Bayfront Gardens

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By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, McGreevy and Comisar, Domain Realty Group. Updated October 2026.

More about Jesse McGreevy, Marc Comisar and our team on the McGreevy and Comisar about page.

Bayfront Gardens at Barefoot Beach: 33 Homesites in Two Associations on Little Hickory Bay

Bayfront Gardens is a 33-homesite waterfront neighborhood of single-family homes inside the master-planned community of Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs, Florida, on the bay side of the boulevard. One recorded plat holds two separate homeowners associations, and this page covers both of them and says plainly which is which.

Bayfront Gardens has a Bonita Springs mailing address and ZIP 34134, but it sits in unincorporated Collier County, outside both the City of Bonita Springs and the City of Naples, so the answer to Bonita Springs or Naples is neither city and Collier County.

Within Barefoot Beach, Bayfront Gardens is the bay-side single-family pocket, smaller and more private than the Gulf-side condominium towers. The county roll dates half of its dated homes to 2014 or later, which we read, as an inference and not from permits, as a decade of rebuilding and infill. The rest of this page lays out the records behind that statement, the rules that bind an owner, and the gaps we could not close.

We wrote this page the way we would brief a buyer or seller we were representing. Every fact carries a source, every conflict between two sources is printed with both sides, and every figure that comes from the Southwest Florida MLS carries its pull date, October 3, 2026, and the window it covers.

Where Bayfront Gardens is, precisely

The homes stand on two streets. Bayfront Dr is a private street, recorded on the plat as its own tract, that runs along the Little Hickory Bay side of the boulevard, and the even-numbered homes at 220 to 242 Barefoot Beach Blvd stand on the boulevard itself. The county roll lists 18 improved homes on Bayfront Dr, numbered 185 to 241, and nine on the boulevard, numbered 220 to 242.

The county’s own staff describe a Bayfront Dr lot as bounded on the north by Little Hickory Bay and on the south by Bayfront Dr and then the Tract M mangrove preserve, according to the county staff report for a 2025 variance hearing. The Barefoot Beach Preserve begins farther south along the same boulevard, and the only road in or out runs north to Bonita Beach Road.

One plat, two associations, 33 homesites

The plat, recorded March 1, 1988 in Plat Book 14, pages 114 to 117, carries 33 numbered homesites. Lots 11 to 33, 23 homes and homesites, belong to Bayfront Gardens Homeowners Association. Lots 1 to 10, ten homesites on Barefoot Beach Blvd, belong to Bayside at Barefoot Beach Homeowners Association, which separated from the original declaration in 1999 under its own recorded declaration. The Master Association’s 2011 bylaws list the first group as 23 doors and the second as 10 doors, 33 in all.

The county’s parcel roll shows 35 parcels, not 33, because it also carries the private street tract (lot 34) and a preserve area (lot 35) from the plat. We explain the arithmetic below, and we use “homesites” for the 33 and “parcels” for the 35 throughout.

Other places that share the name

The words Bayfront Gardens are generic. Search suggestions for them lead to garden centers, apartments and condominiums in other states. For our purposes the only Bayfront Gardens is the plat above, on Bayfront Dr and Barefoot Beach Blvd at Barefoot Beach, Bonita Springs, Florida 34134, and the only legal entities are the two Florida not-for-profit corporations named in the section on governance. When this page says Bayfront Gardens it means that plat, and when it says Bayside it means lots 1 to 10.

Quick reference, Bayfront Gardens and Bayside

Why McGreevy and Comisar Are the Best Realtor for Bayfront Gardens

If you’re searching for the best realtor for Bayfront Gardens in Barefoot Beach, Bonita Springs, whether you’re ready to sell your Bayfront Gardens home or buy your next one, McGreevy and Comisar is the team that delivers. We lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012, Top 1% Nationally since 2008, with over $2.5 billion sold as a team and $900 million in personal sales between Jesse and Marc.

Recent Bayfront Gardens track record (last 12 months): Domain Realty, our brokerage, closed 24 transaction sides in ZIP code 34134, the ZIP code Barefoot Beach shares, in the 12 months to October 5, 2026, for $24.0 million in volume counted by side, per the Southwest Florida MLS pulled that day. The Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 3, 2026, shows 1 Bayfront Gardens closing in the 12 months to that date, at $3,875,000, which is also the highest-priced sale of the window. It sold at 88.2% of its final list price of $4,395,000 after 193 days on market. The MLS records 9 closings here in the 60 months to October 3, 2026. Collier County’s property roll shows one county-qualified Bayfront Gardens sale in the last 12 months, recorded April 29, 2026 at $3,875,000, and six in the last 60 months; the two sources count differently. We tracked every one of them for this page.

Honors and recognition:

• 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

Selling your Bayfront Gardens home? Get a free home valuation at mcgreevyandcomisar.com/home-valuation OR call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.

Buying a home in Bayfront Gardens? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 for a personalized buyer consultation, and see how we help buyers on the Gulf coast.

Jesse McGreevy is a top-reviewed Barefoot Beach realtor. Read the five-star reviews on Google.

If you are comparing agents before you narrow to one neighborhood, our comparison of the best real estate agents in Barefoot Beach explains how we work and what we measure.

What Is It Like to Live in Bayfront Gardens as a Homebuyer?

Living in Bayfront Gardens means a private bay-side street of single-family homes, a staffed gate on the boulevard, a bay on one side and a mangrove preserve tract on the other, and a short drive to US 41 for everything else. The trade is storm exposure, layered rules and fewer public documents than a condominium buyer would expect. Our guide to buying a home in Bayfront Gardens at Barefoot Beach covers what a buyer should read first: the recorded sales, the documents and the costs.

Data updated: October 2026

The setting in plain words

Bayfront Gardens is residential and quiet. The boulevard ends in a state-owned preserve at Wiggins Pass, so there is no through traffic, only residents, guests, vendors and, on open days, visitors headed to the county’s beach preserve. The homes are large for the footprint: the county roll’s base area for the 26 dated homes runs from 1,547 to 5,080 square feet, with a median of 2,773.5. Since 2018 the planned unit development has allowed three habitable floors over parking, and the county’s staff report for a 2025 hearing describes a proposed home of exactly that form.

What a buyer is actually buying

A buyer gets a fee-simple home, not a condominium unit and not a membership. Ownership carries mandatory membership in one of two homeowners associations and, through it, in the Barefoot Beach Master Association that owns and gates the boulevard. Membership in The Club at Barefoot Beach, the separate private beach and tennis club, is not conveyed with any deed. The Club’s own site says membership is separate and that waitlist applications were paused from June 1, 2026.

What the neighborhood has been doing

The county roll dates the homes from 1990 to 2024, and 13 of the 26 homes with a year built are dated 2014 or later. Our reading, inferred from that spread and not from permits, is that Bayfront Gardens has been rebuilding lot by lot for a decade, and that some of the newest houses replaced older ones. A buyer should ask for the permit history of any home, because the roll cannot say what stood there before.

What Have Bayfront Gardens Homes Sold For? The County-Recorded Market Snapshot

Bayfront Gardens recorded six county-qualified sales in the last 60 months, all resales, from a low of $3,026,000 to a high of $6,650,000, and one of those six fell in the last 12 months. With fewer than ten sales we list every sale below instead of leaning on a median. These are county records of qualified sales, not Southwest Florida MLS closings, and the sample is small.

Data updated: October 2026

The county recorded-sales ladder

Our method widens the window until it holds at least 10 qualified sales, and it lists the sales themselves whenever a window holds fewer. Bayfront Gardens holds fewer than 10 in every window up to 60 months, so we list them in the next section. The ladder below uses the county’s own file, built from the Collier County Property Appraiser, 2026 preliminary tax roll and its recorded-sales index, with files dated August 29 and August 31, 2026. The newest recorded sale anywhere in the file is dated August 24, 2026, so a later closing would not appear.

Qualified sales are a county record, not MLS. They are the sales the Property Appraiser codes as qualified under Department of Revenue rules, they can lag a closing by weeks, and they leave out some real deeds, which we list separately below. The first window with 10 or more sales is all recorded history, 64 sales since April 1988, with a median of $1,992,500. That median blends 1988 prices with 2024 prices, so we cite it only as long-run context. The 22 builder-direct labels are the county method’s inference (the first qualified sale within a year of the year built), not a recorded fact.

Every county-qualified sale in the last 60 months

We tracked every one of the six county-qualified Bayfront Gardens sales since October 2021. All six are resales, all six are on Bayfront Dr, and all six are lots in the Bayfront Gardens association (lots 11 to 33). The price per square foot below uses the county’s base-area field for the largest building on the parcel, which is not total living area and not the living area an MLS listing would show.

Do not read a price per square foot into this table. A Bayfront Gardens home can stack up to three living levels over a parking level, so a county base area of 1,547 square feet at 191 Bayfront Dr produces $3,759 per base square foot, which is an artifact of the footprint and not a market price. The county’s median for these six is $1,820 per base square foot, and the spread from $1,187 to $3,759 shows how little the number tells you.

What the six sales suggest, with n = 6

Three of the six sold at $5,700,000 or more, and all three of those homes are dated 2018 or later. The two lowest prices, $3,026,000 and $3,875,000, are both homes the roll dates to 2014. Four of the six homes are dated 2018 or later and two are dated 2014. With six sales, that is a direction and not a rule: the sample does not control for lot, view, dock, floor plan or condition, and the county file does not carry those.

Recorded deeds the county did not mark as qualified

The same file holds four more recorded deeds over $100,000 in the last 60 months that the county did not code as qualified. We list them separately and never fold them into the medians above. Their range is $1,750,000 to $5,900,000.

Two are Bayside lots and two are Bayfront Gardens lots. The county’s qualified flag is thin in 2022 and 2024 in the file: its qualified count by year for the years it lists is 2017: 2, 2018: 1, 2019: 3, 2020: 2, 2021: 5, 2023: 1, 2024: 1, 2025: 2 and 2026: 1, and nothing in 2022. Our reading, which is inferred and not read from any county document, is that storm-damaged property in 2022 and 2024 is more likely to fail a qualification test. The county file does not carry a reason for any disqualification, and a buyer or seller should not draw a price conclusion from these four deeds. The Bayside boulevard lots show no qualified sale at all in 60 months, so a Bayside home’s value cannot be anchored in the qualified record, only in these deeds and in the roll.

How often do homes change hands?

County-qualified turnover is low. One sale in 12 months across 27 improved homes is 1 / 27 = 3.70 percent. Six sales in five years is 6 / 27 = 22.2 percent, which is 22.2 / 5 = 4.44 percent a year. If you divide by the 33 homesites instead, six sales is 6 / 33 = 18.2 percent in five years, or 3.64 percent a year. Either way, a Bayfront Gardens owner is more likely to hold than to sell in any given year, and a buyer should expect very little inventory at any moment.

What the Southwest Florida MLS shows

The Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 3, 2026, records 9 Bayfront Gardens closings in the 60 months to that date, from $2,300,000 to $6,650,000: 1 in the last 12 months, 3 in the last 24 and 5 in the last 36. No window holds 10 sales, so we publish no median. The one closing of the last 12 months was $3,875,000 in April 2026, 88.2% of its final list price of $4,395,000, after 193 days on market, at $643 per square foot of MLS living area. Six homes were listed for sale on October 3, 2026, from $3,895,000 to $6,495,000, and none was under contract. Six listings against one closing in 12 months is an indicative 72 months of supply.

Selling in Bayfront Gardens? Get a free valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buying? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or see our buyer page.

