Buy Your Next Home in Sanibel and Captiva with the #1 Team in Southwest Florida Since 2012: recorded sale prices, flood files, rental rules and condo documents, before you tour.
By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, McGreevy and Comisar · Updated October 2026
Buying a home on Sanibel or Captiva means buying on two barrier islands that share one causeway and very little else. Sanibel is its own city; Captiva, across Blind Pass, is unincorporated Lee County. The rules for rentals, rebuilding, taxes and beach assessments change at that line, so this guide treats the islands side by side. It sits under our Sanibel and Captiva guide, which covers both islands as places to live, and our island guides to Sanibel Island and Captiva Island. Every market figure on this page comes from Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales, and every rule from the statute, ordinance or agency document named beside it.
McGreevy and Comisar are the #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012, Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, and the #5 real estate team in Florida (RealTrends 2026). If you want a straight answer about a specific building, canal or Gulf-front lot before you plan a trip, call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072, or use the form at the top of this page.
To buy a home on Sanibel or Captiva in 2026, decide which island’s rules fit how you will use the home, then price the property against what it costs to own after Hurricane Ian: flood elevation, flood and wind insurance, the condominium’s structural paperwork, property taxes and any beach or dredging assessment. Then sign a written buyer agreement and write an offer that protects your inspection, insurance and financing periods.
The market for buyers on each island by property type, how Sanibel and Captiva compare as places to own, the neighborhoods buyers ask about, condominium due diligence, flood zones and the 50 percent rule, insurance, financing, property taxes, rental rules, what has reopened since Ian, closing costs in Lee County, buyer representation after the NAR settlement, and how we run a purchase with you. If you are also looking on the mainland, our Fort Myers buyer guide covers the city at the other end of the causeway.
A Sanibel or Captiva buyer in October 2026 is buying four years after Hurricane Ian, on islands that have been repaired far more than rebuilt, at prices below the last pre-Ian year, with insurance, flood and condominium rules that now shape every offer. These are the points we would want you to know before your first showing.
Jump to any section of this Sanibel and Captiva buyer guide.
McGreevy and Comisar is a Southwest Florida team that represents buyers and sellers across Lee and Collier counties, with over 45 years of combined direct real estate experience between Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar. On Sanibel and Captiva that means we read the flood map, the elevation certificate, the condominium’s milestone paperwork and the county sales record for you before you commit to a street or a building.
If you are comparing agents for the islands, our guide to the best real estate agents on Sanibel and Captiva explains how we think a buyer should choose one and what to ask.
For this page we tracked every qualified recorded sale on both islands in the Lee County Property Appraiser’s sales file: 404 on Sanibel and 47 on Captiva Island in the 12 months to September 2026, plus 15 on North Captiva. Those are the islands’ market figures, and we use them the way we use them with clients: to show what a street or building has actually sold for, and how the market has moved since Ian.
We give every Sanibel and Captiva buyer the same six-point briefing before we unlock a single door, because the islands’ costs are mostly invisible on a listing sheet.
Before a showing day we pull each property’s recorded sale history and just value from the county roll, the effective FEMA flood zone, any elevation certificate on file, and the permit trail since September 2022. For condominiums we request the milestone inspection summary, the structural integrity reserve study, the budget, the rules and the last two years of board minutes. You should know what a home has sold for and what it costs to own before you fall for the view.
Many island sales start as conversations: owners who plan to sell after season, estates, families deciding whether to rebuild, and sellers who want a quiet sale. We work our own seller relationships, other agents’ coming-soon notes and our database of past clients to put you in front of homes before they are widely marketed. When a home is not yet listed, we tell you plainly what we know and what we do not.
We build every offer from the county’s recorded sales for the street or building, the home’s elevation and permit history, and what the insurance quotes and inspection are likely to show. Sanibel single-family homes sold for a median of about $547 per heated square foot and condominiums about $642 in the last 12 months (Lee County Property Appraiser), so a home asking well above its street’s recorded sales needs a reason. We use the inspection, insurance and condominium review periods to renegotiate when the facts support it.
We will not tell you a building is sound without its documents, quote you an insurance premium we have not seen in writing, or promise rental income a code or a declaration does not allow. We will not push a closing date that cuts short your condominium review period. And we will not represent you in a purchase of one of our own listings without telling you, in writing, how that changes our role.
The Sanibel and Captiva market for buyers in October 2026 is a post-Ian market: Sanibel single-family homes sold for a median of $1,080,000 and condominiums for $725,000 in the 12 months to September 2026, both below the last pre-Ian year, while Captiva Island’s condominium sales doubled to 30. Read each island and each property type on its own.
Data updated: October 2026. Source: Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales (DOR-qualified improved sales, ZIP 33957), trailing 12 months October 2025 to September 2026, index built October 21, 2026, newest recorded sale September 15, 2026. Captiva Island figures: the same county sales file, Captiva fire and erosion taxing district.
Sanibel recorded 243 qualified single-family sales in the 12 months to September 2026, at a median of $1,080,000 and about $547 per heated square foot. In calendar 2025 the single-family median was $1,022,500 on 174 sales.
Sanibel recorded 145 qualified condominium sales in the same 12 months, at a median of $725,000 and about $642 per heated square foot. In calendar 2025 the condominium median was $697,500 on 122 sales. Condominiums sell for more per square foot than houses on Sanibel because so much of the condo stock is Gulf-side and compact. Across all property types the island recorded 404 sales; the single-family and condo medians above are the figures to plan with.
We tracked every recorded Captiva Island sale for the same window. Captiva Island recorded 11 qualified single-family sales in the 12 months to September 2026, with a median of these 11 sales of $2,275,000, and 30 condominium sales at a median of $642,000. Five duplex and similar multi-family sales also closed. The condominium count doubled from 15 in the prior 12 months, the one trend the county data supports on Captiva. The South Seas family of condominiums and cottages accounted for 29 of the island’s 47 recorded sales, at a median of $765,000.
Less than a year ago, but still real. Florida Realtors SunStats counted 228 active listings in Sanibel's ZIP 33957 in September 2026, down from 309 a year earlier, and months of supply fell from 14.5 to 6.7. Captiva's ZIP 33924 still carried 17.0 months of supply (136 listings, down from 179). The median Sanibel buyer in September 2026 paid 87.2 percent of the original asking price, and cash buyers made up 85.7 percent of Sanibel condo closings that month, so a financed condo offer is often competing with cash.
Data updated: October 2026 (Florida Realtors SunStats, ZIP 33957 and ZIP 33924, September 2026 vs September 2025, pulled October 27, 2026).
Buyer measure, September 2026 (a year earlier) | Sanibel, ZIP 33957 | Captiva, ZIP 33924 |
|---|---|---|
Active listings | 228 (309) | 136 (179) |
Months of supply | 6.7 (14.5) | 17.0 (37.0) |
New listings in the month | 19 (23) | 7 (5) |
Median percent of original list paid | 87.2% (85.7%) | 92.5% (90.3%), 3 sales |
Cash share of closings | 45.8% (72.7%) | 66.7% (71.4%) |
Source: Florida Realtors SunStats, all property types, pulled October 27, 2026. ZIP 33924 on the MLS side also includes North Captiva and the boat-access islands.
