Bonita Bay

McGreevy and Comisar are the #1 real estate team selling and buying in Bonita Bay — the flagship 2,400-acre, gated master-planned community on the east shore of Estero Bay in Bonita Springs, Florida. Top 1% real estate agents nationally since 2008, the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012, with over $2.5 billion in real estate sold and $850 million in personal sales between Jesse and Marc. If you're thinking about selling your Bonita Bay home, we're the listing team Bonita Bay homeowners call first — and if you're buying in Bonita Bay, no one navigates the community's 58 neighborhoods, three-entity fee structure, and tower-by-tower differences better. Jesse McGreevy has been selling Bonita Bay for more than twenty years. The deep dive below isn't scraped from a brochure — it's the community we actually work in, and it's the proof behind the claim.

Bonita Bay is the flagship development of Southwest Florida's legacy luxury-community era, and arguably the single most amenity-complete address in Lee County. Where most of Bonita Springs grew up around US-41 in a patchwork of subdivisions, plazas, and newer gated communities, Bonita Bay is the one that came first, set the standard, and has spent four decades reinvesting in itself. If the broader Bonita Springs page is the story of a whole town, this page is the story of the community that, quite literally, built the town's modern utility backbone and then spent the next forty years becoming its premier place to live.

If you are reading this page, you are almost certainly weighing one of a handful of things: buying a primary home, a snowbird base, or a luxury second home inside Bonita Bay; deciding between Bonita Bay and a competing community like Pelican Bay, Pelican Landing, Mediterra, or The Brooks; trying to understand the difference between the homeowners' association, the golf club, and the marina (and which fees are mandatory versus optional); or you already own here and you are thinking about selling. This page is built to answer all of it, honestly and in depth.

We will tell you the things most real estate pages on Bonita Bay get wrong or skip entirely — that Bonita Bay was never a WCI community; that it has no CDD and therefore no special-district tax on your bill; that you do not need a golf-club membership to walk the twelve miles of trails, use the three nature parks, or visit the rebuilt private beach; that the Club just finished a ~$50 million renovation and approved a new $110 million clubhouse; and that the flood-zone and insurance picture inside the gates is not one answer but a gradient that runs from high-hazard bay-front to minimal-hazard inland. This is the most thorough, most current, and most honest resource on Bonita Bay anywhere online. It is long on purpose.

Why McGreevy and Comisar Are the Best Realtor for Bonita Bay

If you're searching for the best realtor for Bonita Bay — whether you're ready to sell your Bonita Bay home or buy your next one — McGreevy and Comisar is the team that delivers. We're the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012, Top 1% nationally since 2008, with over $2.5 billion in real estate sold and $850 million in personal sales between Jesse and Marc.

Recent Bonita Bay track record (last 12 months): 214 homes closed inside Bonita Bay over the trailing year for roughly $260 million in total sales volume — a median sale price of $762,500, an average of $1.21 million, and a top sale of $5.9 million. Well-presented, correctly-priced homes are going to contract at a median of 64 days (the fastest sold in days, not weeks) and closing at about 95% of list price. This is the depth of comparable-sales data we bring to every Bonita Bay valuation and offer. (Source: Stellar MLS, Bonita Bay development, trailing 12 months as of June 2026.)

For luxury Bonita Bay sellers: premium marketing — cinematic video, drone, professional photography, a qualified-buyer database built over two decades, and full discretion with off-market capability when a sale calls for it.

Honors and recognition:

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 20 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and Team have sold over 2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over 850 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

Selling your Bonita Bay home? Get a free Bonita Bay home valuation in 60 seconds at /home-valuation-bonita-bay, or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 · [email protected] (confidential conversations welcome).

Buying a home in Bonita Bay? Schedule a personalized buyer consultation at /buy-a-home-in-bonita-bay, or call Marc at (239) 287-5873.

Living in Bonita Bay as a Homebuyer

Start with the geography, because the geography drives everything — the lifestyle, the flood zones, the views, and the prices.

Bonita Bay occupies roughly 2,400 acres on the east shore of Estero Bay, framed by three waterways: Spring Creek along its northern border, the Imperial River along its southern edge, and Estero Bay to the west. Its main entrance is on US-41 (Tamiami Trail) just south of Bonita Beach Road. The community runs east-to-west from high inland ground near US-41 down to tidal mangrove backwaters on the bay — a west-to-east gradient that is the single most important fact for understanding the place. The bay-front and river-mouth villages live closest to the water, in the highest-hazard FEMA zones and with the best views; the inland villages near the gate sit on higher, drier ground.

What makes Bonita Bay feel different from almost every other community in Southwest Florida is the density — or rather the lack of it. When the developer entitled the land in 1981, the approved master plan allowed 9,240 homes. The developer voluntarily cut that to fewer than 3,300 — a roughly 64% reduction — and left more than half of the 2,400 acres as open space, including over 200 lakes, expansive nature preserves, and a rare north-to-south slough that runs the full length of the property. The result is a gross density of about 1.4 homes per acre, which is why you can drive through Bonita Bay and feel like you're moving through a nature preserve with homes tucked into it, rather than a subdivision with some landscaping. This is not marketing language — it is a documented, award-winning land plan (the community won the Urban Land Institute's 1999 Award for Excellence and is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary).

Day-to-day, the lifestyle here organizes around a few things:

• The natural assets — about twelve miles of paved recreational pathways, three waterfront nature parks (Estero Bay Park, Riverwalk Park, Spring Creek Park), and a separate private beach park on the Gulf. These come with property ownership, not with a club membership — a distinction we'll return to repeatedly because it is the single most misunderstood thing about Bonita Bay.
• The Bonita Bay Club — an optional, separate, member-owned private club with five golf courses, a 60,000-square-foot lifestyle center, a sports center with tennis/pickleball/bocce, multiple dining venues, and a spa. Membership is not automatic and not required to own a home.
• The marina — a full-service marina on the Imperial River, owned by a group of resident-investors, with Gulf access via Estero Bay.
• The convenience — a Publix at the gate, the Promenade at Bonita Bay (an open-air luxury retail and dining center) adjacent, two 24/7 emergency departments within minutes, and RSW airport about 26 minutes away off-season.

The product range is broad. Bonita Bay is not a single-product community — it spans high-rise tower condominiums, mid- and low-rise condos, coach and carriage homes, villas and patio homes, and single-family estates, across 58 distinct sub-villages. Entry-level coach homes and condos can be found in the high-$300Ks to mid-$700Ks depending on village and view; tower residences range from roughly $700,000 on lower floors up past $5 million for penthouses; and bay-influenced single-family estates run well into the millions, with the top of the market reaching $25 million-plus for the rarest waterfront properties. We will get into the live market numbers in the next section.

One more thing to settle up front, because it comes up constantly: Bonita Bay is not a 55+ or age-restricted community. It is an all-ages master-planned community. It skews retiree- and snowbird-heavy — the census-reported median age inside the community is high, and many homes are second homes — but there is no age restriction, and families with school-age children live here.

Market Snapshot — Area Context + Community MLS Snapshot

This section has two layers: the broader Bonita Springs / ZIP 34134 market context, and the Bonita Bay community-specific numbers. The community-specific figures need a live MLS pull, which we flag clearly below and confirm on every engagement.

The Bonita Bay price ladder (qualitative context from public data)

Before the live numbers, here is the shape of the market in plain terms, which holds regardless of any given month:

• Coach homes, carriage homes, and the more attainable condos — generally the high-$300Ks through the mid-$700Ks, concentrated in the interior villages.
• Villas and patio homes — typically the high-$500Ks through the low-$1Ms.
• High-rise tower residences — roughly $700,000 on lower floors to $5 million-plus for penthouses, with floor, view orientation (Gulf/bay versus golf/preserve), and building driving most of the spread.
• Single-family homes — a wide band from the mid-$700Ks for interior homes up past $6 million, with the highest prices on the bay-influenced estate lots.
• The rarest waterfront estates — into the $25 million range at the very top.

Active listings on this page at the time of the existing-page audit ranged roughly $2.2 million to $6 million for the top tier currently on market, with a heavy concentration at the high-rise tower addresses on Bonita Bay Boulevard. That is a snapshot of what's listed, not the full distribution of what sells — the full picture requires the closed-sales data below.

Live community MLS snapshot (trailing 12 months, as of June 2026)

Here is what actually sold inside Bonita Bay over the last year, pulled directly from Stellar MLS on the full Bonita Bay development:

• Homes sold: 214 closed transactions
• Total sales volume: roughly $260 million
• Median sale price: $762,500
• Average sale price: $1,214,902
• Price range of closed sales: $240,000 (an interior condo) to $5,900,000 (a Bay Woods estate)
• Median price per square foot: $346.56 (average $419.03)
• Median days on market: 64 days (average 112; the fastest well-priced homes went under contract in days)
• Sale-to-list ratio: 94.99% median — sellers are netting essentially 95 cents on every dollar of asking price

On the active side, there are currently 87 homes listed in Bonita Bay, with a median list price of $799,000 and an average of about $1.44 million, ranging from the low $300,000s to just under $6 million. Against the trailing sales pace of roughly 18 closings a month, that works out to about 4.9 months of inventory — a balanced market that tips slightly toward buyers at the very top of the price range and toward sellers in the more attainable interior-village price bands. (Source: Stellar MLS, Bonita Bay development; sold = trailing 365 days, active = as of June 6, 2026.)

When you are evaluating a specific Bonita Bay property — a particular tower, a particular village, a particular floor and view — the community-wide median is almost useless. What matters is the comparable-sales set for that exact building or village. A lower-floor preserve-view unit in a tower and an upper-floor Gulf-view unit in the same tower can differ by a million dollars or more, and the right comps are the ones from the same building, same view orientation, and recent enough to reflect current conditions. Call or text Jesse at (239) 898-6072 or Marc at (239) 287-5873 and we will pull the exact closed-sales set for whatever you're considering, plus the active competition.

How to read Bonita Bay against the rest of Bonita Springs

A few things the broader ZIP-level numbers won't tell you about Bonita Bay specifically:

1. Bonita Bay trades above the ZIP median by a wide margin. It is a luxury community — the per-square-foot and absolute prices sit well above the Bonita Springs ZIP-wide average, which is pulled down by smaller, older, non-gated product elsewhere in town.
2. Cash buyers are common here. Like most Southwest Florida luxury communities, a meaningful share of Bonita Bay closings are cash — second-home and downsizing buyers closing without financing — which compresses days-on-market for well-priced, well-presented homes.
3. The tower market and the single-family market move differently. Tower condos price by building, floor, and view; single-family homes price by village, lot, and water/golf frontage. They are effectively two markets sharing one gate, and reading one to price the other is a common and expensive mistake.

The Bonita Bay Rental Market and Property Management

Plenty of Bonita Bay owners rent their home — seasonally, annually, or as a bridge while they decide whether to keep a second home — and plenty of would-be buyers test the community by renting first. Here is the current picture, pulled from Stellar MLS on the full Bonita Bay development.

What rentals are asking and achieving (as of June 2026)

• Active rental listings: 39 homes currently available for lease, with a median asking rent of $7,500 a month (average $8,990), ranging from $4,000 for a smaller interior condo to $27,500 for a furnished luxury seasonal residence.
• Leased in the last 12 months (MLS-reported): 18 leases closed, at a median achieved rent of $6,000 a month (median asking $7,350), with well-priced furnished units leasing at essentially 100% of asking.
• Median rented size: about 1,950 square feet, two-to-three bedrooms — the coach-home, carriage-home, and lower-floor-tower product that makes up the most liquid slice of the rental pool.

A caveat worth stating plainly: these MLS numbers undercount Bonita Bay's true rental activity. The community skews heavily seasonal, and a large share of season leases are arranged privately or through community channels that never hit the MLS. The HUD Fair Market Rent baseline for the Cape Coral–Fort Myers metro (FY2026) sits far below these figures, which is exactly what you'd expect for a gated luxury community — Bonita Bay rents at a substantial premium to the regional average.

Leasing rules vary by sub-village — confirm before you buy to rent

This is the single most important thing for an investor or seasonal-rental buyer to understand: there is no one Bonita Bay leasing rule. Minimum lease terms, the number of times per year a home can be leased, and approval/application requirements are set at the sub-village condo or HOA level, not community-wide. Some buildings allow more frequent seasonal turnover; others restrict owners to one or two leases per year with minimum terms of 30, 90, or more days. A home that pencils as a seasonal-rental investment in one tower may be effectively off-limits for that use in another. Before you buy a Bonita Bay home as an income property, the lease restrictions for that specific building or village have to be confirmed against the current condo or HOA documents — and we pull and read them for you as part of any purchase.

How we help on the rental and management side

If you own in Bonita Bay and want to lease — or you're buying with rental income in mind — we'll model the realistic seasonal-versus-annual return for your specific building, confirm the leasing rules before you're committed, and connect you with vetted property-management options for the seasons you're away. Call or text Jesse at (239) 898-6072 or Marc at (239) 287-5873, or email [email protected]. (Rental figures: Stellar MLS, Bonita Bay development — active as of June 6, 2026; leased = trailing 365 days.)

How Bonita Bay Came to Be

This is the section most real estate pages on Bonita Bay either skip or get wrong, and it explains more about the community's character — and its current strong governance position — than anything else.

The founder: David Shakarian, the GNC founder

Bonita Bay's origin is a wellness story, which is fitting for a community that is today a Blue Zones-recognized, Audubon-certified place. The founder was David Shakarian, the founder and chairman of General Nutrition Corporation (GNC) — the national vitamin and supplement retailer. Shakarian, an advocate of healthy living, began assembling land in Southwest Florida in 1979 and 1980, acquiring roughly 4,000 acres, of which about 2,400 acres were carved out for Bonita Bay. He envisioned a community built on the same ideals of health, wellness, and harmony with nature that GNC was built on. The company was formally founded in 1981.

That GNC, live-in-harmony-with-nature DNA is literally the origin of everything Bonita Bay is known for — the preservation ethos, the trails, the Audubon certification, and (decades later) the Blue Zones recognition.

The succession: David Lucas carries it forward

Shakarian died in 1984, before the community opened for sales. His son-in-law, David Lucas — a Harvard MBA who had been running a chain of women's specialty stores — took over the family business and was named chairman of Bonita Bay Properties, Inc., continuing the founder's vision. The lineage runs: Shakarian (founder and visionary, 1979–1984) → David Lucas (son-in-law, chairman from 1984) → Brian Lucas (David's son, named CEO in 2010).

