Best Realtor in Sanibel and Captiva, FL, McGreevy and Comisar

Last Updated October 2026 · By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, McGreevy and Comisar at Domain Realty · More about Jesse McGreevy, Marc Comisar and our team on the about page.

McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida, selling and buying homes in Sanibel and Captiva. Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008. Over $900 million in personal sales and $2.5 billion+ sold as a team by Domain Realty Group. The team Sanibel and Captiva homeowners call first.

The Sanibel and Captiva islands are one place with two governments. Sanibel is its own city; Captiva, across Blind Pass, is unincorporated Lee County. One causeway, one road and one short bridge tie them together, but the rules that decide what you can build, rent, rebuild and pay are written in two different places. Our Sanibel Island guide covers the City of Sanibel in depth, and our Captiva Island guide covers Captiva, South Seas and the Captiva Plan. This hub is where the two are compared side by side: the Sanibel vs Captiva ownership decision, a dated recovery scorecard for 2022 to 2026, a benchmark of the largest communities on both islands, the wider Pine Island Sound alternatives, and a route to every page we publish on the islands. Both islands sit in Lee County, and our Lee County guide sets them against every other Lee city. If you are selling, start with a free Sanibel and Captiva home valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. If you are buying, read how we help buyers on Sanibel and Captiva or call Marc at (239) 287-5873.

Why McGreevy and Comisar Are the Best Realtor for Sanibel and Captiva

McGreevy and Comisar are the best realtor for Sanibel and Captiva because they pair career-scale results, the #5 real estate team in Florida in the 2026 RealTrends rankings and over $900 million in personal sales, with a record-level read of both islands: two governments, two millage stacks, two flood-rule processes and every county-recorded sale by type.

If you're searching for the best realtor in Sanibel and Captiva, whether you're ready to sell your Sanibel or Captiva home or buy on either island, 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% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, with over $2.5 billion sold as a team by Domain Realty Group, more than 4,000 transactions, and over $900 million in personal sales between Jesse and Marc. McGreevy and Comisar are the #5 real estate team in Florida (RealTrends 2026), with 241 transactions and $157M+ in volume in that ranking, and Jesse and Marc bring over 45 years of combined direct experience between Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar.

The island market, last 12 months: We tracked every DOR-qualified sale recorded by the Lee County Property Appraiser on both islands from October 2025 through September 2026. On Sanibel that was 243 single-family sales at a $1,080,000 median and 145 condominium sales at a $725,000 median. On Captiva Island it was 11 single-family sales at a $2,275,000 median and 30 condominium sales at a $642,000 median. The Sanibel and Captiva Islands Association of REALTORS runs its own MLS, so Southwest Florida MLS sees only part of island sales; the county record is the complete one, and it is the record we price from.

Island homes do not price from a median. A Sanibel canal home in Shell Harbor, a Gulf-coded condo at Sundial of Sanibel and a South Seas villa on Captiva sit in different flood zones, different tax districts and different rental regimes, and a buyer's lender, insurer and inspector will each read the parcel differently. Sellers who compare agents before they sign often start with the best real estate agents in Sanibel and Captiva. You can read more about McGreevy and Comisar and how the team works.

For Sanibel and Captiva sellers: professional photography, video and drone; a qualified-buyer database built over two decades; marketing aimed at the second-home and out-of-state buyers who make up most island demand (67 percent of Captiva Island single-family and condo parcels carry an out-of-state owner mailing address on the current county roll); and quiet, off-market options when you want discretion.

Honors and recognition:

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

McGreevy and Comisar is a top-reviewed Sanibel and Captiva realtor team, and our client reviews are on our Google Business Profile.

Selling your Sanibel or Captiva home? Get a free Sanibel and Captiva home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 (text or call, same-day response). Our Sanibel and Captiva seller's guide walks through pricing an island home after the storms.

Buying a home on Sanibel or Captiva? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 for a buyer consultation, read our Sanibel and Captiva buyer's guide, and see how we represent buyers across Southwest Florida.

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

Sanibel and Captiva Islands: What Are the Quick Answers Owners Need First?

The Sanibel and Captiva islands are two barrier islands off Fort Myers in Lee County, Florida. Sanibel is the City of Sanibel, ZIP 33957; Captiva is unincorporated Lee County, ZIP 33924. Both are reached over the Sanibel Causeway, a $6 island-bound toll, and both are open and rebuilding in October 2026. The five answers below come first.

Data updated: October 2026 (U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Census; Lee County toll fare page; OSRM free-flow drive estimates computed October 22, 2026; Lee Visitor and Convention Bureau, November 2025).

Which island is a city, Sanibel or Captiva?

Sanibel is. Sanibel voters approved incorporation in November 1974, 689 to 394, and the new city government took office in December 1974. Captiva is unincorporated Lee County: there is no Town or City of Captiva. Land use on Captiva is decided by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners under the Lee Plan and the Lee County Land Development Code; the Captiva Community Panel is an advisory body, and two special districts (the Captiva Erosion Prevention District and the Captiva Island Fire Control District) levy their own taxes (SCCF, Why Islanders Chose to Incorporate; Captiva Community Panel bylaws and history).

What are the ZIP codes for Sanibel and Captiva?

Sanibel is ZIP 33957 and Captiva is ZIP 33924. At the 2020 Census the City of Sanibel and ZIP 33957 had identical counts, 6,382 residents and 7,708 housing units, so "Sanibel" and "33957" describe the same footprint. ZIP 33924 is larger than Captiva Island: the 2020 Census counted 318 people and 1,108 housing units in the Captiva census-designated place, and 403 people and 1,411 housing units across ZIP 33924, which also takes in North Captiva and other islands (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 DHC, Captiva CDP). On the MLS side, ZIP 33924 also covers the boat-access islands of Useppa, Cayo Costa and Cabbage Key, so any 33924 sales count includes more than Captiva.

Is there a toll to get onto Sanibel and Captiva, and is there a pass?

Yes. The Sanibel Causeway toll is $6 for a two-axle vehicle, charged only on the trip onto the island, plus a $3 administrative fee when the toll is paid by plate; extra axles are $3 each. Lee County's Sanibel Unlimited pass is $400 a year or $300 for six months, and the Reduced Fare program is $67 a year or $50 for six months, then $2 a trip (Lee County, Toll Fares and Discount Programs). Captiva drivers pay the same toll, because the only road to Captiva runs across Sanibel.

How far are Sanibel and Captiva from RSW airport?

Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) is about 23 miles and 42 minutes from Sanibel and about 33.5 miles and 65 minutes from Captiva in free-flow traffic, by our OSRM route estimates computed October 22, 2026. Downtown Fort Myers is about 19 miles and 37 minutes from Sanibel and about 30 miles and 61 minutes from Captiva. Season traffic, the toll plaza and the two-lane road to Captiva add time; treat these as estimates with the origin stated.

Are Sanibel and Captiva rebuilt after Hurricane Ian?

Largely open, not fully rebuilt. The causeway reopened to all lanes on December 22, 2023, every City of Sanibel beach park was open by April 25, 2025, and the Lee Visitor and Convention Bureau counted 59.5 percent of Sanibel hotel rooms (967 of 1,626) and 69.1 percent of Captiva hotel rooms (415 of 601) reopened in November 2025. The county roll shows the islands have been repaired far more than they have been rebuilt. The recovery scorecard below dates every milestone.

Key Takeaways

Sanibel and Captiva share a causeway, a water utility, a K-8 school and a conservation foundation, but almost every rule that changes an owner's decision differs between the City of Sanibel and unincorporated Lee County. The eight facts below change a Sanibel or Captiva buying or selling decision most, each with its source and date.

• Two governments: Sanibel is a city (incorporated 1974); Captiva is unincorporated Lee County with an advisory Community Panel and two special districts (Captiva Community Panel).
• Prices by type, never blended: Sanibel single-family 243 sales at a $1,080,000 median and condo 145 at $725,000; Captiva Island single-family 11 at $2,275,000 and condo 30 at $642,000 (Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales, October 2025 to September 2026).
• Taxes: 2026 millage is the sum of the published rates: 13.9007 mills in Sanibel district 010 and 13.5040 in Captiva district 006, of which 9.5314 is shared (Lee County Property Appraiser 2026 millage book).
• Rentals: outside a permitted resort housing use, Sanibel homes "may not be made available for rental for periods of less than four consecutive weeks"; no Lee County minimum-stay ordinance was found for Captiva, where association documents set the limits (Sanibel Code of Ordinances).
• Flood: essentially all of Sanibel lies in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area; Captiva's Gulf side carries Zone VE at 8 to 13 feet and its bay side Zone AE at 6 to 9 feet (NAVD88); both are CRS Class 5, a 25 percent NFIP discount (FEMA CRS list, April 1, 2026).
• Recovery: causeway all lanes December 22, 2023; permanent restoration completed in 2025; 59.5 percent of Sanibel and 69.1 percent of Captiva hotel rooms reopened by November 2025 (Lee VCB).
• Blind Pass: sand from Captiva's 2025 renourishment closed the inlet by mid-March 2026; WINK News reported on June 5, 2026 that it had reopened; Lee County expects dredging in 2027 (WINK News).
• Pending changes: Lee County's CPA2026-00005 would delete the Captiva Plan (Goal 23) and the North Captiva Plan (Goal 26); the Board paused the schedule on September 15, 2026, and it is expected to return.

Table of Contents

Start here: Why McGreevy and Comisar · Quick answers · Key takeaways

The two islands: One place, two governments · How the islands got here · Sanibel in brief · Captiva in brief · Who governs what

The ownership decision: Sanibel vs Captiva decision table · Who should choose which · Pros and cons

Numbers: What homes sell for · Community benchmark · Prices since Ian · Recovery scorecard · Property taxes and assessments

Owning: Getting there and the toll · Flood, insurance and the 50 percent rule · Rental rules · Daily life · Schools, health care and utilities · Boating · What is changing

Beyond the two islands: North Captiva, Boca Grande, Pine Island and Useppa

Working with us: How we researched · Selling · Buying · Rental and property management · Your local experts

Reference: Buyer FAQ · Seller FAQ · Sources · Downloadable documents

Are Sanibel and Captiva One Place or Two?

Sanibel and Captiva are one place with two governments. They share a causeway, a road, a water utility, a public school, a chamber of commerce and a conservation foundation, but Sanibel is an incorporated city with its own plan, code and police, while Captiva is unincorporated Lee County governed from Fort Myers with an advisory local panel.

The search data shows how often people think of the two as one: "captiva island sanibel island" is typed about 22,200 times a month, eleven times more than "sanibel captiva", and "sanibel and captiva islands" draws about 1,900 searches a month (Semrush, United States database, October 22, 2026). The answer to "are they the same island?" is no, and the answer to "are they the same place?" is mostly yes.

What physically separates the two islands?

Blind Pass, a narrow tidal inlet between Sanibel's west end and Captiva's south end, separates them, and a short bridge on Sanibel-Captiva Road crosses it. Blind Pass is far older than the storms often blamed for it: a 1775 English map shows the inlet as "Boca Seco," and the Florida Museum equates it with today's Blind Pass. The 1921 hurricane cut Redfish Pass at Captiva's north end, splitting North Captiva from Captiva; it did not cut Blind Pass (Florida Museum, North Captiva).

Sanibel is the largest and southernmost island of the Pine Island Sound barrier chain, about 12 miles long and 2.5 miles wide, and the only one in the region that runs mostly east to west (Florida Museum, Sanibel Island geology and archaeology). The 2020 Census Gazetteer puts the City of Sanibel's land area at 16.18 square miles; the Sanibel Plan describes the city as about 18.1 square miles including water. Captiva is a long, narrow island: the Captiva Erosion Prevention District manages about 4.85 miles of Gulf shoreline, Florida DEP monuments R-84 to R-109, from Blind Pass to Redfish Pass (CEPD, historic beach projects). The Captiva census-designated place covers about 1.18 square miles.

What do the two islands share?

More than most owners expect. The Island Water Association, a non-profit, member-owned utility founded in 1965, serves over 5,300 accounts on both islands (Island Water Association). The Sanibel School, the only public school on either island, serves both. The Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce, the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Association of REALTORS and its separate MLS all cover both islands. Turner Beach Park sits on Captiva at 17200 Captiva Drive but is maintained by the City of Sanibel (City of Sanibel, Turner Beach Park). Every car that reaches Captiva crosses the Sanibel Causeway and drives the length of Sanibel to get there.

What do the two islands not share?

Government, and with it nearly every rule an owner meets. Sanibel has a city council, a city building department that enforces its own 50 percent rule, a city police department, a city sewer system that serves about 95 percent of the island, the Sanibel Plan and a four-week rental minimum. Captiva has the Lee County Commission, Lee County's flood ordinance and permitting, a Lee County Sheriff presence, septic systems outside South Seas, the Captiva Plan inside the Lee Plan, and no minimum-stay law. The two islands even sit in different fire districts, both created by the Legislature in 1955 (Captiva Island Fire Control District history; Sanibel Fire and Rescue District history).

How Did Sanibel and Captiva Become One Place With Two Governments?

Sanibel and Captiva became one place with two governments in two steps: a 1918 bridge at Blind Pass joined the islands to each other 45 years before the 1963 causeway joined them to the mainland, and in 1974 Sanibel voters incorporated to stop county-zoned growth while Captivans, after years of deliberation, chose to stay in unincorporated Lee County.

Who lived on the islands before settlement?

The Calusa. Smithsonian archaeologist Frank Hamilton Cushing described the Wightman Site on Sanibel in 1895 as "an advanced key" with canoe channels, shell ramps and shell platforms, and University of Florida archaeologist John Goggin later estimated from pottery that occupation began about 2,400 years ago. A 1978 survey of the Ding Darling refuge recorded 11 prehistoric sites (Florida Museum). The Sanibel Historical Museum timeline records Ponce de Leon in 1513 at an area charted as "S. Nivel," the likely origin of the Sanibel name, and Cuban fishermen setting up camps on Sanibel by 1750 (Sanibel Historical Museum and Village). On North Captiva a U.S. Fish Commission survey of the 1870s found a fishing village of about 30 fishermen salting mullet for Cuba (Florida Museum, North Captiva).

When was the Sanibel Lighthouse built?

The Sanibel Lighthouse was completed in 1884; its National Register nomination gives a first lighting of August 20, 1884 for the 98-foot light and two keepers' dwellings (National Register nomination, Sanibel Lighthouse and Keeper's Quarters). The lighthouse was relit on February 28, 2023 after Hurricane Ian. Settlement came in waves: a New York group platted "Sanybel" in 1833 and was nearly gone within five years, then homesteaders arrived after the Civil War. By 1889 there were 21 houses and 40 families on Sanibel, and in 1892 a population near 100 built the first schoolhouse (Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber, area history).

How did farming end and tourism begin?

The 1926 hurricane ended commercial agriculture on Sanibel, and tourism became the island's main industry (Sanibel Historical Museum and Village). On Captiva, inventor Clarence Chadwick turned most of the north end into a key lime plantation, the roughly 330-acre site that became South Seas. The Blind Pass ferry from Sanibel to Captiva began in 1911 and a bridge followed in 1918 (Florida Museum, North Captiva). Ferries from Punta Rassa carried cars and visitors to Sanibel for decades, run by the Kinzie brothers from 1928 by the Chamber's account; the sources differ on the first year of service (Sanibel Historical Museum, Punta Rassa before the bridge).