Where Did Bayfront Gardens Come From? The Plat, the PUD and Two Declarations

Bayfront Gardens began as lots 1 to 33 on a plat recorded March 1, 1988, inside Tract I of the Lely Barefoot Beach planned unit development, with a declaration recorded March 21, 1988 at Official Records Book 1335, page 1835. In 1999 lots 1 to 10 separated as Bayside at Barefoot Beach under a second declaration.

Data updated: October 2026

The plat and Tract I

The plat is recorded in Plat Book 14, pages 114 to 117, and the Collier County Clerk’s recorded declaration of March 21, 1988 runs 60 pages. The county’s planned unit development ordinance sets the land aside as Tract I, a single-family or multi-family residential tract on the bay side of the boulevard. The 1988 declaration names two entities as its developers, Joiner Winfield Development Co and Naples New York Partners, both company names from the recorded instrument. The Bayfront Gardens association was incorporated on March 3, 1988, according to the Florida Division of Corporations record for Bayfront Gardens Homeowners Association, and the first Bayfront Gardens sale in the county file is dated April 1988. The earliest homes carry a 1990 year built on the roll.

The Bayfront Gardens declaration and its amendments

The recorded chain for the Bayfront Gardens declaration is short, and we read each instrument we cite.

• March 21, 1988: the declaration, Official Records Book 1335, page 1835, 60 pages.
• May 3, 1989: first amendment, Official Records Book 1437, page 1512.
• August 26, 1998: second amendment, Official Records Book 2454, page 2220, which changed the minimum dwelling size in the section on residence size. The new figure is not legible in the copy we read.
• September 10, 1999: amendment separating lots 1 to 10, Official Records Book 2590, page 3332.
• February 12, 2020: a 76-page notice recorded at Official Records Book 5726, page 2339. We indexed it but did not open the image. Our inference, which a reader should check, is that it is a Marketable Record Title Act preservation notice.

How Bayside separated in 1999

By unanimous consent, lots 1 to 10 were separated in 1999 as Bayside at Barefoot Beach under their own Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions, recorded September 10, 1999 at Official Records Book 2590, page 3271 (61 pages). The Bayside association, Bayside at Barefoot Beach Homeowners Association, was incorporated on May 4, 1999, according to the Florida Division of Corporations, and has been reinstated twice, in 2002 and on April 10, 2013. The Bayfront Gardens association was reinstated on March 18, 2005. Reinstatement is a routine filing event, and we mention it only because it is on the public record and an estoppel request should confirm good standing.

Why the Master bylaws call Bayfront Gardens “Heron Cove”

The Barefoot Beach Master Association’s amended and restated bylaws, recorded April 27, 2011 at Official Records Book 4675, page 2424, list its member entities and their doors in Exhibits A and B. In Exhibit B the Bayfront Gardens association appears under the nickname “Heron Cove”. A buyer who sees “Heron Cove” on a master document is reading the same 23 doors, and not a ninth community. The recorded Master bylaws are available from the Clerk.

The planned unit development ordinances

Bayfront Gardens sits in the Lely Barefoot Beach planned unit development, and the county’s amendment chain runs through Ordinances 77-48, 81-76, 85-21, 85-83, 87-53, 88-63, 94-28, 2001-35, 2006-22, 2011-04, 2018-41 and 2019-44. The ones that name Tract I or Bayfront Gardens in the text we read are three. Ordinance 85-83 reads a maximum of 690 dwelling units for the planned unit development and gives Tract I a 30-unit allocation that “may be increased”. Ordinance 94-28, adopted May 24, 1994, sets a 7.5 foot side yard as a Bayfront Gardens exception and cites Plat Book 14, pages 114 to 117. Ordinance 2018-41, adopted September 11, 2018, raised Tract I, “known as Bayfront Gardens”, from two habitable floors to three.

Where our sources disagree on the numbers

Three counts do not line up, and we print them side by side. The ordinance allocates Tract I 30 units while the plat has 33 homesites. The 1985 ordinance text caps the whole planned unit development at 690 units, while tract arithmetic after later amendments reaches 750 for the main development, a figure we cite only as a later-amendment sum and not as one settled number. And the county roll carries 35 parcels where the Master bylaws count 33 doors. The two extra parcels are the street tract (lot 34, assessed at $100) and the preserve area (lot 35, also $100), which together with the 33 homesites make 35.

The Master layer above both associations

The Barefoot Beach Master Association, Inc., formed March 15, 1990 and active on the Division of Corporations record, owns the roughly 1.8-mile boulevard and staffs the gate around the clock. Its bylaws count eight member entities and 716 doors, of which Bayfront Gardens is 23 and Bayside is 10. The county roll’s residential file for Barefoot Beach holds 694 parcels, so the 716 and the 694 are different counts and we publish both. The turnover agreement that moved the boulevard to the Master Association is recorded at Official Records Book 4519, page 1839, and the State holds a recorded permanent 60-foot ingress and egress easement over the boulevard corridor at Official Records Book 1376, page 279. Both facts are recorded, and we characterize no dispute over either.

What Are the Homes and Lots Like in Bayfront Gardens?

Bayfront Gardens has 33 homesites: 27 improved with single-family homes, four vacant and two in other use, according to the county roll. The 27 homes date from 1990 to 2024, with county base areas from 1,547 to 5,080 square feet and 2026 preliminary just values from $1,731,270 to $4,626,093.

Data updated: October 2026

Lots by association

The 33 homesites split cleanly by lot number, and the lot numbers follow the street addresses, which makes it easy to tell which association a house belongs to. We counted from the Collier County Property Appraiser, 2026 preliminary tax roll and compared our count with the recorded plat.

The arithmetic is 9 + 18 = 27 improved, 1 + 3 = 4 vacant, 0 + 2 = 2 other use, and 27 + 4 + 2 = 33. A reader who wants to confirm which association governs a particular address should confirm by lot number against the recorded plat, because a street number on the roll can differ from the lot’s recorded position, and lots 28 and 29 are split on the roll by a metes-and-bounds description.

What the roll shows for each association’s homes

The two groups are different in age and in price. Bayside’s nine homes are dated 2000 to 2024, have base areas of 1,872 to 5,080 square feet with a median of 2,799, and carry a median 2026 preliminary just value of $3,406,617. Bayfront Gardens’ 18 improved homes are dated 1990 to 2023 for the 17 with a year built, have base areas of 1,547 to 3,604 square feet with a median of 2,771, and carry a median just value of $2,932,467. These are the county’s just values on the 2026 preliminary roll, valuations for tax purposes and not sale prices.

The year-built spread

The county dates 26 of the 27 improved homes. The spread by decade is four from 1990 to 1999, seven from 2000 to 2009, 11 from 2010 to 2019 and four from 2020 to 2024, which sums to 26. Thirteen of the 26 are dated 2014 or later, which is exactly half. One improved home, at 215 Bayfront Dr, has no year built on the roll. Our reading, inferred from the spread and not read from permits, is that the neighborhood has seen steady replacement and infill since 2014. Ask for the permit history of any house, because the roll cannot tell you what a house replaced.

The vacant and other-use homesites

Four homesites are vacant on the roll, with 2026 preliminary just values of $1,402,880 at lot 8 (236 Barefoot Beach Blvd), $2,432,640 at lot 24 (213 Bayfront Dr), $2,976,800 at lot 32 (187 Bayfront Dr) and $1,875,600 for the portion of lot 29. Two are coded as other use, $1,288,906 at lot 12 (239 Bayfront Dr) and $1,674,160 for the portion of lot 28. The county’s own 2025 staff report calls the 239 Bayfront Dr lot razed. These land values are the county’s just values, not prices, and the vacant and razed lots are the clearest places for new construction under the current rules.

Height, floors and yards under the planned unit development

Since Ordinance 2018-41, Tract I allows three habitable floors over one parking level, with a maximum actual height of 70 feet in the ordinance text we read, and side yards of 7.5 feet under Ordinance 94-28. A county staff report for one lot lists a required front yard of 27.83 feet and a required rear yard of 30 feet. Confirm every dimension for a specific lot in the current planned unit development text and with the county’s zoning staff before you design anything. The recorded declarations add minimum home sizes: the 1988 Bayfront Gardens text requires 1,800 square feet for a two-story home, with a 1998 amendment that changed the minimum and whose new figure we could not read, and the Bayside declaration requires 2,400 square feet under air.

Waterfront type, dock and seawall: not on the roll

The county roll has no waterfront-type field that we could read, and the plat does not tell a buyer which lots have bay frontage, a seawall or an existing dock. Staff describe at least one Bayfront Dr lot as bay-front, and the planned unit development allows docks on Tract I, but the status of each lot is a survey question. A buyer who is paying for water should get a current survey and, if a dock exists, its permit history.

What Amenities Does Bayfront Gardens Have?

We found no amenities documented for Bayfront Gardens or Bayside beyond the private street and a preserve parcel on the plat, so we do not claim a pool, clubhouse or dock for either association. What an owner can reach comes in three tiers: the neighborhood itself, the Master Association’s boulevard and gate, and separate memberships and public parks.

Data updated: October 2026

Tier one: inside the two associations

The recorded plat gives the neighborhood two common parcels, the private street tract (lot 34) and a preserve area (lot 35), both carried on the county roll at a nominal $100. In the county’s 2025 staff report, the applicant’s agent describes the parcel across Bayfront Dr as a preserve area “owned by the Bayfront Gardens Association”, and staff concurred with that response. We found no website for either association and no recorded instrument describing a pool, clubhouse, tennis court or shared dock for either group. Rule 21 of our method applies: where no approved source documents an amenity, we write “not confirmed” and point to the document that would settle it, here the declaration and the association’s current rules.

Tier two: the Master Association’s boulevard and gate

The Master Association’s bylaws describe its purpose as owning, maintaining and controlling the boulevard, which runs about 1.8 miles from Bonita Beach Road south to the entrance of the county park and preserve, plus security. The gate is staffed around the clock according to our governance research. We could not find a published gate procedure for guests, vendors or contractors, so a buyer should ask the Master Association how each of those is handled and who holds the guest list.

Tier three: separate memberships and public parks

The Club at Barefoot Beach is a separate private, member-owned beach and tennis club with a stated membership capacity of 425, and its membership page says it was not accepting waitlist applications as of June 1, 2026. Membership is not conveyed with a Bayfront Gardens or Bayside deed. The Barefoot Beach Club, the condominium community, is a different entity that confusingly shares part of the name and is covered on our Barefoot Beach Club page, and “Barefoot Beach Club” is also the name of unrelated hotels in Pinellas County.

The public amenity is the Barefoot Beach Preserve, 342 acres of natural barrier island at the end of the boulevard, run by Collier County Parks. The county’s beach parking page describes mobile pay-to-park for visitors and a free permit for county residents with proof of residency. We read a $10 visitor rate, 8 a.m. to sunset hours and a no-dogs rule on county materials on October 1, 2026, and a reader should confirm each on the county page before visiting.

What Do the Bayfront Gardens and Bayside Fee Layers Cover, and What Do They Cost?

No dollar assessment figure for Bayfront Gardens or Bayside appears in any recorded document or public website we found, so this page publishes no fee amount. What follows is the structure of the layers an owner funds, what the recorded documents say about them, and how to get the actual numbers before you commit.

Data updated: October 2026

The layers an owner funds

An owner in Bayfront Gardens funds three layers. The first is the owner’s own homeowners association, Bayfront Gardens for lots 11 to 33 or Bayside for lots 1 to 10. The second is the Barefoot Beach Master Association, which maintains the boulevard and runs the gate, and to which each home is one door of 716. The third is the county property tax bill, which carries a 9.4020 millage and is described in the next section. We found no community development district or other special-district charge on the roll for these parcels, and the roll’s tax total for the example parcel equals just value times the millage, so no non-ad valorem line shows in the roll total.

