Brightwater

Updated October 2026 · Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, Domain Realty

McGreevy and Comisar are the team Brightwater sellers call first, and the team buyers call when they want the two CDD bills, the lagoon membership rules and the flood map for the exact lot explained before they write an offer. Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar lead the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012, have been among the Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, and carry over $900 million in personal sales. If you are comparing the best real estate agents in Fort Myers, ask each one to show you the recorded sales, not a portal estimate.

Brightwater is a gated, master-planned lagoon community in North Fort Myers, Florida, with a ZIP 33917 address in unincorporated Lee County. It sits on both sides of Pritchett Parkway, 2.4 miles north of I-75 Exit 143, and was developed by Metro Development Group of Tampa around a swimmable man-made lagoon (Metro Development Group, Brightwater community brochure, February 2025). Lee County zoned the lagoon as a country club with limited public access in Resolution Z-22-015, adopted August 17, 2022. Lennar built the east side and its page now reads sold out; D.R. Horton is building the west side, including a gated 55+ section called The Shores at Brightwater.

Three facts decide value here, and most listing pages get at least one wrong. First, Brightwater has two Community Development Districts, not one: the Stoneybrook North CDD bills the east-side homes that have already closed at $3,103.98 to $4,826.10 a year for fiscal 2027 (Stoneybrook North CDD, FY2027 Adopted Budget), while the Brightwater CDD covers the west side at $2,789.14 to $3,984.48 for its developed lot classes (Brightwater CDD, FY2027 Adopted Budget). Second, the lagoon is a club with public tickets: the county's conditions require a resident membership with every home, and the operator also sells day tickets to anyone. Third, most Brightwater homes were sold directly by the builder and never reached the MLS, so the county's recorded sales, 86 qualified sales in the latest 12 months at a median of $392,500, are the honest price record.

This guide is built from Lee County's zoning resolutions and Hearing Examiner record, the two districts' own budgets and agenda packets, the Lee County Property Appraiser's recorded-sale files, FEMA's flood map service, the Florida Division of Corporations and the operator's and builders' own sites. Every figure carries its source and date. Where a record is not public, we say so and name the document that holds it. Our community guides to Heritage Landing and Sandoval follow the same approach.

For Brightwater specifically, read our Brightwater seller guide, check our Brightwater home valuation page for what your home is worth, or see our Brightwater buyer guide before you write an offer.

Why McGreevy and Comisar Are the Best Realtor for Brightwater

McGreevy and Comisar price Brightwater homes on the records that move them: 86 recorded closings in the latest 12 months, the two CDD bills by lot width, the lagoon membership rules and the FEMA map for the address. The team has been #1 in Southwest Florida since 2012 and Top 1% nationally since 2008.

If you're searching for the best realtor for Brightwater, whether you're ready to sell your Brightwater home or buy your next one, McGreevy and Comisar is the team that delivers. We lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012, Top 1% Nationally since 2008, with $900 million in personal sales between Jesse and Marc. As the leaders of Domain Realty Group our team has closed over $2.5 billion in real estate, and the team ranks as the #5 real estate team in Florida (RealTrends 2026). Every Brightwater valuation we write starts from the county's recorded sales for the same plat and builder, not a portal estimate.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser files dated October 4, 2026, indexed October 7, 2026; newest recorded sale September 10, 2026).

Recent Brightwater market data, from the county record. In the last 12 months we tracked 86 Brightwater closings in the Lee County Property Appraiser's recorded-sale file (DOR-qualified, improved sales of $100,000 or more, recorded from October 2025 through September 10, 2026): $33,907,659 in dollar volume, a median of $392,500, and a range of $275,000 to $597,934. Of the 86, 65 were first sales from the builder at a median of $398,500, all in Brightwater Phase 3, and 21 were resales at a median of $315,000.

On the Southwest Florida MLS (Matrix, pulled October 11, 2026), 48 Brightwater homes closed in the 12 months to October 11, 2026, 39 of them under the Brightwater Lagoon development on Lennar's east side and 9 under Brightwater, at a median of $385,000, a median of 67.5 days on market and a median sale-to-list ratio of 97.4 percent. On October 11, 2026 the MLS showed 33 Brightwater homes for sale, 20 of them in The Shores at Brightwater, at a median list price of $399,999. The county recorded 86 qualified sales in a comparable 12 months, so many builder sales never ran through the MLS, and every other sale figure on this page comes from the Lee County Property Appraiser's recorded, DOR-qualified sales (data through September 10, 2026).

Honors and recognition:

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and their Domain Realty Group team have sold over $2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over $900 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

McGreevy and Comisar is a top-reviewed Brightwater realtor on Google. We publish no aggregate score; these are five-star reviews in the clients' own words.

★★★★★ "So knowledgeable! You can tell they truly have a high level of expertise and were incredibly professional from start to finish." Verified Google review

★★★★★ "Their attention to detail communication and dedication was known the moment we spoke. Would highly recommend." Verified Google review

Selling your Brightwater home? Get a free home valuation at mcgreevyandcomisar.com/home-valuation-brightwater or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072, and read our Brightwater seller guide for how we market a home here.

Buying a home in Brightwater? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 for a personalized buyer consultation, or read our Brightwater buyer guide and how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida.

Key Takeaways: What Should Brightwater Buyers and Sellers Know?

Brightwater buyers and sellers should know eight record-backed facts before they price, tour or list: who bills them, what sold, which flood zone the lot sits in, and who owns the lagoon. Each point below links to the section of this guide that proves it, and each figure carries its date.

• 86 recorded sales in 12 months, median $392,500. Resales ran at a median of $315,000 and builder-direct sales at $398,500 (Lee County Property Appraiser, to September 10, 2026). See the market snapshot.
• Two CDDs, not one. The Stoneybrook North CDD bills the east side and the Brightwater CDD bills the west, with fiscal 2027 assessments from $2,789.14 to $4,826.10 a year by lot class. See who governs Brightwater.
• Lennar is sold out; D.R. Horton is building the west side. Lennar's community page reads sold out (October 10, 2026), and the CDD's preliminary offering document expects Phase 4 closings from December 2027. See who is still building.
• The lagoon is a club with public tickets. It is about six acres (the operator's own page says about five), it comes with every home under the county's conditions, and the operator also sells day tickets to the public. See the lagoon.
• The zoning cap is 1,475 homes. Lee County Resolution Z-22-015 allows 885 single-family units plus 590 senior units on 741.22 acres, and the two CDDs' plans of 679 and 797 units add to 1,476 by our arithmetic. See the master plan.
• Every sampled Brightwater address is FEMA Zone X. The sampled points on all three plats sit outside the Special Flood Hazard Area (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, queried October 10, 2026), and a FEMA map revision took effect June 30, 2026. See the flood zone.
• Resales on older, smaller homes are where the market is softest. Ten of the 13 resales of 1,427 to 1,747 square foot homes closed between $275,000 and $325,000 in the last 12 months. See the resale table.
• Taxes run through the Bayshore Fire district. The 2025 adopted rate is 14.4125 mills, and our worked example for a $399,000 Phase 3 home comes to about $804 to $871 a month before insurance. See the fee stack.

Table of Contents

This Brightwater guide is organized so a seller or a buyer can jump straight to the record that answers the question: recorded sales and resales, the history and the 2022 rezoning, the builders, the two community development districts and the fee stack, the neighborhoods, the lagoon and its public tickets, flood zones and insurance, schools and drive times, the comparison with Babcock Ranch, and the buyer and seller FAQs.

• Why McGreevy and Comisar Are the Best Realtor for Brightwater
• Key Takeaways: What Should Brightwater Buyers and Sellers Know?
• What Is Brightwater, and Where Exactly Is It?
• What Is It Like to Live in Brightwater?
• Brightwater Real Estate Market Snapshot: What Are Homes Selling For?
• How Did Brightwater Come to Be?
• What Does the Brightwater Master Plan Allow, and What Is Built?
• Who Builds in Brightwater? Lennar, D.R. Horton and the Others
• Who Governs Brightwater? The Two CDDs, the Master HOA and the Club
• What Does It Cost to Own in Brightwater? The Fee Stack
• What Are the Neighborhoods Inside Brightwater?
• What Is Brightwater Lagoon, and How Does It Work?
• Is Brightwater Lagoon Open to the Public? Tickets, Rules and Reviews
• What Other Amenities Does Brightwater Have?
• How Does Brightwater Handle Hurricanes?
• What Flood Zone Is Brightwater In?
• What Does Insurance Cost for a Brightwater Home?
• What Schools Serve Brightwater?
• Where Is the Nearest Hospital to Brightwater?
• How Far Is Brightwater From Fort Myers, the Airport and the Beaches?
• What Is Being Built Near Brightwater?
• What Should Buyers Know About Brightwater Logistics?
• What Events Bring Brightwater Together?
• How Does Brightwater Compare With Other North Fort Myers New-Home Communities?
• Brightwater vs Babcock Ranch: Which Is Right for You?
• Is Anyone Still Building in Brightwater?
• What Are the Pros and Cons of Living in Brightwater?
• Thinking of Selling Your Brightwater Home? List With the #1 Team in Southwest Florida Since 2012
• Your Local Real Estate Experts
• Frequently Asked Questions: Buyer Edition
• Frequently Asked Questions: Seller Edition
• Sources and Authoritative References
• Downloadable Documents

What Is Brightwater, and Where Exactly Is It?

Brightwater is a gated, master-planned lagoon community zoned for up to 1,475 homes on 741 acres in unincorporated North Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida, ZIP 33917. It spans both sides of Pritchett Parkway, 2.4 miles north of I-75 Exit 143, and Metro Development Group built it around a swimmable man-made lagoon.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Resolution Z-22-015, both districts' agenda packets, Lee County GIS and the Metro Development Group brochure).

The short answer

Brightwater is a 741.22-acre residential planned development that Lee County first rezoned in 2004 and that Metro Development Group, a Tampa developer founded in 2003, has been building out since 2019 through its land entity, North Brook Holdings, LLC. The Florida Division of Corporations lists that company as document L07000116661, filed November 19, 2007, at 2502 N Rocky Point Drive, Suite 1050, Tampa, the same suite Metro publishes as its headquarters. The county's Hearing Examiner listed the location as "Both sides of Pritchett Parkway, North of the I-75/Bayshore Road interchange" in the Bayshore planning community (Lee County Hearing Examiner Recommendation, July 21, 2022).

North Fort Myers is the postal community, but the land lies outside any city, so there is no municipal property tax. Its signature feature is Brightwater Lagoon at 8630 Sunny Page Lane, covered in full in the lagoon section. Lennar built the east side's homes and its page reads "Brightwater Lagoon is now sold out" (Lennar, Brightwater Lagoon, October 10, 2026). D.R. Horton is building the west side, including the gated 55+ section The Shores at Brightwater (D.R. Horton, The Shores at Brightwater, October 10, 2026).

How big is Brightwater? Acres and homes

The enforceable number is 1,475 homes on 741.22 acres, and every other figure you will read is a request, a plan or a press rounding. The table lines them up with the date and the thing each one measures.

The two district plans add to 679 plus 797, or 1,476, which reconciles with the 1,475 cap to within one unit; that arithmetic is ours, and neither district claims it. The lagoon parcel sits outside both districts, in the preliminary offering document's words "adjacent to the District and the Stoneybrook North CDD, but outside the boundaries" (Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026).

Of the 411 built homes on the county roll, 255 are on North Brook Phase One (built 2020 to 2023), 137 on Brightwater Phase 3 (2024 to 2026) and 19 on the west plat. The Stoneybrook North district's May 2026 count of 398 lots closed with homebuyers and the county's 392 builder-direct qualified sales on the two east-side plats agree within about 1.5 percent, even though the dates and definitions differ.

Three names for one community

The same land has carried three older names besides Brightwater in county records, and each one still turns up in a different document. Lee County rezoned the 741.22 acres from AG-2, CPD and RVPD zoning to a residential planned development (RPD) in Resolution Z-02-070 (case DCI2001-00038) as Heritage Creek, "aka Stoneybrook" (Lee County zoning case DCI2001-00038, resolution dated February 16, 2004). The county's own planned-development layer still labels the polygon Heritage Creek (Lee County GIS, DCD Zoning layer).

Stoneybrook North followed: it is the name on the east-side district, established by Ordinance 14-23 on December 16, 2014 (Lee County Ordinance 14-23), and it is the name your tax bill will carry. On the 2025 Lee County Tax Collector bills we pulled, a Phase 3 lot on Marlin Kite Lane shows a non-ad valorem line for "STONEYBROOK NORTH CDD" (Lee County Tax Collector). North Brook appears in a 2008 extension request and on the first recorded plat, North Brook Phase One, instrument 2019000172912. Brightwater came with the 2017 petition for the west-side district and was formalized in the 2022 resolution, whose master concept plan is titled "Brightwater RPD F/K/A, Stoneybrook North" (Lee County Resolution Z-22-015). The drift continues: the county filed a 2024 deviation as "Heritage Creek (Bright Water Phase 6)" (Lee County zoning case ADD2024-00183).

North Brook Phase One is Brightwater. Z-22-015 counts its 258 existing units inside the 1,475 cap, the Brightwater Master Homeowners Association sued a North Brook Phase One lot owner in Lee County case 24-CA-004907 (Business Observer legal notice, December 13, 2024), and Metro's lagoon announcement page, first posted April 22, 2016, lists the community address as 1 Cascade Price Circle, a street on that plat (Metro Development Group). Streets also cross plat lines: Marlin Kite Lane carries homes from North Brook Phase One (18509) and from Brightwater Phase 3 (18713) in the county roll.

Not the other Brightwaters

Several nearby names are not this community, and mixing them up sends buyers to the wrong flood map and the wrong tax bill.

• Bright Water on Sanibel is a separate subdivision in Lee County's GIS records, on the island, not in North Fort Myers.
• Brightwaters, New York is a village on Long Island and has no connection to Florida.
• Bridgewater Drive is a street inside Brightwater's west plat, where D.R. Horton lists homes such as 8316 Bridgewater Drive.
• Brightwater II is D.R. Horton's internal web address for The Shores at Brightwater, not a second community.
• Bayshore Ranch and Crane Landing are separate Lennar communities in North Fort Myers, with their own pages (Lennar, Bayshore Ranch; Lennar, Crane Landing).

East side and west side of Pritchett Parkway

Pritchett Parkway divides Brightwater into two halves with different builders, different districts and different bills. The east side holds the lagoon and the Lennar neighborhoods; the west side holds the D.R. Horton neighborhoods and the 55+ section.

Sources: Stoneybrook North CDD and Lee County Ordinance 25-20 for the east side; Brightwater CDD Ordinance 18-02 and the May 26, 2026 agenda packet for the west side; Lee County Property Appraiser roll, October 4, 2026, for the built-home counts. By D.R. Horton's October 10, 2026 listings and Metro's August 2026 site map, west-side homes are now being sold; the county file shows no qualified sale on the west plat through September 10, 2026.

The side matters because the district matters. On the 2025 Tax Collector bills we pulled, a D.R. Horton lot on Lagoon Reach Lane carried a "BRIGHTWATER CDD" line, while the Marlin Kite Lane lot carried "STONEYBROOK NORTH CDD". A buyer should never assume the district from a street name. Check the parcel's bill, and read who governs Brightwater and what it costs to own here.

Getting there from I-75 Exit 143

Metro's directions are short: "Take I-75 to Exit 143 East onto FL-78/Bayshore Rd. Go 0.1 miles, turn north onto Pritchett Pkwy, and Brightwater is 2.4 miles ahead" (Metro Development Group, Brightwater brochure, February 2025; the August 2026 brochure gives the same route). We computed the route from the lagoon to the Exit 143 on-ramp at about 1.7 miles and 5 minutes of free-flow driving, and to Pritchett Parkway at Bayshore Road at 1.4 miles and 4 minutes, using OpenStreetMap routing on October 10, 2026. Those are our estimates, not quoted travel times, and the full table is in the drive-time section.

Exit 143 is Bayshore Road, State Road 78, which the Florida Department of Transportation calls an emergency evacuation route and east-west arterial. FDOT is studying a four-lane widening and a diverging diamond interchange at I-75; neither was funded for design or construction as of May 2023 (FDOT SR 78 PD&E presentation, May 2023), and we cover the corridor in what is being built nearby. For the wider city picture, see our North Fort Myers guide.

Which county services answer for this address?

Brightwater's services come from county and special-district providers, not a city. Lee County's GIS layers place the lagoon and sampled lots in the Bayshore Fire Protection and Rescue District, Station 131 at 17350 Nalle Road (Lee County GIS, Public Safety layer), the Lee County Sheriff's first district, zone 12, and Lee County Electric Cooperative territory (Lee County GIS, Boundaries layer). Water is in the Lee County Utilities franchise area and wastewater in the Florida Governmental Utility Authority's. The fire district also sets the tax district: Brightwater parcels are in Lee County tax district 202, Bayshore Fire, not the North Fort Myers Fire district (Lee County Property Appraiser, 2025 millage book). Schools, hospitals and logistics each have their own sections below.

What Is It Like to Live in Brightwater?

Living in Brightwater means a gated community of newer homes arranged around a swimmable lagoon, with trails, a tot lot and a dog park instead of a golf course or marina. Families fill the east side, a gated 55+ section is rising on the west side, and the lagoon draws paying visitors alongside residents.

Data updated: October 2026 (Metro Development Group, MetroLagoons, Lee County GIS and U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, as cited).

A weekday

Most days start and end at a gate. The Stoneybrook North district publishes a resident access form for its gated community, with gate transmitters or four-digit codes (Stoneybrook North (Brightwater East) CDD, resident access form), and Metro describes remote and call-in visitor access (Metro Development Group, community amenities). The west-side district's fiscal 2027 budget carries $12,000 for gate maintenance, $27,000 for security cameras and $8,000 for key fobs and entry (Brightwater CDD, FY2027 Adopted Budget), which is what the gate side of daily life costs.

Inside, Metro lists sidewalks, paved paths and natural trails "that cover several miles", Streetleaf solar streetlights that dim when streets are quiet, and a tot lot and a dog park (Metro Development Group, community amenities); its brochure also lists EV cart paths (Metro Development Group, Brightwater brochure). Lennar tells buyers the community events are "minutes away on your golf cart" (Lennar, Brightwater Lagoon). Lee County's development-order record shows a tot lot permit issued October 14, 2024 and a Phase 3 dog park permit withdrawn on August 20, 2024, while Metro's current map still shows a dog park, so confirm on a visit which one is open (Lee County Development Orders layer).

Errands and school runs are short drives, not walks. We computed about 10 minutes and 4.5 miles to the nearest Publix, on Bayshore Road at Bayshore Commons, and about 9 minutes and 3.8 miles to The Bayshore School, a K-8 campus on Williams Road, using OpenStreetMap routing on October 10, 2026; retail addresses come from OpenStreetMap and should be confirmed on Publix's store locator. School zoning is address-specific, and what schools serve Brightwater shows the district's own lookup result. There is no LeeTran bus stop within three miles of the community in the county's stop layer, so Brightwater is car-dependent (Lee County GIS, LeeTran layer). For scale, the U.S. Census Bureau puts the mean commute for the North Fort Myers census area at 28.4 minutes (Census QuickFacts, North Fort Myers CDP, 2020 to 2024).

A lagoon Saturday

On the October 10, 2026 operator page, the lagoon showed operating hours of 11 AM to 9 PM, water hours of 11 AM to 6 PM and a bar open to 9 PM, with a note that the water can close before the park does (MetroLagoons, Brightwater Lagoon). Hours change by season, so check the operator's calendar. Southwest Florida Family's parent guide suggests arriving at 11 a.m. for fewer crowds and budgeting $20 to $30 per person for food, and reports that lifeguards send a group onto the obstacle course every 30 minutes with life jackets required (Southwest Florida Family, Brightwater Lagoon with kids, June 9, 2026).

Residents get a free Resident Member Card for each resident aged 14 and older, shown with a photo ID at each visit, and the operator warns that capacity limits and blackout dates may apply (MetroLagoons, Resident Member Card). Resident members also get member-only events such as fitness classes, live music and trivia (MetroLagoons, Members). The October 2026 calendar listed trivia on October 15, line dancing on October 16, live music on October 24 and a movie on the turf on October 26.

Weekends are shared with the public. The county's conditions require a resident membership with every home, limit non-resident reservations by parking, and set aside at least 33 percent of the lagoon lot for residents (Lee County Resolution Z-22-015, Condition 34). Guests pay for tickets, parking is free, there are no lifeguards in the free-swim areas, children under 14 need an adult, and glass, coolers and pets are not allowed (MetroLagoons, Rules and FAQ). Who else is at the beach on a given Saturday is part of the deal, and the public access section covers tickets and rules in full.

Home types by side (55+ west side, all-ages east)

The east side has no age restriction and the larger floor plans. Lennar's plans run from the 3-bedroom, 1,849 square foot Venice to the 5-bedroom, 3,283 square foot Sorrento (Lennar, Brightwater Lagoon, October 10, 2026). On North Brook Phase One, the county's area figure has a median of 1,828 square feet and a range of 1,427 to 3,364, and the roll counts 133 three-bedroom homes, 95 four-bedroom, 15 two-bedroom, 9 five-bedroom and 3 six-bedroom (Lee County Property Appraiser, October 4, 2026).

The west side is where the 55+ living is. D.R. Horton markets The Shores at Brightwater as a gated 55+ community of one-story single-family and attached villa homes from 1,503 square feet, with its own clubhouse, fitness center, pool, pickleball courts and dog park (D.R. Horton, The Shores at Brightwater). The zoning behind it limits 590 units to senior adult housing and requires a recorded declaration of covenants (Condition 33 of Resolution Z-22-015). The Shores has its own association, The Shores at Brightwater Homeowners Association, Inc., Florida Sunbiz document N23000002018, filed February 23, 2023.

Census figures describe the area around Brightwater, not Brightwater itself. The North Fort Myers census area counted 42,719 residents in 2020, up from 39,407 in 2010; 45.8 percent are 65 or older and 11.2 percent are under 18, the owner-occupied rate is 85.7 percent, and median household income is $56,261 (Census QuickFacts, North Fort Myers CDP).Brightwater's first homes closed in 2020, so no published statistic profiles its households; Lennar's resource center does feature Brightwater Lagoon among lifestyle communities for seasonal residents (Lennar Resource Center, February 15, 2026).

What residents praise and what they complain about

Public ratings describe the lagoon as an attraction, which is a different question from whether a neighborhood is a good place to live, but they are the only large sample of firsthand comments. Here is the snapshot as of October 10, 2026.

The praise is consistent. Reviewers on TripAdvisor describe clear water, white sand, a large obstacle course and slides run with lifeguards and life jackets, mini golf, clean grounds and friendly staff, and say weekdays are less crowded and cheaper, with one December 2025 reviewer likening the water to "the French Polynesian Islands". The complaints are consistent too: a no-refund policy that allows one free reschedule and then charges $5 for each further change (MetroLagoons, Rules and FAQ), slow customer-service replies reported in April, June and October 2026, long food-truck waits and high food prices (the operator's October 2026 menu lists a hot dog at $12 and a burger at $16), summer crowds, and an August 2026 review speaking for residents who pay the monthly lagoon fee and are unhappy about crowds and attire enforcement.

Public forum threads about Brightwater ask different questions: whether Lennar builds well, whether drainage is a problem, whether fees will keep rising and whether a lagoon community stays financially stable. Those are questions, not findings, and no post can be verified from its text alone, so we do not repeat any of them as fact. We answer them with records: the district budgets in the fee stack, the FEMA map in the flood zone section, the builder's sell-out in who is still building and the recorded sales in the market snapshot.

The first-hand note

When we walk a Brightwater buyer through a home, the first thing we open is not the kitchen. It is the tax bill, because the CDD line on it tells you which of the two districts you belong to and what your lot width costs you each year. The second is the lagoon paperwork: the operator's Members page says that if you rent out your home, the owner must relinquish lagoon access, and the published fee sheets describe a $2,000 initiation fee paid at the builder's closing, but we found no published rule for what applies on a resale, so we ask for the recorded club plan and the association's estoppel certificate before an offer. The third is the flood zone determination for the lot. Buyers who start there make faster, calmer offers. A Brightwater buyer who wants that walk-through can call Marc at (239) 287-5873, and an owner who wants a price can call Jesse at (239) 898-6072.

Selling or buying in Brightwater? Talk to us before you price it

Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, among the Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, price a Brightwater home from the 86 sales the county recorded in the last 12 months, matched to your plat, plan and lot width. Start with our free Brightwater home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida. We pull the CDD line, the lagoon terms and the flood map for the exact lot first.

Brightwater Real Estate Market Snapshot: What Are Homes Selling For?

Brightwater homes sold for a median of $392,500 across 86 recorded sales in the 12 months to September 10, 2026, in a range of $275,000 to $597,934. Builder-direct sales to first owners ran at a median of $398,500 and resales at $315,000, so Brightwater resale prices sit well below new-home prices.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser files dated October 4, 2026, indexed by us October 7, 2026; newest recorded sale September 10, 2026).

The county record, last 12 months

The county's recorded sales are the price record for Brightwater because the builders sold most homes directly. The first table shows three windows; the second splits the last 12 months by plat and by type of sale.

Source: Lee County Property Appraiser public files dated October 4, 2026, DOR-qualified improved sales of $100,000 or more, our analysis.

Source: Lee County Property Appraiser public files, same filters, our analysis. By month, the 86 sales ran 6 (October 2025), 14, 3, 6, 7, 13, 7, 12, 8, 6 and 3 (August 2026), plus 1 in the first ten days of September.

How we count: qualified, improved, builder-direct and resale

Every sale on this page is a recorded sale of an improved parcel that the county flags as qualified, meaning an arm's-length sale usable for market analysis, at $100,000 or more. That filter leaves out bulk lot takedowns between the developer and builders and other transfers the county does not flag as qualified. A builder-direct sale is the first qualified sale on a parcel; a resale is any later one. Lee County's sales file records older sales to the month and gives exact days only for each parcel's latest four sales, so monthly counts are firm and day counts are not. The county's area field is the total area it holds for the building, which can include space under roof that an MLS living-area figure leaves out, so we label it "county area" throughout. No D.R. Horton west-plat home appears in the qualified file through September 10, 2026.

Builder-direct vs resale

Builder-direct sales are 392 of the 447 sales on record, and resales are 55, or 12 percent. The share is rising as Lennar finishes: resales were 21 of 86 sales (24 percent) in the last 12 months and 17 of 63 (27 percent) in 2026 to date. The last builder-direct sale on the county file was recorded August 25, 2026, after 4 in July and 1 in August, which fits Lennar's sold-out page.