Why is so much of Sanibel a wildlife refuge?

Because of Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling. In the early 1940s Darling learned of a state proposal to sell over 2,000 acres of Sanibel to developers, had the sales postponed, and persuaded the Truman administration to create the Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge in 1945; it was renamed for Darling in 1967 and was the first national wildlife refuge named for a person (Ding Darling Wildlife Society, refuge history). Today the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge covers 6,470+ acres, about 2,620 of them federal wilderness (USFWS, Visit Us). The committee formed to complete the refuge became SCCF, incorporated on October 31, 1967 (SCCF history).

What happened when the causeway opened in 1963?

Growth arrived faster than the islands could absorb. SCCF's account records that by fall 1973 more than 56,000 vehicles a year crossed the causeway, 1,300 dwelling units had been started in under nine months, and about 1,200 of nearly 3,600 acres of interior wetlands had been lost to development (SCCF, Why Islanders Chose to Incorporate). Lee County zoning at the time would have allowed up to 30,000 dwelling units on Sanibel and a population above 90,000 (The Sanibel Report, The Conservation Foundation, 1976).

Why did Sanibel incorporate in 1974 and Captiva did not?

Sanibel voters approved incorporation in November 1974, 689 to 394, on more than 85 percent turnout, and the new city government took office in December 1974; its first act was a building moratorium, then the Sanibel Plan, adopted July 19, 1976 by Ordinance 76-21. SCCF records that "Captivans had deliberated for several years before making the decision not to join in the incorporation movement" (SCCF). Captiva's own leaders later called incorporation "very unlikely due to the small size of the community" (Santiva Chronicle, May 10, 2024).

How did Captiva build its own planning voice inside Lee County?

Through the Captiva Community Panel and the Captiva Plan. The Captiva Island Property Owners Association petitioned Lee County in October 2000 to fund a community planning panel; the county approved funding in January 2002, and the panel operates under Lee County Administrative Code 13-3 (Captiva Community Panel history). The Captiva Plan sits in the Lee Plan as Goal 23, and Captiva's land development rules sit in the Lee County Land Development Code (Captiva Community Plan). Annexation into the City of Sanibel was raised in May 2024, when Captiva Community Panel leaders told the Sanibel City Council they planned to survey Captiva residents; no survey result, Sanibel ordinance or referendum has been reported since.

How do hurricanes fit into the islands' history?

They punctuate it. The 1921 storm cut Redfish Pass; the 1926 storm ended farming; Hurricane Charley made landfall near Cayo Costa on August 13, 2004 and cut "Charley's Cut" across North Captiva, which closed naturally by 2009 (FDEP Strategic Beach Management Plan, Southwest Gulf Coast). Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa on September 28, 2022, destroyed sections of the Sanibel Causeway and pushed a surge of 9 to 13 feet above ground onto eastern Sanibel (National Hurricane Center, Ian report); on Captiva itself the flooding was mostly 0 to 4 feet above ground in SCCF's high-water survey, with the heaviest damage from waves and beach loss. Helene in September 2024 and Milton in October 2024 followed. The recovery is told, with dates, in the recovery scorecard.

Sanibel vs Captiva: Which Island Should You Own On?

Sanibel vs Captiva comes down to rules, price and distance. Sanibel offers a city government, central sewer, a four-week rental minimum and 243 single-family sales a year at a $1,080,000 median. Captiva offers county rules, a smaller and pricier single-family market (11 sales, $2,275,000 median), septic outside South Seas and a drive about 23 minutes longer to RSW.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales and 2026 millage book; FEMA CRS list effective April 1, 2026; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer queried October 22, 2026; Lee County toll fares; OSRM drive estimates computed October 22, 2026).

Every search result for "sanibel vs captiva" and "captiva vs sanibel" (about 280 searches a month combined, Semrush, October 2026) is written for a visitor choosing a hotel. The table below is written for an owner choosing an address. Each row is a fact about the place, with its source; none is a characterization of who lives there.

Yardstick: Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales (DOR-qualified, transfer codes 01 and 02, improved, price above $1,000), Sanibel ZIP 33957 and Captiva Island taxing district 006, October 2025 to September 2026, index built October 21, 2026; government, tax, flood and access rows from the primary sources named in each row, retrieved October 2026.

Three rows decide most owners' choice. Row 15 decides whether a home can earn short-stay income. Rows 31 and 32 decide the price band, and on Captiva the single-family row rests on 11 sales, so the range matters more than the median: Captiva Island's 11 single-family sales ran from $1,050,000 to $7,500,000. Rows 25 and 26 decide how the island fits a working week. The tax rows are closer than the headline millage suggests, because Captiva's lower rate is applied to higher single-family values and Captiva owners also pay the beach assessment in row 9.

Thinking of selling or buying on Sanibel or Captiva?

On Sanibel, 404 qualified sales recorded in the last 12 months; on Captiva Island, 47. Thin markets reward precise pricing. Sellers: get a free Sanibel and Captiva home valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072, and read our guide to selling a Sanibel or Captiva home. Buyers: call Marc at (239) 287-5873, read our Sanibel and Captiva buyer's guide, or see how McGreevy and Comisar represent buyers.

Who Should Choose Sanibel, and Who Should Choose Captiva?

Choose Sanibel if you want city services, central sewer, the deepest resale market on the islands and the shorter drive to the mainland. Choose Captiva if you want a smaller, quieter island with higher single-family values, South Seas resort amenities or a condo that can rent by the night under association rules. Both lists below are built from the decision table.

Choose Sanibel if these goals matter most

• A deep, liquid resale market. Sanibel recorded 243 single-family and 145 condo sales in the last 12 months, enough comparable sales in most neighborhoods to price a home from local evidence (table rows 31 and 32).
• A price band from about $500,000 to $2 million. Of Sanibel's 243 single-family sales, 99 (40.7 percent) were $500,000 to under $1 million and 96 (39.5 percent) were $1 million to under $2 million.
• Central sewer and city services. About 95 percent of Sanibel is on City sewer, and the City runs its own police and building department (rows 11 and 28).
• A shorter drive. Sanibel is about 23 minutes closer to RSW, downtown Fort Myers and HealthPark than Captiva in free-flow traffic (rows 25 and 26).
• Long-stay or seasonal rental income, not nightly income. Outside the Resort Housing District, Sanibel homes rent for four consecutive weeks or longer, which suits seasonal tenants and owners who want fewer, longer stays (row 15).
• A conservation-first rulebook. The Sanibel Plan, the dark-sky ordinance, the chain-restaurant ban and roughly two-thirds of the island in conservation land are written into city law.

Choose Captiva if these goals matter most

• A single-family home in a small, high-value market. Captiva Island single-family sales started at $1,050,000 in the last 12 months, and 3 of 11 sold for $5 million or more.
• South Seas amenities. About 330 acres at Captiva's north end, with the marina, beach club and pools that resort-family condos and cottages share; 29 of the 47 Captiva Island sales in the last 12 months were South Seas family condos and cottages.
• A condo with nightly or weekly rental potential under association rules. No Lee County minimum-stay ordinance applies to Captiva; each condominium or resort program sets its own rules (row 15).
• The Gulf on one side and Pine Island Sound on the other. Captiva is narrow enough that many homes are a short walk from both waters, and Redfish Pass and Roosevelt Channel put bay-side boaters close to the Sound.
• A smaller island. Captiva had 318 residents and 1,108 housing units at the 2020 Census, against 6,382 residents on Sanibel.

Who might look past both islands?

Buyers who need a road-free retreat, a lower price per parcel or a different county's rules often weigh North Captiva, Boca Grande, Pine Island or Useppa; the Pine Island Sound comparison sets them side by side. Buyers who want an island city with a larger population and Collier County rules look at Marco Island, and buyers who want a walkable beach town with a shorter drive look at Fort Myers Beach.

What Are the Honest Pros and Cons of Owning on Each Island?

The honest pros and cons of Sanibel and Captiva are facts about each place: governance, flood exposure, distance, price, sewer, rental rules and beach condition. Sanibel trades lower single-family prices and city services for a strict rental minimum; Captiva trades higher values and rental freedom for septic, distance and a fully eroding beach.

Sanibel: pros

• City government with its own plan, code, police and building department.
• Central City sewer for about 95 percent of the island.
• The largest resale market of any Lee County barrier island in this comparison, with 404 qualified recorded sales in the last 12 months across all types.
• About two-thirds of the island in conservation land (City of Sanibel), including the 6,470-acre-plus Ding Darling refuge.
• More than 26 miles of Shared Use Path.
• Only 3.0 of its Gulf miles are on Florida DEP's critically eroded list.

Sanibel: cons

• Essentially the entire island lies in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, so flood insurance and elevation rules apply almost everywhere.
• A four-week rental minimum outside the Resort Housing District rules out nightly and weekly income for most homes and condos.
• A 13.9007-mill 2026 tax rate, the higher of the two islands.
• Older housing stock: the median Sanibel single-family home was built in 1986 and the median condo in 1980, and no condo parcel on the roll carries a year built after 2019.
• Single-family and condo medians are about 19 percent and 17 percent below the last pre-Ian year (October 2021 to September 2022, including sales the county coded 03 (property changed after the sale), which after Hurricane Ian covered most island sales).

Captiva: pros

• Single-family values at about twice Sanibel's median, with 6 of 11 recent single-family sales above $2 million.
• No minimum-stay ordinance, so rental limits come from association documents and resort programs.
• The 2025 renourishment placed about 1,000,000 cubic yards of sand on 4.85 miles of Gulf beach.
• A smaller island with a lower 2026 millage rate, 13.5040.
• South Seas Island Resort reopened with new amenities, including the Captiva Landing water-play area and a nine-hole course.

Captiva: cons

• "All of Captiva Island is critically eroded" (FDEP, August 2025), and owners pay a CEPD beach assessment on top of the district's millage.
• Outside South Seas, homes rely on septic and other onsite systems, and no sewer program for the rest of the island has been funded.
• About 23 more minutes to RSW, downtown Fort Myers and HealthPark than Sanibel, on one road through Sanibel.
• A thin market: 11 single-family sales in 12 months, so a single sale can move the median.
• Land use is decided by the Lee County Commission, and Lee County's CPA2026-00005 would delete the Captiva Plan; the schedule was paused on September 15, 2026, and the proposal is expected to return.

What Do Homes and Condos Sell For on Sanibel and Captiva?

Sanibel single-family homes sold at a $1,080,000 median on 243 recorded sales in the last 12 months and Sanibel condos at $725,000 on 145. Captiva Island single-family homes sold at a $2,275,000 median on 11 sales and Captiva condos at $642,000 on 30. Each island and each property type is its own market.

Data updated: October 2026. Source: Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales (DOR-qualified improved sales), Sanibel ZIP 33957 and Captiva Island taxing district 006, trailing 12 months October 2025 to September 2026, index built October 21, 2026, newest recorded sale September 15, 2026, joined to the October 18, 2026 parcel roll.

We tracked these figures from the county's own sale file rather than an MLS feed, because the Sanibel and Captiva Islands Association of REALTORS runs a separate MLS and no single MLS sees every island sale. The county record counts every deed the Property Appraiser qualifies as an arm's-length sale. It does not carry days on market, list price, sale-to-list ratio, cash share or buyer origin, so none of those figures appear here. North Captiva is a separate island with its own fire district and is shown on its own line, never inside the Captiva Island figures.

Island-level recorded sales by type, last 12 months

Read the small rows as small. Captiva Island's 11 single-family sales and 5 multi-family sales, and Sanibel's 5 multi-family sales, are the medians of those few sales, not a market trend. Across all improved types Sanibel recorded 404 sales at a $900,000 median, alongside the $1,080,000 single-family and $725,000 condo medians, and Captiva Island recorded 47 sales at a $1,150,000 median alongside its $2,275,000 single-family and $642,000 condo medians; the by-type figures are the ones to price from. One $10,000,000 multi-family sale sits inside the Captiva Island figures, and the 56-parcel $45,000,000 deed of March 31, 2026 is excluded from every count and median here.

Where do the sales fall by price band?

Sanibel is mostly a $500,000-to-$2 million island for single-family homes: 80.2 percent of its single-family sales fell in that range. Captiva Island is a $1 million-plus island for single-family homes, with no sale under $1 million in the last 12 months. The condo markets overlap: 78.6 percent of Sanibel condo sales and 73.3 percent of Captiva Island condo sales were under $1 million.

How fast do homes change hands on each island?

Turnover, meaning qualified sales per 100 improved parcels in the last 12 months, was 6.3 for Sanibel single-family (243 of 3,832 parcels), 4.7 for Sanibel condo (145 of 3,097), 3.2 for Captiva Island single-family (11 of 348) and 5.6 for Captiva Island condo (30 of 537). North Captiva single-family turned over at 4.1. Captiva single-family homes change hands about half as often as Sanibel single-family homes, which is one reason Captiva sellers price from a wider set of comparable sales.

Does the water a lot sits on change the price?

Yes, sharply, and the county's code for it is not a beach finding. The Lee County Property Appraiser codes each lot by the water body it is on (Gulf, bay, canal, lake, golf or none coded). In the last 12 months Sanibel single-family sales coded as on the Gulf by the appraiser had a $6,250,000 median on 7 sales; bay-coded $3,200,000 on 9; canal-coded $1,300,000 on 63; golf-coded $1,225,000 on 29; lake-coded $815,000 on 47; and none coded $930,000 on 88. On Captiva Island, Gulf-coded single-family sales had a $4,945,000 median on 4 sales. Small counts are directional only. The code reflects the appraiser's land-use entry and is not a determination that a home has direct beach frontage.

Which months see the most closings?

Each cell is the count and the median of that month's recorded sales. Closings on Sanibel peaked from February through June, the months after the winter season brings buyers to the islands; the newest months are partial because deeds record with a lag. Captiva Island never recorded more than 10 sales in a single month in the last three years, so a Captiva seller should expect a long, thin buyer pool rather than a seasonal rush.

What do the roll values say about the housing stock?

The current county roll (export of October 18, 2026; the roll year is not stamped in the file) describes two different housing stocks. Sanibel's 3,832 improved single-family parcels have a median year built of 1986, a median of 1,920 heated square feet and a 47.3 percent homestead share; its 3,097 condo parcels have a median year built of 1980, 1,184 heated square feet and a 9.4 percent homestead share. Captiva Island's 348 single-family parcels have a median year built of 1986 and 2,262 heated square feet, with 17.2 percent homesteaded; its 537 condo parcels, largely South Seas resort-family units, have a median year built of 2006 and 1,034 heated square feet, with 6.1 percent homesteaded. Only 101 Sanibel single-family parcels (2.6 percent) and 6 Captiva Island single-family parcels carry a year built of 2023 or later, and no condo parcel on either island does.

How Do the Largest Communities on Both Islands Compare?

The 20 largest named communities and condo groups on Sanibel and Captiva, measured on one county-roll yardstick, run from Sundial of Sanibel's 407 Gulf-coded condo parcels to Sanibel Shores' 79 parcels. Homestead share, a proxy for full-time owners, ranges from 0.0 percent at Sanibel Arms West to 58.3 percent at Dunes at Sanibel Island.

