Bay Colony - Contessa

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

Contessa is a high-rise condominium neighborhood inside Bay Colony, the gated enclave of Pelican Bay in Naples, Florida. It is the Gulf-front tower at 8111 Bay Colony Dr, ZIP 34108, the building Collier County’s tax roll files as “Contessa A Condominium” with no Bay Colony in the name. It is not a separate subdivision under that roll name, and it is not any other building that shares the Contessa name.

McGreevy and Comisar are the team Contessa sellers call when they want the building’s real record, and the team its buyers call before they tour. That record is specific: Contessa has 74 residential condominium parcels on the 2026 county roll, 76 residences in its recorded Declaration, and 79 units on its insurance certificate. It had 11 Southwest Florida MLS closings in the last 24 months at a median of $2,900,000, and it has been the first tower on the Bay Colony beach since 1991.

This page goes deeper on Contessa than any other source we know of. It is built from the association’s own published 2001 Amended and Restated Declaration, Articles, Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, Construction Rules and insurance certificate, Collier County’s milestone record and address file, FEMA’s flood map queried at Contessa’s own coordinates, the Florida Division of Corporations record, Florida’s condominium statutes as they read in 2026, the Collier County Property Appraiser’s 2026 tax roll and recorded-sales file, and the Southwest Florida MLS. Every fact carries its year, and every gap is named as a gap.

If you own at Contessa and are thinking about a sale, start with the market snapshot and the seller section, then call Jesse. If you are buying, the plan-by-plan, rule-by-rule and fee-by-fee detail below will tell you whether Contessa fits before you tour.

Why McGreevy and Comisar Are the Best Realtor for Contessa at Bay Colony

McGreevy and Comisar are the best realtor for Contessa at Bay Colony because the case is on the record: the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012, Top 1% nationally since 2008, over $900 million in personal sales, and a Contessa read built from the building’s own recorded documents, the county’s milestone file and five years of MLS closings.

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

That matters at Contessa for a specific reason. The building has only 74 parcels, so a single sale moves the numbers: the 12-month MLS median is $2,887,500 on 8 closings, but one of those eight was a $9,000,000 sale and one was $1,930,000, a spread of $7,070,000 inside one tower. Contessa also has five recorded plan types, a Declaration that requires board approval of every sale, a flood-insurance requirement on every owner, and a milestone record that Collier County lists as complete with the next inspection due in 2034. Sellers and buyers comparing the best real estate agents in Naples should ask each team to show them that kind of building-level record.

Recent Contessa track record (last 12 months): In the last 12 months Contessa has seen 8 resales in the Southwest Florida MLS (pulled October 7, 2026, covering closings from October 8, 2025 to October 7, 2026), at a median sold price of $2,887,500, the mean of the middle pair $2,875,000 and $2,900,000. The highest-priced Contessa sale in the window was $9,000,000 and the median sale-to-list ratio was 88.0 percent (8 closings). Eight is a small sample, so the first window with ten or more closings is 24 months: 11 closings at a $2,900,000 median. In the last 12 months we tracked Contessa’s MLS closings alongside the county’s recorded-sales file, and the two records differ by one sale in each of 2025 and 2026, as described below. The MLS pull does not report the listing office on each sale, so we do not state a McGreevy and Comisar share of Contessa transactions.

Honors and recognition:

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

Selling your Contessa home? Get a free home valuation OR call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.

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

What Is It Like to Live at Contessa at Bay Colony?

Living at Contessa at Bay Colony means a Gulf-front high-rise of twenty living floors on the first tower built on the Bay Colony beach, with two assigned parking spaces per residence, a staffed front desk, a pool, spa and cabana deck on the beach side, a private Har-Tru tennis court and a private boardwalk to the sand.

The building sits at the south end of the Bay Colony beach run, south of the Ritz-Carlton, at 8111 Bay Colony Dr, behind the Bay Colony gatehouses and inside the Pelican Bay Foundation’s membership. The association describes Contessa on its own site as the first residence to grace the beach of Bay Colony, completed in 1991, and Collier County’s address file agrees with the shape: one building, 76 unit points, and 17 cabana points on the beach side.

A Residence Day at Contessa

A typical Contessa day starts at the front desk, which the Rules and Regulations say is staffed to monitor entry and exits, to accept packages into a locked cage on the lobby floor and to log guests. Residents park in the two spaces assigned to their unit under the building, take one of the passenger elevators, and use the service elevator when they come off the beach wet or carry pets or freight. The pool and spa are on the beach side, and the cabanas are on the beach side.

Who Contessa Suits

Contessa suits a buyer who wants a Gulf-front address with a long recorded history, a building whose rules are published in full, and a mid-size community of 76 declared residences rather than a 100-unit tower. It suits seasonal owners well: the Rules and Regulations ask owners to leave instructions and keys with the manager when they are away, and the front desk monitors entry the whole time. It suits a buyer who has read the leasing and pet rules below and accepts them.

Who Should Look at Another Tower

Contessa is not the right fit for a buyer who needs unlimited short-term rental income, a larger dog, or the newest finishes in a newer tower. The Declaration sets a 90-day lease minimum and bans transient tenants, the Rules limit an owner to one dog of 25 pounds or less, and the building was completed in 1991. Buyers who want a bay and preserve view should compare Salerno at Bay Colony, which faces preserve and bay.

Selling at Contessa? Start with a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida.

Contessa at Bay Colony Market Snapshot: What the Condos Actually Sell For

Contessa at Bay Colony closed 11 sales in the last 24 months in the Southwest Florida MLS at a $2,900,000 median, from $1,930,000 to $9,000,000, with $40,145,000 in total volume. The last 12 months show 8 closings at a $2,887,500 median, and one residence was listed on October 7, 2026 at $4,500,000.

Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 7, 2026; Collier County Property Appraiser recorded sales through June 30, 2026)

Contessa is a thin market by construction: 74 parcels on the county roll, and in a typical year fewer than ten change hands. A 12-month median built on eight sales moves by hundreds of thousands of dollars when one sale drops out, so we lead with the widest window that holds ten closings, which is 24 months, name the window and the number of sales beside every figure, and list the sales themselves.

The Last 24 Months, the First Window With Ten Closings

In the 24 months to October 7, 2026, the Southwest Florida MLS counts 11 Contessa closings at a median of $2,900,000 (n=11). The low was $1,930,000, the high was $9,000,000 and the total volume was $40,145,000. The median price per square foot was $1,353 (n=11), the median days on market was 78 (n=11) and the median sale-to-list ratio was 91.1 percent (n=11). None of the 11 rows is a post-closing data entry, so every closing is counted in every figure.

The Last 12 Months, Eight Closings

The 12 months to October 7, 2026 hold 8 closings, a small sample, at a median of $2,887,500: with an even count the median is the mean of the middle pair, $2,875,000 and $2,900,000. The range runs from $1,930,000 to $9,000,000, volume is $29,745,000, the median price per square foot is $1,331 (n=8), the median days on market is 134 (n=8) and the median sale-to-list ratio is 88.0 percent (n=8). Sellers received 88 cents of every list dollar at the median, and 88.8 percent in aggregate ($29,745,000 sold against $33,480,000 in final list prices).

The Collier County Property Appraiser’s recorded-sales file runs to June 30, 2026. Where the county deed and the MLS disagree on a single sale, we publish the deed figure and name the MLS figure once with its pull date, and we never average the two. The county file holds 7 qualified Contessa sales for 2025 against 6 MLS closings, and 4 for 2026 through June 30 against 5 MLS closings, so the two records are different universes.

Every Contessa Closing in the Last 60 Months

The 60-month window holds 14 closings at a median of $3,257,500 (n=14), the mean of the middle pair $3,075,000 and $3,440,000. Prices run from $1,930,000 to $9,000,000, volume is $51,695,000, the median price per square foot is $1,359 and the median days on market is 66, with a median sale-to-list ratio of 91.1 percent (all n=14). Streets are named, never unit or house numbers.

Three things stand out. First, the MLS shows no Contessa closing between October 25, 2022 and January 23, 2025, a gap of about 27 months, and the county’s qualified file shows no Contessa sale in 2022, 2023 or 2024 either. Second, price tracks size and condition, not the calendar: the two 2,626 square foot sales of the last 12 months closed at $3,440,000 and $1,930,000, a difference of $1,510,000 on the same size. Third, the 5,068 square foot sale at $9,000,000 is the largest in the file and pulls the 12-month high far above the median.

What the Same Size Sold For

Grouping the 14 sales by the living area the MLS reports shows how much a Contessa price depends on the individual residence. The numbers below are MLS figures, and every group is a small sample.

For Sale Now: One Listing

On October 7, 2026 the MLS showed one active Contessa listing, at $4,500,000 on Bay Colony Dr: 3 bedrooms plus den, 3 full and 1 half bath, 2,626 square feet, 86 days on the market. That asking price is $1,714 per square foot ($4,500,000 divided by 2,626), above both 2,626 square foot sales of the last 12 months ($1,310 and $735 per square foot) and above the 2022 sale of the same size at $1,466. One listing against 8 closings in 12 months is 1.5 months of supply at the 12-month pace, a seller’s market by the usual measure, though one listing cannot set a trend.

County Recorded Sales Since 1991

Collier County’s qualified recorded-sales file shows how the building has repriced. In 1991 the file shows 20 sales at a median of $644,000. In 2005 it shows 6 at $1,887,500, in 2021 it shows 7 at $3,100,000, in 2025 it shows 7 at $4,375,000 with a range of $2,625,000 to $9,000,000, and in 2026 through June 30 it shows 4 at $2,737,500 with a range of $1,930,000 to $2,900,000. The 2025 median of $4,375,000 is 6.8 times the 1991 median. The county file shows no qualified Contessa sales for 2022, while the MLS reports three that year, so the county’s qualified filter and the MLS are not the same universe and we never average them.

Our Read on the Contessa Market

Contessa is a market of individual residences, not a market of a median. A 2,125 square foot residence on a low floor and a 3,061 square foot residence on a high floor are different products at different prices, and the 12-month median of $2,887,500 describes neither. The sale-to-list ratio of 88.0 percent over 12 months says buyers are negotiating, and the 609-day listing that closed at $1,930,000 shows the cost of an aspirational list price. A residence priced to the market can sell in weeks: the 31-day and 33-day sales of 2025 closed at 95.9 and 93.9 percent of final list. In the last 12 months we tracked two Contessa closings at 63 days or fewer and two at more than 300 days, and all four closed at 88.2 percent of final list price or lower.

Selling at Contessa? Request a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers.

How Did Contessa at Bay Colony Come to Be?

Contessa at Bay Colony came to be in January 1991: the original Declaration of Condominium was recorded on January 10, 1991 at Official Records Book 1584, Page 2189, Collier County listed the building’s certificate of occupancy on January 11, 1991, and the association’s own site calls Contessa the first residence to grace the beach of Bay Colony.

The Recorded Chain, 1988 to 2001

The Contessa Condominium Association, Inc. was incorporated on October 4, 1988 under Florida charter N28696, more than two years before the building opened, and the Florida Division of Corporations shows it active, with its 2026 annual report filed on April 21, 2026. The developer entity named in the original documents was Contessa Development, Ltd., which the Division of Corporations now lists as inactive. The condominium plat is recorded at Condominium Plat Book 35, Page 101, and the land is described as part of Pelican Bay Unit Eight, Plat Book 15, pages 27 to 29, bounded by the Gulf of Mexico’s mean high water line and the coastal construction control line.