The $83,500 gap between the 12-month builder-direct median of $398,500 and the resale median of $315,000 is not a like-for-like discount. Every builder-direct sale in the window is a Phase 3 home built 2024 to 2026, while 18 of the 21 resales are North Brook Phase One homes built 2020 to 2022, which are smaller and older. The gap measures the difference between two products and two plats, not a price cut on the same house.

The long arc, 2020 to 2026

Source: Lee County Property Appraiser recorded-sale files, all qualified improved sales since the first home closed, our analysis. Counts under 10 are thin and should not be read as a market rate on their own.

The table reads as two builds. Lennar's North Brook Phase One produced 255 builder-direct sales from 2020 to 2023 (28, 117, 87 and 23 by year), and Phase 3 produced 137 from August 2024 to August 2026 (47, 44 and 46 by year), for 392 in all; the first Phase 3 sale on file is dated August 27, 2024. The 2022 median is 39 percent above 2021, and it rose for two reasons the county file shows side by side. Prices climbed on similar homes: 1,616 county-area square foot homes sold new for $245,120 in March 2021 and $302,120 in December 2021 on Swell Brooks Court, then for $308,120 to $323,120 in March 2022 on Cronin Sand Lane. And larger homes entered the mix: new sales on Everson Miles Circle ran from $386,225 to $472,290.

Since Phase 3 opened, the builder-direct median has eased from $420,000 in 2024 to $411,250 in 2025 and $395,000 in 2026, about 6 percent below 2024, though each year's plan mix differs. Resale medians swing even more because the sample is small: $436,250 on 14 sales in 2023, $380,000 on 7 in 2025 and $315,000 on 17 in 2026.

Every Brightwater resale in the last 12 months

These are all 21 resales recorded from October 2025 through September 10, 2026, listed in date order, with each home's earlier builder sale from the same county file. NB1 is North Brook Phase One and P3 is Brightwater Phase 3. Area is the county's figure, not MLS living area.

Source: Lee County Property Appraiser public files dated October 4, 2026, our analysis. "Change" is the dollar difference between the two recorded prices; the county file does not show upgrades, pools or condition.

What the resales say about price

Resale prices on the older, smaller Lennar homes cluster at $275,000 to $325,000, at or slightly below several original builder prices, while larger homes and the 2024 Phase 3 homes resell above $450,000. Ten of the 13 resales of homes with 1,427 to 1,747 county-area square feet closed between $275,000 and $325,000, with a median of $290,000 for the group. The three exceptions, at $369,000, $410,000 and $475,000, were all on Cascade Price Circle, which accounts for five of the 21 resales. The county file cannot say whether a lot, a pool, upgrades or condition explains that street's premium, which is why a comparable-sales review on the exact street beats any median.

Six of the 21 resold for less than the builder's price: four 1,616 square foot homes bought new between December 2021 and March 2022 (down $46,620, $33,120, $26,120 and $4,620), a 2,243 square foot home on Everson Miles Circle (down $9,385) and one Phase 3 home. The other 15 sold for more, and the median change was up 10.4 percent, before any improvements the buyer made. The seven resales of homes with 2,000 or more county-area square feet had a median of $490,000, in a range of $315,000 to $550,000.

The Phase 3 sale at 18789 Marlin Kite Lane is the clearest sign of a competing-supply effect. This 4-bedroom, 2,032 square foot home, built in 2024, resold in March 2026 for $315,000 against a builder price of $409,597 in August 2024, down $94,597 or 23 percent in 19 months. Its size matches Lennar's Trevi plan, whose last published base price was $377,499 (Lennar, Brightwater Lagoon, October 10, 2026); a base price excludes lot premiums and options, so that comparison is directional. The other two Phase 3 resales went the other way: two 3-bedroom, 2,434 square foot homes sold for $550,000 and $455,000, above their October 2024 builder prices of $498,000 and $434,602.

Across the 54 homes with both a builder sale and a later sale on record, the median first price is $288,059.50 and the median latest price is $389,375. Those are medians of two sets of different homes in different years, not a per-home gain: the first sales date from July 2020 to October 2024 and the latest from July 2021 to September 2026. Read all of this as data, not as a signal to panic. Lennar's side is sold out, so the next competing new homes are D.R. Horton's on the west side, where sample list prices on its Shores page ran from $326,040 to $486,350 on October 10, 2026, for 55+ buyers (D.R. Horton, The Shores at Brightwater).

Price per square foot, and why the denominator matters

The median price per county-area square foot on the 21 resales is $189.48, with individual homes from $155.02 (the Phase 3 sale on Marlin Kite Lane) to $284.26 (8868 Cascade Price Circle, a 1,671 square foot home that resold for $475,000 after a $239,985 builder sale in April 2021). That figure is not comparable to an MLS price per living square foot, because the county's area field can include garage and lanai space that MLS living area excludes, which would make MLS figures higher for the same house. Where the county area matches a Lennar plan exactly, such as 1,849 for Venice and 2,032 for Trevi, the two measures agree, but we cannot confirm that for every parcel. Use county $/sq ft only against other county figures, and use our comparable-sales review when you need a number for a specific home.

The MLS view

On the Southwest Florida MLS (Matrix, pulled October 11, 2026), 48 Brightwater homes closed in the 12 months to October 11, 2026, 39 of them under the Brightwater Lagoon development on Lennar's east side and 9 under Brightwater, at a median of $385,000, a median of 67.5 days on market and a median sale-to-list ratio of 97.4 percent. On October 11, 2026 the MLS showed 33 Brightwater homes for sale, 20 of them in The Shores at Brightwater, at a median list price of $399,999. The county recorded 86 qualified sales in a comparable 12 months, so many builder sales never ran through the MLS, and every other sale figure on this page comes from the Lee County Property Appraiser's recorded, DOR-qualified sales (data through September 10, 2026).

The reason the county record leads is simple: 392 of the 447 recorded sales were first sales from the builder, and many builder-direct closings never reach the MLS. A portal showing only MLS sales would miss most of the community's history, so we do not quote MLS-only medians as Brightwater's market. The MLS view above shows the marketed side: 48 closings at a median of 67.5 days on market and 97.4 percent of list, and 33 homes for sale on October 11, 2026.

What drives price inside Brightwater

Five things move a Brightwater price, and the county record can see only some of them.

• Plat and age. North Brook Phase One homes were built 2020 to 2023 and resold at a 12-month median of $306,250 on 18 sales; Phase 3 homes were built 2024 to 2026 and resold at $455,000 on three.
• Plan size. The 13 resales of homes with 1,747 county-area square feet or less had a median of $290,000, and the seven with 2,000 or more had $490,000.
• Lot width, which sets the CDD bill. On the Stoneybrook North FY2027 budget, a Phase 3 50-foot lot pays $4,021.75 and a 60-foot lot $4,826.10, a difference of $804.35 a year, and Area One lots pay $3,103.98 (40 feet), $3,854.54 (50 feet) and $4,620.25 (60 feet) (Stoneybrook North CDD, FY2027 Adopted Budget). A buyer who prices carrying cost will notice.
• Street and side. Cascade Price Circle's resale premium, and the choice between the east side's lagoon access and the west side's different district, show up in what buyers pay.
• What the record cannot see. Pools, lot position, upgrades, condition and financing are invisible to a county file, and they are what a comparable-sales analysis adds.

How these figures compare with Crane Landing, Bayshore Ranch, Babcock Ranch and the other North Fort Myers new-home communities is in the benchmark section, and what every layer of cost adds up to is in the fee stack.

How Did Brightwater Come to Be?

Brightwater came to be in stages: a 2004 rezoning of 741.22 acres as Heritage Creek, a 2014 community development district created by Metro Development Group, a 2016 announcement of a Crystal Lagoons lagoon, a 2022 county vote setting the cap at 1,475 homes, and a lagoon that opened in 2024 and 2025. The land is much older than the brand.

Heritage Creek, 2001 to 2004

The land under Brightwater was entitled long before anyone talked about a lagoon. Lee County opened case DCI2001-00038 for a project called Heritage Creek, also known as Stoneybrook, and Resolution Z-02-070 (noted in the county layer as February 16, 2004) rezoned 741.22 acres from AG-2, CPD and RVPD to a Residential Planned Development, or RPD (Lee County, case DCI2001-00038, read October 10, 2026). The application text describes 1,525 residential units in a mix of single-family, duplex, townhouse and multi-family buildings, none over 35 feet. The Hearing Examiner's 2022 recommendation, which summarizes the same history, says the Board "first zoned the site RPD in 2004 to permit 1,275 single family and two-family attached dwelling units" (Lee County Hearing Examiner Recommendation, July 21, 2022). The two numbers are both in county documents, and we show both rather than pick one.

North Brook Holdings and Metro, 2007 to 2014

North Brook Holdings, LLC, the entity that later applies for every county change on this land, was filed with the Florida Division of Corporations on November 19, 2007, at 2502 N Rocky Point Dr, Suite 1050, Tampa, the same suite Metro Development Group publishes as its headquarters (Florida Division of Corporations, North Brook Holdings, LLC; Metro Development Group news). In 2008 the project appeared in county files as "North Brook RPD (formerly known as Stoneybrook North RPD and Heritage Creek)," when a request to extend the master concept plan five years to February 16, 2014 was filed and then withdrawn (Lee County, case DCI2008-00037). A 2013 administrative amendment reconfigured the tracts and added two more vehicular connections to Pritchett Parkway (case ADD2013-00083).

On December 16, 2014, the Lee County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 14-23, creating the Stoneybrook North Community Development District on a petition from North Brook Holdings. The ordinance names a five-member initial board, every one of them in care of Metro Development Group at the Tampa address (Lee County Ordinance 14-23). That is the earliest public record we found placing Metro on this land, about 15 months before the lagoon was announced. A revised master concept plan followed on October 20, 2015, adding a recreation tract (case ADD2015-00134), and the master homeowners association was incorporated on October 8, 2015 under an earlier name (Florida Division of Corporations, N15000010020).

The 2016 lagoon announcement

On April 22, 2016, Metro announced that "Brightwater" near North Fort Myers would be its next community to feature a Metro Lagoon by Crystal Lagoons, one of four lagoons it then planned, with the first in Pasco County. The post gives the community address as 1 Cascade Price Circle, a street that today lies in North Brook Phase One, and points to a News-Press story headlined "Ginormous pool coming to planned North Fort Myers community" (Metro Development Group, April 22, 2016). Earlier that spring, Bay News 9 reported that Metro and Crystal Lagoons had partnered on the Epperson Ranch lagoon in Pasco County and planned "one in Fort Myers" among later projects (Bay News 9, March 24, 2016).

Two other 2016 events shaped what could be built. A Lee Plan amendment reclassified the interchange lands to General Interchange, a category with a higher density standard than the land had before (Hearing Examiner Recommendation, 2022). And on February 29, 2016 the Stoneybrook North district adopted its master special assessment methodology, with an acquisition agreement following on May 1, 2016 (Stoneybrook North CDD agenda packet, December 5, 2025). The first bonds, Series 2017A-1, 2017A-2 and 2017A-3, came in 2017.

North Brook Phase One, 2019 to 2023

Lee County recorded the plat for North Brook Phase One as instrument 2019000172912. The county roll carries 288 parcels on it, 255 of them with a year built, and every one of those homes was built between 2020 and 2023 (Lee County Property Appraiser roll via our county index, built October 7, 2026 from files dated October 4, 2026). By April 2022 the Hearing Examiner was told that "Phase 1 is complete with 258 homes east of Pritchett Parkway" and that the second and third phases and the lagoon were under construction (Hearing Examiner Recommendation, 2022). The state water-management permit for the project, ERP 36-06899-P, was issued to North Brook Holdings on April 22, 2020 and runs to December 12, 2030.

This is why we treat North Brook Phase One as part of Brightwater. The county resolution counts "North Brook Phase One's existing 258 units" inside the Brightwater cap, and the master association has sued over a lot in "North Brook Phase One" in its own name (Lee County Resolution Z-22-015; Business Observer legal notice, case 24-CA-004907).

The 2022 rezoning

The decisive county action came in case DCI2021-00012. North Brook Holdings asked to reconfigure the tracts, move units to the interior, add a townhouse unit type, create a "Brightwater Country Club" with limited non-resident access to the lagoon, raise the cap by 225 units from 1,275 to 1,500, and convert 590 single-family units to senior adult housing. At the April 28, 2022 hearing several residents spoke against the request, citing traffic, noise, flooding, environmental impact, public access to the lagoon and compatibility with the Bayshore community, and one spoke in support (Hearing Examiner Recommendation, 2022). The applicant offered to trim the request, and on August 17, 2022 the Board adopted Resolution Z-22-015 on a 4 to 0 vote with one commissioner absent, setting the cap at 1,475 dwelling units (Lee County Resolution Z-22-015). The county's own case summary and the press still say "up to 1,500," which is the figure that was requested (Lee County, case DCI2021-00012).

The lagoon opens, 2024 to 2025

Brightwater Lagoon at 8630 Sunny Page Lane had a soft opening on November 22, 2024, with launch tickets at $5 (Cape Coral Breeze, November 21, 2024), and an official ribbon cutting on Friday, May 30, 2025. Metro called it Lee County's first man-made lagoon and its fourth completed lagoon in Florida (Business Wire, June 2, 2025; Metro Development Group news). We explain how it works in the lagoon section below. The point here is timing: the lagoon opened more than eight years after it was announced, and more than four years after the first homes were built.

Lennar sells out, D.R. Horton builds west (2026)

By October 10, 2026, Lennar's Brightwater page read "Brightwater Lagoon is now sold out" (Lennar, Brightwater Lagoon, read October 10, 2026). Metro's August 2026 site map shows the large neighborhoods east of Pritchett Parkway marked "SOLD" and D.R. Horton pods, including active-adult pods, to the west (Metro Development Group, Brightwater site map, August 11, 2026). In October 2025 the county amended both districts' boundaries, and in May 2026 the west-side district's preliminary offering document said no homes had yet closed with homebuyers on its side (Lee County Ordinance 25-20; Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026).

A timeline in one table

What Does the Brightwater Master Plan Allow, and What Is Built?

Brightwater's master plan allows up to 1,475 homes on a 741.22-acre Residential Planned Development, including 590 senior adult units and a lagoon country club, with 123.09 acres under conservation easement. The county roll shows 883 parcels on three recorded plats and 411 homes with a year built as of October 2026.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Resolution Z-22-015; Lee County Property Appraiser roll via our county index, built October 7, 2026).

The entitlement in numbers

The two community development districts plan 679 and 797 homes, a sum of 1,476. That is one unit off the 1,475 cap, and the arithmetic is ours, not the county's: Stoneybrook North plans 679 units and Brightwater CDD plans 797 lots (Stoneybrook North CDD, FY2027 Adopted Budget; Brightwater CDD, FY2027 Adopted Budget). The lagoon parcel sits outside both districts. Press figures differ: one 2025 article said "about 1,400 home sites" and another "up to 1,500 homes" (Gulfshore Business, May 30, 2025; Business Observer, July 29, 2025). For anything you sign, use the resolution.

What is built, by recorded plat

Source: Lee County Property Appraiser roll and recorded DOR-qualified sales of $100,000 or more, our county index built October 7, 2026 from files dated October 4, 2026. Parcels include common-area tracts. Many closed homes are still coded vacant on the roll, so we count homes by sale and year built, not by use code.

The tracts and what each allows

Zoning tracts are lettered differently from the plat's lot blocks, so a tract letter in the resolution does not match a block letter in a listing. The Schedule of Uses in Resolution Z-22-015 assigns uses this way (Resolution Z-22-015):

• Tracts A, B, F1, J1 and M: single-family and two-family attached homes.
• Tracts A, B, B-1, C and D: limited to adult senior housing, which is the 590-unit 55+ component.
• Tract B-1: a private club with food and beverage, health club and spa.
• Tracts C, D, E, F, F1, G, H and I: single-family homes.
• Tract J: single-family, two-family attached and townhouse homes.
• Tract K: the Brightwater Country Club, with consumption on premises, food and beverage, health club and spa, specialty retail, one 35-foot communication tower and a temporary sales office limited to homes in the development.
• Tracts E1, N and O: preserve and park. Tract E1 (9.73 acres), Tract N (10.37 acres) and Tract O (14.43 acres) had residential use removed as voluntary enhancements.
• Lake parcels L-1 through L-34.

Minimum lot standards in the resolution are 4,000 square feet and 40 feet of width for a detached single-family lot, 3,500 square feet and 35 feet per unit for two-family attached, and 2,000 square feet for a townhouse. Lots within 500 feet of the northern boundary on certain tracts must be at least 7,500 square feet.

The 590 senior units

Condition 33 of the resolution confines the 590 senior adult units to Tracts A, B, B-1, C and D and requires a declaration of covenants, filed as an amendment to the Phase 2 development order, limiting those units to adult senior housing. The 55+ neighborhood that D.R. Horton sells is The Shores at Brightwater. The west-side district's own budget allocates operating costs across 590 units, and its lot counts for Phases 2A, 2B and 2C also sum to 590 (382 plus 208), but we do not claim these are the same 590 homes. Whether a given lot is age-restricted is answered by the recorded declaration, not by a map.

What the county required in exchange

Approval came with conditions that still govern day-to-day life (Resolution Z-22-015; Hearing Examiner Recommendation):

• Resident memberships in the Brightwater Country Club "must be included in every purchase of a Brightwater home."
• The lagoon is fully gated. Non-resident access is by a reservation portal, and daily reservations are limited by parking.
• The lagoon parking lot on Tract K must have at least 180 and at most 400 spaces, including golf carts, with at least 33 percent reserved for residents. Golf cart parking is exclusive to Brightwater homeowners. Signs on Pritchett Parkway must prohibit roadside parking.
• Outdoor ballfield lights on Tract K are prohibited, and live music or amplified sound on exterior portions is prohibited after 10 PM.
• Condition 20 requires intersection improvements at Bayshore Road and Pritchett Parkway in coordination with Lee DOT and FDOT, and Condition 21 requires an 8-foot bicycle path or two 5-foot sidewalks along Pritchett Parkway from Bayshore Road to Rich Road.
• No development within 50 feet of the top of bank of Popash Creek and Bayshore Creek except an at-grade walking path, a 70-foot relief ditch along the north boundary, and a water quality monitoring program on file as DOS2018-00034-A01.
• No residential lots within 250 feet of the High Point wastewater treatment plant (Condition 5), and a mandatory purchaser disclosure for lots near that line on Tracts G or H (Condition 27).

The Hearing Examiner also recorded that the applicant's traffic consultant found no added trip generation compared with the earlier 1,275-unit approval, because townhomes and age-restricted units generate fewer trips, and that Bayshore Road east of Pritchett Parkway was already failing its level of service while being widened to four lanes.

The map you can open

Metro publishes its August 2026 site map as an image and a brochure PDF, showing gated entries on Pritchett Parkway, the lagoon with its parking on the east side, mail kiosks, a tot lot and dog park at the northeast end, a "D.R. Horton Active Adult Amenity" building west of the parkway, and an I-75 interchange at the south end (site map, August 11, 2026; brochure, August 2026). Metro labels site plans and renderings conceptual and subject to change. Lee County publishes the master concept plan, revised August 17, 2022, as Exhibit C to the resolution.

What is still to come

The county's development-order layer shows permits beyond the three recorded plats, and the phase numbers in it do not line up with the phase numbers the two districts use, so never match a lot to a phase by number alone (Lee County Development Orders layer, queried October 10, 2026):

Phases 4, 5 and 6 together carry 487 units in county permits (278 plus 103 plus 106, our sum). The west-side district's preliminary offering document says D.R. Horton is under contract for about 487 lots, a match we note without treating it as proof of the same set. That document also says land development for the district's 206-lot Phase 4 runs June 2026 to June 2027 with closings with homebuyers expected from December 2027 (Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026). Those are a builder's estimates in a preliminary, subject-to-change document.

Who Builds in Brightwater? Lennar, D.R. Horton and the Others

Two builders have built Brightwater homes: Lennar on the east side, now sold out, and D.R. Horton on the west side, including The Shores at Brightwater, a gated 55+ neighborhood. A 2025 press release also named DRB Homes and Maronda Homes, but we found no DRB product and no Maronda product on the ground.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lennar and D.R. Horton community pages read October 10, 2026; Lee County recorded sales through September 10, 2026).

Lennar Executive Homes

Lennar's Brightwater Lagoon sales center is at 18807 Marlin Kite Lane. Its Executive Homes collection has four plans, with the base prices Lennar last published on a page that now reads sold out (Lennar, Brightwater Lagoon, read October 10, 2026):

Our county cross-check agrees on two plans: Venice and Trevi sizes match the county's 1,849 and 2,032 square feet exactly. The other county sizes only roughly track the Lennar numbers, so we do not match every home to a plan name.

Lennar Manor Homes

The Manor Homes collection holds the community's largest single-family designs. Lennar lists it as temporarily sold out (Lennar, Brightwater Lagoon Manor Homes, read October 10, 2026).

Lennar's plan pages show an approximate HOA figure of $83.77 to $89.67 and an approximate special assessment of $2,715.24 to $3,708.60 without stating the period, so we do not use them. The district's adopted budget is the better source for the assessment, and we use it in the fee section.

Lennar is sold out: what that means for resale

Of 447 qualified sales in the county record, 392 were first sales from a builder (255 in North Brook Phase One and 137 in Phase 3) and 55 were resales (51 and 4), and every builder sale in the last 12 months was in Phase 3 (Lee County Property Appraiser, qualified sales, data through September 10, 2026). With Lennar sold out, a buyer who wants a Lennar-built Brightwater home buys from a current owner. There are 25 resales in the last 24 months, at a median of $369,000, and the 21 in the last 12 months are listed one by one in the market section above. A resale competes with the original base prices above and with Horton's new inventory on the west side.

D.R. Horton and The Shores at Brightwater (55+)

D.R. Horton sells The Shores at Brightwater as "a premier 55+ community" of one-story single-family and attached villa homes, gated, with a private clubhouse, pool, pickleball, fitness center and dog park. The model address is 18158 Lagoon Reach Ln, and D.R. Horton's internal web address calls the community "brightwater-ii," which is a builder label, not a separate place (D.R. Horton, The Shores at Brightwater, read October 10, 2026).

On that date the page listed 20 homes for sale, with 2 to 3 bedrooms, 2 to 2.5 baths, a 2-car garage and plans from 1,503 square feet. Plan sizes shown were 1,503 square feet (2 bed, 2 bath), 1,816 (2/2), 2,034 (3/2) and 2,221 (3/2.5), and the plan names Delray, Carrington, Clifton and Shelby appear on the page. Listed prices ran from $326,040 to $486,350, and the page noted incentives ending November 1 (D.R. Horton, read October 10, 2026). These are builder list prices on one date, not recorded sales. The county file has no qualified sale yet on the west-side plat, so we have no recorded price history for The Shores.

The Shores has its own homeowners association, The Shores at Brightwater Homeowners Association, Inc., filed February 23, 2023 (N23000002018) with D.R. Horton, Inc. as registered agent (Florida Division of Corporations). That a Shores owner also belongs to the master association is our inference, so the declaration decides.

The rest of the west side

Metro's August 2026 map labels several west-side pods "D.R. Horton" without the active-adult tag, and the west-side district's preliminary offering document lists D.R. Horton as its sole homebuilder, with a contract for about 487 lots made up of 92 townhomes, 14 villas, 47 single-family lots at 40 feet and 334 at 50 feet. For Phase 4, the document puts the builder's expected average home price at about $330,000 (Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026). That is a preliminary figure from a bond document, and Horton's actual prices are what its sales team publishes on the day you visit.

DRB Homes and Maronda: named, not found

Metro's Brightwater FAQ says buyers will meet sales teams from D.R. Horton, Lennar and DRB Homes, and the June 2, 2025 Business Wire release says single-family homes are built by "Maronda Homes, D.R. Horton, Lennar and DRB Homes" (Metro Development Group, Brightwater; Business Wire). Maronda also appears in the east-side district's offering-document list of builders. Metro's Brightwater microsite and its August 2026 map name only D.R. Horton and Lennar, and we found no DRB or Maronda model, listing or permit. We report the naming and the absence together.

New build versus resale here

New construction on the east side no longer exists, so a Lennar buyer is a resale buyer. New construction on the west side exists, but its district has not yet had a homebuyer closing as of May 2026, and its fee structure differs from the east side's. In the last 12 months, builder-direct sales numbered 65 at a median of $398,500 and resales 21 at a median of $315,000. The gap is not a discount for the same home: the resales are mostly older, smaller North Brook Phase One homes, while the builder sales are all newer Phase 3 homes (Lee County Property Appraiser, DOR-qualified sales through September 10, 2026).

Who Governs Brightwater? The Two CDDs, the Master HOA and the Club

Brightwater is governed by four layers: the Stoneybrook North Community Development District on the east side, the Brightwater Community Development District on the west side, the Brightwater Master Homeowners Association, and a recorded club plan for the lagoon. developer-affiliated supervisors still sit on both district boards.

Data updated: October 2026 (district sites, ordinances and agenda packets read October 10, 2026).

Stoneybrook North CDD (Brightwater East)

The Stoneybrook North Community Development District, which its own resident access form titles "Stoneybrook North (Brightwater East) CDD," covers the land east of Pritchett Parkway. Lee County created it by Ordinance 14-23 on December 16, 2014, shrank it by 16.48 acres in Ordinance 22-08 on April 5, 2022, and adjusted it again in Ordinance 25-20 on October 7, 2025, leaving about 384.41 acres (Lee County Ordinance 25-20; Ordinance 22-08). Through May 2026, 398 of its planned 679 lots had closed with homebuyers (Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026).

It is a Chapter 190 special district with water management, water supply, sewer, bridge, culvert and road powers, plus the optional powers over parks and recreation and over security, which let it fund guardhouses, fences, gates and patrol cars but not police powers (Ordinance 14-23). It meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month at Hyatt Place Fort Myers at the Forum, 2600 Champion Ring Road (Stoneybrook North CDD). Its budget shows the district pays for streetlight electricity, landscape maintenance, irrigation, conservation and preserve maintenance, pond aeration, gate maintenance and pet waste removal.

Brightwater CDD (west)

The Brightwater Community Development District covers the land north of I-75 and west of Pritchett Parkway, in Sections 16 and 21, Township 43 South, Range 25 East. Lee County Ordinance 18-02 established it effective January 17, 2018, and Ordinance 25-19 trimmed about 1.25 acres on October 7, 2025, leaving 339.04 acres (Brightwater CDD, About the CDD; Brightwater CDD agenda packet, October 28, 2025). It plans 797 residential units, and its ordinance grants the same park, recreation and security powers. Kai Community Development Services manages it, with Stantec as engineer and Straley Robin Vericker as district counsel. Its minutes describe Stoneybrook North as sharing its manager and meeting days, and its board's next listed meeting is November 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM at the same Hyatt Place address.

