
Southwest Florida International Airport is 23.3 to 23.8 miles, 34 to 36 minutes at free-flow speed.
Yes. Every MLS closing in 60 months was above $1 million, so most financed purchases are jumbo loans, with flood insurance bound before closing.
Carolands offers more bay frontage, larger and newer houses and building lots; Kinleyland offers a recorded plat, a single AE 10 flood zone and a tight $1,800,000 to $2,100,000 county range.
No. This is a neighborhood of 80 parcels on Little Hickory Island in Bonita Springs, Florida; the name is shared with an estate in Hillsborough, California.
Choose the agent who reads the flood, permit and title record with you. McGreevy and Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008; call Marc at (239) 287-5873.
Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. We can line up the sale and the purchase, and our Carolands home valuation guide shows how we price a house here.
A Bonita Beach waterfront specialist knows which sales are true comparables for a bay or canal house, what the flood map means parcel by parcel, how a seawall and dock file reads to a lender and insurer, and which pass a boat can use. A buyer who knows those answers before the offer pays for the house, not for its surprises.
We have seen small facts cost buyers money: a bay-front house priced off a canal sale, a roll flag taken as proof of a dock, a flood quote ordered after the inspection period, and a boat that would not clear the Big Hickory Pass bridge. As Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, we check those before you commit.
Our Bonita Beach community guide covers the beach and the strip, our Little Hickory Island guide covers the island’s sections, and our Carolands guide covers the sales, the flood map and the boating route.
If you are ready to buy in Carolands, work with the team that reads the house’s flood, permit, dock and title record before you offer and negotiates at the partner level. McGreevy and Comisar have represented Bonita Springs buyers since 2008, and we answer the water questions first.
If you’re searching for “the best buyer’s agent in Bonita Springs, Florida,” McGreevy and Comisar represents homebuyers across Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples, Fort Myers, Lee County, Collier County, and Babcock Ranch. Whether you’re relocating, snowbirding, investing, buying your first home, or upgrading to luxury, including in Bonita Bay, Pelican Bay, Mediterra, West Bay Club, Pelican Sound, Shadow Wood, Miromar Lakes, Talis Park, and the SWFL coastal corridor, our team provides honest market guidance, pre-MLS access, partner-level negotiation, and a clear plan to help you buy confidently.
Carolands record, last 60 months: 6 county-qualified house sales from $1,600,000 to $7,700,000 and 9 Southwest Florida MLS closings at a $2,862,500 median, with 2 houses for sale on October 27, 2026. Book your Carolands buyer consultation or call Marc at (239) 287-5873.
If you own a Carolands home and are thinking of selling, whether to move up the island or off it, we price it from the recorded sales of its own water position and assemble the flood, permit and dock file before a buyer asks. McGreevy and Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.
Read our Carolands seller’s guide, request a free Carolands home valuation, or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072, text or call. Confidential conversations are welcome.
Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar are your local real estate experts for Carolands, based in Bonita Springs, in the same city as the neighborhood. Marc leads buyer representation and negotiation; Jesse leads listings and seller strategy. The partner who shows you the house is the partner at your closing.
Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
#1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
McGreevy and Comisar and their Domain Realty Group team have sold over $2.5 Billion in Real Estate
McGreevy and Comisar alone have over $900 million in Sales
Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
Platinum Sales Production Award Winners
Jesse McGreevy: (239) 898-6072 · [email protected]
Marc Comisar: (239) 287-5873
Office: 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134
Jesse McGreevy (Sales Associate) and Marc Comisar (Broker Associate) are licensed Florida REALTORS® with Domain Realty; Florida real estate licensure is regulated by the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Florida license numbers: Jesse McGreevy SL3101296, Marc Comisar BK3060671.
Buying in Carolands? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers. Selling? Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072, or get a free Carolands home valuation.
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McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, a full-service Southwest Florida real estate team. Learn more about our team at DomainRealtyGroup.com. Read more about McGreevy and Comisar or contact us.
Every figure on this page traces to a primary source below: county, city, state and federal records and the statutes that set a buyer’s costs and a seller’s duties. Carolands sale figures are from the Lee County Property Appraiser sales file and roll and Florida Department of Revenue recorded sales through September 25, 2026, and Southwest Florida MLS figures are from the pull of October 27, 2026, which is login-only and not linked. We do not cite brokerage or listing sites.
These official documents are the ones a Carolands buyer should read before an offer and keep through closing. Each link opens the issuing authority’s own copy.
| Document | Issued by | Date | Why a Carolands buyer needs it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 Carlos Corporation deed, OR 1280 PG 480 | Lee County Clerk | 1978 | The roadway and utility easements your title commitment will list |
| Florida Statute 689.302 | Florida Legislature | Current statute | The flood disclosure the seller gives you at or before the contract |
| Homestead application DR-501 | Florida Department of Revenue | Current form | What you file by March 1 of the year after purchase |
| 2026 preliminary taxing district millage book | Lee County Property Appraiser | 2026 | The millage behind your first tax bill |
| Big Hickory Pass inlet management plan | Florida Department of Environmental Protection | June 2026 | The nearest pass from a Carolands dock to the Gulf |
| Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve management plan | Florida Department of Environmental Protection | Current plan | The preserve waters off the bay front, relevant to dock work |
Market data from Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 27, 2026, and Lee County Property Appraiser and Florida DOR recorded sales through September 25, 2026. McGreevy and Comisar, buy your Carolands home with the #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012. Brokered by Domain Realty. Jesse McGreevy, FL Lic. SL3101296 · Marc Comisar, FL Lic. BK3060671.