The 2001 Restatement and What It Replaced

On March 23, 2001 the members adopted an Amended and Restated Declaration of Condominium, recorded on April 5, 2001 at Official Records Book 2802, Page 1715. It lists nine earlier amendments by their recording references, restates the Articles (filed with the state on April 6, 2001) and the Bylaws, and attaches the plans. It is the text the association publishes today as its Declaration. Any amendment recorded after April 5, 2001 sits in the Collier County Clerk’s official records; this page reads the published 2001 text and tells you where the later record would be, because a title search, not a website, is the final word on a recorded document.

The Build Sequence Along Bay Colony Drive

Contessa came first. The year built shown for the Bay Colony towers runs Contessa 1991, Carlysle 1992, Brighton and Marquesa 1994, Remington and Mansion La Palma 1996, Biltmore 1997, Windsor 1998, Toscana 1999, Salerno 2000 and Trieste 2002. Contessa is the only Bay Colony tower with a 1991 certificate of occupancy. For the neighbors, see Carlysle at Bay Colony, the next tower built, and Biltmore at Bay Colony.

The Name Trap

Collier County’s tax roll files the building as “Contessa A Condominium,” Collier’s milestone list files it as “Contessa, a Condo,” the MLS files it as “Contessa at Bay Colony,” and the Declaration calls it “Contessa, a Condominium.” All four are the same building at 8111 Bay Colony Dr. A search of the roll for “Bay Colony” will not find it, so search for “Contessa” instead.

The Contessa Homes: Plans, Floors and Sizes

Contessa has 76 residences in its recorded Declaration: four per floor on 18 floors, numbered 1 to 12 and 14 to 19 with no floor 13, plus four penthouses. The Declaration defines five plan types, from a two-bedroom to a four-bedroom penthouse, and the 2026 county roll lists 74 residential parcels from 2,075 to 5,140 square feet.

Five Plan Types in the Declaration

The 2001 Declaration describes each residence by the last two digits of its number. The “01” and “04” plans are three-bedroom plans with a den and three and a half baths, the “02” plan is a two-bedroom with two and a half baths, the “03” plan is a two-bedroom with a den and three baths, and the penthouse plan is a four-bedroom with four and a half baths, a family room, a dining room, two terraces and three balconies. The Declaration lists a share of the common elements for each plan. Plan “01” holds .014089, plan “02” holds .011856, plan “03” holds .012277, plan “04” holds .013094 and each penthouse holds .019078.

As a check on the arithmetic, 18 times the four floor-plan shares (.014089 plus .011856 plus .012277 plus .013094, which is .051316) is .923688, and four penthouses at .019078 add .076312, for a total of exactly 1.000000. The shares sum to one across 76 residences, which confirms the unit count in the Declaration.

What the Shares Mean for a Buyer

The share decides the proportion of the common expenses a residence pays. A penthouse at .019078 carries 1.61 times the share of a “02” plan at .011856 (.019078 divided by .011856). Foundation assessments are different: Article 22.1 of the Declaration says they are payable on an equal basis per unit and not weighted like the condominium’s common expenses.

Sizes From the MLS and the County Roll

We did not find square footage in the Declaration text we read. The sizes on this page come from the MLS and the county roll. The MLS reports Contessa closings at about 2,125, about 2,290, 2,626, about 3,060 and 5,068 square feet. The county roll’s 74 parcels run from 2,075 to 5,140 heated square feet with a median of 2,730. The plan sheet the association publishes has floor plan drawings for the plan types, linked in the documents list at the end of this page.

Parking, Storage and Cabanas

Each residence has two assigned parking spaces in the garage area under the building, and storage closets are limited common elements of the residence they serve. The Declaration lists twenty-four cabanas as limited common elements that owners may transfer between units; Collier County’s address file shows 17 cabana points on the beach side. Rules 6.5 and 16.16 send bicycles and mopeds to individual storage areas or the bicycle room on the garage level and bar boats, trailers and motor homes.

Who Maintains What

Under the Declaration the association maintains the building exterior painting, roofing, the windows and sliding glass doors that open to balconies and terraces, and the unit entry doors. Under Article 9.4 balconies are common elements: the owner maintains floor coverings, the wiring, outlets and fixtures on the balcony and the ceiling fans, while the association is responsible for the structural maintenance of balcony floors, ceilings and exterior portions and the building walls the balconies enclose. Owners may not puncture balcony floors, walls or ceilings without prior written Board approval. A buyer should read the maintenance article against Declaration Article 12.12, which divides what the association’s policy insures from what each owner insures.

Floors, Flooring and Sound

Article 9.5 of the Declaration requires wall-to-wall carpet in every residence above the ground floor except in kitchens, baths, balconies, foyers and utility or laundry rooms. Hard flooring needs prior written Board approval, conditioned on proof of approved sound-deadening material, which the Board must approve before installation and inspect before the hard floor goes down. This is the rule a buyer who plans a stone or wood floor should read first, and a seller whose residence already has hard floors should be ready to show the Board approval.

What Amenities Come With a Contessa Residence?

A Contessa residence has a building amenity package and two layers above it under Article 22 of the Declaration. Contessa’s own association lists a pool, spa, cabanas, terrace gardens, a social room, an exercise room, two guest suites, a private boardwalk and a private Har-Tru tennis court. Bay Colony and the Pelican Bay Foundation add the rest.

The Building’s Own Amenities

The association’s own site and the Rules and Regulations describe the building layer: the pool and spa, with posted hours of 7:00 a.m. to dusk in the 2011 Rules; the cabanas; terrace gardens; a board room and a social room with a kitchen that owners reserve through the manager; an exercise room closed to children under twelve; a private Har-Tru tennis court that owners reserve through the front desk; and a private boardwalk to the beach, with a washing station on the boardwalk. Interior common areas have been remodeled, in the association’s words, though the association does not date the work.

The Two Guest Suites

Contessa has two guest suites that owners and lessees may rent for their guests while the owner or lessee is in residence. The 2011 Rules set the rate at $75 a night, or $100 a night from November 1 to May 1, plus tax, with a limit of seven nights, reservations accepted no earlier than six months ahead, and a lottery when more than two owners request the same dates. Those are 2011 figures; ask the manager for the current schedule.

The Bay Colony Layer

Every Contessa owner is a member of the Bay Colony Community Association. The association’s Beach Club on Bay Colony Drive is private and membership is mandatory with ownership; its one-time fee and annual fee are not published anywhere we found. The Bay Colony Tennis Club has six hydro-clay courts and is separate from Contessa’s own court. Owners may apply to Bay Colony Golf Club, but golf membership does not come with a Contessa address. For the full community picture, read our Bay Colony guide.

The Pelican Bay Foundation Layer

Contessa owners are also members of the Pelican Bay Foundation under Article 22.1 of the Declaration. The Foundation’s amenities, as it describes them, include roughly three miles of private Gulf beach, two beachfront restaurants, a tram, 18 Har-Tru tennis courts, a fitness center, community centers, boardwalks and 570 acres of mangrove preserve. Pelican Bay’s Community Park opened 20 pickleball courts in December 2025.

Selling at Contessa? Get a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida.

Ready to Talk About Contessa at Bay Colony in Pelican Bay? Start With the Facts

Contessa at Bay Colony, the Gulf-front tower inside gated Bay Colony in Pelican Bay, has a median of $2,900,000 across 11 closings in 24 months, and a listing that sat 609 days before closing at $1,930,000. If you own here, request a free Contessa home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. If you are buying, call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or read how we represent buyers. Both of us are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.

What Does the Contessa Condominium Fee Pay For?

The Contessa Condominium Association, Inc. does not publish its monthly or quarterly assessment, so this page does not print one; the Declaration and Bylaws say what the fee pays for and how it is shared. Common expenses are divided by each residence’s share of the common elements, due monthly or quarterly in advance, and delinquent after 10 days.

Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 7, 2026; Collier County Property Appraiser recorded sales through June 30, 2026)

Our MLS pull for this page did not include an association fee field, so we do not state one. The budget in the statutory resale package states the amount for a specific residence, and a buyer should read it before the cancellation window closes.

What the Declaration and Bylaws Say the Fee Pays For

Article 8.1 of the Bylaws lets the Board include in the common expenses the costs of operation, maintenance and administration, and expressly allows security, in-house communications, directors and officers insurance, transportation services, and exterior and interior pest control. The Declaration puts the building’s insurance, exterior painting, roofing, windows and sliding glass doors, entry doors and structure on the association. The Rules and Regulations describe full-time maintenance and housekeeping personnel, a front desk and pest control services the association provides.

How Assessments, Budgets and Special Assessments Work

The Board adopts the annual budget, mailed to owners at least 14 days before the meeting that adopts it (Bylaws Article 8.2). If an adopted budget would raise assessments above 115 percent of the prior year, owners holding 10 percent of the voting interests can call a special meeting to consider a substitute budget (Bylaws Article 8.1), with reserves, non-annual expenses and betterments excluded from the computation. Special assessments for expenses not in the budget are set by the Board on notice (Bylaws Article 8.4), and Declaration Article 13.7 requires assessments in proportion to each owner’s share if insurance proceeds fall short after a casualty. Under Declaration Article 9.8, material alterations or additions to the common elements costing more than $30,000 in a calendar year need the approval of a majority of the entire voting interests.

Late Payment, Liens and the Buyer’s Exposure

Under Declaration Article 10.1 and Bylaws Article 8.6, an owner and the owner’s grantees are jointly and severally liable for unpaid assessments up to a voluntary conveyance. The Declaration provides for a late fee and interest after 10 days and a 30-day notice before the association forecloses its lien. For a buyer that is the reason the estoppel certificate matters: it states what is owed on the residence.

Reserves and the Structural Reserve Study

Bylaws Article 8.1 requires the proposed budget to include reserves under Section 718.112(2)(f), Florida Statutes, as that section read in 2000, and allows owners to waive or reduce them. That is the 2001 text. Florida’s structural integrity reserve rules, covered in the milestone section below, now limit what an association can waive for the structural items. The reserve study and the current budget are in the resale package, and we do not state what they contain.

The Contessa Fee Layers: Condominium, Bay Colony and the Pelican Bay Foundation

A Contessa owner pays up to four layers: the condominium assessment, the Bay Colony Community Association master assessment, the Pelican Bay Foundation assessment, and the county’s Pelican Bay Services Division charge. The Foundation’s FY2027 assessment is $3,435 per unit, and the Foundation’s resale capital assessment is $15,000 for deeds recorded on or after October 1, 2026.

Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 7, 2026; Collier County Property Appraiser recorded sales through June 30, 2026)

The table below separates what is published from what is not, with the year beside every figure.

The Arithmetic of the Published Pieces

The Foundation’s FY2027 assessment rose $140 over FY2026 ($3,435 less $3,295), or 4.2 percent. The resale capital assessment steps from $15,000 to $15,525 on October 1, 2027 ($15,000 times 1.035). Stacking only the published per-year pieces from different fiscal years, the Foundation’s $3,435, the Services Division’s $1,250 and the master association’s $8,510 come to $13,195 a year, before the condominium assessment and the Beach Club charges, which no one publishes. We show that sum to size the layers, not as a budget.

Why the Recording Date Matters

The $15,000 resale capital assessment applies by deed recording date, not contract date. A Contessa closing that records on September 30, 2026 sits under the old schedule and one that records on October 1 sits under the new one, a $5,000 difference on the Foundation’s published step from $10,000 to $15,000. Ask your title company for the recording timeline before you set a closing date near a deadline.