Data updated: October 2026. Yardstick: Lee County Property Appraiser parcel roll (export of October 18, 2026) for parcels, year built, homestead share, the appraiser's LandIsOn water code and median just value; Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales (DOR-qualified, codes 01 and 02) for the trailing-12-month sales count, October 2025 to September 2026, index built October 21, 2026.

Communities are grouped by the legal-description name on the county roll, with phases and plat units merged under one name, and ranked by improved residential parcels. LandIsOn is the appraiser's land-use code for the water body a lot is coded on; it is not a beach determination. Homestead share counts parcels carrying a homestead exemption on the current roll. Median just value is the roll's just value, not a sale price and not market value.

How do Captiva's largest groups compare among themselves?

North Captiva (Upper Captiva Fire District parcels, which carry a blank ZIP on the roll) adds 380 improved residential parcels, 370 of them single-family, with a median year built of 1996, a 12.6 percent homestead share and a $1,005,186 median just value.

Three readings stand out. First, Sanibel's condo stock is almost entirely Gulf-coded (2,409 of 3,097 parcels, 77.8 percent) while its single-family stock is mostly canal, lake, golf or none coded; Captiva Island is the reverse in mix, with 47.3 percent of condo and 29.3 percent of single-family parcels Gulf-coded. Second, the homestead share separates the communities where owners live year-round (Dunes at Sanibel Island 58.3 percent, Gumbo Limbo 54.4 percent, The Dunes 53.8 percent) from the condo groups that are almost entirely second homes and rentals (Sanibel Arms West 0.0 percent, Pointe Santo de Sanibel 1.4 percent, Sundial of Sanibel 3.4 percent). Third, inside South Seas the median just value spreads from about $305,000 at Bayside Villas to about $1.37 million at Lands End Village, so a single "Captiva condo" price hides a wide range. Community rows with only a few sales are directional; a community with 2 sales in 12 months has no market median worth quoting.

How Have Sales Prices Moved Since Hurricane Ian on Each Island?

Sales prices on both islands are lower than in the last year before Hurricane Ian. Sanibel single-family medians are about 19 percent lower and Sanibel condo medians about 17 percent lower; Captiva Island single-family and condo medians are each about 39 percent lower, on small samples. The comparison sets October 2021 to September 2022 against October 2025 to September 2026.

Data updated: October 2026. Source: Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales; windows that touch 2022 or 2024 include sales the county coded 03 (property changed after the sale), which after Hurricane Ian covered most island sales; the latest 12 months use DOR codes 01 and 02 only, where code 03 adds no sales. Index built October 21, 2026.

Why does the county coding matter for these comparisons?

The Lee County Property Appraiser assigns transfer code 03 to an arm's-length sale when the property's physical characteristics changed significantly between the sale and the next assessment, and after Ian that described most island sales recorded in 2022 and many recorded in 2024. On Sanibel in 2022 the county recorded 166 code-01 rows and 201 code-03 rows; in 2024, 104 and 180 (Lee County Property Appraiser, transfer code list). A trend built only on the standard qualified codes shows a false collapse in 2022 and 2024, so we use the code-03-inclusive set for any window that touches those years, label it, and never print a "sales fell to" count for 2022 or 2024.

What did each 12-month window look like?

Each cell is the median and, in parentheses, the count of recorded sales in that window, including code-03 sales in every window but the last. Two patterns are worth more than any single median. Sanibel single-family values dropped sharply in the first year after Ian and have held near $1.07 million to $1.13 million since, while the count of sales has recovered to 243. Captiva Island condo sales doubled from 15 to 30 between the last two windows while the median rose from $448,350 to $642,000, the one Captiva trend the county record supports; the Captiva single-family windows rest on 5 to 24 sales and are directional only. Calendar 2025, which no storm coding affects, recorded 174 Sanibel single-family sales at a $1,022,500 median and 122 Sanibel condo sales at $697,500.

Is Sanibel and Captiva Rebuilt? The Dated Recovery Scorecard, 2022 to 2026

Sanibel and Captiva are open and largely repaired, not fully rebuilt. The causeway has been fully open since December 22, 2023 and its permanent restoration was completed in 2025; every City beach park reopened by April 25, 2025; and about 60 percent of Sanibel and 69 percent of Captiva hotel rooms had reopened by November 2025.

Data updated: October 2026 (FDOT project 451936-2; City of Sanibel Long-Term Recovery Plan, March 8, 2024; City of Sanibel FY2026 and FY2027 budgets; Lee Visitor and Convention Bureau annual meeting slides, November 2025; Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce count, October 30, 2025; USFWS; WGCU; WINK News).

What happened to the causeway, and when did it reopen?

Hurricane Ian destroyed sections of the Sanibel Causeway on September 28, 2022, cutting both islands off from the mainland. Residents regained access on October 19, 2022 over a temporary repair; visitors returned on January 2, 2023, the day after tolls resumed; all lanes reopened on December 22, 2023; and the permanent restoration was completed in 2025, with a road surface about two feet higher, buried sheet-pile walls and armor stone at the bridge abutments (FDOT, Hurricane Ian Sanibel Island Access; City of Sanibel Long-Term Recovery Plan). After Hurricane Milton the causeway reopened to residents and business owners on October 11, 2024, with no major structural damage reported (The News-Press, October 11, 2024).

How much damage did Ian do on each island?

Each figure below carries its own scope. The National Hurricane Center measured 9 to 13 feet of surge above ground on eastern Sanibel (NHC, Hurricane Ian report). Of the major coastal structures Florida DEP surveyed on Sanibel, 535 had major damage or were destroyed (105 destroyed, 430 major damage); on Captiva, FDEP counted 78 major structures with major damage and measured 461,742 cubic yards of beach loss, the highest per-foot loss in Lee County's table (FDEP, Hurricanes Ian and Nicole report, August 2023). Insurers paid 11,351 property claims and $564.4 million in ZIP 33957 as of March 9, 2023, the second-highest paid total of any Florida ZIP. City taxable value fell 34 percent, about $2.2 billion, in the first roll after Ian, and condominiums lost about 74 percent ($1.9 billion) of their just value (City of Sanibel Long-Term Recovery Plan). On Captiva itself the flooding was mostly 0 to 4 feet above ground in SCCF's high-water survey.

Recovery scorecard: status as of October 2026

Has every resort and restaurant come back?

No. City planning staff reported in December 2025 that 398 resort units, 11.4 percent of the Resort Housing District, were not yet restored, and only two destroyed Gulf-side Sanibel resorts had finished reconstruction by mid-2026: Shalimar (33 rooms, reopened September 28, 2025) and Beachview Villas (22 units, June 2026) (Gulfshore Business). On Captiva, the Bubble Room reopened July 14, 2025, the Mucky Duck reopened the week of March 13, 2026 after damage from both Ian and Milton, and the Captiva Island Inn's roughly $6 million rebuild broke ground October 15, 2025, with opening slated for late fall 2026. The Lee VCB's director told the Chamber in August 2026 that "everything that's going to come back, has come back" (Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber).

What should a buyer or seller take from the scorecard?

That the islands have been repaired far more than they have been rebuilt. A buyer is mostly choosing among repaired 1970s and 1980s homes and condos, so the permit history, the elevation certificate and the 50 percent rule history of the specific building matter more than the island-wide headline. A seller should expect buyers to ask for those three documents first. Sellers can start with a Sanibel and Captiva home valuation or a call to Jesse at (239) 898-6072; buyers can call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or start with our buyer representation.

Who is rebuilding, which island condominiums were demolished and which were repaired, and what the elevation, height and 50 percent rules add to a new home are covered in our guide to new construction on Sanibel and Captiva.

How Do You Get to Sanibel and Captiva, and What Does the Causeway Cost?

You reach Sanibel over the Sanibel Causeway from Punta Rassa, south of Fort Myers, and Captiva by driving the length of Sanibel on Periwinkle Way and Sanibel-Captiva Road and crossing the Blind Pass bridge. The toll is $6 island-bound for a two-axle vehicle; there is no toll to leave. North Captiva is reached only by boat or air.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Toll Fares and Discount Programs page; OSRM free-flow drive estimates computed October 22, 2026; NOAA Coast Pilot 5; WGCU, March 21, 2026; WINK News, June 5, 2026).

What are the toll rates and discount passes?

The Sanibel Causeway toll is $6 for a two-axle vehicle, collected only on the trip onto the island; paying by plate adds a $3 administrative fee, and each extra axle is $3. Lee County sells a Sanibel Unlimited pass at $400 a year or $300 for six months, and a Reduced Fare program at $67 a year or $50 for six months, then $2 a trip (Lee County toll fares). Confirm the current rate on the county's page before you budget it, because Lee County is upgrading toll technology at its bridges.

How long are the drives from each island?

These are OSRM routing estimates computed October 22, 2026, with no traffic, toll-plaza queue or seasonal congestion; real winter drives are longer. Captiva adds about 10 miles and about 23 minutes to every mainland trip, all of it on the two-lane road across Sanibel.

What is the status of Blind Pass?

Blind Pass is the inlet, not the road; the bridge and road between the islands are separate from the inlet's condition. Sand from Captiva's 2025 renourishment closed the inlet by mid-March 2026 (WGCU, March 21, 2026). WINK News reported on June 5, 2026, citing Lee County officials, that the sandbar had cleared and the waterway reopened, and the Santiva Chronicle reported on June 13, 2026 that it had reopened (WINK News; Santiva Chronicle). Lee County says dredging is expected in 2027 with permits in place; on April 7, 2026 the Board approved $290,580 for dredge preparation, with dredged sand to go to the critically eroded shore of northwest Sanibel (Island Reporter, April 8, 2026). Passes on barrier islands open and close naturally, so check current conditions before you plan a boat trip through it. Separately, the Lee County Board awarded an $874,907 engineering contract on May 19, 2026 to harden Sanibel-Captiva Road and Captiva Drive on both sides of Blind Pass (Santiva Chronicle, May 20, 2026).

How do hurricane evacuations and re-entry work?

Both islands evacuate over the causeway, and re-entry after a storm is controlled by pass. The City of Sanibel issues residential (green) and commercial (red) hurricane re-entry passes, and its 2024 passes stay valid through 2026 (City of Sanibel, hurricane re-entry passes). Sanibel ordered a mandatory evacuation for Milton in October 2024. Captiva owners should check Lee County's evacuation-zone lookup and the Captiva Island Fire Control District's notices for their address.

What Do Property Taxes, Fees and Assessments Cost on Sanibel vs Captiva?

Property taxes on Sanibel and Captiva start from almost the same rate. The 2026 total millage, the sum of the 2026 rates, was 13.9007 mills for Sanibel (district 010) and 13.5040 for Captiva (district 006), and 9.5314 mills of each is shared. Captiva owners also pay a beach assessment set by the Captiva Erosion Prevention District.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser 2026 Taxing District Millage Book, district 006 on page 8 and district 010 on page 10; Captiva Island Fire Control District FY2026-27 budget; Sanibel Fire and Rescue District Resolution 26-011; Island Reporter, September 9, 2026).

How is each island's 2026 millage built?

The shared county, school and regional rates total 9.5314 mills on both islands. The island-specific layers are 4.3693 mills on Sanibel and 3.9726 on Captiva, a gap of 0.3967 mills, or about $397 a year per $1,000,000 of taxable value. Rates move every year: the City of Sanibel kept its operating rate at 2.5000 for FY2026 and again for FY2027; Sanibel Fire and Rescue set 1.3016 for FY2027, the 2026-roll rate inside the 2026 total; the Captiva Island Fire Control District set 2.2900 for FY2026-27 on a $6,280,763 budget; and the 2026 millage book applies 0.3517 for CEPD (the Island Reporter had reported a rolled-back 0.3617 for FY2026-27) (Island Reporter, Captiva fire millage; Sanibel Fire and Rescue District Resolution 26-011).

What does that mean for a typical tax bill?

Illustrative ad valorem taxes at each island's median recorded price, assuming taxable value equal to the price and a non-homestead owner, before exemptions and non-ad valorem charges: a Sanibel single-family home at $1,080,000 is about $15,013; a Captiva Island single-family home at $2,275,000 is about $30,722; a Sanibel condo at $725,000 is about $10,078; and a Captiva Island condo at $642,000 is about $8,670. Actual bills differ, because taxable value is the assessed value after caps and exemptions, not the price. The Lee County Tax Collector discounts early payment by 4 percent in November, 3 percent in December, 2 percent in January and 1 percent in February (Lee County Tax Collector).

What is the 2026 Captiva beach assessment?

On August 31, 2026 the Captiva Erosion Prevention District board voted 4 to 0 to approve the apportionment for a $10 million non-ad valorem assessment based on 2025 just values; amounts vary by beach zone and use, so request the parcel's figure from CEPD (Island Reporter, September 9, 2026; CEPD meeting record). Per-parcel amounts are not published here; the parcel's figure comes from CEPD or the tax bill. The CEPD's operating millage was 0.3740 for 2025. A Captiva buyer should ask the seller for the parcel's assessment notice, and a Captiva seller should expect the question at contract.

What other recurring charges should an owner budget?

On Sanibel, the City's solid-waste special assessment for curbside collection rose from $525.66 in FY2026 to $538.51 in FY2027, approved unanimously on August 18, 2026 (Santiva Chronicle, August 22, 2026). On both islands, the Island Water Association is raising all water rates 18 percent in each of 2026, 2027 and 2028, new rates from June 1, 2026, the first increase since 2009, to fund a $100.6 million capital plan (Island Water Association rate study). Condominium and homeowner association dues and special assessments are set by each association and are not published in a form we can verify, so read the budget, reserve schedule and recent minutes the association gives a buyer.

Will Amendment 3 change island tax bills?

Yes, from 2027. Amendment 3 passed on November 3, 2026 with 61.99 percent yes on the Florida Division of Elections’ unofficial count (Florida Election Watch, Amendments). It raises the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 and cuts the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10 percent to 5 percent; buyers who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 get the larger exemption only from the fifth year. It takes effect January 1, 2027 (Florida Division of Elections, initiative detail). Because fewer than half of Sanibel single-family parcels and fewer than a fifth of Captiva Island single-family parcels carry a homestead exemption, the non-homestead cap reaches most island owners.

How Do Flood Zones, Insurance and the 50 Percent Rule Differ Between the Islands?

Flood rules are the biggest practical difference between Sanibel and Captiva after taxes. Essentially all of Sanibel lies in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area and the City enforces its own 50 percent rule; Captiva falls under Lee County's flood ordinance, which counts improvements over five years. Both islands hold FEMA CRS Class 5, a 25 percent NFIP discount.

Data updated: October 2026 (FEMA CRS Eligible Communities list effective April 1, 2026; FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer queried October 22, 2026; City of Sanibel flood information; Lee County Ordinance 22-30; Citizens Property Insurance 2026 approved rate changes by county).

What flood zones apply on each island?

On Sanibel, the effective flood map is the Lee County FIRM series 12071C, effective November 17, 2022, and essentially the entire island lies in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (zones AE and VE, with small AO and X areas) (City of Sanibel, flood information). Sanibel joined the National Flood Insurance Program in 1979, the first Lee County community to do so. Look up an address with the City's flood tool and an elevation certificate, never a map screenshot (City of Sanibel flood lookup).