So if you have read elsewhere that Bonita Bay was "founded by David Lucas in 1979," that is a common simplification. The founder and visionary was Shakarian; Lucas was the successor who built it out.

The WCI myth, busted

Here is the correction that matters most, because it appears on a surprising number of pages: Bonita Bay was never owned or built by WCI Communities.

WCI Communities was a separate Southwest Florida developer that operated in the same market at the same time — WCI built Pelican Landing, The Colony at Pelican Landing, Gulf Harbour, Gateway, and Pelican Preserve. WCI Communities filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on August 4, 2008. The two developers are commonly confused because both were prominent luxury master-planned community builders in the Bonita Springs / Estero / Naples market, and both were severely tested by the 2008–2009 recession. But they are unrelated. WCI was a peer of Bonita Bay Group, not its parent.

And the critical contrast: Bonita Bay Group never filed for bankruptcy. It came close — the recession hit it hard — but it "stubbornly resisted bankruptcy by selling off assets," including selling several golf clubs to their own members. We'll come back to why that matters, because it is the reason Bonita Bay residents today own their club, their association, and their marina free of any developer overhang.

The voluntary density reduction

The most striking single fact in Bonita Bay's master-plan history: when the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) was approved by the State of Florida in 1981 and Lee County approved the Planned Unit Development (PUD) the same year, the approved plan allowed 9,240 units plus one golf course. It was, at the time, the largest master-planned community in Lee County, and — because of the developer's thorough environmental assessment and close work with the local community — no opposition to the plan was presented.

The developer then voluntarily cut the unit count from 9,240 to fewer than 3,300 — a roughly 64% reduction — in response to demand for larger lots, more open space, and a higher-end product. That single decision is the structural reason Bonita Bay feels so green and low-density relative to its acreage. It is why half the land is preserved, why the density is 1.4 homes per acre, and why the community reads as a nature corridor with homes in it.

Sales open, and the build-out begins

Sales opened in 1985 — the same year the Bonita Bay Community Association was incorporated (January 10, 1985). Initial lot prices averaged around $75,000. The first golf course, the Marsh (an Arthur Hills design), opened in 1985, planned simultaneously with the first housing. From there the build-out proceeded course-by-course and village-by-village over the following decades (the golf chronology is its own section below), culminating in the high-rise tower era that gives Bonita Bay its skyline today.

The developer as region-builder

One distinctive, defensible point of pride: Bonita Bay's developer effectively built the modern utility backbone of the surrounding region. When the community started, the site was remote and lacked the infrastructure a master-planned community needs. In 1988, the developer built a roughly $4 million wastewater treatment plant that became an areawide utility — "essentially creating the sewer system for the area." In 1992, that water utility was sold to Bonita Springs Utilities and expanded to serve the greater Bonita area. Bonita Springs Utilities' own history dates the town's growth surge to Bonita Bay's arrival: "Bonita Bay Properties came to town, beginning an era of unprecedented growth." Bonita Bay didn't just locate in Bonita Springs — it catalyzed the town's modern development.

The Master Plan: Acres, Preservation, Villages, and Build-Out Status

The numbers behind the land plan are worth laying out plainly, because they are the documented basis for everything the community markets.

The official 1999 Urban Land Institute land-use budget broke the ~2,425-acre site down roughly as: detached residential ~14%, attached/multifamily residential ~31%, golf courses ~23%, reserve/slough ~24%, with the remainder in roads, common open space, and commercial. The ~24% "reserve/slough" plus much of the naturalized golf acreage is what produces the "half the community is open space" claim.

The environmental ethos

From the start, Bonita Bay was an environmental-stewardship project as much as a real estate one. The documented design principles include a 50% native vegetation rule (all landscaping must incorporate at least 50% native plants), a 1981 impact-assessment that identified 40 habitat types and mapped 22 drainage basins, the preservation of Native American shell mounds (ancient fishing sites along the bay shore left undisturbed), specimen pines fitted with copper lightning rods, hundreds of relocated oaks, and a sophisticated dual-line water-management system that follows the natural land contours and uses native vegetation to filter pollutants — a system named South Florida's 1985 Civil Engineering Project of the Year. The company motto codified the ethos: "Do the right thing, Do it right, Do it right now."

Build-out status: essentially complete

Bonita Bay is, for practical purposes, fully built out. The master plan's fewer-than-3,300 homes have been delivered across the 58 sub-villages. The community's own association describes "six (soon to be seven — and final!) stately high rises," and the final high-rise — Omega, completed by the Ronto Group in 2022 — was explicitly marketed as "the final luxury high-rise tower to be built at Bonita Bay."

What that means for a buyer: with rare exceptions, almost every transaction in Bonita Bay today is a resale. There is no developer selling new product at scale. New construction inside the gates in the last few years has been (a) the Club's amenity build-outs and (b) individual custom-home rebuilds and post-hurricane reconstruction on existing lots. The community cannot meaningfully grow — supply comes from owner turnover, which is a quiet long-term value feature.

Governance: The Three Entities, the Fees, and Why There's No CDD

This is the section that, if you read nothing else, will save you the most confusion and the most money. Bonita Bay's governance is a three-pillar private structure, and understanding which pillar is which — and which fees are mandatory versus optional — is the key to budgeting a purchase here.

The "One Bonita Bay, three indulgences" model

The community itself leads with the concept: one community, three separate entities.

1. The Bonita Bay Community Association, Inc. — the master POA (mandatory). This is the master homeowners' association. It was incorporated on January 10, 1985 (Florida document number N07041), and it is resident-controlled and self-managed — it runs its own management organization rather than contracting an outside company, staffs its own general manager, activities, design-review, and community-patrol departments, and is governed by an elected resident board of directors serving three-year terms. Its registered agent is one of Florida's best-known community-association law firms, Kaye Bender Rembaum.

When you close on any property inside the gates, you automatically become a member of the Community Association — there is no opt-out. The master association is responsible for the community-wide commons and shared services: the roads, streetlights, and common grounds; lake and stormwater management; all three nature parks and the private beach park; the 24/7 staffed entrance gates and roving Community Patrol; the professionally staffed Design Review (architectural review) department; and the year-round Activities department that runs the community social calendar. It also stewards the natural assets — the twelve miles of trails and the Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, maintained by certified arborists.

2. The Bonita Bay Club, Inc. — the member-owned private club (optional). The Club is a legally separate entity — incorporated separately (Florida document number N09000004567), with its own board, its own dues, its own voting, and its own assets. The Club's own materials state it plainly: "Bonita Bay Club is a separate entity within the community of Bonita Bay." Membership in the Club is optional and not automatic with a home purchase. You can own a Bonita Bay home and never join the Club. (Full Club detail — membership structure, golf, dues, renovation — is in the next several sections.)

3. The Bonita Bay Marina — resident-investor owned (optional). The marina and the adjacent Backwater Jack's restaurant are owned by a group of resident-investors — a semi-private full-service marina that is neither a POA nor a Club asset. (Full marina detail is in its own section below.)

The single most important takeaway: the trails, the three nature parks, the private beach park, the community events, the gates, and the patrol all come with POA membership, which is automatic and mandatory. Golf, the lifestyle center, the sports center, and Club dining come with Club membership, which is optional. The number-one buyer misconception about Bonita Bay is that you need an expensive Club membership to enjoy the community. You do not. A buyer who never joins the Club still has the trails, the parks, the beach, the events, and the boat/kayak launches.

The sub-village layer

Beneath the master POA, day-to-day life inside each village is governed by that village's own association. There are roughly 56 to 58 of these sub-village associations (the association says 58, the Club says 56 — surface the range honestly), each individually incorporated, each with its own board, budget, reserves, insurance, and rules. So a typical Bonita Bay owner sits inside a two-tier private governance stack: the master POA plus their village HOA or condo association. You will likely pay assessments to both.

A nuance worth knowing: some of the most expensive estate sub-areas have no separate village HOA at all — those owners pay only the master assessment.

What the fees actually cost

Treat these as directional ranges to confirm per-village at offer — the exact figures vary by village, building, and unit:

• Blended annual HOA cost, all-in: roughly $3,000–$6,000 per year across the community on average, covering common-area maintenance, landscaping, security, and amenity access.
• Condo / high-rise sub-association fees: roughly $1,244–$4,317 per quarter, depending on the building and unit.
• Single-family village fees: roughly $1,000 per quarter in villages that have a sub-HOA.
• Bulk fiber internet + IPTV: every home is wired with Hotwire Communications Fiber-To-The-Home and IPTV, typically bundled into association fees rather than separately contracted — a real budgeting detail.

The resale reserve assessment (a closing cost most pages miss)

Here is a real, citable closing cost that almost no listing page mentions. Bonita Bay charges a Resale Reserve Assessment paid by the buyer at closing. As of a community-wide referendum effective January 1, 2024, this changed from a flat $1,500 to 0.5% of the home's purchase price, capped at $10,000 (reported — confirm the exact current figure and cap in the current POA documents before relying on it). On a $2 million home that is the $10,000 cap; on a $1 million home, $5,000. It funds the master association's statutorily required reserve, which is sized on a 30-year projection for the community's hard assets — roads, pathways, lakes, parks, streetlights, and guard gates. Budget for it.

Why there's no CDD — and why that's a real advantage

This is one of the most load-bearing facts on the page, and it corrects a common assumption: Bonita Bay has no Community Development District (CDD) and no special taxing district. This was verified against Lee County's official Special Districts registry, which the county is statutorily required to maintain. There is no "Bonita Bay CDD," no "Estero Bay CDD," and no Bonita Bay special district of any kind. ("Estero Bay" appears in the registry only as a geographic boundary of Pelican Landing's Bayside Improvement CDD — that's a Pelican Landing district, not a Bonita Bay one.)

The structural reason: Bonita Bay was platted in the early-to-mid 1980s by a privately held, family-owned developer that funded the community's infrastructure itself — roads, drainage, utilities — rather than financing them through tax-exempt municipal bonds issued by a Chapter 190 special-purpose government. CDDs became the dominant Southwest Florida infrastructure-financing vehicle in the 1990s and 2000s; every newer Lee County golf community on the county list — WildBlue, Babcock Ranch, the Brooks, Pelican Landing, Saltleaf — used one. Bonita Bay predates that wave and never needed one.

The buyer-facing consequence is significant: a Bonita Bay owner pays no CDD assessment on their property-tax bill — none of the "CDD bond debt service + CDD operations & maintenance" line items that owners in the Brooks, Pelican Landing (Bayside CDD), WildBlue, Saltleaf, or Babcock Ranch see on their TRIM notice and annual tax statement. What you pay instead is a private assessment stack (master POA + village association + optional Club dues) governed by recorded covenants and Florida's HOA/condo statutes — not by Chapter 190 bond debt that's non-negotiable until the bonds are retired. This is a genuine, dollars-and-cents tax-bill advantage over CDD communities, and it's worth surfacing on any side-by-side comparison.

The Sub-Village Inventory: All 58 Neighborhoods

Bonita Bay is not one place — it is 58 distinct sub-villages, each with its own character, product type, price band, and (usually) its own association. Below is the authoritative roster, grouped by product type. This is the list we use; it was cross-checked against the Board of Realtors development roster and Jesse's twenty-plus years of first-hand knowledge of the community. (Two names that appear on some published lists — "Cielo" and "Veranda" — were approved on paper but never built, so they're excluded here.)

For the nine high-rise towers in particular, a dedicated neighborhood page is coming for each with full HOA fee schedules, recent sale comps, and a floor-by-floor view analysis — we'll link them here as they go live.

The high-rise towers (9)

These are the buildings along and near Bonita Bay Boulevard that give the community its skyline. They are the highest price-per-square-foot product in Bonita Bay and the most-searched.

Note: verify mid-rise vs. true high-rise distinction per building at the neighborhood-page level — a few in the cluster are mid-rise rather than full high-rise, which changes buyer expectations around private elevators, valet, and lobby service.

Single-family, villa, coach, and condo villages (49)

The remaining villages span single-family estates, custom-home enclaves, villas and patio homes, coach/carriage homes, and low/mid-rise condos. Names overlap with natural features (there is a Riverwalk village and a separate Riverwalk Park — they are different things).

Each of these is a distinct decision with its own fees, rules, product, and price band. When you tell us what you're after — a low-maintenance condo lock-and-leave, a golf-frontage single-family, a bay-view estate, or an attainable coach home — we'll point you to the two or three villages that actually fit, rather than the whole list.

Selling a home in one of Bonita Bay's 58 neighborhoods? McGreevy and Comisar — the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012 — know what each village commands, from Wedgewood coach homes to gulf-access estates and the Tavira / Esperia / Estancia towers. Free 60-second valuation at /home-valuation-bonita-bay, or text/call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buying? Start at /buy-a-home-in-bonita-bay or call Marc at (239) 287-5873.

The Bonita Bay Club: Non-Equity, Member-Owned

The Bonita Bay Club is the optional private club at the heart of the community's amenity story — and its structure is widely misunderstood, so let's be precise.

Member-owned, but non-equity

The Club is consistently described as "Florida's largest member-owned private club." Members own it. But the membership is structured as non-equity — members pay an initiation fee and annual dues, but they do not hold a tradeable equity certificate that returns a percentage of a sale price the way a classic equity club works. This matters for buyers because it changes the resale math on the membership: there's no equity stake to convey or cash out in the traditional sense. (For exactly how a membership is handled at resale — transfer rules, conversions, whether it conveys — confirm the current category rules directly with the Club's membership office, as those rules live in the member-restricted bylaws.)

Membership categories and reported costs

The Club gates exact dollar figures behind member login, so the numbers below are reported figures from club-data sources and should be confirmed with the Bonita Bay Club membership office before you rely on them:

There are also reported associate-golf and golf-in-waiting categories (waitlist-holding tiers) whose exact rights, dues, and path-to-full-golf timelines should be confirmed with the membership office. For context, club-data aggregators peg the Bonita Springs-area average golf-club initiation at roughly $54,000–$55,000 — against which Bonita Bay's reported $150,000 golf initiation is a clear top-of-market figure, consistent with a five-course, two-campus, Platinum Club of America property.

There is a multi-year waitlist for full golf membership. If golf is the reason you're buying, build the waitlist into your timeline and confirm current waitlist length with the Club directly — it is not something you can skip.

The 2010 member buyout — the governance origin story

This is the differentiating, primary-sourced narrative that most pages omit, and it explains why Bonita Bay's club is in such a strong ownership position today.