Thinking about an offer? Read the recorded sales of your target type first, then talk with Marc at (239) 287-5873 about where the comps clear.
North Captiva, reached only by boat or air, is reported separately and never added to Captiva Island figures. It recorded 15 qualified single-family sales in the same 12 months, at a median of $905,000 and a range of $420,000 to $2,900,000 (Lee County Property Appraiser, Upper Captiva fire district parcels).
| Island and type | Recorded sales, 12 months to Sept 2026 | Median sale price | Median per heated sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanibel single-family | 243 | $1,080,000 | about $547 |
| Sanibel condominium | 145 | $725,000 | about $642 |
| Captiva Island single-family | 11 | $2,275,000 (median of these 11) | about $1,402 (11 sales) |
| Captiva Island condominium | 30 | $642,000 | about $759 |
| North Captiva single-family | 15 | $905,000 | about $647 |
Source: Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales (DOR-qualified improved sales), index built October 21, 2026, newest recorded sale September 15, 2026, joined to the parcel roll exported October 18, 2026. A 56-parcel multi-parcel deed of March 31, 2026 is excluded from every Captiva figure.
| Price band (12 months to Sept 2026) | Sanibel single-family sales | Share | Sanibel condo sales | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $500,000 | 12 | 4.9% | 31 | 21.4% |
| $500,000 to under $1 million | 99 | 40.7% | 83 | 57.2% |
| $1 million to under $2 million | 96 | 39.5% | 30 | 20.7% |
| $2 million to under $3 million | 19 | 7.8% | 1 | 0.7% |
| $3 million to under $5 million | 13 | 5.3% | 0 | 0% |
| $5 million and up | 4 | 1.6% | 0 | 0% |
| Total | 243 | 100% | 145 | 100% |
Source: Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales (DOR-qualified improved sales, ZIP 33957), October 2025 to September 2026, index built October 21, 2026. On Captiva Island, 22 of the 30 condominium sales closed under $1 million, and every one of the 11 single-family sales closed at $1 million or more.
With Sanibel single-family homes at a median of $1,080,000 and Sanibel condominiums at $725,000, the gap between a good and a bad island purchase is mostly in the elevation certificate, the permit trail, the condominium’s documents and the price you open with. Start a Sanibel and Captiva buyer consultation, or call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Selling a home on the islands first? Get a free Sanibel and Captiva home valuation or read how we sell homes on Sanibel and Captiva.
In the last full year before Hurricane Ian (October 2021 to September 2022), including sales the county coded 03 (property changed after the sale), which after Hurricane Ian covered most island sales, Sanibel recorded 214 single-family sales at a median of $1,327,500 and 201 condominium sales at a median of $875,000. Against the latest 12 months, Sanibel single-family medians are about 19 percent and condo medians about 17 percent below the last pre-Ian year. Captiva Island single-family ($3,747,500 on 24 sales) and condominium ($1,050,000 on 47 sales) medians are both about 39 percent lower, but those are small samples, so treat the Captiva comparison as directional only.
We do not print calendar 2022 or 2024 county counts as a trend. Many arm’s-length island sales after Ian were coded by the county as having “physical characteristics changed” (DOR transfer code 03), which drops them out of the standard qualified set and makes those years look smaller than they were. So any comparison window on this page that touches 2022 or 2024 counts those sales too; the latest 12 months are unaffected.
Days on market, the ratio of sale to list price, active inventory and the share of cash buyers are MLS measures, and the county sales file does not carry them. The Sanibel and Captiva Islands Association of REALTORS runs its own MLS, so Southwest Florida MLS sees only part of island sales; the county record is the complete one. When you are ready to write an offer we pull the MLS history for the specific street or building and show you both.
On the current county roll, 47.3 percent of Sanibel single-family parcels and 9.4 percent of Sanibel condominium parcels carry a homestead exemption. On Captiva Island the shares are 17.2 percent of single-family parcels and 6.1 percent of condominiums, and 67 percent of Captiva Island single-family and condo parcels have an out-of-state owner mailing address (Lee County Property Appraiser roll, export of October 18, 2026). More than four in ten Sanibel homes are seasonal or second homes (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Sanibel or Captiva comes down to scale, rules and price. Sanibel is a city of 6,382 residents (2020 Census) with about 16 square miles of land, a four-week rental minimum outside resort housing and a deep market of homes and condos. Captiva is unincorporated Lee County, 318 residents in the Captiva census-designated place, with a thinner, pricier single-family market.
Data updated: October 2026.
| Factor | Sanibel | Captiva | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government | City of Sanibel (incorporated 1974) | Unincorporated Lee County; Captiva Code | Sanibel Plan; Captiva Community Panel |
| ZIP | 33957 | 33924 | U.S. Census |
| 2020 Census residents | 6,382 (city) | 318 (Captiva CDP) | U.S. Census Bureau |
| Recorded single-family sales, 12 months | 243, median $1,080,000 | 11, median of these 11 $2,275,000 | Lee County Property Appraiser |
| Recorded condo sales, 12 months | 145, median $725,000 | 30, median $642,000 | Lee County Property Appraiser |
| 2025 millage, sum of rates | 14.0882 (district 010) | 13.5908 (district 006) | Lee County Property Appraiser millage book |
| Rentals | No rental for less than four consecutive weeks outside permitted resort housing | Set by each association’s documents and resort rental programs | Sanibel Code; s. 509.032, F.S. |
| Height | No more than three stories above base flood elevation | 35 ft above grade or 42 ft above mean sea level | Sanibel Plan; Lee County Ordinance 23-22 |
| 50 percent rule | City of Sanibel permitting | Lee County, cumulative over five years | City of Sanibel; Lee County Ordinance 22-30 |
| Flood discount | CRS Class 5, 25 percent | Unincorporated Lee County CRS Class 5, 25 percent | FEMA CRS list, April 1, 2026 |
| Beach program | City of Sanibel | Captiva Erosion Prevention District assessment | City of Sanibel; CEPD |
| Sewer | City sewer serves about 95 percent of the island | Septic outside South Seas | City of Sanibel; 2018 Captiva wastewater study |
| Drive to RSW airport, free-flow estimate | about 42 minutes | about 65 minutes | Route estimates, no traffic |
Sanibel suits a buyer who wants choice: 243 house sales and 145 condo sales in a year, a K-8 public school on the island, a walk-in clinic, a 26-mile-plus shared use path and a city government that writes its own rules. It also suits a buyer who wants to rent by the month rather than the week, because the four-week minimum keeps most of the island residential.
Captiva suits a buyer who wants a smaller island with resort amenities at South Seas, Gulf beaches renourished in 2025 and a single-family market where homes trade rarely. Expect fewer choices, higher single-family prices, septic systems outside South Seas, beach assessments, and rental rules that come from the association rather than a city code.
North Captiva is boat or air access only and trades as its own market (15 single-family sales, median $905,000). Buyers also weigh Marco Island, a Collier County city whose Ian surge ran 4 to 6 feet above ground, and the Town of Fort Myers Beach, a 2020 Census town of 5,582 with a 2025 millage of 13.4329. Our Sanibel and Captiva guide compares the islands as places to live.