On Captiva, FEMA's flood maps are the Lee County countywide panels effective November 17, 2022 (12071C0362G, 0364G, 0370G, 0502G and 0506G). On FEMA's live National Flood Hazard Layer, queried October 22, 2026, the Gulf side carries Zone VE with base flood elevations of 8 to 13 feet (NAVD88) and the bay side and interior carry Zone AE at 6 to 9 feet, with some Zone X; no Letters of Map Revision or Amendment are on file for the island (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer). That is a reading of map polygons, not a share of parcels, so an individual lot's zone comes from FEMA's Map Service Center and an elevation certificate (FEMA Flood Map Service Center). Lee County's 2026 map changes cover the Mullock Creek basin near Estero, not Captiva.

How much is the flood-insurance discount?

The same on both islands. FEMA's Community Rating System list effective April 1, 2026 shows the City of Sanibel at Class 5, held since May 1, 2001, and unincorporated Lee County, which includes Captiva, at Class 5; each is a 25 percent discount on NFIP flood premiums for Special Flood Hazard Area policies (FEMA CRS list). FEMA moved in March 2024 to pull Lee County's discount starting October 1, 2024 over post-Ian permitting compliance; the county completed the required documentation that spring, and the discount appears on FEMA's 2026 list. Lee County says owners receive it automatically (Lee County, flood insurance discounts).

What is the 50 percent rule on Sanibel?

If the cost to repair damage, or of an improvement, equals or exceeds 50 percent of the building's market value, the whole building must be brought up to current floodplain standards, including elevation. The City of Sanibel uses the Lee County Property Appraiser's building value or a licensed appraisal for market value (City of Sanibel, Hurricane Ian and Helene permitting policy). Sanibel's Ordinance 26-009, adopted June 2, 2026, lets a nonconforming structure that sits below the minimum design flood elevation or was substantially damaged be raised up to 10 feet above predevelopment grade or highest adjacent grade, whichever is higher, even past height and angle-of-light limits, within set build-back deadlines and limited to the pre-disaster footprint, floor area and unit count (City of Sanibel, Ordinance 26-009).

What is the 50 percent rule on Captiva?

Captiva is under Lee County's process, not Sanibel's. Under Lee County Ordinance 22-30, substantial improvement is counted cumulatively over five years: if the combined cost of repairs and improvements in any five-year period reaches 50 percent of the building's market value before the work, the structure must be brought into compliance with current flood rules, usually meaning elevation. If a building was substantially damaged, any repair counts as substantial improvement (Lee County Ordinance 22-30; Lee County floodplain FAQ). Market value excludes land and site items such as docks, fences and sheds.

What does island insurance look like in 2026?

Expensive, and dependent on elevation. Citizens Property Insurance's 2026 approved rate changes put the Lee County average HO-3 homeowners premium at $3,322, falling 8.5 percent to $3,039; that is a county-wide figure, not a Sanibel or Captiva average (Citizens 2026 approved rate changes by county). Citizens requires flood coverage on homes in a Special Flood Hazard Area, which covers essentially all of Sanibel, and from January 1, 2027 on all policies statewide; condo unit-owner policies are exempt (Citizens, flood insurance requirement). FEMA's study of Ian claims found elevated buildings averaged a $46,033 building claim against $134,398 for buildings that were not elevated, across the Southwest Florida areas FEMA studied (FEMA NFIP claims analysis, Ian case study). Ask for quotes on the specific address before you write an offer.

What must a seller disclose about flooding?

Under s. 689.302, Florida Statutes, effective October 1, 2024, the seller of residential property gives the prescribed flood disclosure at or before contract, covering knowledge of flood damage during ownership, flood insurance claims and federal flood assistance (Florida Statutes s. 689.302). The duty is statutory on both islands.

What do condo buyers need to check?

Florida milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies (SIRS) apply to condominium buildings of three or more habitable stories, and Sanibel adopted its own milestone ordinance, 26-002, on March 17, 2026 (DBPR, condominium inspections; City of Sanibel Ordinance 26-002). A resale buyer's rescission window is 7 days. Many South Seas buildings on Captiva are low-rise, so whether a building is covered must be checked building by building. Estoppel fees are capped by Florida statute (s. 718.116) and adjusted for inflation. Ask the association for its milestone and SIRS filings, then confirm them in DBPR's public database.

What Are the Short-Term Rental Rules on Sanibel and Captiva?

Short-term rental rules are the starkest Sanibel vs Captiva difference. Outside a permitted, code-compliant resort housing use, Sanibel dwelling units may not be rented for less than four consecutive weeks. No Lee County minimum-stay ordinance was found for Captiva, where condominium, HOA and resort documents set rental limits. Read both before you underwrite income.

Data updated: October 2026 (Sanibel Code of Ordinances, Subpart B Land Development Code, Ch. 126 Art. XIV Div. 7, Secs. 126-1075 to 126-1078, Municode Supplement 64 Update 1, online September 1, 2026; Florida Statutes s. 509.032; Florida Department of Revenue).

What is Sanibel's rental minimum, exactly?

The City of Sanibel code reads that outside a permitted, code-compliant resort housing use, "dwelling units may not be made available for rental for periods of less than four consecutive weeks" (about 28 days). Where resort housing is a permitted use in compliance with the code, there is no limit to the length of stay. Violations are a second-degree misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 per day per unit (Sanibel Code of Ordinances, Municode). The rule traces to Ordinance 85-26 of 1985, and Division 7 was renamed Dwelling Rental by Ordinance 19-007.

What licenses does a Sanibel rental need?

Every Sanibel dwelling rental needs a City dwelling rental license, which runs for the calendar year, is non-transferable and must carry its number in all advertising, plus a business tax receipt, a Lee County tourist tax account, Florida Department of Revenue transient rental registration and, where applicable, a DBPR transient lodging license. The City posted a reminder notice on January 26, 2026 (City of Sanibel news flash).

What rules apply to Captiva rentals?

No Lee County minimum-stay ordinance was found for Captiva; Florida law (s. 509.032(7)(b)) bars new local rental-duration limits, so rental limits on Captiva come from each condominium or HOA's own documents and resort rental programs. Read the association documents before you buy (Florida Statutes s. 509.032). The same statute does not reach local rules adopted on or before June 1, 2011, which is why Sanibel's 1985 rule still stands; we state both facts and draw no legal conclusion.

What lodging taxes apply to a short stay?

A stay of six months or less is taxed at 11.5 percent on both islands: 6 percent state sales tax, a 0.5 percent Lee County surtax and the 5 percent Lee County tourist development tax (Florida Department of Revenue, transient rental tax rates).

What is the Resort Housing District on Sanibel?

It is the zoning district where resort housing, and therefore stays shorter than four weeks, is a permitted use. It covers 93 properties; planning staff reported in December 2025 that 398 resort units (11.4 percent) were not yet restored, and a voluntary density-transfer framework was before City Council on October 6, 2026, under discussion and not adopted. Ordinance 24-020 (2024) lets Resort Housing District buildings rise 37 feet above base flood elevation, up from 33 feet, "To aid Sanibel's recovery following a disaster and assist redevelopment in the Resort Housing District" (City of Sanibel, Ordinance 24-020 business impact estimate).

What Is Daily Life Like on the Islands: Beaches, Refuge, Water and Wildlife?

Daily life on Sanibel and Captiva runs on beaches, bike paths, the refuge and the water, inside rules written to protect them. Sanibel offers more than 26 miles of Shared Use Path, a chain-restaurant ban and the Ding Darling refuge; Captiva offers a small village, Gulf sunsets and Pine Island Sound boating. Both islands follow sea turtle lighting rules.

What are the beach and parking rules?

Visitors pay $5.00 an hour, around the clock, at every City of Sanibel beach park, including Turner Beach on Captiva, by mobile app. Annual permits under the 2025 schedule as posted on the City page in October 2026: resident or property owner "A" $14 (beach), "AC" $113 (beach plus boat ramp); non-resident "B" $300 (beach), "BC" $399 (beach plus boat ramp) (City of Sanibel, beach parking permits). On Captiva's north end, the CEPD-run Alison Hagerup Beach Park lot charges $25 plus tax and fees for two hours and $40 for the day, with handicap parking free (CEPD, Alison Hagerup Beach parking). Live shelling is illegal on Sanibel; a first offense can bring a fine of up to $500 and 60 days (City of Sanibel, shelling regulations).

What should owners know about the Ding Darling refuge?

The J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1945, covers 6,470+ acres on Sanibel. Its four-mile Wildlife Drive is one way, costs $10 per vehicle and is closed every Friday, and the Visitor and Education Center is scheduled to reopen October 17, 2026 (USFWS, J.N. Ding Darling NWR). The refuge's 2010 Comprehensive Conservation Plan measured 723,365 visitors in 2004.

What are the sea turtle rules?

Sea turtle season runs May 1 to October 31 under the City lighting code (Sec. 126-996); the City applies April 15 for beach-event rules, and the lights-out rules for lots facing the beach apply year-round (City of Sanibel, sea turtles). Gulf-side lights must be shielded, full-cutoff and long-wavelength, and interior light visible from the beach must be screened. As of August 12, 2026, SCCF counted a record 935 nests on Sanibel (922 loggerhead, 13 green), against a prior loggerhead record of 878 in 2023, and 1,178 nests of all species on Sanibel and Captiva combined (SCCF, August 12, 2026).

How healthy is the water around the islands?

It depends on the river and the season. Lake Okeechobee releases reach the islands through the Caloosahatchee; on October 21, 2026 the Army Corps of Engineers' daily status showed 0 cubic feet per second of scheduled lake releases west to the Caloosahatchee, with the S-79 structure passing 855 cubic feet per second of basin runoff (USACE, Lake Okeechobee daily status). FWC's October 2026 red tide report found Karenia brevis at background concentrations in samples from Southwest Florida (FWC, red tide current status). The 2018 red tide, which ran from October 2017 to January 2019, cost an estimated $2.7 billion across Florida (NOAA NCCOS). SCCF's Marine Lab runs the RECON water-quality network around the islands (SCCF, RECON).

What makes Sanibel's rules different from other beach towns?

Sanibel writes its character into code. Formula (chain) restaurants are prohibited under Sanibel Code Sec. 126-492, and formula retail is a conditional use capped island-wide at 60,000 square feet. The dark-sky ordinance, 15-004, requires full-cutoff outdoor fixtures, bans uplighting and states that "Street lighting is, in general, inconsistent with Sanibel's rural character." At least 75 percent of the plants required in a landscape buffer must be native. Sanibel's Vision Statement begins: "Sanibel is and shall remain a barrier island sanctuary." Captiva's protections, by contrast, sit in the Captiva Plan and the Lee County code, which is why the 2026 proposal to delete the Captiva Plan drew so much attention.

Sanibel Island in Brief: What Should a Sanibel Owner Know?

Sanibel Island is the City of Sanibel, ZIP 33957: 6,382 residents and 7,708 housing units at the 2020 Census on 16.18 square miles of land, with about two-thirds of the island in conservation land. It carries the larger market of the two islands and the stricter rulebook. Our Sanibel Island guide covers it in depth.

Data updated: October 2026 (U.S. Census Bureau; City of Sanibel; Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales, October 2025 to September 2026).

Sanibel is a city with a plan. The Sanibel Plan limits the island to approximately 9,000 dwelling units of every kind, hotel and motel rooms, timeshares and RV spaces included. The 1976 plan aimed for about 7,800; lawsuits, settlements and amendments raised it to 9,000 by 1989. The 2013 plan projected fewer than 640 more units, most as infill on existing lots. In 2026 city planning staff described the 9,000 figure as a build-out estimate rather than a legally binding cap; density is set parcel by parcel on the plan's Development Intensity Map (as reported by the Santiva Chronicle). No building may rise more than three stories above base flood elevation.

The latest Census estimate is 6,303 residents (July 1, 2025), and more than four in ten homes are seasonal or second homes (Census ACS 2020-2024). On the county roll, 47.3 percent of single-family parcels and 9.4 percent of condo parcels carry a homestead exemption. The City's 2025 certified taxable value was $5,634,817,483, and its July 1, 2026 preliminary value of $6,059,718,993 is 8.15 percent higher but still 4.69 percent below the pre-Ian $6,357,621,055, per the City's FY2027 budget.

Which Sanibel communities lead the market?

Eleven Sanibel communities carry the most sales and the most buyer questions: Sundial of Sanibel (the largest complex on the island, a Gulf-coded condominium); The Dunes, home of the semi-private Dunes Golf and Tennis Club; Shell Harbor, the busiest subdivision by recorded sales; Beachview Country Club Estates, around the course now called Sanibel Island Golf Club (formerly Beachview Golf Club); The Sanctuary at Wulfert Point, around the private, member-owned Sanctuary Golf Club; The Rocks; Sanibel Estates; Gumbo Limbo; Loggerhead Cay; Sanibel Arms and Sanibel Arms West; and Sanibel Moorings. None has its own page with us yet, and the community benchmark above measures each on the county roll.

By area, the East End canal and bay side includes Kinzie Island, Yachtsman, Eastwood Landings and Victoria Cove, with condominiums such as Mariner Pointe, Lighthouse Point, Sandalfoot, Captains Walk, Tennisplace, The Colonnades and Snug Harbor. Central Sanibel includes Sanibel Highlands, Lake Murex, Seagull Estates, Sanibel Shores, Sanibel Isles and Harbours and Island Woods, with Gulf-side condominiums such as Pointe Santo de Sanibel, Island Beach Club, Oceans Reach, Kings Crown, Gulfside Place, Sanibel Siesta and Tarpon Beach. The West End includes Gulf Pines, Sanibel Bayous, Chateaux Sur Mer, Sea Oats, Del Sega, Tradewinds, Gulf Ridge, Herons Landing, Seaspray, Dinkins Bayou, White Heron, Sanibel River Estates and Blind Pass Condominium. Canal-front homes are canal-front: whether a canal reaches open water at every tide depends on the canal and the season, so ask before you assume.

What does the Sanibel market look like right now?

We tracked 243 single-family sales at a $1,080,000 median and 145 condo sales at a $725,000 median in the last 12 months; per heated square foot, about $547 for single-family and about $642 for condos. Single-family medians are about 19 percent and condo medians about 17 percent below the last pre-Ian year. Sanibel sellers can start with a Sanibel and Captiva home valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072; buyers can read our Sanibel and Captiva buyer's guide or call Marc at (239) 287-5873, and the Sanibel Island guide carries the full market, flood, school and community detail.

Captiva Island in Brief: What Should a Captiva Owner Know?

Captiva Island is unincorporated Lee County, ZIP 33924: 318 residents and 1,108 housing units at the 2020 Census in the Captiva census-designated place, about 4.85 miles of Gulf shoreline from Blind Pass to Redfish Pass, and South Seas Island Resort on the north end. Our Captiva Island guide covers it in depth.

Data updated: October 2026 (U.S. Census Bureau; CEPD; Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales, October 2025 to September 2026).

Captiva is unincorporated Lee County: there is no Town or City of Captiva. Housing units outnumber residents about 3.5 to 1 (1,108 against 318), a Census-based measure of how much of the island is second homes; the Captiva Community Panel has cited "around 1,500 year-round residents," a local estimate it gave in May 2024. On the current roll, 17.2 percent of Captiva Island single-family parcels and 6.1 percent of condo parcels are homesteaded, and 67 percent of single-family and condo parcels carry an out-of-state owner mailing address. The Captiva Erosion Prevention District, re-created and codified by Chapter 2000-399, Laws of Florida, manages the beach.

What is South Seas, and why does it matter to the whole island?