In Bonita Bay's early years, the developer sold club memberships with a promise of a quick refund of the deposit if a member later resigned. When new-home sales collapsed in the 2008–2009 recession, hundreds of members demanded refunds at once — "akin to a run on the bank" — and the cash-strapped developer could not honor the policy. On September 22, 2009, members filed a class-action lawsuit in Lee County Circuit Court against the developer, seeking damages in excess of $100 million and alleging (among other claims) a "Ponzi-style" handling of member deposits, which the developer denied. At the time the developer owed more than $70 million to a Key Bank-led lending group, and resigned-member deposit liability was estimated at $25 million-plus.

The dispute resolved with the members buying the Club from the developer in 2010. Operating through a member Turnover Committee and the newly formed Bonita Bay Club, Inc., roughly 1,900 founding members paid $11.5 million total (of which $7.5 million was the real estate) for all of the Club's assets — the golf courses, practice facilities, the East and West clubhouses, tennis courts, fitness club, pools, and all trademarks and intellectual property. The Club has been member-owned ever since — and that 2010 buyout is the reason Bonita Bay residents own their club outright, with no developer overhang.

~$250 million reinvested since 2010

The proof that member ownership has been a success rather than a burden: since acquiring the Club in 2010, members have invested approximately $250 million in capital across the property, upgrading every major amenity. Capital decisions go to a member vote — there's no developer or CDD bond funding it. That's the context for the renovation story in the next section.

The Club Renovation Story: $50 Million Done, $110 Million Approved

If you want one fact that tells you Bonita Bay is reinvesting in itself rather than coasting, it's this: the Club just completed a ~$50 million renovation and, in May 2026, approved a separate $110 million clubhouse project. Lead with this when you compare Bonita Bay to any other community.

The completed ~$50 million two-campus renovation (December 2024)

Unveiled in December 2024, the Club's ~$50 million investment in master-plan improvements across both campuses (completed since 2022) included:

• A $16.5 million Sabal Course rebuild — touching every course feature from drainage to greens, led by Fazio Design's Tom Marzolf, over 16 months.
• A $12 million Naples Clubhouse rebuild — by D. Garrett Construction and AM Design Group, rotated 17 degrees on the old footprint to capture views of the Cypress and Sabal 18th holes, with new indoor/outdoor dining, an upgraded pro shop, and locker rooms with direct cart-staging access.
• A Cypress Course renovation (concluded 2022) recognized by Golf Inc. as a finalist for 2023 Renovation of the Year.
• New golf performance centers, a state-of-the-art short-game practice area, a Golf Academy, and a Club Fitting Lab (all completed 2024).
• A 60,000-square-foot Lifestyle Center (fitness, spa, salon), 15 pickleball courts, tennis, bocce, croquet, a resort-style pool complex, and seven dining venues.
• An employee housing complex that opened in November 2025 — a workforce-retention investment that's unusual for a private club and a good sign for service continuity.

The approved $110 million clubhouse (May 4, 2026)

The headline forward-looking item: on May 4, 2026, the Club's membership approved a landmark $110 million clubhouse project on the main Bonita Springs campus, with strong member support. The details, from the Club's own announcement:

• 140,000 square feet, built in two phases, in a Florida coastal style.
• An expanded "55th Hole" restaurant (indoor/outdoor, with an integrated sushi bar), a new "Sunset Lounge," and a rooftop bar with sweeping views of the golf courses and the Gulf of Mexico.
• A grand ballroom seating 360, multiple private function rooms, a lower-level parking garage, and three full-service kitchens.
• A roughly 500% increase in employee/operational space — a direct response to a member survey that prioritized staff areas and modernized kitchens.
• Member access to amenities and dining continues throughout the two-phase construction.

The Club's CEO and general manager framed it as "the final phase of a broader, multi-decade transformation" — the capstone of the post-2010 member-ownership reinvestment era. A specific construction-start and completion date had not been published as of June 2026 (the project was approved in May 2026 with phasing still to be finalized — confirm the current construction schedule with the Club).

For a buyer, the takeaway is simple: you are buying into a community whose private club has poured a quarter-billion dollars into itself since 2010 and just committed another $110 million. That is the opposite of a community living on past glory.

Golf: All Five Courses Across Two Campuses

Bonita Bay Club offers five championship golf courses across two campuses — a structure that's unusual for a single-community private club and a genuine resale differentiator. One membership covers both campuses.

West Campus (inside Bonita Bay proper, Bonita Springs) — three Arthur Hills designs:

• Bay Island — opened 1995, completing 54 holes on-site at the time. Reopened in 2023 after a ~$6.6 million renovation that rebuilt the post-Ian bridges and lake banks and added a new irrigation system. Ranked historically in Golfweek's "America's Best Residential Golf Courses."
• Marsh — the original course, opened 1985 (planned simultaneously with the first housing), reconfigured in 1994. An early award-winner: "Highest Ranking New Course" (Florida Golf Week, 1986) and a Golf Digest "America's 100 Greatest" entrant (1989).
• Creekside — opened 1991, when the master plan was amended to convert other land to golf.

East Campus (the Naples campus, ~15 minutes east) — two Tom Fazio designs:

• Cypress — opened 1997, the first off-site course, on land acquired in 1993. Renovated 2022 (a Golf Inc. 2023 Renovation of the Year finalist).
• Sabal — opened 1998. Its 1998 opening made Bonita Bay "the only private club in Florida to offer five regulation golf courses for the exclusive play of its members." Most recently rebuilt in a ~$16.5 million Fazio Design renovation led by Tom Marzolf (one of the original Fazio team that built it), completed as part of the ~$50 million program.

A notable environmental credential: in 1998, the Naples campus (Bonita Bay Club East) was designated the world's first private 36-hole Audubon Signature Cooperative Sanctuary. (Specific current yardages, course ratings, slopes, and signature-hole details vary by tee and renovation cycle — confirm the current scorecard with the Club's golf shop for any course you care about.)

The courses are private and member-owned — not public. Guest play is governed by Club guest policy.

The Marina: Slips, Dry Storage, Draft, and Gulf Access

The Bonita Bay Marina is the community's third governance pillar — owned not by the POA or the Club but by a group of resident-investors who bought it (along with the Backwater Jack's restaurant) from the Lucas family in July 2013, when 39 residents organized to keep the marina from going to an outside buyer. It's a semi-private, full-service marina on the Imperial River, with direct access to Estero Bay and out to the Gulf.

The practical specs:

• Storage: both wet slips and dry storage. The best-supported figures from the association's materials are 326 dry-storage spaces (boats up to 36 feet) and 98 wet slips (vessels up to 16,000 lbs). (There's a published conflict here — some sources cite a "~250 slip" figure, and the kit referenced ~250 wet slips. We're using the 326-dry / 98-wet numbers as the best-supported, and flagging the uncertainty rather than asserting a wrong number. Confirm exact current counts and any waitlist with the marina directly at (239) 495-3222.)
• Controlling draft: a hard 36-inch maximum draft per the marina's permitting agreement. This is a real disclosure — anyone with a deeper-draft sport-fishing or cruising boat must dry-store rather than wet-slip, or keep the boat elsewhere.
• Services: fueling, ice, live bait in season, light mechanical (independent mobile mechanics and dealer warranty work, all insured), a ships store, work racks for member self-service, BoatCloud digital launch scheduling, a Tow Boat U.S. partnership, and hurricane haul-out service.
• Hours: open seven days a week, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (boat launching 8:30 AM–4:00 PM), with after-hours launching by reservation; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
• On-site dining: Backwater Jack's, the waterfront restaurant, is open to all residents — not just marina or Club members.
• Charters: Sweetwater Lifestyles, a boat club and charter service (sunset cruises, dolphin tours, fishing charters), has operated from the marina since 1992.

The marina took severe surge damage in Hurricane Ian (2022) but is fully operational with all services as of 2026.

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The Beach Park: Little Hickory Island and the Hurricane-Hardened Rebuild

Bonita Bay's private beach park sits on Little Hickory Island, on the Gulf — outside the main community gates, roughly ten minutes by road from gate to gate. It is owned and operated by the Bonita Bay Community Association (the master POA), which means beach access is a benefit of property ownership, not Club membership — another point in the "you don't need the Club" column.

The beach park is also the community's most dramatic resilience story. It was totally destroyed by Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022 — Little Hickory Island took the full open-Gulf surge and waves — and was rebuilt from the ground up with hurricane-hardened construction. The new facility was engineered with storm resiliency as a top priority:

• Concrete construction for the main building (replacing what Ian took), which resists wind and water far better than the prior structure.
• Breakaway walls — the coastal-zone standard, designed to fail under wave load so the structural frame survives.
• Removable grills and weather-resistant materials chosen for salt, wind, and water durability.
• Native dune restoration to stabilize the shoreline (dunes are the first line of surge defense), plus reduced lighting and a specialized turtle fence to protect nesting sea turtles.

The rebuilt beach park reopened on November 13 (the association's page states the month and day but not the year; the multi-year ground-up rebuild timeline from the September 2022 total loss points to a 2025 reopening — confirm the exact year before relying on it). Amenities include picnic pavilions, grills, beach chairs and umbrellas, showers, restrooms with infant changing stations, and private parking. A seasonal shuttle runs during the winter months (roughly November through April), easing parking pressure; access is exclusive to Bonita Bay residents and their guests.

Racket Sports: Tennis, Pickleball, and Bocce

Racket sports are one of the most active corners of Bonita Bay life, and they exist at two levels — the Club's Sports Center, and the POA's park courts.

At the Bonita Bay Club Sports Center, the renovation program built out a major racket complex: 15 pickleball courts, Har-Tru tennis, bocce, and croquet, anchored by the Breezeway Bar & Café for open-air post-match dining. (Published tennis-court counts vary between roughly 16 and 18 — confirm the current count with the Club.)

Separately, the POA-owned park courts at Riverwalk Park include newly renovated pickleball and tennis courts plus a state-of-the-art bocce facility — available to residents through property ownership, independent of any Club membership.

The level of engagement is the real story. Bonita Bay's resident-organized clubs run deep, and the three largest — Bocce, Pickleball, and the Bicycle Club — together total upwards of 1,000 members. For a community that skews second-home and snowbird, that's an exceptionally active, social base — the antidote to the "empty seasonal enclave" worry. The Sports Center also serves as a venue for member tournaments, and the marina sponsors the FineMark Women's Pro Tennis Championships.

Fitness, Wellness, and Spa: The 60,000-Square-Foot Lifestyle Center

The Bonita Bay Club Lifestyle Center is a 60,000-square-foot, three-story building at 26800 US-41 South, just north of the Promenade — billed at opening as one of the most advanced fitness-and-spa centers in the country. It's the everyday wellness hub of the community.

• Fitness (~20,000 sq ft): Technogym equipment including the Kinesis Station and Kinesis One; group classes in yoga, spin, Pilates, and Gyrotonics; personal training and custom programs; and TPI- (Titleist Performance Institute) and RacquetFit-certified professionals for sport-specific golf and racquet conditioning.
• Spa & Salon (9,000 sq ft): seven treatment rooms; sauna, steam room, whirlpool, and lounge; massages, facials, and premium-product beauty treatments; a men's barber shop; and full women's hair and nail services.
• Wave Café: made-to-order juices and smoothies, plus wraps, bowls, and salads built on artisan greens, whole grains, and proteins — grab-and-go healthy dining.
• On-site healthcare adjacency: the Lifestyle Center grew up alongside a Lee Health office and a "healthcare village" concept — physical therapy, nutrition, and specialty practices near the gates, a fit for the community's wellness identity.

The wellness story ties back to the community's DNA: a GNC-founder origin, an Audubon-certified land plan, and a Blue Zones Recognized Community designation (more on that next). The Club itself carries Platinum Club of America and Distinguished Club designations.

Trails, Nature Parks, and the Audubon / Blue Zones Ethos

This is the section that answers "what actually makes Bonita Bay different," and the answer is the natural infrastructure — all of it accessible through POA membership, none of it requiring a Club membership.

Twelve miles of trails through a working preserve

Bonita Bay has roughly twelve miles of paved recreational pathways — a figure confirmed twice on the association's own materials. The paths run through "wooded areas, mangrove estuaries, along the Imperial River, Sabal palm stands, along formal gardens and manicured golf greens," dotted with sitting areas, picnic tables, and wildlife lookout stations. The defining natural feature is the rare north-to-south slough that runs the full length of the property — a functioning wetland, not a landscaped buffer — which is why the trail network reads as a nature corridor rather than a sidewalk loop. The paths are wide and continuous enough that the Bicycle Club runs organized group rides entirely inside the gates, without ever exiting onto US-41.

The three waterfront nature parks

All three are POA-owned and accessible with property ownership:

• Estero Bay Park — 13 acres in the northwestern corner, with an 800-foot mangrove boardwalk ending at a private pier over Estero Bay, a Monarch butterfly waystation garden, several nature trails, a screened pavilion, a playground, picnic areas, and 5,000-year-old Native American shell mounds — a genuine archaeological site inside the community.
• Riverwalk Park — along the Imperial River on the southern edge, with a boat ramp (direct river-to-Estero-Bay access, separate from the marina), kayak storage and launch, a state-of-the-art bocce facility, renovated pickleball and tennis courts, a basketball court, a five-station Parcourse fitness trail, a playground, and picnic areas.
• Spring Creek Park — along Spring Creek on the northern border, with kayak/canoe storage and a launch dock, a bocce court, a basketball hoop, a gazebo and observation deck, nature trails, and a playground.

Taken together, the three parks give residents two separate non-marina boat/paddle launches (the Riverwalk boat ramp and the Spring Creek kayak launch), kayak storage at two parks, a butterfly waystation, a shell-mound archaeological site, an 800-foot mangrove boardwalk to a private pier, and bocce/pickleball/tennis/basketball courts that are separate from the Club's racket facilities. A buyer who never joins the Club has access to all of it.

Audubon, water stewardship, and Blue Zones

• Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary — the grounds management (reduced pesticide/herbicide use, native plantings, water management) is held to a third-party certified standard, not just marketing language. Less than half the 2,400 acres is developed.
• Water-conservation pioneer — the community was the region's first to share innovative water-conservation practices; chemical use is deliberately limited because Spring Creek, the Imperial River, and the central slough all drain to Estero Bay and the Gulf. Bonita Bay fronts the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve — Florida's first aquatic preserve, encompassing more than 11,000 acres.
• Blue Zones Recognized Community — Bonita Bay is the largest gated community in Southwest Florida to earn the Blue Zones designation, and it explicitly ties its resident clubs to the Blue Zones "Power 9" longevity principles (purpose, belonging, moving naturally). Within the community, the Tavira tower was the first Blue Zones Project–certified residential building in Bonita Springs, reaching nearly 50% pledge participation.