Where to look on Sanibel and Captiva depends on whether you want a canal home, a golf community, a Gulf-side condominium or a resort-managed unit. Sanibel divides into the East End, the central island and the West End; Captiva divides into South Seas at the north end and the village and Gulf-front homes to the south.
The East End holds canal and bay-side neighborhoods such as Kinzie Island, Yachtsman, Eastwood Landings and Victoria Cove, and condominiums such as Mariner Pointe, Lighthouse Point, Sandalfoot, Captains Walk, Tennisplace, The Colonnades and Snug Harbor. Sundial of Sanibel, the island’s largest complex, sits on the Gulf here. Eastern Sanibel took the highest surge in Ian, so the elevation certificate matters most on this end.
Central Sanibel holds Sanibel Highlands, Lake Murex, Seagull Estates, Sanibel Shores, Sanibel Isles and Harbours and Island Woods, plus Gulf-side condominiums such as Pointe Santo de Sanibel, Island Beach Club, Oceans Reach, Kings Crown, Gulfside Place, Sanibel Siesta, Tarpon Beach, Loggerhead Cay, Sanibel Arms and Sanibel Arms West. The Dunes, with the Dunes Golf and Tennis Club, and Beachview Country Club Estates, on the course now called Sanibel Island Golf Club, are the central island’s golf neighborhoods.
The West End holds Gulf Pines, Sanibel Bayous, Chateaux Sur Mer, Sea Oats, Del Sega, Tradewinds, Gulf Ridge, Herons Landing, Seaspray, Dinkins Bayou, White Heron, Sanibel River Estates and Blind Pass Condominium, plus The Sanctuary at Wulfert Point with its private, member-owned golf club. Shell Harbor, a canal neighborhood, was the island’s busiest subdivision by recorded sales over the last year.
Many Sanibel neighborhoods are canal-front. Whether a canal gives a particular boat a practical route to open water depends on depth, bridges and shoaling, and storms since 2022 deposited sediment in the Wulfert Channel that the City says impeded navigation. Ask for a recent depth reading and check any dredging assessment before you pay for “water access.”
About 300 acres at Captiva’s north end belong to South Seas Island Resort, where more than 300 condominiums are owned by third parties and many sit in the resort’s rental program. South of the resort, Captiva’s village and Gulf-front homes line Captiva Drive and Andy Rosse Lane. Read our Captiva Island guide for the resort’s reopening and the court cases over its 2025 rezoning.
Timbers Captiva Club and Residences is a planned 84-home residential club on a 12-acre parcel inside South Seas, with groundbreaking for sitework and vertical construction scheduled for early 2027. It is planned supply, not a comparable sale, so its prices do not tell you what an existing Captiva home is worth.
For who is building and rebuilding on both islands, the elevation, height and 50 percent rules, Florida’s condo safety laws and how a new-construction deposit is protected, read our guide to new construction on Sanibel and Captiva.
Before buying a Sanibel or Captiva condominium, get the building’s milestone inspection summary, its structural integrity reserve study, the budget, the rules on rentals and pets, and the last two years of board minutes, then confirm a lender will finance the building. Florida gives a resale buyer 7 days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, to void the contract after receiving the documents.
Florida requires milestone inspections for condominium buildings of three or more habitable stories at 30 years of age and every 10 years after, or at 25 years where the local building official requires it (DBPR). The City of Sanibel adopted its own milestone inspection ordinance, Ordinance 26-002, on March 17, 2026. We never assume a building’s status: ask the association for the inspector’s summary and check whether any repairs it found are funded.
Associations of buildings three or more habitable stories must have a structural integrity reserve study covering eight components: roof, structural systems, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical, waterproofing and exterior painting, windows and exterior doors, and other items over $25,000 that affect structural integrity. A study done together with a milestone inspection due by December 31, 2026 must be finished by that date. Budgets adopted on or after January 1, 2025 may not waive those reserves (DBPR).
Fannie Mae treats a project as ineligible when it needs critical repairs, including “any project that failed to pass state, county, or other jurisdictional mandatory inspections or certifications specific to structural safety, soundness, and habitability” and unfunded repairs costing more than $10,000 per unit that should be done within 12 months (Selling Guide B4-2.1-03, August 5, 2026). A building in that position can leave buyers with cash, portfolio or non-agency loans only, so ask your lender to check the project early.
Several island associations rebuilt or repaired with special assessments after Ian. Sanibel Moorings’ own minutes record a $550,000 emergency assessment in 2023. Ask how any assessment was approved, what remains unpaid, and whether it is tied to a critical repair, because that affects both your cash and your loan.
The association’s estoppel certificate states what is owed on the unit; its fee is capped by Florida statute (s. 718.116) and adjusted for inflation. Under the same section, a new owner is jointly and severally liable with the previous owner for unpaid assessments that came due up to the transfer, so the estoppel and the closing statement must clear them.
There is no island-wide condominium rule. Rental minimums, pet limits and board approval are set building by building in the declaration and rules, and on Sanibel the city’s four-week minimum also applies outside resort housing. A resort building with a mandatory rental pool or hotel-style operation can be ineligible for Fannie Mae financing, so match the building to how you will use and finance the unit.
Under s. 718.503, a unit owner selling a condominium must give the buyer the declaration, articles, bylaws and rules, the annual financial statement and budget, the milestone inspection summary if applicable, the most recent structural integrity reserve study or a statement that none is complete, any turnover inspection report, the Frequently Asked Questions and Answers document and the state governance form.
Send us the buildings you are considering and we will request the documents, read them with you and flag anything a lender or insurer will ask about. Start a Sanibel and Captiva buyer consultation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
To check a Sanibel or Captiva property’s flood risk, look up its zone on FEMA’s effective map, get its elevation certificate, read the seller’s flood disclosure and ask what was repaired after Ian, Helene and Milton. Essentially the entire island of Sanibel lies in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, so the floor height matters more than the zone name.
The effective flood maps for both islands are the Lee County countywide panels effective November 17, 2022. Essentially the entire island of Sanibel lies in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (zones AE and VE, with small AO and X areas). On Captiva, FEMA’s live National Flood Hazard Layer, queried October 22, 2026, shows Zone VE with base flood elevations of 8 to 13 feet (NAVD88) on the Gulf side and Zone AE at 6 to 9 feet on the bay side and interior, with some Zone X. Never treat an X reading as “not in a flood zone”; check the parcel.
Use FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center for the effective panel, the City of Sanibel’s flood lookup for Sanibel addresses, and the Lee County Property Appraiser parcel page for building value and year built. Then ask the seller for the elevation certificate. The Florida Realtors and Florida Bar contract advises the buyer to verify by elevation certificate which flood zone the property is in and what restrictions apply to rebuilding, and gives a termination right if flood is a problem (20 days after the effective date if left blank).