The Tax Bill Lines

The Pelican Bay Services Division appears on the Collier County tax bill twice, once as an ad valorem millage line and once as a non-ad valorem assessment. A buyer who reads only one line understates the district’s cost. The county tax roll’s assessed value for a Contessa residence will differ from the price a buyer pays, and the tax bill, not this page, is the number to underwrite.

The Contessa Declaration, Bylaws, Rules and Architectural Review, Section by Section

Contessa’s governing documents are the 2001 Amended and Restated Declaration, Articles and Bylaws, the Rules and Regulations revised July 2011 and the Construction Rules revised May 19, 2015, all published by the association. Foundation and Bay Colony Community Association governing documents sit above them, and Article 22.3 expects each owner to hold current copies of both.

The Document Hierarchy

Declaration Article 23.8 says that if the Declaration and the Florida Condominium Act conflict, the Act controls, and that conflicts among the condominium documents are resolved as the Bylaws provide. Article 23.9 gives the Board the job of interpreting the Declaration. Rules may be amended by the Board and need not be recorded (Article 14.3), which is why a buyer should ask for the current Rules rather than rely on the 2011 posting.

What the Board Cannot Change by Rule

Bylaws Article 4.4 bars the Board from adopting rules that add restrictions on the term of leases, the number of times a year a residence can be leased, or the regulation of children beyond the Declaration, and from narrowing the definition of guests or family members. Those limits can change only by amending the Declaration. For a buyer underwriting rentals, that makes the Declaration’s leasing terms more stable than a typical rule.

How the Declaration Is Amended

An amendment can be proposed by a majority of the directors or by 25 percent of the voting interests, and adopted by 75 percent of the voting interests present and voting at a meeting with a quorum or by 75 percent in writing (Article 18). No amendment can change a residence’s configuration or its share of the common elements, or raise its owner’s share of common expenses, without that owner’s joinder and every other owner’s approval (Article 18.7). The termination article can be amended only with the consent of 95 percent of all owners and all record owners of first mortgages (Article 19.4).

The Board, Elections and Fines

Contessa is governed by a five-member Board elected to two-year staggered terms; directors must be owners or owners’ spouses and only one person per residence can serve (Bylaws Article 3.1). Elections need no quorum but at least 20 percent of residences must cast a ballot, and proxies cannot be used in a Board election (Bylaws Articles 2.4 and 2.7). Fines require 14 days’ notice and a hearing before a committee of other owners, and if the committee does not agree with the fine it cannot be levied (Bylaws Article 4.15).

Architectural Review, Three Layers

A change to a residence needs written Board consent under Article 9.6, and the Board may require sealed plans from a Florida architect or engineer. Visible exterior changes also need an owner vote in the manner of Declaration Article 9.8, a majority of the entire voting interests, and Article 22 says the Pelican Bay Foundation and the Bay Colony Community Association each have certain architectural approval rights over modifications. Under Article 9.7 the owner who installs a modification, including hurricane shutters, is financially responsible for insuring and maintaining it and for the cost of removing and reinstalling it when the association’s maintenance requires. Shutters follow a Board-adopted specification under Bylaws Article 4.18, and the Board may not refuse conforming shutters. The Foundation’s Second Amended and Restated Declaration, recorded in 2009, states at Section 3.02(d) that its Article 3 does not apply to Bay Colony. Contessa’s 2001 text and that 2009 text were written eight years apart, so before any exterior project, ask the Foundation, the Bay Colony Community Association and the building manager, in that order, which approvals they require.

Where the Recorded Originals Live

The recorded originals are in the Collier County Clerk’s official records: the 2001 Declaration at Official Records Book 2802, Page 1715 and the original at Book 1584, Page 2189. The association’s published copies are scans of those instruments. Read the clerk’s copy in any closing where the exact words matter.

Selling at Contessa? Request a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or see how we represent buyers.

How Does a Sale at Contessa at Bay Colony Get Approved?

Every sale of a Contessa residence needs the Board’s prior written approval under Article 17 of the Declaration. The seller gives the Board notice with the executed contract and buyer information, the Board may require a credit review, background check, references and an interview, and the Board must approve or disapprove within 45 days of a complete package.

What the Seller Submits

Article 17.3.1.1 requires the seller to give the Board notice of the intended sale, the name and address of the intended purchaser, an executed copy of the purchase contract and its exhibits, and other information the Board may reasonably require. The Board may require credit history, a criminal background investigation, past residency or employment verification, personal references and a personal interview with the purchasers and all proposed occupants. Article 17.5 lets the association charge a processing fee up to the maximum Florida law allows.

The 45-Day Clock

Within 45 days after receipt of the notice and all required information, including an interview if the Board asks for one, the Board must approve or disapprove a sale (Article 17.3.2.1). A buyer’s contract should therefore carry an approval contingency and a closing date at least 45 days out, and the seller should file the complete package in the first days of the contract.

When the Board Disapproves

Disapproval is allowed only by a majority of the whole Board and only for the good-cause grounds the Declaration lists: the application or investigation shows the applicant intends to conduct himself in a manner inconsistent with the covenants; a conviction for a crime of violence, dishonesty or moral turpitude or any felony; a record of financial irresponsibility; a history of disruptive behavior; failure to provide the required information, fees or appearance; unpaid fines against the owner; or unpaid assessments (Article 17.4.3). If the seller’s notice demanded it, the association must within 45 days deliver an agreement to purchase the residence by a Board-approved purchaser, including the association itself, at the contract price or at fair market value set by two appraisers, paid in cash (Article 17.4.1). If the association fails to deliver a purchaser, or the purchaser defaults, the sale is deemed approved and the association must furnish a certificate of approval.

Gifts, Inheritance and Other Transfers

An owner who acquires title by gift, devise or inheritance is also subject to Board approval, with a 30-day decision period after notice (Article 17.3.2.2). Approval to own or occupy cannot be denied to a devisee or heir who was the prior owner’s lawful spouse at the time of death or was related to the deceased owner by blood or adoption (Article 17.2.3). A gift needs 45 days’ notice before the intended closing (Article 17.2.2).

Trusts, Entities and Co-Owners

A residence may be owned in trust or by an entity if the Board approves, conditioned on designating one natural person as the primary occupant, and a change of primary occupant counts as a transfer, with no more than one change approved in any twelve months (Article 17.1.3). Co-owners other than spouses must designate a primary occupant too (Article 17.1.2). No time-share estates may be created, and house sharing by multiple families is prohibited. A sale, lease or other transfer made without the Declaration’s approval is voidable unless the association later approves it (Article 17.6).

Fair Housing and the Approval Process

Article 23.5 of the Declaration provides that no limitation on sale, lease or occupancy may rest on race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, handicap or familial status, and the Association may make reasonable accommodations for handicapped individuals. The federal Fair Housing Act and Florida’s Fair Housing Act apply on top of the Declaration. A seller’s agent describes the residence and the building, not the people who might buy it.

Selling at Contessa? Get a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 about timing an approval inside a contract. Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or read how we represent buyers.

Is Contessa at Bay Colony a 55+ Community?

In the 2001 Declaration, the Articles, the Bylaws and the 2011 Rules we read in full, Contessa at Bay Colony sets no minimum owner age. The documents regulate children in specific places and bar discrimination by familial status in Article 23.5. Confirm against any later recorded amendment, because age rules can change only by recorded amendment.

What the Documents Say About Age

Contessa’s Declaration defines a single family as one natural person, a group of persons who customarily reside together as a single housekeeping unit and are related by blood, marriage or adoption, or not more than two unrelated persons (Article 14.1). Article 14.1 also requires the Board’s approval of any person who occupies a residence overnight for more than 30 days in a calendar year. None of the four documents we read states a minimum age for an owner or an occupant, and we did not find a Housing for Older Persons declaration in them.

What the Documents Say About Children

The Rules and Regulations require children under 14 to be closely supervised at the pool and spa and to be accompanied by an owner or responsible adult at all times in the pool area (Rules 5.5 and 5.6). Children under twelve are not allowed in the exercise room (Rule 13.1). Children under sixteen may not occupy a guest suite without an accompanying adult (Rule 11.5). The Declaration excludes children under age 10 from the overnight-guest head count (Article 15.2). Bylaws Article 4.4 bars the Board from adding rules that regulate children beyond what the Declaration and the original rules provide.

Why a Page Describes the Property, Not the People

Federal and Florida fair housing law limit how any seller, agent or association may describe or screen buyers by age or family status, except for communities that qualify as housing for older persons. We describe the building, its rules and its record. If a lender, title company or buyer needs a statement about age restrictions, the answer is a recorded document, and the place to find recorded documents is the Collier County Clerk.

Can You Rent Out a Contessa Condo? Leasing Rules and the Foundation Cap

Contessa allows leasing, with Board approval. Declaration Article 16 sets a minimum lease of 90 consecutive days, a maximum of one year, no more than three leases in any 12-month period, and no room rentals, transient tenants or subleasing. The Foundation’s own cap, two leases a year, is stricter, and the stricter number governs in practice.

The Contessa Leasing Terms

The Approval Process for a Tenant

The owner submits a copy of the proposed lease, the name of the proposed lessee and all proposed occupants, and any fee. The Board may use a uniform lease application and may require an interview. Article 16.4 lists the grounds on which the Board may disapprove: violence, dishonesty or felony convictions; an application or conduct showing the applicant will not follow the condominium documents, including taking possession before approval; a history of disruptive behavior; failure to provide the information, fees or appearances required; and unpaid assessments or fines against the unit.

Tenant Conduct and Owner Liability

Every lease binds the tenant to the Declaration, Articles, Bylaws and Rules, and a violation is a material breach that can lead to eviction. The owner remains responsible for the tenant’s conduct, and if the owner does not act the association can act as the owner’s agent, including starting an eviction, and recover its costs and attorney’s fees from the owner under a continuing lien (Article 16.2). Under the Rules, lessees and guests of lessees may not have pets and tenants may not have overnight guests when they are not in residence (Rules 2.1.4 and 2.2.5; Declaration Article 15.4).

The Foundation’s Two-Lease Rule and Which Number Governs

The Pelican Bay Foundation’s Declaration, in Section 3.26 as amended in a member-approved amendment recorded May 28, 2019, limits each dwelling to two leases per calendar year, and the Foundation’s rules set a lease application with a $300 fee in the rules amended December 12, 2024. The Foundation’s Second Amended and Restated Declaration also states, at Section 3.02(d), that its Article 3 does not apply to Bay Colony, and Section 3.26 sits in Article 3. So there are two readings on the record: Contessa’s own Declaration allows three leases in 12 months, and the Foundation’s cap is two. Plan for the stricter two, because a tenant, lender or title attorney may read the Foundation’s cap as applying, and confirm with the Foundation before you sign a third lease in a year. The recorded documents control, not this page.

What Contessa Is Not for

Contessa is not a vacation-rental building. A 90-day minimum, a one-year maximum and a ban on transient tenants rule out nightly and weekly rentals under the Declaration. The two guest suites, which owners may rent to their own guests while in residence, are the only short-stay product the building offers.

Pet Rules at Contessa at Bay Colony

Contessa at Bay Colony allows an owner one dog of no more than 25 pounds and 15 inches at the shoulder, or up to two cats, under Rule 14.1 of the Rules and Regulations. Lessees and guests may not have pets. Pets must be leashed, ride the service elevator, and stay out of the pool, spa deck and beach areas.