A civic footnote worth a sentence: Bonita Bay was the first gated community nationwide to donate over one million dollars to United Way.

Resident clubs and community events

Beyond the big three sporting clubs, residents host more than 30 interest clubs — discussion groups, gardening, nature and wildlife, art, health-issue study groups, faith groups, hobby clubs, and home-state/home-nation clubs — all resident-organized and open to all residents, with many events open even to non-members. The POA's Activities department runs a year-round calendar: a Christmas Tree Lighting, an Easter Egg Hunt, the Bay Breeze Concert Series, and a life-long-learning program of lectures, art classes, cooking classes, wellness classes, and group excursions. None of this requires a Club membership.

Dining: On-Property Venues and the Promenade at Bonita Bay

Dining at Bonita Bay runs across the Club venues, the marina restaurant, and the adjacent Promenade.

On-property (Club and marina):

• The 55th Hole and the Clubroom — overlooking the course; a daily lunch buffet, à la carte menu, and Sunday/holiday dining, under award-winning Chef Richard Brumm. (Set to expand significantly, with a sushi bar, under the approved $110 million clubhouse.)
• Breezeway Bar & Café at the Sports Center — open-air, with frozen cocktails, paninis, seafood baskets, and salads.
• Wave Café at the Lifestyle Center — organic juices, smoothies, wraps, bowls, and salads.
• Backwater Jack's at the marina — the waterfront restaurant, open to all residents.

The Promenade at Bonita Bay — the open-air, Mediterranean-style luxury retail and dining center at the community's US-41 doorstep, with walkways, greenery, and waterfalls. It opened in 1999, runs about 47 suites on 8.8 acres, and functions as the community's de-facto town center (it's a separate commercial property, not POA-governed). The marquee dining anchors:

• Roy's Restaurant — Roy Yamaguchi Hawaiian/Pacific Rim fine dining.
• DeRomo's Gourmet Market & Restaurant — a premier gourmet market, restaurant, catering, and banquet space with an active events calendar.
• Molino's Ristorante — family-owned Italian.
• The Center Bar — in the covered central courtyard, hosting live-music nights.

The retail and services roster includes boutiques (Evelyn & Arthur, Palm & Paddle, Tara Grinna Swimwear, Jami's, Kay's On The Beach, and more), salons and aesthetic medicine (Robert of Philadelphia, Anne Therese), banking, title and legal services, and a Saturday farmers market. The Promenade's courtyards host a regular events calendar — concert series, wine walks, craft fairs, and "Sip, Shop & Stroll" evenings. Tenant rosters change; the live directory at the Promenade's own site is the current source. (For the record: the FL Promenade at Bonita Bay is a stable upscale center with steady tenant refresh — it is NOT undergoing a major condo/entertainment redevelopment. Any such story online is a mix-up with an unrelated mall of a similar name in Ontario, Canada.)

The combination is the lifestyle differentiator: a nature-preserve interior — quiet, gated, twelve miles of trails, three waterfront parks — paired with a luxury retail/dining/wellness cluster literally at the gate. You don't trade convenience for the preserve setting.

The Storm Posture: Ian Damage by Sub-Area and the Rebuild

We are not going to soft-pedal this. Bonita Bay is a coastal community on Estero Bay, and it took real damage in Hurricane Ian. The honest version — which also happens to be the reassuring one once you understand the gradient — is that the damage tracked the flood-zone geography almost exactly, and the rebuild is essentially complete.

Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28, 2022 as a high-end Category 4 storm and drove a catastrophic surge — on the order of 12 feet in the Bonita Springs area — into the south Lee County coast. Critically for Bonita Bay, the surge "hit the beach first, then came right up the river," following the exact Imperial River / Spring Creek / Estero Bay estuary geography that defines the community's western and southern edge. Damage inside the gates followed the west-to-east gradient:

• The private beach park (Little Hickory Island, on the open Gulf) — total destruction. This was the single most damaged community asset, and it has been rebuilt from the ground up, hardened (see the Beach Park section above).
• The marina and bay/river waterfront — severe surge. Boats were displaced across the backwaters region-wide; the marina took heavy damage and has since been fully repaired and restored to service.
• The West Campus golf courses — severe infrastructure damage, not flooded living space. Per the Club's own October 2022 update: the core club buildings (clubhouse, racquets, lifestyle center, pro shop) suffered minimal impact; the cart barn flooded (the carts were moved to high ground and saved); the tennis courts were heavily damaged; and the critical issue was that golf-course bridges were rendered structurally undrivable, closing Bay Island and Marsh until they could be rebuilt. Remarkably, within two weeks of the storm, two courses, half the racket courts, dining, and the Lifestyle Center were back to normal operations.
• The high-rise towers (Horizons, Esperia, Tavira, Estancia) — wind and building-envelope damage, not surge flooding of residences. The towers' living floors sit above grade on parking podiums, so the surge that flooded ground-level cart barns and the marina basin did not flood the residences. The tower damage was wind-driven — roofs, windows, doors, and water intrusion — and has been repaired. The towers are modern, post-2002-building-code construction, which is why the structures themselves held up.
• The Naples (East Campus) golf and the inland villages — minimal. The Naples campus "fared much better" and was back to normal after general cleanup. The eastern, higher-elevation villages near US-41 saw wind and tree damage but largely escaped the surge flooding — consistent with their lower-hazard flood zones.

Two years later, Hurricanes Helene and Milton (September/October 2024) added secondary stress — Helene caused "significant damage in nearly every waterfront location" in Bonita Springs, and Milton brought destructive coastal surge, tornadoes, and wind — but neither approached Ian's destruction.

The rebuild scorecard (spring 2026)

Resilience planning

Bonita Bay didn't just repair — it commissioned a forward-looking Stantec Vulnerability Assessment of its most exposed assets (parks, golf, trails, roads, lakes, the beach, the Club, and the marina) against sea-level rise, storm surge, extreme rainfall, heat, wind, and saline intrusion, to guide adaptation and resource prioritization. The study cites both Ian (2022) and Irma (2017) as having severely damaged community assets. That is engineer-led, community-level resilience planning — not reactive patching — and it's a meaningful signal for a buyer.

FEMA Flood Zones Across Bonita Bay and the 50% Rule

The single most important thing to understand about flood zones at Bonita Bay: the zone is assigned per parcel, not per village. A single village can contain parcels in two or three different zones. So while we can describe the pattern, any specific zone claim for a specific home must be confirmed on the FEMA map for that exact parcel.

The three zone families

Lee County and the City of Bonita Springs use the standard FEMA scheme:

• Zone AE / VE (high hazard, 100-year floodplain): the "blue" zones on the FEMA map. Flood insurance is mandatory with a federally backed mortgage, and build standards are strict. VE is the coastal high-hazard "velocity" zone (the 1%-annual-chance flood plus destructive waves), with the strictest standards (open/piling foundations, breakaway walls, no enclosed living space below the base flood elevation) and the highest premiums.
• Shaded Zone X (moderate, 500-year / 0.2%-annual-chance): the "yellow" band. Insurance is not federally mandated but advisable.
• Unshaded Zone X (minimal hazard): no color overlay; no mandatory flood insurance.

The pattern at Bonita Bay

Because the community spans the full gradient from tidal bay-front to high inland ground, it contains the full spread:

• Highest hazard (VE/AE) — the bay-front, river-mouth, and marina-basin edge: the marina, the bay-influenced single-family estate villages, and the bay-front tower row sit in or adjacent to the high-hazard band. The towers' habitable floors sit above the base flood elevation on parking podiums — the structural answer to a high-hazard site.
• Moderate/mixed (AE and shaded X) — the mid-community lakes and golf corridors: AE along lake frontage, shaded or unshaded X on higher pads.
• Lowest hazard (unshaded Zone X) — the eastern villages near US-41, on the highest ground, where flood insurance isn't federally mandated. The Ian damage pattern confirmed this — inland villages saw wind, not surge.

The map timeline

The currently effective coastal FIRM became effective November 17, 2022 — itself a coastal storm-surge re-modeling. A revised preliminary FIRM dated December 4, 2025 is working through the adoption process and is expected to take effect summer 2026. Any Bonita Bay zone determination pulled in 2026 should be checked against both the effective and the pending map, because a property's zone — and its insurance rating — could change at the next adoption. We pull the parcel-level flood-zone determination on any specific home you're considering, against both maps.

Why one foot matters: the BFE and the Elevation Certificate

The City publishes the rule that drives the economics: for each one foot a structure sits above the required Base Flood Elevation, flood-insurance premiums drop by nearly 50%; for each foot below, they roughly double. That's why an Elevation Certificate — which documents a structure's elevation relative to the BFE — is worth far more than its ~$75–$150 cost on any AE/VE-zone property.

The 50% Rule — the rebuild trap for older, lower waterfront homes

The regulation most likely to ambush a buyer of an older, lower-elevation waterfront home is the FEMA 50% Rule. If a structure in a flood hazard area (any A- or V-zone) undergoes improvements or repairs whose cost equals or exceeds 50% of the structure's value, the entire structure must be brought into full compliance with current flood regulations — which for a below-BFE home means elevating it, a six-figure cost that can change the buy/renovate math entirely. In Lee County, "structure value" is the Property Appraiser's assessed structure value (excluding land) plus 20%, or a commissioned appraisal. Lee County normally aggregates costs over a 5-year lookback, but reduced it to 1 year on November 8, 2022 to aid Ian recovery. The newer and higher a home already sits, the less this bites — but it is a critical disclosure for any older waterfront listing, and one we'll always raise.

Insurance Reality: Master Policy vs. Per-Unit, Wind-Mit Credits, SIRS, and the CRS Discount

Insurance at Bonita Bay is not one number — it depends heavily on whether you're buying a single-family home or a tower condo, and the two work very differently.

The market backdrop

Southwest Florida took the direct Ian hit, and premiums have been elevated versus pre-storm levels — general SWFL homeowner figures run in the ~$4,000–$6,200 range, though a Bonita Bay estate or tower unit diverges sharply from that in both directions. The encouraging trend: through 2025 the private market re-entered aggressively, Florida's state-backed insurer (Citizens) shed roughly 73% of its statewide policy count (from ~936,000 at the start of 2025 to ~385,000–395,000 by early 2026), and Citizens recommended rate cuts for most policyholders for 2026. A Bonita Bay buyer in 2026 is far more likely to land with a private carrier than was the case in 2022–2023, and rates are trending down.

Single-family homes: wind-mitigation credits are your biggest lever

For a single-family home, the wind-mitigation inspection is the homeowner's single biggest cost lever. Documented features cut the windstorm portion of the premium: a hip roof (~20%), impact windows (up to ~45%, typically saving $300–$500/year), reinforced roof-to-wall connections, roof-deck attachment, and a secondary water-resistance membrane stack additional credits. Overall, Florida homeowners commonly save 3%–55% on the windstorm portion. The inspection runs $75–$150 and usually pays for itself in year one. The state's My Safe Florida Home program matches $2 for every $1 spent on hardening (up to $10,000) for eligible homes — though most of Bonita Bay's high-value homes sit above the program's value caps, so confirm eligibility.

Tower condos: the master policy and loss-assessment trap

For the bay-front towers, the picture is fundamentally different, and this is where buyers get surprised:

• The association master policy insures the building structure and common areas; your HO-6 policy insures the interior, improvements, personal property, and liability.
• Master-policy hurricane/wind deductibles are huge — typically 2%–5% of insured value, which on a large high-rise can be $500,000 to several million dollars (a $50 million building with a 5% deductible carries a $2.5 million deductible).
• That deductible — and any uninsured loss above master-policy limits — passes proportionally to unit owners as a special assessment. This is how a tower owner can face a five- or six-figure storm bill even with a fully insured building.
• The defense is Loss Assessment Coverage inside your HO-6. Florida law (Statute 627.714) requires at least $2,000, but standard policies often carry only $1,000 — woefully inadequate. Practitioners recommend $50,000–$100,000 for a Florida condo. The right question for a tower isn't just "what's my premium" — it's "what is the master policy's hurricane deductible, and do I carry enough loss-assessment coverage to absorb my share of it." We'll get you the building's master-policy detail before you write the offer.

SIRS and milestone inspections (every 3+-story building)

Florida's post-Surfside condo-safety law created two requirements that apply to every Bonita Bay high-rise and any 3+-story mid-rise:

• Milestone Structural Inspections — required for buildings three or more stories, triggered at 25 years of age for buildings within 3 miles of the coast (which is all the Bonita Bay towers). Horizons (2000) crossed 25 years in 2025 — the first Bonita Bay tower over the line; Esperia reaches 25 in 2032, Tavira in 2034.
• Structural Integrity Reserve Studies (SIRS) — required for every 3+-habitable-story building regardless of age, with the initial-SIRS deadline at December 31, 2025. Every Bonita Bay tower and 3-story condo had to complete one.

For any tower or mid-rise condo, ask for (a) the completed milestone inspection if the building has hit 25 years, and (b) the completed SIRS and its reserve-funding plan. An underfunded reserve study is the leading indicator of a future special assessment. We request these as a matter of course.

The CRS flood-insurance discount

Lee County participates in FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS) — unincorporated Lee County holds a Class 5 rating worth a 25% discount on NFIP flood policies. One important nuance: Bonita Bay is inside the City of Bonita Springs, and incorporated cities participate in CRS separately, so a Bonita Bay flood policy's discount follows the City's CRS class, not the county's 25%. Confirm the City's exact current class and percentage when you price a policy.

Relocating to or from Bonita Bay? Whether you're selling a Bonita Bay home or buying one, McGreevy and Comisar — #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012 — handle the entire move. Sellers: free valuation at /home-valuation-bonita-bay or Jesse (239) 898-6072. Buyers: /buy-a-home-in-bonita-bay or Marc (239) 287-5873.

Schools by Proximity Zone, Plus Private Options

The single most important thing for a buyer with school-age children to understand: Lee County does not use simple address-based school assignment. It runs a choice / proximity-zone system — families rank schools within their residential proximity zone rather than being auto-assigned by street address, and placement depends on seat availability. Buyers relocating from states with rigid "your house equals your school" rules are routinely surprised by this.