Both ordinances require the Florida Statutes section 190.048 disclosure in every sale within a district for the life of the district. Both districts also state that district-owned improvements are open to the general public and that non-resident user fees apply to district recreational facilities.

Brightwater Master Homeowners Association

Brightwater Master Homeowners Association, Inc. (N15000010020) was filed October 8, 2015 and amended and restated with a name change on March 28, 2018. It is active, with annual reports on file through March 13, 2026, and its principal address and registered agent are c/o Kai in Tampa (Florida Division of Corporations, N15000010020). Third-party directories list it under Tampa because of that address, but it governs Brightwater in North Fort Myers. The preliminary offering document says the developer created the association "with its main function being architectural review and deed restriction enforcement."

The lagoon club plan

The same document says the lagoon, which it calls the Main Recreational Amenity, "was funded directly by the Lagoon Developer at a cost of in excess of $5 million," and that residents are expected to be members of a recorded club plan that burdens the land, "subject to the payment of any applicable fees." Metro's 2023 fee sheet states the lagoon "is independently owned and operated, and not affiliated with any CDD or HOA assessments" (Metro Places fee sheet, 2023). Neither district owns it, and the lagoon parcel sits outside both districts.

Who controls the boards today

Both districts began with boards made up of people in care of Metro Development Group, and the chair and vice chair in the 2025 and 2026 records are among those same founding names, so developer-affiliated supervisors still hold seats. The Stoneybrook North board has five seats, with the chair and vice chair terms running through November 2026 and seats 1 and 2 on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot (Stoneybrook North CDD, elections). The Brightwater CDD set a landowners' election for November 24, 2026 at the Hyatt Place under Resolution 2026-12, and its roster is changing: an August 25, 2026 meeting recorded a supervisor's resignation and a replacement was named by September (Brightwater CDD, elections; agenda, September 22, 2026). Several people serve on both a district board and the master association's board, which is normal for a development still being built out and worth knowing.

Control matters to a buyer because both districts' operating budgets rely on a developer deficit-funding agreement today: the Stoneybrook North budget shows a $290,654.49 physical-environment deficit, and the Brightwater CDD budget shows $594,865.46, each covered by the developer. When homes replace developer-owned lots, more of the operating cost moves onto homeowners' assessments.

How the layers split the work

What Does It Cost to Own in Brightwater? The Fee Stack

Owning in Brightwater means paying county property tax, a community development district assessment of about $3,100 to $4,830 a year on the east side, master HOA dues of $146.31 a quarter on 2024 sheets, and a lagoon club fee. For a 2025 Phase 3 purchase at $399,000, the sum is $9,653.50 a year before insurance.

Data updated: October 2026 (Stoneybrook North CDD and Brightwater CDD FY2027 adopted budgets; Lee County 2026 TRIM notice and 2026 millage book printed 9 Oct 2026; developer fee sheets dated 2023 and 2024).

The layers, one table

Only one of these rows is a county-certified number for your parcel: the tax bill. The rest are district budgets or developer documents with dates, and we label each one.

Stoneybrook North assessments by lot width

These are the FY2027 adopted amounts, grossed up as if collected on the tax roll, for the district's October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027 year. Operating costs rose 13 percent from FY2026, and debt service did not change (Stoneybrook North CDD, FY2027 Adopted Budget, presented August 25, 2026).

The district's planned mix is 679 units: 92 at 24 feet, 14 at 35 feet, 75 at 40 feet, 362 at 50 feet and 136 at 60 feet, and the budget says the mix "is subject to change at the Developer's discretion." The bonds are $4,020,000 Series 2017A-1, $3,500,000 Series 2017A-2, $5,000,000 Series 2017A-3 and $5,300,000 Series 2022, with a future Series 2026 planned for Area Two. The budget flags Series 2017A-3 as "pending refinance."

Brightwater CDD assessments by lot width

West-side assessments in the FY2027 adopted budget depend on whether the lot is developed. A developed lot pays the full operating share, while an undeveloped lot pays a limited operating benefit (Brightwater CDD, FY2027 Adopted Budget, presented August 25, 2026).

The Brightwater CDD bonds are $10,000,000 Series 2021 for Area 1 and $7,850,000 Series 2024 for Phase 2C, with a proposed Series 2026 of about $11,305,000 for the 206-lot Phase 4 that remains preliminary (Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026). Whether a lot is billed in the developed or limited class depends on the district's classification of that lot, so confirm it on the parcel's tax bill.

HOA and lagoon fees, by era

Two developer fee sheets, for 2023 and 2024, list the lagoon at $35.00 a month plus tax, a one-time lagoon initiation of $2,000 plus tax at closing on all homes, and master HOA dues of $146.31 per quarter (Metro Places fee sheet, 2023; fee sheet, 2024). That is $585.24 a year for the HOA ($146.31 times four) and $420 a year for the lagoon ($35 times twelve), before tax.

The May 2026 preliminary offering document for the west side describes a different structure: about $600 a year per home for the lagoon club plan and "approximately $600" for the HOA, "subject to change in subsequent years" (Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026). These are different documents from different years. We found no 2025 or 2026 master HOA budget, so the current dues are not published. The east side's and west side's actual amounts are in the association's budget and your estoppel.

Property tax and the Bayshore Fire district

Brightwater sits in Lee County tax district 202, "Bayshore Fire," not the North Fort Myers Fire district. Seven of seven sampled Brightwater parcels returned district 202 on their 2026 TRIM notices, and the fire service is the Bayshore Fire Protection and Rescue District at 3.5000 mills (Lee County Property Appraiser, 2026 TRIM, Folio 10621461). There is no municipal tax because Brightwater is unincorporated.

Sources: Lee County Property Appraiser, 2025 Taxing District Millage Book (printed October 13, 2025) and 2026 Taxing District Millage Book (printed October 9, 2026). The 2026 column is the millage applied to the tax roll; the August 11 preliminary book had proposed 14.3738, with hyacinth control at 0.0200 and mosquito control at 0.2201. Each column adds to its total.

The west-side offering document uses the same district: it computes about $4,396 for a $330,000 home with a $25,000 homestead exemption, which is $305,000 taxable times 14.4125 mills. The Lee Tax Collector allows discounts of 4 percent in November, 3 percent in December, 2 percent in January and 1 percent in February (Lee County Tax Collector). A Brightwater bill carries only the CDD as a non-ad valorem line: none of the three 2025 bills we pulled showed a county solid waste, stormwater, fire or street-light assessment.

What three 2025 tax bills showed

The Lee County Tax Collector's public portal gives a direct check on which district bills a lot (Lee County Tax Collector, TaxSys, retrieved October 10, 2026):

The practical lesson is that a street name is a good guide, not a guarantee. Marlin Kite Ln, Shimmer Dawn Ct and the Phase 3 plat bill by Stoneybrook North, Horton-owned lots on Lagoon Reach Ln bill by Brightwater CDD, and a buyer must check the specific parcel.

A worked example

Take a 2025 Phase 3 Lennar home, Lot F33 at 18632 Marlin Kite Ln, that sold for $399,000 (recorded November 2025). Its 2026 just value is $363,846. With homestead, the taxable value is $312,435 for the non-school levies and $338,846 for the school levies. The 2026 TRIM notice proposed $4,630.10 in ad valorem tax (Lee County Property Appraiser, 2026 TRIM, Folio 10621461); at the rates applied to the 2026 tax roll the same taxable values carry $4,626.51 (our arithmetic, levy by levy). The TRIM does not show the lot width, so we price both widths the CDD bills in Area Three. Add the other layers, line by line:

The 50-foot sum is $4,626.51 plus $4,021.75 plus $585.24 plus $420 = $9,653.50. The 60-foot sum is $4,626.51 plus $4,826.10 plus $585.24 plus $420 = $10,457.85. Divided by twelve, those are about $804 and $871 a month, before homeowners insurance, flood insurance if required, and the owner's own utilities. The 2025 Tax Collector bill for this parcel carried a Stoneybrook North line of $4,450.32, which equals the 60-foot Area Three total for FY2026, so the 60-foot column is the likelier match for this lot, though the lot width is a record you should confirm on your own bill. The HOA and lagoon lines use the 2024 rates because no later rates are published. Ad valorem tax will differ for every buyer because homestead and just value differ.

What is not published, and how to get it

The master HOA's current budget and dues, The Shores HOA's dues and the current lagoon club fee are not on a public page we could find. A buyer gets them in writing from an estoppel certificate, which an association must issue on request under section 720.30851. A seller must give the buyer the HOA disclosure summary under section 720.401 before the contract is signed, and both CDD ordinances require the district disclosure under section 190.048 in every contract. We ask for all three at the start of every Brightwater contract. Selling a Brightwater home? Get a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying one? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873.

Can you pay off the CDD bond?

The district's own explainer says the bond portion of an assessment "typically lasts about 30 years, does not change, and can be paid off early," while the operating portion is set each year by the elected board and cannot be prepaid (Stoneybrook North CDD, Understanding Your CDD Assessment Letter). Bonds are usually 45 to 55 percent of the total assessment. On the west side, the developer pays down principal at lot closing, so the buyer's annual amount is lower than the unreduced figure. The FY2026 budget shows a 35-foot Series 2021 lot at $1,149.86 net before paydown, $840.00 after and $893.62 gross, and a 50-foot lot at $1,642.65, $1,200.00 and $1,276.60 (Brightwater CDD, FY2026 Adopted Budget).

For Phase 4, the preliminary Series 2026 sizing shows per-unit principal of $28,606 for a 40-foot lot and $35,758 for a 50-foot lot, with annual amounts of $2,012 and $2,515, and an expectation that the developer's paydown brings those to the D.R. Horton contract maximums of $1,400 and $1,750. The planning ceilings in the October 2025 engineer's report run higher, at $3,486 a year for a 35-foot villa, $3,984 for a 40-foot lot and $4,980 for a 50-foot lot at maximum principal of $43,262, $49,442 and $61,803 (Brightwater CDD agenda packets, May 26 and October 28, 2025). Ceilings and preliminary sizing are not what any owner pays today.

What Are the Neighborhoods Inside Brightwater?

Brightwater has three recorded plats today: North Brook Phase One with 288 parcels, Brightwater Phase 3 with 160 parcels, and the west-side Brightwater plat with 435 parcels, which includes The Shores at Brightwater. Phases 4, 5 and 6 hold county permits but no recorded plat on the roll.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser roll and recorded sales, our county index built October 7, 2026).

The inventory, one table

Source: Lee County Property Appraiser, our county index built October 7, 2026; the 68 Phase 3 sales are our county index count for that recorded subdivision name since October 2025. Roll lag means some completed homes are still coded vacant, so the year-built column is the better count.

North Brook Phase One

North Brook Phase One is the original Brightwater neighborhood and the one with the longest sales history: 306 qualified sales on record, 255 of them builder-direct and 51 resales. The streets are Cascade Price Cir, Swell Brooks Ct, Cronin Sand Ln and Everson Miles Cir. County area runs from 1,427 to 3,364 square feet with a median of 1,828, and the bedroom counts are 3 (133 homes), 4 (95), 2 (15), 5 (9) and 6 (3). Lennar built it between 2020 and 2023, and it bills through Stoneybrook North Area One at 40-, 50- or 60-foot rates.

Its 18 resales in the last 12 months are where the price signals sit. The oldest and smallest homes, 1,427 to 1,747 county square feet built 2020 to 2022, resold at $275,000 to $325,000, at or slightly below several original builder prices, while larger homes resold higher: a 2,794-square-foot home on Everson Miles Cir at $490,000 and a 2,602-square-foot home at $515,000 (Lee County Property Appraiser, qualified sales through September 10, 2026). A dedicated sub-page on North Brook Phase One is coming with its association details, recent sale comps, and street-by-street analysis. We'll link it here when it goes live.

Brightwater Phase 3

Phase 3, the plat recorded as instrument 2023000206438, holds 139 lots in blocks A to H and 21 common tracts. Lennar built 137 homes on it from 2024 to 2026. The streets are Marlin Kite Ln, Shimmer Dawn Ct, River Burst Ct and Sea Bright Ct. Of 141 qualified sales across the east side's newer plat, 137 were builder-direct and 4 were resales. Sales by plat block, all time, show where the money sat:

One sale carries no block letter in the county record, which is why the blocks sum to 140 of the 141. Source: Lee County Property Appraiser, our county index (October 7, 2026). These are plat blocks, not zoning tracts, and each includes a mix of plan sizes, so a block median is a rough guide to location and product mix, not a rule. The county file also records 15 bulk lot-takedown transfers from September 2023 to December 2025 in which the developer conveyed groups of lots to builders, such as 39 Phase 3 lots under one March 22, 2024 instrument. They are not DOR-qualified arm's-length sales, so none are used in any price statistic here.

The west side (D.R. Horton) and The Shores at Brightwater

The first plat, recorded as instrument 2023000013053, covers 229.7 acres by the county's stated area, with lot blocks A to M and 29 common tracts, and its streets include Lagoon Reach Ln, Bridgewater Dr, Water Crossing Dr and Old Orchard Trl. D.R. Horton's own listings are on Lagoon Reach Ln, Water Crossing Dr and Bridgewater Dr, which is how we place The Shores on this plat, though that placement is our inference from street names. Only 19 parcels carry a year built, and the county file has no qualified sale on this plat. It bills through the Brightwater CDD for the lots we sampled. Do not assume the master HOA, The Shores HOA and the lagoon club all charge the same thing on both sides of the parkway.

A dedicated sub-page on The Shores at Brightwater is coming with its association details, recent sale comps, and street-by-street analysis. We'll link it here when it goes live.

Future Phases 4, 5 and 6

The county permits above are the best public map of what is next. The west-side district describes a 206-lot Phase 4 on 82.61 gross acres with a project cost estimate of $12,376,500 and Series 2026 bonds of about $11,305,000, with permits DOS2024-00053 and an SFWMD permit issued October 16, 2025 (Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026). The east-side district plans 264 units in its Area Two for Phases 4, 5 and 6, with a future Series 2026 and no debt assessment yet. A county deviation in 2025 also allows a gravel emergency-only access between Trellis Dock Ct and the lagoon as a second means of ingress and egress for a 106-unit residential development called Brightwater Phase 6 (Lee County, case ADD2025-00128). Builders for these phases are not named in county records, and nothing on them is for sale as a recorded lot today.

Streets you will see in listings

Street names help locate a home within the plats and often the CDD that bills it, with the caution above that a parcel check beats a street guess:

• North Brook Phase One: Cascade Price Cir, Swell Brooks Ct, Cronin Sand Ln, Everson Miles Cir.
• Brightwater Phase 3: Marlin Kite Ln, Shimmer Dawn Ct, River Burst Ct, Sea Bright Ct.
• Brightwater first plat: Lagoon Reach Ln, Bridgewater Dr, Water Crossing Dr, Old Orchard Trl.
• Planned Phase 6: Trellis Dock Ct, east of Sunny Page Lane and south of Everson Miles Cir.

Bridgewater Dr is a street inside Brightwater, not a separate subdivision. For the full naming picture, including the Brightwater name and why Heritage Creek and North Brook appear in old records, see the identity section at the top of this guide.

What Is Brightwater Lagoon, and How Does It Work?

Brightwater Lagoon is a roughly six-acre, filtered and chlorinated swimming lagoon at 8630 Sunny Page Lane, the central amenity of the Brightwater community in North Fort Myers. It holds about 10 million gallons, runs up to 16 feet deep beneath its obstacle course, uses Crystal Lagoons technology, is not heated, and is operated by MetroLagoons.

Data updated: October 2026 (operator pages and local press fetched October 10, 2026).

Size, depth and volume

Reporting on the lagoon's size is not uniform, so here is every number we found. Crystal Lagoons, the technology vendor, said before opening that the lagoon "spans 6 acres" (Crystal Lagoons, July 15, 2024). The News-Press and Gulfshore Business also say six acres. The operator's own Brightwater page says "five acres of endless adventure" and its About page says "approximately 5 acres" (MetroLagoons, Brightwater Lagoon; MetroLagoons, About). A May 2026 bond document for the west side of the community says about 6.5 acres (Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026). We write "about six acres" and name the operator's five.

Gulfshore Business, reporting on the May 30, 2025 ribbon cutting, described "a 6-acre, chlorinated swimming pool filled with 10 million gallons of water" whose depth "fluctuates down to 16 feet deep underneath the water obstacle course" (Gulfshore Business, May 30, 2025). A June 2026 family guide put the obstacle-course depth at 15 feet (SWFL Family, June 9, 2026).

Is the lagoon heated?

No. MetroLagoons' own FAQ says its "clear, blue waters are not heated" and that temperatures "closely follow the average water temperatures found in the Tampa Bay area and other nearby Florida waterways" (MetroLagoons Rules and FAQ). The operator publishes no degree readings.

How the water stays clear

Brightwater Lagoon uses Crystal Lagoons' patented technology. The vendor says its system monitors the water with sensors and injectors, times dosing by algorithm, filters only a small portion of the volume, and reports to a central control center. It claims up to 50 times less energy and up to 100 times fewer chemicals than a conventional pool of the same size (Crystal Lagoons, technology overview). Those are vendor claims, and we attribute them as such.

The local facts are plainer. The operator says a dedicated Water Quality team follows "industry approved chlorination and filtration water treatment standards," in line with state and CDC requirements (MetroLagoons Rules and FAQ), and Gulfshore Business called it a chlorinated pool. So Brightwater Lagoon is not chemical-free, and we do not describe it that way. Florida's Department of Health permits and inspects public swimming pools (Florida Department of Health in Lee County). We did not pull the lagoon's permit or inspection record for this page, so we make no claim about it; the state's inspection portal is the place to check (Florida Department of Health, pool inspection data).

What there is to do

The operator's activity list is long, and the water side is the draw:

• A floating water obstacle course and a kids' obstacle course; the 2026 season brought a "new mega obstacle course and an expanded kid zone" (WBBH, May 4, 2026).
• A water slide and a toddler splash pad, which the SWFL Family guide notes is "surrounded by a moat of sorts" and needs active supervision.
• Kayaks (solo or duo) and paddle boards, both requiring the Splash Pass add-on.
• Sand beaches with loungers, a sand volleyball court, mini golf, giant checkers and chess, and cornhole.
• The Sandbar, an open-air swim-up bar under a large fan-cooled pavilion.
• Cabana Cove, a private swim area with its own bar, where floating Aquabanas, cabanas and lagoonside cabanas each host eight guests, and lounger rentals host two. Rentals do not include admission (MetroLagoons, Brightwater Lagoon).
• The Hub, the check-in and rental building and events pavilion.

General manager Jimmy Cruz, a hospitality veteran, framed the amenity in September 2024 this way: "Instead of having a golf course, a big club house, it is a six-acre lagoon with sandy beaches, water activities, and a resort-style swim up bar" (North Fort Myers Neighbor, September 2024). That sentence is the best short description of how Brightwater replaces the golf-course clubhouse most Southwest Florida master-planned communities are built around.

Food and drink

Food is sold, not brought: outside food and coolers are not allowed (see the rules below). The operator's October 2026 menus list a Lagoon Burger at $16, jumbo wings at $16, chicken tenders at $14, a hot dog at $12, a personal cheese pizza at $18, a turkey leg at $16, soft serve at $8 and a family tender bucket at $49 that serves four. Cocktails run $12 to $14, frozen drinks $13 to $15 and beer $6 to $9, including a Florida Avenue Brewing "Lagoon Lager" at $7. Cabana Cove adds a 22 percent service charge on its food and beverage; other outlets add a 3 percent venue fee, and sales tax is extra (MetroLagoons, Brightwater Lagoon).

Opening history

The soft opening began Friday, November 22, 2024, with all-inclusive $5 launch tickets, and some areas were closed while operations ramped up (Cape Coral Breeze, November 21, 2024). The official ribbon cutting and luau followed on May 30, 2025. Metro called it Lee County's first man-made lagoon and its fourth completed lagoon in Florida (Metro Development Group, May 30, 2025). Metro first announced a Crystal Lagoons amenity for this site in April 2016 (Metro Development Group, April 22, 2016), so the road from announcement to opening day was more than eight years.

Metro's other lagoons

Brightwater is the southernmost of MetroLagoons' properties. By the operator's own About page, Epperson in Wesley Chapel is "over seven acres," Mirada in San Antonio is about 15 acres and billed as the nation's largest, and Southshore Bay in Wimauma is about five acres. Seaire in Parrish (4.5 acres) and Angeline in Land O' Lakes were listed as coming soon (MetroLagoons, About). Mirada's 33 million gallons, reported by WUSF, puts Brightwater's 10 million in scale. Brightwater is the first MetroLagoons property outside the Tampa Bay area (WUSF, June 21, 2023).

If you are weighing the lagoon as a reason to buy, read the governance and fee-stack sections of this guide alongside this one: the lagoon is a separately owned business, not a district or association amenity.

Is Brightwater Lagoon Open to the Public? Tickets, Rules and Reviews

Yes. Brightwater Lagoon is open to the public by ticket, bought online or at the gate, with free parking and no need to live in Brightwater. Prices are dynamic and were "starting at $22" on the operator's site on October 10, 2026. Public ratings are mixed: about 2.4 on TripAdvisor and about 2.6 on Yelp.

Data updated: October 2026 (MetroLagoons, TripAdvisor, Yelp and Visit Fort Myers, fetched October 10, 2026).

How non-residents get in

The operator states that Brightwater Lagoon "is open to both Resident Members and visitors," with tickets sold online in advance or at the gate subject to availability (MetroLagoons, Brightwater Lagoon). Three ticket types are listed. An All Day Ticket with Splash Pass includes parking, loungers and access to the swim-up bar, mini golf, swim area, obstacle courses, water slide, volleyball, kayaks and paddle boards. A Day Ticket without Splash Pass covers parking, loungers, the swim-up bar, the swim area, the slide and volleyball. A Late Day Ticket with Splash Pass starts at 3 PM. The Splash Pass is required for kayaks, paddle boards and the obstacle course, and can be added after admission. Guests four and older need a ticket; guests three and under need a complimentary ticket added to the cart. The operator's checkout is cashless and takes all major cards.

On a sample October day the posted hours were 11 AM to 9 PM for the property, 11 AM to 6 PM for the water and 11 AM to 9 PM for the bar. The operator warns that the water may close before the park, and the live calendar governs (MetroLagoons events calendar). In summer 2025 the News-Press reported 10 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week (News-Press, June 12, 2025). A TripAdvisor hours snapshot conflicts with the operator and looks stale, so we do not use it.

Ticket prices over time

Admission is priced dynamically by day and season, so no fixed number belongs on a page like this. The operator's ticket app, which serves exact prices, is a script-driven checkout we could not read for this page (MetroLagoons ticketing). What we can show is every dated data point we found:

The pattern is a $5 launch ticket, a $25 to $30 opening range and a "starting at" figure of $22 sixteen months later. Three discounts are documented by the operator: buying online saves "up to $10 per ticket," with gate prices up to $10 higher (Visit Fort Myers deal listing, valid March 17, 2025 to November 17, 2028); Florida residents with a valid photo ID get 20 percent off Day Tickets (MetroLagoons, Florida residents); and an ID.me offer gives 20 percent off to military, first responders, healthcare workers, teachers and students (ID.me offer page). We found no public season pass for Brightwater on the operator's pages, and no current Splash Pass price.

Rules: glass, coolers, pets, children and lifeguards

All of these come from the operator's rules page (MetroLagoons Rules and FAQ):

• Glass is not allowed anywhere on the property.
• No coolers, outside food, beverages or alcohol. Exceptions are one sealed water bottle or empty reusable bottle per guest, infant formula, sealed baby food and a single allergy lunchbox. Bags are checked at the gate.
• Only service animals are allowed. Pets, emotional support animals and therapy animals are not.
• Children under 14 must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or supervising adult, with no drop-offs. On holidays and special events a chaperone policy can require an adult 21 or older, with a maximum of four minors per chaperone (chaperone policy).
• Free swimming areas are swim-at-your-own-risk with no lifeguards on duty. Red Cross certified lifeguards staff many of the water activities, and complimentary life jackets are available in designated areas.
• Lightning protocol: paddle craft return at 12 miles, everyone exits the water at 8 miles and seeks shelter at 4 miles.
• Every guest needs a signed waiver, valid one year. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable, with one free reschedule and $5 for each further one.
• Towels are not rented (they are sold onsite). Beach umbrellas up to six feet and one pool noodle per person are allowed; chairs, pop-up tents, large speakers and oversized floats are not.
• The Blue Sky Guarantee offers a return visit within 90 days if weather limits a short visit, with conditions and a request deadline of 30 days (Blue Sky Guarantee).

Parking

Parking is free for all guests, and vehicles may not stay overnight or they may be towed (MetroLagoons Rules and FAQ). Behind that simple line is a county requirement that shapes how many outside visitors can come on a given day, covered below.

What visitors say

Public ratings are a snapshot, not a verdict, and we publish them as found on October 10, 2026:

The two review sites are small samples, and unhappy visitors review more often than happy ones, so weigh them accordingly. The themes are still consistent. Praise on TripAdvisor centers on clear, clean water, white sand, the large obstacle course with life jackets and monitoring, mini golf, friendly staff and cheaper, calmer weekdays. Complaints center on the no-refund, reschedule-only policy and slow customer service responses, weather closures and a cabana refund dispute, summer crowds and a kids-heavy atmosphere, long food-truck waits, food prices, and a slippery liner and sand in shallow water. One August 2026 reviewer, writing as a resident paying the monthly fee, was unhappy about crowds and a reduced family atmosphere. Independent coverage is warmer: a WINK segment and a SWFL Family guide describe a well-run family day with practical tips, such as arriving at the 11 AM opening for fewer crowds (WINK News, October 10, 2025; SWFL Family).

Our reading: the product is strong, the service reputation is the weak spot, and the "is it worth it" question depends on weekday versus weekend and whether you add the Splash Pass.

Why the county allowed public access

Public access is a zoning fact, not just a business choice. The Lee County Zoning Manager reviewed the lagoon in April 2022 and found it most similar to a "Club, Country" use, not a commercial water park, which the planned development zoning does not allow (Hearing Examiner recommendation, case DCI2021-00012). The Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution Z-22-015 on August 17, 2022 with conditions that govern the lagoon today (Resolution Z-22-015):

• The lagoon is open to members and guests for a fee, and resident memberships must be included in every purchase of a Brightwater home.
• The lagoon is fully gated, and non-resident access runs through a reservation portal, with daily reservations limited by available parking.
• The parking lot on Tract K must hold between 180 and 400 spaces, including golf carts, with at least 33 percent reserved for residents. Golf cart parking is exclusive to Brightwater homeowners.
• Signs on Pritchett Parkway must prohibit roadside parking.
• Live music or amplified sound is prohibited on exterior portions after 10 PM, outdoor ballfield lighting is prohibited, and recreational lighting is on timers.