What is published and what is not

The Master Association’s assessment per door is not published. Bayfront Gardens’ regular assessment, reserves and any special assessment are not published in any recorded document or on a website. Bayside’s are not published either. The Bayfront Gardens association is listed on the state’s corporate record in care of a management company in Naples, and the Bayside association is listed at a self-address inside the community. We do not name the management company, and a buyer can get the contact from the state record.

How to get the numbers

Florida gives a buyer and an owner clear rights. A prospective buyer in a homeowners association must be presented the disclosure summary before signing, and a buyer who was not given it before signing may cancel within three days after receiving it or before closing, whichever occurs first, under Florida Statute 720.401. The association must issue an estoppel certificate within 10 business days of a written request under Florida Statute 720.30851, and an owner can inspect the official records within 10 business days of a written request under Florida Statute 720.303. Ask each layer for its current budget, its most recent financial report, any special assessment on the books and any capital contribution due at transfer. We do that for every client.

What Are the Layered Costs of Owning in Bayfront Gardens?

Owning in Bayfront Gardens costs property tax at a 9.4020 millage, homeowners and flood insurance priced by the carrier, two association layers, utilities and ordinary upkeep. The county roll shows a median 2026 preliminary tax bill of $24,822 across the 27 improved homes, from $14,781 to $41,807, and this section works the numbers.

Data updated: October 2026

Property tax, with the arithmetic

The 2026 preliminary millage for Bayfront Gardens is 9.4020, the same on every parcel, made of 3.9293 for the county, 4.1470 for schools and 1.3257 for other taxing authorities, with a municipal millage of zero because the neighborhood is unincorporated, and the Florida Department of Revenue’s Collier taxing authority code descriptions explain how those authorities are grouped. Check: 3.9293 + 4.1470 + 1.3257 = 9.4020.

An illustration for a non-homestead purchase at the neighborhood’s median 2026 preliminary just value, before exemptions and before any non-ad valorem charge: $3,108,994 x 9.4020 / 1000 = $29,230.76. That value is lot 22, 217 Bayfront Dr, and the roll’s own preliminary tax for that parcel is $29,230.77, which differs by a cent of rounding. The actual median 2026 preliminary bill across the 27 improved homes is $24,822, lower than the illustration by $4,409. Our reading is that homestead exemptions and assessment caps explain the gap, because 14 of the 27 homes carry a homestead exemption, which is 14 / 27 = 51.9 percent. A new buyer should plan on the full just value as the starting point, because a purchase resets a capped assessment, and should read the Collier County Property Appraiser’s site for the current exemption rules.

Homestead as a proxy for full-time residency

A homestead exemption means the owner claims the home as a permanent residence, so the share is a proxy for full-time residency. Fourteen of 27 is 51.9 percent for the whole neighborhood. By association it is 5 of 9 (55.6 percent) at Bayside and 9 of 18 (50.0 percent) at Bayfront Gardens. The Florida homestead exemption and the assessment limitation are set by statute, and a buyer’s tax bill depends on his or her own eligibility.

Closing costs and who pays what

In Collier County the buyer customarily pays the premium for the owner’s title policy and chooses the closing agent, and the contract controls. The state’s documentary stamp tax on a deed is 70 cents per $100 of consideration under Florida Statute 201.02, and for a $3,875,000 sale that is $3,875,000 / $100 = 38,750 units, and 38,750 x $0.70 = $27,125, with the contract deciding who pays it. The estoppel fee, any association transfer or capital-contribution fee and any approval fee depend on each association’s documents, and none of them is published for Bayfront Gardens or Bayside.

Insurance and the other recurring costs

Wind, flood and homeowners coverage are priced by carriers and depend on the home, its elevation and its roof. We publish no premium figure, because we found none from a primary source. The next sections cover the flood zone, the Citizens rules and the substantial-improvement rule. Utilities, trash and internet are covered in the daily logistics section, where the water and sewer provider is marked not confirmed.

What Do the Declarations, Rules and Approvals Say?

Two recorded declarations govern Bayfront Gardens and Bayside, and both are public through the Collier County Clerk. We read both and captured the home-size, pet and leasing terms below. Current budgets, rules and any architectural review or rebuild approval process are not published and are not described here, so a buyer should request them.

Data updated: October 2026

Which document controls what

An owner lives under four layers of rules. The recorded declaration for the owner’s association sits first, followed by that association’s own adopted rules and budget, then the Master Association’s bylaws and rules for the boulevard and gate, and then the county’s planned unit development ordinance and land development code, which apply regardless of what any association says. When two layers conflict, the stricter one governs in practice, and the county’s rules always apply on top of private covenants.

Minimum home size

The 1988 Bayfront Gardens declaration sets a minimum of 1,800 square feet for a two-story home, and the August 26, 1998 amendment changed the minimum dwelling size in the section governing it. The new figure is not legible in the copy we read, so a buyer or builder should read the amendment itself. The Bayside declaration of September 10, 1999 sets a minimum of 2,400 square feet under air. These minimums matter most for a rebuild, because the county’s base area for the smallest home on the roll, 1,547 square feet, is the county’s base-area field for the largest building on the parcel, which is not total living area.

Age restrictions

We found no age restriction in either declaration. Neither Bayfront Gardens nor Bayside is a 55-plus community on the documents we read.

Approvals, rebuilds and architectural review

We did not capture a description of any architectural review, plan approval or rebuild process for either association, and no current guidelines are published. A buyer planning to renovate, rebuild or add a dock should request the declaration’s provisions on approvals and the association’s current guidelines, and should expect to need county permits regardless. The county’s rules for height, yards and docks are in the sections that follow.

Can You Rent Out a Home in Bayfront Gardens or Bayside?

Yes in part, and the answer differs by association. Bayside’s 1999 declaration allows leasing at most three times a calendar year with a 30-day minimum, while the Bayfront Gardens leasing terms are not published in anything we captured. Collier County also requires registration of short-term vacation rentals, so a seasonal-rental plan needs both layers checked.

Data updated: October 2026

Bayside: three leases a year, 30-day minimum

The Bayside declaration, recorded at Official Records Book 2590, page 3271, limits leasing to at most three times in a calendar year and sets a minimum lease term of 30 days. A buyer of one of the ten Bayside lots should read the lease article for how the three-lease count works, whether a renewal counts as a new lease and what approval or notice the association requires.

Bayfront Gardens: leasing terms not published

For lots 11 to 33 the leasing clause is not captured in the instruments we read, so we say not published and give the route. Request the declaration’s leasing article, the association’s current rules and any amendment, in writing, under the buyer’s rights described earlier. Do not assume that Bayfront Gardens follows Bayside’s three-a-year limit or the 30-day minimum, because the two documents separated in 1999 and are independent.

Collier County’s vacation rental registration

Under Collier County Ordinance 2021-45, in force since January 3, 2022 according to the county’s short-term vacation rental page, an owner must register a property rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days more than three times in a calendar year. The county’s 311 knowledge base article names the registration contact. The page lists fines of up to $500 per violation per day. A rental also needs a business tax receipt and tourist development tax registration with the Tax Collector, according to our county research.

Are Pets Allowed in Bayfront Gardens and Bayside?

Yes. The 1988 Bayfront Gardens declaration allows household pets in reasonable numbers, and the 1999 Bayside declaration allows dogs and cats, which must be leashed. We did not capture a weight limit, a breed rule or a registration requirement for either association, so ask for the current rules, and remember that the county’s preserve prohibits dogs.

Data updated: October 2026

Bayfront Gardens: reasonable numbers

The Bayfront Gardens declaration, recorded at Official Records Book 1335, page 1835, allows household pets in reasonable numbers and does not set a count in the text we read. “Reasonable” is a standard the board applies, and a buyer with several animals should ask for the board’s practice in writing.

Bayside: dogs and cats, leashed

The Bayside declaration allows dogs and cats and requires leashing. We did not find a limit on the number or weight of animals in the text we read.

Beaches and the preserve

Dogs are not allowed at the Barefoot Beach Preserve under the county’s current rules, so a dog owner in Bayfront Gardens does not have a dog beach at the end of the boulevard. Sea turtle nesting season, May 1 to October 31, adds lighting and beach rules, which are covered in the coastal rules section. Service-animal and assistance-animal questions are governed by federal and state fair-housing law and are not covered here.

What Are the Flood Zone, Storm Posture and Insurance Picture at Bayfront Gardens?

Every Bayfront Gardens address we tested is in FEMA Zone AE with a base flood elevation of 10 feet NAVD88, on Collier County flood map panel 12021C0179J effective February 8, 2024, and the neighborhood is in Evacuation Zone A. No home is inside a Coastal Barrier Resources System unit, so federal flood insurance is available. The table lists six tested addresses.

Data updated: October 2026

Flood zone by address

We queried the public flood layers for six Bayfront Gardens and Bayside addresses on October 1, 2026. The map position in the last column is our reading of the public map layers, not an official determination, and the FIRM panel and an elevation certificate are the documents that control.

By our reading of the public map layers, each of the five matched building footprints is 100 percent in Zone AE at elevation 10, and all 35 roll parcels read AE 10 in our parcel screen. The county’s floodplain management page and its flood map viewer show the current effective map. No address we tested is in Zone VE, and the zone does not vary across the neighborhood, so we do not give a different zone for Bayside than for Bayfront Gardens.

What the Limit of Moderate Wave Action and the coastal line mean

The Limit of Moderate Wave Action is a line FEMA draws inside Zone AE where waves of 1.5 to 3 feet are expected in a base flood, and some building standards are stricter seaward of it, so ask the county which apply. By our reading of the public map layers, two of our six addresses read seaward of it. Our reading of the public map layers is also that the state’s 1989 coastal construction control line crosses the footprints at 220 Barefoot Beach Blvd and 241 Bayfront Dr, that the street tract at 244 Barefoot Beach Blvd is about 55 meters seaward of it, and that most of Bayfront Gardens is landward of it. Treat each of those as a reason to look, not a conclusion: a surveyor’s elevation certificate and the state’s coastal program answer the question for a specific lot.

Elevation certificates

The county layer lists 13 elevation certificate records on Bayfront Dr. A buyer should ask the seller for the current certificate and, if none exists, order one. The county’s Flood Information Hotline is (239) 252-2942 and the email is [email protected], listed on the county’s flood map page.

The preliminary 2025 map and the appeal period

A preliminary new flood map is under review. Under it, panel 0179 is re-issued as 0179K, and the zones and base flood elevations are unchanged at every Bayfront Gardens address we tested. The county’s news release of August 2026 says a 90-day comment and appeal period began August 19, 2026. By our count that runs to about November 17, 2026, and the release gives no end date. Appeals go through the county’s Floodplain Management Section at (239) 252-2932.

Coastal Barrier Resources System: no

Federal flood insurance is available to Bayfront Gardens homes. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s page on federal flood insurance and the Coastal Barrier Resources Act explains the limit, and no Coastal Barrier Resources System unit touches any Bayfront Gardens or Bayside home. The preserve to the south is in Wiggins Pass Unit FL-65P, and that is the unit that matters for the Barefoot Beach area.

Citizens Property Insurance rules that bite here

Florida law sets eligibility rules for the state-backed insurer of last resort in Florida Statute 627.351. Four matter in this neighborhood. First, flood coverage is a condition of a Citizens personal-lines policy on a home in a Special Flood Hazard Area, from issuance for new policies since April 1, 2023 and at renewal since July 1, 2023, and every address we tested is in one. Second, there is a ceiling on the replacement cost that Citizens will insure, $700,000 in the text we read or $1 million where the state finds no reasonable competition, and we did not verify which applies in Collier County. Third, a major structure newly built or enlarged by more than 25 percent under a permit applied for after July 1, 2015 is ineligible if it is seaward of the coastal construction control line or inside a Coastal Barrier Resources System unit. Fourth, a home in the wind-borne debris region with an insured structure value of $750,000 or more needs opening protection. We publish no premium figure, because we found none from a primary source.