Hurricane Ian made landfall on Cayo Costa on September 28, 2022. The National Hurricane Center measured surge of 9 to 13 feet above ground on eastern Sanibel. On Captiva itself the flooding was mostly 0 to 4 feet above ground (SCCF high-water survey), with the heaviest damage from waves and beach loss. Florida DEP counted 535 major coastal structures with major damage or destroyed on Sanibel, of the major coastal structures it surveyed, and 78 major structures with major damage on Captiva. Helene and Milton followed in 2024.
If the cost to repair damage, or of an improvement, equals or exceeds 50 percent of the building’s market value, the whole building must be brought up to current floodplain standards, including elevation. The City of Sanibel uses the Lee County Property Appraiser’s building value or a licensed appraisal for market value. Before you buy a home you plan to renovate, price the work against that line.
Captiva is under Lee County’s process, not Sanibel’s. Under Lee County Ordinance 22-30, substantial improvement is counted cumulatively over five years: if the combined cost of repairs and improvements in any five-year period reaches 50 percent of the building’s market value before the work, the structure must be brought into compliance with current flood rules, usually meaning elevation. If a building was substantially damaged, any repair counts as substantial improvement.
Sanibel’s Ordinance 26-009, adopted June 2, 2026, lets a nonconforming structure that is below the minimum design flood elevation or substantially damaged be elevated up to 10 feet above predevelopment grade or highest adjacent grade, whichever is higher, even past height and angle-of-light limits. Build-back applications are due within two years of the damage (longer for long declared emergencies) and are limited to the pre-disaster footprint, floor area and unit count.
On a Gulf-front lot, work seaward of Florida’s coastal construction control line needs a state permit from Florida DEP, whose Map Direct tool shows where the line falls. If you plan a pool, seawall or rebuild on the beach side, check the line before you price the lot.
Sea turtle season runs May 1 to October 31 under the City lighting code (Sec. 126-996); the City applies April 15 for beach-event rules, and beachfront lights-out rules apply year-round. Gulf-front owners are responsible for compliant fixtures, so check exterior lighting at the inspection. On Captiva, the Captiva Code carries its own sea turtle lighting sections.
Since October 1, 2024, s. 689.302 requires the seller of a residential property to give the buyer a flood disclosure at or before the contract, covering flood damage the seller knows of during ownership, flood insurance claims and federal flood assistance. It is a statutory duty, not an agent’s opinion.
Send us the address and we will pull the effective zone, any elevation certificate and the permit trail before you visit. Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or request a buyer consultation.
To insure a Sanibel or Captiva home, get written homeowners, wind and flood quotes on the specific property during your search, not after the contract. Citizens Property Insurance requires flood coverage on homes in a Special Flood Hazard Area, which covers essentially all of Sanibel, and from January 1, 2027 on all policies statewide; condo unit-owner policies are exempt.
Citizens is the state’s insurer of last resort. A risk is not eligible for Citizens unless a private insurer’s premium is more than 20 percent above Citizens’ premium for comparable coverage, and a personal-lines structure with a dwelling replacement cost of $700,000 or more is generally not eligible (s. 627.351, F.S.). Many island homes exceed that figure, so plan on private-market quotes.
Citizens’ 2026 approved rates show the Lee County HO-3 average premium falling 8.5 percent, from $3,322 to $3,039. That is a county-wide average, not a Sanibel or Captiva figure; Gulf-front and older homes can price very differently.
Personal residential Citizens policies with wind coverage on homes in a Special Flood Hazard Area must carry a flood policy. Outside the hazard area the requirement phases in by dwelling value, and it applies to all policies from January 1, 2027. Condominium unit-owner policies, tenant contents policies and policies excluding wind are exempt (Citizens).
Under Risk Rating 2.0, FEMA rates each building on its flood frequency, the flood types it faces (storm surge, coastal erosion, heavy rain), its distance from water, its first-floor height, foundation type and rebuild cost. Most annual increases are capped at 18 percent until the full-risk rate is reached. A ZIP-level average premium for 33957 or 33924 is not published in the sources we read, so we never estimate one: get a quote on the building.
FEMA’s Community Rating System list effective April 1, 2026 shows the City of Sanibel at Class 5, a 25 percent discount on NFIP premiums for Special Flood Hazard Area policies, and unincorporated Lee County, which includes Captiva, at Class 5 as well. Lee County says Captiva owners receive it automatically.
Florida insurers must offer discounts for verified wind-resistant construction (s. 627.0629), documented on the state’s uniform mitigation inspection form. The state’s My Safe Florida Home program offers free wind mitigation inspections and grants to eligible homestead owners. Order a wind mitigation report and, for older homes, a four-point inspection during your inspection period.
Ask for the current declarations pages from the seller, then get your own quotes on the exact address, with the elevation certificate in hand. On a condominium, read the association’s master policy and its deductible, because a hurricane deductible can come back to owners as an assessment. Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 if a quote looks wrong for the building.
To finance a home on Sanibel or Captiva, confirm early whether the loan is conforming or jumbo, whether the lender will accept the building, and what flood insurance the lender requires. The 2026 conforming limit for a one-unit home is $832,750, so a Sanibel single-family purchase at the $1,080,000 median with 20 percent down needs a jumbo loan.
Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey put the 30-year fixed average at 7.40 percent and the 15-year at 6.71 percent on October 15, 2026, against 6.27 percent and 5.52 percent a year earlier. On an $864,000 loan at 7.40 percent for 30 years, principal and interest come to about $5,982 a month before taxes, insurance and association fees.
| Purchase at the 12-month median | Price | Loan at 20 percent down | Loan type in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanibel single-family | $1,080,000 | $864,000 | Jumbo (above $832,750) |
| Sanibel condominium | $725,000 | $580,000 | Conforming |
| Captiva Island condominium | $642,000 | $513,600 | Conforming |
| Captiva Island single-family | $2,275,000 | $1,820,000 | Jumbo |
Source: FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits (baseline $832,750, high-cost ceiling $1,249,125); Lee County Property Appraiser recorded-sale medians, 12 months to September 2026. Jumbo and portfolio lenders set their own down payment, reserve and condominium rules.
If you own a home in a Special Flood Hazard Area and have a government-backed mortgage, you are required to have flood insurance (FEMA FloodSmart). On Sanibel that is essentially every financed purchase, so the flood quote is part of your loan approval, not an afterthought.
HUD keeps a searchable list of FHA-approved condominium projects and offers single-unit approval in some non-approved projects. Ask the lender to check the building before you write the offer, because many resort and older island buildings fall outside the agency programs.
The Florida Realtors and Florida Bar contract gives a loan approval period of 30 days after the effective date if the blank is left empty, with an appraisal condition. Set it to the lender’s real timeline: a jumbo appraisal on a Gulf-front home or a condominium review can take longer than a mainland loan.
Property taxes on Sanibel or Captiva start from the 2025 millage: the sum of the 2025 rates is 14.0882 mills in Sanibel’s district 010 and 13.5908 mills in Captiva’s district 006, about $1,409 and $1,359 per $100,000 of taxable value before exemptions and non-ad valorem charges. Your bill is set on your own assessed value after you buy, not the seller’s.
Data updated: October 2026.