Bonita Bay sits in the far-south "South" choice cluster. The geographically nearest and most-commonly-ranked-first public schools are:

• Spring Creek Elementary (PK–5) — about 3–4 miles / 8–10 minutes from the gate; enrollment ~620. Recent state testing: ~63% math proficiency (above the Florida average), ~49% reading.
• Bonita Springs Middle Center for the Arts (6–8) — an arts-magnet/application program (transportation provided only if the school is in your proximity zone).
• Bonita Springs High School (9–12) — a relatively new campus (opened 2017), enrollment ~1,528, offering AP, Cambridge AICE, and gifted programs.

Honest framing: these nearest public schools are solid but not top-tier on raw proficiency — the high school sits in the low-3-of-10 / B-minus range on third-party scores. The School District of Lee County earned a "B" for 2024–2025. This is one reason a meaningful share of Bonita Bay families — in a community where transactions run $700K to $25M+ — choose private schools or shop the A-rated Collier County district just to the south. We name that reality rather than airbrushing it.

Public charter: Bonita Springs Charter (K–8) is a tuition-free public alternative that outperforms the nearby traditional schools (~65% math, ~55% reading proficiency).

Private options split north and south, all involving a 15–35 minute commute:

• To the south (Naples/Collier): Royal Palm Academy (Catholic K–8, ~18–22 min, ~$X tuition), Community School of Naples (independent PreK–12, ~25–30 min, ~$34,860/yr), Seacrest Country Day (PreK–12, ~30–35 min, ~$29,706/yr), and St. John Neumann Catholic High School.
• To the north (Fort Myers/Lee): Bishop Verot Catholic High School (~$17,495/yr, ~28–35 min) and the tuition-free FSW Collegiate dual-enrollment charter.

The exact proximity-zone designation for any specific Bonita Bay parcel should be confirmed on the Lee County Schools address locator — we'll run it for any home you're considering.

Healthcare Access: Two ERs Within Minutes

Bonita Bay's healthcare access is genuinely excellent, and it's a rare case where we can tell a buyer, accurately, that two 24/7 freestanding emergency departments sit within roughly 5–12 minutes of the front gate — one NCH, one Lee Health, both essentially on US-41.

• NCH Bonita Emergency Department — the closest emergency care, at 24040 S. Tamiami Trail (two blocks south of Coconut Point Mall), roughly 4–6 minutes from the gate. A 12-bed, full-service 24/7 ER open since December 2018, with adjacent NCH Imaging (MRI, CT, 3D mammography, ultrasound, X-ray). It has been recognized nationally for ER quality of care.
• Lee Health Coconut Point (Estero) — the larger campus, at 23450 Via Coconut Point, roughly 8–12 minutes north. An "everything under one roof" outpatient destination: a 24/7 ER (25 exam/observation/recovery rooms), the Heart Institute, a Breast Health Center, Golisano Pediatrics, outpatient surgery, full imaging/lab/pharmacy, OB/GYN, orthopedics, and more. An 82-bed inpatient hospital tower is being added (the first true inpatient capacity in south Lee County).
• Bonita Health Center — a Lee Health convenient-care, lab, and physician-practice location nearby.

For inpatient admission, major surgery, and trauma, residents route to a full hospital ~20–35 minutes out: Gulf Coast Medical Center (Lee Health's largest, and the regional Level II trauma center — the only one between Sarasota and Miami) to the north, or NCH North Naples Hospital to the south. Concierge/membership primary care is also locally available — a fit for the Bonita Bay buyer profile.

Daily Drive Times From the Bonita Bay Gate

These are approximate off-season, light-traffic estimates from the US-41 entrance. Southwest Florida's winter season (mid-December through mid-April) and the daily rush windows add materially to every number — the airport run, for example, stretches from ~26 minutes off-season toward ~45 in season. Confirm live times before any time-sensitive trip.

The under-30-minute reach to both Naples' fine-dining core and a top-rated Gulf preserve beach, plus a major international airport, is one of the genuine lifestyle selling points of south Bonita.

Grocery at the gate: a Publix sits in Bonita Bay Plaza on US-41, a 2–4 minute drive (or short bike ride) from most villages. The Fresh Market is ~5–8 minutes away, and the upscale destination grocers — Whole Foods at Mercato, Trader Joe's, and Seed to Table (Oakes Farms, backed by 3,500 acres of SWFL farmland) — are 15–22 minutes south.

Daily Logistics and Concierge: Gates, Guest Access, Design Review, Pets, Leasing, Internet, EV

The practical, day-to-day mechanics buyers ask about:

• Gates and guest access. Two staffed entrances run around the clock — a main gate on US-41 and a quieter northern gate. The system is modern: residents log into the BBCA portal and can text or email a guest or vendor a QR code to scan at the gate; vehicles are tied to barcodes. The Gatehouse Call Center is 239-947-2476. A roving Community Patrol supplements the gates. (The QR-code and vehicle-barcode system is confirmed; automated license-plate-reader cameras specifically were not confirmed in our research — don't assume LPR.)
• Design Review (the ARC). Bonita Bay runs a professionally staffed Design Review department — a paid-staff architectural-review process, not just a volunteer committee — governing renovations, additions, pools, landscaping changes, and new construction across all neighborhoods. If you plan to remodel or rebuild, there is a real submission-and-approval process to plan around.
• Internet/TV. Every home is wired with Hotwire Communications Fiber-To-The-Home plus IPTV, typically delivered in bulk through the association — baseline high-speed internet and TV are usually bundled rather than separately contracted.
• Pets. Bonita Bay is pet-accommodating at the community level — pet water stations at all three nature parks plus twelve miles of trails make it a strong dog-walking community. Specific pet rules (number, size, breed limits) are set per sub-village association, so confirm at the village level. (A dedicated fenced off-leash dog park was not confirmed in our research — don't assume one.)
• Leasing. Rental rules — minimum lease terms and caps on the number of rentals — vary by sub-village. Confirm the specific rules for any village you're considering before buying as an investment.
• EV charging. EV infrastructure exists at the community level (charging is listed at the Seaglass tower, for example), and Florida law protects a condo owner's right to install a charger in their designated parking space, subject to reasonable conditions. Per-village charger inventory varies — confirm at the building level.

Want to know what the pipeline below means for your Bonita Bay home's value? That's the conversation we have with sellers every week. McGreevy and Comisar — #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012 — free valuation at /home-valuation-bonita-bay · Jesse (239) 898-6072. Buying here? /buy-a-home-in-bonita-bay · Marc (239) 287-5873.

What's Coming Nearby: The Adjacent Civic Pipeline

A buyer reasonably wants to know what's being built, widened, or rezoned near the gate. Here's the honest read, nearest-to-farthest.

• Inside the gates — the $110 million Club clubhouse (approved May 2026, two phases, 140,000 sq ft). The biggest construction story at Bonita Bay is the community investing in itself. Member access continues throughout.
• At the front door — the US-41 / Bonita Beach Road intersection fix. The worst traffic pinch point at Bonita Bay's entrance has an approved design — a partial Displaced Left Turn (which lets left turns run simultaneously with through traffic) plus a new northeast-quadrant connector road and a 12-foot shared-use path. The PD&E study is complete, and design is funded ($3.5 million, FY2026) — but right-of-way and construction are not yet funded. Honest framing: "designed and moving, not yet built."
• Bonita Beach Road six-lane widening — stalled. The most-discussed widening (US-41 to Old 41) is effectively on ice: the City Council voted to withhold its cost-share, and county money for right-of-way and construction is 6–10 years out.
• Old 41 four-lane widening — a ~$83 million PD&E for the parallel downtown corridor (~3–4 miles north) held its public hearing in November 2025.
• Next door — the Pelican Landing MPD rezone (Case DCI2023-00052). Immediately south across Coconut Road, a ±430-acre rezone is under review proposing 729 homes (100 single-family + 629 multi-family), 25,000 sq ft of office, 27 golf holes, and 318 hotel rooms. It's the single largest pending intensification adjacent to Bonita Bay; final approval status was still pending in our research.
• The new luxury competitor — The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay (Saltleaf). Twin 22-story towers on the same Estero Bay that Bonita Bay fronts, residences from $3 million, completing around late 2025 — the marquee new luxury alternative in the area.
• Healthcare expansion — the Lee Health Coconut Point hospital tower. An 82-bed inpatient tower (preliminary state approval) adds south Lee County's first true inpatient hospital capacity, a short drive up US-41.
• The wider Bonita Springs growth picture. Several area projects — Revana Lakes (299 homes, controversially approved 4-3 over a 1,200-signature petition), Midtown at Bonita (a 68-acre mixed-use district near I-75 with TJ Maxx and Ulta signed), and Imperial 41 (a downtown public-private mixed-use breaking ground late 2025) — are reshaping the broader town. These are Bonita Springs-level area context, not next door, but they're part of the growth-versus-traffic story shaping every road near the community.

Comparable Communities to Consider

If you're shopping Bonita Bay, you're almost certainly weighing it against the other top luxury master-planned communities in the Bonita Springs / Estero / Naples corridor. Here's a neutral read on how the main alternatives compare — we sell across all of these markets, so this is meant to orient, not to steer.

• Pelican Landing (and The Colony) — Bonita Springs. Bonita Bay's nearest peer, just south across Coconut Road, also on Estero Bay. More nature-focused, with a private 34-acre island beach reached by shuttle boat nearly year-round, and a simpler governance structure — but it operates under a CDD (Bayside Improvement CDD), so its owners carry the CDD line items on their tax bill that Bonita Bay owners don't. Bonita Bay offers the deeper club ecosystem, the on-site marina, and the broader product range.
• The Brooks / Shadow Wood — Estero. A larger-population, generally more value-priced master community (also a former Bonita Bay Group development), with its own CDD. Bonita Bay is more amenity-dense and luxury-positioned, with the marina and five courses.
• Pelican Bay — North Naples. The Naples luxury benchmark, with roughly three miles of private Gulf beach and beach restaurants reached by tram — a beach experience Bonita Bay can't match on scale. Bonita Bay counters with five golf courses, the private marina and boating, and often more accessible entry price points.
• Mediterra — North Naples (Lee/Collier line). Two Tom Fazio courses, European-style architecture, and an à-la-carte membership model (golf bought separately from the real estate). Bonita Bay offers more product diversity, five courses, and marina/boating.
• West Bay Club — Estero. A Pete Dye course and a private Gulf beach club. Bonita Bay offers more courses and the marina.

The honest summary: Bonita Bay's distinct combination is scale (2,400 acres, half preserved), five golf courses across two campuses, an on-site Gulf-access marina, a hurricane-hardened private Gulf beach, twelve miles of trails, Blue Zones recognition, no CDD, and a price ladder that runs from attainable condos to $25M estates. Few communities offer all of it under one gate.

Ready to make a move in Bonita Bay? Sellers — get a free, no-obligation Bonita Bay valuation in 60 seconds at /home-valuation-bonita-bay, or talk to Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buyers — start your search with the team that knows every village: /buy-a-home-in-bonita-bay or Marc at (239) 287-5873.

Why Buy in Bonita Bay: Honest Pros and Cons

We name real tradeoffs. A page that only lists positives isn't trustworthy.

The case for Bonita Bay

• The amenity depth is genuinely hard to match — five courses, a 60,000 sq ft lifestyle center, a marina, a hardened Gulf beach, twelve miles of trails, three nature parks — and the Club just committed $110 million on top of a completed $50 million renovation.
• No CDD. A real, recurring tax-bill advantage over most of the newer luxury competition.
• You don't need a Club membership to enjoy the community. Trails, parks, beach, events, and boat/kayak launches all come with the mandatory POA — the optional Club is for golf, the lifestyle center, the sports center, and Club dining.
• Strong, debt-free governance. Resident-controlled POA, member-owned (non-equity) Club with ~$250M reinvested since 2010, resident-investor marina — no developer overhang.
• A documented low-density, preservation-first land plan (1.4 homes/acre, half preserved, Audubon-certified, Blue Zones-recognized) that you can feel driving through it.
• Location — Publix and the Promenade at the gate, two ERs within minutes, RSW ~26 minutes, Naples and the beaches under 30.
• Essentially built out — supply comes from owner turnover, not new-developer flooding.

The honest tradeoffs

• Cost. This is a top-of-market community. Beyond the purchase price, budget for the two-tier HOA stack, the resale reserve assessment at closing (up to $10,000), and — if you want it — a six-figure Club initiation plus five-figure annual dues, with a multi-year golf waitlist.
• Coastal storm exposure is real. The bay-front and river-front parcels are in high-hazard flood zones, took Ian's surge, and carry the highest insurance costs; the 50% Rule can complicate renovating an older waterfront home. (The inland villages and the elevated towers are a different story — but you have to know which is which.)
• Tower special-assessment risk. The master-policy hurricane deductible can pass to unit owners as a special assessment; SIRS and milestone obligations are now in force on every 3+-story building. This is manageable with the right due diligence, but it's real.
• Schools. The nearest public schools are solid-but-not-top-tier; families wanting top public schools look to Collier County or go private (a 15–35 minute commute).
• Mostly resale, mostly turnkey-or-renovate. If you want brand-new developer product inside the gates, it largely doesn't exist anymore — Omega (2022) was the final tower.

Net: for a buyer who wants a deeply amenitized, low-density, no-CDD luxury community with golf, boating, and a hardened Gulf beach — and who does the flood/insurance/reserve due diligence on the specific property — Bonita Bay is one of the strongest values in Southwest Florida. The due diligence is exactly what we do on every Bonita Bay engagement.

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

If you're typing "best Bonita Bay listing agent," "who is the best Realtor to sell my Bonita Bay home," or "I need to sell my house in Bonita Bay" — you're in the right place. Selling a Bonita Bay home is not a generic listing job. It's a luxury, tower-and-estate market where the right comps come from the same building and the same view tier, where qualified-buyer reach matters more than a yard sign, and where the difference between a Realtor who knows the community and one who doesn't is measured in weeks on market and dollars left on the table.

Our credentials as your listing team

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 20 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and Team have sold over 2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over 850 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

Selling your Bonita Bay home? Get a free home valuation → https://mcgreevyandcomisar.com/home-valuation OR call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 (text or call, confidential conversations welcome for luxury listings) or email [email protected].

Buying a home in Bonita Bay? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 for a personalized buyer consultation.

