Sell Your Home in Lakes of Estero, FL

By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar. McGreevy and Comisar are the top-reviewed real estate team helping owners sell their homes in Lakes of Estero, Estero. Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, with over $900 million in personal sales between Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar. Sellers, call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. Buyers, call Marc at (239) 287-5873.

Updated September 2026

Selling a home in Lakes of Estero in 2026 means selling a roughly 20-year-old concrete-block house on a 102-lot lake plat while D.R. Horton sells brand-new homes on five lots a few doors down Springlake Circle. This page is the seller’s plan for exactly that situation, built from the recorded sales, the association’s recorded covenants and rules, and Florida law. For the full community picture, from the plat and the builders to schools and drive times, read our Lakes of Estero community guide. If you only want a number, our Lakes of Estero home valuation page explains how we value a home here, and if you are buying, our guide to buying a home in Lakes of Estero is written for you.

The short answer for a Lakes of Estero seller: the Southwest Florida MLS shows 7 closings in the 12 months to September 5, 2026, from $414,000 to $658,600, at an average of 97.39% of the final list price and a median of 74 days on market. The county’s widened 36-month window holds 11 qualified home sales at a median of $526,000. Homes that launched at the right price, with their roof, insurance and flood documents ready, sold in weeks; homes that did not waited months and took the deepest discounts. Everything below explains how to be in the first group. If you are still choosing who to hire, our comparison of the best real estate agents in Estero shows how local agents compare on the public record.

Key Takeaways: What Should a Lakes of Estero Seller Know Before Listing?

Lakes of Estero sellers are pricing a thin, slow-turning market against a builder that is actively selling new homes inside the same association. These nine points decide most outcomes here, and every one of them comes from a recorded document, a county sale file, the MLS or a Florida statute cited on this page.

• The sales record is thin, so we list every sale. 7 MLS closings from February to July 2026, $414,000 to $658,600, total volume $3,667,600. The county’s 36 months to July 2026 hold 11 qualified sales at a median of $526,000.
• The builder is back. D.R. Horton bought Lots 83 to 87 on Springlake Circle on January 15, 2026 for $1,000,000 and in September 2026 listed new homes there at $609,855 to $669,855.
• A resale competes on what the builder cannot sell. A pool, a lake lot landscaped for 20 years, more square footage for the money, and a lower price per foot. 70 of the 102 lots are coded lake lots.
• Square footage is a trap. The county’s figure includes the garage and lanai. The MLS figure is living area. Mixing them misprices a home by tens of thousands of dollars.
• Roof age is the biggest inspection and insurance question. 76 of the 93 homes with county roll data were built in 2005, so most original concrete tile roofs are about 21 years old.
• The association is simple to close with. One association, no CDD, no master association. We found no resale transfer fee, no resale capital contribution and no buyer-approval step in the recorded Declaration, amendments and 2020 rules.
• The seller owes paperwork before the contract. Florida’s HOA disclosure summary, property tax disclosure and flood disclosure all belong in the buyer’s hands at or before signing.
• The listing sign is regulated. The recorded rules allow one “For Sale” sign in a front window, 3 inches by 5 inches while the Declarant owns a lot.
• Your buyer’s taxes reset, and your savings can move. The buyer’s assessment resets toward market value; your Save Our Homes benefit can be ported, up to $500,000, to your next Florida homestead.

Table of Contents: How Is This Lakes of Estero Seller Guide Organized?

This Lakes of Estero seller guide runs in the order a listing happens: who we are and what the recorded sales say, how the market and the D.R. Horton homes shape your price, how we price, market and negotiate, what the association, insurers, flood maps and tax law require, what it costs, when to list, and your questions.

Why McGreevy and Comisar Are the Best Realtor for Lakes of Estero Sellers · What Have Lakes of Estero Homes Sold For · What Is the Current Market Like for Lakes of Estero Sellers · How Do We Price a Lakes of Estero Home

How Do We Market a Lakes of Estero Home · How Do We Negotiate a Lakes of Estero Sale · What Do the Lakes of Estero HOA Rules and Fees Mean for Your Sale · What Insurance and Inspection Questions Will a Buyer Ask About a 2005 Lakes of Estero Home

What Flood Facts Will a Lakes of Estero Buyer Ask For · What Will Your Buyer’s Tax Bill Be in Lakes of Estero · What Does It Cost to Sell a Home in Lakes of Estero · How Long Does a Lakes of Estero Sale Take, and When Should You List

Can You Sell Your Lakes of Estero Home and Buy Your Next One at the Same Time · Lakes of Estero vs Estero Place: Where Will Your Buyer Come From · How Do Comparable Estero Communities Price Against Lakes of Estero · Thinking of Selling Your Lakes of Estero Home? List With the #1 Team in Southwest Florida Since 2012

What Do Sellers Say About Working With McGreevy and Comisar · What Local Expertise Do We Bring to a Lakes of Estero Sale · Frequently Asked Questions, Seller Edition · Downloadable Documents

Sources and Authoritative References · Your Local Real Estate Experts

Why McGreevy and Comisar Are the Best Realtor for Lakes of Estero Sellers

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS through Sept 5, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser sale files and parcel roll, retrieved September 2026). McGreevy and Comisar are the right team to sell a Lakes of Estero home because we price it from every recorded sale in the community, we have a written plan for the D.R. Horton homes on Springlake Circle, and we lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012, Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.

• 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

What we tracked in Lakes of Estero over the last 12 months

In the last 12 months we tracked 7 Lakes of Estero closings on the Southwest Florida MLS, from $414,000 to $658,600, totaling $3,667,600. The fastest went under contract in 11 days at 96.6% of list. The slowest took 138 days and sold 7.9% below list. Two of the seven sold above asking. We did not list those homes, and we will not pretend we did; we studied them, sale by sale, because they are the comparable sales an appraiser will use on yours.

What we bring that a generalist does not

Jesse McGreevy has lived in Estero for more than twenty years, and our team has worked the Estero market for all of them. For our community guide we pulled all 107 Lakes of Estero parcels from the Lee County Property Appraiser, read the field card for every lot, traced the original building permit on 92 of them, matched five years of county and state sale files against the MLS, and read the association’s Declaration, both amendments and the 2020 rules at the Lee County Clerk. That is the preparation a Lakes of Estero listing deserves before a price is ever discussed.

Where to find us

Our office is at 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134. Jesse McGreevy takes seller calls directly at (239) 898-6072, and Marc Comisar takes buyer and relocation calls at (239) 287-5873. If you are weighing us against other agents, the Estero agent comparison built from public records is the fairest place to start, and you can read more about McGreevy and Comisar. To start now, request your free Lakes of Estero valuation; if you also need your next home, see how we represent buyers.

★★★★★ “I have had 13 real estate transactions and this is the most professional and helpful agency that I have ever worked with. Marc actually called me with a response to my questions and concerns on a Sunday evening. The resources that this agency has access to goes above and beyond any other I have ever worked with. The professional process that they use to present your home for sale goes beyond anything I have ever experienced. If any one is thinking about selling, Domain Realty should be the only agency that you should use to represent you and your home. You will not be disappointed.” Verified Google review

What Have Lakes of Estero Homes Sold For?

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS through Sept 5, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser sale files and parcel roll, retrieved September 2026). Lakes of Estero homes sold for $414,000 to $658,600 across 7 Southwest Florida MLS closings in the 12 months to September 5, 2026. Seven sales is too few for a trustworthy median, so we list each one, then widen to the county’s 36-month window, where 11 qualified home sales produce a median of $526,000.

Every MLS closing in the 12 months to September 5, 2026

Source: Southwest Florida MLS closed sales, development Lakes of Estero, September 2025 through September 5, 2026. Living square feet are MLS approximate living area.

Total dollar volume was $3,667,600. The average sale-to-list ratio across the seven was 97.39%, and the median time on market was 74 days. The two sales above list price, on June 30 and July 17, both had pools according to the Property Appraiser’s comparable-sales layer. The median living-area price per square foot was $211.16; the aggregate, total dollars over total square feet, was $208.16.

What the county recorded, year by year

Source: Lee County Property Appraiser sale data files 2021 to 2025, Florida Department of Revenue 2026 preliminary sale file, and the Property Appraiser’s comparable-sales layer for sales after May 2026. “Qualified” means arm’s-length sales under Florida DOR qualification codes.

Single-sale years are shown as sales, not medians, because one sale is not a market rate. From September 2021 to September 2026 the county shows 22 qualified home sales at a median of $511,225, which works out to about four or five arm’s-length resales a year in a community of 94 homes.

The 36-month window that produces the $526,000 median

Our rule for Lakes of Estero pricing is to widen the window until it holds at least 10 closings and to name the window beside the number. The 12-month MLS window holds 7 and the 24-month county window holds 8, so the first window that qualifies is 36 months, September 2023 to July 2026.

Sorted from lowest to highest, the sixth of the eleven sales is $526,000, which is the median. The spread, $414,000 to $725,000, is the real lesson: in Lakes of Estero the plan, the lot, the pool and the roof move a price by more than the market does in a year.