The county, school and regional rates shared by both islands total 9.5816 mills. On Sanibel the rest comes from the City of Sanibel (2.5000), Sanibel Fire and Rescue (1.3915), the Sanibel Public Library (0.5000) and voted city debt. On Captiva it comes from the unincorporated county MSTU, the county library, the Captiva Island Fire Control District (2.2900) and the Captiva Erosion Prevention District (0.3740), per the Lee County Property Appraiser’s 2025 Taxing District Millage Book.
| Example (taxable value equal to the recorded median) | Taxable value | Rate (sum of the 2025 rates) | Ad valorem tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanibel single-family | $1,080,000 | 14.0882 mills | about $15,215 |
| Sanibel condominium | $725,000 | 14.0882 mills | about $10,214 |
| Captiva Island condominium | $642,000 | 13.5908 mills | about $8,725 |
| Captiva Island single-family | $2,275,000 | 13.5908 mills | about $30,919 |
These are illustrations on the 2025 rates, before exemptions and non-ad valorem charges. Your taxable value is set by the Property Appraiser, and a homestead exemption lowers it.
On August 31, 2026 the Captiva Erosion Prevention District board voted 4 to 0 to approve the apportionment for a $10 million non-ad valorem assessment based on 2025 just values; amounts vary by beach zone and use, so request the parcel’s figure from CEPD. Ask the seller and the closing agent whether the parcel’s assessment is paid, pending or due in installments.
If the home will be your permanent Florida residence, own and occupy it as your permanent residence on January 1, then apply for homestead with the Lee County Property Appraiser by March 1 of that year. Homestead caps future increases in assessed value under Save Our Homes, and you can request portability of a prior Florida homestead’s benefit when you apply. Non-homestead property has its own 10 percent annual cap on non-school taxes. Either way, the assessed value resets after a sale, so the seller’s bill is not a guide to yours.
Amendment 3 on Florida’s November 3, 2026 ballot would raise the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 and cut the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10 percent to 5 percent; buyers who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 would get the larger exemption only from the fifth year. It takes effect only if voters approve it.
The Lee County Tax Collector discounts early payment by 4 percent in November, 3 percent in December, 2 percent in January and 1 percent in February, and taxes are due by March 31. At closing, the year’s taxes are prorated between buyer and seller.
You can rent a Sanibel home, but outside a permitted, code-compliant resort housing use, “dwelling units may not be made available for rental for periods of less than four consecutive weeks” (Sanibel Code). No Lee County minimum-stay ordinance was found for Captiva; rental limits there come from each association’s documents and resort programs.
Sanibel’s Land Development Code, Chapter 126, Article XIV, Division 7, Secs. 126-1075 to 126-1078, says that outside a permitted, code-compliant resort housing use, “dwelling units may not be made available for rental for periods of less than four consecutive weeks.” That is about 28 days. The rule traces to Ordinance 85-26 (1985); Ordinance 19-007 renamed the division Dwelling Rental. Violations are a second-degree misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 per day per unit.
Every Sanibel dwelling rental needs a City dwelling rental license, which runs for the calendar year, cannot be transferred and must appear by number in all advertising, plus a business tax receipt. Add a Lee County tourist tax account, Florida Department of Revenue transient rental registration and a DBPR transient lodging license where they apply.
Florida law bars local governments from regulating the duration or frequency of vacation rentals, but that bar “does not apply to any local law, ordinance, or regulation adopted on or before June 1, 2011” (s. 509.032(7)(b)). Sanibel’s rule dates to 1985. We state both facts; ask your attorney for the legal conclusion on a specific property.
Daily and weekly rentals are allowed only where resort housing is a permitted use. Ordinance 24-020 (2024) lets Resort Housing District buildings rise 37 feet above base flood elevation, and a voluntary density-transfer framework was under discussion at City Council in October 2026. If short stays are your plan on Sanibel, the property must be in resort housing and its own rules must allow them.
No Lee County minimum-stay ordinance was found for Captiva; Florida law (s. 509.032(7)(b)) bars new local rental-duration limits, so rental limits on Captiva come from each condominium or HOA’s own documents and resort rental programs. Read the association documents before you buy.
A stay of six months or less in Lee County carries 11.5 percent in lodging taxes: 6 percent state sales tax, a 0.5 percent Lee County surtax and the 5 percent Lee County tourist development tax. Platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo collect and remit on the host’s behalf; owners who rent directly must register and remit themselves (Lee County Clerk).
A lender underwriting rental income will look at the rules that limit it. A Fannie Mae project with a mandatory rental pool or hotel-style operation can be ineligible, and a Sanibel home outside resort housing cannot be underwritten on weekly rents. Get the rules and the lender’s view before you count the income.
Four years after Ian, both islands are open, the Sanibel Causeway is fully restored and most beach parks have reopened, but the recovery is uneven: permits more than doubled after Ian while only 101 Sanibel single-family parcels show a building dated 2023 or later. Check the specific street and building, not the island’s headline.
Hurricane Ian destroyed sections of the Sanibel Causeway on September 28, 2022; residents regained access October 19, 2022, visitors January 2, 2023, and all lanes reopened December 22, 2023. Permanent restoration was completed in 2025. The toll is $6 for a two-axle vehicle, charged only on the trip onto the island, plus a $3 fee when paid by plate. Lee County’s Sanibel Unlimited pass is $400 a year.
Sand from Captiva’s 2025 renourishment closed the Blind Pass inlet by mid-March 2026. WINK News reported on June 5, 2026, citing Lee County officials, that the sandbar had cleared and the waterway reopened, and the Santiva Chronicle reported on June 13, 2026 that it had reopened. Lee County says dredging is expected in 2027 with permits in place. Passes on barrier islands open and close naturally, so check current conditions; the road bridge between the islands is a separate matter.
Sanibel’s Building Department issued 2,363 permits in fiscal 2022 and 6,536 in fiscal 2023, then 3,745 in fiscal 2024: permits more than doubled after Ian. Yet only 101 single-family parcels show a year built of 2023 or later (2.6 percent of 3,832), and no condominium parcel was built after 2019. The island has been repaired far more than it has been rebuilt.
All eight City of Sanibel beach and water-access parks reopened by April 25, 2025, with visitor parking at $5.00 an hour. The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge’s Visitor and Education Center was scheduled to reopen October 17, 2026. Jerry’s Foods reopened October 25, 2022 as the first major business back. Island Water Association is raising water rates 18 percent in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028.
The Sanibel School, a K-8 public school of the School District of Lee County, earned an A for 2025-26 (FLDOE) with 213 students. High school students attend mainland schools assigned by the district. Lee Health runs a primary care and walk-in clinic on Palm Ridge Road; the nearest emergency room is HealthPark Medical Center in Fort Myers. Lee Health states that beginning January 1, 2027, its hospitals and physicians will be out of network with UnitedHealthcare, including employer, individual and Medicare Advantage plans.