South Seas Island Resort covers about 330 acres at Captiva's north end, bought in 2021 by a joint venture of Timbers Company, Wheelock Street Capital and The Ronto Group. On August 6, 2025 the Lee County Commission voted 3-1 to rezone about 120.5 acres of South Seas to a mixed-use planned development allowing 435 hotel rooms in two hotels plus additional multifamily units. South Seas family condos and cottages made up 29 of the 47 Captiva Island sales in the last 12 months, at a $765,000 median, against a $2,012,500 median for the other 18 sales. Our South Seas Island Resort guide covers the resort, its condos and the rezoning in detail. South Seas Island Resort is not South Seas Club on Marco Island.

Which Captiva neighborhoods do buyers ask about?

By the names on the county roll, the South Seas family includes Bayside Villas, Beach Villas, Lands End Village, Captiva Resort Villas, Sunset Beach Villas, Gulf Beach Villas, the South Seas Plantation Beach Homes and Homesites and the Beach Cottages. Outside the resort, single-family areas include Sunset Captiva, Captiva Beach, Lane's Bayview Subdivision and Frowes, and condominiums include Marina Villas and Captiva Shores. The Village, around Andy Rosse Lane, Wightman Lane and Laika Lane, holds the restaurants and shops; the Gold Coast runs along the Gulf south of the Village toward 'Tween Waters; and bay-side lots face Roosevelt Channel and Pine Island Sound. None has its own page with us yet.

What does the Captiva market look like right now?

We tracked 11 Captiva Island single-family sales at a $2,275,000 median, ranging from $1,050,000 to $7,500,000, and 30 condo sales at a $642,000 median in the last 12 months; condo sales doubled from 15 in the prior 12 months while the condo median rose from $448,350. Outside South Seas, homes rely on septic: a 2018 engineering study counted 378 developed properties on onsite systems, and no sewer program for the rest of the island has been funded or started (Captiva Island Wastewater Alternative Study, 2018). Captiva sellers can start with a Sanibel and Captiva home valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072; buyers can call Marc at (239) 287-5873, and the Captiva Island guide carries the full detail.

What does the MLS side show for each island?

Florida Realtors SunStats counts MLS closings by ZIP code and adds what the county record cannot: days to contract, the share of the original asking price sellers got, and supply. In the twelve months ending September 2026 it counted 406 closings in Sanibel's ZIP 33957 and 96 in Captiva's ZIP 33924, and supply fell by more than half on both islands in a year. ZIP 33924 on the MLS side also includes North Captiva and the boat-access islands, so its counts run higher than the Captiva Island county figures above.

Data updated: October 2026 (Florida Realtors SunStats, ZIP 33957 and ZIP 33924, all property types, September 2026 and the monthly series October 2025 through September 2026, pulled October 27, 2026).

Source: Florida Realtors SunStats, ZIP 33957 (Sanibel) and ZIP 33924 (Captiva), pulled October 27, 2026. Twelve-month closings, volume and averages are sums of the monthly figures; monthly medians are not averaged into an annual median. The SunStats series and the county recorded-sales series above count different things and are never mixed.

How Do North Captiva, Boca Grande, Pine Island and Useppa Compare With Sanibel and Captiva?

North Captiva, Boca Grande, Pine Island and Useppa are the Pine Island Sound alternatives Sanibel and Captiva buyers also weigh. North Captiva is boat-or-air only with a $905,000 single-family median; Boca Grande is a two-county island with a $3,300,000 Lee-side median; Pine Island is the bridge-connected, lower-priced option; Useppa is a private island club.

Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales, single-family, trailing 12 months from October 2025, county index runs of October 21 and 22, 2026; Lee Plan; Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority; Florida State Parks).

What is North Captiva, and who owns there?

North Captiva, also called Upper Captiva, is a separate island north of Redfish Pass, which the 1921 hurricane cut. There is no bridge; residents and visitors arrive by boat or plane, and combustion vehicles are banned from the island's pathways except for emergency, public and approved uses under Lee Plan Policy 26.2.3 (Lee County, CPA2026-00005 North Captiva changes). The Outer Islands land-use category caps density at one dwelling unit per acre, and the Upper Captiva Fire Protection and Rescue Service District, re-enacted in 2004, is the island's one public service district (Upper Captiva Fire and Rescue). We tracked 15 North Captiva single-family sales in the last 12 months at a $905,000 median, ranging from $420,000 to $2,900,000, about $647 per heated square foot. Hurricane Charley cut "Charley's Cut" across the island in 2004, and Ian completely inundated it in 2022 (FDEP Ian report). Lee County's CPA2026-00005 would delete the North Captiva Community Plan, Goal 26, along with the Captiva Plan; the Local Planning Agency voted 4 to 2 in favor on August 31, 2026, the Board of County Commissioners paused the schedule on September 15, 2026, and it is expected to return.

How does Boca Grande compare?

Boca Grande, on Gasparilla Island, is the luxury rival. Its 1980 Gasparilla Island Conservation District Act caps roofs at 38 feet above lot grade or 42 feet above mean sea level, whichever is lower, and density at five dwelling units per acre (Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association). The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, created by Special Act in 1996, owns the swing bridge and the 2.5-mile single-lane causeway and charges passenger vehicles $6.00 for a round trip (Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority). The island spans two counties: we tracked 39 single-family sales on the Lee County side of ZIP 33921 in the last 12 months at a $3,300,000 median, ranging from $1,500,000 to $16,500,000, and the Charlotte County side is a separate record, so no single "Boca Grande median" is honest. Ian's northern eyewall blew offshore there, and FDEP rated the island's beaches Condition I to II, minor erosion. In Lee County, as in Sanibel and Captiva, the seller customarily pays the owner's title policy; the contract controls.

How does Pine Island compare?

Pine Island is the mainland-connected alternative: Bokeelia, Pineland, Pine Island Center, St. James City and Matlacha, reached by the Pine Island Road bridges with no toll. It is unincorporated Lee County under the Greater Pine Island Community Plan, Goal 14, where the Coastal Rural category sets a standard density of one dwelling unit per 2.7 acres (Lee Plan). Prices are far lower: we tracked 96 single-family sales in ZIP 33922 at a $410,000 median and 110 in ZIP 33956, the St. James City area, at a $525,000 median in the last 12 months. The trade-off for boaters is water depth: NOAA's Coast Pilot says Matlacha Pass "is navigable for drafts of 2 to 3 feet" (NOAA Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 4).

What about Useppa, Cayo Costa and Cabbage Key?

Useppa is a private island club reached by boat; the county roll counts 148 Useppa parcels, and its recorded sales are too few and too entangled with multi-parcel deeds for a reliable median. Cayo Costa State Park covers 2,436 acres with nine miles of beaches, is reachable only by boat or kayak, and has had no ferry service or overnight accommodations since July 28, 2025 (Florida State Parks, Cayo Costa). Cabbage Key is a 112-acre island whose historic district, centered on a 1930s house on a shell midden, was listed on the National Register on November 12, 2015 (Lee County Historic Preservation Board packet). On the MLS side, sales on Useppa, Cayo Costa and Cabbage Key are reported under ZIP 33924 with Captiva, which is one more reason to read Captiva figures by island, not by ZIP.

How do Marco Island and Fort Myers Beach fit in?

They are the two other Southwest Florida beach towns island buyers compare most. Marco Island is the City of Marco Island in Collier County, with 15,760 residents at the 2020 Census, an Ian surge of 4 to 6 feet above ground and a drive of about 68 minutes to RSW; in Collier County the buyer customarily pays the owner's title policy. Fort Myers Beach is the Town of Fort Myers Beach, with 5,582 residents at the 2020 Census, a 2026 millage of 13.3108, an Ian surge of 10 to 15 feet, CRS Class 5 since April 1, 2026 and a drive of about 34 minutes to RSW.

How Does Boating Work From Sanibel and Captiva?

Boating from Sanibel and Captiva means Pine Island Sound, a 58,500-acre aquatic preserve between the barrier islands and Pine Island, reached through San Carlos Bay, Blind Pass, Redfish Pass and Captiva Pass. Bridge clearances, shallow water outside marked channels, manatee speed zones and seagrass rules decide which boat a waterfront home can keep.

Data updated: October 2026 (Florida Aquatic Preserves; NOAA Coast Pilot 5, Chapters 4 and 12; Fla. Admin. Code R. 68C-22.005; Gulfshore Business; City of Sanibel FY2027 capital plan).

What is Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve?

Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve lies between Pine Island and the barrier islands of Cayo Costa, North Captiva, Captiva and Sanibel. It is more than 18 miles long and 4 to 5 miles wide, was established in 1970, covers 58,500 acres and is an Outstanding Florida Waterbody. The preserve is "generally shallow," water depth "can be limited outside of marked channels," "new dredging is strongly discouraged," and seagrass damage can draw a fine of up to $1,000 (Florida Aquatic Preserves, Pine Island Sound). New docks in the preserve must be water-dependent with no reasonable alternative outside it (Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves Management Plan).

What bridge clearances limit masts?

NOAA's Coast Pilot lists three fixed bridges on the Sanibel Causeway: Bridge A over the main channel with 70 feet of clearance, Bridge B with 9 feet and Bridge C over Sanibel Island Channel with 26 feet. The Blind Pass highway bridge has 7 feet of clearance, and the pass "is marked by private daybeacons and is subject to frequent changes." Redfish Pass "should not be attempted without local knowledge," and Captiva Pass is unmarked (NOAA Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 4). For a sailboat owner, the causeway's 70-foot span is the gate to San Carlos Bay, and the 7-foot Blind Pass bridge rules out that route.

What manatee speed zones apply?

Florida's Lee County manatee rule, 68C-22.005, sets a year-round slow speed zone in the Sanibel Island area of Pine Island Sound, including all of Tarpon Bay; a year-round slow speed zone in San Carlos Bay, excluding waters within 700 feet of the causeway; and a seasonal slow speed zone in the Captiva Island area from April 1 to November 15 (Fla. Admin. Code R. 68C-22.005; FWC manatee protection zones).

Are Sanibel canals deep enough for my boat?

It depends on the canal, the tide and the last storm. No uniform published canal depth exists for Sanibel. After the hurricanes pushed sand into Wulfert Channel and Dinkins Bayou and restricted low-tide access, the City approved a one-time Wulfert Channel dredge at $446,065, with 196 property owners paying two-thirds and the City one-third (Gulfshore Business, June 13, 2025). The City's FY2027 capital plan carries canal-dredging and Sanibel Slough lines. Ask the seller for the canal's dredging history and sound it at low tide before you buy for a specific boat.

What Is Changing on Sanibel and Captiva in 2026 and 2027?

Five changes are moving on the islands in 2026 and 2027: Lee County's proposal to delete the Captiva Plan, the South Seas rezoning and its court challenges, the Blind Pass dredge, a possible density-transfer program for Sanibel resorts, and the Amendment 3 property-tax change, which voters approved on November 3, 2026 (unofficial count). Each is dated; the other four were not final as of October 2026.

What is CPA2026-00005, and what would it change?

CPA2026-00005 is a Lee County Comprehensive Plan amendment that would delete community plans, including the Captiva Plan (Goal 23) and the North Captiva Plan (Goal 26), and fold their policies into the general Lee Plan. It is proposed; the Local Planning Agency voted 4 to 2 in favor on August 31, 2026; the Board of County Commissioners paused the schedule on September 15, 2026, and it is expected to return. The county's own Captiva change table marks most Goal 23 policies "duplicative" and deletes some outright; the 35-foot height limit lives in the Land Development Code (Lee County, CPA2026-00005 Captiva changes). SCCF reads the amended language as "significantly more vague" on habitat, light pollution, water quality and low density (SCCF, September 17, 2026), while the Captiva Community Panel's president said the changes do not alter density or intensity but it is "hard to point to the extent" of impacts (Island Reporter, September 18, 2026).

Where do the South Seas cases stand?

As of October 21, 2026: on May 22, 2026 the Sixth District Court of Appeal reversed the circuit court order that had enforced the 2003 settlement capping South Seas at 912 units (Lee County v. Captiva Civic Association, Inc., Case No. 6D2025-0335), holding the county could not contract away its zoning power. The Captiva Civic Association moved for rehearing, rehearing en banc and certification to the Florida Supreme Court on June 16, 2026; no ruling on that motion has been reported. The same day the court affirmed, without opinion, the administrative ruling upholding the county's land-code changes (Case No. 6D25-0271), a case in which the City of Sanibel was a party. A separate challenge to the August 2025 South Seas rezoning, filed by the Captiva Civic Association, 12 South Seas condominium associations, eight timeshare associations and others, was argued before Circuit Judge James Shenko on August 4, 2026 (Case No. 25-CA-004846); no decision has been reported. We do not predict outcomes.

What new homes are planned on Captiva?

Timbers Captiva Club and Residences is a planned 84-home residential club on a 12-acre parcel inside South Seas, offering whole ownership from just under $5 million to about $9.2 million and deeded one-sixth fractional interests; groundbreaking for sitework and vertical construction is scheduled for early 2027, and Business Observer reported initial work under way on October 1, 2026. It is planned supply, not a comparable sale, so its prices play no part in the market figures above. On March 31, 2026 South Seas' ownership bought the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation's roughly 22-acre Captiva property, with 10 buildings fronting the Gulf and Pine Island Sound, for a reported $45 million (WGCU, March 31, 2026); that deed is excluded from every sales figure here.

What is changing on Sanibel?

Three things. A voluntary density-transfer framework for the Resort Housing District was before City Council on October 6, 2026, under discussion. The Island Water Association's 18 percent annual rate increases run through 2028. And on the grocery front, The News-Press reported in August 2026 that the Bailey's General Store rebuild appears canceled and that Publix is exploring a Sanibel store (The News-Press, August 28, 2026). On both islands, Lee Health states that beginning January 1, 2027, its hospitals and physicians will be out of network with UnitedHealthcare, including employer, individual and Medicare Advantage plans.

How should an owner plan around pending changes?

By dating every assumption. A Captiva buyer relying on the Captiva Plan's protections should read the county's change table and follow the schedule when it returns. A South Seas condo buyer should ask the association how the rezoning and litigation affect its building and rental program. A Sanibel resort-area buyer should follow the density-transfer discussion. And every buyer and seller should re-run the tax estimate under Amendment 3, which voters approved on November 3, 2026 and which first applies to 2027 bills.

What Schools, Health Care and Utilities Do the Two Islands Share?

The two islands share one public school, one water utility and the same mainland hospitals. The Sanibel School, K-8, earned an A in 2025-26 and serves both islands; the Island Water Association supplies both; and the nearest emergency room is Lee Health's HealthPark Medical Center in Fort Myers, about 21 minutes from Sanibel and 45 from Captiva.

Data updated: October 2026 (FLDOE 2026 school grades and 2025-26 membership; Lee County School District; Lee Health; Island Water Association; OSRM drive estimates).

Which school serves Sanibel and Captiva?

The Sanibel School, a K-8 school of the School District of Lee County, earned an FLDOE school grade of A for 2025-26 (722 points), with 213 students in the 2025-26 Survey 2 membership count (FLDOE school grades). There is no public school on Captiva. The district's school-zone page says any student residing in any zone may request The Sanibel School, Pine Island Elementary or Fort Myers Beach Elementary, without district transportation (Lee County School District, school zones). High school students attend mainland schools assigned by the district; confirm the assignment for a specific address with the district's lookup.