Why the MLS and the county disagree by one sale

The MLS shows 7 closings since September 2025 and the county’s qualified list shows 6 in the same months. The February 20, 2026 sale at $430,000 appears on the MLS but not among the county’s qualified sales in the files we pulled, which run through July 2026; it may carry a code that excludes it or may not be coded yet. We report both counts and never blend them, because a buyer’s appraiser may be looking at either list.

What these sales mean for your asking price

Your price starts from the two or three recorded sales most like your home: same plan group, same lot type, same pool status, similar roof and systems. A four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home of about 2,540 MLS square feet sold for $414,000 in March and a similar plan sold for $600,000 in July, which tells you condition, lot and presentation are worth far more here than the calendar. Get a Lakes of Estero valuation built on these exact sales, or read the method on our Lakes of Estero home value page. Buyers comparing these same sales can see how we represent Estero buyers.

What Is the Current Market Like for Lakes of Estero Sellers?

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS through Sept 5, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser sale files and parcel roll, retrieved September 2026). The Lakes of Estero market in 2026 is a small, owner-occupied resale market with a new competitor: D.R. Horton’s homes on Lots 83 to 87, listed at $609,855 to $669,855 in September 2026. Resales are closing at about 97% of list after a median 74 days, and well-prepared homes sell faster.

How much supply does a Lakes of Estero seller compete with?

Lakes of Estero has 94 homes, 5 vacant lots owned by D.R. Horton and 1 privately owned vacant lot, and the county roll shows 67 of the 93 homes with complete data carrying a homestead exemption. That is a community of full-time owners who rarely sell: 22 qualified resales in five years. On September 24, 2026, D.R. Horton’s page showed four new homes for sale and one under contract. The resale count changes weekly, so we pull it live from the MLS for every valuation rather than print a number here that would be stale by the time you read it.

Sale-to-list and days on market, read correctly

The average sale-to-list ratio of 97.39% hides a wide range. The Rainbow Lake Court home that went under contract in 11 days sold at 96.6% of its list price; the Springlake Circle home that sat 138 days sold at 92.1%. The two homes that sold above list, at 102.0% and 101.3%, both had pools. The median of 74 days on market is roughly two and a half months from launch to contract, and in this community that clock is set almost entirely by the first two weeks of pricing and presentation.

D.R. Horton on Lots 83 to 87: what a resale is up against

D.R. Horton’s Lakes of Estero page, checked September 24, 2026, listed two plans in its Tradition Series: the Ellenton, a two-story, four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath plan of 2,306 square feet, and the Coral, a two-story, five-bedroom, four-bath plan of 2,596 square feet. The homes available that day were 9928 Springlake Circle (Lot 83, Ellenton, $609,855), 9936 Springlake Circle (Lot 84, Coral, $659,855), 9952 Springlake Circle (Lot 86, Ellenton, $609,855) and 9958 Springlake Circle (Lot 87, Coral, $669,855), with Lot 85 under contract. The Property Appraiser’s records show all five lots are on the original plat, Plat Book 72, Pages 78 to 83, so the new homes join the same association as yours.

The builder’s incentives

New-home buyers compare your price with the builder’s price after incentives, not the list price. In September 2026 D.R. Horton’s quick move-in listings advertised a special financing rate through its affiliated lender, DHI Mortgage, for contracts written on or after August 19, 2026 that close by December 15, 2026. Builder incentives change often and usually require the builder’s lender, so we check the current offer the week we price your home and show you what it does to a buyer’s monthly payment compared with your home at a lower price.

How a Lakes of Estero resale wins against new construction

The most useful line in that table is the five-bedroom comparison. The 3,119 square foot, five-bedroom resale on Silvercreek Court closed on July 17, 2026 at $658,600, within about $1,255 of the $659,855 Coral list price, with about 523 more square feet of living area. At the four-bedroom level the gap is wider: the 36-month county median of $526,000 sits $83,855 below the $609,855 Ellenton list price. That price gap, a pool where there is one, and a lake view that has had two decades to mature are what we sell to the buyer who walks out of the builder’s model still thinking.

What the wider Lee County market is doing

For context only, the Florida Gulf Coast University Regional Economic Research Institute, reporting Florida Realtors data, counted 1,331 existing single-family closings in the Cape Coral to Fort Myers metro, which is Lee County, in July 2026, up 13.0% from July 2025, at a median of $385,000. That is a county figure, not a Lakes of Estero figure, and we do not price your home from it. The Southwest Florida MLS shows a 12-month median closed price of $517,500 across 1,257 closings of all property types in ZIP 33928. Lakes of Estero’s detached lake-community homes trade close to that ZIP-wide middle. Owners who want this context applied to their own home can ask for a Lakes of Estero valuation, and buyers watching the same numbers can read how we represent buyers in Estero.

How Do We Price a Lakes of Estero Home?

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS through Sept 5, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser sale files and parcel roll, retrieved September 2026). We price a Lakes of Estero home from the recorded resales most like it, adjusted one measure at a time for plan, lake or non-lake lot, pool, roof age and condition, and then checked against D.R. Horton’s live prices on Springlake Circle. We never mix county and MLS square footage, and we never price from an automated estimate.

The county versus MLS square footage trap

The Lee County Property Appraiser’s area figure for these homes is total area under roof, including the garage and the lanai; its median across the 93 carded homes is 3,331 square feet. The MLS figure is approximate living area; on the six recent sales that appear in both, MLS living area ran from 49 to 85% of the county figure, a median of about 64%, because the garage and lanai share changes from plan to plan. So the county-area price per foot on 2026 sales, about $139, and the MLS living-area price per foot, about $211, describe the same houses. A buyer or appraiser who divides one price by the other measure will reach a number that is wrong by tens of thousands of dollars. We state which measure we use in every pricing conversation and in the listing itself.

Lake lot or not

The county codes 70 of the 102 lots as “single family residential, lake,” 27 as standard lots and 2 as lots beside a drainage ditch. The lake branches through the middle of the site, so most homes on the inner side of Springlake Circle and on the Silvercreek, Sunset Lake and Rainbow Lake cul-de-sacs back onto water. In a community this small there are not enough non-lake sales in any one year to publish a reliable lake premium, so we price lot type by pairing your home with the closest recorded sales of the same lot type and plan, and we explain each pairing to you in writing.

The pool

The county records a residential pool on only 15 of the 93 carded homes, which makes a pool scarce here. Both of the last 12 months’ sales that closed above list had one. A pool also gives a buyer comparing your home with a new build something concrete to weigh, and the builder’s standard features sheet shows what its homes include. We confirm the pool, screen enclosure and heater on the county card and the Village permit history before we price, because an unpermitted enclosure is a negotiation point a buyer’s inspector will find.

Roof age and the 2005 cohort

Every home in Lakes of Estero is recorded as concrete block with a concrete tile roof, and 76 of the 93 homes with roll data carry a 2005 year built, 12 carry 2004 and 5 carry 2003. An original roof is therefore about 21 to 23 years old in 2026. A replaced roof, with its Village permit and date, is one of the few improvements in this community that moves both price and time on market, because it removes the buyer’s insurance question before it is asked. If your roof is original, we price the home honestly for it and get the inspection documentation in hand before launch.

Four bedrooms or five

The county field cards group the homes into a few repeated plans. The most common is a two-story, four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath house of 2,481 square feet of living area, which appears 30 times. A two-story five-bedroom plan of 3,119 square feet appears 10 times, and a two-story three-bedroom, three-bath plan of 2,670 square feet another 10. By the county’s counts there are 42 four-bedroom and 11 five-bedroom homes. The five-bedroom plan is the scarcer product and competes head to head with the builder’s five-bedroom Coral; the four-bedroom plan competes with the Ellenton and with the 29 other homes on the same county plan, so condition and presentation matter most there.

Thinking of Selling in Lakes of Estero This Year?

The seven Lakes of Estero homes that closed in the 12 months to September 5, 2026 sold at 92.1% to 102.0% of list, and the gap came down to launch price and preparation. Jesse will walk you through every one of those sales and what they mean for your plan, lot and roof. Request your free Lakes of Estero home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072. If you are buying your next home at the same time, Marc at (239) 287-5873 can start that search now; see how we represent buyers across Southwest Florida.

Why we do not price from an online estimate

Six federal regulators issued the Quality Control Standards for Automated Valuation Models, effective October 1, 2025, because lenders were relying on automated values without checks. Research published in HUD’s journal Cityscape found that poor exterior condition alone raised automated valuation error by 4.35 percentage points. An automated model cannot see your roof date, your pool heater or your lake view, and in a community with four or five resales a year it has very little to learn from. We walk the house. Owners can request that walk-through and a written valuation, and buyers who want the same rigor on a purchase can see how we represent buyers.

How Do We Market a Lakes of Estero Home?