The Dog and Cat Limits

Rule 14.1 says owners may have one dog that does not exceed 25 pounds in maximum weight and 15 inches in height at the shoulder, or two cats, and no other pets. A buyer with a larger dog, two dogs or other animals needs a written answer from the Board before making an offer, because the Rules are the document that sets the limit and the Board may amend the Rules. Those limits are in the Rules revised in July 2011; ask for the current Rules.

Where Pets May and May Not Go

Pets must be on a leash and accompanied by the owner outside the residence and on the grounds. Only the service elevator transports pets, and pets leave the building through the exits north and south of the lobby, not through the lobby (Rule 14.3). Pets are not allowed on the pool or spa decks or on the beach (Rules 5.7 and 14.3). Droppings must be cleaned up at once and pets may not be a nuisance (Rules 14.2 and 14.4).

Assistance Animals

Article 23.5 of the Declaration says the association may make reasonable accommodations, including reasonable waiver of the covenants and restrictions, for handicapped individuals, and federal and Florida fair housing law treat an assistance animal as a reasonable accommodation, not a pet. A buyer who needs one should ask the Board how it processes the request before making an offer.

Pets and Leases

Neither guests nor lessees may bring pets (Rule 2.1.4), so an investor-owner cannot offer a pet-friendly lease at Contessa. A buyer who plans a pet-friendly rental should look at a building whose rules permit it.

Guests, Occupancy and Daily Rules at Contessa

Contessa limits permanent occupancy by plan: six in a “02” residence, seven in a “03,” eight in a “01” or “04,” and nine in a penthouse, where “permanently” means sleeping there more than 30 nights in a calendar year (Declaration Article 14.1). Guests are visitors who stay fewer than 30 days (Article 15).

Occupancy by Plan

The Declaration caps overnight occupancy at six persons in a “02” residence, seven in a “03,” eight in a “01” or “04” and nine in a penthouse (Articles 14.1 and 15.2), and the Rules repeat the caps in terms of two-bedroom, two-bedroom-and-den, three-bedroom and four-bedroom residences (Rule 16.22). Children under 10 are excluded from the overnight-guest computation.

Guest Types

A guest is a person who visits an owner or tenant, stays fewer than 30 days in a calendar year and pays nothing. Daytime guests need no registration but may use facilities only with the owner or tenant. Overnight guests must register with security or the manager and the owner or tenant must be in residence, except that an owner may have overnight guests in the owner’s absence with reasonable advance notice and registration. Tenants may not (Article 15). Caretakers and family may inspect a residence in an owner’s absence but may not use the pool, parking or beach access (Article 15.3).

Business Use and Subdivision

A residence may be used only as a single family residence. Business use is barred, but owners may use a residence for “home office” or “telecommuting” without customers, signs or stored products. No residence may be divided or subdivided (Article 14.1).

Day-to-Day Rules

The Rules cover dress (footwear in common areas, a cover-up over swimwear in elevators and the lobby), noise, a single planter outside a residence door, no cooking on balconies by order of the Fire Marshal, trash chute hours of 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., package handling at the front desk, and parking in assigned spaces (Rules 7, 8, 10, 15 and 16). Owners are asked to turn off water and notify the front desk or maintenance when they vacate (Rule 1.1).

Renovating a Contessa Residence: Construction Rules, Hours and Approvals

Renovating a Contessa residence requires General Manager approval under the association’s Construction Rules, revised May 19, 2015, plus Board consent under Declaration Articles 9.5 and 9.6 for hard flooring and alterations. Work runs 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with noisy work limited to 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and a seasonal calendar built around the winter months.

The Approval Chain

A renovation needs, in this order, the Board’s written consent under Declaration Article 9.6 and the Construction Rules, the Foundation’s and Bay Colony Community Association’s architectural approvals where Article 22 gives them rights, and a Collier County permit for permitted work. The Construction Rules require an advance fee of $1,000, a pre-construction meeting, a licensed and insured contractor, and a local responsible contractor.

The Calendar and the Hours

The Construction Rules set work hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with no holiday work, and limit “high noise” work to May and June and a limited number of days a month from July through October. Plans are due March 15 and permits May 1 of the year of work. Rules and Regulations 16.21 limits extensive remodeling and heavy construction to May through October, and Rule 16.6 bars noisy tools between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. and on weekends and holidays. Read all three together: the practical building season for noisy work is the summer.

What Contractors May and May Not Do

The Construction Rules prohibit dumpsters, jackhammers and laying tile over tile, require tile removal by a specified machine, require a porta-potty, bar work in the garage, require contractors to sign in, limit material to the service elevator, and require floor and wall protection. The building is non-smoking for contractors. A hard floor above the ground floor also needs a Board-approved sound barrier and an inspection before the floor goes down (Declaration Article 9.5).

What It Means for a Buyer

A buyer who plans a full renovation should assume the work runs in the summer and fall, should budget the $1,000 advance fee and approvals, and should ask for the current Construction Rules, not the 2015 posting. A seller with a recent renovation should have the Board approvals, the permits and the contractor’s insurance certificate ready for the buyer’s attorney.

Hurricanes, Flood Zone and Insurance at Contessa

FEMA’s flood map, effective February 8, 2024, puts Contessa’s address points in Zone AE with a base flood elevation of 10 feet, and the beach-side cabana row at 11 feet, with coastal Zone VE starting within about 85 feet of the cabanas’ western edge. The association’s master policy is public, and every owner must carry flood insurance.

What FEMA’s Map Shows at Contessa

We queried FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer on October 7, 2026 at five points: the county’s address point for the residences, the county’s building point, and three points along the cabana row. The residence and building points fall in Zone AE with a base flood elevation of 10 feet (NAVD88) on panel 12021C0377J, effective February 8, 2024. The three cabana-row points fall in Zone AE at 11 feet on the same panel. Zone VE, FEMA’s coastal high-hazard zone with a base flood elevation of 12 feet, lies within about 85 feet of the cabana row’s western edge, within 210 feet of the county’s building point and between 250 and 260 feet of the residence address point. Flood panels vary by address, so these results are for Contessa’s own coordinates, not Bay Colony’s.

What the Elevations Mean

FEMA defines base flood elevation as the water surface elevation resulting from a flood with a 1 percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any year. Zone AE and Zone VE are both Special Flood Hazard Areas. An elevation certificate for a specific residence, from a surveyor, is the document an insurer and lender use, and a map point is not a substitute.

What Hurricane Ian Did Here

The National Hurricane Center’s Ian report states maximum inundation of 8 to 12 feet above ground level in Estero, Bonita Beach, Bonita Springs and North Naples, and 6 to 9 feet in Naples, with the Naples Pier gauge reading 6.18 feet above mean higher high water before it was destroyed. The report does not give a height at Contessa’s address. The Pelican Bay Foundation reported about $16.4 million of damage to its own facilities and levied a $2,195 per unit special assessment in 2023. Contessa’s own storm damage and repair cost are not in any public record we found, so we state none.

The Association’s Master Policy, Published

Contessa publishes its Certificate of Property Insurance on its own site. The certificate we read is dated January 22, 2025, with policy periods from January 15, 2025 to January 15, 2026, so it is a prior-year document and a buyer should request the current one.

Three readings of that table help. First, the flood limit of $19,750,000 is exactly 79 residences times $250,000, and the certificate lists 79 units, while the Declaration lists 76 and the county roll 74. Second, 5 percent of the $57,748,161 building limit is $2,887,408; the certificate says total insurable values, which it does not break out, so the real deductible is a question for the broker. Third, wind is part of the master policy through a layered program of carriers listed on the certificate.

What Each Owner Must Insure

Declaration Article 12.11.2 requires every owner to carry flood insurance naming the Condominium Association as an additional insured, with flood coverage of $100,000 or more as the Board determines. Article 12.11.1 lets owners insure their own residence and contents, and Article 12.12 divides the building coverage from the owner’s. For a buyer, that means a homeowner’s policy for contents and improvements, a flood policy that satisfies Article 12.11.2, and an assessment reserve in case a storm loss exceeds the master policy. Article 9.10 also makes an owner liable for damage to the common elements or other residences caused by a condition in the owner’s own residence, including the master policy’s deductible when the owner’s negligence caused the damage.

After a Casualty

Insurance proceeds above $25,000 go to an Insurance Trustee, a Florida bank or trust company (Article 12.7). If less than 50 percent of the common elements are in untenantable units, the building is rebuilt unless owners agree within 60 days to terminate; if more than 50 percent are untenantable, rebuilding needs the approval of owners of 75 percent of the common elements, and otherwise the condominium terminates (Article 13). Assessments cover any shortfall in proportion to each owner’s share (Article 13.7).

Selling at Contessa? Request a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 and read how we represent buyers before you tour.

Milestone Inspections, Structural Reserve Studies and Florida Condo Law at Contessa

Collier County lists Contessa’s milestone inspection as completed. The building’s certificate of occupancy is dated January 11, 1991, so the first milestone inspection was due January 1, 2024 under Section 553.899, and the county’s Milestone Map shows the cycle complete with the next inspection due in 2034. The county holds the sealed report; this page does not describe its contents.

What the County Record Shows

Collier County’s milestone buildings-by-year list, current as of January 2026, shows the association as “Contessa, a Condo” at 8111 Bay Colony Dr, with a certificate of occupancy date of 01/11/1991 and an initial milestone due date of 01/01/2024. The county’s Milestone Map shows the status “Milestone Completed,” the cycle complete and the next inspection year as 2034. The condominium is in the coastal group because it sits within three miles of saltwater.

What the Law Requires

Section 553.899 requires a structural milestone inspection of a condominium building of three or more habitable stories at 30 years, or 25 years within three miles of the coast as Collier County applies it, and every 10 years after. Phase one is a visual examination by a licensed architect or engineer; phase two, with destructive or nondestructive testing, is required if substantial structural deterioration is found. The inspector’s sealed report goes to the association and the building official. As we read Section 553.899, the association must also distribute the inspector’s summary to owners and post it, including on its website where one is required.

What the Reserve Study Law Requires

Section 718.112(2)(g) requires a structural integrity reserve study every ten years for condominium buildings of three or more stories, covering items such as the roof, load-bearing walls, floors, foundation, fireproofing, plumbing, electrical systems, waterproofing and windows, and requires the association to fund reserves for those items. The Declaration’s 2001 Bylaws let owners waive reserves; the statute now limits that for the structural items. The study is part of the resale package under Section 718.503, which also gives a buyer seven days to cancel after receiving it.

What This Page Does Not Say

Milestone reports, structural integrity reserve studies and estoppel certificates are association records. Sections 718.111(12) and 720.303 govern who may see official records, and we do not state what any of Contessa’s records contain. A buyer reads them in the resale package, before the cancellation window closes, with an engineer if the building matters to the decision.

The Estoppel Certificate and Its Cost

An estoppel certificate states what is owed on a residence. Section 718.116(8) sets the statutory caps, $250 for the certificate, $100 more to expedite and $150 more if the residence has delinquent amounts, and as we read the state’s current adjusted caps they are $299, $119 and $179. The Foundation’s own estoppel is $250, plus $100 to expedite. The sale contract controls who pays.

Which Schools Serve Contessa at Bay Colony?

Collier County Public Schools assigns students by address, and the three schools the district’s pages list for the Bay Colony beachfront address we checked are Sea Gate Elementary, Pine Ridge Middle and Barron Collier High. We did not confirm the assignment for Contessa’s own address, so check it in the district’s zone tool before you rely on it.