Neighbors raised traffic, noise, flooding and public access to the lagoon at the April 2022 hearing, and one speaker supported the request. The News-Press reported in August 2022 that non-resident access would depend on parking and management discretion, and that one reason for it was to help offset the fees paid by Brightwater residents (News-Press, August 30, 2022).

What public access means for residents

For a Brightwater owner the public ticket does three things. First, it creates a revenue source for an amenity that residents help fund, and the zoning conditions guarantee a floor of resident parking. Second, it brings crowds on peak days, which is the single most common resident complaint we can document. Third, it changes how you should read the lagoon fee line.

Resident access works through a free Resident Member Card for each resident aged 14 and older, shown with a photo ID at each visit, with capacity limits and blackout dates possible on peak days (MetroLagoons, Resident Member Card). One rule matters to investors: "If you rent out your home or you reside within a rented home, the homeowner must relinquish their Lagoon access" (MetroLagoons, Members). Renters of qualifying homes in other lagoon communities receive custom benefits, but Brightwater was not on that list.

Fees changed by era, and we show both. Metro's 2023 and 2024 developer fee sheets listed a $35 per month lagoon fee plus tax and a one-time $2,000 initiation fee paid at closing, and said the lagoon "is independently owned and operated, and not affiliated with any CDD or HOA assessments" (Metro fee sheet, FY2024). A May 2026 preliminary offering memorandum for the west side anticipates about $600 a year per home for the main recreational amenity and says the lagoon was built by a separate "Lagoon Developer" at a cost in excess of $5 million (Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026). Neither number is a current bill. Ask the seller for the lagoon membership agreement and the current rate in writing.

What Other Amenities Does Brightwater Have?

Brightwater's amenities are the lagoon plus trails, a tot lot, a dog park, green space, a gated entry and, on the west side, a 55+ clubhouse with fitness, pool and pickleball. It has no golf course, marina or beach of its own. Golf, boat ramps and Gulf beaches are a drive away.

Data updated: October 2026 (Metro Development Group, D.R. Horton and OpenStreetMap-based routing computed October 10, 2026).

Trails, tot lot and dog park

Metro lists sidewalks, paved paths and natural trails that "cover several miles," a tot lot with a large play structure and shade canopy, a dog park, green space for events and open areas, lush landscaping and a gated entry with remote and call-in visitor access. It also advertises Streetleaf solar streetlights, which dim during inactivity, and smart-home features (Metro Development Group, Brightwater community). Z-22-015 also requires a recreation use on Tract K, either a multipurpose field, a playground, a picnic area or a recreational water feature, and allows a gopher tortoise preserve trail (Hearing Examiner recommendation). A Lennar page promoted "winding, multi-use paths" and events reachable "on your golf cart" (Lennar, Brightwater Lagoon).

The Shores amenity center (55+)

The Shores at Brightwater, D.R. Horton's gated 55+ section on the west side, has its own amenity set. D.R. Horton lists a clubhouse, fitness center, resort pool, pickleball, event lawn, dog park, walking and nature trails and multiple lakes, plus access to the lagoon (D.R. Horton, The Shores at Brightwater). Its sales center is at 18158 Lagoon Reach Lane. Whether the clubhouse pool is heated is not stated. A dedicated sub-page on The Shores at Brightwater is coming with its association details, recent sale comps and street-by-street analysis. We'll link it here when it goes live.

Fitness and pickleball

The Shores' fitness center and pickleball courts serve that gated section. D.R. Horton's page lists pickleball only; a builder ad mentioned tennis, but no builder page confirms tennis courts, so we do not list them. Outside Brightwater, the Lee County North Fort Myers Park and Recreation Center, at 2000 North Recreation Park Way, runs pickleball, basketball and table tennis programming (Lee County Parks, North Fort Myers center). Lagoon-side, the operator advertises fitness classes and a calendar of live music, trivia, karaoke and movies on the turf for members and the public (MetroLagoons events calendar).

Golf: none inside, and the nearest courses

Brightwater has no golf course. That is a design choice: its general manager has described the lagoon as the substitute for a golf course and clubhouse. Nearby options named in our research include Six Lakes Country Club, a private executive course on Littleton Road (Six Lakes Country Club), Herons Glen Golf and Country Club, a gated North Fort Myers community (Herons Glen), Myerlee Country Club in Fort Myers (Myerlee), Eagle Ridge Golf Club (Eagle Ridge) and the City of Fort Myers' Eastwood Golf Course (City of Fort Myers). We did not compute drive times for golf courses. For a wider comparison, see our Lee County golf guide.

Boating and marina: none inside, and the nearest ramps

Brightwater has no marina, dock or boat storage. Lee County operates public boat ramps at Alva, Davis, Imperial River, Lavender's Landing, Matlacha and Pine Island (Visit Fort Myers, parking guide; Lee County Parks, Davis Boat Ramp). Closer to home, Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve offers a canoe and kayak launch into Popash Creek (Visit Fort Myers). Buyers who want a dock at the house should look at other North Fort Myers communities, such as Lennar's Crane Landing, which advertises private dock access (Lennar, Crane Landing). The Shell Factory & Nature Park on North Cleveland Avenue, an iconic North Fort Myers attraction, is not an option: it closed permanently in 2024 and was demolished beginning in March 2026 (WBBH, Shell Factory demolition).

Beaches: none inside, with drive times

Brightwater is inland. The operator pitches the lagoon as an alternative to Fort Myers Beach "without concerns like seaweed, jellyfish, sharks," and calls it minutes from the beaches. Our computed drive times do not support "minutes" for the Gulf, so here are the numbers. They come from an OpenStreetMap-based routing engine, free-flow with no traffic, from the lagoon at 8630 Sunny Page Lane, and are computed estimates, not guarantees; Sanibel Causeway and Fort Myers Beach traffic in season add time (OSRM routing; OpenStreetMap contributors).

Fort Myers Beach has seven miles of white sandy beaches (Town of Fort Myers Beach), and Visit Fort Myers publishes beach conditions and parking rates (Visit Fort Myers, beach conditions). For local nature without a drive to the Gulf, Manatee Park is a Lee County park known for manatee viewing (Lee County Parks, Manatee Park). Hours conflict between the county's listings, so check before you go. Our Fort Myers guide and Cape Coral guide cover the destinations on the other end of those drives.

How Does Brightwater Handle Hurricanes?

Brightwater handles hurricanes with inland siting at about 17 to 19 feet above sea level, creeks and a relief ditch managed under county conditions, 2020-to-2026 construction under the Florida Building Code, and evacuation zones C and D at sampled addresses. Milton's 2024 order covered only Zones A and B. Brightwater-specific storm damage is not documented publicly.

Data updated: October 2026 (FEMA, USGS, Lee County and National Hurricane Center records queried or downloaded October 10, 2026).

What the zoning requires

Brightwater's planned development zoning contains storm and drainage conditions that go beyond the building code. Popash Creek and Bayshore Creek flank the property. Under Resolution Z-22-015 the developer built a 70-foot-wide relief ditch along the north boundary under a drainage easement, no development is allowed within 50 feet of the creek top of bank except an at-grade walking path, the developer posted a surety for creek maintenance, and a Water Quality Monitoring Program is on file under DOS2018-00034-A01. The county's modeling used HEC-RAS, a standard floodway model (Hearing Examiner recommendation; Resolution Z-22-015).

The South Florida Water Management District issued Environmental Resource Permit 36-06899-P, "Brightwater," on April 22, 2020, to North Brook Holdings, LLC. It expires December 12, 2030, and a minor modification received January 16, 2026 was completed May 19, 2026 (SFWMD Approved Environmental Resource Permits layer). The permit's design-storm and pond-volume details sit in the district's e-permitting system, which we could not open for this page, so we do not quote them.

One condition is easy to miss: Z-22-015 requires a purchaser disclosure about the adjacent High Point wastewater treatment plant for lots near the 250-foot line, which applies to Tracts G and H. It is a smell-and-proximity matter, not a storm matter, but it belongs in the same pre-contract file.

The storm record

Here is the honest timeline. Brightwater's first homes, in North Brook Phase One, were built from 2020 to 2023, so the oldest homes were standing when Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28, 2022. The National Hurricane Center's report put Ian's inundation at 5 to 8 feet above ground level up the Caloosahatchee River at Fort Myers (NHC, Hurricane Ian report). Brightwater's ground, at roughly 17 to 19 feet above sea level, sits well above that surge range (our inference; a lot-level elevation certificate is the real answer). We found no public report of Brightwater-specific storm damage from Ian.

The later storms were smaller for Lee County:

For Milton, the NHC's rainfall table lists 4.96 inches at a "North Fort Myers 2.8ESE" gauge, about five miles southwest of Brightwater by latitude and longitude (our estimate of distance) (NHC, Hurricane Milton report). Lee County repealed its Milton evacuation orders on October 11, 2024 by Resolution 24-10-23. Because Brightwater's sampled addresses are in Zones C and D, they were not in the ordered zones (our reading of the zone letters against the order).

What we cannot tell you is how the lagoon, ponds and streets performed in those storms. We found no first-party or press report on Brightwater's drainage or storm performance, and we do not repeat anonymous social-media claims about drainage, because we cannot verify them. If you are buying, ask the seller and the districts for maintenance records and any storm-related claims history.

Building standards and wind design

Brightwater's homes were permitted under Florida's building code, the 2023 edition for newer permits. Lee County sits between the 150 and 160 mph contours on the code's ultimate design wind speed map for ordinary (Risk Category II) buildings, and a county permit document cites a 160 mph three-second gust design under the 2023 code (Florida Building Code wind map, Lee County, UF GeoPlan). The code applies wind-borne-debris protection where the design speed is 140 mph or more, so impact-rated windows and doors or shutters are expected on homes here (our reading of the map note; confirm for your house). We could not confirm an exact site design speed, so we give the range.

On the builder side, Lennar's Southwest Florida storm page states its homes are "built to the latest strict building codes" and feature impact-resistant windows or shutters (Lennar, Stay Storm Safe). We did not find whether D.R. Horton's Brightwater homes use impact glass or shutters, so check the specification sheet for the home in front of you. The best proof of either is the wind mitigation inspection form covered in the insurance section.

Evacuation zones

Lee County names its evacuation zones A through E by storm-surge risk, not by storm category. Our point queries against the Florida Division of Emergency Management zone layer placed Marlin Kite Lane addresses in Phase 3 in Zone D and the Lagoon Reach Lane addresses on the west side in Zone C. Neither is the first-to-evacuate group. Your evacuation zone is not your FEMA flood zone; they come from different models (Florida Division of Emergency Management, evacuation zones layer; City of Estero, zone explainer). Look up your own address at Lee County's Know Your Zone tool or the state's Know Your Zone.

The 50 percent rule

In a FEMA special flood hazard area, a repair or improvement costing 50 percent or more of a structure's market value must bring the building up to current flood rules. Brightwater's sampled lots are outside that area, so the rule matters mainly if a lot's mapped status ever changes, and as background after any storm. Lee County's floodplain office administers it at permit time under the county's floodplain ordinance, which also requires the lowest floor to sit at or above base flood elevation plus one foot in flood hazard areas other than coastal high hazard areas (Lee County flood information; Lee County Ordinance 22-30).

What Flood Zone Is Brightwater In?

Brightwater sits in FEMA flood Zone X, outside the Special Flood Hazard Area, at all ten addresses we sampled across its three plats, on map panels 12071C0277G and 12071C0281G effective November 17, 2022. FEMA letter of map revision 25-04-6830P, effective June 30, 2026, removed areas from the Bayshore Creek floodplain for Brightwater.

Data updated: October 2026 (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer point queries run October 10, 2026).

The zone by address

We queried FEMA's live National Flood Hazard Layer at ten Brightwater addresses, four in North Brook Phase One, three in Phase 3 and three on the west side. Every point returned Zone X with no base flood elevation assigned. Zone X "shaded" means the 0.2 percent annual chance (500-year) flood hazard; "unshaded" means minimal flood hazard.

Source: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, point queries on addresses from the Lee County property roll, October 10, 2026, our analysis. Three newer streets (River Burst Court, Water Crossing Drive and part of Bridgewater Drive) did not geocode, so they are not in the table. Ten points are a sample, not the whole community: use FEMA's lookup or Lee County's RIT tool for any specific lot.

The surrounding area is not all Zone X. Within about a mile of the community FEMA maps Zone AE with base flood elevations of roughly 15 to 19.6 feet NAVD88 along the creeks, and floodway areas (FEMA NFHL, 1.6 km neighborhood query). Brightwater's Zone X reflects how the site was built, which is the next section.

The 2026 map revision (LOMR 25-04-6830P)

FEMA issued a Letter of Map Revision titled "Brightwater Phases 1, 2AB, 3 and Lagoon," case 25-04-6830P, with an issue date of February 9, 2026 and an effective date of June 30, 2026 after the 90-day appeal period. It covers a detention basin and fill, and rests on a one-dimensional hydraulic analysis, hydrologic analysis and updated topographic data. It revises the flood hazard along Bayshore Creek (from about 480 feet downstream of Jamestown Circle to the upstream side of Nalle Grade Road) and Popash Creek (from I-75 to about 4,650 feet upstream of Nalle Grade Road), and it changes some ponding areas east and west of Pritchett Parkway, including some areas that moved from Zone X (unshaded) to AE. FEMA's text says the revision "has met our criteria for removing an area from the 1-percent-annual-chance floodplain to reflect the placement of fill," while encouraging that the lowest adjacent grade and lowest floor of any structure be elevated to or above the base flood elevation (FEMA LOMR 25-04-6830P). FEMA's own layer returns this LOMR as effective at the sampled points.

Our reading, which is an inference and not FEMA's words: Brightwater was graded with fill and a detention basin and then removed from the Bayshore Creek floodplain, so the current map shows Zone X at the lots. The practical consequence is a timing question. The LOMR has been effective only since June 30, 2026, so a home that closed between 2023 and mid-2026 may have had a flood determination made under the older map. If your closing, lender flood certificate or insurance policy predates June 30, 2026, ask your lender and insurance agent to re-run the determination. We have not found which individual lots were mapped in a high-risk zone before, so we make no claim about specific lots.

What Zone X means for a lender

The federal mandatory purchase requirement is tied to the flood map: FEMA states that the FIRM still governs it (FEMA, Risk Rating 2.0). Lee County describes Zone X as the area "where flood insurance is optional" (Lee County flood information). So in Zone X a lender is not federally required to demand flood coverage, though a lender may still ask for it, and cash buyers choose for themselves. Metro's own FAQ does not advertise a blanket flood insurance requirement and tells buyers to check their lot's FEMA zone (Metro Development Group, Brightwater). Zone X is not "no risk." Flood risk exists outside the mapped high-risk area, and your homeowners policy does not cover flood.

Elevation and evacuation zones

USGS 3DEP elevation points at four sampled lots read 18.4 feet (18713 Marlin Kite Lane), 18.6 feet (18658 Marlin Kite Lane), 16.8 feet (18158 Lagoon Reach Lane) and 17.2 feet (18185 Lagoon Reach Lane), in NAVD88 (USGS 3DEP elevation service). Those readings come from a 1-meter survey acquired in 2018, before construction, so graded and filled finished floors will differ. Evacuation zones were C and D at the sampled points, as covered in the hurricane section. Lot-level elevation certificates, which we did not find published, are the final word.

The seller's flood disclosure

Florida Statute 689.302 requires a seller of residential property to give the purchaser a written flood disclosure at or before the time the sales contract is executed, including a statement that homeowners policies do not cover flood and whether the seller knows of flooding that damaged the property (Florida Statutes, section 689.302). The requirement took effect October 1, 2024 (Shutts and Bowen; ASFPM). For a Brightwater listing we attach the FEMA zone, the LOMR reference and any elevation certificate so a buyer sees the answer before asking. Selling? Get a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers.

What Does Insurance Cost for a Brightwater Home?

Insurance for a Brightwater home is chiefly a wind-policy question, since sampled addresses are in flood Zone X, where flood coverage is optional unless a lender asks. In ZIP 33917 the median federal flood premium for new Zone X policies on 2023-or-later builds was $517 a year. Brightwater-specific quotes are not published.

Data updated: October 2026 (OpenFEMA policy data frozen June 1, 2026; Citizens and state regulator releases through May 2026).

Flood insurance in Zone X

Lee County participates in FEMA's Community Rating System. FEMA's April 1, 2026 list shows unincorporated Lee County (community 125124) at Class 5, with a 25 percent discount in the Special Flood Hazard Area, and Lee County's own page gives a 10 percent discount in Zone X (FEMA CRS eligible communities, April 1, 2026; Lee County flood information). In 2024 FEMA raised a retrograde concern about the rating (Insurance Information Institute, 2024); the county is still Class 5 on the April 2026 list.

NFIP premiums since April 2023 follow Risk Rating 2.0, which prices each home by its own characteristics: foundation type, first-floor height, distance to flooding sources, frequency of flooding from several causes and rebuilding cost, with annual increases capped at 18 percent until a policy reaches its full-risk rate (FEMA, Risk Rating 2.0; FEMA fact sheet). We queried FEMA's public policy data for ZIP 33917 for policies effective on or after June 1, 2025:

Source: OpenFEMA, NFIP policies dataset (successor: NFIP redacted policies v3), queried October 10, 2026, our analysis. The ZIP includes riverfront areas far from Brightwater and the premium field is indicative, so treat these as ZIP context, not a Brightwater quote. The mean is skewed by outliers and may include non-single-family policies.

Wind and mitigation credits

Wind coverage is the larger variable for most Florida homes. Florida law requires insurers to file actuarially reasonable discounts for wind-damage mitigation features and to post that discount information on their websites (Florida Statutes, section 627.0629). The evidence of those features is the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form, OIR-B1-1802 (Florida OIR, form OIR-B1-1802). Brightwater's roofs date from 2020 to 2026, and state law says an insurer may not refuse to issue or renew a homeowner's policy on a roof less than 15 years old solely because of roof age (Florida Statutes, section 627.7011). New roofs and impact-rated openings are the features that move a quote, but the dollar credit is carrier-specific and we found no primary-source figure, so we do not print one. The My Safe Florida Home grant program targets existing homes, and new construction is likely already wind-rated (our inference) (My Safe Florida Home).

Citizens and the private market

Citizens Property Insurance writes a new policy only if coverage is not available from a Florida-authorized insurer or if authorized insurers' premiums are more than 20 percent higher than comparable Citizens coverage (Citizens, Get a Policy). The market has improved since the 2022 and 2023 peak. Citizens said on December 10, 2025 that its policy count peaked at 1.42 million in October 2023 and was expected to fall to about 385,000 by the end of 2025, and its board recommended a 2026 personal-lines rate decrease averaging 2.6 percent (Citizens, December 10, 2025). On May 20, 2026 the state's Office of Insurance Regulation announced 20 new property and casualty companies entering the market since the reforms, and reported more than 190 residential filing requests for decreases or no increase, with requested homeowners rates averaging -1.2 percent over 30 days (Florida OIR, May 20, 2026). Those are regulator statements about filings and requests, not the premiums you will pay. Ask an independent agent for quotes at the specific address, with the wind mitigation form in hand.

Builder warranties on new homes

We did not find published warranty terms for Brightwater's Lennar or D.R. Horton homes, and Lennar's Brightwater page shows the community sold out (Lennar, Brightwater Lagoon). On a resale of a 2020 to 2023 home, ask the seller for the original builder warranty documents and any transfer terms; for a new D.R. Horton home on the west side, ask the sales office for the warranty booklet before you sign. Warranty coverage is a contract question, so we make no claim about what it includes.

What to ask before you price a Brightwater home

Four documents make a Brightwater insurance conversation concrete: the wind mitigation inspection form, the FEMA zone and any elevation certificate for the lot, a quote from at least two agents, and the estoppel and current budget, so the full cost of owning is on one page next to the fee stack. Thinking of selling? Our Brightwater seller page explains how we price and market here, and you can request a valuation.

What Schools Serve Brightwater?

Brightwater is zoned to Elementary Zone C, Middle Zone CC and High School East Zone 1 in Lee County's 2026-27 enrollment plan. Zone C offers Bayshore, J. Colin English and the Academy for the Arts; Zone CC offers Caloosa, Diplomat, Bayshore and the Academy; East Zone 1 offers Dunbar, Gateway, Lehigh Senior and Riverdale.

Data updated: October 2026 (School District of Lee County locator run October 10, 2026; Florida Department of Education school grades, 2026 file).

The address-level result from the district's own locator

We ran the district's School Enrollment Zones locator, the MGT SchoolSite Locator for Lee County 26-27, by location query for five Brightwater points on October 10, 2026: 18831 River Burst Ct and 18901 Shimmer Dawn Ct on the Phase 3 plat, 18158 Lagoon Reach Ln and 8689 Bridgewater Dr on the west plat, and the lagoon at 8630 Sunny Page Ln. All five returned the same answer: study area 602, labeled East Zone 1, with Elementary Zone C, Middle Zone CC and High School East Zone 1 (E-1). That consistency across both CDDs is useful, but a future phase may sit on a different polygon, so a buyer should rerun the locator for the exact address.

One finding surprises many buyers. Metro's community brochure lists North Fort Myers High among nearby schools (Metro Development Group brochure, February 2025), and the builder pages name the Academy for the Arts and Bayshore. The district's tool does not place Brightwater in the West zone where North Fort Myers High sits (subzone W2, per the district's transportation optimization page). Treat the locator, not a marketing page, as the authority.

How the 2026-27 zone system works

The School Board approved the 2026-2027 Plan for Student Enrollment on December 1, 2025 (School District of Lee County, school zones). For elementary and middle school, the plan uses proximity zones that replaced the earlier three-zone choice lottery; elementary zones offer one to five schools and middle school zones one to three (Fort Myers Beach Talk, October 2025). High schools still run on East, South and West choice zones, each with subzones 1 to 3. Brightwater's label, E1, is a subzone.

The district states that the plan does not limit a student's access to choose a school for the programs it offers; it limits transportation. That distinction matters here. A Brightwater family can apply to North Fort Myers High through the choice application, but the district's published busing list for that school covers subzones W1, W2 and W3, and E1 is not on it. Dunbar High, by contrast, buses E1, E2 and S1 (transportation optimization page).

A November 2025 report said the district proposed ending busing for students who live under two miles from their school (Fort Myers Beach Talk, November 2025). We could not confirm the adopted wording, and the district's transportation page does not mention it, so ask Student Enrollment before relying on a bus.

State grades for the schools tied to Brightwater

Source: Florida Department of Education, 2026 School Grades file, published on the FLDOE school grades page with a results packet updated September 8, 2026. The 2023 column is the department's informational baseline. J. Colin English's A matches the district's own July 2026 release, which reports a district grade of B for 2025-26 with 24 schools earning an A and 29 a B. Check each school's report card before you decide.

What the grades say

The pattern is a solid middle at the K-8 level and a split at high school. The Bayshore School has held a B in every column. J. Colin English climbed from a D in 2024 to an A in 2026, which is a real turnaround but only two years old. The Academy for the Arts slipped from B to C. East Zone 1 high schools range from Gateway's A to three Cs, and Gateway is the farthest of the group by road. A family that wants an A-rated high school nearby is likely to look at the choice process, which is why we tell buyers to ask about it before contract rather than after closing.

The Bayshore School expansion

The Bayshore School at 17050 Williams Rd is growing into a K-8. Gulfshore Business reported a $50 million classroom building with 22 classrooms, a gym and 600 middle school seats, funded by the 2018 half-cent sales tax, with groundbreaking on October 3, 2025 and completion expected in fall 2026; sixth grade was added in 2025, seventh in 2025-26 and eighth in 2026 (Gulfshore Business, September 2025). It sits about 3.8 miles and 9 minutes from the lagoon by our routing, the closest zoned campus.

Drive times to the zoned schools

These are computed estimates from the lagoon address using the open-source OSRM routing engine on October 10, 2026, in free-flow conditions with no traffic. School-bell congestion adds time. Gateway's location is taken from an OpenStreetMap record and its campus identity is inferred.

How to confirm your address

Run the district locator with the full street address, then confirm with Student Enrollment at [email protected]. Enrollment goes through the FOCUS parent portal described on the district's new enrollment page, and key dates are on its important dates page. The board seat is a different thing: Lee County GIS places Brightwater in School Board District 5, which governs who represents you, not which school your child attends (Lee County GIS boundaries layer).

Which homes this matters for

The Lennar homes on the east side and the D.R. Horton single-family and townhome lots on the west side are marketed to all ages. The Shores at Brightwater is marketed as a gated 55+ community (D.R. Horton, The Shores at Brightwater), so the zone result matters mostly for the all-ages streets, such as Phase 3. We could not find the recorded age restriction for The Shores, so we describe it as marketed, not as a legal fact.

Private and charter options nearby

Northern Palms Charter High School at 13251 N Cleveland Ave is the North Fort Myers charter on the district's charter school list, about 9.2 miles and 18 minutes from the lagoon by our routing. Lee County GIS lists these private schools nearest the lagoon, by straight-line distance (Lee County GIS private schools layer):

• New Hope Christian School, 17181 Tarpon Way, 1.1 miles.
• Classical Christian Academy, 7101 Bayshore Rd, 2.2 miles.
• Temple Christian School, 18841 SR 31, 3.1 miles.
• Victory Christian Academy, 11431 Palm Beach Blvd, 3.4 miles.
• Living Word Christian School, 2900 N Tamiami Trl, 5.5 miles.

We verified these as listings only, not programs, tuition or accreditation. The state's private school directory and K-12 scholarship programs are the places to confirm status and funding.

Colleges and universities

Florida SouthWestern State College's Lee campus at 8099 College Pkwy is 17.7 miles and 29 minutes from the lagoon, and it offers associate and baccalaureate degrees and certificates (FSW). Florida Gulf Coast University at 10501 FGCU Blvd S is 21.0 miles and 33 minutes away; it opened in 1997 and reports 66 undergraduate degrees and a 19 to 1 student to faculty ratio on its fast facts page. Both times are computed free-flow estimates from October 10, 2026.

Hodges University is no longer an option. It announced in August 2023 that it would stop enrolling new degree-seeking students and close by the end of August 2024 (WGCU, August 25, 2023).

Where Is the Nearest Hospital to Brightwater?

The nearest emergency rooms to Brightwater are in Cape Coral, about 13 miles away: Lee Health Cape Coral Hospital at 26 minutes and HCA Florida Cape Coral Emergency at 23 minutes by our routing. We found no hospital or freestanding ER inside ZIP 33917. Gulf Coast Medical Center, the trauma center, is 26 minutes away.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee Health and HCA Florida pages and OSRM routing from the lagoon, October 10, 2026).