Where is the nearest health care?

On Sanibel, Lee Health Sanibel Primary Care and Walk-In Clinic is at 2495 Palm Ridge Road; there is no hospital on either island (Lee Health). The nearest emergency room is Lee Health HealthPark Medical Center in Fort Myers, about 11 miles and 21 minutes from Sanibel and about 22 miles and 45 minutes from Captiva in free-flow traffic.

Who provides water, sewer, fire and police?

Water on both islands comes from the Island Water Association. Sewer on Sanibel is the City's system, serving about 95 percent of the island; on Captiva, South Seas has its own central plant and the rest of the island relies on septic and other onsite systems. Fire and rescue come from two separate districts, Sanibel Fire and Rescue and the Captiva Island Fire Control District, and North Captiva has its own Upper Captiva district. Sanibel has a City police department; Captiva is policed by the Lee County Sheriff.

Who Governs What on Each Island?

On Sanibel the City of Sanibel governs land use, building permits, rentals, police and sewer, with Lee County handling the property appraiser, tax collector and schools. On Captiva the Lee County Board of County Commissioners governs land use and permits, the Captiva Community Panel advises, and two special districts tax for fire and beach.

The practical rule for an owner: on Sanibel, call City Hall; on Captiva, start with Lee County and the special district that matters to the question. For any parcel, the Lee County Property Appraiser's parcel record shows the taxing district, which tells you instantly which column of the table applies (Lee County Property Appraiser, property search).

How We Researched This Page

We researched the Sanibel and Captiva islands from primary records, not listing portals. We tracked every DOR-qualified sale the Lee County Property Appraiser recorded on both islands, read the 2026 millage book line by line, queried FEMA's flood layer, and read the City of Sanibel code and the Lee County ordinances that apply to Captiva.

Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar have over 45 years of combined direct experience in Southwest Florida real estate, and Jesse has lived in Estero since 2003. As Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, we have learned that island sales turn on documents the average buyer never sees until contract: the elevation certificate, the permit history, the association's rental rules and the flood disclosure. That is why the market figures here come from the county's sale file, joined to the parcel roll, by island and by type, and never blended into a single headline.

What we did, specifically: we built the sales figures from the Lee County Property Appraiser's sale data files and the parcel roll exported October 18, 2026, and checked that two independent methods returned the same counts on both islands; we excluded a 56-parcel $45,000,000 deed of March 31, 2026 from every figure; we used the code-03-inclusive set for any window that touches 2022 or 2024 and said so; we read each tax line from the 2026 Taxing District Millage Book; we queried FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer for Captiva on October 22, 2026; we read the Sanibel rental rule in the City's code on Municode; and we dated every recovery milestone to its own source. Where two sources disagreed, we printed the primary one and named the date. Where a figure was not available from a primary source, such as days on market or cash share, we left it out rather than estimate it.

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

Selling a Sanibel or Captiva home in 2026 means pricing from a thin, storm-shaped record and answering a buyer's flood, permit and rental questions before they are asked. McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012, and price island homes by island, by type and by parcel.

Your Sanibel or Captiva home deserves a team that knows why a canal home in Shell Harbor, a Gulf-coded condo at Sundial and a South Seas villa on Captiva price three different ways. We bring a qualified-buyer database built over two decades, professional photography, video and drone, marketing aimed at the out-of-state and second-home buyers who drive island demand, and a disclosure-first listing that puts the elevation certificate, the permit history and the flood disclosure in the buyer's hands early, so a sale does not stall in inspection. We are the #5 real estate team in Florida (RealTrends 2026).

Listing credentials:

• 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

The island market your buyer will compare against (October 2025 to September 2026, Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales): we tracked 243 Sanibel single-family sales at a $1,080,000 median and 145 Sanibel condo sales at a $725,000 median, and 11 Captiva Island single-family sales at a $2,275,000 median and 30 Captiva Island condo sales at a $642,000 median.

What Is Your Sanibel or Captiva Home Worth? Get a Free Valuation in 60 Seconds.

Start with a free Sanibel and Captiva home valuation, or use our Southwest Florida home valuation tool. (239) 898-6072, text or call. We respond same-day.

Want the complete Sanibel and Captiva seller's guide? Read our Sell Your Home in Sanibel and Captiva, FL page for pricing strategy, marketing methodology, and the full McGreevy and Comisar listing process.

How long does it take to sell a home on Sanibel or Captiva?

The county record does not carry days on market, so the honest answer comes from turnover and season. In the last 12 months about 6.3 of every 100 Sanibel single-family homes sold, against 3.2 of every 100 Captiva Island single-family homes, and Sanibel closings peaked from February through June. A well-priced Sanibel home usually meets its buyer in season; a Captiva single-family home waits for a smaller pool.

Should I sell my Sanibel or Captiva condo now or wait?

That depends on the building more than the market. Sanibel condo medians are about 17 percent below the last pre-Ian year, while Captiva Island condo sales doubled to 30 in the last 12 months. A building with a completed milestone inspection, a funded structural integrity reserve and no pending special assessment sells sooner, so gather those documents before you decide.

Can I sell a storm-damaged island home as-is?

Yes, but price it for the 50 percent rule. If repairs would reach 50 percent of the building's market value, the buyer must bring the whole building up to current flood standards, usually by elevating or rebuilding; on Captiva, Lee County counts improvements over five years. Buyers price that cost in, so an as-is sale needs the permit history and an estimate in hand.

Do I have to disclose past flooding when I sell?

Yes. Under s. 689.302, Florida Statutes, effective October 1, 2024, a residential seller gives the statutory flood disclosure at or before contract, covering any flood damage you know of during your ownership, flood insurance claims and federal flood assistance. The duty applies on both islands, and we put the completed disclosure in the listing package.

Who pays for the owner's title policy on Sanibel and Captiva?

In Lee County, including Sanibel and Captiva, the seller customarily pays for the owner's title insurance policy, and the purchase contract controls. That differs from Collier County, where the buyer customarily pays. Ask your closing agent for the promulgated premium on your expected price when you estimate net proceeds.

Will the Captiva beach assessment show up at closing?

It can. The Captiva Erosion Prevention District approved a $10 million non-ad valorem assessment on August 31, 2026, apportioned by beach zone and use, and it is collected through the tax bill. How it is prorated at closing depends on the contract and the year it is billed, so get the parcel's figure from CEPD before you list.

Thinking of Buying on Sanibel or Captiva?

Buying on Sanibel or Captiva starts with choosing the island, then the parcel's flood zone, building age and rental rules, and only then the price. Marc Comisar leads our buyer work on the islands; call him at (239) 287-5873, and read our Sanibel and Captiva buyer's guide for the full buying process.

We are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, and our buyer process on the islands is built around the documents that decide an island purchase: the elevation certificate, the permit history and any substantial-damage determination, the association's milestone inspection and reserve study, the rental rules in the declaration, a wind-mitigation inspection and live insurance quotes on the specific address. We compare every candidate home against recorded county sales on its own island and type, not a blended "Sanibel-Captiva" average, and we tell you when a comparable sale is the median of only a few sales.

What a Sanibel or Captiva buyer should do before writing an offer:

• Confirm the island and the taxing district on the Lee County Property Appraiser record, because that decides the rental rule, the flood process and the tax stack.
• Get the elevation certificate and an insurance quote, including flood, for the specific address.
• For a condo, ask for the milestone inspection, the structural integrity reserve study and the last two years of budgets and minutes.
• For a Captiva home outside South Seas, ask about the septic system's age and permit.
• For a rental plan, read the declaration and the resort program rules on Captiva, or the City's four-week rule on Sanibel.
• If you are financing, ask your lender how it treats VE-zone and pre-FIRM buildings.

See how McGreevy and Comisar represent buyers across Southwest Florida, and if you are also selling a home, start with a free home valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072.

Rental Market and Property Management on Sanibel and Captiva

The rental market on Sanibel and Captiva splits by island: Sanibel homes outside the Resort Housing District rent for four consecutive weeks or longer, which favors seasonal tenants, while Captiva rentals follow association and resort-program rules. AirDNA estimates average nightly rates of about $373 on Sanibel and $714 on Captiva, modeled figures that mix rental types.

Data updated: October 2026 (Sanibel Code of Ordinances; Florida Statutes s. 509.032; Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber count, October 2025; AirDNA estimate, September 2026; Lee VCB, November 2025).

How big is the island rental supply after the storms?

Still below its pre-Ian level. The Chamber's October 2025 count put property-managed vacation rentals at 1,086 against 1,366 before Ian, 79.5 percent, and the Lee VCB counted 59.5 percent of Sanibel hotel rooms and 69.1 percent of Captiva hotel rooms reopened in November 2025. Fewer rooms mean steadier demand for the homes and condos that are back, but the AirDNA nightly-rate estimates above are modeled and should be treated as a starting point, not an underwriting figure.

Should I rent my island home or sell it?

Compare the after-tax rental income under your island's rules against the sale price and your carrying costs. On Sanibel, the four-week minimum means fewer, longer stays and seasonal pricing; on Captiva, nightly or weekly income is possible only where the association allows it. In both cases the 11.5 percent lodging tax applies to stays of six months or less, and a City dwelling rental license is required on Sanibel. When the carrying costs (tax, insurance, the CEPD assessment on Captiva, water and association dues) approach the realistic net rent, selling often wins; we will run both numbers with you.

When should an owner hire a property manager?

When the home will rent by the week or month, when you live off-island, or when the association requires one for its rental program. A good island manager handles the Sanibel dwelling rental license or the Captiva association's rules, tourist tax filing, hurricane preparation and re-entry, and the guest turnover that a seasonal calendar demands.

Looking for property management in Sanibel and Captiva? Call us at (239) 898-6072, we'll connect you with the right local resource. If you are deciding between renting and selling, start with a free Sanibel and Captiva home valuation, and if you are buying to rent, see how we represent buyers.

Your Local Real Estate Experts

Your local real estate experts for Sanibel and Captiva are Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, the founding partners of McGreevy and Comisar and the leaders of Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012. They are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 and the #5 real estate team in Florida (RealTrends 2026).

Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, founding partners of McGreevy and Comisar, lead a top-producing real estate team serving Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples, Fort Myers, and Charlotte County, Florida, and they work with sellers and buyers on Sanibel, Captiva and across Lee County. Together they have over $900 million in personal sales and over 45 years of combined direct experience between Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, and their Domain Realty Group team has sold over $2.5 billion in real estate across more than 4,000 transactions. Jesse has won the Gulfshore Life Five Star award, 21 consecutive years.

McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, a full-service Southwest Florida real estate team; to browse Sanibel and Captiva homes for sale, visit DomainRealtyGroup.com. Follow McGreevy and Comisar on Facebook.

• 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

Selling on Sanibel or Captiva? Get a free Sanibel and Captiva home valuation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buying? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or see how we represent buyers.

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

Jesse McGreevy (Sales Associate, SL3101296) and Marc Comisar (Broker Associate, BK3060671) are licensed Florida REALTORS® with Domain Realty; Florida real estate licensure is regulated by the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC).

Frequently Asked Questions: Buyer Edition

Is Captiva part of Sanibel?

No. Captiva is a separate island and a separate jurisdiction. Sanibel is the City of Sanibel, while Captiva is unincorporated Lee County, governed by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners with the Captiva Community Panel as an advisory body. The two islands share a road, a water utility and a school, and Blind Pass separates them.

Are Sanibel and Captiva connected by road?

Yes. Sanibel-Captiva Road crosses a short bridge over Blind Pass and becomes Captiva Drive, and the islands have been joined by a bridge since 1918, 45 years before the Sanibel Causeway joined either to the mainland. Every car that reaches Captiva crosses the causeway and drives the length of Sanibel first.

How far is Captiva from Sanibel, and how long is the drive?

Captiva begins at Blind Pass, at Sanibel's west end. From Sanibel to Captiva the trip adds about 10 miles and about 23 minutes to any mainland drive in free-flow traffic, by our OSRM estimates of October 22, 2026, and much of it is two-lane road. South Seas Island Resort sits at Captiva's far north end, about 4.85 shoreline miles from Blind Pass.

Is Captiva a town or a city?

Neither. Captiva is unincorporated Lee County: there is no Town or City of Captiva. Land use is decided by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners under the Lee Plan and the Lee County Land Development Code, the Captiva Community Panel advises, and the Captiva Erosion Prevention District and the Captiva Island Fire Control District levy their own taxes.

Which is better to live on, Sanibel or Captiva?

It depends on your goals. Sanibel offers city services, central sewer, a deep resale market and a shorter drive to the mainland, with a four-week rental minimum. Captiva offers a smaller island, higher single-family values, South Seas amenities and rental rules set by associations, with septic outside South Seas and a longer drive. The decision table compares 34 factors.

Is Sanibel or Captiva cheaper to buy a home on?

For single-family homes, Sanibel. In the last 12 months Sanibel's 243 single-family recorded sales had a $1,080,000 median, against $2,275,000 for Captiva Island's 11 sales, and no Captiva single-family home sold under $1 million. Condos are close: Sanibel's 145 condo sales had a $725,000 median and Captiva Island's 30 had $642,000 (Lee County Property Appraiser).

What do Sanibel condos sell for compared with Captiva condos?

Sanibel condos sold at a $725,000 median on 145 recorded sales in the last 12 months, about $642 per heated square foot; Captiva Island condos sold at a $642,000 median on 30 sales, about $759 per heated square foot. Captiva condos are smaller on average, and inside South Seas median just values range from about $305,000 to about $1.37 million by building.

Is Sanibel Island in a flood zone?

Yes. Essentially the entire island lies in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, zones AE and VE with small AO and X areas, on the Lee County flood map effective November 17, 2022. Check a specific address with the City of Sanibel's flood lookup and the home's elevation certificate; never assume a Sanibel home is outside a flood zone.

Is Captiva in a flood zone?

Yes. On FEMA's live National Flood Hazard Layer, queried October 22, 2026, Captiva's Gulf side carries Zone VE with base flood elevations of 8 to 13 feet (NAVD88), and the bay side and interior carry Zone AE at 6 to 9 feet, with some Zone X. The panels are effective November 17, 2022. Confirm the exact lot on FEMA's Map Service Center.

Do I need flood insurance to buy on Sanibel or Captiva?

A lender requires it for a mortgaged home in a Special Flood Hazard Area, which covers essentially all of Sanibel and most of Captiva. Citizens requires flood coverage on homes in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and from January 1, 2027 on all policies statewide; condo unit-owner policies are exempt. Both islands receive the 25 percent CRS discount on NFIP premiums.

Can I rent out a home I buy on Sanibel?

Yes, but outside a permitted, code-compliant resort housing use, Sanibel dwelling units may not be rented for periods of less than four consecutive weeks. You need a City dwelling rental license, a business tax receipt, a Lee County tourist tax account and state registration. Daily and weekly rentals are allowed only where resort housing is a permitted use.

Can I rent out a Captiva condo by the week?

Possibly. No Lee County minimum-stay ordinance was found for Captiva, and Florida law bars new local rental-duration limits, so rental limits on Captiva come from each condominium or HOA's own documents and resort rental programs. Read the declaration, the rules and any rental-program agreement before you buy, and confirm them with the association.

How much are property taxes on Sanibel compared with Captiva?