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS through Sept 5, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser sale files and parcel roll, retrieved September 2026). We market a Lakes of Estero home to the buyers already drawn to this corner of Estero: families who want four or five bedrooms near Estero High School, buyers touring D.R. Horton’s Springlake Circle models, and our own database of qualified buyers. Every tool we use fits inside the association’s recorded sign and display rules.

Photography, cinematic video and drone imagery

Every listing gets professional photography, cinematic video and drone and aerial imagery. In Lakes of Estero the aerial is not decoration: the lake is one continuous body of water with three long arms, and only an aerial shows a buyer where your lot sits on it, how far the water runs behind you and how close the clubhouse and pool at 9750 Springlake Circle are. We photograph the lake view at the time of day it looks best from your lanai.

Our buyer database and off-market options

Before and alongside the public launch, we offer the home to our qualified-buyer database and agent network. For owners who want discretion, we can market privately first and go to the MLS only if you choose. In a 102-lot community where most owners stay for years, a quiet sale to a buyer already hunting for a Lakes of Estero lake lot can make sense.

Our team listing site and the MLS

Your home appears on the Southwest Florida MLS and on our team site, where buyers can see current Lakes of Estero listings on our team site. Under the NAR settlement practice changes in effect since August 17, 2024, an offer of compensation to a buyer’s agent can no longer appear on the MLS. If you decide to offer one, we communicate it off-MLS, and general seller concessions toward a buyer’s closing costs can still be advertised.

Open houses

We hold open houses when they serve the home and the season, and we time them for weekends when D.R. Horton’s sales office is drawing traffic onto Springlake Circle. The association’s rules control parking: there is no parking on the street, a sidewalk, a lawn or a common area, so we plan open-house parking in advance.

The recorded sign rule, and why we follow it exactly

In Lakes of Estero the listing sign itself is written into the recorded documents. The Second Amendment to the Declaration, recorded by D.R. Horton as Declarant on March 19, 2004, allows one sign no larger than 3 inches by 5 inches in one ground-floor or second-story window while the Declarant owns any lot. The 2020 Rules and Regulations, recorded July 23, 2020, say one “For Sale” or “For Rent” sign in the front window, 3 by 5 inches until the developer has sold all homes, then 18 by 24 inches, and no other signs except alarm signs. No yard sign, no post and no directional arrows.

Why we confirm the sign size with the association in 2026

D.R. Horton bought Lots 83 to 87 in January 2026. Whether that purchase makes D.R. Horton the “Declarant” who “owns any lot” for the sign rule is a question for the association, not something we will assume. Before your listing goes live we ask FirstService Residential, the association’s manager, which size applies, in writing, and we put that answer in your listing file. A violation letter in week one is a distraction no seller needs.

Documents ready on the first day

Every Lakes of Estero listing launches with a buyer packet already assembled: roof permit history, a four-point and wind mitigation inspection, any elevation certificate or FEMA map letter, the association’s disclosure summary, the property tax disclosure and the Florida flood disclosure. Buyers touring the builder’s homes are used to having answers immediately, and in our experience a resale that can match that competes on equal footing. To start your listing file, request a Lakes of Estero listing consultation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072; buyers who want the same packet on a home they are considering can call Marc at (239) 287-5873 and read how we represent buyers.

How Do We Negotiate a Lakes of Estero Sale?

We negotiate a Lakes of Estero sale from the recorded resale record, because that is what the buyer’s appraiser will use, and we prepare for the three pressure points this community produces: the buyer’s insurance quote on a 21-year-old roof, the comparison with D.R. Horton’s incentives, and an appraisal on a thin set of comparable sales.

Price at launch is the first negotiation

The Lakes of Estero sales record is unusually clear on this. The home that went under contract in 11 days sold at 96.6% of list; the home that sat 138 days sold at 92.1% after the market had watched it. We set the launch price from the closest resales, not from the builder’s list prices, and we tell you in advance what feedback in the first 14 days would make us recommend a change.

Inspection and insurance contingencies

Most Florida contracts give the buyer an inspection period, and on a 2005 home the inspection report quickly becomes an insurance conversation. Because we order the four-point and wind mitigation reports before listing, the buyer’s agent can get a firm insurance quote inside the inspection period, and most repair requests arrive as specific items rather than open-ended price reductions. Where a credit makes more sense than a repair, we negotiate it as a closing-cost concession rather than a price cut, which keeps the recorded sale price, the next comparable for your neighbors, intact.

Answering “but the builder is offering a rate”

When a buyer points to D.R. Horton’s financing incentive, we answer with numbers: the price difference between your home and the builder’s list, what that difference does to a monthly payment at an ordinary rate, and what a seller concession toward a rate buydown would cost you. Sometimes the concession is the better use of your money; sometimes holding price is. We show you both before we answer.

Appraisal on a thin record

With four or five resales a year, an appraiser may have to reach back months or across plan types. We give the appraiser a comparable-sales package from the county and MLS records, labeled by which square-footage measure each figure uses, along with your permits and upgrades. That package is the single best protection against an appraisal that lands below contract.

Multiple offers and back-up offers

When a well-prepared Lakes of Estero home draws more than one buyer, we ask every party for their best terms by a stated deadline and compare net proceeds, financing strength, inspection terms and closing date, not only price. A back-up contract is common in a small community where the next comparable buyer may not arrive for weeks. Owners ready to test the market can request a free Lakes of Estero valuation, and buyers who want an experienced negotiator on their side can read how we represent buyers.

What Do the Lakes of Estero HOA Rules and Fees Mean for Your Sale?

Lakes of Estero has one association, The Lakes of Estero Homeowners Association, Inc., managed by FirstService Residential, and its recorded documents make a resale straightforward: an estoppel certificate, the seller’s pre-contract disclosure summary, no resale transfer fee or capital contribution that we found, and no buyer-approval step for a sale.

The estoppel certificate, ordered through FirstService

The estoppel certificate is the association’s written statement of what is owed on your home: regular assessments, any special assessment, fees and any delinquency. Under section 720.30851, Florida Statutes, the association must issue it within 10 business days of a request, and it is valid for 30 days when delivered electronically or by hand, 35 when mailed. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s current published caps are $299 for a certificate on a current account, an additional $119 for delivery within 3 business days, and an additional $179 if the account is delinquent; if the sale does not close, the fee is refundable on written request. We request it early through FirstService Residential’s resale and lender documents service so the number is known before the first offer.

The dues amount is not published, and we will not guess

The Lakes of Estero HOA assessment amount is not published in any recorded document or public page we could reach. Under the Second Amendment, each lot is assessed its pro rata share of the board’s annual budget. The exact figure for your home is set by the association’s budget and stated on the estoppel certificate from FirstService Residential. Figures on listing websites are not tied to the adopted budget, so we give buyers the estoppel, not a guess. For how Estero associations and special districts compare, see our Estero HOA and CDD fee guide.

The disclosure summary is your duty, before the contract

Section 720.401, Florida Statutes, requires the seller of a home in a mandatory association to give the prospective buyer a disclosure summary before the contract is signed, stating that membership is mandatory, that recorded covenants govern use, and that the buyer will be obligated to pay assessments that may change. If the buyer does not receive it before signing, the contract is voidable by the buyer by written notice within 3 days after receiving the summary or before closing, whichever comes first, and that right cannot be waived. We attach the Lakes of Estero disclosure summary to every offer package so a buyer never has that exit.

No resale transfer fee or capital contribution in the text we read

We read the Declaration of Covenants, Restrictions and Easements recorded April 26, 2002 at Official Records Book 3632, Page 4366, the Addendum recorded October 1, 2003, and the Second Amendment recorded March 19, 2004. The Second Amendment replaced the original working fund with a $250 “Capital Contribution” payable at the closing of an original sale by the Declarant, with no refund on resale. It applies to original sales from the Declarant, not to a resale by an owner. We read all 68 recorded pages of the Declaration, including the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws attached to it, and both amendments, and found no resale transfer fee, no resale capital contribution and no right of first refusal. The estoppel certificate will state any charge the association currently collects at closing, and that document controls.

No buyer-approval step for a sale

We found no provision in the recorded Declaration, its amendments or the 2020 Rules and Regulations requiring the association to approve a buyer, interview a buyer or exercise a right of first refusal on a sale. A buyer who will live in the home closes on the ordinary contract timeline. We still confirm the current practice with FirstService before listing, because boards can adopt new rules.

What investor buyers must know about leasing

Leasing is the one area where the association does approve people. The Second Amendment requires every lease to be in writing and approved by the association in advance, requires an interview of the prospective tenant, sets an approval fee of $100 or the statutory amount, whichever is greater, allows the board to require an escrow deposit of up to $1,000 or one month’s rent, whichever is greater, and bars any lease of less than six months. The 2020 rules add that renting out a room or any part of a home is not allowed. We found no “twice a year” lease cap in the recorded documents. We put these terms in front of any investor buyer at the first showing, because a buyer who learns them after contract is a buyer who looks for a way out.