There is no hospital in 33917

Searches of Lee Health's locations page and HCA Florida's Southwest Florida sites turned up emergency departments in Cape Coral and Fort Myers but none in North Fort Myers. Lee Health's locations page also names no urgent care in 33903, 33917 or Babcock Ranch. That is an absence we verified only as far as the pages we read, so confirm the current map before you rely on it.

The hospitals by drive

Computed with OSRM on October 10, 2026, free-flow, no traffic. A real ambulance or private-car trip in rush hour or season will differ, and in a true emergency Lee County EMS decides the destination.

Cape Coral Hospital

Cape Coral Hospital runs a 24 hour emergency department with 45 beds, about 69,000 annual visits and 12 Fast Track beds, serves adults and children, and is a Primary Stroke Center. Lee Health's fast facts describe the hospital as 303 beds.

Gulf Coast Medical Center

Gulf Coast Medical Center is a Level II Trauma Center with 699 licensed beds and a 70-bed emergency department that includes four trauma bays. Lee Health states it will be out of network with UnitedHealthcare starting January 1, 2027, which matters to any buyer on that plan.

Lee Memorial and the replacement hospital

Lee Memorial Hospital has 336 acute beds listed, a Chest Pain Center and a Primary Stroke Center. Fox 4 reports it is planned to close in 2027 when Lee Health Fort Myers opens off Colonial Boulevard and Challenger Boulevard, with a first phase of just under 170 beds and an expected opening in December 2027 (Fox 4). The article date is not shown on the page, so treat the schedule as a plan.

HCA Florida freestanding ERs and the planned Cape Coral hospital

HCA Florida's freestanding emergency room at 322 SW Pine Island Rd opened in June 2022. HCA has announced a planned hospital of about 100 beds and 200,000 square feet on the same site, with construction expected in 2027 and opening in 2029 (HCA Florida Healthcare). Those dates are announced intentions, not completed work.

Urgent care and primary care closer in

Tampa General reported that TGMG primary care at Babcock Ranch opened on August 18, 2026 at 42040 Cypress Pkwy, and that a 6,500 square foot TGH Urgent Care treats common illnesses and minor injuries seven days a week (Tampa General, August 2026). The page gives no hours or opening date for the urgent care and mentions no ER. Babcock's town center is about 8.3 miles and 15 minutes from Brightwater. Do not treat the MD Now "North Fort Myers" listing as local; its address is in south Fort Myers.

Fire and rescue

Brightwater is in the Bayshore Fire Protection and Rescue Service District, Station 131 at 17350 Nalle Rd, phone (239) 543-3443 (Lee County GIS). Bayshore Fire also sets the 3.5 mill fire levy on the tax bill, as our fee section explains.

How Far Is Brightwater From Fort Myers, the Airport and the Beaches?

Brightwater is about 19 minutes from downtown Fort Myers, 27 minutes from Southwest Florida International Airport, 5 minutes from the I-75 Exit 143 on-ramp and 44 minutes from Fort Myers Beach, by free-flow computed estimates from the lagoon. Beaches, the airport and Cape Coral all take longer than the "minutes" the operator advertises.

Data updated: October 2026 (OSRM routing from 8630 Sunny Page Ln, computed October 10, 2026).

How we computed these times

Every time and distance below is a computed estimate, not a quoted travel time. We used the open-source Open Source Routing Machine driving profile on the OpenStreetMap road network from the lagoon at 8630 Sunny Page Ln, which is the address on the operator's information page. Destination coordinates came from OpenStreetMap Nominatim. The assumptions are free-flow or posted-speed travel, no live traffic and off-peak conditions. Peak times on I-75, Pine Island Rd, Colonial Blvd and the island causeways commonly run 25 to 50 percent longer, and the winter season from roughly January to April is the heaviest.

The road to I-75

The community's own directions say to take Exit 143 east on Bayshore Road for 0.1 mile, then turn north on Pritchett Parkway and drive 2.4 miles (Metro brochure, February 2025). Our routing from the lagoon to the on-ramp measured 1.7 miles and about 5 minutes. For anyone who commutes, that proximity to a diamond interchange is the single biggest practical advantage over Babcock Ranch.

Drive times to the places people ask about

Source: OSRM computed October 10, 2026, free-flow, no traffic, from the lagoon. A second run by our lagoon research from a nearby origin point gave 22 minutes to downtown Fort Myers, 28 to the airport and 46 to Lynn Hall Memorial Park on Fort Myers Beach, so a few minutes of variation is normal depending on the starting gate and route.

Airports

RSW is the main commercial airport at 17.2 miles and 27 minutes. The route runs south on I-75 from Exit 143 for about 11 miles to Exit 131 at Daniels Parkway, then along Daniels and Chamberlin Parkways. Punta Gorda Airport is 21.0 miles and 29 minutes. Many North Fort Myers residents choose between them by fare.

Beaches

The beaches are the honest weak point of an inland lagoon community. Fort Myers Beach Pier is 26.0 miles and 44 minutes, Sanibel's lighthouse beach is 53 minutes, and both involve causeway traffic that can double those times on a winter weekend. Visit Fort Myers lists the beaches, and its beach conditions page quotes parking at $15 for one hour and $25 for two hours. The operator positions the lagoon as an alternative to the beach without seaweed, jellyfish or sharks, which is a marketing claim, not a measurement.

Shopping and groceries

The nearest Publix is the Bayshore Commons store at 6700 Bayshore Rd, 4.5 miles and 10 minutes away. Winn-Dixie at 5660 Bayshore Rd is 12 minutes, Merchants Crossing 18 minutes, the Walmart Supercenter on Pine Island Rd 16 minutes, Edison Mall 23 minutes and Gulf Coast Town Center 28 minutes. Store addresses come from OpenStreetMap, so confirm them on each retailer's locator.

Why not "just minutes from everything"

The lagoon operator's page says Brightwater is "just minutes from downtown Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Punta Gorda, Fort Myers Beach, and Southwest Florida International Airport" (MetroLagoons). Our computed times of 19, 26, 35, 44 and 27 minutes for those five places are real drives, not minutes in the colloquial sense. A buyer relocating from the coast should plan for a car-dependent lifestyle: the county's stop layer shows no LeeTran stop within 3 miles, with the nearest about 3.0 straight-line miles away on Palm Beach Blvd (Lee County GIS LeeTran layer).

Cape Coral and Fort Myers

Brightwater is in unincorporated North Fort Myers, so big-city services are in Cape Coral and Fort Myers, 13 to 20 miles away.

What Is Being Built Near Brightwater?

Near Brightwater, FDOT is studying Bayshore Road (SR 78) from I-75 to SR 31 without construction funding, SR 31 is being widened to four lanes through mid-2027, and Lennar plans 515 homes at Caloosa Commons on US 41. The projects below are separated into complete, under construction, planned and merely studied.

Data updated: October 2026 (FDOT swflroads project pages, Lee County and press records, read October 2026).

Bayshore Road (SR 78) study, I-75 to SR 31

FDOT is studying widening SR 78 from I-75 to State Road 31, about 3.3 miles, under FPID 444937-1, a Project Development and Environment study that started in late 2019 and is estimated to finish in late 2026. The study cost $1.5 million. The swflroads project page, last updated August 11, 2026, says design is not funded, and neither are right of way or construction in the FDOT work program. FDOT is studying alternatives, not building one.

The May 2023 public meeting materials show the options on the table: widening to the north, widening to the south, or no build through 2045, with preliminary ideas including a four-lane divided road, 12-foot shared-use paths and a diverging diamond interchange at SR 78 and I-75 (FDOT meeting handout). No recommended alternative or cost appears in those materials, so readers should not assume any of it is coming. SR 78 is two lanes undivided today, and the diamond interchange at Exit 143 is the one Brightwater residents use daily (AARoads, 2020).

Bayshore Road access management

FDOT's access management project FPID 447875-1 converts the two-way left-turn lane to a full median with directional turn lanes between Evalena Lane and New Post Road. The flyer lists a cost of $1.99 million and planned construction from late summer 2024 to early 2025 (FDOT flyer). We did not verify completion, so check the project page for status.

Pritchett Parkway conditions

Lee County's 2022 zoning approval required intersection improvements at Bayshore Road and Pritchett Parkway in coordination with Lee DOT and FDOT, and an 8-foot bike path or two 5-foot sidewalks along Pritchett Parkway from Bayshore Road to Rich Road (Hearing Examiner Recommendation, July 21, 2022). The traffic study in that case found Bayshore Road east of Pritchett Parkway failing its level of service standard.

SR 31 widening

FPID 442027-2 is a new four-lane road east of existing SR 31 from Bayshore Road to Horseshoe Road and Lake Babcock Drive, 4.91 miles across Lee and Charlotte Counties, at $85 million. It has been in construction since mid-2024 with completion estimated in mid-2027, and the Babcock Ranch Community Independent Special District manages the design-build under FDOT oversight (swflroads fact sheet). It is the road that links Brightwater's interchange to Babcock Ranch.

US 41 and Business 41 work in North Fort Myers

The SR 739 (North Tamiami Trail) median and pedestrian project, FPID 446293-1, about 1.7 miles, is complete at a construction cost of $11.2 million (swflroads). A separate resurfacing project, FPID 450726-1 on US 41 north of Pondella Road to north of SR 78, has a letting date of July 24, 2027 (swflroads). The Littleton Road widening from Corbett Road to US 41 was finished at about $22 million (Gulfshore Business).

I-75 widening study

A 2023 report described a study to add one lane each way to I-75 over 42 miles, from CR 951 in Collier County north to the Bayshore exit, at well over $2 billion, possibly not starting for 10 years absent funding (WGCU, April 6, 2023). Treat it as long-range; we did not re-verify the work program.

Caloosa Commons and Park 41

Lennar bought 109 acres from Uniland for $20,084,383 at Littleton Road and US 41 / North Tamiami Trail for a project called Caloosa Commons, with 515 single-family homes and two-story townhomes starting in the mid-$200,000s, and a clubhouse, pool and pickleball (Gulfshore Business, July 30, 2026). Lennar's page shows the collections as coming soon without prices (Lennar). A staff summary of the related Park 41 Cabana Commons rezoning noted that the school district told staff the plan strains middle school capacity (Citizen Portal summary); that is a secondary summary of a public hearing record, so use it as a lead. We did not measure the distance from Brightwater.

Bayshore 75 and Bayshore Village

Two Bayshore Road petitions are worth knowing. Bayshore 75 RPD, case DCI2023-00007, held a neighborhood meeting on June 22, 2023, and its engineer's page showed hearing dates as to be determined when last modified August 25, 2025 (Peninsula Engineering). A press report describes a 66.5-acre, up to 357-home proposal west of I-75 that may be the same site; we have not confirmed that. Bayshore Village, case DCI2022-00032, is a commercial site at Wells Road and Bayshore Road, and we have not retrieved the county record, so we publish no figures.

Apartments and redevelopment nearby

The Alary at Merchants Crossing opened 283 apartments in place of a vacant big box, a $65 million project helped by the county's North Fort Myers Revitalization Grant (Fox 4). On North Cleveland Avenue, Hancock Bridge Square is slated for a 14-acre redevelopment targeting 320 market-rate units (Fox 4). For the larger picture, see our guide to North Fort Myers. Lee County has also proposed removing the Bayshore and North Fort Myers community plans, and says the change does not increase allowed development (WBBH, August 26, 2026).

Babcock Ranch growth

Babcock Ranch reported 1,066 net home sales in 2025 and 5,516 homes sold through December 31, 2025 (Babcock Ranch, January 2026). Charlotte County's December 2025 workshop agenda lists 4,555 certificates of occupancy in calendar 2025 on the Charlotte side, a different measure from Babcock's sales count (Charlotte County agenda). Both point to more traffic on Bayshore Road and Exit 143.

Schools, fire stations and utilities

Beyond the Bayshore School expansion described above, the North Fort Myers Fire Control and Rescue District's December 2025 minutes discuss a new Pondella Road fire station with water supply and sewer issues unresolved (district minutes). That district is not Brightwater's; Bayshore Fire is. A $10 million state funding request was filed for an FGUA North Fort Myers wastewater plant expansion at Del Prado, covering design and construction to increase capacity (Florida Senate request S2011); it is a request, and we did not verify an appropriation. FGUA is the wastewater franchise holder at the lagoon.

What Should Buyers Know About Brightwater Logistics?

Brightwater logistics run through a gate, two CDDs and a master HOA. Power is Lee County Electric Cooperative, water is Lee County Utilities and sewer is FGUA, trash collection is Friday in Solid Waste Area 5, and the recorded declaration, not this page, controls leasing, pets and architectural changes. Request the documents before you write an offer.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County GIS point lookups at the lagoon, October 10, 2026; CDD records through September 22, 2026).

Gates and guests

Metro lists a gated entry with remote and call-in visitor access (Metro Development Group, Brightwater community). Both CDDs run resident registration with gate transmitters or a four-digit code, and their establishing ordinances authorize guardhouses, fences and gates without police power (Brightwater CDD Ordinance 18-02). The Brightwater CDD's FY2027 budget carries $12,000 for gate maintenance, $27,000 for security camera repairs, $8,000 for key fobs and entry and $3,600 for security monitoring (Brightwater CDD FY2027 budget). Owners and renters both register at the gate, according to the CDD's access form.

Utilities and who to call

The May 2026 preliminary offering document for the Brightwater CDD names the same four: Lee County Utilities for water, FGUA for wastewater, Lee County Electric for power and CenturyLink for cable, data and telephone (Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026). The county's "area serviced" layers returned nothing at the lagoon point, so confirm which utility bills a specific lot with the utility. LCEC is a not-for-profit cooperative headquartered in North Fort Myers.

Internet

Metro lists ULTRAFi internet and Streetleaf solar streetlights (Metro). City-level availability data lists Xfinity, AT&T, Quantum Fiber, Starlink and 5G home internet in North Fort Myers. That is not address-level, so check the FCC National Broadband Map by address.

Leasing and short-term rentals

We could not retrieve the recorded Master HOA declaration or the recorded Club Plan, so we cannot state a minimum lease term, rental cap or short-term rental rule. The declaration controls, and a buyer who plans to rent should request it before contract. One rule is public: the lagoon operator says that if you rent out your home, the homeowner must relinquish their lagoon access (MetroLagoons members page). The statutory frame is Florida Statute 720.401, which requires the HOA disclosure summary before a contract is signed.

Pets

Pets are not allowed at the lagoon, with service animals the exception (MetroLagoons rules and FAQ). Pet limits at home are in the recorded declaration, which we could not retrieve. Metro advertises a dog park, and The Shores lists one as well.

Architectural review

The preliminary offering document says the homeowners association was created "with its main function being architectural review and deed restriction enforcement." In practice that means a pool, fence, paint change or screen enclosure needs HOA approval first. The master HOA is Brightwater Master Homeowners Association, Inc., managed by Kai Connected in Tampa.

Golf carts

Metro's brochure lists EV cart paths. At the lagoon, the 2022 zoning conditions say the Tract K parking lot has 180 to 400 spaces including golf carts, with at least 33 percent resident-only, and that golf cart parking is exclusive to Brightwater homeowners (Resolution Z-22-015). Brightwater has no golf course; the approved "country club" use is the lagoon itself.

Mail, trash and transit

The ZIP is 33917. The county layers code the hauler as WP, which suggests Waste Pro, an inference, so confirm with Lee County Solid Waste at [email protected]. Recycling is weekly single-stream (Lee County). No LeeTran stop lies within 3 miles, so plan on driving.

What Events Bring Brightwater Together?

Brightwater's events are run mostly by the lagoon: trivia, live music, karaoke, movies on the turf, cigar nights and holiday weekends, plus member-only programming for residents. Governance events are separate and public: the Brightwater CDD meets at Hyatt Place in Fort Myers, and its landowner election is set for November 24, 2026.

Data updated: October 2026 (MetroLagoons event calendar and CDD notices, read October 10, 2026).

The October and November 2026 lagoon calendar

The operator's page listed these events on October 10, 2026: bracelet craft station October 11, trivia night October 15, line dancing October 16, Finish the Line October 17, Behind the Bottle rum night October 23, live music and karaoke October 24, pumpkin painting October 25, Movie on the Turf October 26, a cigar night with coffee and live music October 30, a spooky movie marathon October 31, Encanto character workshop November 1 and musical bingo November 6 (MetroLagoons, Brightwater Lagoon). The full calendar is interactive at the operator's events page, and dates change.

Holidays and seasonal programming

For the Fourth of July weekend in 2025 the lagoon published hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday with a pop-up, live bands on Saturday and Sunday evenings, and a themed cocktail, according to the North Fort Myers Neighbor, June 30, 2025. Regular programming reported by WINK News, October 2025 includes cigar nights, trivia and Sunday football watch parties. In May 2026, WBBH reported a new mega obstacle course and an expanded kid zone, a Cinco de Mayo event and a Mother's Day class. We found no fireworks and no large concerts; the music is small-stage.

What residents get that visitors do not

Resident Members receive member-only events such as fitness classes, live music and trivia, one complimentary card per resident age 14 and older, and a 30 Day Splash Pass available only to residents (MetroLagoons members page and resident member card). Blockout dates and capacity limits can apply, and the operator publishes a blockout calendar. Before a family buys for the lagoon, check that calendar against the weekends you would use it.

Public meetings that shape the community

The Brightwater CDD holds board meetings at Hyatt Place Fort Myers at the Forum, 2600 Champion Ring Rd, Fort Myers; its site lists the next meeting for November 24, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. (Brightwater CDD). A landowners' election is set for November 24, 2026 at the same hotel under Resolution 2026-12 (June 23, 2026 agenda packet). The Stoneybrook North CDD, which covers the east side, shares its manager and meeting days, and two of its board seats are on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot (Stoneybrook North CDD). Residents can attend, read the agendas and ask questions about their assessments.

Nearby recreation

Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve at 10131 Bayshore Road has a canoe launch into Popash Creek, an accessible boardwalk and observation decks (Visit Fort Myers). The Shell Factory closed in 2024 and was demolished in 2026, so it is not an option (WBBH).

How Does Brightwater Compare With Other North Fort Myers New-Home Communities?

Brightwater's county-recorded 12-month median of $392,500 sits above Crane Landing at $275,000 and Magnolia Landing at $311,000 and below Bayshore Ranch at $430,000 and Del Webb Oak Creek at $539,955. It is the only North Fort Myers community in this set with a public lagoon, and its Lennar side is sold out.

Data updated: October 2026 (builder pages fetched October 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser sales in our county index built October 7, 2026).

The builder-published benchmark table

Sources: Lennar Brightwater Lagoon, D.R. Horton Brightwater II, Lennar Bayshore Ranch, NewHomeSource Crane Landing, NewHomeSource Magnolia Landing, Herons Glen Golf and Country Club, Babcock Ranch, Lennar Verdana Village. Builder prices are published base or listing prices fetched in October 2026, not sold prices, and the Brightwater Lennar range is its last published, since the community is sold out.

The county-recorded table: what homes actually sold for

Source: Lee County Property Appraiser sales files, DOR-qualified sales, grouped by recorded subdivision name in our county index built October 7, 2026 (LeePA). Counting all three Brightwater plats, the last 12 months show 86 qualified sales at a $392,500 median, as our market section reports. Babcock Ranch spans two counties and is not in this North Fort Myers set. Coral Bay is a recorded subdivision name in the file that we have not profiled.

What the table says

Brightwater is priced between the entry-level Lennar and Horton product at Crane Landing and Magnolia Landing and the higher-priced Bayshore Ranch and Del Webb Oak Creek. The Crane Landing gap is the clearest: Lennar's entry 3-bedroom plan lists at $274,990 there against $367,499 for the Venice at Brightwater, a gap of about $92,500 for a smaller home without a lagoon (arithmetic ours from the builder pages). Crane Landing also posted the most transactions, 225 in 12 months, which is what a community with a $199,990 townhome entry point and quick move-ins looks like.

The Verdana Village comparison shows value from the other direction. Lennar sells the same plan names there and at Brightwater, and the Trevi lists from $465,999 at Verdana against $377,499 at Brightwater, and the Sorrento from $635,999 against $505,499 (Lennar Verdana Village). Verdana is in Estero, about 30 miles south, so this is a same-plan price benchmark, not a rival a buyer would tour in the same afternoon.

Two cautions apply. Brightwater's county median reflects mostly builder-direct sales of 2024 and 2025 Phase 3 homes, while its resale median is lower, at $315,000 for 21 resales in the last 12 months. And a fee comparison matters as much as a price comparison, because Brightwater carries CDD assessments on top of the HOA and lagoon fees. For a golf-oriented comparison from the same builder in a different county, see Heritage Landing in Punta Gorda, a Lennar golf and country club community with a Gordon Lewis course (Lennar investor release, 2018).

The population behind the numbers

Lee County's population grew 15.1 percent from the April 2020 base to July 2025 (Census QuickFacts, Lee County).

Brightwater vs Babcock Ranch: Which Is Right for You?

Choose Brightwater if you want a gated lagoon community with an I-75 interchange 1.7 miles away and a Lee County address at a lower entry price. Choose Babcock Ranch if you want a full town with on-site schools, a town center, solar power and much larger scale. They share the same corridor, and Bayshore Road connects them.

Data updated: October 2026 (Babcock Ranch, Pulte and Lennar pages read October 2026; Brightwater figures from this guide).

Why this is the natural comparison

Both are master-planned, both are new construction on the same roads, and Brightwater's own bond document names Babcock Ranch, along with Portico and River Hall, as expected competition (Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026). A buyer touring one almost always tours the other. Our complete Babcock Ranch guide covers the town in depth.

The decision table

Sources: Babcock Ranch, Sawgrass Lakes, Kitson & Partners, Lee Resolution Z-22-015, USGS 3DEP elevations as sampled in our flood section. Babcock's elevation figure is a community statement, and datums may differ.

The fee comparison

Fees are where the two diverge. A Brightwater Phase 3 home on a 50-foot lot carries a Stoneybrook North CDD bill of $4,021.75 for FY2027 plus the HOA of $585.24 and the lagoon at $420 on the 2024 developer fee sheet, a total of $5,026.99 a year before property tax (Stoneybrook North CDD FY2027 budget). For a Babcock Ranch Northridge 52-foot lot, Pulte's brochure estimates $243.33 a month for the neighborhood HOA, $141 a month to the residential association and $2,107.19 a year to the district, about $6,719 a year (Pulte brochure, fiscal year October 2024 to September 2025). Those are different years and different lots, so treat the gap as directional. Our pages on Babcock Ranch HOA fees and Babcock Ranch district assessments show the Babcock side in full.

Where Brightwater has the edge

Choose Brightwater if daily I-75 access matters, if you want a lagoon your household can use for a few hundred dollars a year, and if you want a lower purchase price in a gated setting. It suits commuters toward Fort Myers and Cape Coral, buyers who like resort-style recreation more than a walkable town, and 55+ buyers drawn to The Shores. Accept the trade-offs: no hospital, restaurant row or school on site, a public lagoon that draws visitors, and two CDD layers.

Where Babcock Ranch has the edge

Choose Babcock Ranch if you want a town where schools, parks, shops and a health clinic sit within the community, if a higher elevation and underground utilities are priorities, and if you can accept a larger fee stack and a longer drive to the interstate. Babcock describes homes built to 145 mph, its own water and wastewater plants and no flooding in Hurricane Ian, in a community FAQ that is marketing, not an engineering report (Babcock Ranch FAQ).

Is Anyone Still Building in Brightwater?

Yes, on the west side. Lennar's Brightwater Lagoon page says the community is sold out, but D.R. Horton is selling The Shores at Brightwater, a gated 55+ section, and the Brightwater CDD expects Phase 4 closings to begin in December 2027. Metro's FAQ also names DRB Homes, and we found no DRB product.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lennar and D.R. Horton pages, October 10, 2026; Brightwater CDD documents through September 22, 2026; our county index built October 7, 2026).

Lennar is sold out

Lennar's page states that Brightwater Lagoon is now sold out, with last published base prices from $367,499 for the Venice to $505,499 for the Sorrento (Lennar). The county record agrees: of 141 qualified sales on the Phase 3 plat, 137 were builder-direct and only 4 were resales. That means Lennar's Brightwater inventory has largely been handed to its first owners.

D.R. Horton on the west side

D.R. Horton sells The Shores at Brightwater at 18158 Lagoon Reach Ln, with one-story single-family homes and attached twin villas, a clubhouse, pool, fitness center, pickleball and a dog park, and 20 homes listed from $326,040 to $486,350 (D.R. Horton). The preliminary offering document says D.R. Horton is the sole builder in the Brightwater CDD, that no homes had closed with homebuyers there as of May 2026, and that 68 of the 382 Area One lots had closed to builders. Our county index shows 19 west-side homes with a year built and no qualified sales yet.

The Phase 4 schedule

The same document says Phase 4 land development runs from June 2026 to June 2027, with homebuyer closings expected from December 2027 at about 100 homes a year, a builder estimate and uncertain. It describes 206 Horton lots, 47 at 40 feet and 159 at 50 feet, with average home prices expected around $330,000. Series 2026 bonds were preliminary at $11,305,000 in May 2026, and we could not confirm that they closed. The east side still has future Area Two phases, Phases 4, 5 and 6 with 264 units planned, for which Series 2026 bonds are contemplated (Stoneybrook North CDD).

DRB Homes and Maronda

Metro's FAQ names DRB Homes as a builder and a 2025 press release lists Maronda Homes (Business Wire, June 2, 2025), and the Stoneybrook North documents name Maronda among its builders. We found no active DRB or Maronda product in Brightwater, and we say so rather than assume one.

What this means for buyers and sellers

For resale owners on the east side, the competition is now Horton's new homes and other new construction nearby, not Lennar. Phase 3 shows the effect: a 2024 Lennar home at 18789 Marlin Kite Ln resold for $315,000 in March 2026 against a $409,597 builder price in August 2024 (our county index). We report that as data, not a forecast. For buyers, builder incentives on the east side are gone and the competitive set is resales, while west-side buyers can still negotiate with a builder. In either case, ask about the CDD classification of the lot and the lot width before you compare prices.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Living in Brightwater?

Brightwater's strengths are a lagoon included with the home, new construction, Zone X flood mapping and an interchange 1.7 miles away. Its weaknesses are a CDD bill that adds thousands a year, no hospital or school nearby, a lagoon that is open to the public, a car-dependent location and a sold-out east side with unpublished current HOA figures.