What the District Publishes

The district publishes its 2026-27 start and dismissal times on its own site, and the times in the table are those. The district’s homepage describes Collier as an “A” rated district. We print no individual school grade, because the state’s school grades are published school by school and change each year.

How to Confirm the Assignment for 8111 Bay Colony Dr

Enter the street address in the district’s zone tool, which draws attendance boundaries from the district’s own map. An assignment can change when the district redraws a boundary, so a buyer who is choosing Contessa for a school should ask the district for a written confirmation of the assignment at the time of the contract.

What We Did Not Verify

The zone result we found was for the beachfront Bay Colony address of the Bay Colony Community Association, not for 8111 Bay Colony Dr. We did not read school grades for this page, we did not measure a drive time to any of the three campuses, and we do not state that any child at Contessa attends them.

Selling at Contessa? Get a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida. McGreevy and Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.

County Permits and Recorded Work at Contessa at Bay Colony

Collier County’s public record for Contessa shows a completed milestone inspection cycle with the next inspection due in 2034, and Florida’s coastal permit records list a dune walkover at Contessa’s address, issued April 10, 2023. The county’s permit portal holds the rest, and this page reports what the records show, not what the work involved.

The Milestone Record

On the county’s Milestone Map, the association is filed as “Contessa Condo,” with the status “Milestone Completed,” the cycle shown as complete and the next inspection year 2034. The county’s January 2026 milestone list shows the certificate of occupancy on January 11, 1991 and the first inspection due January 1, 2024. In the same map layer Salerno at Bay Colony shows the same completed status with the next inspection year 2035.

The Dune Walkover Permit

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s coastal permit records list a dune walkover at 8111 Bay Colony Dr, dated April 10, 2023, with the status “Field, Issued.” A walkover is the elevated path across the dune to the beach. Our Bay Colony research found similar walkover permits at several Bay Colony towers across 2023 to 2025, and the permits themselves do not say why the work was done.

How to Pull the Permit History

Collier County Growth Management publishes a public permitting portal where a building’s permit history can be searched by address, and the milestone inspection reports are filed there. The sealed reports belong to the association and the county, and this page does not describe what any report says. A buyer’s attorney or engineer can request the same file during the contract.

What the Record Does Not Show

The county list does not show the cost or scope of any association project, and a recorded notice of commencement, which sits in the Collier County Clerk’s official records, is the document that names a contractor and a project. We did not search the clerk’s records for Contessa notices of commencement for this page.

What Is Being Built Near Contessa at Bay Colony?

Projects near Contessa at Bay Colony are mostly public works on the roads and beach around it: Collier County’s Vanderbilt Beach Road widening, the road extension whose first phase had its ribbon cutting on July 1, 2026, and the Foundation’s beach renourishment, recorded as finished in 2026. Private proposals nearby are reported, not approved.

Vanderbilt Beach Road

Collier County’s July 2026 announcement says the widening runs from four to six lanes over about 1.8 miles, from just east of US 41 to east of Goodlette-Frank Road, is a $28.4 million project, takes about two years, with construction starting in July 2026. The county’s June 2026 announcement scheduled the ribbon cutting for Phase I of the Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension, from Collier Boulevard to 16th Street NE, for July 1, 2026. We state only what the county’s own pages say about the two projects.

Beach Renourishment and Clam Pass

Contessa’s own beach sits on the Gulf side of the Bay Colony row. Our Bay Colony research records a Pelican Bay beach renourishment and an eight-foot dune finished in 2026, and Collier County’s Pelican Bay Services Division, whose board advises the county on beach renourishment and on dredging and maintaining Clam Pass, covers the area. We state no renourishment cost per building because none is published for Contessa.

Private Proposals Reported Nearby

Our Bay Colony research tracks two private proposals near Pelican Bay: a proposed Naples Grande water park, which is contested, and a reported redevelopment of Waterside Shops. We did not confirm an approval for either one, so we treat both as proposals, not as projects. If either changes your decision, read the current county record, not a summary.

A Coastal Permit on Bay Colony Drive

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s records list a coastal construction permit on Bay Colony Drive, number CO001321, with no activity recorded. A permit with no recorded activity is not a project underway, and we do not describe it as one.

What This Means for a Contessa Owner

The nearby public works change the road and the beach, not the building’s recorded documents, its flood zone or its fee structure. A buyer who is sensitive to construction noise or traffic should visit in season and ask the county for the current schedule, because we measured no in-season figure.

Daily Logistics at Contessa at Bay Colony

Daily life at Contessa runs through three layers: Bay Colony’s gatehouses, Contessa’s own front desk, and the building’s two assigned parking spaces for each residence. Contessa’s Rules and Regulations staff the front desk to log entry and exits and to hold packages, and they set trash chute hours of 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Gates and Entry

Bay Colony is gated, with two gatehouses, and Contessa’s front desk then monitors entry to the building itself. The Rules and Regulations ask owners to leave instructions and keys with the manager when they are away, which suits seasonal ownership.

The Front Desk and Packages

The front desk accepts packages into a locked cage on the lobby floor, logs guests, and takes reservations for the tennis court. The association lists the front desk at (239) 591-8030 and administration at (239) 591-8020 on its own site.

Parking, Trash and Deliveries

Each residence has two assigned spaces under the building, and Rules 6.5 and 16.16 send bicycles and mopeds to the bicycle room on the garage level. The trash chute runs 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. under the Rules, and the service elevator, not the passenger elevators, handles freight, wet beach traffic and pets.

Who to Call

For the building, call the front desk or administration. For Bay Colony, the Bay Colony Community Association’s office number is (239) 591-2202. For the Foundation, the Pelican Bay Foundation publishes a page for realtors on its own site, and a buyer’s agent should read it before the first showing.

Hospital and Drive Times

NCH’s North Naples hospital is minutes from the gate, and we did not measure an in-season drive time, so we publish none. Traffic on Vanderbilt Beach Road and US 41 changes by season, and a number measured in summer would mislead a winter owner.

How Does Contessa at Bay Colony Compare to Other Pelican Bay Buildings?

Contessa at Bay Colony is the oldest tower in the Bay Colony row, and of the six Bay Colony towers in the table below it had the most Southwest Florida MLS closings in the last 12 months, eight, at a $2,887,500 median. Only Montenero and St. Raphael, two larger Pelican Bay buildings, closed more.

Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 7, 2026; Collier County Property Appraiser recorded sales through June 30, 2026)

Every closing count below covers the 12 months from October 8, 2025 to October 7, 2026, and a count under 10 is a small sample. Units and years built come from our building roster and the Collier County Property Appraiser, 2026 tax roll.

Contessa and Carlysle, the Closest Match

Carlysle at Bay Colony is the closest match on paper: 74 units against Contessa’s 74, built in 1992 against 1991, and also a Gulf-front high-rise. Carlysle’s 12-month median of $4,577,500 on 4 closings is $1,690,000 above Contessa’s $2,887,500 on 8, and both are small samples, so the gap is a prompt to compare specific residences, not a ranking.

Contessa and the Other Gulf-Front Towers

Brighton at Bay Colony (3 closings, $6,000,000 median) and Biltmore at Bay Colony (6 closings, $5,050,000 median) are the other Gulf-front high-rises in the table. Contessa’s median is the lowest of the four Gulf-front towers, and Contessa is the oldest. All four medians rest on fewer than 10 sales.

Contessa and the Preserve-View Towers

Toscana at Bay Colony (3 closings, $3,400,000 median) and Salerno at Bay Colony (5 closings, $2,900,000 median) face preserve and bay. Salerno’s 12-month median is $12,500 above Contessa’s ($2,900,000 less $2,887,500), which is a tie on any fair reading with samples of 5 and 8.

Contessa and the Larger Buildings

Montenero (133 units, 9 closings, $3,000,000 median) and St. Raphael (178 units, 11 closings, $2,350,000 median) are much larger buildings. Both buildings have their own declarations and rules, so a buyer comparing them should read each building’s documents, not the table alone.

Where Contessa Sits in Bay Colony and Pelican Bay

Contessa belongs to the Bay Colony row of towers on the Gulf, and Bay Colony belongs to the Pelican Bay Foundation, so Contessa’s owners also pay the Foundation’s assessment. For a buyer comparing a Bay Colony tower with a building elsewhere in Pelican Bay, the distinguishing facts are the Beach Club, the gates and the Bay Colony master assessment, which the table above does not show.

Selling at Contessa? Request a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or see how we represent buyers.

Contessa vs Salerno: Which Pelican Bay Condominium Fits You?

Contessa and Salerno are both Bay Colony high-rises of about 70 residences, but Contessa is the 1991 Gulf-front tower and Salerno is the 2000 tower facing preserve and bay. Over 60 months Contessa’s median is $3,257,500 on 14 closings against Salerno’s $2,900,000 on 11, and Salerno’s median days on market is 38 against Contessa’s 66.

Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 7, 2026; Collier County Property Appraiser recorded sales through June 30, 2026)

Contessa vs Salerno Decision Table

The table puts each building’s own figures side by side. Every market row names its window and its number of closings, and a count under 10 is a small sample.

What the Numbers Say

Over 60 months Contessa’s median is $357,500 higher ($3,257,500 less $2,900,000) and its median price per square foot is $282 higher ($1,359 less $1,077), about 26 percent above Salerno’s. Salerno’s residences sell faster and closer to list: a 96.9 percent sale-to-list ratio against Contessa’s 91.1 percent over 60 months. Contessa’s 12-month median days on market of 134 (n=8) comes from a few long listings, including one that closed at $1,930,000 after 609 days.

Who Should Choose Contessa

Contessa suits a buyer who wants the Gulf-front tower, a published set of documents and a leasing allowance, and who values the first-tower position on the beach. It also suits a buyer who wants the widest range of sizes: Contessa has residences from 2,075 square feet on the roll to a 5,068 square foot sale, and five plan types.

Who Should Choose Salerno

Salerno at Bay Colony suits a buyer who prefers a newer tower, a preserve and bay view, and a market that has recently cleared faster and nearer to list. Its 2026 roll shows 69 residences, none below 2,600 square feet, so a buyer who wants the smaller end of Contessa’s 2,075 to 5,140 square foot range should look at Contessa.

What the Numbers Do Not Settle

Two small samples and one 60-month window cannot tell you what your residence is worth, because one tower’s price depends on the floor, the view and the condition of the individual residence. Ask for the specific comparable sales, and ask us to read the documents of either building with you.

Selling at Contessa? Get a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying at Contessa or Salerno? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers. Both of us are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.

Honest Pros and Cons of Owning at Contessa at Bay Colony

Owning at Contessa at Bay Colony offers a Gulf-front address in the first tower on the Bay Colony beach, documents published in full and a leasing allowance, and asks the owner to accept Board approval of every sale, a 25-pound dog limit and a thin resale market. Weigh both lists against the documents, not against a brochure.

The Pros

• Gulf-front, first on the beach. Contessa is the first residence on the Bay Colony beach, completed in 1991, with a private boardwalk to the sand.
• Published documents. The association publishes its Declaration, Articles, Bylaws, Rules, Construction Rules, insurance certificate and floor plans on its own site, so a buyer can read them before an offer.
• A completed milestone cycle. Collier County’s map lists the milestone inspection as completed with the next due in 2034.
• A leasing allowance. The Declaration allows leases of 90 days to one year with Board approval, so a buyer can plan a rental inside those limits.
• Two assigned parking spaces. Each residence has two spaces under the building.
• A real record to price from. Eleven MLS closings in 24 months and 14 in 60 months give a buyer and a seller something to compare.