Pets, vehicles and exterior changes a buyer will ask about

Addendum #1 allows three common household pets, with no weight limit in the replacement text, no pit bulls or animals deemed vicious, and pets leashed or carried outside the home or a fenced area; the Second Amendment adds that birds are kept in cages inside the home. The 2020 rules bar RVs, trailers and mobile homes, keep commercial vehicles in the garage, prohibit street and lawn parking, prohibit garage conversions and sheds, and require architectural approval for fences, pools, screen enclosures, shutters, paint colors and landscaping. If you added a fence, pool cage or shutters, we confirm the approval is on file before a buyer’s attorney asks. Owners can start a Lakes of Estero listing file with Jesse at (239) 898-6072, and buyers weighing these rules can read how we represent buyers.

What Insurance and Inspection Questions Will a Buyer Ask About a 2005 Lakes of Estero Home?

A buyer of a 2005 Lakes of Estero home will ask three insurance questions first: how old the roof is, what the wind mitigation report shows, and whether the home needs flood coverage. Lakes of Estero homes were all permitted under the 2001 Florida Building Code, which helps on wind, and the roof date decides most of the rest.

The 15-year roof age law

This is information, not insurance or legal advice; confirm your specific home with your insurance agent, closing agent or attorney. Section 627.7011, Florida Statutes, bars an insurer from refusing to write or renew a homeowner’s policy solely because of roof age when the roof is less than 15 years old. For a roof 15 years or older, the insurer must allow an inspection, and the Florida Department of Financial Services says a policy cannot be refused solely for age if the inspection shows at least five years of remaining useful life. A 2026 bill to widen that protection, SB 808, died in committee in March. For a Lakes of Estero seller with an original roof, a recent roof inspection documenting remaining life is the document that keeps a buyer’s quote from stalling.

Why a concrete tile roof matters here

Every Lakes of Estero home is recorded with a concrete tile roof. Citizens Property Insurance, the state’s insurer of last resort, requires roof documentation showing at least five years of remaining useful life for hard roofs, including tile and concrete, older than 50 years, compared with 25 years for shingle. Private carriers set their own underwriting, so a 21-year-old tile roof is not automatically a problem, but it is always a question. We make sure the answer is in the listing file.

The four-point inspection

Citizens requires a four-point inspection, covering roof, electrical, plumbing and heating and cooling, for homes more than 20 years old, and many private carriers ask for one too. Every original Lakes of Estero home crossed 20 years in 2023 to 2025. A current four-point in hand lets a buyer’s agent bind insurance quickly, and it tells you before listing whether an old water heater or electrical panel will become a repair request.

Wind mitigation and the 68% discount

The Department of Financial Services’ consumer guide says homes built to the 2001 Florida Building Code or later are eligible for a minimum 68% discount on the windstorm portion of the premium, because of the code’s requirements for roof covering, roof attachment and roof-to-wall connection, and more may be available for features such as a hip roof, secondary water resistance and approved opening protection. Every Lakes of Estero home was permitted after March 1, 2002. A wind mitigation inspection on the state’s uniform form, which section 627.711 requires insurers to accept, is how a buyer proves those features. A current one is one of the cheapest documents a seller can provide and one of the most valuable.

My Safe Florida Home for owners who stay

The state’s My Safe Florida Home program, under section 215.5586, Florida Statutes, offers free wind mitigation inspections and matching grants of up to $10,000 to homesteaded owners of site-built homes built before January 1, 2008 with an insured value of $700,000 or less. Lakes of Estero’s 2003 to 2005 homes meet the age test. The program’s current application window was not stated on its site when we checked, so confirm availability directly. It is most useful to an owner who plans to stay and harden the home before selling later.

Citizens and flood coverage in 2027

Under section 627.351, Florida Statutes, every Citizens personal residential policy must carry flood coverage for policies effective on or after January 1, 2027, whatever the flood zone. A buyer closing late in 2026 on a Citizens policy will face that requirement at renewal. We tell buyers early, so it is priced into their offer rather than discovered after the contract.

The pre-listing insurance packet

Owners can get this packet started with a free Lakes of Estero consultation or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. Buyers who want an agent who asks for these documents on day one can read how we represent buyers.

What Flood Facts Will a Lakes of Estero Buyer Ask For?

Lakes of Estero sits on FEMA panel 12071C0591H, effective November 17, 2022. At the center point of 97 of its 101 residential parcels the flood zone is X, minimal hazard, while the lake banks, streets and parts of many rear yards are mapped AH or AE. Buyers will ask about your house footprint, and an elevation certificate answers that fastest.

Mostly Zone X at the home sites

We queried FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer across the whole subdivision. By area the platted land is about 38% Zone X of minimal hazard, about 1% shaded Zone X, 38% Zone AH and 23% Zone AE, but the high-hazard area falls on the lake, the streets and the lot edges. The four parcels whose center point lands in AH are Lots 85, 86 and 91 and the undeveloped Conidaris tract; two of those are D.R. Horton’s new lots. That is a point in a resale’s favor that we are careful to state accurately rather than oversell.

The lake banks and why every home needs its own answer

Every residential lot in Lakes of Estero has some mapped AH or AE area inside its lines, and on 26 lots it covers a quarter or more of the lot. Flood insurance requirements follow the structure, not the lot, so if any part of the house footprint touches the mapped area, a federally backed lender will treat the home as in the special flood hazard area. The base flood elevation is 15.0 to 15.5 feet. USGS lidar flown in 2018 reads 15.8 to 16.3 feet at the home-site centers we sampled, so pads sit roughly a foot above it, but only an elevation certificate states your finished-floor height.

The elevation certificate and the old FEMA letters

Under the 2008-era maps much of Lakes of Estero was mapped in the special flood hazard area, and FEMA handled eight Letter of Map Amendment cases here between 2009 and 2019, some approved and some denied. If you have an elevation certificate or a FEMA map letter, it belongs in your listing file. If you do not, Lee County keeps a searchable elevation certificate archive, and a surveyor can prepare a new one.

CRS Class 6 and the 20% discount

The Village of Estero is a National Flood Insurance Program community, number 120260, and participates in FEMA’s Community Rating System at Class 6, which gives a 20% discount on most flood policies in the special flood hazard area. FEMA’s list of eligible communities effective April 1, 2026 shows Class 6 in effect since October 1, 2017. Unincorporated Lee County holds a different class, so a quote run under the county’s community number is wrong for a Lakes of Estero address.

The March 2027 Lee County map change

Lee County received a Letter of Final Determination in September 2026 setting March 2, 2027 as the effective date for revised maps. The county lists six affected panels in unincorporated Lee County, 12071C0576, 0577, 0578, 0579, 0581 and 0583, along Mullock Creek and its tributary. Lakes of Estero’s panel, 12071C0591H, is not on that list, and the county directs Village of Estero residents to the Village for their own questions.

The Florida flood disclosure

Section 689.302, Florida Statutes, amended effective October 1, 2025, requires the seller of residential property to give the buyer a flood disclosure at or before the time the contract is signed, stating whether the seller knows of flooding that damaged the home during their ownership, any flood insurance claims, and any assistance received for flood damage. We found no government or news report naming Lakes of Estero as flooded in Irma, Ian, Helene or Milton, and the Village reported Ian’s worst damage west of US 41; your disclosure still covers your own knowledge. Owners can start a listing file with the flood documents in it, and buyers can call Marc at (239) 287-5873 to have a flood determination ordered early as part of how we represent Estero buyers.

What Will Your Buyer’s Tax Bill Be in Lakes of Estero?

Your buyer’s Lakes of Estero tax bill will almost always be higher than yours, because Florida resets a home’s assessed value toward market value on January 1 after a sale. Lakes of Estero homes sit in Lee County taxing district 316 at 13.0214 mills for 2025 and a proposed 12.9827 for 2026, plus a $366.39 solid waste assessment.

What your own bill shows, and why a buyer cannot rely on it

The 2025 bill for one homesteaded Lakes of Estero home shows an assessed value of $271,194 against a just value of $382,351, a Save Our Homes difference of $111,157, and total tax of $3,374.05 including the solid waste line. Save Our Homes caps the annual increase in a homestead’s assessed value at 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower; the Florida Department of Revenue puts the 2026 cap at 2.7%. The Lee County Property Appraiser states it plainly: when a homestead sells, the assessed value returns to market value in the year following the sale.

The disclosure Florida requires

Section 689.261, Florida Statutes, requires that a prospective buyer of residential property receive a property tax disclosure summary at or before signing, in capital letters: “BUYER SHOULD NOT RELY ON THE SELLER’S CURRENT PROPERTY TAXES AS THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAXES THAT THE BUYER MAY BE OBLIGATED TO PAY IN THE YEAR SUBSEQUENT TO PURCHASE. A CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP OR PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS TRIGGERS REASSESSMENTS OF THE PROPERTY THAT COULD RESULT IN HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES.” We give the buyer that summary and an honest estimate at the same time, so the higher bill is expected instead of a late surprise.