Pros

• A lagoon included. A resident membership comes with every home under the county's 2022 conditions, at about $420 a year on the 2024 fee sheet and about $600 a year in the 2026 preliminary documents.
• Interstate access. I-75 Exit 143 is 1.7 miles and about 5 minutes away.
• New homes. Recorded homes were built from 2020 to 2026.
• Entry price. Lennar's plans listed from $367,499, and 21 recent resales cleared between $275,000 and $550,000.
• Flood mapping. Every sampled address is in FEMA Zone X, and a 2026 map revision removed areas from the Bayshore Creek floodplain.
• Gated and managed. Gate, cameras and solar streetlights are funded through the CDD.
• Choice of product. Family homes on the east, a 55+ section on the west and townhomes and villas in the mix.
• Growth around it. Road, school and retail investment is arriving, with FDOT studying the Bayshore corridor.

Cons

• The CDD bill. FY2027 assessments run $3,103.98 to $4,826.10 on the east side, and O&M rose 13 percent year over year.
• Fees not fully published. The current 2026 HOA and lagoon amounts are not in public documents; request the estoppel certificate.
• No hospital nearby. The nearest ER is about 13 miles and 23 to 26 minutes away.
• Schools are not on site. The zoned high schools range from A to C and none is close.
• A public lagoon. Ticketed visitors share the water and parking, and reviews describe crowds and service complaints.
• Car-dependent. No LeeTran stop lies within 3 miles.
• Resale softness. Recent 2021 to 2022 resales sit at $275,000 to $325,000, at or below some original builder prices.
• Pending construction. Phase 4 and later phases mean continued building on the west side for years.

Working with McGreevy and Comisar, Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, means walking a Brightwater listing through the CDD line, the lagoon membership and the Zone X letter before you commit, and Jesse can be reached at (239) 898-6072.

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

Selling a Brightwater home well means pricing it on the Lee County record for your plat and product, explaining the district and lagoon club lines before a buyer asks, and handing over the flood paperwork up front. McGreevy and Comisar, the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012, build every Brightwater listing around those three things.

If you're searching for the best Brightwater listing agent, or thinking, "I need to sell my house in Brightwater..." you are choosing between agents who read the market from a portal and a team that reads it from the record. Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar price Brightwater homes against recorded sales on the same plat, the same lot width and the same builder product, then market what an out-of-state buyer cannot see for themselves.

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and their Domain Realty Group team have sold over $2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over $900 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

Brightwater sales in the last 12 months

In the last 12 months we tracked 86 Brightwater closings at a median of $392,500, from $275,000 to $597,934, for $33,907,659 in volume (Lee County Property Appraiser recorded, DOR-qualified sales, October 2025 through September 10, 2026). Builder-direct sales were 65 at a median of $398,500, all in Brightwater Phase 3. Resales were 21 at a median of $315,000, from $275,000 to $550,000. On the Southwest Florida MLS (pulled October 11, 2026), 48 Brightwater homes closed in the last 12 months at a median of 67.5 days on market and 97.4 percent of list price, and 33 were for sale on October 11.

What Is Your Brightwater Home Worth? Get a Free Valuation in 60 Seconds.

Start with our free Brightwater home valuation and we will follow up with a number built on recorded sales of your plat and product. For the wider picture, our home valuation guide explains how we read Southwest Florida prices.

Talk to Jesse direct: (239) 898-6072, text or call. Confidential conversations welcome.

What we market on a Brightwater listing

• The plat and the product: North Brook Phase One, Brightwater Phase 3 or the west side, the floor plan, and the lot width the CDD bills on.
• The district lines: the operating and bond assessments from the tax bill, and which district bills them, Stoneybrook North CDD or Brightwater CDD.
• The lagoon: the resident membership that comes with a Brightwater home, the club fee and the rules, stated plainly.
• The flood file: the FEMA zone for the lot, FEMA Letter of Map Revision 25-04-6830P effective June 30, 2026, and any elevation certificate.
• The insurance file: the wind mitigation form, the roof and impact-opening details, and a current quote.
• The paperwork up front: the HOA disclosure summary before the contract is signed, and the estoppel figures.

The full process is on our sell my home in Brightwater page.

Seller questions we hear most in Brightwater

These six questions come up in nearly every Brightwater listing conversation. The longer seller edition further down answers many more.

Does the CDD scare buyers away from Brightwater homes?

Not when it is shown clearly. A buyer who sees the fiscal 2027 Stoneybrook North Area Three line of $4,021.75 for a 50-foot lot, split into operating and bond parts, and what the district maintains, is comparing like with like. We put both lines and the district's adopted budget in every Brightwater listing packet so the number is never a surprise at the table.

Do I have to pay off the CDD bond when I sell in Brightwater?

No. The bond assessment stays with the property and is collected on the tax bill each year, and the buyer takes over the payment unless an owner chooses to prepay. The district's explainer says the bond assessment typically runs about 30 years, is fixed, and can be prepaid (Understanding Your CDD Assessment Letter). Florida requires the contract to disclose the district.

What does it cost to sell a Brightwater home?

Commission is negotiable. Florida documentary stamp tax on the deed is $0.70 per $100 of price, usually paid by the seller, so a $400,000 sale carries $2,800 of it (section 201.02). Add the owner's title policy, which Lee County sellers customarily pay unless the contract says otherwise, plus estoppel fees, recording and prorated taxes and assessments. We give every Brightwater seller a written net sheet before listing.

Should I sell my Brightwater home now or wait?

It depends on your product. Brightwater has 447 qualified sales on record since 2020, and the 21 resales in the last 12 months cluster from $275,000 to $325,000 for smaller 2021 to 2022 homes while larger and newer homes sold above $450,000. With D.R. Horton still building on the west side, we run your plat's recorded numbers with you before you choose a date.

Who is my competition when I list in Brightwater?

Lennar's Brightwater page said on October 10, 2026 that the community is sold out, so on the east side you compete mainly with other resales. On the west side D.R. Horton is the active builder, with its 55+ The Shores at Brightwater listing homes from $326,040 (D.R. Horton). Nearby Lennar communities such as Bayshore Ranch also draw the same buyers.

What paperwork will a Brightwater buyer expect to see?

Buyers expect the CDD disclosure required by section 190.048, the HOA disclosure summary under section 720.401 before the contract is signed, the estoppel certificate, the FEMA flood zone and the wind mitigation form. Florida's flood disclosure under section 689.302 also applies (statute). Having them ready before the first showing keeps a Brightwater sale moving.

Your Local Real Estate Experts

McGreevy and Comisar are the team Brightwater owners and buyers call when a lagoon-community home must be priced on the county record. Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar have been Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, lead the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012, and are the #5 real estate team in Florida (RealTrends 2026).

As the leaders of Domain Realty Group our team has closed over $2.5 billion in real estate, and Jesse and Marc's own personal sales exceed $900 million. Read more about our team.

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and their Domain Realty Group team have sold over $2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over $900 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

Meet Jesse McGreevy, who leads the team's listing and seller strategy, and Marc Comisar, who leads buyer representation and negotiation. Selling a Brightwater home? Get a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying in Brightwater? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida and our buy a home in Brightwater guide.

What clients say about working with us

McGreevy and Comisar is a top-reviewed Brightwater realtor on Google. We publish no aggregate score; these are five-star reviews in the clients' own words.

★★★★★ "Marc made an extremely stressful time of selling my parents' house easier because of his expertise, compassion, and diligence. I cannot thank him enough and I would recommend him without reservation." Verified Google review

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

Jesse McGreevy (Sales Associate) and Marc Comisar (Broker Associate) are licensed Florida REALTORS® with Domain Realty; Florida real estate licensure is regulated by the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC).

Florida license numbers: Jesse McGreevy SL3101296 and Marc Comisar BK3060671.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Buyer Edition

These Brightwater buyer questions come from what people search for about the community and what buyers ask on tours. Each answer is one short paragraph tied to a source or a county-record figure; where a number is not public, the answer names the document that holds it and how a buyer gets it.

Data updated: October 2026

Where is Brightwater, and is it in Fort Myers or North Fort Myers?

Brightwater is a gated, master-planned lagoon community in unincorporated North Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida 33917, on both sides of Pritchett Parkway. The developer's brochure gives directions as I-75 Exit 143 east 0.1 mile on Bayshore Road (SR 78), then north on Pritchett Parkway 2.4 miles (Metro Development Group brochure). It sits outside any city limits, so Lee County government serves it, and our North Fort Myers guide covers the wider area.

Is Brightwater the same as Heritage Creek, Stoneybrook North and North Brook?

The land is the same. Lee County rezoned 741.22 acres as the Heritage Creek residential planned development in 2004, and county records later call it Stoneybrook North, North Brook and, from 2017, Brightwater (Lee County case DCI2001-00038). North Brook Phase One, built 2020 to 2023, is Brightwater's first neighborhood, and the east-side district still carries the Stoneybrook North name, so all of these names can appear in your closing documents.

How far is Brightwater from I-75?

The developer's brochure puts the Exit 143 turn 0.1 mile from the interstate, then 2.4 miles north on Pritchett Parkway. Our computed route from the lagoon to the Exit 143 on-ramp is 1.7 miles, about 5 minutes, and from there Southwest Florida International Airport is 17.2 miles and about 27 minutes (OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data, October 10, 2026, off-peak with no live traffic). Add 25 to 50 percent at rush hour or in winter season.

Who developed Brightwater, and who owns the lagoon?

Metro Development Group of Tampa, founded in 2003, developed Brightwater through North Brook Holdings, LLC, the petitioner for both community development districts. The lagoon is a separate asset: the district's May 2026 offering document says a "Lagoon Developer" funded it at a cost in excess of $5 million, MetroLagoons operates it, and the developer's 2023 fee sheet says it is independently owned and operated and not affiliated with any CDD or HOA assessments (Brightwater CDD packet, May 26, 2026).

How many homes will Brightwater have?

Lee County zoning caps Brightwater at 1,475 dwelling units: 885 single-family or equivalent and 590 senior adult units, plus the lagoon club (Resolution Z-22-015, adopted August 17, 2022). The two districts plan 679 and 797 homes, which is 1,476, within one unit of the cap. Press figures of "up to 1,500" reflect the applicant's request. The county roll shows 411 homes with a year built across the three recorded plats as of October 2026 (Lee County case DCI2021-00012).

Is Brightwater Lagoon open to the public?

Yes, by ticket. MetroLagoons says the lagoon is open to resident members and visitors, with tickets sold online or at the gate subject to availability, and parking is free (operator page). County zoning conditions allow non-resident access limited by parking, with at least a third of the spaces reserved for residents. Because the public can buy in, expect busy weekends; some TripAdvisor reviewers who identify as residents mention crowds.

How much does it cost to get into Brightwater Lagoon?

Prices are dynamic and change by day and season, so treat any figure as dated. Gulfshore Business reported $25 per person in the week of May 30, 2025, the News-Press reported $30 for adults and $28 for children in June 2025, and the operator's navigation showed tickets starting at $22 on October 10, 2026. Buying online saves up to $10 against the gate, and Florida residents get 20 percent off day tickets with a valid photo ID (MetroLagoons).

Can you bring food and drinks into Brightwater Lagoon?

Mostly no. The MetroLagoons rules bar glass everywhere and prohibit coolers and outside food, drinks and alcohol, with exceptions for one sealed water bottle or empty reusable bottle per guest, infant formula, sealed baby food and a single allergy lunchbox. Food trucks and bars operate on site, and the operator's October 2026 menus priced most food items from about $10 to $16 (rules and FAQ). Pets other than service animals are not allowed.

How big is Brightwater Lagoon, five acres or six?

About six acres. Crystal Lagoons' project page says 5.9 acres, Metro, Lennar, the News-Press and WINK say six, the district's May 2026 offering document says about 6.5, and the operator's own lagoon page says five. Gulfshore Business reported 10 million gallons of water (Gulfshore Business, May 30, 2025). For scale, MetroLagoons lists Southshore Bay at about five acres and Mirada at about 15.

How deep is Brightwater Lagoon, and is there a shallow area for kids?

Gulfshore Business reported that the depth fluctuates down to 16 feet beneath the floating water obstacle course, and a June 2026 SWFL Family review put it at 15 feet at the course. Depth varies across the lagoon, and it has a splash pad plus a kids water obstacle course included with the Splash Pass. Free-swim areas have no lifeguards, children under 14 need an adult, and complimentary life jackets are available in designated areas (MetroLagoons rules).

Is Brightwater Lagoon heated?

No. The MetroLagoons FAQ says its clear, blue waters are not heated, and temperatures follow the season, closely tracking average water temperatures in the Tampa Bay area and other nearby Florida waterways (operator FAQ). The operator does not publish degree readings. The Shores at Brightwater has its own separate resort-style pool, and D.R. Horton's page does not say whether that pool is heated, so ask the sales office.

Is the water at Brightwater Lagoon chlorinated?

Yes, it is chlorinated and filtered, and the operator does not describe it as salt water or chemical free. A Water Quality team follows industry approved chlorination and filtration standards in line with state and CDC requirements (MetroLagoons FAQ). Crystal Lagoons says its technology uses up to 100 times fewer chemicals than a traditional pool, which is the vendor's claim rather than an independent measurement (Crystal Lagoons).

When did Brightwater Lagoon open?

It had a soft opening on November 22, 2024, with $5 launch tickets reported by the Cape Coral Breeze, and an official ribbon cutting on May 30, 2025. Metro called it Lee County's first man-made lagoon and the fourth completed lagoon in its Florida portfolio (Metro Development Group release). Features arrived in stages: a mini golf course was open by mid 2025, and the operator promoted a new mega obstacle course for the 2026 season.

What do Brightwater homeowners get at the lagoon that day-pass guests do not?

News-Press reporting on the opening says residents receive unlimited lagoon access and members-only events, and MetroLagoons issues one complimentary Resident Member Card per resident age 14 and older, shown with photo ID at each visit (Resident Member Card). Metro's materials also describe discounted rentals and food and complimentary or reduced guest passes. Capacity limits and blackout dates may apply, and a Brightwater resident price schedule is not published on the operator's pages.

What does the lagoon club cost Brightwater residents?

It depends on the document's date. The 2023 and 2024 developer fee sheets list a $35 monthly lagoon fee plus tax, which is $420 a year, and a one-time $2,000 initiation at closing (fee sheet). The district's May 2026 preliminary offering document expects residents to pay about $600 a year per unit under the club plan. County zoning requires a resident membership with every Brightwater home purchase, so ask for the current club plan terms.

Is the Brightwater lagoon fee part of the HOA?

No. The developer's 2023 fee sheet lists the lagoon fee on its own line and says the lagoon is not affiliated with any CDD or HOA assessments. The May 2026 offering document describes the HOA's main function as architectural review and deed restriction enforcement, with about $600 a year anticipated for the HOA and about $600 a year separately for the lagoon. Neither appears on the county tax bill; on the Brightwater bills we reviewed, the CDD assessment was the only non-ad valorem line.

What are the Brightwater HOA fees, and what do they cover?

Brightwater Master Homeowners Association, Inc. charged $146.31 a quarter, or $585.24 a year, on the 2023 and 2024 developer fee sheets, and the May 2026 offering document anticipates about $600 a year. The current 2026 amount is not published, so request the budget and an estoppel certificate. The association's main function is architectural review and deed restriction enforcement, and Kai in Tampa manages it (Sunbiz record N15000010020).

Will Brightwater HOA and CDD fees go up?

They can. The Stoneybrook North CDD's operating assessment rose 13 percent from fiscal 2026 to fiscal 2027, while its bond debt assessment stays fixed for the term (FY2027 budget). The Brightwater CDD's developed 50-foot lot total went from $3,303.81 to $3,984.48 because its operating line rose. The offering document says the roughly $600 HOA fee is "subject to change in subsequent years."

What is the Brightwater CDD, and why are there two?

A community development district is a local unit of special purpose government that finances and maintains infrastructure by assessing the lots it serves. Brightwater is split between Stoneybrook North CDD on the east side of Pritchett Parkway (Ordinance 14-23, 2014) and Brightwater CDD on the west side (Ordinance 18-02, effective January 17, 2018). The lagoon parcel sits outside both districts, per the May 2026 offering document (Brightwater CDD).

How much is the CDD assessment on a Brightwater lot?

For fiscal 2027, Stoneybrook North Area Three (Phase 3) is $4,021.75 for a 50-foot lot and $4,826.10 for a 60-foot lot, and North Brook Phase One (Area One) runs from $3,103.98 for 40-foot lots to $4,620.25 for 60-foot lots. The Brightwater CDD on the west side is $2,789.14 for a developed 35-foot lot and $3,984.48 for a 50-foot lot (district budgets). Confirm your parcel's class on the tax bill.

What does it cost per year to own a home in Brightwater?

Our worked example is a 2025 Phase 3 Lennar home that sold for $399,000. The 2026 ad valorem tax with homestead is $4,626.51 at the rates applied to the tax roll (the TRIM notice proposed $4,630.10; Lee County Property Appraiser TRIM), plus Stoneybrook North Area Three at $4,021.75 for a 50-foot lot, the 2024 HOA rate of $585.24 and the 2024 lagoon rate of $420. That totals $9,653.50 a year, about $804 a month, or $10,457.85 on a 60-foot lot, about $871 a month, before insurance.

What are Brightwater property taxes, and why does Bayshore Fire matter?

Brightwater parcels are in Lee County tax district 202, Bayshore Fire, not the North Fort Myers fire district. The 2025 adopted total was 14.4125 mills, including 3.5000 mills for the Bayshore Fire Protection and Rescue District, and the 2026 total applied to the tax roll is 14.3623 mills (2026 millage book; Lee County Property Appraiser millage book). Brightwater is unincorporated, so there is no city tax, and the CDD assessment is a separate line on the same bill.

Which builders built homes in Brightwater?

Lennar built the east side, North Brook Phase One and Phase 3, and D.R. Horton is the sole builder inside the west-side Brightwater CDD, including the gated 55+ The Shores at Brightwater. Metro's FAQ also names DRB Homes and a 2025 press release names Maronda Homes, but we found no DRB product, and Maronda shows up only in that release and the offering document's builder list (Metro Development Group).

Is Lennar sold out in Brightwater, and can I still buy new?

Lennar's Brightwater Lagoon page said on October 10, 2026 that the community is now sold out (Lennar), so Lennar homes are resale only. New construction is available from D.R. Horton at The Shores at Brightwater, whose page listed about 20 homes for sale from $326,040. The district's offering document expects Phase 4 closings on the west side to begin from December 2027, so new supply continues.

Which Lennar floor plans were built in Brightwater, and how big are they?

Lennar's last published Brightwater plans were Executive Homes (Venice 3 bed, 3 bath, 1,849 sq ft from $367,499; Trevi 4/3, 2,032 sq ft from $377,499; Marsala 3/3, 2,201 sq ft from $422,499; Amalfi 4/3, 2,529 sq ft from $447,499) and Manor Homes (Tivoli 4/3, 2,267 sq ft from $403,499; Summerville II 3/3, 2,444 sq ft from $435,499; Sorrento 5 bed, 4.5 bath, 3,283 sq ft from $505,499). These are historical base prices from a sold-out page, not resale values (Lennar).

What is The Shores at Brightwater, and how is it different?

The Shores at Brightwater is D.R. Horton's gated 55+ section on the west side, with one-story single-family and attached villa homes from 1,503 square feet, its own clubhouse, fitness center, pool, pickleball, dog park and event lawn, and an association registered with Sunbiz as N23000002018. Residents also get access to Brightwater Lagoon. The rest of Brightwater is all ages. Horton's page does not state the association dues, so request the budget before you offer (D.R. Horton).

Do 55+ residents at The Shores get lagoon access?

D.R. Horton's page says homes at The Shores at Brightwater come with access to Brightwater Lagoon, and it lists the lagoon among the section's amenities (D.R. Horton). County zoning also requires a resident club membership with every Brightwater home purchase. The fees are set by The Shores' own association and the club plan, and Horton does not publish dues, so request both documents before you sign a contract.

Are there drainage or sewer problems in Brightwater?

Public forum posts raise drainage and sewer complaints, but we could not verify them, and we do not treat anecdotes as findings. A document we can check says the developer was completing sanitary sewer and stormwater pond repairs required by FGUA and Lee County on the west side before further lot sales, with completion expected in July 2026 (Brightwater CDD packet, May 26, 2026). Ask any seller or builder about lot drainage in writing.

Should I hire a third-party inspector for a Brightwater home?

Yes, on a resale and on a new Horton home before the walkthrough. A licensed inspection should cover the roof, the impact windows or shutters, grading and drainage around the lot, and the garage and attic. Ask for the wind mitigation form, which can earn insurance credits (Florida statute 627.0629). Brightwater homes were built from 2020 to 2026, so roofs are new, but workmanship still varies house to house.

Is Brightwater in a FEMA flood zone?

Every sampled Brightwater address was FEMA Zone X, outside the Special Flood Hazard Area, in live National Flood Hazard Layer queries on October 10, 2026, on panels 12071C0277G and 12071C0281G effective November 17, 2022. FEMA Letter of Map Revision 25-04-6830P, effective June 30, 2026, removed areas from the Bayshore Creek 1 percent floodplain (FEMA LOMR). Zone X does not mean no flood risk, so check your own lot on Lee County's lookup.

Did Brightwater flood in Hurricane Ian or Hurricane Milton?

Brightwater-specific storm damage is not documented in the public sources we found. The first North Brook Phase One homes were built from 2020, so the oldest homes stood through Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022, when the National Hurricane Center reported 5 to 8 feet of surge above ground up the Caloosahatchee in Fort Myers (NHC report). Sampled ground elevation was 16.8 to 18.6 feet NAVD88, and Lee County's Milton evacuation order covered Zones A and B only.

What is the hurricane evacuation zone for Brightwater?

The sampled Brightwater points fall in Lee County evacuation Zone C on Lagoon Reach Lane (west plat) and Zone D on Marlin Kite Lane (Phase 3), per the Florida Division of Emergency Management zone layer queried October 10, 2026. Lee County's Milton order in October 2024 covered Zones A and B plus mobile homes. Zones follow storm surge modeling, not your FEMA flood zone, so look up your own address at Know Your Zone.

Do I need flood insurance in Brightwater, and what does it cost?

In Zone X flood insurance is optional unless a lender requires it, and Metro's FAQ says Brightwater does not advertise a blanket requirement, so check your lot. Lee County's Community Rating System Class 5 gives a 10 percent NFIP discount in Zone X (FEMA CRS list, April 1, 2026). OpenFEMA data for ZIP 33917 show a median premium of $517 for Zone X policies on 2023 or later builds (n=67); the ZIP includes riverfront areas, so treat it as context, not a quote.

How much is homeowners insurance in Brightwater?

We cannot publish a Brightwater average because premiums are quoted per home. What is documented: Florida law bars an insurer from refusing to issue or renew a policy solely because of roof age when the roof is under 15 years old (section 627.7011), and every Brightwater roof is newer than that. Insurers must offer wind mitigation discounts, and the state regulator said on May 20, 2026 that 20 new insurers have entered since the reforms.

What schools serve Brightwater?

Lee County assigns schools by address, so confirm yours with the district's lookup. When we ran the School Enrollment Zones tool on October 10, 2026 for five Brightwater points, all five returned the same result: Elementary Zone C, Middle Zone CC and High School East Zone 1, each with several schools to choose from. Zones change yearly, newer phases may differ, and North Fort Myers High School is not a zoned option for those points.

Where is the nearest hospital to Brightwater?

We could not verify a hospital or freestanding emergency room inside North Fort Myers ZIP 33917. The nearest emergency departments are Lee Health Cape Coral Hospital, 13.1 miles and about 26 minutes by our computed route, and HCA Florida Cape Coral Emergency, 13.5 miles and about 23 minutes (Lee Health). Bayshore Fire Station 131 on Nalle Road serves the community. These are computed estimates without live traffic.

How far is Brightwater from Fort Myers, Cape Coral, the airport and the beaches?

By our computed driving routes from the lagoon: downtown Fort Myers River District 10.5 miles and 19 minutes, central Cape Coral 13.1 miles and 26 minutes, Southwest Florida International Airport 17.2 miles and 27 minutes, Punta Gorda 24.4 miles and 35 minutes, Fort Myers Beach Pier 26.0 miles and 44 minutes, and the Sanibel Causeway 28.7 miles and 47 minutes (OSRM method). Winter season and rush hours add 25 to 50 percent.

Is Brightwater too remote, and where is the nearest grocery store?

It is a car-dependent community. Our computed route to the nearest Publix, at 6700 Bayshore Road, is 4.5 miles and about 10 minutes, and the Walmart Supercenter at 545 Pine Island Road is 8.0 miles and about 16 minutes. No LeeTran bus stop lies within 3 miles of Brightwater. Store addresses come from OpenStreetMap, so verify them on the Publix locator before you plan a route.

Can I rent out my Brightwater home?

The recorded Declaration and association rules govern leasing, and we do not state a minimum lease term we cannot document, so request the Declaration before you offer. One rule is documented: MetroLagoons' members page says a homeowner who rents out the home must relinquish their lagoon access, and its renter benefits list does not include Brightwater (MetroLagoons members). Count that cost into any rental plan.

Are short-term rentals allowed in Brightwater?

We found no public document that permits them, and the Declaration controls, so do not buy in Brightwater for Airbnb income without reading it. Lee County approved Brightwater as a residential planned development, and the lagoon rule that costs a renting owner lagoon access works against a vacation-rental plan. Ask the association in writing and make the answer a condition of your contract (MetroLagoons members).

Is a Brightwater home a good investment property?

Judge it on the record, not the brochure. The 21 resales in the last 12 months had a median of $315,000 against $398,500 for 65 builder-direct sales, and the 2024 Phase 3 home at 18789 Marlin Kite Ln resold at $315,000 against a $409,597 builder price. Carrying cost on our worked example is $9,653.50 a year before insurance, and renting costs the owner lagoon access. This is data, not advice, so model it with your own numbers.

How does Brightwater compare with Babcock Ranch?

Babcock Ranch is the natural rival. It reported 1,066 net home sales in 2025 and 5,516 total through December 31, 2025, with prices from the low $200,000s (Babcock Ranch). Brightwater's Lennar plans started at $367,499, it has I-75 Exit 143 about 2.5 miles away and a six-acre lagoon, while Babcock has on-site schools and a Lee Health center. Our Babcock Ranch guide has the full comparison.

How does Brightwater compare with Bayshore Ranch, Crane Landing and Magnolia Landing?

On our county index of North Fort Myers sales since October 2025, Crane Landing had 225 sales at a median of $275,000, Bayshore Ranch 49 at $430,000, Magnolia Landing parcels L, N and O 49 at $311,000, and Brightwater Phase 3 alone 68 at $398,750. Lennar's entry plan at Crane Landing started at $274,990, about $92,500 below Brightwater's Venice at $367,499, and Bayshore Ranch is Lennar's nearest active comparable (Lennar Bayshore Ranch).

How does Brightwater compare with other Metro lagoon communities?