Office: 24031 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 101, Bonita Springs, FL 34135

Recent Bonita Bay seller results

The market backdrop your listing competes in: over the trailing 12 months, 214 Bonita Bay homes sold for roughly $260 million combined, at a median of $762,500 and an average of $1.21 million, topping out at a $5.9 million sale. The median home went under contract in 64 days at about 95% of list price — and the best-priced, best-presented listings sold in days. Right now there are 87 active listings competing for buyers (roughly 4.9 months of supply), which makes correct pricing and standout marketing the entire game. Tower condos and single-family estates trade as two distinct markets — we price and market each off its own comparable set. (Source: Stellar MLS, Bonita Bay development, trailing 12 months as of June 2026.)

How we market a luxury Bonita Bay listing

When you list a Bonita Bay home with us, the marketing is built for the product:

• Cinematic video and drone that captures what a Bonita Bay property actually offers — the bay or golf or preserve view from a tower, the estate lot, the water access — because in this market the view is the value, and most listing media doesn't do it justice.
• A qualified-buyer database built over two decades in this market — we often know who's looking for exactly your product before the listing hits the open market.
• Off-market and discreet options. For sellers who want privacy, we can market a Bonita Bay home quietly to a vetted buyer pool rather than splashing it across every portal.
• Correct, defensible pricing. We price a tower condo off the same-building, same-view comps and a single-family home off the right village and frontage comps — not off a community-wide median that means nothing for your specific property.

What is your Bonita Bay home worth?

Get a Free Valuation in 60 Seconds → /home-valuation-bonita-bay

Or skip the form and talk to Jesse direct — (239) 898-6072, text or call. We'll prepare a real net-sheet — sale price minus commissions, closing costs, payoff, prorated taxes and HOA, and the resale reserve assessment — so you know your actual proceeds, not a guess.

A dedicated /sell-my-home-in-bonita-bay page and a /luxury-listing-agent-bonita-bay page are coming with the full listing process, our marketing portfolio, and case studies — we'll link them here when they go live.

Quick seller FAQ

How long does it take to sell in Bonita Bay? It depends heavily on product type, pricing, and presentation — well-priced, well-presented homes move faster, and cash buyers are common here. We'll give you a realistic, data-backed timeline for your specific village or tower.

Does my Club membership transfer when I sell? Membership handling on resale depends on the Club's non-equity category rules; confirm the current rules with the Club, and we'll factor it into positioning. A membership-in-place can be a selling point given the multi-year golf waitlist.

What does it cost to sell? Total selling costs commonly run in the high single digits as a percentage of price (commissions, closing costs, concessions), varying by deal — we'll build you an exact net-sheet.

Your Local Real Estate Experts

Bonita Bay is the kind of community where local expertise is not a nicety — it's the difference between a confident transaction and an expensive mistake. The flood-zone gradient, the three-entity governance, the tower master-policy risk, the resale reserve assessment, the per-village fee stacks, the Club waitlist — these are exactly the details a generic agent misses and a Bonita Bay specialist handles as a matter of routine.

McGreevy and Comisar of Domain Realty:

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 20 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and Team have sold over 2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over 850 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

Contact us:

• Jesse McGreevy: (239) 898-6072 · [email protected]
• Marc Comisar: (239) 287-5873
• Office: 24031 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 101, Bonita Springs, FL 34135

McGreevy and Comisar are part of Domain Realty — Southwest Florida's full-service brokerage. Learn more about our brokerage at DomainRealtyGroup.com.

Whether you're buying your first Bonita Bay condo, a bay-front estate, or selling a home you've loved for years, call or text Jesse at (239) 898-6072 — we'll pull the exact data on whatever you're considering and walk it through with you.

Still weighing a move in Bonita Bay? The answers are below — and McGreevy and Comisar, the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012, are one call away. Sellers: /home-valuation-bonita-bay · Jesse (239) 898-6072. Buyers: /buy-a-home-in-bonita-bay · Marc (239) 287-5873.

Frequently Asked Questions — Buyer Edition

Homes, Prices, and Product Types

What homes are for sale in Bonita Bay right now?

Bonita Bay offers high-rise tower condos, mid- and low-rise condos, coach and carriage homes, villas and patio homes, and single-family estate homes across its 58 named neighborhoods. Inventory and pricing shift constantly. Call or text Jesse at (239) 898-6072 and we'll send the current active list filtered to exactly the product type, village, and budget you're after.

How much do homes cost in Bonita Bay?

Pricing spans roughly the high-$300Ks for the most attainable condos and coach homes up past $6 million for estate homes and tower penthouses, with the rarest bay-front estates reaching into the $25 million range. Median and average figures move with the market — we'll pull the current trailing-12-month numbers for you on request.

What is the price range for condos in Bonita Bay?

Condos have traded across a wide band — roughly the high-$300Ks for interior low/mid-rise units up to the multi-millions for tower residences. Tower pricing in particular is driven by building, floor, and view orientation, so the "condo" label covers everything from an attainable entry point to a multi-million-dollar penthouse.

What is the price range for single-family homes in Bonita Bay?

Single-family homes run from roughly the mid-$700Ks for interior homes up past $6 million, with the highest prices on bay-influenced estate lots. Village, lot, and water or golf frontage drive most of the spread.

How much are coach homes / carriage homes in Bonita Bay?

Coach and carriage homes are among the more attainable product types, generally starting in the high-$300Ks to mid-$700Ks depending on village and view. Confirm current pricing for a specific village with us.

How much do high-rise tower condos cost in Bonita Bay?

Tower pricing runs from roughly $700,000 for lower-floor units to $5 million-plus for penthouse residences, depending on the tower, the floor, and the view orientation (Gulf/bay versus golf/preserve). The same building can hold a $1 million unit and a $5 million unit.

What's the cheapest way to buy into Bonita Bay?

The lowest entry points are typically the low/mid-rise condos, coach homes, and villas in the more interior villages; the highest are the bay-influenced single-family estates and tower penthouses. Tell us your budget and we'll point you to the villages that actually fit it.

How many neighborhoods or subdivisions are in Bonita Bay?

There are 58 distinct sub-villages (the association says "58 neighborhoods," the Club says "56 intimate neighborhoods" — we use 58). Two names that appear on some lists, Cielo and Veranda, were approved but never built and are excluded.

Are there new-construction homes in Bonita Bay?

Bonita Bay is largely built out, so the overwhelming majority of transactions are resales. New construction in recent years has been the Club's amenity build-outs plus individual custom-home rebuilds and post-hurricane reconstruction on existing lots. Omega (2022) was the final high-rise.

What is the newest tower or building in Bonita Bay?

Omega, completed by the Ronto Group in 2022 (27 floors, 67 residences, designed by Robert M. Swedroe), is the newest — and the final — high-rise built at Bonita Bay. Seaglass (2018) preceded it as the first new tower since 2008.

What square footage do Bonita Bay homes offer?

It ranges widely by product — condos commonly run roughly 2,000–4,600+ sq ft, single-family homes roughly 2,500–5,000+ sq ft, with villas and estate homes spanning the rest. We'll confirm the exact square footage on any specific home from the county record.

Who built Bonita Bay / who is the developer?

Bonita Bay was developed by Bonita Bay Properties, Inc. / the Bonita Bay Group, founded on land assembled by David Shakarian (the founder of GNC) in 1979–1980, with the company founded in 1981. After Shakarian's 1984 death, his son-in-law David Lucas carried it forward. It was never a WCI community.

What ZIP code is Bonita Bay in?

Primarily 34134 (south Bonita Springs), with some addresses in 34135.

HOA / POA Fees and What's Included

How much are HOA fees in Bonita Bay?

You typically pay both a master association assessment and a sub-village/condo HOA fee. Combined annual costs commonly run roughly $3,000–$6,000+ depending on village and product type; high-rise condo sub-association fees can run roughly $1,244–$4,317 per quarter. We'll get you the exact current schedule for any specific village or building.

What do Bonita Bay HOA / POA fees cover?

The master association covers roads, streetlights, common grounds, lake and stormwater management, all three nature parks and the private beach, the 24/7 gates and Community Patrol, the Design Review department, and the community Activities calendar. Sub-association fees add building- or village-level services, streetscapes, insurance (for condos), and often the bulk fiber internet/TV.

Is there a master association AND a sub-association?

Yes — Bonita Bay has a two-tier private governance stack: the master POA (Bonita Bay Community Association) plus an individual HOA or condo association per village or building. Some top-tier estate sub-areas have no village HOA and pay only the master assessment.

Are special assessments common in Bonita Bay?

Associations can levy special assessments for unplanned repairs, insurance shortfalls, reserve gaps, or capital projects. For tower condos specifically, the master-policy hurricane deductible and the new SIRS reserve requirements are the main special-assessment risks — which is why we always review a building's reserves and recent assessment history before you offer.

Are Club dues separate from HOA fees?

Yes. Bonita Bay Club membership (golf, racket sports, fitness, dining, the lifestyle center) is a separate organization with its own initiation fees and dues, distinct from POA and HOA assessments — and entirely optional.

Is there a resale reserve assessment when I buy in Bonita Bay?

Yes — the buyer pays a Resale Reserve Assessment at closing. As of a referendum effective January 1, 2024, it's reported as 0.5% of the purchase price, capped at $10,000 (changed from a prior flat $1,500). Confirm the exact current figure in the POA documents; budget for it as a closing cost.

The Bonita Bay Club — Membership, Golf, Cost

Is Bonita Bay Club membership required to own a home in Bonita Bay?

No. Club membership is optional and is not automatically bundled with property ownership. You can own a Bonita Bay home and never join the Club — and still enjoy the trails, the three nature parks, the private beach, and the community events, all of which come with the mandatory POA membership.

How much does Bonita Bay Club membership cost?

Reported figures: Golf membership ~$150,000 initiation with ~$19,500 annual dues; Sports membership ~$60,000 initiation with ~$10,110 annual dues. The Club gates exact numbers behind member login, so confirm the current schedule with the Club's membership office.

What membership tiers does Bonita Bay Club offer?

The main categories are full Golf and Sports, plus reported associate-golf and golf-in-waiting (waitlist-holding) categories. Confirm the current tier list, rights, and dues with the Club directly.

Is there a waitlist for golf membership at Bonita Bay?

Yes — there's a multi-year waitlist for full golf membership, with no documented way to skip it. If golf is the reason you're buying, build it into your timeline and confirm the current waitlist length with the Club.

Is Bonita Bay Club equity-owned or non-equity?

The Club is member-owned but non-equity. Members own the club (it's "Florida's largest member-owned private club," bought from the developer in 2010), but the membership is structured as non-equity — there's no tradeable equity certificate returning a percentage of a sale. Confirm transfer/resignation mechanics with the Club.

How does the Club membership transfer when a Bonita Bay home is sold?

Because the Club is non-equity, membership handling on resale (transfer fees, conversions, whether it conveys) follows the Club's category rules, which live in the member-restricted bylaws. Confirm the current rules with the Club's membership office.

How many golf courses does Bonita Bay have?

Five 18-hole championship courses across two campuses: three Arthur Hills designs on the West Campus inside Bonita Bay (Bay Island, Marsh, Creekside) and two Tom Fazio designs on the East Campus in Naples (Cypress, Sabal). One membership covers both campuses.

Who designed the Bonita Bay golf courses?

Arthur Hills designed Bay Island, Marsh, and Creekside; Tom Fazio designed Cypress and Sabal. Fazio Design (Tom Marzolf) led the recent ~$16.5 million Sabal rebuild.

How many golf members does Bonita Bay Club have?

A reported cap of roughly 1,250 golf members. Confirm current membership and waitlist figures with the Club.

Are the Bonita Bay golf courses public? Can guests play?

No — the courses are private and member-owned, not public. Guest play is governed by Club guest policy.

What is the $110 million clubhouse project at Bonita Bay?

In May 2026, Club membership approved a $110 million, 140,000-square-foot clubhouse built in two phases on the main campus — featuring an expanded 55th Hole restaurant with a sushi bar, a Sunset Lounge, a rooftop bar with golf and Gulf views, a 360-seat ballroom, and three full-service kitchens. Member access continues throughout construction.

How much has the Club invested in renovations recently?

Since acquiring the Club in 2010, members have invested approximately $250 million in capital. That includes a recently completed ~$50 million two-campus renovation (a $16.5M Sabal rebuild, a $12M Naples clubhouse, new golf academy and fitting lab) and employee housing opened in November 2025 — before the newly approved $110 million clubhouse.

Marina, Boating, and Gulf Access

Does Bonita Bay have a marina?

Yes — the Bonita Bay Marina is a full-service, semi-private marina on the Imperial River, owned by a group of resident-investors, with direct access to Estero Bay and out to the Gulf.

How many boat slips does the Bonita Bay marina have?

The best-supported figures are 326 dry-storage spaces (boats up to 36 feet) and 98 wet slips (vessels up to 16,000 lbs). Some sources cite different counts; confirm current availability and any waitlist with the marina at (239) 495-3222.

What size boat can I keep at Bonita Bay Marina?

Dry storage accommodates boats up to about 36 feet; wet slips handle vessels up to 16,000 lbs. Note the hard 36-inch controlling draft — deeper-draft boats must dry-store or be kept elsewhere.

How much does a slip or dry storage cost at Bonita Bay Marina?

Published rates start around the high-$500s to high-$600s per month for the smallest dry and wet storage, scaling up by boat size and lift type. Confirm current rates directly with the marina, as the rate sheet updates.

Is there a waitlist for marina slips at Bonita Bay?

Availability and any waitlist vary — contact the marina directly at (239) 495-3222 to check current slip and dry-storage availability.

Does the marina have Gulf access?

Yes — it's a short run from the Imperial River out through Estero Bay to the Gulf. Note the 36-inch controlling draft governs what can use the marina.

Beach Park, Parks, and Trails

Does Bonita Bay have a private beach?

Yes — a private Gulf-front beach park on Little Hickory Island (not Estero Island), accessed by residents and their guests. It was totally destroyed by Hurricane Ian and has been rebuilt from the ground up, hurricane-hardened, and reopened. Access comes with property ownership through the POA, not with a Club membership.

Is there a beach shuttle in Bonita Bay?

Yes — a seasonal shuttle operates roughly November through April to ease parking at the private beach park. The beach is about ten minutes from the main gate.

What parks does Bonita Bay have?

Three onsite waterfront nature parks — Estero Bay Park (13 acres, an 800-foot mangrove boardwalk to a private pier, a Monarch butterfly waystation, 5,000-year-old shell mounds), Riverwalk Park (Imperial River boat ramp, kayak launch, bocce, pickleball, tennis), and Spring Creek Park (kayak/canoe launch, observation deck) — plus the Gulf-front private beach park.