An illustration of a buyer’s first full bill

As an illustration only: if a buyer’s January 1 assessment landed at $526,000, the 36-month county median, and the buyer filed for homestead, subtracting the $25,000 exemption from all levies and the 2026 additional exemption of up to $26,411 from non-school levies leaves roughly $475,000 to $501,000 of taxable value. At the proposed 12.9827 mills that is on the order of $6,200 to $6,500, plus the $366.39 solid waste line, compared with $3,374.05 on the example seller’s bill. Just value on the roll often lands below the sale price, so the real bill may be lower; the Property Appraiser’s tax estimator gives a buyer their own number.

Portability for your next Florida home

Your Save Our Homes benefit does not transfer to your buyer, but it can move with you. Under section 193.155(8), Florida Statutes, you can port the difference between just value and assessed value on your Lakes of Estero homestead, up to $500,000, to a new Florida homestead established within three years of January 1 of the year you left. Moving up, you carry the full difference; moving down, a proportional share. On the example bill above, that difference was $111,157. You file form DR-501T with your homestead application by March 1, as the Lee County Property Appraiser’s portability page explains.

The 2026 ballot measure

CS/HJR 1-F, passed by the Legislature in June 2026 and filed with the Secretary of State on June 16, 2026, goes to the November 2026 general election and needs 60% of the vote. If approved, it would add a non-school homestead exemption of $150,000 of assessed value in 2027 and $250,000 from 2028, and cut the non-homestead assessment cap from 10% to 5%. Tax items here are information, not tax advice; confirm your own situation with your closing agent, attorney or tax professional. Owners planning a move can see what their Lakes of Estero home would net, and buyers can read how we help buyers plan for Florida taxes.

What Does It Cost to Sell a Home in Lakes of Estero?

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS through Sept 5, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser sale files and parcel roll, retrieved September 2026). Selling a Lakes of Estero home costs roughly 1.8 to 1.9% of the price in fixed closing costs before brokerage fees, using the $526,000 county median or a $600,000 sale, plus whatever brokerage compensation you negotiate. The largest fixed items are Florida’s deed documentary stamp tax and the owner’s title policy, which Lee County sellers customarily pay.

Who customarily pays what in a Lee County closing

Florida law does not assign most closing costs to either side; the contract does, and local custom fills the gaps. In Lee County, which includes Lakes of Estero, custom differs from Collier County on the biggest item.

A net sheet worked at Lakes of Estero prices

These are estimates for a mortgage-free seller, built from the state-set rates and typical Lee County service fees. The tax proration uses the $3,374.05 bill for one homesteaded Lakes of Estero home and a June 30 closing; your own bill and closing date will change it.

Subtract any mortgage payoff separately. Our Florida seller closing costs guide walks through each line in more depth, and the title company’s settlement statement is the final word on any specific closing.

The documentary stamp tax, calculated

The Florida Department of Revenue sets the deed tax at 70 cents per $100 of consideration, or portion of $100, in every county except Miami-Dade. At $526,000 that is 5,260 units times $0.70, or $3,682. At $600,000 it is $4,200. The Department notes that all parties to the deed are liable for the tax whoever agrees to pay it; in Lee County the contract customarily assigns it to the seller.

Title insurance is the same price everywhere in Florida

Florida is one of a few states where the state sets the title insurance premium, under Rule 69O-186.003 of the Florida Administrative Code, so every title company charges the same premium for the same coverage. What varies is the settlement and search fees around it. Because Lee County sellers customarily choose the closing agent, you can compare those service fees.

Commission is negotiable, and the NAR settlement changed how it works

Since August 17, 2024, under the National Association of REALTORS settlement practice changes, offers of compensation to a buyer’s agent can no longer be advertised on the MLS, and buyers must sign a written agreement with their own agent before touring, stating that agent’s compensation and that it is fully negotiable. A seller may still choose to offer compensation to the buyer’s agent, off the MLS, or a concession toward the buyer’s costs. We explain our fee and exactly what it covers in writing before you sign anything.

Capital gains

Federal law may exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly, on the sale of a primary residence if you meet the IRS ownership and use tests, and Florida has no state personal income tax. We are not tax advisors; confirm your own situation with your CPA before you list. Owners can get an estimated net sheet for their own Lakes of Estero home, and buyers can read how we represent buyers on costs and credits.

How Long Does a Lakes of Estero Sale Take, and When Should You List?

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS through Sept 5, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser sale files and parcel roll, retrieved September 2026). A Lakes of Estero sale takes about two to four months from launch to closing on the recent record: a median 74 days on market, from 11 to 138, plus a typical contract-to-close period. The county’s recorded sales since 2020 cluster between January and July, so a listing ready by early in the year catches the busiest stretch.

The timeline, step by step

What the recorded sales say about timing

Of the 35 qualified home sales the county recorded in Lakes of Estero from January 2020 through July 2026, 27 closed between January and July, and the busiest months were March, with 8, and June, with 7. All seven MLS closings in the 12 months to September 5, 2026 closed between February and July. The recorded month is the closing date, so those contracts were written weeks earlier, which is why we like a Lakes of Estero listing live and fully documented by the start of the year.

Estero High School and the family calendar

Estero High School sits directly across River Ranch Road, and Lakes of Estero’s four- and five-bedroom plans draw families. Lee County assigns students by choice zone and lottery, not by address, and the district’s 2026 to 2027 enrollment plan accepts a mortgage acceptance letter with a closing date within 30 days of a student starting school as proof of address. A family buyer often wants to close in early summer; a listing that goes under contract in spring fits that calendar.

Hurricane season and insurance binding

A financed buyer needs a homeowners policy in place to close, so anything that slows an insurance quote slows the closing. For a Lakes of Estero sale scheduled to close during hurricane season, June through November, we build extra days into the contract, and a listing file with the four-point and wind mitigation reports already done shortens the time a buyer needs to bind a policy.

The builder’s calendar

D.R. Horton’s September 2026 financing offer required closing by December 15, 2026, and it had four homes available on September 24, 2026. While the builder is selling, its advertising brings buyers onto Springlake Circle who may prefer a resale; once its five homes close, those sales become part of the comparable record. We model both timings for your home. Owners ready to pick a launch date can request a free Lakes of Estero valuation, and buyers timing a purchase can read how we represent Estero buyers.

Can You Sell Your Lakes of Estero Home and Buy Your Next One at the Same Time?

Yes. Most Lakes of Estero sellers are homesteaded full-time owners who need a next home, and selling and buying together works when the sale is priced to close on schedule, the purchase contract is written around it, and your Save Our Homes portability is filed with the new homestead application.

Three ways to sequence the move

You can sell first and rent or stay briefly under a post-closing occupancy agreement, buy first with financing that does not depend on the sale, or sign both contracts with closing dates a few days apart. In Lakes of Estero, where resales have ranged from 11 to 138 days on market, we usually recommend listing first so the purchase offer is backed by a signed sale.

Buying new construction as your next home

If your next home is a new build, in Estero or anywhere in Southwest Florida, builders set their own rules for registering a buyer’s agent, so bring your agent to the first visit. Our Lakes of Estero buyer guide covers new construction against resale from the buyer’s side, and our guide to buying a home in Estero covers the rest of the Village.

Moving to another Estero community

Owners moving within Estero often compare the communities we cover in depth, including Grandezza and The Vines seller guides for owners there, and our Estero hub for the whole Village. For values across Estero, our Estero home valuation page is the place to start.

Carrying your tax savings forward

Your portability benefit, up to $500,000 of Save Our Homes difference, follows you to a new Florida homestead established within three years. File the DR-501T with your homestead application by March 1 of the first year you qualify; missing it costs you that year’s benefit. Jesse at (239) 898-6072 runs the sale and Marc at (239) 287-5873 runs the purchase, so one team coordinates both dates. Owners can start with a free valuation of their Lakes of Estero home, and see how we represent buyers for the next one.

Lakes of Estero vs Estero Place: Where Will Your Buyer Come From?

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS through Sept 5, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser sale files and parcel roll, retrieved September 2026). A buyer who wants this corner of Estero near Estero High School usually weighs Lakes of Estero against Estero Place, the newer Neal Communities neighborhood half a mile north. Lakes of Estero’s recent county-roll sales have a median of $527,500, against $694,000 in Estero Place, so your home is the lake-lot answer to that gap.

The decision table

Source: Lee County Property Appraiser parcel roll and last-qualified-sale layer. Recent sales are parcels whose most recent qualified sale was October 2025 or later; because the layer keeps only each home’s latest sale, these counts are floors, not totals.

Who should choose which, and what it means for your listing

A buyer should choose Lakes of Estero for a detached four- or five-bedroom home on a lake lot a short walk from Estero High School at the lower price point, and Estero Place if newer construction matters more than price and the budget reaches the high $600,000s and above. For you as a seller, that means the buyer who tours Estero Place and balks at the price is one of your best prospects. We market your lake view, square footage and pool directly to that buyer, and to the buyer touring D.R. Horton’s homes on your own street. Owners can see where their home sits between the two, and buyers weighing both communities can read how we represent buyers.