MetroLagoons lists Epperson in Wesley Chapel at over seven acres, Southshore Bay in Wimauma at about five, Mirada in San Antonio at about 15, and Brightwater as its southernmost and Lee County's first (MetroLagoons). Operator navigation showed starting tickets of $25 at Epperson, $20 at Mirada and Southshore Bay, and $22 at Brightwater in October 2026. Yelp ratings were 2.8 for Epperson, 2.5 for Southshore Bay and about 2.6 for Brightwater.

What are Brightwater homes selling for right now?

In the last 12 months we tracked 86 qualified sales from October 2025 through September 10, 2026, at a median of $392,500, from $275,000 to $597,934. Builder-direct sales were 65 at $398,500 and resales 21 at $315,000 (Lee County Property Appraiser records through September 10, 2026). On the Southwest Florida MLS, 48 Brightwater homes closed in the 12 months to October 11, 2026 at a median of 67.5 days on market and 97.4 percent of list; the rest were builder sales that never ran through the MLS.

Is Brightwater a good buy now that Lennar is sold out?

It can be, and the record explains why. On the east side every Lennar home is now a resale, and the newest resales on 2021 to 2022 North Brook Phase One homes cluster from $275,000 to $325,000 for 1,427 to 1,747 sq ft, at or slightly below several original builder prices, while larger homes and 2024 Phase 3 homes resell above $450,000. Price each home against its own plat and plan, and compare the fee stack, not just the list price.

Do builders offer incentives on Brightwater homes?

Lennar is sold out, so there is no Lennar incentive to chase. At The Shores at Brightwater, any offer comes from the D.R. Horton sales office, whose page lists homes from $326,040 with estimated monthly payments (D.R. Horton). Forum posts mention closing-cost credits, but we could not verify an amount, so ask for any incentive in writing and compare it with the CDD and HOA lines.

Does Brightwater have golf, a marina or a beach?

Brightwater has no golf course or marina. The lagoon's general manager said in 2024 that instead of a golf course and big clubhouse, Brightwater has a six-acre lagoon with sandy beaches. Nearby golf includes Herons Glen Golf and Country Club and Six Lakes Country Club, and Lee County Parks runs the Davis Boat Ramp (Herons Glen). Gulf beaches are a drive: Fort Myers Beach Pier is 26.0 miles and about 44 minutes by our computed route.

Who provides utilities and internet in Brightwater?

Lee County Electric Cooperative provides power, not FPL, per the county territory layer. Lee County Utilities holds the water franchise and Florida Governmental Utility Authority the wastewater franchise (Lee County GIS). Metro lists ULTRAFi internet while the district's offering document names CenturyLink, so confirm your provider by address. Solid waste is Lee County Area 5 with Friday collection in the county layers; verify with the county before closing.

Is Brightwater gated, and how do guests get in?

Yes. Metro describes gated entry with remote and call-in visitor access, and the Stoneybrook North district's resident access form describes gate transmitters or four-digit codes (Stoneybrook North CDD). The Brightwater CDD budget carries gate maintenance of $12,000 and cameras of $27,000 for fiscal 2027. Both ordinances grant the districts security powers but no police power, and the Lee County Sheriff's Office serves the community.

Is North Fort Myers safe, and what about Brightwater?

We do not publish a Brightwater crime rate because we have not built one from primary data, and we will not repeat forum opinions as facts. What is documented: Brightwater is gated, the Lee County Sheriff's Office patrols it as district 1, zone 12, and the CDD budgets fund gate and camera upkeep. Check the Sheriff's published incident data for the address you are considering (Lee County GIS).

What is there to do near Brightwater besides the lagoon?

Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve at 10131 Bayshore Road has a canoe and kayak launch into Popash Creek and boardwalks (Visit Fort Myers). Manatee Park, the Edison and Ford Winter Estates about 25 minutes away and downtown Fort Myers 19 minutes away are the other draws. The Shell Factory closed in 2024 and was demolished in 2026, so do not plan around it.

Are golf carts and pets allowed in Brightwater?

Metro lists EV cart paths, a dog park and a tot lot, and Lennar's page describes events minutes away by golf cart. The county's zoning conditions make golf cart parking at the lagoon residents-only (Resolution Z-22-015). At the lagoon itself pets other than service animals are not allowed (MetroLagoons rules). Leash and breed rules sit in the Declaration, so request it before you close.

What disclosures must a Brightwater seller give a buyer?

Three matter most. Both CDD ordinances require the section 190.048 district disclosure in every contract. Section 720.401 requires the HOA disclosure summary before the contract is signed (statute). Section 689.302 requires a written flood disclosure at or before contract. Ask your agent to confirm all three are in the offer package, and request the estoppel certificate under section 720.30851 for the dues and any unpaid amounts.

Can I pay off the CDD bond in Brightwater?

Yes, a bond assessment can generally be prepaid. The Brightwater CDD's explainer says the bond portion typically runs about 30 years, is fixed, and can be prepaid, and the Series 2024 bonds mature on May 1, 2055 (CDD explainer). Prepaying removes the debt line but not the operating line, which funds upkeep every year. Ask the district manager for the payoff figure for your lot.

Will the Bayshore Road widening change my commute from Brightwater?

Not yet. FDOT's project study on SR 78 (Bayshore Road) from I-75 to SR 31 was estimated to finish in late 2026, and design, right of way and construction are not funded in the FDOT work program (SWFLRoads). The alternatives include widening to four lanes and a diverging diamond interchange at I-75, but they are studies, not approvals. The $85 million SR 31 widening toward Babcock Ranch is under construction, with completion estimated for mid 2027.

How much more building is planned in Brightwater?

The Stoneybrook North district plans 679 units, 398 of which had closed with homebuyers by May 2026, and its future Area Two covers 264 units. The Brightwater CDD plans 797 lots, with Phase 4 (206 lots) land development running June 2026 to June 2027 and closings expected from December 2027 at roughly 100 homes a year, a builder estimate in the preliminary offering document (Brightwater CDD packet).

Frequently Asked Questions: Seller Edition

These Brightwater seller questions come from what owners ask us before they list and what buyers ask their agents about resales. Each answer is one short paragraph tied to a source or a county-record figure; where a figure is not public, the answer says which document holds it and how a seller gets it.

Data updated: October 2026

What is my Brightwater home worth today?

It depends on your plat, plan and lot, so start with recorded sales of your own product. Across Brightwater the 12-month median was $392,500, but builder-direct Phase 3 sales ran $398,500 while resales ran $315,000, and 2021 to 2022 North Brook Phase One homes of 1,427 to 1,747 sq ft clustered from $275,000 to $325,000. Our free Brightwater home valuation matches your home to the closest recorded sales and the current fee stack.

How have Brightwater home prices changed since the first closings?

Yearly medians in the Lee County record were $240,060 for 28 sales in 2020, $278,868.50 for 118 in 2021, $387,915 for 96 in 2022, $375,000 for 37 in 2023, $420,000 for 54 in 2024, $410,000 for 51 in 2025 and $390,000 for 63 in 2026 through September 10. The early jump reflects both rising builder prices and bigger plans, so read the series as a mix of products, not one home gaining value (Lee County Property Appraiser).

How long does it take to sell a home in Brightwater?

Brightwater homes marketed on the Southwest Florida MLS sold at a median of 67.5 days on market in the 12 months to October 11, 2026, across 48 MLS closings at a median 97.4 percent of list price. The county record does show a pace: 21 resales recorded in the 12 months to September 10, 2026, about two a month, so resale supply is thin, but buyers also see new D.R. Horton homes. Pricing from the first day is the biggest lever.

What is the median sold price in Brightwater over the last 12 months?

The county's recorded median was $392,500 across 86 qualified sales from October 2025 through September 10, 2026, with a range of $275,000 to $597,934 and $33,907,659 in volume (DOR-qualified improved sales of $100,000 or more, Lee County Property Appraiser files). The median hides a split: 65 builder-direct Phase 3 sales at $398,500 and 21 resales at $315,000. For a resale, the $315,000 median and your plat's comparables are the better yardsticks.

How many Brightwater homes have resold, and how many are for sale now?

Of 447 qualified sales on record since 2020, 55 are resales: 51 in North Brook Phase One and 4 in Phase 3, including 21 in the last 12 months. On October 11, 2026 the Southwest Florida MLS showed 33 Brightwater homes for sale, 20 of them in The Shores at Brightwater, at a median list price of $399,999. Because the east side is sold out from the builder, every Lennar home that comes to market is a resale (Lennar).

Do lagoon-community homes hold their value better than other North Fort Myers homes?

The record does not prove it either way yet. The lagoon opened in 2024 and 2025, and repeat-sale evidence is mixed: 54 Brightwater homes have both a builder sale and a later resale, with a median first price of $288,059.50 and a median latest price of $389,375 (different homes in different years, not a per-home gain), yet several 2021 to 2022 homes resold at or below their original price. The 12-month medians at Crane Landing and Bayshore Ranch were $275,000 and $430,000.

Do Lennar homes appreciate in value in Brightwater?

It depends on the year bought and the plan. A 2020 home at 8824 Cascade Price Cir resold at $410,000 against $239,000 in November 2020, while 18789 Marlin Kite Ln resold at $315,000 in March 2026 against a $409,597 builder price in August 2024. Both are real Brightwater sales from the county record, and they show why we pull your own address history instead of quoting an average (Lee County Property Appraiser).

How do I price my Brightwater resale against new D.R. Horton homes?

Price against what a buyer can buy new that day. The Shores at Brightwater listed homes from $326,040, and the district's preliminary offering document expects Phase 4 Horton homes to average about $330,000, with closings from December 2027 (D.R. Horton). The Shores is a 55+ product, so your buyers differ, but new supply sets price anchors. Show what your home offers that a new home does not, and price to the recorded comparables.

Is now a good time to sell in Brightwater?

Nothing in the record shows a collapse or a spike. Sales through September 10, 2026 have a median of $390,000 across 63 sales, against $410,000 in 2025 and $420,000 in 2024. East-side Lennar is sold out, so resale supply is limited, while D.R. Horton's Phase 4 closings are expected from December 2027. Whether it is right for you turns on your product and plans, and we will run the recorded numbers with you.

What is the best time of year to list a Brightwater home?

The Brightwater record is too young to prove a seasonal pattern: the first sales are from 2020 and there are only 447 qualified sales in all. What we can say is practical. Lennar markets Southwest Florida communities to snowbirds (Lennar resource center), and out-of-state buyers tour in winter, so having the CDD, HOA, lagoon and flood paperwork ready before the first showing matters more than the month.

Are home prices dropping in North Fort Myers?

Brightwater's record shows a plateau rather than a fall: yearly medians were $420,000 in 2024, $410,000 in 2025 and $390,000 in 2026 through September 10. North Fort Myers varies by community: 12-month medians were $275,000 at Crane Landing, $398,750 for the Brightwater Phase 3 plat, $430,000 at Bayshore Ranch and $539,955 at Del Webb Oak Creek. New versus resale mix and home size drive these numbers, so compare like with like.

Should I sell to a cash buyer or list my Brightwater home with an agent?

A cash offer trades price for speed, and Brightwater's range is narrow enough to measure the trade: resales ran $275,000 to $550,000 in the last 12 months with a $315,000 median. Ask any cash buyer for a written net figure, then compare it with a net sheet for a listed sale after commission, documentary stamps and title costs. Put the two numbers side by side before you choose. We will build the listed-sale side for you.

What repairs or improvements add the most value to a Brightwater home?

Homes here are 2020 to 2026 builds, so deferred maintenance is rarely the issue. Plan and size drive price more than cosmetics: 1,427 sq ft homes resold at $275,000 to $297,500 while a 2,434 sq ft home sold at $550,000. Fix open items, keep the roof and impact openings documented, and check HOA architectural review before changing anything visible, since the association's main function is architectural review (Brightwater CDD packet).

Does staging help sell a Brightwater home?

Yes, because Brightwater buyers often compare a resale with a builder sales center, such as D.R. Horton's at 18158 Lagoon Reach Lane, and presentation sets the standard they measure against. Stage the main living areas, the lanai and the entry, clear the garage, and shoot photographs and drone views that show the lot's setting. For a lagoon community the listing should also show the resident membership and the community's amenities clearly (D.R. Horton).

How does my lot width affect my Brightwater home's price?

Lot width changes the carrying cost, and buyers notice. In Stoneybrook North Area Three for fiscal 2027 a 60-foot lot is billed $4,826.10 against $4,021.75 for a 50-foot lot, a difference of $804.35 a year, while the bigger lot usually carries a bigger home (FY2027 budget). Price against homes on the same lot width, and show the exact CDD line from your tax bill.

Does the lagoon fee or CDD hurt my Brightwater resale price?

Buyers price the whole carrying cost, not one line. On our worked example the yearly stack is $9,653.50 for a 50-foot lot, about $804 a month before insurance, and buyers compare that with other communities. Present each line clearly: the CDD bond portion pays for infrastructure already built, and the lagoon club is a membership that comes with the home. A disclosed cost rarely does the damage that a surprise at the closing table does.

What CDD disclosure must a Brightwater seller give?

Both CDD ordinances require the district disclosure of section 190.048 in every sale within the districts (section 190.048). First confirm which district bills your lot: Stoneybrook North CDD on the east side of Pritchett Parkway or Brightwater CDD on the west side, and your tax bill shows it. The contract should carry the disclosure language, and we attach the district's adopted budget so the buyer sees the operating and bond lines.

What HOA disclosure must I give a Brightwater buyer, and when?

Section 720.401 requires the disclosure summary to be given before the contract is signed, so it belongs in the offer package, not at closing (section 720.401). Brightwater Master Homeowners Association, Inc. is the master association, and The Shores at Brightwater has its own association, so a 55+ seller may owe two sets of documents. Request them early from the manager, Kai in Tampa, because the current HOA amount is not published.

How are CDD assessments and property taxes handled at a Brightwater closing?

They are prorated between buyer and seller as the contract states. Lee County's tax bill carries both the ad valorem tax and the CDD assessment, with early-payment discounts of 4 percent in November, 3 percent in December, 2 percent in January and 1 percent in February (Lee Tax Collector). The 2025 Brightwater bills we reviewed showed the CDD as the only non-ad valorem line, so confirm the amount for your lot and have the title company prorate it.

What is an HOA estoppel certificate, and who pays for it?

An estoppel certificate is the association's written statement of dues, assessments and any unpaid amounts on your account, and section 720.30851 governs it (section 720.30851). Order it early, because the manager prepares it and the buyer relies on it. Who pays is set by the contract and the statute, so ask us before you sign. For Brightwater it matters more than usual because the current 2026 HOA figure is not published anywhere else.

Are there transfer fees or capital contributions when a Brightwater home sells?

We could not verify any from public documents. The builder-era sheets list a $2,000 lagoon initiation paid at the first closing, and at Babcock Ranch's Northridge a Pulte brochure lists closing charges such as a $100 transfer fee, which shows how other communities do it. For Brightwater, the recorded Declaration and the estoppel certificate are where a transfer fee or capital contribution would appear, so read both before you list (fee sheet).

Does my Brightwater lagoon membership transfer to my buyer?

County zoning requires resident memberships to be included in every purchase of a Brightwater home, and the May 2026 offering document says the recorded Club Plan burdens the land, so the membership runs with the home (Brightwater CDD packet). The 2023 and 2024 sheets showed a $2,000 initiation at the first closing; whether a resale triggers a new initiation is not published, so ask for the current Club Plan terms.

Can my buyer rent the home, and does that limit the buyer pool?

The Declaration governs leasing, so give buyers a copy early. One documented rule affects the pool: MetroLagoons says a homeowner who rents out the home must relinquish their lagoon access (MetroLagoons members). Investors may therefore value a Brightwater home less than a buyer who will live there, and the 55+ section may have its own rules through The Shores association. Pricing for owner-occupants is usually the safer plan.

What are the seller closing costs in Lee County?

Florida documentary stamp tax on the deed is $0.70 per $100 of price, so a $400,000 sale carries $2,800, and the seller usually pays it (section 201.02). In Lee County the seller customarily pays for the owner's title policy, though the contract controls. Add estoppel fees, recording costs, prorated taxes and assessments, and any commission. We give every Brightwater seller a written net sheet before listing so there are no surprises.

How much do realtors charge to sell a house in Florida?

Commission is negotiable. Since the 2024 NAR settlement, agent compensation is discussed and agreed in writing up front, not assumed from an MLS offer. We put our terms in writing before a Brightwater listing and show the effect on your net proceeds, together with the documentary stamps and title costs. Compare agents on method and proof, not on the lowest number, since a pricing error on a $392,500 median home costs far more than a fee difference.

What is the typical timeline from listing to closing in Brightwater?

Brightwater homes on the Southwest Florida MLS closed at a median of 67.5 days on market in the 12 months to October 11, 2026, at a median 97.4 percent of list price. A sale runs on three clocks: time to contract, which depends on price against the recorded comparables; the contract period, when the buyer's inspection, financing and the HOA and CDD paperwork run; and the closing itself. Ordering the estoppel and assembling the disclosures before listing removes the delays we can control (Florida statute 720.30851).

Do I owe capital gains tax if I sell my Brightwater home after two or three years?

Possibly, depending on your gain and how long you owned and lived in the home. Owners who bought new construction in 2023 are reaching the two-year mark, which is a federal ownership-and-use threshold for the home-sale exclusion, but the rules turn on your own facts. Read IRS Topic 701 and ask your CPA before you set a listing date, because Brightwater's yearly medians have moved only modestly since 2023.

If my Lennar warranty is still active, can the next owner claim it?

We could not verify the transfer terms from public documents, so read the warranty booklet in your closing package and ask Lennar in writing. Timing matters: North Brook Phase One homes closed from 2020 to 2023 and Phase 3 homes from 2024 to 2026, so many original warranty periods have run or are running out (Lennar). If coverage remains, a written confirmation from Lennar is a selling point for your Brightwater listing.

Do open punch-list or drainage items hurt my Brightwater sale?

Yes, if a buyer's inspector finds them unfixed. Close out open builder items before you list, and keep written proof of what was repaired. Public forum posts about Brightwater drainage and sewer problems are unverified, but buyers read them, so documentation of lot grading and drainage answers the worry. On the west side the district's May 2026 packet describes sewer and stormwater pond repairs required by FGUA and Lee County, which buyers can read too.

Should I get a pre-listing inspection for my Brightwater home?

It is worth considering. Brightwater buyers inspect the roof, impact openings, grading and drainage, and a pre-listing report lets you fix items on your schedule and price from facts. Pair it with a wind mitigation inspection, since insurers must offer discounts for qualifying features (section 627.0629). The report also makes your Brightwater listing credible to out-of-state buyers who cannot attend an inspection.

How do the flood zone and insurance cost affect what Brightwater buyers will pay?

They are favorable selling points when documented. Every sampled Brightwater address was FEMA Zone X, outside the Special Flood Hazard Area (live FEMA queries, October 10, 2026), Lee County's Class 5 rating gives a 10 percent NFIP discount in Zone X, and OpenFEMA's median premium for Zone X policies on 2023 or later builds in ZIP 33917 was $517 (FEMA CRS list). Buyers still want their own quote, so share yours.

Will Brightwater buyers ask for an elevation certificate or wind mitigation report?

Many ask for the wind mitigation form, because it drives the insurance quote. An elevation certificate is no longer required to buy NFIP coverage under Risk Rating 2.0, though FEMA still uses it for floodplain management and the Community Rating System (FEMA Risk Rating 2.0). Per-lot certificates for Brightwater are not published, so include yours if your builder or surveyor provided one, and the FEMA zone letter for your lot.

Do I have to disclose flooding or storm damage on my Brightwater home?

Yes, in the form Florida requires. Section 689.302 requires a seller to give a written flood disclosure at or before the contract, including a statement that homeowners policies do not cover flood and whether you know of flooding that damaged the property (statute). Brightwater-specific storm damage is not documented in public sources we found, so your own knowledge and records are what the form asks about.

Does the 2026 flood map revision affect my Brightwater sale?

It can. FEMA Letter of Map Revision 25-04-6830P, effective June 30, 2026, removed areas from the Bayshore Creek 1 percent floodplain for Brightwater Phases 1, 2AB, 3 and the Lagoon (FEMA LOMR). Homes closed from 2023 to mid 2026 may have been rated or lender-determined under the older map, so ask your lender and insurer how your lot was determined and whether a new quote lowers the cost for your buyer.

Must I disclose the nearby wastewater plant on my Brightwater lot?

Possibly. The Brightwater zoning approval notes a High Point wastewater treatment plant adjacent to the community and requires purchaser disclosure for lots near the 250-foot line in Tracts G or H (Resolution Z-22-015). Ask us or the title company whether your lot is in one of those tracts, and put the disclosure in the offer package. Disclosing early avoids a late-contract dispute (Lee County case DCI2021-00012).

Should I market a Brightwater home to owner-occupants or investors?

Investors face a trade: an owner who rents out the home gives up lagoon access. Market to owner-occupants first and show the full carrying cost.

How do the lagoon, schools and I-75 access help me market a Brightwater home?

Lead with what is distinct. The lagoon is Lee County's first man-made lagoon, I-75 Exit 143 is about 2.5 miles away (1.7 miles to the on-ramp by our computed route), and Lee County assigns schools by address, so give buyers the district's lookup tool. The Bayshore School is expanding to K-8 with a $50 million building due in fall 2026 (Gulfshore Business). Confirm zoning for your address first.

How does my Brightwater home compare with new builds at The Shores?

They are different products. The Shores at Brightwater is D.R. Horton's gated 55+ section with one-story single-family and villa homes from 1,503 square feet, listed from $326,040, so it is restricted to 55+ households. An all-ages Lennar home can sell to any buyer, not only 55+ households, and Lennar's plans ran from 1,849 to 3,283 sq ft. Price yours against Lennar resales first and treat The Shores as a reference point (D.R. Horton).

Who is the best realtor to sell a Brightwater home?

Judge by method and proof. Ask every agent to price your home on recorded sales for your plat, show the CDD and HOA lines and explain the lagoon membership. Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, lead the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012, and are the #5 real estate team in Florida (RealTrends 2026). See best real estate agents in Fort Myers, or text Jesse at (239) 898-6072.

What does a listing agent do differently in a lagoon community like Brightwater?

A good agent sells the whole fee stack and membership. For Brightwater that means identifying which of the two CDDs bills the lot, preparing the HOA disclosure before the contract, explaining that the lagoon is open to the public by ticket while residents hold memberships, and attaching the flood and insurance documents. The agent also corrects name mix-ups, since Bright Water on Sanibel and Brightwaters in New York are different places (sell my home in Brightwater).

How do I sell my Brightwater home fast without losing money?

Speed and price pull against each other, so decide the weight. Start with a price grounded in recorded sales: resales ran $275,000 to $550,000 in the last 12 months with a $315,000 median. Then remove friction: finish repairs, order the estoppel, assemble the CDD, HOA and flood documents, and stage and photograph the home well. If you need certainty over price, compare a cash offer net figure with a listed-sale net sheet before deciding.

I live out of town. Can I sell my Brightwater home remotely?

Many Brightwater owners are out of state, and the sale can be managed at a distance. We coordinate showings, photography, the HOA and CDD paperwork, and the closing steps with you by phone, text and email, and your title company can explain closing options for non-resident sellers. Send us your plat, address and goals through the Brightwater valuation form and we will build a plan around your calendar.

Should I sell before D.R. Horton's Phase 4 homes reach the market?

Phase 4 closings are expected from December 2027 at roughly 100 homes a year, a builder estimate in the district's preliminary offering document, with an average expected price of about $330,000 (Brightwater CDD packet). Those are different homes on the west side, but new supply sets price anchors. Dates can change, so if timing matters to you, run the numbers on your own plat now.

How do I explain a CDD fee increase to Brightwater buyers?

Show the split. The Stoneybrook North operating assessment rose 13 percent for fiscal 2027, but the bond portion is fixed: for a 50-foot Area Three lot it is $2,691.96 operating plus $1,329.79 debt. The district's FY2027 budget also shows a developer deficit funding agreement covering a $290,654.49 physical-environment deficit (FY2027 budget). Buyers accept a clear explanation more readily than a surprise.

Do buyers care about the lagoon's public reviews?

Some do, so be ready. Public ratings were about 2.4 on TripAdvisor from about 20 reviews and about 2.6 on Yelp from about 26, with about 1,300 Google reviews (October 10, 2026). Complaints centered on refunds, food waits and crowding; praise centered on clear water and the obstacle course (TripAdvisor). Day-pass visitors and resident members have different experiences, so explain what residents get.

Sources and Authoritative References

Every Brightwater fact on this page traces to a primary source below: Lee County records, the two community development districts, the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector, FEMA, the water management district, Florida statutes, the school district, the developer, the builders and dated news reports, each read October 10 to 11, 2026.

Sale figures come from our index of the Lee County Property Appraiser's public files (parcel roll dated October 4, 2026; newest recorded sale September 10, 2026).