How many miles of trails does Bonita Bay have?

About twelve miles of paved recreational pathways winding through preserves, mangrove estuaries, along the Imperial River, and alongside the community's rare north-to-south slough.

Can you kayak in Bonita Bay?

Yes — there are two onsite paddle launches (the Spring Creek kayak/canoe launch and the Riverwalk Park access on the Imperial River), with kayak/canoe storage at two of the nature parks.

Amenities and Lifestyle

What amenities does Bonita Bay offer?

Five golf courses, a sports center (Har-Tru tennis, ~15 pickleball courts, bocce, croquet), a 60,000-square-foot Lifestyle Center (fitness, spa, salon), multiple dining venues, the marina, the hurricane-hardened private beach, three nature parks, and ~12 miles of trails.

Does Bonita Bay have pickleball?

Yes — the Club's sports center has about 15 pickleball courts, and the POA's Riverwalk Park has additional renovated pickleball courts. The resident Pickleball Club is one of the three largest in the community.

How many tennis courts does Bonita Bay have?

Roughly 16–18 Har-Tru tennis courts at the Club's sports center (published counts vary — confirm the current count with the Club), plus renovated tennis courts at Riverwalk Park.

Does Bonita Bay have a fitness center and spa?

Yes — the 60,000-square-foot, three-story Lifestyle Center houses ~20,000 sq ft of Technogym fitness, group classes, and TPI/RacquetFit pros, plus a 9,000-square-foot spa and salon with seven treatment rooms, sauna, steam, whirlpool, barber, and full hair and nail services.

What restaurants and dining are in Bonita Bay?

On-property: the 55th Hole and Clubroom, the Breezeway Bar & Café, the Wave Café, and the marina's Backwater Jack's (open to all residents). At the gate, the Promenade adds Roy's, DeRomo's Gourmet Market, Molino's, and The Center Bar, among others.

Is Bonita Bay a Blue Zones community?

Yes — Bonita Bay is the largest gated community in Southwest Florida to earn a Blue Zones Recognized Community designation, and it ties its resident clubs to the Blue Zones "Power 9" longevity principles. Its Tavira tower was the first Blue Zones Project–certified residential building in Bonita Springs.

Are there resident clubs and social activities?

Yes — more than 30 resident interest clubs (the three biggest — Bocce, Pickleball, and the Bicycle Club — total over 1,000 members combined), plus a year-round POA Activities calendar of concerts, holiday events, lectures, and classes.

Comparisons

Bonita Bay vs. Pelican Landing — which is better?

Bonita Bay offers larger scale, a deeper club ecosystem, an on-site marina, five golf courses, and no CDD; Pelican Landing is more nature-focused with a private island beach reached by shuttle boat, a simpler structure — but it operates under a CDD, so its owners carry CDD line items on their tax bill that Bonita Bay owners don't. The "better" one depends on whether you prioritize the island-beach experience or the marina-and-five-course amenity depth.

Bonita Bay vs. Pelican Bay — which is better?

Pelican Bay offers roughly three miles of private Gulf beach with beach restaurants and tram access — a beach experience Bonita Bay can't match on scale. Bonita Bay differentiates with five golf courses, the private marina and boating, a hardened Gulf beach park, and often more accessible entry pricing.

Bonita Bay vs. Mediterra — which is better?

Mediterra offers two Fazio courses, European-style architecture, and an à-la-carte membership (golf bought separately from the real estate). Bonita Bay offers more product diversity, five courses across two campuses, and marina/boating.

Bonita Bay vs. The Brooks — which is better?

The Brooks is a larger-population, generally more value-priced master community (also a former Bonita Bay Group development) with a CDD. Bonita Bay is more luxury- and amenity-dense, with the marina, five courses, and no CDD.

Bonita Bay vs. West Bay Club — which is better?

West Bay Club features a Pete Dye course and a private beach club. Bonita Bay offers more golf (five courses), the on-site marina, and a broader product range.

What makes Bonita Bay different from other Bonita Springs / Naples communities?

The combination: 2,400 acres with half preserved, five golf courses across two campuses, an on-site Gulf-access marina, a hurricane-hardened private Gulf beach, twelve miles of trails, Blue Zones recognition, no CDD, and a price ladder from attainable condos to $25 million estates — under one gate.

Practical / Lifestyle / Logistics

Is Bonita Bay a 55+ or age-restricted community?

No. Bonita Bay is an all-ages master-planned community. It skews retiree- and snowbird-popular, but there is no age restriction, and families with children live here.

Is Bonita Bay gated and secure?

Yes — two staffed entrances (a main US-41 gate and a quieter north gate) operate around the clock, with QR-code guest entry, vehicle barcodes, and a roving Community Patrol.

Is Bonita Bay safe?

Bonita Bay is consistently rated as a very safe community — gated, staffed around the clock, and patrolled. As with any community, we can pull the most current local data for you.

What are the rental / leasing rules in Bonita Bay?

Leasing rules — minimum lease terms and caps on the number of rentals — vary by sub-village and condo association. Confirm the specific rules for any village you're considering before buying as an investment; we'll get them for you.

What's the pet policy in Bonita Bay?

Pet rules (number, size, breed limits) vary by sub-village association. At the community level, Bonita Bay is pet-friendly — pet water stations at all three nature parks and twelve miles of trails. Confirm the specific village's pet rules before offering.

How far is Bonita Bay from RSW airport?

About 26 minutes off-season (roughly 21 miles); budget toward ~45 minutes in peak winter season.

How far is Bonita Bay from Naples?

Downtown Naples (5th Avenue South) is about 15 miles south, roughly 20–25 minutes off-season via US-41 or I-75.

How far is Bonita Bay from the beach?

Bonita Beach and Barefoot Beach Preserve are roughly 12–20 minutes away by car; the community's own private beach park on Little Hickory Island is about ten minutes from the gate, with a seasonal shuttle.

What schools serve Bonita Bay?

Under Lee County's choice/proximity-zone system, the nearest commonly ranked schools are Spring Creek Elementary, Bonita Springs Middle Center for the Arts, and Bonita Springs High School. Placement requires application and is seat-dependent, not automatic by address. Strong private options exist 15–35 minutes north and south.

Where do Bonita Bay residents shop for groceries?

A Publix sits in Bonita Bay Plaza at the gate (2–4 minutes). The Fresh Market is ~5–8 minutes; Whole Foods at Mercato, Trader Joe's, and Seed to Table (Oakes Farms) are 15–22 minutes south.

Is Bonita Bay good for full-time living, retirement, or snowbirds?

All three. The Blue Zones wellness emphasis, the deep amenity set, the active resident-club culture, and easy RSW access support full-time, seasonal/snowbird, and retirement living equally well.

Risk, Insurance, and Hurricanes

Did Hurricane Ian damage Bonita Bay?

Yes — Ian (September 28, 2022) brought a ~12-foot surge. The private beach park was totally destroyed (and rebuilt hardened); the marina and bay/river waterfront took severe surge; the West Campus golf bridges were destroyed; the towers took wind/envelope damage but not surge flooding of residences; and the inland villages and Naples campus came through comparatively well.

Has Bonita Bay recovered from the hurricanes (Ian / Helene / Milton)?

Yes — the rebuild is essentially complete as of spring 2026. The beach park is rebuilt and reopened, the marina is fully operational, Bay Island golf reopened in 2023 with rebuilt bridges, and the towers are repaired and fully occupied. The POA also commissioned a Stantec vulnerability assessment for forward-looking resilience.

What flood zone is Bonita Bay in?

It varies by parcel — the zone is assigned per parcel, not per village. Bay-front, river-mouth, and marina-edge parcels are more likely AE/VE (high hazard); mid-community parcels are AE near water or shaded X; and inland villages near US-41 are more likely unshaded Zone X (minimal hazard). We pull the parcel-level determination on any specific home.

How much is flood insurance in Bonita Bay?

It depends entirely on the zone, elevation, and structure. Inland Zone X properties can be modest; AE/VE bay-front properties run much higher. An Elevation Certificate is the single biggest lever (each foot above the base flood elevation cuts premiums by nearly 50%). We'll get an estimate on any specific home.

Is Bonita Bay a CDD? Are there CDD fees?

No — Bonita Bay has no CDD and no special taxing district, verified against Lee County's official registry. You pay no CDD assessment on your tax bill — a real advantage over the Brooks, Pelican Landing (Bayside CDD), WildBlue, Saltleaf, and Babcock Ranch. The infrastructure was privately developer-funded in the 1980s.

What are property taxes like in Bonita Bay?

As a rough rule of thumb, Florida property taxes run around 1% of value annually (your actual millage and assessed value govern). Florida has no state income tax, and homestead exemptions apply to primary residences. Critically, Bonita Bay carries no CDD line items on top of the standard tax bill.

Is Bonita Bay a buyer's market or seller's market right now?

Market conditions shift — we'll give you the current read on absorption, inventory, and days-on-market for Bonita Bay specifically when you reach out, rather than a stale generalization. Tower and single-family conditions can differ.

Frequently Asked Questions — Seller Edition

Listing and Choosing an Agent

How do I sell my home in Bonita Bay?

The right process for a Bonita Bay home starts with correct, defensible pricing (same-building/same-view comps for a tower; right-village/right-frontage comps for a single-family), then luxury-grade marketing built for the product, then qualified-buyer outreach. Call or text Jesse at (239) 898-6072 and we'll walk you through the whole plan and prepare a real net-sheet.

Who is the best listing agent for Bonita Bay?

We'll let the record speak: McGreevy and Comisar are the #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012, Top 1% nationally since 2008, with over $2.5 billion in team sales and over $850 million in McGreevy-and-Comisar personal sales — and Jesse has been selling Bonita Bay for more than twenty years. That community-specific experience is exactly what a Bonita Bay listing needs.

Do I need a luxury specialist to sell my Bonita Bay home?

Yes — Bonita Bay transactions range from roughly $700K to $25M+, with tower condos, bay-front estates, and golf-frontage homes that each require different comps, different buyers, and different marketing. Experience with luxury and tower product is not optional in this market. It's exactly what we do.

What's the best Realtor to sell a Bonita Bay condo or tower unit?

Tower units are their own discipline — pricing hinges on building, floor, and view orientation, and the right buyer pool is specific. We price off same-building, same-view comps and reach the qualified-buyer database we've built over two decades. Call Jesse at (239) 898-6072.

Should I interview multiple agents to list in Bonita Bay?

Interviewing is smart — but ask each agent for their Bonita Bay-specific track record, their tower-vs-single-family pricing approach, and their actual marketing portfolio (video, drone, buyer database), not just a commission quote. We're confident you'll see the difference when you compare.

Valuation and Pricing

What is my Bonita Bay home worth?

Value depends on village, product type, floor and view (for towers), square footage, condition, and current absorption. The only accurate answer is a CMA built from the right comparable set. Get a free valuation in 60 seconds at /home-valuation-bonita-bay, or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072.

What is my Bonita Bay condo worth?

A tower condo's value hinges heavily on floor, view orientation (Gulf/bay versus golf/preserve), and recent comparable sales in the same building. A community-wide median is meaningless for your specific unit — we price off the right same-building comps.

How do I get a home valuation for a Bonita Bay property?

Two ways: use our free 60-second valuation tool at /home-valuation-bonita-bay, or call/text Jesse at (239) 898-6072 for a full, hand-built CMA with the exact comparable set for your village or tower.

How should I price a tower condo vs. a single-family home in Bonita Bay?

Tower condos price by building, floor, and view comps; single-family homes price by village, lot, and golf/water frontage and finish level. Using one to price the other is a common, expensive mistake — we price each on its own terms.

Are Bonita Bay home values going up or down?

The market moves, and tower and single-family segments can diverge. Rather than quote a stale figure, we'll pull the current trailing-12-month direction for your specific product type when you reach out — that's the only number that matters for your sale.

Timing and Market

How long does it take to sell a home in Bonita Bay?

It depends on product type, pricing, and presentation — well-priced, well-presented homes move faster, and cash buyers are common here, which can compress timelines. We'll give you a realistic, data-backed estimate for your specific village or tower.

Is now a good time to sell in Bonita Bay?

That depends on your specific product and the current inventory in your village or building — we'll pull the live absorption and competition for you so the decision is data-driven, not a guess.

What's the best time of year to list a home in Bonita Bay?

Season — roughly November through April — brings the most active snowbird and second-home buyers, which often makes it the strongest listing window. But the right timing also depends on your specific product and the current competition; we'll advise on the optimal window for your home.

How much inventory or competition is there for sellers in Bonita Bay?

It varies by village and building. We'll pull the current active competition for your exact product type and view tier so you know precisely what your home is up against before you list.

Cost to Sell and Net Proceeds

How much does it cost to sell a home in Bonita Bay?

Total selling costs commonly run in the high single digits as a percentage of sale price (commissions, closing costs, concessions), varying by deal. We'll build you an exact net-sheet for your specific situation.

What is the real estate commission to sell in Bonita Bay?

Commissions are negotiable and, since the 2024 commission-rule changes, structured differently than before. We'll explain exactly how it works for your sale and what you'll net — call Jesse at (239) 898-6072.

What will my net proceeds be when I sell my Bonita Bay home?

Your net is the sale price minus commissions, closing costs, any seller concessions, payoff of any liens or mortgages, prorated taxes and HOA, and any applicable assessments. We prepare a precise net-sheet so you know your actual proceeds before you list.

Is there a resale or capital reserve assessment when I sell in Bonita Bay?

The Resale Reserve Assessment is paid by the buyer at closing (reported as 0.5% of purchase price, capped at $10,000, effective January 1, 2024 — confirm the current figure in the POA docs). As the seller, it's worth understanding because it factors into a buyer's total cost; we'll account for it in positioning.

Club Membership in a Sale

Does my Bonita Bay Club membership transfer when I sell?

Handling depends on the Club's non-equity category rules (transfer fees, conversions, whether it conveys to the buyer). Confirm the current rules with the Club's membership office; we'll factor it into how we position the listing.

How is Club membership handled when selling a Bonita Bay home?

Because the Club is member-owned but non-equity, resale/transfer mechanics follow the Club's category rules. We coordinate with the Club's membership office on any listing where membership is in play so there are no surprises at closing.

Does having a Club membership help my Bonita Bay home sell faster or for more?

It can — given the multi-year golf waitlist, a membership-in-place (where the rules allow it to convey or transfer favorably) can be a genuine selling point to a buyer who wants to play right away. We'll position it accordingly after confirming the current transfer rules.