Outside South Seas, which has its own central sewer plant, Captiva relies on septic and other onsite systems: a 2018 engineering study counted 378 developed properties on onsite systems, and no sewer program for the rest of the island has been funded or started. Add a septic inspection to any Captiva contract. Lee County’s proposed CPA2026-00005 would delete community plans including the Captiva Plan; the Local Planning Agency voted 4 to 2 in favor on August 31, 2026, the Board of County Commissioners paused the schedule on September 15, 2026, and it is expected to return.
A buyer’s closing costs on Sanibel or Captiva are mostly the loan’s taxes and fees, the lender’s title policy, recording, inspections and the condominium’s estoppel and application fees. In Lee County the seller customarily pays the owner’s title policy and, by the standard contract’s default, the documentary stamp tax on the deed; the contract controls on every sale.
| Line (buyer side) | Sanibel single-family at $1,080,000 | Sanibel condo at $725,000 | Captiva condo at $642,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loan at 20 percent down | $864,000 | $580,000 | $513,600 |
| Documentary stamp tax on the note and mortgage, $0.35 per $100 | $3,024 | $2,030 | $1,797.60 |
| Nonrecurring intangible tax on the mortgage, 2 mills | $1,728 | $1,160 | $1,027.20 |
| Mortgage taxes, total | $4,752 | $3,190 | $2,824.80 |
| Recording a four-page deed, Lee Clerk | $35.50 | $35.50 | $35.50 |
| Owner’s title policy | Customarily the seller in Lee County | Customarily the seller in Lee County | Customarily the seller in Lee County |
Arithmetic on the Florida Department of Revenue’s documentary stamp rate (s. 201.08), the 2-mill nonrecurring intangible tax (s. 199.133) and the clerk recording charges of $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page (s. 28.24). A cash buyer pays no mortgage taxes. Lender fees, the lender’s title policy, prepaid insurance, escrow deposits for taxes and insurance, inspections, survey and association fees are added by your lender and closing agent; the final figures belong to the closing statement.
In Lee County, including Sanibel and Captiva, the seller customarily pays for the owner’s title insurance policy and chooses the closing agent. In neighboring Collier County the custom is the opposite. The purchase contract controls on every sale: the Florida Realtors and Florida Bar contract has a box for who pays and who selects the closing agent. Florida promulgates title premiums by rule, so the premium for a given amount is the same from every title insurer; compare the settlement and search fees.
The documentary stamp tax on the deed is 70 cents per $100 of the price in every Florida county except Miami-Dade, and the standard contract assigns it to the seller by default. On a $1,080,000 sale that is $7,560, paid by the seller unless the contract says otherwise.
If the blanks are left empty, the Florida Realtors and Florida Bar contract sets an initial deposit within 3 days after the effective date, an additional deposit within 10 days, an inspection period of 15 days and a loan approval period of 30 days. On the islands, put the insurance quotes, the elevation certificate, the permit history and the condominium documents into the first week, because those are the items most likely to change the deal. Add time for the association’s approval in season.
After the NAR settlement practice changes took effect on August 17, 2024, a buyer working with a Realtor signs a written agreement before touring a home, and any compensation in it must be objectively ascertainable and not open-ended. Compensation is fully negotiable and not set by law, and offers of compensation to buyer’s agents can no longer appear in the MLS.
Florida Realtors states that “a written buyer agreement is required prior to a buyer touring a home,” that compensation in it “must be objectively ascertainable and not open-ended,” and that “all contracts are negotiable, including the Florida Realtors buyer compensation forms.” The agreement names the relationship, the term, the compensation and how it is paid. NAR’s own guidance says agent compensation remains negotiable and that sellers can still offer to pay it off the MLS.
The buyer’s agent’s fee is agreed between you and your agent. It can be paid by you, by the seller as a term of the sale, or by a combination, as the purchase contract provides. Many island sellers still agree to pay some or all of it. We explain the options at our first meeting and put the agreed fee in writing before we show you a home.
Florida Realtors notes that “the NAR settlement does not change Florida brokerage relationship law.” Under s. 475.278, a single agent owes the buyer loyalty, confidentiality, obedience, full disclosure and skill, care and diligence; a transaction broker provides limited representation with limited confidentiality. Florida presumes a transaction broker unless another relationship is established in writing, so ask any agent which relationship they are offering.
There is no obligation to sign anything to have a first conversation with us. Start a Sanibel and Captiva buyer consultation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
The buying process with McGreevy and Comisar runs in five stages: a consultation and written buyer agreement, a search built on the islands’ recorded sales and rules, an offer priced from the street’s or building’s own history, an inspection and document period in which we work the flood, insurance and condominium questions, and a closing coordinated with your lender, title agent and association.
We start with how you will use the home: full-time, seasonal, rental or a future retirement. That decides the island, the property type and the buildings worth seeing. You leave the first conversation with a written plan and, if you choose to work with us, a buyer agreement you have read line by line.
We send you the recorded sales, flood zone and rules for every property before you visit, and we set up alerts by building, street or canal. Because the island MLS is separate from the mainland MLS, we search both.
Every offer is priced from the street’s or building’s recorded sales, the home’s elevation and permit history and the insurance quotes. We set deposit, inspection, loan and condominium deadlines you can actually meet.
During the inspection period we arrange the general, wind mitigation, four-point, wood-destroying organism and, on Captiva, septic inspections; we read the condominium documents with you; and we confirm insurance in writing. If the facts change the deal, we renegotiate or protect your exit.
We coordinate the lender, title agent, association approval and final walk-through. After closing we help with the homestead filing, the causeway pass and the contractors you will need on an island.
Buying a Sanibel or Captiva home from out of state works the same way as buying locally: most of the work is document review, inspections and insurance quotes, and Florida closings can be signed remotely or by mail. Buyers from outside the U.S. should plan for financing limits, and for FIRPTA withholding when the seller is foreign.
Two in three Captiva Island homes and condos already have an out-of-state owner mailing address, so remote purchases are routine. We run video tours, attend inspections for you and coordinate a mail-away closing, or a remote online notarization under Chapter 117 of the Florida Statutes, with the title agent. Plan the trip for the final walk-through if you can.
When the seller is a foreign person, the buyer generally must withhold 15 percent of the amount realized under FIRPTA, and the closing agent handles it as part of the closing (IRS). The IRS provides an exception when the buyer acquires the property as a residence and the amount realized is $300,000 or less, and reduced withholding between $300,000 and $1 million. Build the withholding into the timeline.
Florida’s Chapter 692 limits purchases by foreign principals of a short list of countries of concern, mostly near military installations and critical infrastructure. It does not apply to most foreign buyers. If you may be covered, speak with a Florida attorney before you sign.
To see current Sanibel and Captiva homes for sale, set up listing alerts by building, street or canal and ask us for the coming-soon and off-market homes that never reach the portals. The island MLS and the mainland MLS are separate, so a single portal search can miss island listings.
For the full current list of island homes and condos with photos, our team site DomainRealtyGroup.com carries live Sanibel and Captiva listings. This page stays focused on how to buy well; that site is where the inventory lives.
Create a free account on this site’s property search to save a search and get new island listings by email; saved searches come straight to our team so we can tell you what we know about a building before you ask. Set alerts by building name for condominiums and by street or canal for houses.