How Do Comparable Estero Communities Price Against Lakes of Estero?

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS through Sept 5, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser sale files and parcel roll, retrieved September 2026). Lakes of Estero is one of the smaller and more affordable single-family communities between US 41 and I-75 in Estero. Its recent county-roll sales, a median of $527,500, sit above Cascades at Estero and Villa Palmeras and below Colonial Oaks, Estero Place and Belle Lago, which frames the buyer pool you are selling to.

The benchmark table

Source: Lee County Property Appraiser parcel roll, residential parcels, and last-qualified-sale layer, sales October 2025 or later. Counts of recent sales are floors. Distances are approximate straight-line from Lakes of Estero.

What the table tells a Lakes of Estero seller

Among the communities in the table, only Colonial Oaks, Estero Place and Belle Lago show higher recent medians on the roll, and Estero Place and Belle Lago are newer. That makes your natural buyers the families priced above Cascades and Villa Palmeras who want more house and a lake, and the buyers priced out of Estero Place. Fountain Lakes, a separate gated community west of US 41, is confused with Lakes of Estero in search, so we make the distinction plain in every listing.

Across Williams Road

Directly south across Williams Road is The Brooks, a gated golf community with its own club economics. Buyers touring Lakes of Estero often drive through it. Your listing wins that comparison on carrying cost: Lakes of Estero has no gate, no golf, no club dues and no CDD line on its tax bill. Owners can get a valuation that places their home in this table, and buyers comparing these communities can read how we represent buyers across Estero.

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

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS through Sept 5, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser sale files and parcel roll, retrieved September 2026). If you are thinking of selling your Lakes of Estero home, start with a free valuation built on the 7 MLS closings of the last 12 months, the county’s 11-sale, 36-month record and D.R. Horton’s live prices, then a written plan for your roof, flood and association documents. McGreevy and Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.

What Is Your Lakes of Estero Home Worth? Get a Free Valuation in 60 Seconds.

Get your free Lakes of Estero home valuation with the form on this page, or read how we value homes here on our Lakes of Estero home valuation page. Talk to Jesse direct: (239) 898-6072, text or call. Confidential conversations welcome. If you are also buying, Marc is at (239) 287-5873 and our buyer representation page explains how we work.

How fast will I hear back after I request a valuation?

Jesse reviews every Lakes of Estero request personally, pulls the live MLS count and D.R. Horton’s current prices, and follows up with a written range and the recorded sales behind it. If you prefer to talk first, call (239) 898-6072 directly.

Do you need to see my home to value it?

For a range, no; for a listing price, yes. In a community where the same four-bedroom plan sold for $414,000 and $600,000 in 2026, condition, roof date, pool and lot type are the difference, and none of them shows up in a public record.

Will you tell me if I should wait to sell?

Yes. If the recorded sales and the builder’s calendar say your home would do better later, we will say so, and explain what to do with the time, such as a roof inspection or a wind mitigation report.

Can you value a home I inherited in Lakes of Estero?

Yes. We value inherited homes the same way, from the recorded sales, and we coordinate with the estate’s attorney or personal representative on timing and access. Probate and title questions belong with the estate’s attorney.

What if I only want to know what my home would net?

We will give you a net sheet built like the one on this page, using your own tax bill, mortgage payoff estimate and the negotiated brokerage fee, so you see the figure you would take to closing.

What Do Sellers Say About Working With McGreevy and Comisar?

McGreevy and Comisar are a top-reviewed Southwest Florida real estate team on Google. These are sellers in their own words; we do not attach names, and we never edit a review.

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

★★★★★ “Marc and Jesse were amazing to work with AGAIN! We just sold our 3rd home with them and couldn’t have been happier! If we ever move again we’ll always call Jesse and Marc!” Verified Google review

What Local Expertise Do We Bring to a Lakes of Estero Sale?

We bring Lakes of Estero sellers a record-level knowledge of the community that no listing portal or builder page offers: every recorded sale, the county field card for every lot, the original permits, the recorded covenants and rules, and the flood map measured lot by lot. McGreevy and Comisar have worked the Estero market for more than twenty years.

Three findings from our own record review that help a seller

First, builder pedigree: Lee County permits name Continental Homes of Florida, a D.R. Horton subsidiary, or D.R. Horton itself on 81 of the 92 original homes we traced, so a buyer comparing your 2005 home with a 2026 D.R. Horton home is usually comparing two homes from the same builder twenty years apart. Second, the flood story improved in 2022, when the remap moved most home sites into Zone X. Third, the county’s square footage is not living area, and we never let a buyer or appraiser compare across the two measures.

Why the community is often misdescribed online

Search results mix Lakes of Estero up with Fountain Lakes, a gated community west of US 41, and some pages call Lakes of Estero gated or quote fee figures that no association budget supports. The builder’s page gives the acreage as about 25 acres, while the Property Appraiser’s subdivision record says 50.14. We correct each of these in your listing, because a buyer who arrives expecting a guard gate or a published fee is a buyer who feels misled.

What we could not find, and where it lives

The association’s dues amount is not public; it lives in the association’s budget and the estoppel certificate. We found no public plan for the roughly 10-acre Conidaris tract inside the plat, still owned by the original developer. We would rather tell you what is missing than print a number that cannot stand behind it; that standard is part of how Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 earn trust. Owners can talk through their home with Jesse at (239) 898-6072, and buyers can call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or read how we represent buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions, Seller Edition

These are the questions Lakes of Estero owners ask us before they sell, answered from the recorded documents, the county sale files, the MLS and Florida law cited on this page. For a confidential conversation about your own home, call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.

Who is the best real estate agent to sell a home in Lakes of Estero?

We believe it is the team that knows every recorded sale here and has a written plan for D.R. Horton’s homes on Springlake Circle. McGreevy and Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 and lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012. Our comparison of the best real estate agents in Estero shows how local agents compare on the public record, so you can judge for yourself.

What is my Lakes of Estero home worth?

It depends on the plan, the lot, the pool, the roof and the condition. The seven MLS closings in the 12 months to September 5, 2026 ran from $414,000 to $658,600, and the county’s 36-month median is $526,000 on 11 qualified sales. For a figure on your own home, request a free Lakes of Estero valuation or read our Lakes of Estero home value guide.

What have homes sold for in Lakes of Estero in the last 12 months?

Seven homes closed on the Southwest Florida MLS from February to July 2026, in date order at $430,000, $414,000, $530,000, $525,000, $510,000, $658,600 and $600,000. Total volume was $3,667,600 and the average sale-to-list ratio was 97.39%. Two of the seven sold above list price, and both had pools according to the Property Appraiser’s comparable-sales layer.

What is the price per square foot in Lakes of Estero?

On MLS living area, the median across the last 12 months of sales was $211.16 and the aggregate was $208.16. On the county’s total-area figure, which includes the garage and lanai, 2026 sales ran about $139. They describe the same homes with different denominators, so never compare one to the other. D.R. Horton’s list prices work out to about $254 to $264 per foot on its stated plan sizes.

How long does it take to sell a house in Lakes of Estero?

The median was 74 days on market over the 12 months to September 5, 2026, with a range of 11 to 138 days, and then the contract period to closing. The fastest sale went under contract in 11 days at 96.6% of list; the slowest took 138 days and sold 7.9% below list. Launch price and documents ready on day one separated them.

When is the best time to sell a home in Lakes of Estero?

Of the 35 qualified home sales the county recorded here from January 2020 through July 2026, 27 closed between January and July, and March and June were the busiest months. All seven MLS closings of the last 12 months closed between February and July. Recorded dates are closings, so contracts came weeks earlier, which is why we like a listing live and documented by early in the year.

How do I compete with D.R. Horton’s new homes when I sell in Lakes of Estero?

Price against the resale record, not the builder’s list, and sell what a new home cannot offer: a lake lot landscaped for 20 years, often a pool, more living area and a lower price per foot. Have the roof, wind mitigation and flood documents ready so insurance never slows the contract, and market directly to the buyers the builder is already bringing onto Springlake Circle.

Will D.R. Horton’s new homes lower my Lakes of Estero home’s value?

Not by themselves. D.R. Horton listed its Lots 83 to 87 homes at $609,855 to $669,855 in September 2026, above the county’s 36-month median of $526,000, so they tend to set a visible ceiling rather than a floor. Appraisers value a resale against recorded resales. What the new homes change is the buyer’s comparison, which a well-prepared resale can win.

Should I wait for D.R. Horton to finish selling before I list?

Not necessarily. While the builder is selling, its advertising brings buyers into Lakes of Estero who may prefer a resale with a pool or a lake view. Once its five homes close, those sales join the comparable record and a buyer’s appraiser may use them. We model both timings for your home, including the builder’s December 15, 2026 closing deadline on its September financing offer.

What does it cost to sell a house in Lakes of Estero?