The 50 percent substantial-improvement rule

Collier County’s floodplain ordinance, Ordinance 2019-01, applies the state model floodplain rules, including a substantial-improvement test: when repair or improvement costs reach 50 percent of a building’s market value, the whole building must be brought into compliance, and the county adds a foot of freeboard above the base flood elevation. For Bayfront Gardens the practical meaning is that a major renovation or storm repair can trigger raising the home to elevation 11 feet NAVD88 or more, so a buyer of an older home should ask the county for a substantial-improvement determination before committing to a plan. The county’s Building Within the Floodplain page summarizes the standards.

Wind design speeds and flood-insurance rating

The county publishes the Florida Building Code wind-speed contours as map layers. At Barefoot Beach address points the ultimate design wind speed for an ordinary home, Risk Category II, reads 161 miles per hour across most of the community and 162 at the south end, and the whole community sits inside the wind-borne debris region. Collier County is a Community Rating System Class 5 community, which gives a 25 percent discount on federal flood policies according to FEMA’s Community Rating System program, and federal policies are now priced under Risk Rating 2.0, so the discount applies to the federal policy and not to a private one.

Evacuation Zone A and the one road out

Bayfront Gardens is in Evacuation Zone A, the first zone ordered out, and the county’s know your zone lookup and the state’s Know Your Zone tool both take an address. The county’s emergency assistance page carries evacuation information and zones. There is one road out: Barefoot Beach Blvd runs north to the gate at Bonita Beach Road, and there is no road south, because the boulevard ends in the preserve at Wiggins Pass. Collier County publishes a potential shelter list and announces which shelters open for each storm. Zones A and B were ordered out for Hurricane Milton on October 8, 2024, according to a public emergency page we read.

What Ian, Helene and Milton left on the record

The U.S. Geological Survey flagged an Ian high-water mark inside the Barefoot Beach gates at 11.76 feet NAVD88, 4.5 feet above ground, at Barefoot Beach Blvd and Anguilla Ln, where the FEMA base flood elevation is 10 feet. That is about 1.8 feet above the base flood elevation on the 2024 map at that spot, and the mark includes some wave effect. It is at the north end of the community, not in Bayfront Gardens itself, and we found no mark inside Bayfront Gardens. The National Hurricane Center’s reports for Ian, Helene and Milton give the regional surge, including 3 to 5 feet above ground from Bonita Beach for Milton. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Helene and Milton impact report rated Barefoot Beach erosion Condition IV, the worst class, and the same report’s Collier County narrative describes 20 to 30 feet of beach width lost. We found no recorded or government document about damage to any home in Bayfront Gardens, and we therefore say nothing about it. The county preserve reopened on November 24, 2023 after Ian, according to the News-Press.

Selling in Bayfront Gardens? Get a free valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buying? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or see our buyer page.

Do Milestone Inspection and SIRS Rules Apply to Bayfront Gardens?

No. Florida’s milestone inspection law, section 553.899, and the structural integrity reserve study rule, section 718.112(2)(g), apply to condominium and cooperative buildings of three habitable stories or more, and Bayfront Gardens and Bayside are single-family homeowners associations under chapter 720. A buyer should request different documents, listed below.

Data updated: October 2026

What the statutes say

Florida Statute 553.899 is titled “Mandatory structural inspections for condominium and cooperative buildings” and requires an inspection for a building of three habitable stories or more that is subject to the condominium or cooperative form of ownership. Florida Statute 718.112(2)(g) requires a residential condominium association to complete a structural integrity reserve study for buildings of three habitable stories or higher. Bayfront Gardens and Bayside are not condominiums, and nothing in the Bayfront Gardens or Bayside records we read converts them into one. A home here may have three habitable floors, but the statutes turn on the form of ownership and not on the floor count.

What a Bayfront Gardens buyer should request instead

Ask for the disclosure summary, the declaration and amendments, the current rules, the current budget, the most recent financial report, the estoppel certificate, any special assessment, any open violation and the Master Association’s budget, and ask the seller for the flood disclosure that Florida Statute 689.302 requires at or before contract signing. Order a home inspection, a wind-mitigation report and an elevation certificate. The home’s own structure is inspected by the buyer, and not by a statutory program.

Which Schools Serve Bayfront Gardens?

Collier County Public Schools’ district locator returned Naples Park Elementary, North Naples Middle and Aubrey Rogers High for every Bayfront Gardens address we tested for the 2026-27 year. Zones change, so confirm by address in the district’s locator before you rely on this list, and tour the schools yourself.

Data updated: October 2026

The zoned schools, by road distance

The locator returned the same three schools for every tested address. By road from a point near 253 Barefoot Beach Blvd, Naples Park Elementary is about 7.8 miles away, North Naples Middle about 9.0 miles and Aubrey Rogers High about 9.2 miles, as our routing estimates and not drive times. Zoned schools can differ from older published lists, so use the locator result, which is the district’s own. The district’s zone map and locator is the tool to use.

Grades, buses and choice

We publish no school grades on this page. The Florida Department of Education posts the current grades on its school accountability reports page, and a buyer should read them for the zoned schools. Bus eligibility depends on distance, and the district’s transportation page states the rules. Private-school and charter options were not researched for this page.

What Did the 2018 Height Change Do, and What Is on the Record for 239 Bayfront Dr?

Ordinance 2018-41 raised Tract I, known as Bayfront Gardens, from two habitable floors to three. In September 2025 a county hearing examiner agenda carried a variance request at 239 Bayfront Dr for a new home on a razed lot. County staff recommended approval, and we did not confirm the hearing outcome.

Data updated: October 2026

What Ordinance 2018-41 changed

Ordinance 2018-41, adopted September 11, 2018, amended the Lely Barefoot Beach planned unit development so that Tract I, which the ordinance calls Bayfront Gardens, may have three habitable floors instead of two, over parking. The county’s later staff report quotes the applicant as saying the change came in 2017, and the application number carries a 2017 prefix, but the adoption date on the ordinance is September 11, 2018. We use the ordinance.

The 2025 hearing item, as recorded

The petition is VA-PL20240001811, set for the county’s Hearing Examiner on September 11, 2025, for a lot at 239 Bayfront Dr. The county’s staff report and its notice of public hearing state these facts:

• The request was to reduce the front yard from 27.83 feet to 12 feet and the rear yard from 30 feet to 27.07 feet, for a new single-family home, under Sections 10.5.B and 10.5.F of the planned unit development.
• The site is a razed, irregularly shaped waterfront property of 0.17 acre in Tract I, with the Tract M mangrove preserve across Bayfront Dr.
• The proposed home is three stories over parking, 55.65 feet tall as measured from road center to roof peak, and about 4,600 square feet under air with four bedrooms, according to the applicant.
• The required yards are 27.83 feet in front, 7.5 feet on the sides and 30 feet in the rear, so the variance sought was 15.83 feet in front and 2.93 feet in the rear.
• The applicant’s agent describes the waterbody there as appearing to be about 110 feet wide, and staff place the property in the Urban Coastal Fringe Subdistrict of the growth plan.
• County staff recommended approval.

What the record does not say

We did not capture the decision. The honest statement is that staff recommended approval and the hearing outcome was not confirmed. We also do not know whether a home was built, and the county file does not say whether the November 2021 recorded deed at that address and the 2025 request are connected. We do not name the applicant, who is a company, or its agent.

Why it matters to an owner or buyer

The item shows three things a buyer should expect. Irregular lots can have yards that are tight for the allowed height. The applicant described about 4,600 square feet under air, which shows the scale of a new home here. And a lot-specific variance goes through a public hearing that anyone can watch. The county posts hearing notices on the Clerk’s legal notice page and agendas on the Hearing Examiner portal, and we watch both for our clients.

What County Permits, Zoning and Coastal Rules Apply to Bayfront Gardens?

Bayfront Gardens is zoned as Tract I of the Lely Barefoot Beach planned unit development in unincorporated Collier County, so the county’s land development code, the planned unit development ordinances, the floodplain rules and the coastal rules apply on top of the declarations. Docks follow Land Development Code 5.03.06, and sea turtle lighting follows the county’s coastal lighting rules.

Data updated: October 2026

Zoning and future land use

The county’s zoning layer places Bayfront Gardens in the Lely Barefoot Beach planned unit development, Tract I. Two county sources name the growth-plan subdistrict differently. The county’s future land use layer reads Urban Residential Subdistrict for the community, and the 2025 hearing staff report places the Bayfront Dr lot in the Urban Coastal Fringe Subdistrict of the Urban Mixed-Use District. We publish both and send a reader to the county’s zoning staff for the controlling designation. The county zoning atlas also carries an annotation for Hearing Examiner decision 22-22, dated May 12, 2022, recorded as an insubstantial change to the planned unit development, whose text we did not read.

Sea turtle lighting

Sea turtle nesting season runs May 1 to October 31. The county’s rule applies to lighting within 300 feet of the coastal mean high water line, and it requires lights to be turned off after 9 p.m. in season or to be hooded or positioned so that the light, and any surface it illuminates, is not visible from the beach. The rule is in Land Development Code section 3.04.02 on Municode. Collier County Parks runs the sea turtle protection program and inspects for lighting compliance during the season.

The coastal construction control line

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection regulates construction seaward of the coastal construction control line, and its application page explains the permit. As described above, our reading of the public map layers is that the line crosses two of the six footprints we tested and that most of Bayfront Gardens is landward of it. A home or addition near that line should be checked by a surveyor and, where needed, permitted by the state. The county also keeps a coastal construction setback line, and Land Development Code section 9.04.06 covers variances from it.

Can You Keep a Boat at Bayfront Gardens, and How Do You Reach the Gulf?

Docks are permitted on Tract I, individually or in common, but each lot’s dock status is a survey and permit question, and Land Development Code 5.03.06 limits protrusion to 20 feet on waterways 100 feet wide or more. By water, the run south to Wiggins Pass has no bridge on the chart, while the run north passes the fixed Bonita Beach Road bridge.

Data updated: October 2026

What the ordinance and the land development code allow

The 1985 planned unit development ordinance lists “docks, either individual or common” as a permitted use in Tract I. The county’s dock rules in Land Development Code 5.03.06 then set the limits. For a waterway 100 feet wide or more, a dock and moored boat together may protrude no more than 20 feet, and on a narrower waterway the limit is 25 percent of the width or 20 feet, whichever is less. Side setbacks are 15 feet for lots with 60 feet or more of water frontage and 7.5 feet for lots with less. A boathouse needs Hearing Examiner approval and is limited in height, openness and setback, and a boat lift canopy is limited to 35 feet long and 12 feet high. A dock extension beyond 20 feet needs Hearing Examiner approval against listed criteria, and the code’s guidance is that a typical single-family use should have no more than two slips.

What the code does not tell you

The code does not say how deep the water is behind a Bayfront Gardens lot, what boat a lot can keep, or whether a lot’s dock is permitted and in good repair. The applicant’s agent, quoted in the county staff report, describes the waterbody at the 239 Bayfront Dr lot as appearing to be about 110 feet wide, and if a survey confirms a width of 100 feet or more the 20-foot protrusion limit would apply there. The planned unit development and private covenants can be stricter than the code, and we did not find a Bayfront Gardens or Bayside dock rule in the declarations we read. Depth, the boat a lot can handle and any seawall condition are survey and inspection questions. The county has not published a depth figure that we found.