• Metro Development Group, Brightwater community brochure (metrodevelopmentgroup.com): metrodevelopmentgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Brightwater-Community-Brochure-2.25-1
• Resolution Z-22-015 (results.leegov.com): results.leegov.com/Home/DownloadFile/KT0000202481
• Stoneybrook North CDD, FY2027 Adopted Budget (stoneybrooknorthcdd.org): stoneybrooknorthcdd.org/files/documents/Financial%20Documents/Budget%20Documents/Stoneybro
• Brightwater CDD, FY2027 Adopted Budget (brightwatercdd.org): brightwatercdd.org/files/documents/Financial%20Documents/Budget%20Documents/Brightwater%20
• Lee County Property Appraiser's (leepa.org): leepa.org
• document L07000116661 (search.sunbiz.org): search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResults/EntityName/north%20brook%20holdi
• headquarters (metrodevelopmentgroup.com): metrodevelopmentgroup.com/?p=2914
• Lee County Hearing Examiner Recommendation (results.leegov.com): results.leegov.com/Home/DownloadFile/KT0000188680
• Lennar, Brightwater Lagoon (lennar.com): lennar.com/new-homes/florida/naples-ft-myers/north-fort-myers/brightwater-lagoon
• D.R. Horton, The Shores at Brightwater (drhorton.com): drhorton.com/florida/southwest-florida/north-fort-myers/brightwater-ii
• Gulfshore Business (gulfshorebusiness.com): gulfshorebusiness.com/construction-development/brightwater-lagoon-cuts-ribbon-on-6-acre-po
• Business Observer (naples-news-now.beehiiv.com): naples-news-now.beehiiv.com/p/brightwater-opens-swfl-s-first-lagoon-centric-community-to-b
• Brightwater CDD amended master report (campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com): campussuite-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/1558782/ecdcdfba-a7db-11e9-9bec-127b6eacda64/302
• Brightwater CDD agenda packet (brightwatercdd.org): brightwatercdd.org/files/documents/Meeting%20Documents/Agendas/FY%202026/2026-05-26%20Brig
• Lee County zoning case DCI2001-00038 (results.leegov.com): results.leegov.com/home/index/ZoningCases/DCI2001-00038
• Lee County GIS, DCD Zoning layer (gismapserver.leegov.com): gismapserver.leegov.com/gisserver910/rest/services/Layers/DCD_Zoning/MapServer/13
• Lee County Ordinance 14-23 (leegov.com): leegov.com/bocc/Ordinances/14-23.pdf
• Lee County Tax Collector (lee.county-taxes.com): lee.county-taxes.com/public/search/property_tax
• Lee County zoning case ADD2024-00183 (results.leegov.com): results.leegov.com/home/index/ZoningCases/ADD2024-00183
• Business Observer legal notice (legals.businessobserverfl.com): legals.businessobserverfl.com/news/2024/dec/13/24-05422l/
• Metro Development Group (metrodevelopmentgroup.com): metrodevelopmentgroup.com/news/crystal-lagoons-planned-for-new-metro-places-community-in-f
• Lennar, Bayshore Ranch (lennar.com): lennar.com/new-homes/florida/naples-ft-myers/north-fort-myers/bayshore-ranch
• Lennar, Crane Landing (lennar.com): lennar.com/new-homes/florida/naples-ft-myers/north-fort-myers/crane-landing
• Stoneybrook North CDD (stoneybrooknorthcdd.org): stoneybrooknorthcdd.org/about-the-cdd
• Lee County Ordinance 25-20 (leegov.com): leegov.com/bocc/Ordinances/25-20.pdf
• Brightwater CDD Ordinance 18-02 (brightwatercdd.org): brightwatercdd.org/files/documents/Ordinance%20to%20Establish/Brightwater%20Ordinance.pdf
• August 2026 brochure (metrodevelopmentgroup.com): metrodevelopmentgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/BW-Map-Brochure-082026.pdf
• FDOT SR 78 PD&E presentation (swflroads.com): swflroads.com/project-files/128/SR%2078%20Presentation%20%28FINAL%2005-09-2023%29.pdf
• Lee County GIS, Public Safety layer (gismapserver.leegov.com): gismapserver.leegov.com/gisserver910/rest/services/Layers/PublicSafety/MapServer/25
• Lee County GIS, Boundaries layer (gismapserver.leegov.com): gismapserver.leegov.com/gisserver910/rest/services/Layers/Boundaries/MapServer/21
• Lee County Property Appraiser, 2025 millage book (leepa.org): leepa.org/TaxRoll/Millage%20Books/2025%20Taxing%20District%20Millage%20Book.pdf
• Stoneybrook North (Brightwater East) CDD, resident access form (stoneybrooknorthcdd.org): stoneybrooknorthcdd.org, Stoneybrook North (Brightwater East) amenity documents
• Metro Development Group, community amenities (metrodevelopmentgroup.com): metrodevelopmentgroup.com/brightwater/community/
• Lee County Development Orders layer (services2.arcgis.com): services2.arcgis.com/LvWGAAhHwbCJ2GMP/arcgis/rest/services/DevelopmentOrders/FeatureServer
• Publix's store locator (publix.com): publix.com/locations
• Lee County GIS, LeeTran layer (gismapserver.leegov.com): gismapserver.leegov.com/gisserver910/rest/services/Layers/LeeTran/MapServer/1
• Census QuickFacts, North Fort Myers CDP (census.gov): census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/northfortmyerscdpflorida/PST040225
• MetroLagoons, Brightwater Lagoon (metrolagoons.com): metrolagoons.com/brightwater-lagoon-fort-myers
• operator's calendar (metrolagoons.com): metrolagoons.com/events?lagoon=brightwater
• Southwest Florida Family, Brightwater Lagoon with kids (neafamily.com): neafamily.com/brightwater-lagoon-with-kids-swfl/
• MetroLagoons, Resident Member Card (metrolagoons.com): metrolagoons.com/residentmembercard
• MetroLagoons, Members (metrolagoons.com): metrolagoons.com/members
• MetroLagoons, Rules and FAQ (metrolagoons.com): metrolagoons.com/rules-and-faq
• Census Reporter, ACS 2024 5-year (censusreporter.org): censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US1249350-north-fort-myers-fl/
• Census QuickFacts, Lee County (census.gov): census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/leecountyflorida/PST045224
• Lennar Resource Center (resourcecenter.lennar.com): resourcecenter.lennar.com/our-communities/florida/why-lennar-lifestyle-communities-in-flor
• TripAdvisor (tripadvisor.com): tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34483-d32822823-Reviews-Brightwater_Lagoon-North_Fort_M
• Yelp (m.yelp.com): m.yelp.com/biz/brightwater-lagoon-north-fort-myers
• Visit Fort Myers (visitfortmyers.com): visitfortmyers.com/listing/brightwater-lagoon/6195
• Lee County, case DCI2008-00037 (results.leegov.com): results.leegov.com/home/index/ZoningCases/DCI2008-00037
• case ADD2013-00083 (results.leegov.com): results.leegov.com/home/index/ZoningCases/ADD2013-00083
• case ADD2015-00134 (results.leegov.com): results.leegov.com/home/index/ZoningCases/ADD2015-00134
• Florida Division of Corporations, N15000010020 (search.sunbiz.org): search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail?inquiryType=DocumentNumber&
• Bay News 9, March 24, 2016 (baynews9.com): baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2016/3/24/crystal_lagoon_comin?cid=rss
• Stoneybrook North CDD agenda packet, December 5, 2025 (stoneybrooknorthcdd.org): stoneybrooknorthcdd.org/files/documents/Meeting%20Documents/Agendas/FY%202026/2025-12-05%2
• Lee County, case DCI2021-00012 (results.leegov.com): results.leegov.com/home/index/ZoningCases/DCI2021-00012
• Cape Coral Breeze, November 21, 2024 (capecoralbreeze.com): capecoralbreeze.com/news/business/2024/11/21/brightwater-lagoon-set-to-open-today/
• Business Wire, June 2, 2025 (businesswire.com): businesswire.com/news/home/20250602566373/en
• Metro Development Group, Brightwater site map, August 11, 2026 (metrodevelopmentgroup.com): metrodevelopmentgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Brightwater-Site-Map-8.11.2026-scaled
• Business Observer, July 29, 2025 (businessobserverfl.com): businessobserverfl.com/news/2025/jul/29/developer-opens-swfl-lagoon-centric-community
• Lennar, Brightwater Lagoon Manor Homes (lennar.com): lennar.com/new-homes/florida/naples-ft-myers/north-fort-myers/brightwater-lagoon/manor-hom
• Metro Development Group, Brightwater (metrodevelopmentgroup.com): metrodevelopmentgroup.com/communities/brightwater/
• Ordinance 22-08 (leegov.com): leegov.com/bocc/Ordinances/22-08.pdf
• Stoneybrook North CDD (stoneybrooknorthcdd.org): stoneybrooknorthcdd.org/
• Brightwater CDD, About the CDD (brightwatercdd.org): brightwatercdd.org/about-the-cdd
• Metro Places fee sheet, 2023 (metroplaces.com): metroplaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Brightwater-HOA-and-CDD-1.pdf
• Stoneybrook North CDD, elections (stoneybrooknorthcdd.org): stoneybrooknorthcdd.org/elections
• Brightwater CDD, elections (brightwatercdd.org): brightwatercdd.org/elections
• agenda, September 22, 2026 (brightwatercdd.org): brightwatercdd.org/files/documents/Meeting%20Documents/Agendas/FY%202026/2026-09-22%20Brig
• Metro fee sheet, 2024 (metroplaces.com): metroplaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/BW-HOA-CDD-Fees.pdf
• Lee County Property Appraiser, 2026 TRIM, Folio 10621461 (leepa.org): leepa.org/TrimDetail/WebTrim.aspx?FolioID=10621461&TaxYear=2026
• 2026 Preliminary Millage Book (leepa.org): leepa.org/TaxRoll/Millage%20Books/2026%20Taxing%20District%20Millage%20Book%20Prelim.pdf
• Gulfshore Business (gulfshorebusiness.com): gulfshorebusiness.com/lee/county-reserves-increase-to-768-million-amid-budget-growth/artic
• Lee County Tax Collector (leetc.com): leetc.com/property-taxes/
• section 720.30851 (flsenate.gov): flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/720.30851
• section 720.401 (flsenate.gov): flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/720.401
• section 190.048 (flsenate.gov): flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/190.048
• Stoneybrook North CDD, Understanding Your CDD Assessment Letter (stoneybrooknorthcdd.org): stoneybrooknorthcdd.org/files/documents/Financial%20Documents/Understanding%20Your%20CDD%2
• Brightwater CDD, FY2026 Adopted Budget (brightwatercdd.org): brightwatercdd.org/files/documents/Financial%20Documents/Budget%20Documents/Brightwater%20
• Lee County, case ADD2025-00128 (results.leegov.com): results.leegov.com/home/index/ZoningCases/ADD2025-00128
• Crystal Lagoons, July 15, 2024 (crystal-lagoons.com): crystal-lagoons.com/new-crystal-lagoons-project-in-florida-prepares-for-opening/
• MetroLagoons, About (metrolagoons.com): metrolagoons.com/about
• Brightwater CDD agenda packet, May 26, 2026 (brightwatercdd.org): brightwatercdd.org/files/documents/Meeting%20Documents/Agendas/FY%202026/2026-05-26%20Brig
• Crystal Lagoons, technology overview (crystal-lagoons.com): crystal-lagoons.com/concept-technology/
• Florida Department of Health in Lee County (lee.floridahealth.gov): lee.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/pools-and-spas/
• Florida Department of Health, pool inspection data (floridahealth.gov): floridahealth.gov/statistics-data/environmental-public-health-data/swimming-pools/
• WBBH, May 4, 2026 (gulfcoastnewsnow.com): gulfcoastnewsnow.com/article/gulfcoasting-brightwater-lagoon-may-fun/71201458
• North Fort Myers Neighbor, September 2024 (northfortmyersneighbor.com): northfortmyersneighbor.com/news/business/2024/09/brightwater-lagoon-job-fair-spurs-anticip
• Metro Development Group, May 30, 2025 (metrodevelopmentgroup.com): metrodevelopmentgroup.com/brightwater/brightwater-lagoon-officially-opens-with-ribbon-cutt
• Metro Development Group, April 22, 2016 (metrodevelopmentgroup.com): metrodevelopmentgroup.com/brightwater/crystal-lagoons-planned-for-new-metro-places-communi
• WUSF, June 21, 2023 (wusf.org): wusf.org/economy-business/2023-06-21/pasco-county-home-largest-man-made-lagoon
• News-Press, June 12, 2025 (news-press.com): news-press.com/story/news/local/north-fort-myers/2025/06/12/north-fort-myers-has-a-new-wat
• MetroLagoons ticketing (ecom.roller.app): ecom.roller.app/brightwaterlagoon/admission/en-us/home
• Visit Fort Myers deal listing, valid March 17, 2025 to November 17, 2028 (visitfortmyers.com): visitfortmyers.com/deal/buy-online-save-10/6705
• MetroLagoons, Florida residents (metrolagoons.com): metrolagoons.com/florida-residents
• ID.me offer page (hosted-pages.id.me): hosted-pages.id.me/offers/metrolagoons-brightwater
• chaperone policy (metrolagoons.com): metrolagoons.com/rules-and-faq/chaperone-policy
• Blue Sky Guarantee (metrolagoons.com): metrolagoons.com/blue-sky-guarantee
• WINK News, October 10, 2025 (winknews.com): winknews.com/news/wink_stop/dive-into-fun-at-brightwater-lagoon-in-north-fort-myers/articl
• News-Press, August 30, 2022 (news-press.com): news-press.com/story/news/local/2022/08/30/lagoon-being-built-north-fort-myers-pricing-ame
• Metro fee sheet, FY2024 (metrodevelopmentgroup.com): metrodevelopmentgroup.com/brightwater/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/BW-HOA-CDD-Fees.pdf
• Lee County Parks, North Fort Myers center (leegov.com): leegov.com/parks/centers/nfm
• Six Lakes Country Club (sixlakescountryclub.com): sixlakescountryclub.com/
• Herons Glen (heronsglencc.com): heronsglencc.com/
• Myerlee (myerleecc.com): myerleecc.com/
• Eagle Ridge (playeagleridge.com): playeagleridge.com/
• City of Fort Myers (fortmyers.gov): fortmyers.gov/1422/Eastwood-Golf-Course
• Visit Fort Myers, parking guide (visitfortmyers.com): visitfortmyers.com/visit/editorial/enjoy-user-friendly-parking-fort-myers-area
• Lee County Parks, Davis Boat Ramp (leegov.com): leegov.com/parks/boat%20Ramps/davisboatramp
• Visit Fort Myers (visitfortmyers.com): visitfortmyers.com/listing/caloosahatchee-creeks-preserve/38025
• WBBH, Shell Factory demolition (gulfcoastnewsnow.com): gulfcoastnewsnow.com/article/shell-factory-demolition-north-fort-myers-florida/70806424
• OSRM routing (router.project-osrm.org): router.project-osrm.org/
• OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org): openstreetmap.org/copyright
• Town of Fort Myers Beach (fortmyersbeachfl.gov): fortmyersbeachfl.gov/102/Beaches
• Visit Fort Myers, beach conditions (visitfortmyers.com): visitfortmyers.com/beach-conditions
• Lee County Parks, Manatee Park (leegov.com): leegov.com/parks/parks/manateepark
• SFWMD Approved Environmental Resource Permits layer (services1.arcgis.com): services1.arcgis.com/sDAPyc2rGRn7vf9B/arcgis/rest/services/Approved_Environmental_Resource
• NHC, Hurricane Ian report (nhc.noaa.gov): nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092022_Ian.pdf
• NHC (nhc.noaa.gov): nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL102023_Idalia.pdf
• Lee County after-action report (leegov.com): leegov.com/hurricane/Documents/Milton/Lee%20County%20Hurricanes%20Helene%20and%20Milton%20
• NHC, Hurricane Milton report (nhc.noaa.gov): nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL142024_Milton.pdf
• Florida Building Code wind map, Lee County, UF GeoPlan (adhoc.geoplan.ufl.edu): adhoc.geoplan.ufl.edu/downloads/kate/windspeed_2023/Preliminary_County_PDFs_Draft_20230322
• Lennar, Stay Storm Safe (lennar.com): lennar.com/new-homes/florida/naples-ft-myers/promo/leh_v2_ftm_staystormsafe
• Florida Division of Emergency Management, evacuation zones layer (arcgis.com): arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=0688da1e31f142759536836c0f05e858
• Lee County's Know Your Zone tool (leegov.com): leegov.com/RIT
• Know Your Zone (floridadisaster.org): floridadisaster.org/knowyourzone/
• Lee County flood information (leegov.com): leegov.com/dcd/flood
• Lee County Ordinance 22-30 (leegov.com): leegov.com/dcd/Documents/FloodMapping/22-30.pdf
• FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (hazards.fema.gov): hazards.fema.gov/arcgis/rest/services/public/NFHL/MapServer
• FEMA NFHL, 1.6 km neighborhood query (hazards.fema.gov): hazards.fema.gov/arcgis/rest/services/public/NFHL/MapServer/28
• FEMA LOMR 25-04-6830P (map1.msc.fema.gov): map1.msc.fema.gov/mipdata/25-04-6830P-125124.pdf
• FEMA, Risk Rating 2.0 (fema.gov): fema.gov/flood-insurance/risk-rating
• USGS 3DEP elevation service (epqs.nationalmap.gov): epqs.nationalmap.gov/v1/json?x=-81.811347&y=26.737736&units=Feet&wkid=4326&includeDate=tru
• Florida Statutes, section 689.302 (leg.state.fl.us): leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0689/Sections/06
• Shutts and Bowen (shutts.com): shutts.com/business-and-legal-insights/floridas-expanded-flood-disclosure-requirements-pra
• ASFPM (floods.org): floods.org/news-views/policy-matters/floridas-new-flood-disclosure-law-what-developers-sel
• FEMA CRS eligible communities, April 1, 2026 (fema.gov): fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_crs_eligible-communities_042026.pdf
• Insurance Information Institute, 2024 (iii.org): iii.org/blog/lee-county-fla-towns-could-lose-nfip-flood-insurance-discounts
• FEMA fact sheet (fema.gov): fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_rr-2.0_04-2025.pdf
• OpenFEMA, NFIP policies dataset (fema.gov): fema.gov/api/open/v2/FimaNfipPolicies
• NFIP redacted policies v3 (fema.gov): fema.gov/openfema-data-page/nfip-redacted-policies-v3
• Florida Statutes, section 627.0629 (leg.state.fl.us): leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0627/Sections/06
• Florida OIR, form OIR-B1-1802 (floir.gov): floir.gov/docs-sf/property-casualty-libraries/product-review/all-forms/form-oir-1802-adopt
• Florida Statutes, section 627.7011 (leg.state.fl.us): leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699/0627/Sections/06
• My Safe Florida Home (myfloridacfo.com): myfloridacfo.com/mysafeflhome
• Citizens, Get a Policy (citizensfla.com): citizensfla.com/get-a-policy
• Citizens, December 10, 2025 (citizensfla.com): citizensfla.com/-/20251210-citizens-recommends-rate-cuts-for-most-policyholders
• Florida OIR, May 20, 2026 (floir.gov): floir.gov/newsroom/archives/item-details/2026/05/20/insurance-commissioner-mike-yaworsky-a
• MGT SchoolSite Locator for Lee County 26-27 (schoolsitelocator.com): schoolsitelocator.com/apps/leecounty/
• district's transportation optimization page (leeschools.net): leeschools.net/support/transportation_optimization
• School District of Lee County, school zones (leeschools.net): leeschools.net/student_enrollment/school_zones
• Fort Myers Beach Talk, October 2025 (fortmyersbeachtalk.com): fortmyersbeachtalk.com/news/swfl-news/2025/10/pre-enrollment-underway-for-lee-county-schoo
• choice application (leeschools.net): leeschools.net/student_enrollment/choice_application
• Fort Myers Beach Talk, November 2025 (fortmyersbeachtalk.com): fortmyersbeachtalk.com/news/swfl-news/2025/11/school-district-looks-to-make-changes-to-stu
• Florida Department of Education, 2026 School Grades file (fldoe.org): fldoe.org/file/18534/SchoolGrades26.xlsx
• FLDOE school grades page (fldoe.org): fldoe.org/accountability/accountability-reporting/school-grades/
• July 2026 release (leeschools.net): leeschools.net/news/july_2026/2025-2026_school_grades_report
• report card (edudata.fldoe.org): edudata.fldoe.org/ReportCards/Schools.html?school=0521&district=36
• Gulfshore Business, September 2025 (gulfshorebusiness.com): gulfshorebusiness.com/gb-daily/bayshore-school-breaks-ground-on-expansion-to-k-8/article_9
• new enrollment page (leeschools.net): leeschools.net/student_enrollment/new_enrollment
• important dates page (leeschools.net): leeschools.net/student_enrollment/important_dates
• Lee County GIS boundaries layer (gismapserver.leegov.com): gismapserver.leegov.com/gisserver910/rest/services/Layers/Boundaries/MapServer/3
• district's charter school list (leeschools.net): leeschools.net/our_schools/schools/charter_schools
• Lee County GIS private schools layer (gismapserver.leegov.com): gismapserver.leegov.com/gisserver910/rest/services/Layers/PointsOfInterest/MapServer/1
• private school directory (fldoe.org): fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/private-schools/
• K-12 scholarship programs (fldoe.org): fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/k-12-scholarship-programs/
• FSW (fsw.edu): fsw.edu/about
• fast facts page (fgcu.edu): fgcu.edu/about/fastfacts
• WGCU, August 25, 2023 (wgcu.org): wgcu.org/section/education/2023-08-25/hodges-university-announces-closure-after-33-years
• locations page (leehealth.org): leehealth.org/locations
• Cape Coral Hospital (leehealth.org): leehealth.org/locations/find-a-location/cape-coral-hospital-emergency-department
• fast facts (leehealth.org): leehealth.org/about-us/get-to-know-lee-health/lee-health-fast-facts/lee-health-four-acute-
• Gulf Coast Medical Center (leehealth.org): leehealth.org/locations/find-a-location/gulf-coast-medical-center
• Fox 4 (fox4now.com): fox4now.com/fort-myers-metro-south/lee-health-breaks-ground-on-new-435-million-hospital-in
• HCA Florida Healthcare (hcafloridahealthcare.com): hcafloridahealthcare.com/about-us/newsroom/hca-florida-healthcare-announce-plans-to-build-
• Tampa General, August 2026 (tgh.org): tgh.org/news/tgh-press-releases/2026/august/babcock-ranch-broadens-primary-care-access-for
• Open Source Routing Machine (project-osrm.org): project-osrm.org/
• operator's information page (metrolagoons.com): metrolagoons.com/lagoon/brightwater/information
• Punta Gorda Airport (flypgd.com): flypgd.com/
• Visit Fort Myers (visitfortmyers.com): visitfortmyers.com/beaches
• swflroads project page (swflroads.com): swflroads.com/project/444937-1
• FDOT meeting handout (swflroads.com): swflroads.com/project-files/128/SR%2078%20APM%20Handout%20%28FINAL%2005-09-2023%29.pdf
• AARoads, 2020 (aaroads.com): aaroads.com/guides/i-075-south-lee-fl
• FDOT flyer (swflroads.com): swflroads.com/project-files/194/SR%2078%20Project%20Flyer%20447875.pdf
• swflroads fact sheet (swflroads.com): swflroads.com/factsheet/204
• swflroads (swflroads.com): swflroads.com/project/446293-1
• swflroads (swflroads.com): swflroads.com/project/450726-1
• Gulfshore Business (gulfshorebusiness.com): gulfshorebusiness.com/gb-daily/lee-county-completes-littleton-road-widening-project/articl
• WGCU, April 6, 2023 (wgcu.org): wgcu.org/news/2023-04-06/widening-i-75-could-cost-more-than-2-billiion-and-take-20-years
• Gulfshore Business, July 30, 2026 (gulfshorebusiness.com): gulfshorebusiness.com/real_estate/lennar-buys-north-fort-myers-land-for-new-20-million-pro
• Lennar (lennar.com): lennar.com/new-homes/florida/naples-ft-myers/north-fort-myers/caloosa-commons
• Peninsula Engineering (pen-eng.com): pen-eng.com/planning/bayshore-75-residential-planned-development-rpd/
• WBBH, August 26, 2026 (gulfcoastnewsnow.com): gulfcoastnewsnow.com/article/lee-county-plan-change-development-growth-florida/73527368
• Babcock Ranch, January 2026 (babcockranch.com): babcockranch.com/babcock-ranch-ranked-nations-4th-top-selling-mpc/
• Charlotte County agenda (data.charlottecountyfl.gov): data.charlottecountyfl.gov/Agenda/20251216/3d.pdf
• district minutes (nfmfirefl.gov): nfmfirefl.gov/_files/ugd/ea6681_f43cb29767a14a99a710d5364a18137e.pdf
• Florida Senate request S2011 (flsenate.gov): flsenate.gov/PublishedContent/Session/FiscalYear/FY2026-27/LocalFundingInitiativeRequests/
• Brightwater CDD FY2027 budget (brightwatercdd.org): brightwatercdd.org/
• Lee County GIS (gismapserver.leegov.com): gismapserver.leegov.com/gisserver910/rest/services/Layers/Utilities/MapServer/2
• Lee County GIS (gismapserver.leegov.com): gismapserver.leegov.com/gisserver910/rest/services/Layers/Utilities/MapServer/3
• Lee County GIS (gismapserver.leegov.com): gismapserver.leegov.com/gisserver910/rest/services/Layers/SolidWaste/MapServer/0
• LCEC (lcec.net): lcec.net/my-cooperative/about-us/about-lcec/
• FCC National Broadband Map (broadbandmap.fcc.gov): broadbandmap.fcc.gov/
• Florida Statute 720.401 (leg.state.fl.us): leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0720/Sections/07
• Lee County Solid Waste (leefl.gov): leefl.gov/solidwaste
• Lee County (leefl.gov): leefl.gov/solidwaste/recycling
• North Fort Myers Neighbor, June 30, 2025 (northfortmyersneighbor.com): northfortmyersneighbor.com/news/community-news/2025/06/brightwater-lagoon-to-host-fourth-o
• blockout calendar (metrolagoons.com): metrolagoons.com/blockout-dates
• June 23, 2026 agenda packet (brightwatercdd.org): brightwatercdd.org/files/documents/Meeting%20Documents/Agendas/FY%202026/2026-06-23%20Brig
• D.R. Horton Brightwater II (drhorton.com): drhorton.com/florida/southwest-florida/north-fort-myers/brightwater-ii?sat=open
• NewHomeSource Magnolia Landing (drhorton.com): drhorton.com/florida/southwest-florida/north-fort-myers
• Lennar Verdana Village (lennar.com): lennar.com/new-homes/florida/naples-ft-myers/estero/verdana-village
• LeePA (leepa.org): leepa.org/
• Lennar investor release, 2018 (investors.lennar.com): investors.lennar.com/press-releases/2018/11-29-2018-011240196
• Census QuickFacts (census.gov): census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/northfortmyerscdpflorida/PST045224
• Sawgrass Lakes (babcockranch.com): babcockranch.com/introducing-sawgrass-lakes-at-babcock-ranch/
• Kitson & Partners (kitsonpartners.com): kitsonpartners.com/babcock-ranch-lee-health-bring-back-the-hometown-family-doctor/
• Stoneybrook North CDD FY2027 budget (stoneybrooknorthcdd.org): stoneybrooknorthcdd.org/documents
• Pulte brochure, fiscal year October 2024 to September 2025 (digitalbrochure.pulte.com): digitalbrochure.pulte.com/view/756649454/26
• Babcock Ranch FAQ (babcockranch.com): babcockranch.com/faqs-buying-a-home-sustainability-storm-safety-and-life-at-babcock-ranch/
• Understanding Your CDD Assessment Letter (brightwatercdd.org): brightwatercdd.org/files/documents/Financial%20Documents/Understanding%20Your%20CDD%20Asse
• section 201.02 (flsenate.gov): flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/201.02
• Lee County GIS (gismapserver.leegov.com): gismapserver.leegov.com/gisserver910/rest/services/Layers/PublicSafety/MapServer/15
• IRS Topic 701 (irs.gov): irs.gov/taxtopics/tc701

Downloadable Documents

These Brightwater documents are published by Lee County, the two community development districts, FEMA, the State of Florida and the developer. Each link opens the issuing authority's own copy, so you always read the current version rather than a reprint. Read the recorded documents for any specific parcel before you buy or list.