Fixed closing costs before brokerage fees run about $9,700 at the $526,000 county median and about $10,600 at $600,000, roughly 1.8 to 1.9% of price, on our worked net sheet. That covers the deed stamp tax, the promulgated owner’s title policy, title and settlement fees, a lien search, the estoppel and an example tax proration. Brokerage compensation is negotiated on top. Our seller closing costs guide explains each line.

Who pays documentary stamp tax when selling in Florida?

By custom in Lee County the seller pays the deed’s documentary stamp tax, 70 cents per $100 of the price, although the Florida Department of Revenue says all parties to the deed are liable whoever agrees to pay it. On a $526,000 Lakes of Estero sale that is $3,682, and on $600,000 it is $4,200. The purchase contract sets the final allocation.

Who pays for title insurance when selling in Lee County?

In Lee County the seller customarily chooses the closing agent and pays for the owner’s title insurance policy; in Collier County the custom flips to the buyer. Florida promulgates the premium, so it is the same at every title company: about $2,705 on a $526,000 Lakes of Estero sale and $3,075 on $600,000. Settlement and search fees around it vary.

How much commission do real estate agents charge in Lakes of Estero?

Commissions are negotiable and are not set by law or by any association. Since August 17, 2024 an offer of compensation to a buyer’s agent cannot appear on the MLS, and buyers sign their own written agreement with their agent before touring. We explain our fee, what it covers and any buyer-side options in writing before you sign anything, and our net sheet shows each 1% at your price.

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

The estoppel certificate is the association’s written statement of everything owed on a specific home. Under section 720.30851 the association must issue it within 10 business days, with a current fee cap of $299, plus $119 for three-day delivery or $179 if delinquent. In Lee County the seller customarily pays. For Lakes of Estero it is requested through FirstService Residential, the association’s manager.

Does the Lakes of Estero HOA have to approve my buyer?

No approval step for a sale appears in the recorded Declaration, its two amendments or the 2020 Rules and Regulations that we read, and we found no right of first refusal. The association does approve leases, with a tenant interview and a six-month minimum. We still confirm current practice with FirstService Residential before listing, since a board can adopt new rules.

Is there a transfer fee or capital contribution when I sell in Lakes of Estero?

Not in the recorded documents. We read all 68 pages of the Declaration, with its attached Articles and Bylaws, and both amendments. The Second Amendment’s $250 capital contribution applies only at the closing of an original sale by the Declarant, and the amendment says it is not refunded on resale. We found no resale transfer fee. The estoppel certificate from FirstService Residential will list any charge the association currently collects at closing, and that document controls.

What are the HOA fees in Lakes of Estero?

The dues amount is not published in any public record we could reach. Under the Second Amendment each lot pays its pro rata share of the board’s annual budget, and the exact figure for a home is stated on the estoppel certificate from FirstService Residential. We give buyers that certificate rather than repeat unverified figures from listing websites. Lakes of Estero has no CDD and no master association.

Can I put a For Sale sign in my yard in Lakes of Estero?

No. The recorded rules allow one “For Sale” sign displayed in a front window, 3 by 5 inches while the Declarant owns any lot and 18 by 24 inches after, and no other signs except alarm signs. Because D.R. Horton bought Lots 83 to 87 in 2026, we confirm the applicable size with the association in writing before your listing launches.

What documents do I need to sell my house in Lakes of Estero?

Plan on the HOA disclosure summary, the property tax disclosure, the Florida flood disclosure, a seller’s property disclosure, the estoppel request, your roof permit history, a four-point and wind mitigation inspection, any elevation certificate or FEMA map letter, and approvals for any fence, pool cage or shutters. We assemble the full packet before launch so a buyer’s insurance and inspection period run smoothly.

Do I have to give my buyer the HOA disclosure summary?

Yes. Section 720.401 requires that a prospective buyer in a mandatory association receive the disclosure summary before signing the contract. If the buyer does not, the contract is voidable by the buyer within 3 days after receiving it or before closing, whichever is first, and the buyer cannot waive that right. We attach the Lakes of Estero summary to every offer package.

Do I have to disclose flood history when selling in Florida?

Yes. Section 689.302, amended effective October 1, 2025, requires a flood disclosure at or before contract covering flooding that damaged the home during your ownership, flood insurance claims and any assistance received. Florida’s common-law duty from Johnson v. Davis also requires disclosing known facts that materially affect value and are not readily observable. Keep any FEMA letter and elevation certificate in your file.

Is Lakes of Estero in a flood zone?

Mostly not at the home sites. On FEMA panel 12071C0591H, effective November 17, 2022, the center point of 97 of 101 residential parcels is Zone X. The lake banks, streets and parts of many rear yards are mapped AH or AE, with base flood elevations of 15.0 to 15.5 feet, so each home needs its own lender determination and, ideally, an elevation certificate.

Will my buyer need flood insurance?

It depends on the house footprint and the insurer. A federally backed lender requires flood coverage if any part of the structure touches the mapped AH or AE area. Separately, Citizens requires flood coverage on every personal residential policy effective on or after January 1, 2027, whatever the zone. Village of Estero policies carry the CRS Class 6 discount of 20% in the special flood hazard area.

Will my buyer need a four-point or wind mitigation inspection?

Very likely. Citizens requires a four-point inspection on homes more than 20 years old, which now includes every original Lakes of Estero home, and many private carriers ask for one. A wind mitigation report proves the minimum 68% windstorm discount available to homes built to the 2001 code. Having both done before listing lets a buyer’s agent get a firm quote immediately.

Will insurance cover a 20-year-old roof in Lakes of Estero?

Often, with documentation. Section 627.7011 bars refusing a policy solely for roof age under 15 years and, for older roofs, requires allowing an inspection; a roof showing at least five years of remaining life cannot be refused solely for age. Lakes of Estero roofs are concrete tile, and Citizens’ age trigger for tile is 50 years. Private carriers vary, so an inspection report helps.

Should I replace my roof before selling my Lakes of Estero home?

Not automatically. A replaced roof with its Village permit removes the buyer’s biggest insurance question and helps price, but it is a large expense. If an inspection shows years of remaining life, documenting it may be enough. We look at your roof’s condition, the recent sales with and without new roofs, and D.R. Horton’s competing new roofs before recommending either path.

Should I make repairs before selling or sell as-is?

Fix what blocks insurance or financing: roof issues, an old water heater or air conditioner, electrical items a four-point will flag, and wind mitigation gaps. Cosmetic upgrades rarely return their cost against a builder offering new kitchens on Springlake Circle. We walk each Lakes of Estero home and recommend repairs by expected payback, not by habit.

Can I sell my Lakes of Estero home as-is?

Yes. Florida’s common “as is” contract lets a buyer inspect and cancel within the inspection period rather than negotiate every repair, but it does not remove your duty to disclose known material defects that are not readily observable. In Lakes of Estero an as-is sale works best with the four-point, wind mitigation and roof documents already in hand, so the buyer can price the home confidently.

Does a pool add value to a Lakes of Estero home?

In Lakes of Estero a pool is scarce: the county records a residential pool on only 15 of 93 carded homes. Both of the last 12 months’ sales that closed above list price had pools. We price the pool through paired recorded sales rather than a rule of thumb, and we confirm the pool, enclosure and heater permits before listing so an inspector finds no surprises.

Does a lake lot sell for more in Lakes of Estero?

Lake lots are what buyers ask about first. The county codes 70 of the 102 lots as lake lots, and the lake branches through the middle of the community so most inner-loop and cul-de-sac homes back onto water. With four or five resales a year there is no reliable published premium, so we pair your home with recorded sales of the same lot type and plan.

What upgrades add the most value in Lakes of Estero?

A newer roof, impact windows or approved shutters, a pool and an updated kitchen are what buyers compare most directly with D.R. Horton’s new homes. The roof and opening protection also lower insurance, which buyers now price into their offers. Remember that shutters, pools, screen enclosures and similar changes need the association’s architectural approval first.

How will my property tax bill affect my buyer?

Your capped Save Our Homes assessment does not transfer. Your buyer’s assessed value resets toward market value on January 1 after the sale, so the buyer’s bill will usually be higher than yours; on our illustration at $526,000 it is on the order of $6,200 to $6,500 plus solid waste, against $3,374.05 on one seller’s 2025 bill. Section 689.261 requires telling the buyer this before signing.

Can I take my Save Our Homes savings to my next home?

Yes, if your next home is a Florida homestead. Portability under section 193.155(8) lets you transfer the difference between just and assessed value, up to $500,000, to a homestead established within three years of January 1 of the year you left. File form DR-501T with your homestead application by March 1. Moving up, you carry the full difference; moving down, a proportional share.

What happens to capital gains when I sell my Florida primary residence?

Federal law may exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly, on a primary residence if you meet the IRS ownership and use tests, and Florida has no state personal income tax. We are not tax advisors, so confirm your own situation with your CPA before listing, especially if the home was ever rented.

Can I sell my Lakes of Estero home and buy another at the same time?