The 2026 total millage, the sum of the 2026 rates, was 13.9007 mills on Sanibel and 13.5040 on Captiva, or about $13,901 and $13,504 per $1,000,000 of taxable value before exemptions and non-ad valorem charges. Because Captiva single-family values are higher, the illustrative bill at each island's median single-family price is about $15,013 on Sanibel and $30,722 on Captiva.

What is the Captiva Erosion Prevention District assessment?

It is a beach charge on Captiva property. On August 31, 2026 the Captiva Erosion Prevention District board voted 4 to 0 to approve the apportionment for a $10 million non-ad valorem assessment based on 2025 just values; amounts vary by beach zone and use, so request the parcel's figure from CEPD. CEPD also levies an operating millage, 0.3740 for 2025.

Is Captiva on septic or sewer?

Mostly septic. Outside South Seas, which has its own central sewer plant, Captiva relies on septic and other onsite systems: a 2018 engineering study counted 378 developed properties on onsite systems, and no sewer program for the rest of the island has been funded or started. The study put a replacement system at up to $36,000 to $38,000.

How much is the Sanibel Causeway toll?

The toll is $6 for a two-axle vehicle, charged only on the trip onto the island, plus a $3 administrative fee when paid by plate. Lee County's Sanibel Unlimited pass is $400 a year or $300 for six months, and the Reduced Fare program is $67 a year then $2 a trip. Captiva drivers pay the same toll.

Is Blind Pass open?

Check current conditions before you go. Sand from Captiva's 2025 renourishment closed the inlet by mid-March 2026; WINK News reported on June 5, 2026, citing Lee County officials, that the sandbar had cleared and the waterway reopened, and Lee County says dredging is expected in 2027 with permits in place. The road and bridge are separate from the inlet.

Which public school serves Sanibel and Captiva?

The Sanibel School, a K-8 school of the School District of Lee County, serves both islands; it earned an FLDOE grade of A for 2025-26 with 213 students counted in the 2025-26 membership survey. There is no public school on Captiva. High school students attend mainland schools assigned by the district, so check the district's address lookup.

Where is the nearest hospital to Sanibel and Captiva?

There is no hospital on either island. Lee Health runs a primary care practice and walk-in clinic at 2495 Palm Ridge Road on Sanibel, and the nearest emergency room is Lee Health HealthPark Medical Center in Fort Myers, about 21 minutes from Sanibel and about 45 minutes from Captiva in free-flow traffic.

Does the 50 percent rule apply on both islands?

Yes, under two processes. On Sanibel, if repair or improvement costs equal or exceed 50 percent of the building's market value, the City requires the whole building to meet current floodplain standards. On Captiva, Lee County Ordinance 22-30 counts repairs and improvements cumulatively over five years against that 50 percent threshold.

Do Sanibel and Captiva condos need milestone inspections?

Florida milestone inspections and structural integrity reserve studies apply to condominium buildings of three or more habitable stories, and Sanibel adopted its own milestone ordinance on March 17, 2026. Many South Seas buildings are low-rise, so coverage must be checked building by building. Ask the association for its filings and confirm them in DBPR's public database.

What is the Sanibel Plan?

The Sanibel Plan is the City of Sanibel's comprehensive plan, adopted July 19, 1976. It limits the island to approximately 9,000 dwelling units of every kind, sets density parcel by parcel on a Development Intensity Map, and opens with the Vision Statement "Sanibel is and shall remain a barrier island sanctuary." City staff described the 9,000 figure in 2026 as a build-out estimate.

What is the Captiva Plan, and is Lee County removing it?

The Captiva Plan is Goal 23 of the Lee Plan, Captiva's community plan. Lee County's CPA2026-00005 would delete it and the North Captiva Plan; the Local Planning Agency voted 4 to 2 in favor on August 31, 2026, the Board of County Commissioners paused the schedule on September 15, 2026, and it is expected to return. No adoption date is set.

Is South Seas Island Resort open?

Yes. South Seas reopened in stages after Ian: the Yacht Harbour marina reopened May 17, 2025, the Beach House restaurant opened October 15, 2025, and the Captiva Landing water-play area opened at the end of December 2025, with a nine-hole course, The Clutch, replacing the 18-hole course Ian destroyed. Hotel rebuilds and further rezoning work are still to come.

How do I get to North Captiva, and can I buy there?

North Captiva has no bridge; you arrive by boat or plane, often by water taxi from Pine Island. It is unincorporated Lee County with its own Upper Captiva fire district and a ban on combustion vehicles on its pathways. We tracked 15 North Captiva single-family recorded sales in the last 12 months at a $905,000 median.

Is Sanibel or Captiva better for boating?

It depends on the boat. Captiva's bay side puts boaters on Roosevelt Channel and close to Redfish Pass and Pine Island Sound, while many Sanibel canal homes reach San Carlos Bay or the Sound through channels whose depth varies with tide and storm sediment. The Blind Pass bridge has only 7 feet of clearance, and manatee speed zones apply around both islands.

Why do websites show different sales counts for Sanibel and Captiva?

Because they count different things. The Sanibel and Captiva Islands Association of REALTORS runs its own MLS, so Southwest Florida MLS sees only part of island sales, and MLS ZIP 33924 also includes North Captiva, Useppa, Cayo Costa and Cabbage Key. The Lee County Property Appraiser's recorded sales are the complete record, which is why we use them.

Will Amendment 3 lower my island property taxes?

From 2027 it can: voters approved it on November 3, 2026 (61.99 percent yes, unofficial count). It raises the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 and cuts the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10 percent to 5 percent; buyers who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 get the larger exemption only from the fifth year.

Frequently Asked Questions: Seller Edition

What is my Sanibel home worth after the hurricanes?

Start with recorded sales of your type in your part of the island. Sanibel single-family homes sold at a $1,080,000 median and condos at $725,000 in the last 12 months, but the water code, elevation, age and permit history move a home far from the median. A free Sanibel and Captiva valuation prices your parcel.

What is my Captiva home worth?

Captiva Island single-family homes sold between $1,050,000 and $7,500,000 in the last 12 months, at a $2,275,000 median on only 11 sales, and condos at a $642,000 median on 30. With so few sales, Captiva values come from the closest comparable sales by location, water and building, read one by one. Call Jesse at (239) 898-6072 for a parcel-level estimate.

How can I look up what nearby island homes sold for?

Use the Lee County Property Appraiser's parcel search, which shows each parcel's recorded sales, taxing district, just value and building record. Recorded deeds include sales that never appeared on Southwest Florida MLS because the islands have their own MLS. A recorded price is the deed consideration, so read it alongside the building's condition at the time of sale.

What is the best month to list a Sanibel or Captiva home?

Ahead of season. On Sanibel, recorded single-family closings peaked from February through June in the last 12 months, with 32 in March and 38 in April, so a listing ready by January meets the most buyers. Captiva Island never recorded more than 10 sales in a month in the last three years, so its timing matters less than its pricing.

How should I price a Captiva home when so few homes sell?

From the closest comparable sales, not the median. Eleven single-family sales in 12 months is too few for a trend, so we compare your home with recent sales by location (Village, Gold Coast, bay side or South Seas), water, elevation, age and lot size, and we add the island's longer sale history for context. A wide pricing range is honest; a single number is not.

Who pays for the owner's title policy when I sell?

In Lee County, which includes Sanibel and Captiva, the seller customarily pays for the owner's title insurance policy, and the purchase contract controls. That is the opposite of Collier County, where the buyer customarily pays. Your closing agent can estimate the premium on your expected price when we prepare your net sheet.

What documents should I gather before listing an island home?

Gather the elevation certificate, the permit history since 2022 including any substantial-damage letter, insurance declarations and claims history, the flood disclosure, the wind-mitigation report, and for a condo the milestone inspection, structural integrity reserve study, budget and minutes. On Captiva, add the septic permit and the CEPD assessment notice. Buyers ask for these first.

How does the elevation certificate affect my sale?

It sets the buyer's flood insurance price and shows whether the home sits above or below base flood elevation, which decides how much a future repair or renovation can cost under the 50 percent rule. FEMA's study of Ian claims found elevated buildings averaged a $46,033 building claim against $134,398 for buildings that were not elevated.

Can I sell a Sanibel home that was substantially damaged?

Yes. A substantially damaged home can be sold as-is, but the buyer must bring the building up to current floodplain standards before reoccupying or rebuilding, so the price reflects the cost of elevation or rebuilding. Sanibel's Ordinance 26-009 lets some nonconforming structures be raised up to 10 feet above grade within build-back deadlines, which can help the buyer's plan.

Does Lee County's five-year rule affect selling a Captiva home?

It can. Under Lee County Ordinance 22-30, repairs and improvements are counted cumulatively over five years against 50 percent of the building's market value, so recent permitted work on a Captiva home shrinks what a buyer can spend before elevation is required. Gather your permit history so a buyer can see how much room is left.

Do I need to give a flood disclosure to sell my condo?

Yes. Section 689.302, Florida Statutes, effective October 1, 2024, requires the seller of residential property to give the statutory flood disclosure at or before contract, covering knowledge of flood damage during ownership, flood insurance claims and federal flood assistance. It applies to condominium units and houses on both islands.

Will a buyer ask about my condo's structural integrity reserve study?

Yes. Florida's structural integrity reserve study and milestone inspection rules apply to condo buildings of three or more habitable stories, and resale buyers have a 7-day rescission window to review association documents. A building with a completed study, funded reserves and no pending special assessment is easier to sell, so request the documents from your association early.

How do special assessments affect a condo sale?

A pending or recent special assessment lowers what buyers will pay and must be addressed in the contract, which decides who pays installments due after closing. Association assessment amounts are not published in a form we can verify, so we read your association's budget, minutes and estoppel certificate before pricing and tell buyers the facts up front.

Do Captiva's rental rules help my sale compared with Sanibel?

They can widen the buyer pool. With no Lee County minimum-stay ordinance on Captiva, a condo whose association allows weekly or nightly stays can attract investor buyers who cannot rent by the night on most of Sanibel. The association's own documents decide what a buyer can do, so we quote them, not general rules, in your listing.

Does Sanibel's four-week rental rule hurt resale?

It narrows the investor pool but suits the seasonal tenants and long-stay owners who buy most Sanibel homes. Outside the Resort Housing District, homes cannot be rented for less than four consecutive weeks. A home with a documented seasonal rental history and a current City dwelling rental license shows a buyer realistic income under the rule.

Should I renovate before I sell my island home?

Usually not on a large scale. Every dollar of improvement counts toward the 50 percent rule, and on Captiva it counts for five years, so a big renovation can shrink a buyer's future options. Repairs that fix inspection items, fresh paint and landscaping that meets Sanibel's native-plant rules tend to return more than a remodel.

Should I elevate my home before selling?

Only after pricing it both ways. Elevation can lower flood insurance and widen the buyer pool, but it is a long, permitted project. We price your home as it stands and as elevated, using recorded sales of comparable elevated and on-grade homes, so you can see whether the work pays before you start.

How do insurance costs affect what a buyer will pay?

Directly. A buyer adds the annual homeowners, wind and flood premiums to the mortgage and taxes, and a high premium lowers the price they can pay. Citizens' 2026 approved rates put the Lee County average HO-3 premium at $3,039, a county-wide figure; an island home's actual quote depends on elevation, age and roof, so get one before listing.

Will the South Seas rezoning affect selling a home inside South Seas?

Buyers will ask about it. Lee County rezoned about 120.5 acres of South Seas in August 2025 to allow 435 hotel rooms in two hotels plus additional multifamily units, and a challenge by condominium and timeshare associations was argued on August 4, 2026 with no decision reported. We give buyers the dated status and the association's position, not predictions.

Does the Captiva Plan review affect my Captiva sale?

It is a question buyers raise. Lee County's CPA2026-00005 would delete the Captiva Plan, Goal 23 of the Lee Plan; the Board paused the schedule on September 15, 2026, and it is expected to return. The 35-foot height limit lives in the Land Development Code. We explain the dated status to buyers so it does not stall a contract.

How do I sell a Sanibel home I rent out?

Sell with the rental history documented. Provide the City dwelling rental license, booking records for future stays and tourist tax filings, and decide whether future bookings convey; the contract should say who honors them. Remember that rentals shorter than four consecutive weeks are allowed only where resort housing is a permitted use.

Can I sell my island home to an out-of-state buyer remotely?

Yes. Most island buyers are second-home owners; 67 percent of Captiva Island single-family and condo parcels carry an out-of-state owner mailing address on the current county roll. We market to those buyers directly, and your closing agent can explain the signing options that let an off-island seller close without traveling.

How will property taxes change for my buyer?

They reset. A buyer's assessed value starts over at the next assessment after purchase, so your homestead or capped value does not transfer, and a buyer will budget at the island's millage on a value near the sale price. On Sanibel the 2026 rate was 13.9007 mills; on Captiva, 13.5040, before exemptions and non-ad valorem charges.

Who pays the CEPD assessment at closing?

The contract decides. The Captiva Erosion Prevention District's $10 million assessment, approved August 31, 2026, is billed through the Lee County Tax Collector and varies by beach zone and use. We get your parcel's figure from CEPD, show it to buyers, and set the proration in the contract so it does not surprise either side at closing.

Do Sanibel and Captiva sales show on the regular MLS?

Partly. The Sanibel and Captiva Islands Association of REALTORS runs its own MLS, so Southwest Florida MLS sees only part of island sales; the county record is the complete one. A listing needs exposure to buyers searching both systems and the national portals, and a price grounded in the county's full record.

Should I sell my island home or rent it?

Compare the realistic net rent under your island's rules with your carrying costs and the sale price. On Sanibel, the four-week minimum means seasonal income; on Captiva, the association decides. When taxes, insurance, the CEPD assessment, water and dues approach the net rent, selling often wins. We run both numbers with you; call Jesse at (239) 898-6072.

What does it cost to sell a home on Sanibel or Captiva?

The main costs are the brokerage commission, which is negotiable, the owner's title policy that Lee County sellers customarily pay, deed taxes, any association estoppel and transfer charges, prorated taxes and the CEPD assessment on Captiva. Your closing agent prepares an estimate; we prepare a net sheet with you before you list.

How do I choose the best real estate agent for Sanibel or Captiva?

Ask how the agent prices from county-recorded sales rather than a single MLS, how they handle the flood disclosure, the 50 percent rule and condo documents, and how they reach out-of-state buyers. Our comparison of the best real estate agents in Sanibel and Captiva sets out the criteria and the public records behind them.

Is now a good time to sell on Sanibel?

Sanibel's single-family market has steadied: medians have held near $1.07 million to $1.13 million in each 12-month window since the first post-Ian year, and the count of recorded single-family sales rose to 243 in the last 12 months. Season begins in winter, so a home priced and documented by January meets the most buyers.

Is now a good time to sell on Captiva?

Captiva's condo market has more buyers than a year ago: recorded condo sales doubled from 15 to 30 between the last two 12-month windows, and the median rose from $448,350 to $642,000. Captiva single-family sales are too few for a trend. Pricing from the closest comparable sales matters more than timing on Captiva.

How do I sell a North Captiva home?

With a plan for boat-access showings and a price drawn from North Captiva's own sales, never from Captiva Island's. We tracked 15 North Captiva single-family recorded sales in the last 12 months at a $905,000 median, ranging from $420,000 to $2,900,000. Buyers will ask about water and ferry access, the fire district and the island's vehicle rules.