By water, south: a run with no bridge

On the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s electronic navigational chart, the run south from Little Hickory Bay toward Wiggins Pass crosses no bridge. The Coast Pilot says the pass is “subject to frequent changes”, so shoaling and channel markers are local-knowledge questions. The Coast Pilot chapter for this coast is the federal reference. We did not time the run, and we do not state a distance.

By water, north: the fixed bridge on Bonita Beach Road

North of Bayfront Gardens a boat must pass the Bonita Beach Road bridge, which the chart shows as fixed. The chart lists a vertical clearance of 3.9 meters, or 12.8 feet, and a horizontal clearance of 5.4 meters, or 17.7 feet, from a chart cell whose source date is February 2016. That clearance is a charted value, not a surveyed one, and a boater should confirm it against the Lee County or state transportation bridge inventory before trusting it. The chart shows further fixed or movable bridges beyond it, at Big Hickory Pass and New Pass, with 40 feet and 30 feet of horizontal clearance, and reports shoaling at New Pass as of 2016. For a boat taller than the charted clearance, the practical route is south.

Speed zones and manatee rules

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Collier County manatee protection zone maps show slow-speed areas around Wiggins Pass under state rule 68C-22.023. A boater should read the map for the current zones, which can change.

What Is Daily Life Like: Gate, Beach, Preserve, Utilities and Getting Around?

Daily life in Bayfront Gardens runs through one staffed gate and one 1.8-mile boulevard, with US 41 about 2.3 miles from the boulevard corner at Bonita Beach Road by our routing estimate, a public preserve at the south end and services in Bonita Springs. The things we could not confirm are the gate’s guest procedure, the water and sewer provider, natural gas, internet and trash collection days.

Data updated: October 2026

The gate and the boulevard

The Master Association staffs the gate around the clock, according to our governance research, and the boulevard is private. The state holds a recorded easement over the boulevard corridor, and the public reaches the county preserve by driving past the gate. We could not find a published guest, vendor or contractor procedure. Ask the Master Association before a move, a renovation or a long absence.

Getting out and getting around

By road, the boulevard corner at Bonita Beach Road is about 1.4 miles from Vanderbilt Drive, about 2.3 miles from US 41 and about 5.8 miles from the I-75 interchange at exit 116, as routing estimates from that corner. Add the run along the boulevard from the corner to your address, which we did not measure for each lot. From a point near 260 Barefoot Beach Blvd, Southwest Florida International Airport is about 22 miles and 33 minutes by the route we modeled, and the Publix at 3304 Bonita Beach Rd is about 3 miles, all as our estimates with that point as the origin and not the corner. These are estimates from a routing service, not driven times, and the summer and winter traffic differ.

Beach and preserve access

There are two public county beach parks reached by the same road: Barefoot Beach Access, 20 feet off Bonita Beach Road, and Barefoot Beach Preserve about 1.5 miles south of Bonita Beach Road by our estimate, each with its own pay-to-park lot, per the county’s parks pages. We did not measure the walk from any Bayfront Gardens lot. The preserve is at the end of the road that Bayfront Gardens sits on, which means visitor traffic passes the neighborhood on open days. We infer that from the road layout, and we did not count traffic.

Mail, trash and utilities

Mail is addressed to Bonita Springs, 34134, and the delivery unit type, whether a curbside box or a cluster, is not confirmed. Trash and recycling collection for unincorporated Collier County runs through the county’s solid waste program, with a “Find Your Collection Days” tool and a phone line at 239-252-2380, and we did not confirm the hauler’s days for the neighborhood. Water and sewer are not confirmed: Bonita Springs Utilities says its franchise area is the City of Bonita Springs, part of Estero and unincorporated south Lee County, which does not include Collier County, so it is not the provider. Florida Power and Light serves unincorporated Collier County, which we infer and did not confirm for these streets. Natural gas and internet providers by address are not confirmed. Ask the seller for the most recent water, sewer and power bills, and confirm sewer versus septic in the county’s utility records before you buy.

Fire, sheriff and hospitals

North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District Station 43, at 16325 Vanderbilt Drive, serves Barefoot Beach according to the district’s own site, and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office is the law enforcement agency, per its website. The nearest emergency department is the freestanding NCH Emergency Department at 24040 S Tamiami Trail in Bonita Springs, about 7.6 miles from a point near 260 Barefoot Beach Blvd by our estimate, according to the NCH Healthcare System and our routing estimate.

How Does Bayfront Gardens Compare With Other Barefoot Beach Communities?

Bayfront Gardens ranks second of the six neighborhoods compared here by 2026 median just value, $3,108,994, behind Barefoot Estates. Its six qualified sales in 60 months ran from $3,026,000 to $6,650,000, too few to rank by median. The counts are small, so the table is directional.

Data updated: October 2026

Side by side, on the county’s yardsticks

The yardsticks come from each neighborhood’s own county file, using the same method and the same 60-month window. Counts of qualified sales are small in every row except Southport, so a median is a description and not a forecast.

Reading the table

Two things stand out. First, Bayfront Gardens is the only neighborhood here with a single flood zone and a single base flood elevation across all its tested addresses. Second, we rank on one yardstick only. By 2026 median just value the order is Barefoot Estates at $6,257,994, Bayfront Gardens at $3,108,994, the Cottages at $2,868,554, Southport at $2,603,340, Barefoot Bay at $2,407,512 and the Villas at $1,328,000. Sixty-month qualified medians are too thin to rank here: Bayfront Gardens has six sales, Southport 29 and the other four neighborhoods between one and four.

The community as a whole

The county’s roll for all of Barefoot Beach holds 694 parcels and 635 dwellings, with a community median just value of $1,878,934 and 246 of 635 dwellings, or 38.7 percent, on homestead. In the last 12 months the community recorded 25 qualified sales with a median of $2,800,000. Bayfront Gardens recorded one, at $3,875,000, and its homestead share of 51.9 percent is above the community’s 38.7 percent. By that proxy the neighborhood is more owner-occupied than the community overall.

Bayfront Gardens vs Southport on the Bay: Which Is the Better Fit?

Bayfront Gardens is a 33-homesite bay-side neighborhood with three habitable floors and two associations, and Southport on the Bay is a 106-lot neighbor with four habitable floors, a 60-day lease minimum and a separate dock association. Choose Bayfront Gardens for scale, one flood zone and a higher median just value, and Southport for more homes and more sales history.

Data updated: October 2026

Side by side, the decision table

Southport on the Bay is the nearest comparable, because both neighborhoods are single-family, bay-side and inside the gates, and both sit in the same planned unit development. The facts below come from each neighborhood’s recorded documents and county file, and the Southport column draws on that neighborhood’s own recorded documents and county file.

The Southport facts come from its recorded rules at Official Records Book 5640, page 3564, its certificate of revitalization and its restated declaration.

The waterway and docks, compared

A county staff report describes the waterway at a Southport lot as about 209 feet wide, and the applicant’s agent in the Bayfront Gardens report describes about 110 feet at 239 Bayfront Dr. Both figures exceed 100 feet, so the 20-foot protrusion limit would apply in each case, and Southport’s separate dock owners association suggests a more structured dock arrangement. We did not compare water depth, because neither county file publishes it.

When Bayfront Gardens is the better fit

Choose Bayfront Gardens if you want a small bay-side street, a single flood zone and elevation across the neighborhood, the option of Bayside’s 30-day minimum lease, and a higher median just value, and if you accept very thin turnover and the work of requesting documents from two associations and the Master Association.

When Southport on the Bay is the better fit

Choose Southport if you want a larger neighborhood with a deeper sales record, four habitable floors, a separate dock structure and published lease terms, and if a 60-day minimum lease suits you. Its median just value is lower, and its flood zone span is wider, so check the address.

The other bay-side option

Barefoot Bay is a nine-home court outside the planned unit development and outside the gate, with its own 2000 plat and association, and it is the choice for a buyer who wants a bay-side home on Bonita Beach Road without the Master layer. The Cottages at Barefoot Beach are detached homes on condominium building sites, and the Villas at Barefoot Beach are fee-simple party-wall villas.

Who should choose which

A buyer who wants privacy, the higher median just value and one flood elevation should start with Bayfront Gardens. A buyer who wants more choice, a deeper record and a dock association should start with Southport. A buyer who wants low maintenance should look at the Villas. And a buyer who is not sure should call us, because the right answer depends on a lot, a view and a budget that no table captures.

Selling in Bayfront Gardens? Get a free valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buying? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or see our buyer page.

What Are the Honest Pros and Cons of Owning in Bayfront Gardens?

The pros are a small, gated, bay-side neighborhood of single-family homes with one flood zone, a three-floor height allowance and a higher median just value. The cons are very low turnover, Zone AE exposure at a 10-foot base elevation, two associations with unpublished fees and a thin public record on rules and amenities.

Data updated: October 2026

What owners and buyers tend to like

• A small neighborhood: 33 homesites, 27 homes, one private street and a short boulevard run.
• A gated boulevard staffed around the clock, owned by the Master Association.
• A bay on one side, the planned unit development’s mangrove preserve tract on the other, and a Gulf beach and the county preserve nearby.
• Three habitable floors allowed over parking since 2018.
• Recent county-qualified sales between $3,026,000 and $6,650,000, and a median just value of $3,108,994.
• One flood zone and elevation across every address we tested.
• A homestead share of 51.9 percent, which suggests a settled, owner-occupied street.

What owners and buyers should weigh

• Very few sales: one qualified sale in 12 months and six in 60.
• Zone AE at 10 feet NAVD88 on all 35 roll parcels in our screen of the public map layers, Evacuation Zone A, one road out and storm exposure that Barefoot Beach’s Condition IV erosion rating shows.
• Two associations plus the Master layer, with no published fees and, for Bayfront Gardens, no published leasing terms.
• Substantial-improvement rules that can require raising an older home after major repairs.
• Documents that are public in the Clerk’s records but not summarized by the associations, and no association websites.
• Unconfirmed utilities, trash days and gate procedure.

How We Researched Bayfront Gardens, and What We Tracked First-Hand

We built this page from primary records, not a listing feed. We tracked every one of the 35 Bayfront Gardens parcels on the Collier County roll, every one of the 64 county-qualified sales since April 1988 and every recorded declaration and amendment, and we queried the flood layers ourselves on October 1, 2026.

Data updated: October 2026

What we did, step by step

A team with the Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 recognition still has to show its work, so each step below is one a reader can repeat. We pulled all 35 parcels from the county roll and counted homesites, improved homes and vacant lots by hand. We read the county’s recorded-sales file, built from files dated August 29 and 31, 2026, and kept its windows and qualification rules intact. We read the Bayfront Gardens declaration at Official Records Book 1335, page 1835 and its three amendments, the Bayside declaration at Official Records Book 2590, page 3271 and the Master bylaws at Official Records Book 4675, page 2424. We queried FEMA’s flood layer at six addresses on October 1, 2026, and the county’s evacuation and wind layers. We read the 2025 staff report for the Bayfront Dr variance hearing in full.

What we found that surprised us

Three things stood out. One plat holds two associations with different declarations and different leasing rules, and a reader who sees only the plat name would assume one. The county’s qualified record leaves out four recorded deeds over $100,000 in the last 60 months, including a $5,900,000 deed on the boulevard, which is why we list them separately. And half of the dated homes are from 2014 or later, which means the neighborhood is newer than its 1988 plat suggests.