The Cons

• Board approval of every sale. Article 17 gives the Board up to 45 days, which lengthens every closing.
• A thin market. Eight closings in 12 months is a small sample, and one listing that sat 609 days shows the cost of overpricing.
• A small-dog rule. One dog of 25 pounds or less, or two cats, and no pets for lessees, under the 2011 Rules.
• Unpublished fees. The condominium fee, the Beach Club charges and the 2026 Bay Colony master assessment are not published, so the cost stack needs a conversation with the association.
• Flood and wind exposure. FEMA’s map puts the address in Zone AE with a base flood elevation of 10 feet, with coastal Zone VE nearby, and the January 2025 certificate states a 5 percent named-windstorm deductible on total insurable values.
• An older building. The building was completed in 1991, and a buyer should read the milestone summary and the structural reserve study in the resale package.

What Does It Cost to Close a Sale at Contessa at Bay Colony?

Closing a sale at Contessa at Bay Colony involves Florida’s documentary stamp tax on the deed, which the seller customarily pays at $0.70 per $100 under Section 201.02, an estoppel certificate, and the Pelican Bay Foundation’s $15,000 resale capital assessment, which the buyer pays for deeds recorded on or after October 1, 2026.

Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 7, 2026; Collier County Property Appraiser recorded sales through June 30, 2026)

Documentary Stamps on the Deed

Section 201.02, Florida Statutes, sets the tax on a deed at 70 cents on each $100 of consideration. At Contessa’s 24-month median of $2,900,000 (n=11), that is 29,000 hundreds times $0.70, or $20,300. In Collier County the seller customarily pays this tax, and the contract controls.

The Owner’s Title Policy and the Closing Agent

In Collier County the buyer customarily pays for the owner’s title policy and chooses the closing agent, and the contract controls both. We do not list the owner’s title policy as a seller cost.

The Estoppel Certificate

Section 718.116(8), Florida Statutes, caps the condominium’s estoppel fee at $250, plus $100 if expedited and a further $150 if the residence has delinquent amounts. As we read the state’s current adjusted caps, those figures are $299, $119 and $179. The Foundation’s own estoppel is $250, plus $100 to expedite. Contessa’s own estoppel fee is not published, and the contract controls who pays.

The Foundation’s Resale Capital Assessment

The buyer pays the Pelican Bay Foundation’s resale capital assessment of $15,000 for deeds recorded on or after October 1, 2026, and it rises 3.5 percent each October 1, to $15,525 on October 1, 2027 ($15,000 times 1.035). The recording date decides which amount applies, not the contract date.

The Board’s Processing Fee

Article 17.5 of the Declaration lets the association charge a processing fee up to the maximum Florida law allows, and Article 16.6 allows a transfer fee per applicant for a lease, with none for a renewal. Ask the manager for the current fee when you submit the approval package.

What a Closing Calendar Looks Like

A Contessa contract should carry the Board’s 45-day approval window under Article 17.3.2.1, the buyer’s seven-day cancellation window after the resale package arrives under Section 718.503, and a recording date that falls on the right side of any October 1 assessment step. The seller’s side should file the approval package in the first days of the contract.

Selling at Contessa? Request a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 to see your net at today’s sold prices. Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or read how we represent buyers. We are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.

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

If you own at Contessa at Bay Colony and are thinking about a sale, you are selling into a tower that closed 11 sales in 24 months at a $2,900,000 median, to a buyer who will read the milestone record, flood map and insurance certificate first, through a Board approval that can take 45 days.

Data updated: October 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 7, 2026; Collier County Property Appraiser recorded sales through June 30, 2026)

Contessa is a building where the floor, the view and the condition of the individual residence decide the price, because the same tower sold residences between $1,930,000 and $9,000,000 in 24 months. As the leaders of Domain Realty Group our team has closed over $2.5 billion in real estate, and Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar account for over $900 million in personal sales inside that number. We bring that reach to a Contessa listing along with the document file a Contessa buyer’s lender, insurer and attorney ask for in week one.

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

What Contessa Residences Sold For

In the last 12 months Contessa at Bay Colony has seen 8 resales in the Southwest Florida MLS (pulled October 7, 2026). Domain Realty, our brokerage, closed 658 transaction sides in Naples in the 60 months to October 5, 2026, $521.5 million in volume counted by side, per the Southwest Florida MLS pulled that day. McGreevy and Comisar are the #5 real estate team in Florida in the 2026 RealTrends rankings.

• Closings, last 12 months (MLS): 8, a small sample, median $2,887,500, the mean of the middle pair $2,875,000 and $2,900,000, with volume of $29,745,000.
• Closings, last 24 months (MLS): 11, median $2,900,000, from $1,930,000 to $9,000,000, with volume of $40,145,000.
• Closings, last 60 months (MLS): 14, median $3,257,500, with volume of $51,695,000.
• Days on market and sale-to-list: a median of 78 days and 91.1 percent over 24 months (n=11); 134 days and 88.0 percent over 12 months (n=8, small sample).
• Today: one listing on October 7, 2026, at $4,500,000, 2,626 square feet, 86 days on the market.

Selling Into a Thin Market

Contessa has 74 parcels, and eight sales in 12 months means a buyer compares your residence with one or two others and with the last few closings. The 60-month file shows the price depends on the individual residence: two 2,626 square foot residences closed at $3,440,000 and $1,930,000 in the same 12 months. We price a Contessa residence against the closings of the same size, adjusted for condition, floor and view, and we set the list price to win the first 60 days, because the 609-day listing that closed at $1,930,000 shows what the alternative costs.

The Documents a Contessa Buyer Will Ask For

• The statutory package: the Declaration, Articles, Bylaws and Rules, the most recent annual financial statement and budget, the frequently asked questions sheet, and the milestone inspection summary and structural integrity reserve study where they apply. The buyer’s seven-day cancellation window under Section 718.503 starts when the buyer receives it.
• The estoppel certificates: the condominium’s, and the Foundation’s at $250, plus $100 to expedite.
• The Board approval: the Article 17 package and, for a lease, the Article 16 approval.
• The residence’s own approvals: Board consent for any hard flooring above the ground floor under Article 9.5, and for any alteration under Article 9.6.
• Flood and insurance: the current insurance certificate and any elevation certificate, since the certificate posted on the association’s site is dated January 2025.

The Board Approval and the 45-Day Clock

Every Contessa sale needs the Board’s prior written approval under Article 17, and the Board has 45 days from a complete package to approve or disapprove under Article 17.3.2.1. File the package in the first days of the contract, give the buyer’s agent the timeline in writing, and write a closing date that sits at least 45 days out.

What Is Your Contessa at Bay Colony Home Worth? Get a Free Valuation in 60 Seconds.

Start with a free Contessa at Bay Colony home valuation. It takes about a minute, and Jesse follows up with the Contessa closings that fit your residence: the same size, the same view and the same condition. An automated estimate cannot tell one 2,626 square foot residence from another when recorded sales of the same size span $1,510,000. We price to the difference, and a dedicated Contessa at Bay Colony seller page is planned for owners who want the full plan in one place.

(239) 898-6072, text or call. Confidential conversations welcome.

Is now a good time to sell a Contessa condo?

For a residence priced to its size’s recent closings, the data is encouraging: one listing against eight closings in 12 months is 1.5 months of supply, though eight sales are a small sample. We would list a Contessa residence with a price that matches the last 24 months’ closings of the same size, not with an aspirational number.

How do I price my Contessa residence?

Against the closings of the same size. The MLS shows about 2,125 square foot residences at $2,875,000 to $3,900,000, 2,626 square foot residences at $1,930,000 to $3,850,000 and about 3,060 square foot residences at $3,800,000 to $4,800,000, so the size group matters more than the building median.

Do I need the association’s approval to sell my Contessa residence?

Yes. Article 17 of the Declaration requires the Board’s prior written approval of every sale, and a sale made without it is voidable unless the association later approves it (Article 17.6). Give the Board the complete package at the start of the contract.

What will a Contessa buyer ask about first?

The milestone record, the flood zone, the insurance certificate and the fee stack. Have the resale package, the estoppel certificates and the Board approval timeline ready before the first showing.

Can I sell my Contessa residence with a tenant in it?

Yes, subject to the lease. A Contessa lease runs 90 days to one year under Article 16, and the buyer must be approved like any other buyer. Tell the buyer’s agent the lease terms at the first showing.

Who pays the $15,000 resale capital assessment when I sell?

The buyer pays the Foundation’s resale capital assessment for deeds recorded on or after October 1, 2026, and the contract controls any different allocation. A closing that records on October 1 or later falls under the $15,000 amount.

Your Local Real Estate Experts

Contessa owners and buyers work directly with Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, not with a call center. The two read Contessa’s recorded Declaration, Articles, Bylaws and Rules, the county’s milestone record and every MLS closing in five years before writing this guide, and we list below what we could not source.

McGreevy and Comisar are the Domain Realty team behind this Contessa guide: Jesse McGreevy, Sales Associate, and Marc Comisar, Broker Associate. Jesse has been in the business since October 2004, the team launched in October 2008, and both work the Pelican Bay and Bay Colony market that Contessa sits in.

Between them that is more than twenty years of Southwest Florida transactions, and it is local in the literal sense: the team keeps offices from Naples to Fort Myers, and Jesse has lived in Estero since 2003. You can read the longer version of how the team was built on our about the McGreevy and Comisar team page.

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

McGreevy and Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008. On a Contessa page the credential that matters more is narrower than any award: in the last 12 months we tracked every Contessa closing in the Southwest Florida MLS against the county’s recorded-sales file before this guide was written, and we read the association’s own documents in full.

What Our Clients Say

McGreevy and Comisar is a top-reviewed Contessa realtor on Google, and the quotes below are genuine five star client reviews reproduced in the reviewer’s own words. We publish no aggregate score and no star rating widget. Read the full set on the McGreevy and Comisar Google Business Profile.

★★★★★ “If you’re looking for a Realtor in Naples (or nearby areas), Jesse is your guy. I referred a friend to him for a winter home search. He has great connections, sharp negotiating, and he found them an off-market brand new build. Highly recommend!” Ali Poklepovic, verified Google review

★★★★★ “I have had 13 real estate transactions and this is the most professional and helpful agency that I have ever worked with. Marc actually called me with a response to my questions and concerns on a Sunday evening. The resources that this agency has access to goes above and beyond any other I have ever worked with. The professional process that they use to present your home for sale goes beyond anything I have ever experienced.” Candy Gody, verified Google review

★★★★★ “Marc Comisar did an excellent job working with a very difficult client (me) selling our condo in a tough condo market. He went above and beyond.” Derek Dixon, verified Google review

★★★★★ “I can only say he is a refreshing and highly motivated professional. No tricks exaggerations nor falsehoods. His way of bringing quality clients is exceptional. He does not bring lookers. He brings buyers!” Dennis Overton, verified Google review

Contact McGreevy and Comisar

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

Selling a Contessa home? Get a free Contessa home valuation, or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.

Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida.

Licensure, and the Office of Record

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).

• Jesse McGreevy, Florida license SL3101296
• Marc Comisar, Florida license BK3060671
• Brokerage office: 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134

License status for either name can be verified directly through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s public licensee search, which is the authority of record for Florida real estate licensure.