Marketing a Luxury Listing

How do you market a Bonita Bay luxury home?

With product-built marketing: cinematic video and drone, professional photography that captures the view (which in this market is the value), placement across the channels luxury buyers actually use, and direct outreach to our qualified-buyer database built over two decades in this market.

Can I sell my Bonita Bay home off-market or with discretion?

Yes. For sellers who want privacy, we can market a Bonita Bay home quietly to a vetted buyer pool rather than splashing it across every portal — an off-market or pre-market approach that protects your privacy while still reaching real buyers.

How do you reach qualified buyers for a multimillion-dollar Bonita Bay home?

Through a combination of our two-decade Bonita Bay buyer database, our relationships across the SWFL luxury market, targeted digital reach, and — for the right listings — discreet off-market outreach. We often know who's looking for your exact product before the home hits the open market.

Should I stage my Bonita Bay home before listing?

For luxury and tower product, presentation drives both price and speed. We'll advise on staging, light updates, and photography prep that deliver the best return for your specific home — sometimes that's full staging, sometimes targeted touches.

How do photos and video matter for selling a Bonita Bay tower condo?

Enormously. A tower condo's value is its view, and most listing media fails to convey it. Professional photography and cinematic video/drone that capture the Gulf, bay, golf, or preserve outlook from your specific floor are what separate a listing that sits from one that sells.

Seller Tax and Financial

Will I owe capital gains tax when I sell my Bonita Bay home?

Florida has no state capital-gains tax, but federal capital gains may apply — especially on second homes and investment properties, which don't qualify for the primary-residence exclusion. Consult a CPA for your specific situation; we'll connect you with one if you need it.

Can I do a 1031 exchange on my Bonita Bay property?

A 1031 exchange generally applies only to investment or business property — not a personal-use second home or primary residence — and strict 45-day and 180-day timelines apply. Confirm eligibility with a qualified intermediary or tax advisor.

How are capital gains handled on a Bonita Bay second home?

Second and vacation homes are typically taxed on gains without the primary-residence exclusion. A CPA can model your specific basis and gain; we recommend running the numbers before you list so there are no surprises.

What closing costs does a seller pay in Bonita Bay / Lee County?

Typical Florida seller closing costs include the documentary stamp tax on the deed, title-related fees, prorated property taxes and HOA, and commission. We'll itemize them in your net-sheet so you see your actual proceeds.

Sources and Authoritative References

The factual claims on this page trace to primary and authoritative sources — government registries, the community's own association and club, the developer, FEMA and Florida environmental agencies, recorded corporate records, and established news media. We cite no competitor real estate sites.

Community, association, and club (primary):

• Bonita Bay Community Association — Community Association overview: https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/community-association
• Bonita Bay Community Association — Style of Living: https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/style-of-living
• Bonita Bay Community Association — Vision: https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/vision
• Bonita Bay Community Association — The Parks of Bonita Bay: https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/the-parks-of-bonita-bay
• Bonita Bay Community Association — Private Beach: https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/private-beach
• Bonita Bay Community Association — Resident Clubs: https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/resident-clubs
• Bonita Bay Community Association — Realtor & Buyer Resources: https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/realtor-and-buyer-resources
• Bonita Bay Community Association — Marina & Backwater Jack's: https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/bonita-bay-marina-and-backwater-jacks
• Bonita Bay Community Association — Home: https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/
• Bonita Bay Community Association — Reserve referendum portal: https://www.bonitabayvotes.com/
• Bonita Bay Community Association — Gate Access user guide (PDF): https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/files/MOBILE%20DEVICE%20USER%20GUIDE%20TO%20GATE%20ACCESS.pdf
• Bonita Bay Community Association — Community Trails Map (PDF): https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/files/trails-map.pdf
• Bonita Bay Community Association — Awards & In the News (PDF): https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/files/Awards%20and%20In%20the%20News.pdf
• Bonita Bay Club — Our Community: https://www.bonitabayclub.net/our-community
• Bonita Bay Club — Lifestyle Center: https://www.bonitabayclub.net/lifestyle-center
• Bonita Bay Club — Dining: https://www.bonitabayclub.net/dining
• Bonita Bay Club — Hurricane Ian Update (Oct 2022): https://bonitabayclub.blog/2022/10/13/hurricane-ian-update/
• Bonita Bay Marina — About: https://www.bonitabaymarina.net/about-bonita-bay-marina

Developer, corporate records, and history:

• Urban Land Institute — Bonita Bay Development Case Study C029020: https://casestudies.uli.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/C029020.pdf
• Phoenix Bay Ventures / Bonita Bay Group — Our Legacy: https://phoenixbayventures.com/our-legacy/
• Phoenix Bay Ventures — Master-Planned Community Bonita Bay: https://phoenixbayventures.com/our-legacy/master-planned-community-bonita-bay/
• Phoenix Bay Ventures — Awards: https://phoenixbayventures.com/our-legacy/awards/
• Business Observer — "Shaped by Recession" (Bonita Bay Group history, Apr 2011): https://www.businessobserverfl.com/news/2011/apr/01/shaped-recession/
• Business Observer — Members buy the Club from developer (Apr 2010): https://www.businessobserverfl.com/news/2010/apr/02/bonita-bay-club-members-buy-club-real-estate-developer/
• Bonita Springs Utilities — History: https://bsu.us/history/
• The Ronto Group — Omega, the final high-rise at Bonita Bay: https://www.ronto.com/one-luxurious-penthouse-remains-available-at-omega-the-final-high-rise-at-bonita-bay/
• Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) — Bonita Bay Community Association, Inc. (N07041): https://search.sunbiz.org/
• Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) — Bonita Bay Club, Inc. (N09000004567): https://search.sunbiz.org/

Governance, districts, and the CDD verification:

• Lee County — Special Districts registry: https://www.leegov.com/bocc/specialdistricts
• Florida Special District Accountability Program — Official List of Special Districts: https://floridajobs.org/community-planning-and-development/special-districts/special-district-accountability-program/official-list-of-special-districts
• Class-action coverage (2009 member lawsuit, via CCFJ): https://www.ccfj.net/HOAFLBBCgolfcourse1.html
• Lee County Clerk — Official Records search: https://www.leeclerk.org/departments/official-records-services/search-official-records

Club renovation and clubhouse ($50M + $110M):

• First Call Golf — $110M clubhouse approval (May 4, 2026): https://www.firstcallgolf.com/industry-news/release/2026-05-04/bonita-bay-club-membership-approves-110-million-clubhouse-transformational-project
• First Call Golf — $50M two-campus renovation unveiled (Dec 17, 2024): https://www.firstcallgolf.com/industry-news/release/2024-12-17/bonita-bay-club-unveils-renovated-naples-campus-golf-course-clubhouse
• Business Observer — SWFL golf club to build clubhouse (May 2026): https://www.businessobserverfl.com/news/2026/may/05/swfl-golf-club-build-clubhouse/
• Golf Course Architecture — Fazio Design begins Sabal renovation: https://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/fazio-design-begins-sabal-renovation-at-bonita-bay-club
• Golf Course Architecture — Bay Island renovation/restoration: https://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/bonita-bay-renovates-and-restores-bay-island-course
• Club + Resort Business — $6.6M Bay Island renovation: https://clubandresortbusiness.com/bonita-bay-club-plans-6-6m-bay-island-course-renovation/

Hurricane, flood, and insurance:

• City of Bonita Springs — Flood Protection Information: https://www.cityofbonitasprings.org/services___departments/communications_department/emergency_resources/flood_protection_information
• Lee County — Flood zones: https://www.leegov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement/plan/floodinfo/floodzones
• Lee County — Flood Insurance Study (FIS 12071CV001D): https://www.leegov.com/dcd/Documents/Flood/FIS/12071CV001D.pdf
• Lee County — CRS / flood-insurance discounts: https://www.leegov.com/dcd/flood/firm/insurance/discounts
• FEMA Map Service Center (FIRM panels): https://msc.fema.gov
• WGCU — FEMA flood-map revisions (Jan 2026): https://www.wgcu.org/environment/2026-01-27/the-fundamental-purpose-for-femas-flood-maps-and-revisions
• Tampa Bay Times — Ian storm surge, Bonita Springs / Little Hickory Island: https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2022/09/29/hurricane-ian-lee-county-storm-surge-bonita-springs-beach-tsunami-multimillion-dollar-homes-little-hickory-island/
• City of Bonita Springs — Tropical Storm Milton: https://www.cityofbonitasprings.org/services___departments/communications_department/tropical_storm_milton
• Stantec — Bonita Bay Community Association Vulnerability Assessment: https://www.stantec.com/en/projects/united-states-projects/b/bonita-bay-community-association-vulnerability-assessment
• Florida Statute 627.714 (condo loss-assessment coverage): https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699%2F0627%2FSections%2F0627.714.html
• Citizens Property Insurance — Residential policies: https://www.citizensfla.com/-/residential-policies

Schools, healthcare, drive times, grocery:

• School District of Lee County — Student Enrollment Plan (proximity/choice zones): https://www.leeschools.net/common/pages/GetFile.ashx?key=qPgDDFQL
• School District of Lee County — School Zones page: https://www.leeschools.net/our_district/departments/academic_services/student_enrollment/school_zones
• WGCU — 2024-2025 school grades (Lee = B, Collier = A): https://www.wgcu.org/education/2025-07-09/school-grades-issued-lee-county-maintains-b-rating-mostly-as-bs-for-others-in-southwest-florida
• NCH — Bonita Springs Freestanding Emergency Department: https://locations.nchmd.org/fl/bonita-springs/nch-bonita-springs-freestanding-emergency-department
• Lee Health — Coconut Point campus: https://www.leehealth.org/locations/find-a-location/coconut-point
• Lee Health — Gulf Coast Medical Center / trauma center: https://www.leehealth.org/locations/find-a-location/trauma-emergency-center-gulf-coast-medical-center
• Publix — Bonita Bay Plaza store: https://www.publix.com/locations/1325-bonita-bay-plaza

Environmental, civic pipeline, and area context:

• Florida DEP — Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve: https://floridadep.gov/rcp/aquatic-preserve/locations/estero-bay-aquatic-preserve
• Blue Zones — Tavira at Bonita Bay certified: https://www.bluezones.com/news/tavira-bonita-bay-certified/
• Blue Zones — Eight Florida communities first to achieve certification: https://www.bluezones.com/news/eight-florida-communities-first-to-achieve-blue-zones-community-certification-in-southeast-us/
• SWFL Roads (FDOT) — US 41 at Bonita Beach Road PD&E (444321-1): https://www.swflroads.com/project/444321-1
• SWFL Roads (FDOT) — Old 41 four-lane widening PD&E (435110-1): https://www.swflroads.com/project/435110-1
• Lee County — DCI Planned Development Applications Under Review: https://www.leegov.com/dcd/rpts/Documents/DCIUnderReview.pdf
• WGCU — Bonita Springs development politics (Revana Lakes): https://www.wgcu.org/government-politics/2025-10-17/plans-advance-on-controversial-new-bonita-springs-development
• Gulfshore Business — Coconut Point hospital preliminary approval: https://www.gulfshorebusiness.com/coconut-point-hospital-gets-preliminary-approval/
• Florida YIMBY — Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay (Saltleaf): https://floridayimby.com/2025/03/the-ritz-carlton-residences-estero-bay-south-tower-tops-out-at-22-stories-in-bonita-springs.html
• Promenade at Bonita Bay — Shop directory: https://promenadeshops.com/directory/
• Gulfshore Life — Promenade at Bonita Bay: https://gulfshorelife.com/locations/promenade-bonita-bay/
• Hotwire Communications — Fiber-to-the-Home: https://hotwirecommunications.com/what-we-do/fiber-to-the-home

Downloadable Documents and Public Records We Cite

These are the public-record and authoritative documents behind this page. This first pass cites public records only; member-restricted club governing documents (bylaws, the exact current dues schedule) are confirmed directly with the Club's membership office rather than hosted.

• Bonita Bay Community Association — Complete Community Map (PDF): https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/files/complete-map.pdf — the official map of all 58 neighborhoods.
• Bonita Bay Community Trails Map (PDF): https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/files/trails-map.pdf — a labeled map of the ~12-mile path network and the three nature parks.
• BBCA Gate Access User Guide (PDF): https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/files/MOBILE%20DEVICE%20USER%20GUIDE%20TO%20GATE%20ACCESS.pdf — QR-code guest entry and vehicle-barcode mechanics.
• BBCA Open House Guidelines (PDF): https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/files/Open%20House%20Guidelines%20-%20New%20Version.pdf — the POA's rules for showings and open houses inside the gates.
• BBCA Awards & In the News (PDF): https://www.bonitabayresidents.com/files/Awards%20and%20In%20the%20News.pdf — the community's awards and press history.
• ULI Development Case Study — Bonita Bay (C029020, 1999, PDF): https://casestudies.uli.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/C029020.pdf — the authoritative master-plan document (land-use budget, unit counts, DRI/PUD history).
• Lee County Special Districts Registry: https://www.leegov.com/bocc/specialdistricts — the official county list confirming Bonita Bay has no CDD.
• Lee County Flood Insurance Study (FIS 12071CV001D, PDF): https://www.leegov.com/dcd/Documents/Flood/FIS/12071CV001D.pdf — the FIS report accompanying the effective FIRM.
• FEMA Map Service Center (FIRM panels): https://msc.fema.gov — parcel-level flood-zone determinations.
• Sunbiz corporate records — Bonita Bay Community Association, Inc. (N07041) and Bonita Bay Club, Inc. (N09000004567), via https://search.sunbiz.org/
• 2009 Member Class-Action Complaint (PDF, historical): https://www.ccfj.net/HOAFLBBCgolfcourselawsuitdoc.pdf — the filed complaint behind the 2010 member buyout.
• Lee County School District Student Enrollment Plan (PDF): https://www.leeschools.net/common/pages/GetFile.ashx?key=qPgDDFQL — the proximity/choice-zone enrollment rules.
• FDOT US 41 at Bonita Beach Road PD&E (project portal): https://www.swflroads.com/project/444321-1 — the approved intersection-improvement design.

Want any of these pulled and applied to a specific property — the flood-zone determination, the village fee schedule, the building's reserves and SIRS status, or the school proximity zone? Call or text Jesse at (239) 898-6072 or Marc at (239) 287-5873, or email [email protected]. Office: 24031 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 101, Bonita Springs, FL 34135.