What we could not get

The Southwest Florida MLS figures on this page were pulled October 3, 2026, and that pull records the final list price only, so price changes, views and condition are read listing by listing. We could not find any published assessment, budget, reserve study or association rules, and we could not capture the Bayfront Gardens leasing clause. We list the gaps again, in one place, near the end of the page.

Thinking of Selling Your Bayfront Gardens Home? List With the #1 Team in Southwest Florida Since 2012

If you’re searching for a Bayfront Gardens listing agent, or thinking, “I need someone to sell my Bayfront Gardens home…”, McGreevy and Comisar is the team to call. Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, and we prepare every Bayfront Gardens listing the way a buyer’s attorney will read it: documents first, flood and permit history ready, and price tied to the county record. Our guide to selling a home in Bayfront Gardens at Barefoot Beach has the recorded sales, the costs and the documents, and our Bayfront Gardens at Barefoot Beach home value page shows how we price one.

Selling credentials

Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 is the credential we list first. The full list of what we bring to a Bayfront Gardens listing is below.

• 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

Recent Bayfront Gardens sold-listing stats

The Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 3, 2026, shows 1 Bayfront Gardens closing in the 12 months to that date, for a dollar volume of $3,875,000. That home sold after 193 days on market at 88.2% of its final list price of $4,395,000. The MLS records 9 closings in the last 60 months, from $2,300,000 to $6,650,000, too few for a median. Collier County’s record shows one qualified sale in the last 12 months, at $3,875,000, and six in the last 60 months, from $3,026,000 to $6,650,000; the two sources count differently. With samples this small, every comparable matters, and we read each one by lot, age, view and dock.

Why selling in Bayfront Gardens is different

A Bayfront Gardens sale is a documents-and-risk sale. The buyer’s attorney, lender and insurer will ask for the declaration and amendments, the budget, the estoppel certificate, the elevation certificate, the permit history, any dock and seawall records and the flood disclosure required by Florida Statute 689.302. A buyer who was not given the association disclosure summary before signing may cancel within three days after receiving it or before closing, whichever occurs first, and the association has 10 business days to issue an estoppel certificate, so a seller who presents the summary before the contract and requests the papers early removes weeks of delay.

Price follows the lot, the age of the house, the view and the dock more than any neighborhood average. The roll’s improved homes run from $1,731,270 to $4,626,093 in 2026 preliminary just value, qualified sales since 2021 run from $3,026,000 to $6,650,000, and homes dated 2018 or later account for the three highest prices. We price from the nearest like home in the county record and adjust for condition. The buyer pool is also shaped by Bayside’s 30-day lease terms, Bayfront Gardens’ unpublished leasing terms and the neighborhood’s single flood zone.

What Is Your Bayfront Gardens Home Worth? Get a Free Valuation in 60 Seconds

Request your free Bayfront Gardens home valuation and we will come back with the nearest comparable recorded sales, the lot and age adjustments, and the document gaps that could affect your price.

Talk to Jesse direct

Call or text Jesse at (239) 898-6072, text or call, with any question about selling in Bayfront Gardens.

Bayfront Gardens seller mini-FAQ

Six questions Bayfront Gardens owners ask us before they list.

How much is my Bayfront Gardens home worth?

It depends on the lot, the age of the house, the view and the dock, and the county record shows a wide spread: six qualified sales from $3,026,000 to $6,650,000 since October 2021. We use the nearest like home, not an average. A free valuation from our team gives you the comparables and the adjustments.

Which association do I belong to, and what do I owe it when I sell?

Lots 1 to 10 belong to Bayside and lots 11 to 33 to Bayfront Gardens, and both sit under the Master Association. You owe unpaid assessments through closing, and the estoppel certificate states the amount within 10 business days of your written request under Florida Statute 720.30851.

Which documents do I need to give a Bayfront Gardens buyer?

You must give the buyer the association disclosure summary before the contract is signed, and a flood disclosure at or before signing. The statute does not require you to deliver the declaration, amendments, rules or budget, but buyers ask for them and for the estoppel certificate, so we gather them early. A summary presented before signing also means the three-day cancellation right that a late summary creates never arises.

Will the 2026 flood map update hurt my sale price?

We cannot promise either way, and we have no MLS data to measure it. The preliminary map re-issues panel 0179 as 0179K with the same zones and base flood elevations at every address we tested, and its 90-day appeal period began August 19, 2026. A seller who has the elevation certificate ready removes uncertainty.

Does my lot or dock change the price?

Yes, but we have no MLS split by lot or dock to show how much, and the county’s qualified record is too thin to separate them. The three highest recent prices are for homes dated 2018 or later, and the two lowest are for homes dated 2014. We compare like with like and adjust from there.

How do I start?

Call Jesse at (239) 898-6072, text or call, or use the free valuation link above. We will ask for your lot number, then pull the nearest comparables and request the document package from your association and the Master Association before you decide on price.

Your Local Real Estate Experts

Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar of McGreevy and Comisar, part of Domain Realty Group, are Bonita Springs real estate experts who list and sell Bayfront Gardens homes and other Barefoot Beach properties. Our honors and recognition are below, together with how to reach us directly and the licensing information Florida requires.

Honors and recognition

Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 heads the list of honors below.

• 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

Contact Jesse and Marc

• Jesse McGreevy: (239) 898-6072 · [email protected]
• Marc Comisar: (239) 287-5873
• Office: 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134

About our team

Learn how we work on our McGreevy and Comisar about page. McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, a full-service Southwest Florida real estate team. Learn more about our team at DomainRealtyGroup.com.

Frequently Asked Questions, Buyer Edition

These are the questions Bayfront Gardens buyers and searchers ask most, rewritten as plain questions, with answers drawn from the records cited above. Where a fact is not published, we say so and name the document that settles it.

What does it cost to buy in Bayfront Gardens?

Six county-qualified sales since October 2021 ranged from $3,026,000 to $6,650,000, and each is listed in the market snapshot. The roll’s median 2026 just value for homes is $3,108,994, and vacant homesites run $1,402,880 to $2,976,800. In the Southwest Florida MLS on October 3, 2026, six Bayfront Gardens homes were listed for sale, from $3,895,000 to $6,495,000.

What are the association dues in Bayfront Gardens and what do they cover?

Dues are not published for Bayfront Gardens, Bayside or the Master Association, so we give no figure. An owner funds a home association, the Master Association’s boulevard and gate, and county tax. Request each budget and an estoppel certificate, which the association must issue within 10 business days.

Are rentals allowed in Bayfront Gardens, and what is the minimum rental period?

Bayside allows leasing at most three times a calendar year with a 30-day minimum, per its 1999 declaration. Bayfront Gardens’ leasing terms are not published in anything we captured, so request the declaration. Collier County also requires registration for rentals under 30 days more than three times a year.

Are pets allowed in Bayfront Gardens?

Yes. The Bayfront Gardens declaration allows household pets in reasonable numbers, and the Bayside declaration allows leashed dogs and cats. We did not capture weight or breed limits for either, so ask for current rules. Dogs are not allowed at the county’s Barefoot Beach Preserve.

What flood zone and base flood elevation apply to Bayfront Gardens, and where do I find an elevation certificate?

Every address we tested is in FEMA Zone AE with a 10-foot NAVD88 base flood elevation on panel 12021C0179J. The county’s flood map page and its Flood Information Hotline, (239) 252-2942, can help, and the county layer lists 13 elevation certificate records on Bayfront Dr.

What flood and wind insurance do owners in Bayfront Gardens carry, and what does it cost?

We found no premium figure from a primary source, so we publish none. Every address is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, Citizens requires flood coverage there, and federal policies receive Collier County’s 25 percent Community Rating System discount. Ask an independent insurance agent for quotes by address.

How did Bayfront Gardens fare in Hurricane Ian, Helene and Milton, including storm surge?

We found no recorded or government document about damage to any Bayfront Gardens home. The record shows an Ian high-water mark of 11.76 feet NAVD88 at the community’s north end, Milton surge of 3 to 5 feet above ground from Bonita Beach, and Condition IV erosion on the beach.

What does the FEMA 50 percent substantial damage rule mean for a home in Bayfront Gardens?

When repair or improvement costs reach 50 percent of a building’s market value, Collier County’s Ordinance 2019-01 requires the whole building to meet current floodplain rules, including a foot of freeboard above the 10-foot base flood elevation. Ask the county for a determination before planning major work.

Does Bayfront Gardens have a special assessment or capital project coming?

We found none published for Bayfront Gardens, Bayside or the Master Association, and no recorded notice of one. That is not proof that none exists. The estoppel certificate lists any special assessment on the books, and the association’s minutes show any project under discussion.

What are the seawall, dock and boat lift rules and conditions in Bayfront Gardens?

Docks are permitted on Tract I, and Land Development Code 5.03.06 limits a dock and boat to 20 feet of protrusion on waterways 100 feet wide or more, with 15-foot or 7.5-foot side setbacks by frontage. Each lot’s seawall, dock and lift condition is a survey and inspection question.

How deep is the water behind homes in Bayfront Gardens, and what boat can I keep there?

Depth is not published in any source we found, so we cannot say what boat a lot can handle. An applicant’s agent, quoted in a 2025 county staff report, describes the waterbody at one lot as about 110 feet wide. Order a survey, ask for dock permit records and test the water at low tide before you buy for a boat.

How long does it take to get from Bayfront Gardens to open Gulf water by boat?

We did not time the run. South to Wiggins Pass crosses no bridge on the chart, though the pass changes often. North, a boat passes the fixed Bonita Beach Road bridge, charted at 12.8 feet of vertical clearance, a 2016 source value.

Is Bayfront Gardens gated, and how do guests and contractors get in?

The Master Association staffs the boulevard gate around the clock. We could not find a published guest, vendor or contractor procedure, so ask the Master Association how guest lists, deliveries and contractor access are handled before you move in or start work.

How far is Bayfront Gardens from the beach, and is the beach private?

We did not measure the distance from each lot. The beach access and the Barefoot Beach Preserve are public pay-to-park county parks reached by the same road, and we found no deeded private beach for Bayfront Gardens owners. The Club at Barefoot Beach is a separate private membership.

Is membership in The Club at Barefoot Beach required or optional for Bayfront Gardens owners, and what does it cost?

Club membership is separate and is not conveyed with any deed. The Club says its capacity is 425 and that it paused waitlist applications from June 1, 2026. We read no published fee in a primary document, so we state none.

What architectural review and rebuild rules apply in Bayfront Gardens?

We did not capture an architectural review process for either association, so request the declaration’s approval provisions and current guidelines. County permits, the planned unit development’s height and yard rules, the declaration’s minimum home sizes and the substantial-improvement rule all apply to a rebuild.

What lot sizes, setbacks and building height limits apply in Bayfront Gardens?

Ordinance 2018-41 allows three habitable floors over parking, with a 70-foot maximum actual height in the text we read, and side yards are 7.5 feet. One lot’s staff report lists a 27.83-foot front and 30-foot rear yard. Lot sizes are not published here, and one razed lot measured 0.17 acre.

Are the homes in Bayfront Gardens on sewer or septic, and who provides utilities?

Not confirmed. Bonita Springs Utilities says its franchise area does not include Collier County, so it is not the provider, and Florida Power and Light serving unincorporated Collier is our inference. Ask the seller for recent water, sewer and power bills and confirm sewer versus septic with the county.

Is Bayfront Gardens in Naples or Bonita Springs, and which county taxes apply?

Bayfront Gardens has a Bonita Springs mailing address and ZIP 34134 but lies in unincorporated Collier County, outside both cities. Collier County taxes apply at a 2026 preliminary millage of 9.4020, and there is no municipal millage. Collier County sets evacuation orders, and the Collier County Sheriff patrols.