Tell us the buildings, streets or budget you have in mind and we will send back the recorded sales, flood zone, permit history and published rules for each, then set up the tours worth your time. Use the form at the top of this page, request a consultation, or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Marc answers at (239) 287-5873.
If you are selling a Southwest Florida home to buy on the islands, start with a free home valuation and plan the two closings together. If the home you are selling is on Sanibel or Captiva, see how we sell homes on Sanibel and Captiva.
Marc Comisar is a top-reviewed Sanibel and Captiva buyer’s agent and Jesse McGreevy is a top-reviewed Southwest Florida realtor; every review below is copied from our Google Business Profile, where you can read them all in full. Those reviews are how Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 are measured in practice: by the buyers who closed with us, and they describe the way we work with every island buyer.
★★★★★ “Marc’s knowledge of the Southwest Florida real estate market is unmatched. He took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for in a home and quickly identified properties that checked all my boxes.” 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
★★★★★ “We highly recommend Marc Comisar for your real estate needs. He was very knowledgeable. If he didn’t know an answer, he would do research until he did. Marc is pleasant, timely, and listened to our wants and needs. He went above and beyond to make sure we found our forever home. Thank you, Marc!” Verified Google review
★★★★★ “Jesse is the best Realtor I have used. He found us our dream home even though it took months as we were not the easiest to please.” Verified Google review
★★★★★ “We have purchased many properties over the years and Jesse is without a doubt the most knowledgeable, personable and efficient real estate broker we have ever worked with!” Verified Google review
These are the questions Sanibel and Captiva buyers ask us most, answered with the same sources used above. Market figures are Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales for the 12 months to September 2026; legal points cite the Florida Statutes and the island codes. For anything specific to a home or building, call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
Choose the property type and area that fit how you will use the home, sign a written buyer agreement, and check the flood zone, elevation certificate, permit history and insurance quotes before you offer. Then write a Florida contract with inspection, loan and, for a condominium, document-review periods you can meet.
In the 12 months to September 2026 the median recorded Sanibel single-family sale was $1,080,000 and the median condominium sale $725,000. 58.7 percent of all recorded Sanibel sales closed under $1 million. Budget separately for flood and wind insurance, association fees and taxes.
Captiva Island recorded 11 qualified single-family sales in the 12 months to September 2026, with a median of these 11 sales of $2,275,000, and 30 condominium sales at a median of $642,000 (Lee County Property Appraiser). North Captiva is a separate market: 15 single-family sales at a median of $905,000.
Not on the county record. Sanibel single-family medians are about 19 percent and condo medians about 17 percent below the last pre-Ian year (October 2021 to September 2022, including sales the county coded 03 (property changed after the sale), which after Hurricane Ian covered most island sales). In calendar 2025 the medians were $1,022,500 for houses and $697,500 for condos.
The county record does not measure inventory or days on market, so we answer for a specific building or street with MLS data. What the county shows is prices below the pre-Ian year and steady medians across 2025 and 2026, which leaves room to negotiate on homes priced above their street’s recorded sales.
Largely repaired, rarely rebuilt. Permits more than doubled after Ian, but only 101 Sanibel single-family parcels show a year built of 2023 or later, and no condominium parcel was built after 2019. All lanes of the causeway reopened December 22, 2023 and all city beach parks by April 25, 2025.
That depends on the specific home. A well-elevated home with a clean permit trail and insurable roof is a different purchase from a ground-level home near the 50 percent line. We help you price the elevation, insurance and repair history into the offer.
Yes. Essentially the entire island lies in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (zones AE and VE, with small AO and X areas), on maps effective November 17, 2022. Check the parcel and get its elevation certificate.
FEMA’s live map, queried October 22, 2026, shows Zone VE with base flood elevations of 8 to 13 feet on Captiva’s Gulf side and Zone AE at 6 to 9 feet on the bay side and interior, with some Zone X. That is a map reading, not a parcel answer: check the address.
If you have a government-backed mortgage on a home in a Special Flood Hazard Area, yes. Citizens also requires flood coverage on homes in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and from January 1, 2027 on all policies statewide; condo unit-owner policies are exempt. Even with cash, flood coverage is worth pricing.
It depends on the building’s elevation, foundation, distance to water and rebuild cost under FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0. No ZIP-level average is published in the sources we read, so get a quote on the address. Both islands carry the 25 percent Community Rating System discount.
Sometimes. Citizens is eligible only when private premiums are more than 20 percent above its own, and a home with a dwelling replacement cost of $700,000 or more is generally not eligible. Citizens’ Lee County HO-3 average is $3,039 on its 2026 approved rates, a county-wide figure.
If the cost to repair damage, or of an improvement, equals or exceeds 50 percent of the building’s market value, the whole building must be brought up to current floodplain standards, including elevation. The City uses the Property Appraiser’s building value or a licensed appraisal.
Captiva follows Lee County Ordinance 22-30, which counts repairs and improvements cumulatively over any five-year period against 50 percent of the building’s market value. If a building was substantially damaged, any repair counts as substantial improvement.
Ordinance 26-009, adopted June 2, 2026, lets a nonconforming structure below the minimum design flood elevation, or a substantially damaged one, be elevated up to 10 feet above grade even past height and angle-of-light limits, within the pre-disaster footprint, floor area and unit count.
On Sanibel no building may rise more than three stories above base flood elevation; Resort Housing District buildings may rise 37 feet above base flood elevation under Ordinance 24-020. On Captiva the limit is 35 feet above grade or 42 feet above mean sea level, with no variance.
Under s. 689.302, effective October 1, 2024, the seller of a residential property must give you a flood disclosure at or before the contract, covering flood damage the seller knows of during ownership, flood insurance claims and federal flood assistance received.
The milestone inspection summary, the structural integrity reserve study, the budget and reserves, any special assessment, the rules on rentals and pets, board approval, the master insurance policy and the last two years of board minutes. Then confirm a lender will finance the building.
Condominium buildings of three or more habitable stories need a milestone inspection at 30 years of age and every 10 years after, or at 25 years where the local official requires it. Many island buildings are low-rise, so whether a building is covered must be checked building by building.
It is a study of the reserves needed for eight building components, from the roof and structure to windows and exterior doors, required for condominium buildings of three or more habitable stories. A study done with a milestone inspection due by December 31, 2026 must be finished by that date.
Yes, if the building has a failed mandatory inspection or more than $10,000 per unit of unfunded critical repairs due within 12 months, Fannie Mae treats it as ineligible. A mandatory rental pool or hotel-style operation can also make a project ineligible. Ask your lender to check the building early.
Under s. 718.503, a resale buyer may void the contract within 7 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after signing and receiving the required documents.
Under s. 718.116, the new owner is jointly and severally liable with the previous owner for assessments that came due up to the transfer. The estoppel certificate shows what is owed, and the closing statement should pay it off.
Outside a permitted, code-compliant resort housing use, Sanibel dwelling units may not be made available for rental for periods of less than four consecutive weeks. Violations carry a fine of up to $500 per day per unit.
Only for stays of four consecutive weeks or more, unless the property is in a permitted resort housing use. You also need a City dwelling rental license, a business tax receipt and the state and county tax registrations.