Where Else to Find the Team

Video walkthroughs, market updates and community tours are published on the team’s own channel at McGreevy and Comisar on YouTube. The team also keeps a company page at McGreevy and Comisar on LinkedIn. For owners and buyers elsewhere in Pelican Bay, start with selling a Pelican Bay home, a Pelican Bay home valuation or buying a home in Pelican Bay, and see our Naples guide.

Frequently Asked Questions: Contessa Buyer Edition

These are the questions buyers ask us before they tour Contessa at Bay Colony, answered from the association’s published documents, Florida’s condominium statutes, Collier County’s files and the Southwest Florida MLS, so a buyer knows what to ask for and what the record shows before an offer.

What is Contessa at Bay Colony?

Contessa is a Gulf-front high-rise condominium of 20 living floors inside Bay Colony, the gated enclave of Pelican Bay in Naples. The Declaration was first recorded in January 1991, and the association calls Contessa the first residence on the Bay Colony beach.

Where is Contessa, and what is its address?

The building is at 8111 Bay Colony Dr, Naples, FL 34108, on the Gulf side of Bay Colony Drive. Collier County’s tax roll files it as “Contessa A Condominium,” so a roll search for “Bay Colony” will not find it.

Is Contessa the same as any other building named Contessa?

No. Contessa at Bay Colony is its own condominium with its own Declaration and its own Florida corporation, Contessa Condominium Association, Inc. It is not a separate subdivision under that roll name, and any other building that shares the name is a different property.

How many residences does Contessa have?

The Declaration describes 76 residences, the 2026 county roll lists 74 residential parcels, and the association’s insurance certificate lists 79 units. We treat the Declaration as the legal count and the roll as the tax count.

When was Contessa built?

Collier County lists the certificate of occupancy as January 11, 1991. The Declaration was first recorded on January 10, 1991, and the association restated it in 2001.

How many floors does Contessa have?

Twenty living floors: four residences per floor on 18 floors, numbered 1 to 12 and 14 to 19 with no floor 13, plus four penthouses on two penthouse levels, for 76 residences in all.

What floor plans does Contessa have?

The Declaration defines five plan types: three-bedroom plans “01” and “04” with a den, a two-bedroom plan “02,” a two-bedroom-with-den plan “03,” and a four-bedroom penthouse. The association’s floor plan sheet is linked in the documents list at the end of this page.

How big are the residences?

The county roll shows 2,075 to 5,140 square feet of heated area across 74 parcels, with a median of 2,730. MLS closings in the last 60 months were reported at about 2,125, about 2,290, 2,626, about 3,060 and 5,068 square feet.

Is Contessa on the Gulf?

Yes. The building sits on the Gulf side of the Bay Colony row, with a pool, spa and cabana deck on the beach side and a private boardwalk to the sand.

Is Contessa in a flood zone?

FEMA’s map, effective February 8, 2024, puts the county’s address points for Contessa in Zone AE with a base flood elevation of 10 feet, and the cabana row at 11 feet. The coastal Zone VE begins within about 85 feet of the cabana row’s western edge. A residence’s own elevation certificate is the document a lender and insurer use.

Do Contessa owners have to carry flood insurance?

Yes. Article 12.11.2 of the Declaration requires each owner to carry flood insurance naming the association as an additional insured, in an amount of $100,000 or more as the Board determines. The association’s own certificate shows a $19,750,000 building flood policy.

What does the association’s master insurance policy show?

The certificate posted on the association’s site is dated January 22, 2025 and shows a $57,748,161 building limit, a named-windstorm deductible of 5 percent of total insurable values per location with a $100,000 per occurrence figure on the same line, and a $1,250 flood deductible. It is a prior-year document, so ask for the current one.

Has Contessa completed its milestone inspection?

Collier County’s Milestone Map lists Contessa as “Milestone Completed,” with the cycle complete and the next inspection year 2034. The sealed report is an association and county record, and we do not state what it contains.

Has Contessa completed its structural integrity reserve study?

We did not find a public record of Contessa’s study, so we state no status. Section 718.112(2)(g) requires one for buildings of three or more stories, and the resale package under Section 718.503 is where a buyer receives it or a statement about it.

What are the condominium fees at Contessa?

The association does not publish its assessment, so this page prints none. Ask for the current budget and the estoppel certificate, which state the amount for a specific residence.

What does the Pelican Bay Foundation charge?

The Foundation’s assessment is $3,435 per unit for FY2027, up from $3,295 in FY2026. Its estoppel is $250, plus $100 to expedite.

Is there a capital assessment when I buy?

Yes. The Foundation charges a resale capital assessment of $15,000 for deeds recorded on or after October 1, 2026, paid by the buyer, rising 3.5 percent each October 1 to $15,525 on October 1, 2027.

What is the Bay Colony master assessment?

We found $7,650 for FY2024 and $8,510 for 2025, from two other Bay Colony buildings’ buyer disclosures. We found no 2026 figure, so ask the Bay Colony Community Association at (239) 591-2202 for the current one.

Does the Board approve buyers at Contessa?

Yes. Article 17 of the Declaration requires the Board’s prior written approval of every sale, and the Board has 45 days from a complete package to approve or disapprove.

Can I rent out a Contessa condo?

Yes, with Board approval. The Declaration sets a 90-day minimum, a one-year maximum, no more than three leases in any 12-month period and no transient tenants. The Foundation’s own cap is two leases a year, and the stricter number governs in practice, so read both and confirm with the Foundation.

Can I use a Contessa condo as a vacation rental?

No. The 90-day minimum and the ban on transient tenants rule out nightly and weekly rentals under the Declaration.

Are pets allowed at Contessa?

An owner may keep one dog of 25 pounds or less and 15 inches or less at the shoulder, or up to two cats, under Rule 14.1 of the Rules revised in July 2011. Lessees and guests may not have pets.

Is Contessa a 55+ community?

No minimum owner age appears in the Declaration, Articles, Bylaws or Rules we read. The documents regulate children at the pool, in the exercise room and in the guest suites, and Article 23.5 bars discrimination by familial status. Confirm against any later recorded amendment.

What parking does Contessa have?

Each residence has two assigned spaces under the building, and the front desk logs guests. Rules 6.5 and 16.16 send bicycles and mopeds to the garage-level bicycle room.

Are there cabanas at Contessa?

The Declaration lists twenty-four cabanas as limited common elements that owners may transfer between units, and Collier County’s address file shows 17 cabana points on the beach side. Ask the association which cabana belongs to a residence.

What amenities does Contessa have?

A pool and spa, cabanas, terrace gardens, a social room with a kitchen, a board room, an exercise room, two guest suites, a private boardwalk to the beach and a private Har-Tru tennis court. Bay Colony and the Pelican Bay Foundation add their own amenities.

Is there a beach club?

Every Contessa owner belongs to the Bay Colony Community Association, whose private Beach Club membership is mandatory with ownership. The one-time and annual charges are not published anywhere we found.

Is there golf at Contessa?

Owners may apply to Bay Colony Golf Club, but golf membership does not come with a Contessa address.

Is there tennis at Contessa?

Contessa has its own private Har-Tru court on the east side, reserved through the front desk. The Bay Colony Tennis Club has six hydro-clay courts, and the Foundation has 18 Har-Tru courts.

What do the guest suites cost?

The 2011 Rules set $75 a night, or $100 a night from November 1 to May 1, plus tax, with a seven-night limit and a lottery when more than two owners ask for the same dates. Ask the manager for the current schedule.

Can I renovate a Contessa residence?

With approvals. The Board must consent under Article 9.6, hard flooring above the ground floor needs a Board-approved sound barrier under Article 9.5, and the Construction Rules require a $1,000 advance fee and limit work to 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Can I install hard floors at Contessa?

Above the ground floor, only with prior written Board approval and proof of approved sound-deadening material, which the Board inspects before the floor goes down (Article 9.5).

How long can I cancel after I receive the documents?

Seven days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after the buyer signs the contract and receives the resale package under Section 718.503, Florida Statutes.

Which schools serve Contessa?

The district’s pages list Sea Gate Elementary, Pine Ridge Middle and Barron Collier High for the Bay Colony beachfront address we checked. We did not confirm the assignment for 8111 Bay Colony Dr, so confirm it in the district’s zone tool.

What have Contessa condos sold for?

The Southwest Florida MLS shows 11 closings in the last 24 months at a $2,900,000 median, from $1,930,000 to $9,000,000, and 14 closings in 60 months at a $3,257,500 median.

Is a Contessa residence for sale now?

On October 7, 2026 the MLS showed one active listing, at $4,500,000, for 2,626 square feet, which is $1,714 per square foot.

Who pays the owner’s title policy?

In Collier County the buyer customarily pays the owner’s title policy and chooses the closing agent, and the contract controls.

How does Contessa compare to Salerno?

Contessa is the 1991 Gulf-front tower and Salerno at Bay Colony is the 2000 tower facing preserve and bay. Over 60 months Contessa’s median is $3,257,500 on 14 closings and Salerno’s is $2,900,000 on 11. The decision table above lays out the rest.

What documents should I ask for before I make an offer?

The Declaration, Articles, Bylaws and current Rules, the budget and latest financial statement, the estoppel certificate, the milestone inspection summary, the structural reserve study, the current insurance certificate and the Foundation’s documents.

Who should I call about buying at Contessa?

Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida first. Marc can pull the comparable closings for the size and floor you want.

Selling at Contessa? Get a free home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873.

Frequently Asked Questions: Contessa Seller Edition

These are the questions Contessa at Bay Colony owners ask us before they list, answered from the recorded documents, Florida’s condominium statutes, Collier County’s files and the Southwest Florida MLS, so a seller knows what a Contessa buyer will ask and what the law requires before the first showing.

How much is my Contessa condo worth?

The last 24 months of MLS closings ran from $1,930,000 to $9,000,000 at a $2,900,000 median (n=11), and your size, floor, view and condition place you inside that range. A free Contessa home valuation starts the conversation, or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.

How long does a Contessa condo take to sell?

The 24-month median is 78 days on market (n=11), and the 12-month median is 134 days (n=8, a small sample). Two of the last 12 months’ closings took 63 days or fewer and two took more than 300, so price decides the timeline.

What is the sale-to-list ratio at Contessa?

The median is 91.1 percent over 24 months (n=11) and 88.0 percent over 12 months (n=8, a small sample), so at the median sellers received 88 to 91 cents of each final list dollar.

Is now a good time to sell at Contessa?

One listing on October 7, 2026 against eight closings in 12 months is 1.5 months of supply, which favors a well-priced seller, though eight closings are a small sample and one listing cannot set a trend.

When in the year do Contessa condos sell?

In the 60-month MLS file, 8 of the 14 closings fell from January through May. With 14 sales, treat that as a pattern in this file, not a rule.

What is the most a Contessa condo has sold for?

The highest MLS closing in the last 60 months is $9,000,000, in October 2025, for a 5,068 square foot residence at $1,776 per square foot.

How should I price my Contessa condo?

Against closings of the same size. About 2,125 square foot residences closed from $2,875,000 to $3,900,000, 2,626 square foot residences from $1,930,000 to $3,850,000, and about 3,060 square foot residences from $3,800,000 to $4,800,000. We then adjust for floor, view and condition.

What happens if I price too high at Contessa?

A 2,626 square foot residence sat 609 days and closed at $1,930,000 in January 2026, while one of the same size closed at $3,440,000 in 195 days. The aspirational price cost months and money.

Do I need Board approval to sell my Contessa condo?

Yes. Article 17 of the Declaration requires the Board’s prior written approval of every sale, and a sale made without it is voidable unless the association later approves it.