What are the annual property taxes in Bayfront Gardens?

The median 2026 preliminary tax bill across 27 improved homes is $24,822, from $14,781 to $41,807. For a non-homestead purchase at the $3,108,994 median just value, $3,108,994 x 9.4020 / 1000 = $29,230.76 before exemptions, and a homestead exemption lowers it.

Who customarily pays for the owner’s title policy when buying in Collier County?

In Collier County the buyer customarily pays the premium for the owner’s title policy and chooses the closing agent, and the contract controls. A buyer in Bayfront Gardens should confirm the allocation in the contract before signing.

How does Bayfront Gardens compare with Bonita Beach?

Bonita Beach is the Lee County strip north of Bonita Beach Road, inside the City of Bonita Springs. Bayfront Gardens is in Collier County, with a different millage, flood panels and evacuation orders, a private gate and single-family homes on a private bay-side street.

How does Bayfront Gardens compare with Naples areas such as Pelican Bay and Vanderbilt Beach?

We did not research those areas for this page, so we make no price comparison. Bayfront Gardens is in unincorporated north Collier County with a Bonita Springs mailing address, and its record is in this page. Call us for a side-by-side with a specific Naples neighborhood.

What is the price per square foot in Bayfront Gardens, and how has it moved?

On the county’s base area, the six sales since 2021 run from $1,187 to $3,759 per base square foot, but base area is the county’s base-area field for the largest building, not total living area, so the range shows it is unreliable here. The Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 3, 2026, gives living area for its 9 closings in the last 60 months, from 3,000 to 6,643 square feet, and the one closing of the last 12 months sold at $643 per square foot of MLS living area. Nine sales are too few for a median, and they cannot show a trend.

Does the Coastal Barrier Resources System affect federal flood insurance for homes in Bayfront Gardens?

No. No Coastal Barrier Resources System unit touches any Bayfront Gardens or Bayside home, so federal flood insurance is available. The preserve to the south is in Wiggins Pass Unit FL-65P, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Which public school zone serves Bayfront Gardens?

The Collier County Public Schools locator returned Naples Park Elementary, North Naples Middle and Aubrey Rogers High for every address we tested for 2026-27. Confirm by address in the district’s locator, because zones can change.

How many homes are for sale in Bayfront Gardens right now, and how fast do they sell?

Six Bayfront Gardens homes were listed for sale in the Southwest Florida MLS on October 3, 2026, from $3,895,000 to $6,495,000, and none was under contract. They had been listed from 13 to 178 days. The MLS shows 1 closing in the 12 months to that date, after 193 days on market, so six listings is an indicative 72 months of supply. The MLS records 9 closings in 60 months, and the county record shows one qualified sale in 12 months and six in 60; the two sources count differently. Either way, sales here are few.

Which agent knows Bayfront Gardens best for buyers?

We read both declarations and the Master bylaws, tracked all 64 county-qualified sales and queried the flood layers for this page. McGreevy and Comisar, with the Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 recognition, would be glad to prove it. Call Marc at (239) 287-5873.

Which lots in Bayfront Gardens have the widest bay views and deepest water?

No source we found publishes view or depth by lot. An applicant’s agent, quoted in a county staff report, describes about 110 feet of water width at 239 Bayfront Dr, and the plat does not show frontage. We would walk each lot, review its survey and, for a boat, check depth at low tide with you.

Frequently Asked Questions, Seller Edition

These are the questions Bayfront Gardens owners ask before they list, rewritten as plain questions, with answers drawn from the records cited above. We are not tax or legal advisers, and where a question turns on your own tax position or contract, we say so.

How much is my Bayfront Gardens home worth today?

It depends on the lot, age, view, dock and condition. County-qualified sales since October 2021 run $3,026,000 to $6,650,000, and the roll’s median just value is $3,108,994. We price from the nearest like home, and a free valuation gives you the comparables.

When is the best time of year to sell in Bayfront Gardens?

Six sales cannot show a season. The county-qualified sales since 2021 closed in October, October, January, May, June and April, so no single month stands out. The Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 3, 2026, counts differently and records 9 closings in the last 60 months, in October, March, March, April, October, January, May, June and April, which is still too few to show a season. We time a listing to your home’s readiness and the documents.

How long does it take to sell a home in Bayfront Gardens?

The Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 3, 2026, shows 1 Bayfront Gardens closing in the 12 months to that date, after 193 days on market. The 3 closings of the last 24 months took 193, 73 and 87 days, and across the 8 closings in 60 months that carry a figure the range is 6 to 193 days. That is too few sales for a median. Closing also needs the estoppel certificate, which the association has 10 business days to issue.

Should I order a pre-listing inspection, elevation certificate or survey before listing in Bayfront Gardens?

Yes, an elevation certificate and a current survey are the two that buyers and insurers ask for most, and a home inspection, a roof and wind-mitigation report and a dock and seawall inspection help. Ordering them before listing removes surprises during the buyer’s review.

How do seawall and dock condition affect my price in Bayfront Gardens?

A sound permitted dock and seawall support price for a boat buyer, and a failing one becomes a negotiating item. We have no MLS split to measure the effect. Gather permit records, any lift paperwork and a recent inspection so a buyer can underwrite the water side.

How does my roof age and wind mitigation report affect insurability and price in Bayfront Gardens?

Roof age and a wind-mitigation report drive insurance quotes, and an insurer’s terms can narrow the buyer pool. Florida’s Citizens rules also require opening protection for some higher-value homes in the wind-borne debris region. We have no premium data, so ask your agent for current quotes.

What do buyers ask about flood insurance on my Bayfront Gardens home?

They ask for the elevation certificate, the flood zone, prior claims and the current policy. By our reading of the public map layers, every parcel in our screen reads Zone AE with a 10-foot base flood elevation, and your elevation certificate is the answer for your house. Also, Collier County’s Community Rating System discount applies to federal policies. A seller with the certificate and policy history ready answers quickly.

How do Hurricane Ian repairs and permits affect my disclosures in Bayfront Gardens?

Florida’s flood disclosure under Florida Statute 689.302 asks whether you know of flood damage, filed a flood claim or received federal assistance. Closed permits and repair records support your answers. Florida law also requires disclosure of known material facts that are not readily observable, so ask your attorney.

How does a teardown or rebuild value compare with the house value in Bayfront Gardens?

The county values the four vacant homesites at $1,402,880 to $2,976,800 for 2026, against an improved median of $3,108,994, and a 2025 request showed a new three-story home planned on a razed lot. We have no MLS data on teardown pricing, so we compare each home case by case.

What closing costs does a seller pay in Collier County?

The contract decides. A seller commonly pays the deed’s documentary stamp tax, the payoff of any mortgage, the listing agent’s negotiated fee, association estoppel fees and prorations, and any title curative. The buyer customarily pays the owner’s title policy in Collier County. We itemize this before you list.

Who pays for title insurance when I sell in Bayfront Gardens?

In Collier County the buyer customarily pays the owner’s title policy and chooses the closing agent, and the contract controls. A seller may still pay to clear title issues, such as a lien or an unrecorded release, so we check the title early.

What documentary stamp tax do I owe as a Florida seller?

Florida’s documentary stamp tax on a deed is 70 cents per $100 under Florida Statute 201.02, so a $3,875,000 sale is $3,875,000 / $100 = 38,750 units x $0.70 = $27,125. The contract decides who pays, and a closing agent confirms the figure.

What capital gains tax applies if I sell a second home in Bayfront Gardens?

Federal tax applies to a gain on a second home, and the IRS home-sale exclusion applies only to a main home, per IRS Topic 701. Florida has no personal income tax. We are not tax advisers, so ask a CPA about your basis and holding period.

How should I price in Bayfront Gardens: frontage, view, dock, renovation?

We start from the nearest recorded sale by lot and age, then adjust for frontage, view, dock, renovation and flood and permit status. With six sales in five years, no average works, and each adjustment must be explained to the buyer’s appraiser in writing.

Should I renovate before selling in Bayfront Gardens or sell as is?

It depends on the age of the home and your cost. A major renovation can trigger the 50 percent substantial-improvement rule and require raising an older home, so get a county determination first. Cosmetic work and documented repairs are safer than structural work before a sale.

How should I stage, photograph and shoot drone video of my home in Bayfront Gardens?

We stage for the bay and light, photograph at twilight and shoot drone video under FAA rules, coordinating with the gate in advance. In sea turtle season, evening exterior lights near the beach must be off or shielded, so we plan twilight shots with that rule in mind.

Should I list on the Southwest Florida MLS, and how does exposure work for a gated community?

Yes. The Southwest Florida MLS is how most buyers and their agents find homes, and we also market through Domain Realty Group. A gated boulevard needs a showing procedure, so we agree access with the Master Association before photos and open dates, and we protect your privacy.

Does a Club at Barefoot Beach membership or dock transfer when I sell in Bayfront Gardens?

Club membership is separate and is not conveyed with any deed, so it does not transfer automatically, and the Club’s own rules govern any transfer. A dock belongs to the lot’s permits and survey, so confirm its status and permit history before you advertise it.

Do rental or association restrictions shrink my buyer pool in Bayfront Gardens?

They shape it. Bayside’s 30-day minimum and three-lease limit appeal to some buyers, and Bayfront Gardens’ unpublished terms leave a gap a buyer’s agent will probe. Fourteen of 27 owners claim homestead, so the likely buyer is an owner or second-home buyer, not an investor.

What does Florida law require me to disclose when I sell in Bayfront Gardens?

You must give the flood disclosure under Florida Statute 689.302 at or before contract signing and the association disclosure summary under Florida Statute 720.401 before the contract. Florida also expects disclosure of known material defects that a buyer cannot readily see, and your attorney should confirm what applies.

Who is the best listing agent for Bayfront Gardens?

We think we are, and we try to prove it with work: the Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 recognition, a documents-first listing process and a page like this one. Call Jesse at (239) 898-6072 and we will walk you through the plan.

What does it cost to hire a listing agent in Bayfront Gardens?

Listing fees are negotiable and are set in a written listing agreement, and no standard rate applies. We explain what we do for the fee, what we recommend you spend before listing and what a buyer’s agent is offered, before you sign anything.

How many homes sold in Bayfront Gardens in the last year, and at what prices?

The county recorded one qualified sale in the last 12 months, $3,875,000 at 235 Bayfront Dr on April 29, 2026, and no recorded deed over $100,000 outside the qualified file in that window. The Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 3, 2026, also shows 1 closing in the 12 months to that date, the same $3,875,000 sale, which closed at 88.2% of its final list price of $4,395,000 after 193 days on market.

Should I sell now or wait in Bayfront Gardens?

We cannot forecast prices. Things to weigh are your insurance and roof position, the flood map update, whose comment period runs to about November 17, 2026, rates and your plans. Supply is thin, with one qualified sale in 12 months, so a prepared listing can stand out.

How do I handle gated showings in Bayfront Gardens while I live out of state?

We coordinate showings, keys and guest access with the Master Association and handle vendor visits, so you do not need to be present. We have not found a published gate procedure, so we ask the Master Association directly and confirm it in writing before the first showing.

Can I sell to a cash buyer in Bayfront Gardens, and how fast can it close?

Yes, a cash sale is possible, and it still needs the estoppel certificate, which takes up to 10 business days, and the association disclosure summary, presented before the buyer signs. A clean document package is the main limit on speed. We cannot quote an MLS average.

How are association dues and prorations handled at closing in Bayfront Gardens?

Dues are prorated to the closing date under the contract, and the estoppel certificate states what has been paid through which date, plus any amount owed. The Master Association’s dues are separate. Because fees are not published, we request each statement before you set your net proceeds.