No Lee County minimum-stay ordinance was found for Captiva. Florida law bars new local rental-duration limits, so rental limits on Captiva come from each condominium or HOA’s own documents and resort rental programs. Read the association documents before you buy.
A stay of six months or less carries 11.5 percent: 6 percent state sales tax, a 0.5 percent Lee County surtax and the 5 percent Lee County tourist development tax. Booking platforms collect for their hosts; direct rentals must register and remit.
The sum of the 2025 rates in Sanibel’s taxing district 010 is 14.0882 mills, about $1,409 per $100,000 of taxable value before exemptions and non-ad valorem charges. On a $1,080,000 taxable value that is about $15,215.
The sum of the 2025 rates in Captiva’s taxing district 006 is 13.5908 mills, about $1,359 per $100,000 of taxable value before exemptions and non-ad valorem charges. Captiva parcels may also carry a Captiva Erosion Prevention District assessment.
On August 31, 2026 the Captiva Erosion Prevention District board voted 4 to 0 to approve the apportionment for a $10 million non-ad valorem assessment based on 2025 just values; amounts vary by beach zone and use, so request the parcel’s figure from CEPD.
Usually. Florida resets the assessed value after a sale, so the seller’s capped value does not carry over. A homestead exemption and Save Our Homes cap help a full-time resident going forward.
Own and occupy the home as your permanent residence on January 1, then apply with the Lee County Property Appraiser by March 1 of that year. Request portability of a prior Florida homestead benefit in the same application.
It would raise the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 and cut the non-homestead assessment cap from 10 percent to 5 percent; buyers who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 would get the larger exemption only from the fifth year. It takes effect only if voters approve it on November 3, 2026.
In Lee County the seller customarily pays the owner’s title policy and chooses the closing agent; the contract controls on every sale. The buyer pays the lender’s policy when there is a loan.
Mortgage documentary stamps of $0.35 per $100, the 2-mill intangible tax, recording fees, lender fees, the lender’s title policy, inspections, survey and association fees. On an $864,000 loan the two mortgage taxes total $4,752.
For a single-family home, usually. The 2026 conforming limit is $832,750, and a purchase at the $1,080,000 single-family median with 20 percent down needs an $864,000 loan. A condominium at the $725,000 median fits under the limit.
Freddie Mac’s survey put the 30-year fixed average at 7.40 percent and the 15-year at 6.71 percent on October 15, 2026.
You are not required to have one, but island purchases turn on documents a buyer rarely sees: elevation certificates, permit trails, condominium inspections and association rules. McGreevy and Comisar, Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, read them with you before you offer. Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
Yes, if you work with a Realtor who is an MLS participant: a written buyer agreement is required before touring a home. Its compensation must be objectively ascertainable and not open-ended, and every term is negotiable.
The fee is agreed in writing between you and your agent and can be paid by you, by the seller as a term of the sale, or both, as the contract provides.
Outside South Seas, which has its own central sewer plant, yes: a 2018 engineering study counted 378 developed properties on onsite systems, and no sewer program for the rest of the island has been funded or started. Add a septic inspection.
No. Captiva is unincorporated Lee County, governed by the Board of County Commissioners under the Lee Plan and the Captiva Code; Sanibel is its own city. Blind Pass separates the islands.
Sand from Captiva’s 2025 renourishment closed the inlet by mid-March 2026; WINK News reported on June 5, 2026, citing Lee County officials, that the sandbar had cleared and the waterway reopened. Lee County expects dredging in 2027. Check current conditions before you plan a boat route.
$6 for a two-axle vehicle, charged only on the trip onto the island, plus a $3 fee when paid by plate. A Sanibel Unlimited pass from Lee County is $400 a year.
The Sanibel School is the island’s public K-8 school and earned an A for 2025-26. High school students attend mainland schools assigned by the School District of Lee County.
There is no hospital on the islands. Lee Health runs a primary care and walk-in clinic on Sanibel, and the nearest emergency room is HealthPark Medical Center in Fort Myers.
Yes. Most foreign buyers can buy Florida homes without special limits; Chapter 692 restricts foreign principals of a short list of countries. Financing is often cash or portfolio, and FIRPTA applies when a foreign seller sells to you.
It depends on use: canal neighborhoods on the East and West Ends for boaters, The Dunes and Beachview Country Club Estates for golf, Gulf-side condominiums for the beach, and resort housing properties if you need shorter rentals. We match the area to your plan.
There is no reliable seasonal price pattern in a market this small: Captiva Island never exceeded 10 recorded sales in one month over the last three years (Lee County Property Appraiser). Buy when the right home appears, and bind insurance well before closing, especially from June through November.
A Sanibel and Captiva specialist matters because the islands’ rules, flood elevations, insurance and condominium paperwork change from one street, building and government to the next. An agent who reads the code, the elevation certificate and the association’s documents before you tour can tell you which listings are worth a visit and what to offer. That is the standard behind Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.
If you’re searching for “the best buyer’s agent in Sanibel and Captiva, 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.
Everything on this page, from the four-week rental rule to the Captiva assessment and the tax worked examples, is the same file we build for a client. For the islands as places to live, start with our Sanibel and Captiva guide, then our Sanibel Island guide and Captiva Island guide.
Selling your current Florida home to buy here? See Sell Your Home on Sanibel or Captiva for an island home, or get a Sanibel and Captiva home valuation. Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 for either.
Ready to buy on Sanibel or Captiva? Work with McGreevy and Comisar, the #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012 and Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, and start with a short conversation about how you will use the home. We will send you the recorded sales, flood information, permit history and published rules for the streets or buildings you are considering, then plan the tours worth your time.
Use the form at the top of this page, request your buyer consultation, call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
McGreevy and Comisar are top-reviewed Southwest Florida buyer’s agents; you can read every review on our Google Business Profile. Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar bring over 45 years of combined direct real estate experience to buyers on Sanibel and Captiva and across Lee and Collier counties from our office in Bonita Springs.
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). Florida license numbers: Jesse McGreevy SL3101296, Marc Comisar BK3060671.
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McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, a full-service Southwest Florida real estate team; learn more at DomainRealtyGroup.com. Read more about McGreevy and Comisar, see how we represent buyers, or contact us.
Market data on this page come from Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales (DOR-qualified improved sales), index built October 21, 2026, newest recorded sale September 15, 2026, joined to the county parcel roll exported October 18, 2026; Sanibel is ZIP 33957 and Captiva Island is the Captiva fire and erosion taxing district. Every other figure is from the primary source listed here, read in October 2026.
Florida Statutes and rules
City of Sanibel
Lee County and Captiva
Flood, storms and insurance
Condominiums, lending and buyer representation
Taxes, elections and state agencies
Community, schools, health care and news
Our own pages
These are the forms, statutes and reference files a Sanibel or Captiva buyer is most likely to need, each linked to the official state, county, city or federal source that publishes it. Open them before you tour, and bring any questions about them to your buyer consultation with our team.
Market data: Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales (DOR-qualified), index built October 21, 2026, newest recorded sale September 15, 2026. Brokered by Domain Realty.