How do I price a South Seas condo?

By building. South Seas family condos and cottages made up 29 of the 47 Captiva Island recorded sales in the last 12 months at a $765,000 median, but median just values run from about $305,000 at Bayside Villas to about $1.37 million at Lands End Village. The building, the view coded on the roll and the rental program set the price.

Sources

Every figure on this guide traces to one of the sources below, each retrieved in October 2026 unless a date is given.

• Lee County Property Appraiser, 2026 Taxing District Millage Book: leepa.org/TaxRoll/Millage Books/2026 Taxing District Millage Book.pdf
• Lee County Property Appraiser, parcel data file: leepa.org/TaxRoll/ParcelData/LCPA_Parcel_Data_TXT.zip
• Lee County Property Appraiser, sale data file: leepa.org/TaxRoll/sdftxt/SDF2025Final.TXT
• Lee County Property Appraiser, transfer code list: leepa.org/docs/codes/transfer_code_list.pdf
• Lee County Property Appraiser, property search: leepa.org/search/propertysearch.aspx
• Florida Department of Revenue, real property transfer codes: floridarevenue.com/property/Documents/salequalcodes_aft01012025.pdf
• Florida Department of Revenue, transient rental tax rates: floridarevenue.com/Forms_library/current/dr15tdt.pdf
• Lee County Tax Collector, property taxes: leetc.com/property-taxes
• U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts Sanibel city: census.gov/quickfacts/sanibelcityflorida
• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 DHC, Sanibel city: api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc, Sanibel
• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 DHC, Captiva CDP: api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc, Captiva
• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 DHC, ZIP 33924: api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc, ZCTA 33924
• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer places file: www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_12.txt
• City of Sanibel, Code of Ordinances (Municode): library.municode.com/fl/sanibel/codes/code_of_ordinances
• City of Sanibel, The Sanibel Plan Volume 1: mysanibel.com/DocumentCenter/View/468
• City of Sanibel, Long-Term Recovery Plan: mysanibel.com/DocumentCenter/View/2072
• City of Sanibel, Hurricane Ian and Helene Permitting Policy: mysanibel.com/DocumentCenter/View/490
• City of Sanibel, Ordinance 26-009: mysanibel.com/DocumentCenter/View/3114
• City of Sanibel, Ordinance 26-002, milestone inspections: mysanibel.com/DocumentCenter/View/2993
• City of Sanibel, Ordinance 24-020 business impact estimate: mysanibel.com/DocumentCenter/View/206
• City of Sanibel, flood information: mysanibel.com/418/Flood-Information
• City of Sanibel, flood lookup: sanibelfl.withforerunner.com
• City of Sanibel, beach parking permits: mysanibel.com/533/Beach-Parking-Permits
• City of Sanibel, sea turtles: mysanibel.com/463/Sea-Turtles
• City of Sanibel, shelling regulations: mysanibel.com/489/Shelling-Regulations
• City of Sanibel, Turner Beach Park: mysanibel.com/548/Turner-Beach-Park-Information
• City of Sanibel, hurricane re-entry passes: mysanibel.com/522/Hurricane-Re-Entry-Passes
• City of Sanibel, rental license notice, January 26, 2026: mysanibel.com/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/175
• City of Sanibel, North Sanibel beach renourishment notice: mysanibel.com/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/129
• City of Sanibel, FY2027 budget executive summary: stories.opengov.com/sanibelfl, FY2027
• City of Sanibel, FY2026 budget, building department: stories.opengov.com/sanibelfl, FY2026
• Lee County, toll fares and discount programs: leefl.gov/899/Toll-Fares-Discount-Programs
• Lee County, flood insurance discounts: leefl.gov/268/Discounts
• Lee County, floodplain FAQ: leefl.gov/m/faq
• Lee County, Ordinance 22-30: leegov.com/dcd/Documents/FloodMapping/22-30.pdf
• Lee County, CPA2026-00005 Captiva changes: leegov.com/dcd/Documents/Planning/CPA26-05/23_CPA2026-00005_Captiva Changes.pdf
• Lee County, CPA2026-00005 North Captiva changes: leegov.com/dcd/Documents/Planning/CPA26-05/26_CPA2026-00005_North Captiva Changes.pdf
• Lee County, Lee Plan text: leegov.com/dcd/Documents/Planning/LeePlan/Leeplantext.pdf
• Lee County, Historic Preservation Board packet, Cabbage Key: leegov.com/dcd/Documents/Agendas/HPB/2016/06/JUN012016.pdf
• Lee County School District, school zones: leeschools.net/student_enrollment/school_zones
• Florida Department of Education, 2026 school grades: fldoe.org/file/18534/SchoolGrades26.xlsx
• FEMA, CRS eligible communities, April 1, 2026: fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_crs_eligible-communities_042026.pdf
• FEMA, National Flood Hazard Layer: hazards.fema.gov/arcgis/rest/services/public/NFHL/MapServer
• FEMA, Flood Map Service Center: msc.fema.gov/portal/home
• FEMA, NFIP claims analysis, Ian case study: fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_rm-nfip-claims-analysis-ian-case-study-12-2023.pdf
• National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Ian tropical cyclone report: nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092022_Ian.pdf
• Florida DEP, Hurricanes Ian and Nicole final report, August 2023: floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/Hurricane Ian Nicole_Final Report_Aug. 2023.pdf
• Florida DEP, preliminary Ian and Nicole report, December 2022: floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/Preliminary Hurricane Ian and Nicole Report_Dec 2022.pdf
• Florida DEP, Critically Eroded Beaches in Florida, August 2025: floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/FDEP_Critically Eroded Beaches_08-2025_FINAL_1.pdf
• Florida DEP, Strategic Beach Management Plan, Southwest Gulf Coast: floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/SBMP-SouthwestGulfCoastRegion_2023_1.pdf
• Florida DEP, Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves Management Plan: floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/Charlotte-Harbor-APs-Management-Plan.pdf
• Florida Aquatic Preserves, Pine Island Sound: floridaaquaticpreserves.org/managed-areas/aquatic-preserves/pine-island-sound-aquatic-preserve
• Florida Statutes s. 509.032: leg.state.fl.us/Statutes, 509.032
• Florida Statutes s. 689.302: leg.state.fl.us/statutes, 689.302
• Florida Division of Elections, Amendment 3 initiative detail: constitutionalinitiatives.dos.fl.gov/Home/InitDetail
• Florida Division of Elections, Florida Election Watch, 2026 General Election amendments, unofficial results (read November 4, 2026)
• Florida DBPR, condominium inspections: condos.myfloridalicense.com/inspections
• Fla. Admin. Code R. 68C-22.005, Lee County manatee zones: law.cornell.edu/regulations/florida/Fla-Admin-Code-Ann-R-68C-22-005
• FWC, manatee protection zones: myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/manatee/protection-zones
• FWC, red tide current status: myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide
• Florida State Parks, Cayo Costa State Park: floridastateparks.org/CayoCosta
• FDOT, Hurricane Ian Sanibel Island Access, project 451936-2: swflroads.com/project/451936-2
• NOAA, United States Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 4: nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/coast-pilot/files/cp5/CPB5_C04_WEB.pdf
• NOAA NCCOS, 2018 red tide economic impact: coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/total-economic-impact-of-2018-red-tide-now-estimated-at-2-7b
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Okeechobee daily status: w3.saj.usace.army.mil/h2o/reports/StatusDaily.htm
• USFWS, J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge: fws.gov/refuge/jn-ding-darling
• USFWS, Ding Darling refuge visitor information: fws.gov/refuge/jn-ding-darling/visit-us
• National Park Service, Sanibel Lighthouse National Register nomination: npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/3a209e67-3250-4e64-8c05-2793e07fb96a
• The Conservation Foundation, The Sanibel Report (1976), via GovInfo: govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CZIC-ht393-f52-s353-1976
• Captiva Erosion Prevention District, historic beach projects: mycepd.com/historic-beach-projects
• Captiva Erosion Prevention District, August 31, 2026 assessment meeting: mycepd.com/2026-08-31-special-non-ad-valorem-assessment-meeting
• Captiva Erosion Prevention District, Alison Hagerup Beach parking: mycepd.com/alison-hagerup-beach-parking-lot
• Captiva Island Fire Control District, history: captivafire.com/our-history
• Sanibel Fire and Rescue District, history: sanibelfire.com/history
• Sanibel Fire and Rescue District, Resolution 26-011: sanibelfire.com/files/5118be8d8/RESOLUTION 26-011
• Upper Captiva Fire and Rescue Service District: uppercaptivafire.org/about-us
• Captiva Community Panel, bylaws and history: captivacommunitypanel.com/851-2
• Captiva Community Panel, panel history: captivacommunitypanel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/0824_CCPhistory_final.pdf
• Captiva Community Panel, Captiva Community Plan: captivacommunitypanel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Captiva-Community-Plan.Final_.pdf
• Captiva Civic Association, Captiva Island Wastewater Alternative Study (2018): ccacaptiva.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Final-Amended-Captiva-Island-Wastewater-Alternative-Study-08-24-18-1.pdf
• Island Water Association, about: islandwater.com/about-us
• Island Water Association, rate study: islandwater.com/ratestudy
• Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Why Islanders Chose to Incorporate: sccf.org/2024/11/26/why-islanders-chose-to-incorporate
• Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, history: sccf.org/about/history
• Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Captiva Plan impacts, September 17, 2026: sccf.org/2026/09/17/what-are-the-potential-impacts-of-the-removal-of-the-captiva-community-plan
• Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, 2026 loggerhead nesting: sccf.org/2026/08/12/record-breaking-loggerhead-nesting-on-sanibel-continues-to-rise
• Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, RECON water-quality network: recon.sccf.org
• Ding Darling Wildlife Society, refuge history: dingdarlingsociety.org/refuge-history
• Florida Museum, Sanibel Island geology and archaeology: floridamuseum.ufl.edu/rrc/blog/tour-sanibel-island
• Florida Museum, North Captiva: floridamuseum.ufl.edu/rrc/blog/tour-north-captiva
• Sanibel Historical Museum and Village, Sanibel history: sanibelmuseum.org/sanibel-history
• Sanibel Historical Museum and Village, Punta Rassa before the bridge: sanibelmuseum.org/punta-rassa-before-the-bridge
• Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce, area history: sanibel-captiva.org/sanibel-island-history-captiva-island-history
• Sanibel and Captiva Islands Chamber of Commerce, Lee VCB update, August 2026: sanibel-captiva.org/tourism-headed-toward-pre-ian-revenue-for-2026-lee-vcb-leader-tells-chamber
• Lee Visitor and Convention Bureau, 2025 annual meeting slides: visitfortmyers.com/sites/default/files/2025-11/Tam-2025 Annual Meeting Slides-FINAL2.pdf
• Citizens Property Insurance, 2026 approved rate changes by county: citizensfla.com/documents/20702/39683240/2026 Approved Rate Changes by County.pdf
• Citizens Property Insurance, flood insurance requirement: citizensfla.com/flood
• Lee Health, Sanibel primary care and walk-in clinic: leehealth.org/about-us/media/press-releases
• Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority: giba.us/about-us
• Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association: thegicia.org/imagine
• WGCU, Blind Pass closing, March 21, 2026: wgcu.org/top-story/2026-03-21/blind-pass-closing
• WGCU, Rauschenberg property sale, March 31, 2026: wgcu.org/arts-and-culture/2026-03-31
• WINK News, Blind Pass sandbar clears, June 5, 2026: winknews.com/news/lee/previously-blocked-sandbar-on-blind-pass-clears-opens-waterway
• Santiva Chronicle, Blind Pass reopened, June 13, 2026: santivachronicle.com/news/island-fishing-report-blind-pass-reopened
• Santiva Chronicle, Blind Pass road resiliency contract, May 20, 2026: santivachronicle.com/news/lee-county-bocc-awards-contract-for-road-resiliency-project-near-blind-pass
• Santiva Chronicle, Sanibel 2027 solid waste fee, August 22, 2026: santivachronicle.com/news/sanibel-council-oks-2027-solid-waste-fee-hike
• Santiva Chronicle, Captiva annexation discussion, May 10, 2024: santivachronicle.com/news/captiva-community-panel-expresses-interest-in-potential-annexation
• Island Reporter, Blind Pass dredging preparation, April 8, 2026: captivasanibel.com/news/2026/04/county-board-oks-project-to-prepare-for-blind-pass-dredging
• Island Reporter, CEPD assessment, September 9, 2026: captivasanibel.com/news/2026/09/cepd-board-oks-assessments-for-beach-project
• Island Reporter, Captiva fire millage, September 30, 2026: captivasanibel.com/news/community-news/2026/09/captiva-island-fire-control-district-keeps-millage-rate-the-same
• Island Reporter, Captiva Community Panel and the Captiva Plan, September 18, 2026: captivasanibel.com/news/community-news/2026/09/captiva-community-panel-works-to-save-captiva-plan-from-elimination
• The News-Press, Sanibel reopens after Milton, October 11, 2024: news-press.com/story/news/2024/10/11/sanibel-island-reopens-to-all-residents-after-hurricane-milton
• The News-Press, Bailey's site and Publix, August 28, 2026: news-press.com/story/news/2026/08/28/will-a-publix-rise-where-baileys-general-store-once-stood
• Gulfshore Business, Sanibel resort recovery: gulfshorebusiness.com/hospitality/beachview-villas-marks-new-era-in-sanibels-resort-recovery
• Gulfshore Business, Wulfert Channel dredging, June 13, 2025: gulfshorebusiness.com/lee/sanibel-establishes-plans-to-dredge-wulfert-channel
• Semrush keyword data, United States database, October 22, 2026: semrush.com/analytics/keywordoverview
• OSRM routing service, drive estimates computed October 22, 2026: router.project-osrm.org

Downloadable Documents

Primary-source documents for Sanibel and Captiva owners, each linked at the issuing authority's own address and checked on October 22, 2026.

• The Sanibel Plan, Volume 1 (City of Sanibel; PDF, about 13.0 MB): Download the Sanibel Plan Volume 1
• City of Sanibel Long-Term Recovery Plan, March 2024 (City of Sanibel; PDF, about 15.4 MB): Download the Long-Term Recovery Plan
• Hurricane Ian and Helene Permitting Policy, including the 50 percent rule (City of Sanibel; PDF): Download the City permitting policy
• Lee County Ordinance 22-30, floodplain management (Lee County; PDF, about 1.7 MB): Download Lee County Ordinance 22-30
• Captiva Community Plan (Captiva Community Panel; PDF): Download the Captiva Community Plan
• Critically Eroded Beaches in Florida, August 2025 (Florida DEP; PDF, about 22.7 MB): Download the FDEP critically eroded beaches report
• Captiva Island Wastewater Alternative Study, 2018 (Captiva Civic Association; PDF, about 4.8 MB): Download the Captiva wastewater study
• Hurricane Ian Tropical Cyclone Report (National Hurricane Center; PDF, about 7.0 MB): Download the NHC Hurricane Ian report
• Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves Management Plan, including Pine Island Sound (Florida DEP; PDF, about 45.1 MB): Download the aquatic preserves management plan

McGreevy and Comisar, 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134. Jesse McGreevy (239) 898-6072; Marc Comisar (239) 287-5873. Market data from Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales, pulled October 21, 2026. Brokered by Domain Realty.