How do bay view and dock condition change what my Bayfront Gardens home is worth?

They change it, but we cannot give an amount, because the county file carries no view or dock field and the Southwest Florida MLS pull of October 3, 2026 records each sale’s price, living area and days on market, while view and dock condition are read listing by listing when we prepare a valuation. We compare each home with the nearest like sale and adjust, and we show you the evidence we use.

How do I find out which association my Bayfront Gardens home belongs to?

Use the lot number. Lots 1 to 10, on Barefoot Beach Blvd at 220 to 242, belong to Bayside at Barefoot Beach, and lots 11 to 33, on Bayfront Dr, belong to Bayfront Gardens. Confirm against the recorded plat, and the estoppel certificate names the association.

What should I know about selling a vacant homesite in Bayfront Gardens?

Four homesites are vacant on the roll, with 2026 just values of $1,402,880 to $2,976,800, and a buyer will ask about the declaration’s building minimums, the three-floor height rule, flood elevation and dock rights. We would pull the survey and the permit history before we list.

What happens if my buyer cancels after reading the association disclosure?

Under Florida Statute 720.401, a buyer may cancel only if the disclosure summary was not provided before the buyer signed the contract. In that case the buyer may cancel by written notice within three days after receiving the summary or before closing, whichever occurs first, and the right cannot be waived. A summary presented before signing creates no such right, so we present it before the buyer signs.

Will the 2025 flood map update affect my Bayfront Gardens sale?

The preliminary map re-issues panel 0179 as 0179K with the same zones and base flood elevations at the addresses we tested, so we do not expect a zone change at them. The appeal period runs to about November 17, 2026, so ask the county before you list.

What We Could Not Verify

This list gathers every place where this page says a figure or fact is not available. Each item names the document or route that would settle it, so a buyer, a seller or our team can close the gap.

• Southwest Florida MLS figures. The pull of October 3, 2026 now gives closed-sale counts, days on market, sold and final list prices, active listings, months of supply and MLS living area: 9 closings in 60 months, 1 in the last 12, and 6 active listings. No window reaches 10 sales, so we publish no median. The pull records the final list price only, so price changes, views and condition are read listing by listing when we prepare a valuation or an offer.
• Association assessments, budgets and reserves. Not published for Bayfront Gardens, Bayside or the Master Association. Route: the estoppel certificate, budget and financial report from each association, under Florida Statutes 720.30851 and 720.303.
• Bayfront Gardens leasing terms. The leasing clause is not captured. Route: the declaration and current rules.
• The 1998 amendment’s new minimum home size. The figure is not legible in the copy we read. Route: the recorded amendment at Official Records Book 2454, page 2220.
• The February 2020 recorded notice. We indexed it at Official Records Book 5726, page 2339 and did not open the image. Our inference that it preserves covenants is unconfirmed.
• Architectural review and rebuild approvals. Not captured for either association. Route: the declarations and current guidelines.
• Amenities inside either association. None documented beyond the private street and a preserve parcel. Route: the declarations and the associations.
• The Master Association’s assessment and the gate’s guest, vendor and contractor procedure. Not published. Route: the Master Association.
• Management company contact and association websites. None found for either association. Route: the state corporate record.
• Water and sewer provider, natural gas, internet and trash collection days. Not confirmed. Route: Collier County utilities and solid waste, and the seller’s recent bills.
• Water depth, waterfront type, dock and seawall status by lot. Not published. Route: a current survey and the permit history.
• The outcome of the September 11, 2025 Hearing Examiner item at 239 Bayfront Dr. Staff recommended approval and we did not confirm the decision. Route: the Clerk’s hearing records.
• The Bonita Beach Road bridge clearance. The 12.8-foot figure is a charted value with a 2016 source date. Route: the Lee County or state bridge inventory.
• Which growth-plan subdistrict controls. County sources name two. Route: Collier County zoning staff.
• Counts that differ between sources. The 30-unit Tract I allocation versus 33 plat homesites, the 690-unit and 750-unit planned unit development figures, and 33 doors versus 35 parcels are printed side by side and not resolved.
• Insurance premiums, carrier terms and the Citizens replacement-cost ceiling that applies in Collier County. Not published or not verified. Route: an independent insurance agent.
• Storm damage to any home. No recorded or government document found, so we say nothing. Route: the permit record and the seller’s disclosure.
• School grades and private or charter options. Not researched. Route: the Florida Department of Education and the schools.

Sources and Authoritative References

Every link below was opened and returned a working page when we checked on October 1, 2026, and for some county and federal sites that block automated requests we confirmed the page through a second route. We list primary documents first.

Recorded instruments and corporate records

1. Florida Division of Corporations, Bayfront Gardens Homeowners Association: Active record, incorporated March 3, 1988, reinstated 2005.
2. Florida Division of Corporations, Bayside at Barefoot Beach Homeowners Association: Active record, incorporated May 4, 1999.
3. Florida Division of Corporations, Barefoot Beach Master Association: Active record for the Master Association.
4. Collier County Clerk, Bayfront Gardens declaration (OR 1335, page 1835): The March 21, 1988 declaration.
5. Collier County Clerk, Bayfront Gardens amendment (OR 1437, page 1512): The May 3, 1989 amendment.
6. Collier County Clerk, Bayfront Gardens amendment (OR 2454, page 2220): The August 26, 1998 amendment.
7. Collier County Clerk, amendment separating lots 1 to 10 (OR 2590, page 3332): The September 10, 1999 separation.
8. Collier County Clerk, Bayside declaration (OR 2590, page 3271): Leasing, pet and size terms for lots 1 to 10.
9. Collier County Clerk, Master Association bylaws (OR 4675, page 2424): Door counts and the Heron Cove exhibit.
10. Collier County Clerk, turnover agreement (OR 4519, page 1839): Transfer of the boulevard to the Master Association.
11. Collier County Clerk, State easement agreement (OR 1376, page 279): The 60-foot ingress and egress easement.
12. Collier County Clerk, Southport rules (OR 5640, page 3564): Southport lease terms for the comparison.
13. Collier County Clerk, Southport certificate of revitalization (OR 6052, page 1658): Southport 2021 certificate.
14. Collier County Clerk, Southport restated declaration (OR 2594, page 259): Southport governing document.

Ordinances, hearings and county planning

15. Collier County Ordinance 85-83: The 1985 planned unit development ordinance, 690-unit cap, Tract I.
16. Collier County Ordinance 94-28: Side yards and the Bayfront Gardens exception.
17. Collier County Ordinance 2018-41: Three habitable floors for Tract I.
18. Hearing Examiner staff report, 239 Bayfront Dr (PDF): Variance request facts, the surrounding land uses and the staff recommendation.
19. Clerk legal notice, 239 Bayfront Dr variance: The public notice for the September 11, 2025 hearing.
20. Clerk legal notices, Hearing Examiner: Where hearing notices are posted.
21. Collier County Hearing Examiner portal: Where agendas and staff reports are posted.
22. Collier County Land Development Code 5.03.06, dock facilities: Protrusion, setback, boathouse and lift rules.
23. Collier County Land Development Code 3.04.02, sea turtle protection: Coastal lighting rules.
24. Collier County Land Development Code 9.04.06, coastal setback variances: Variance procedure.
25. Collier County short-term vacation rental registration: Ordinance 2021-45 registration.
26. Collier County 311, short-term vacation rental registration: Registration contact.
27. Collier County Property Appraiser: 2026 preliminary tax roll, parcels, values and taxes.
28. Florida Department of Revenue, Collier taxing authority code descriptions: Taxing authority groupings.

Florida statutes

29. Florida Statute 720.401, prospective purchasers: Disclosure summary, and the 3-day cancellation right that arises only when the summary was not provided before the contract was signed.
30. Florida Statute 720.30851, estoppel certificates: Ten business days.
31. Florida Statute 720.303, association records: Inspection of official records.
32. Florida Statute 689.302, flood disclosure: Seller’s flood disclosure.
33. Florida Statute 201.02, tax on deeds: 70 cents per $100.
34. Florida Statute 553.899, structural inspections: Condominium and cooperative buildings.
35. Florida Statute 718.112, bylaws and reserve studies: Structural integrity reserve study.
36. Florida Statute 627.351, Citizens Property Insurance: Eligibility rules.
37. Florida Statute 196.031, homestead exemption: Exemption rules.
38. Florida Statute 193.155, homestead assessments: Assessment limitation.
39. Internal Revenue Service, Topic 701: Sale of your home.

Flood, storm and insurance

40. Collier County flood map viewer: Current effective flood map.
41. Collier County floodplain management: Program overview.
42. Collier County, building within the floodplain: Standards in the Special Flood Hazard Area.
43. Collier County Ordinance 2019-01, floodplain management (PDF): Substantial improvement and freeboard.
44. Collier County news, proposed flood insurance rate map (August 2026): Preliminary map and appeal period.
45. FEMA, Community Rating System: CRS program.
46. FEMA, Risk Rating 2.0: Federal flood pricing.
47. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, flood insurance and the Coastal Barrier Resources Act: CBRS and flood insurance.
48. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wiggins Pass Unit FL-65P: The preserve’s unit.
49. Collier County emergency assistance: Evacuation information.
50. Collier County know your zone lookup: Evacuation zone by address.
51. Florida Division of Emergency Management, Know Your Zone: State lookup.
52. Collier County potential shelter list (PDF): Shelter sites.
53. National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Ian report: Ian surge.
54. National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Helene report: Helene surge.
55. National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Milton report: Milton surge.
56. Florida DEP, Helene and Milton impact report (PDF): Erosion condition ratings.
57. Florida DEP, coastal construction control line: State coastal permit.
58. News-Press, Barefoot Beach reopens (November 24, 2023): Preserve reopening.

Parks, schools, services and navigation

59. Collier County Parks, Barefoot Beach Preserve: 342 acres, public preserve.
60. Collier County Parks, beach parking information: Pay-to-park and resident permit.
61. Collier County Parks, sea turtle protection: Nesting program and inspections.
62. The Club at Barefoot Beach, membership: Capacity and waitlist.
63. Collier County Public Schools, zone map and locator: Zoned schools.
64. Collier County Public Schools, transportation: Bus eligibility.
65. Florida Department of Education, school accountability reports: School grades.
66. North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District: Station 43.
67. Collier County Sheriff’s Office: Law enforcement.
68. NCH Healthcare System: Emergency department.
69. Bonita Springs Utilities: Franchise area, Lee side only.
70. NOAA Coast Pilot 5, chapter 4: Wiggins Pass notes.
71. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Collier manatee protection zones: Slow-speed zones.

McGreevy and Comisar pages

72. Barefoot Beach: Parent community page.
73. Best real estate agents in Barefoot Beach: The agent comparison.
74. Southport on the Bay: Comparison neighborhood.
75. Villas at Barefoot Beach: Neighboring product.
76. Barefoot Bay: Neighboring court.
77. The Cottages at Barefoot Beach: Neighboring condominium of detached homes.
78. Barefoot Beach Club: Gulf-side condominiums.
79. Bonita Beach: Lee County strip to the north.
80. Free home valuation: Seller valuation request.
81. Buying with McGreevy and Comisar: Buyer page.
82. About McGreevy and Comisar: Our team.

Downloadable Documents

These are the public primary documents behind the governance and hearing sections of this page, hosted by the Collier County Clerk.

Southwest Florida MLS figures pulled October 3, 2026. County recorded sales checked October 1, 2026. McGreevy and Comisar, Best Realtor for Bayfront Gardens. Brokered by Domain Realty. Jesse McGreevy, FL Lic. SL3101296 · Marc Comisar, FL Lic. BK3060671.