How long does the Board take to approve a buyer?

The Board has 45 days from receipt of the notice and all required information, including any interview it requests (Article 17.3.2.1). File the complete package in the first days of the contract.

What will the Board ask my buyer for?

The Board may require credit history, a background investigation, residency or employment verification, references and a personal interview with the buyers and all proposed occupants (Article 17.3.1.1).

Can the Board refuse my buyer?

Only by a majority of the whole Board and only for the good-cause grounds the Declaration lists, such as a felony conviction, a record of financial irresponsibility, unpaid fines or unpaid assessments (Article 17.4.3).

Can the association buy my residence instead?

If your notice demanded it, the association must within 45 days deliver a Board-approved purchaser, including itself, at the contract price or at an appraised market value, paid in cash (Article 17.4.1). If it fails to deliver one, the sale is deemed approved.

What if I own through a trust or an entity?

The Board must approve it, conditioned on naming one natural person as the primary occupant, and a change of primary occupant counts as a transfer, with no more than one approved in any 12 months (Article 17.1.3).

What if I inherit a Contessa residence?

An heir who acquires title by devise or inheritance is also subject to Board approval, with a 30-day decision period, and approval cannot be denied to an heir who was the owner’s lawful spouse at death or who is related by blood or adoption (Articles 17.3.2.2 and 17.2.3).

Can I give the residence to a family member?

A gift needs Board approval and 45 days’ notice before the intended closing (Article 17.2.2).

What does the Board charge to process a sale?

Article 17.5 lets the association charge a processing fee up to the maximum Florida law allows. Ask the manager for the current amount when you file.

What must I give a Contessa buyer by law?

Under Section 718.503 the seller delivers the Declaration, Articles, Bylaws and Rules, the most recent annual financial statement and budget, the frequently asked questions sheet and, where they apply, the milestone inspection summary and structural reserve study. The buyer then has seven days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, to cancel.

What is the flood disclosure?

Section 689.302 requires a seller of residential property to complete and provide a flood disclosure at or before the time the contract is signed, asking about flood damage during the seller’s ownership, any flood insurance claim and any federal assistance. Your attorney can confirm how it applies to your contract.

What is an estoppel certificate, and who pays?

It states what is owed on the residence. The statutory caps are $250, plus $100 if expedited and $150 more if amounts are delinquent under Section 718.116(8), and as we read the state’s current adjusted caps they are $299, $119 and $179. The contract controls who pays.

What does the Foundation’s estoppel cost?

The Foundation charges $250, plus $100 to expedite.

Do I pay documentary stamps when I sell?

In Collier County the seller customarily pays the deed’s documentary stamp tax of $0.70 per $100 under Section 201.02, which is $20,300 on $2,900,000. Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 and we will run it on your price.

Who pays for the owner’s title policy?

In Collier County the buyer customarily pays the owner’s title policy and chooses the closing agent, and the contract controls. We do not count it as a seller cost.

Who pays the $15,000 resale capital assessment?

The buyer pays the Foundation’s resale capital assessment for deeds recorded on or after October 1, 2026, and it rises 3.5 percent each October 1. The contract controls any different allocation.

Does the recording date matter?

Yes. The Foundation’s assessment applies by deed recording date, not by contract date, so a closing that records on September 30, 2026 is under the old schedule and one that records on October 1 is under the new one.

Can I sell with a tenant in the residence?

Yes, subject to the lease. A Contessa lease runs 90 days to one year, and the buyer must be approved like any other buyer. Tell the buyer’s agent the lease terms at the first showing.

Can I rent my residence while it is listed?

Within the Declaration’s limits: 90 days to one year, no more than three leases in 12 months, with Board approval, and keep the Foundation’s two-lease cap in mind. The documents control.

Will a buyer ask about the milestone inspection?

Yes. Collier County lists Contessa’s milestone inspection as completed with the next due in 2034, and the buyer receives the inspector’s summary where the statute applies. We do not state what the report contains.

Will a buyer ask about the windstorm deductible?

Yes. The certificate on the association’s site, dated January 2025, shows a named-windstorm deductible of 5 percent of total insurable values per location, with a $100,000 per occurrence figure on the same line. Give the buyer’s agent the current certificate.

Do I need an elevation certificate to sell?

None is required by the Contessa documents we read. A buyer’s insurer or lender may ask for one, and a surveyor prepares it for a specific residence.

What if my residence has hard floors?

Hard flooring above the ground floor needed prior written Board approval and approved sound-deadening material under Article 9.5, so have the approval ready for the buyer’s attorney.

What if I renovated recently?

Have the Board consent under Article 9.6, the county permits and the contractor’s insurance certificate ready, along with the date of the work.

Does my cabana go with my residence?

The Declaration lists cabanas as limited common elements that owners may transfer between units. Ask the association how a cabana is recorded for your residence before you list it with the sale.

What if I owe assessments or fines?

Unpaid assessments or fines are good-cause grounds for the Board to disapprove a buyer (Article 17.4.3), and the estoppel certificate states what is owed. Clear them before you list.

Do county deeds and the MLS ever disagree?

Sometimes. The county file holds 7 qualified Contessa sales for 2025 against 6 MLS closings and 4 for 2026 through June 30 against 5. Where they disagree on one sale we publish the deed figure and name the MLS figure once, and never average the two.

What do McGreevy and Comisar do differently at Contessa?

We read the association’s own documents and the county’s records before pricing, and in the last 12 months we tracked every Contessa closing against the county’s file.

How do I get a free Contessa valuation?

Request a free home valuation, or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072, text or call. Jesse follows up with the Contessa closings that fit your residence.

Is there a dedicated Contessa seller page?

A dedicated Contessa at Bay Colony seller page is planned. Until it is built, the seller module above and a free home valuation cover the full plan.

Who should I call first?

Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072, or request a free home valuation. If you are also buying, Marc is at (239) 287-5873.

Buying at Contessa? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida.

Sources and Authoritative References

Every Contessa at Bay Colony fact on this page comes from the association’s own published documents, a recorded instrument, a state, county or federal record, the Collier County Property Appraiser, 2026 tax roll and recorded-sales file through June 30, 2026, or the Southwest Florida MLS pulled October 7, 2026.

The primary sources are grouped below by who issued them, numbered continuously. The Collier County Property Appraiser figures come from the county’s published bulk data files, not from any third-party site, and the MLS is cited as Southwest Florida MLS.

The Association’s Own Published Documents, contessanaples.com

1. Contessa Condominium Association, Inc., association website
2. Contessa Condominium Association, About Contessa
3. Contessa Condominium Association, public condominium documents page
4. Contessa Condominium Association, contact page
5. Amended and Restated Declaration of Condominium, Contessa, a Condominium (recorded April 5, 2001, OR 2802, Page 1715)
6. Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, Contessa Condominium Association, Inc.
7. Amended and Restated Bylaws, Contessa Condominium Association, Inc.
8. Rules and Regulations, Contessa (revised July 20, 2011)
9. Construction Rules, Contessa (revised May 19, 2015)
10. Certificate of Property Insurance, Contessa (dated January 22, 2025)
11. Floor plan sheet, Contessa

Bay Colony Community Association and the Pelican Bay Foundation

12. Bay Colony Community Association, Contessa page
13. Bay Colony Community Association
14. Pelican Bay Foundation
15. Pelican Bay Foundation, information for realtors

Collier County Clerk of Courts, Official Records

16. Collier County Clerk, official records public access
17. Collier County Clerk, official records
18. Collier County Clerk, records search
19. Collier County Clerk, records

State of Florida Agencies

20. Florida Division of Corporations, Contessa Condominium Association, Inc., document N28696
21. Florida Division of Corporations, event history for document N28696
22. Florida Division of Corporations, Contessa Development, Ltd., document A26713
23. Florida Division of Corporations, Sunbiz
24. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, condominiums, timeshares and mobile homes
25. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, condominium documents
26. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, SIRS reporting
27. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, condominium information and resources
28. Florida Real Estate Commission, Department of Business and Professional Regulation
29. Florida Division of Emergency Management, Know Your Zone
30. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, coastal construction control line program
31. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, beaches, inlets and ports
32. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, geospatial data directory
33. Florida Department of Revenue, documentary stamp tax
34. Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, homeowners insurance
35. Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, wind mitigation resources
36. Florida Senate bill summary, CS/CS/HB 913 (2025), condominium and cooperative associations
37. Florida Senate, Florida Statutes

Florida Statutes, 2026, Florida Senate

38. Section 553.899, mandatory structural inspections for condominium and cooperative buildings
39. Section 718.103, condominium definitions
40. Section 718.104, creation of condominiums
41. Section 718.110, amendment of the declaration
42. Section 718.111, the association, including official records and insurance
43. Section 718.112, bylaws, including the structural integrity reserve study
44. Section 718.113, maintenance and improvements
45. Section 718.115, common expenses and common surplus
46. Section 718.116, assessments and estoppel certificates
47. Section 718.117, termination of condominium
48. Section 718.1255, alternative dispute resolution
49. Section 718.303, obligations of owners and fines
50. Section 718.503, disclosure prior to sale
51. Section 720.303, homeowners’ association powers and official records
52. Section 720.30851, estoppel certificates
53. Section 689.302, flood disclosure to a purchaser
54. Section 689.261, property tax disclosure summary
55. Section 201.02, tax on deeds and other instruments relating to real property
56. Section 161.053, coastal construction and excavation
57. Section 197.3632, non-ad valorem assessments
58. Section 760.29, Florida Fair Housing Act, discrimination in the sale or rental of housing

Collier County Government

59. Collier County, Milestone Inspections
60. Collier County, milestone buildings by year and reference number (January 2026)
61. Collier County, three-mile saltwater boundary map for milestone inspections
62. Collier County Ordinance 2022-42, milestone inspections
63. Collier County Milestone Map feature service, milestone buildings layer
64. Collier County site address points feature service
65. Collier County Growth Management public permitting portal
66. Collier County, Floodplain Management
67. FEMA condominium flood coverage fact sheet, via Collier County
68. Collier County, Pelican Bay Services Division
69. Collier County, Vanderbilt Beach Road Widening Project construction starting (July 2026)
70. Collier County, Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension Phase I ribbon cutting ceremony (June 2026 notice)

Collier County Public Schools

71. Collier County Public Schools
72. Collier County Public Schools, attendance boundaries
73. Collier County Public Schools, 2026-2027 student start and dismissal times
74. Collier County Public Schools, school zone tool
75. Sea Gate Elementary School
76. Pine Ridge Middle School
77. Barron Collier High School

Federal Agencies

78. FEMA Flood Map Service Center
79. FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, map service
80. FEMA, base flood elevation glossary entry
81. FEMA, flood zones
82. FloodSmart, National Flood Insurance Program
83. FloodSmart, flood insurance cost
84. National Hurricane Center, Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Ian (AL092022)
85. National Hurricane Center
86. National Hurricane Center, hurricane preparedness
87. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Housing Act overview
88. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, fair housing and equal opportunity
89. U.S. Census Bureau geocoder

Downloadable Documents

The Contessa documents below are official public records and published association documents, linked at the issuing authority so you always open the current, unaltered copy. Association instruments open at the association’s own site, statutes open at the Florida Senate, and county records open at Collier County.

Market data from Southwest Florida MLS, pulled October 2026.

McGreevy and Comisar, Best Realtor for Contessa at Bay Colony. Brokered by Domain Realty. Jesse McGreevy, FL Lic. SL3101296 · Marc Comisar, FL Lic. BK3060671.