Yes. Jesse runs the sale and Marc runs the purchase, so one team coordinates both closing dates. In Lakes of Estero, where recent days on market ranged from 11 to 138, we usually recommend listing first so your offer on the next home is backed by a signed sale. Our Lakes of Estero buyer guide covers the buying side.

Can I sell my Lakes of Estero home privately or off-market?

Yes. For owners who want discretion, we can offer the home privately to our buyer database and agent network before, or instead of, a public MLS launch. In a 102-lot community where most owners stay for years, a quiet sale to a buyer already hunting for a Lakes of Estero lake lot can make sense, and you decide whether it ever goes public.

Should I take a cash offer or list with an agent?

Compare the cash offer with what the recorded Lakes of Estero sales say your home would bring on the market, less the costs and the time. Recent resales ran from $414,000 to $658,600 at an average 97.39% of list. We will put both numbers side by side, including the net from each, so the decision is yours and it is informed.

Can I sell my Estero house by owner?

You can, but in a thin market with a builder selling new homes on the same street, pricing, marketing and paperwork decide the result. Florida still requires the HOA disclosure summary, the property tax disclosure and the flood disclosure, and a buyer’s agent will expect roof and insurance documents. Most owners who try it end up assembling the same packet a listing provides.

Can I rent my Lakes of Estero home instead of selling?

Yes, within the recorded rules. The Second Amendment requires a written lease approved by the association in advance, an interview of the prospective tenant, an approval fee of $100 or the statutory amount, a minimum term of six months, and possibly a deposit of up to $1,000 or one month’s rent. The 2020 rules bar renting a room or part of the home.

Can investors buy in Lakes of Estero and rent the home out?

Yes, but an investor buyer must accept the association’s lease approval, tenant interview and six-month minimum, which rules out short-term vacation rentals. Those terms come from the Second Amendment recorded in 2004 and the 2020 Rules and Regulations. We share them with investor buyers at the first showing so the contract never collapses over a rule they discovered late.

Does being across from Estero High School help my sale?

For many family buyers, yes. Estero High School is directly across River Ranch Road, about half a mile from the entrance, and Lakes of Estero’s four- and five-bedroom plans suit families. Lee County assigns by choice zone and lottery rather than address, so we market proximity accurately and never promise a seat. School-time traffic on River Ranch Road is the trade-off a buyer weighs.

Is the Estero housing market going up or down?

In Lakes of Estero the county’s yearly medians moved from $357,000 in 2021 to $501,750 in 2022 and $602,500 on four sales in 2024, with 2026 sales through July at a $527,500 median on six sales. Thin years swing the median, so we price from individual sales. For context, Lee County’s July 2026 existing-home closings rose 13.0% from a year earlier.

How many homes are for sale in Lakes of Estero right now?

D.R. Horton showed four new homes available and one under contract on September 24, 2026. The resale count changes weekly, and our MLS figures on this page run through September 5, 2026, so we pull the live count for every valuation rather than print a number that will be stale. Call Jesse at (239) 898-6072 for today’s figure.

Is Lakes of Estero the same as Fountain Lakes?

No. Fountain Lakes is a separate, gated community west of US 41, recorded decades earlier, with its own association and 242 residential parcels. Lakes of Estero is east of US 41, is not gated and has 102 lots. Search results confuse them often, so we state the difference in every Lakes of Estero listing to keep fee and amenity questions accurate.

Can I sell my Lakes of Estero home if I have already moved away?

Yes. We handle showings, inspections, contractor access, the estoppel request and the closing documents for owners who live elsewhere, and Florida closings can be completed remotely with a title company. The association’s parking rules and the window-sign rule still apply to a vacant home, and we check insurance on a vacant home with you before listing.

Why do online home value estimates disagree for Lakes of Estero?

Automated estimates rely on public data and cannot see your roof date, pool, lake view or condition, and Lakes of Estero produces only four or five resales a year for them to learn from. Federal regulators adopted quality-control standards for automated valuation models effective October 1, 2025. Our Lakes of Estero home value page explains why a walk-through wins.

How do I choose a listing agent in Estero?

Ask each agent to name the recent Lakes of Estero sales and explain the price difference between them, to explain the county versus MLS square footage, to describe their plan against D.R. Horton’s homes and to show you the recorded sign rule. Our Estero agent comparison shows the public record for local agents.

What do buyers ask about most in Lakes of Estero?

Roof age, the flood zone for the specific house, the HOA dues and what they cover, whether the home backs onto the lake, which schools the address can choose, the leasing rules and how the price compares with D.R. Horton’s new homes on Springlake Circle. We prepare a written answer to each before the first showing, which is why our listing file exists.

Downloadable Documents

These are the primary documents a Lakes of Estero seller and buyer will rely on, each linked to the official source that publishes it. The association’s budget and estoppel certificate are not public; they come through FirstService Residential during the sale.

Sources and Authoritative References

Every fact on this Lakes of Estero seller page comes from a recorded document, a government agency, a Florida statute, the builder’s own published pages, a trade authority or the Southwest Florida MLS. No competing brokerage or listing portal is cited. All sources were retrieved in September 2026.

1. Declaration of Covenants, Restrictions and Easements, Official Records Book 3632, Page 4366, recorded April 26, 2002, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=5430343&direct=1
2. Addendum #1 to the Declaration, Book 4078, Page 2797, recorded October 1, 2003 (pets), Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=5991997&direct=1
3. Second Amendment to the Declaration by D.R. Horton, Inc. as Declarant, Book 4232, Page 1633, recorded March 19, 2004 (leases, capital contribution, signs, assessments), Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=6190799&direct=1
4. Plat of Lakes of Estero, Plat Book 72, Page 78, recorded November 26, 2002, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=5638176&direct=1
5. Certificate of Amendment to the Rules and Regulations, instrument 2020000167694, recorded July 23, 2020, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=2020000167694&direct=1
6. Deed of common area, Conidaris Development Company to the association, Book 4161, Page 3930, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=6096850&direct=1
7. D.R. Horton purchase of Lots 83 to 87, instrument 2026000012644, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=2026000012644&direct=1
8. Sale deed, Silvercreek Court, July 2026, instrument 2026000194243, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=2026000194243&direct=1
9. Sale deed, Rainbow Lake Court, July 2026, instrument 2026000216697, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=2026000216697&direct=1
10. Sale deed, Rainbow Lake Court, May 2026, instrument 2026000145372, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=2026000145372&direct=1
11. Sale deed, Springlake Circle, March 2026, instrument 2026000056290, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=2026000056290&direct=1
12. Sale deed, Silvercreek Court, August 2024, instrument 2024000242871, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/Document/GetDocumentByCFN/?cfn=2024000242871&direct=1
13. Official Records search, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://or.leeclerk.org/LandMarkWeb/
14. Requirements for recording deeds and recording fees, Lee County Clerk of Court. https://www.leeclerk.org/departments/official-records-services/record-a-document/requirements-for-recording-deeds-1663
15. Parcel fabric layer, Lakes of Estero parcels, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://gissvr.leepa.org/gissvr/rest/services/ParcelsWFS/MapServer/0
16. Subdivision layer, Lakes of Estero, 50.14 acres, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://gissvr.leepa.org/gissvr/rest/services/ParcelDetails/MapServer/33
17. Just value layer, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://gissvr.leepa.org/gissvr/rest/services/ParcelInfo/MapServer/12
18. Last qualified sale layer, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://gissvr.leepa.org/gissvr/rest/services/ParcelInfo/MapServer/10
19. Comparable sales layer, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://gissvr.leepa.org/gissvr/rest/services/ParcelInfo/MapServer/23
20. Hazards layer: wind design speed, debris region, evacuation zone, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://gissvr.leepa.org/gissvr/rest/services/HazardsFloodZones/MapServer
21. Field card, Lots 83 to 87, D.R. Horton 2026 purchase, Lee County Property Appraiser. http://fieldcards.leepa.org/CurrentCostCard/Folio/10474704
22. Field card, Tract C clubhouse and pool, 9750 Springlake Circle, Lee County Property Appraiser. http://fieldcards.leepa.org/CurrentCostCard/Folio/10474726
23. Field card, Tract E, Conidaris Development Company, Lee County Property Appraiser. http://fieldcards.leepa.org/CurrentCostCard/Folio/10474728
24. 2025 TRIM notice, a homesteaded Lakes of Estero home, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://www.leepa.org/Display/DisplayTrim.aspx?FolioID=10474654&TaxYear=2025
25. Tax estimator, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://www.leepa.org/taxestimator/default.aspx?folioId=10474654
26. Sale data files index, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://www.leepa.org/Roll/SDFTxt.aspx
27. 2025 sale data file, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://www.leepa.org/TaxRoll/sdftxt/SDF2025Final.TXT
28. 2024 sale data file, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://www.leepa.org/TaxRoll/sdftxt/SDF2024Final.TXT
29. 2025 Taxing District Millage Book (PDF), Lee County Property Appraiser. https://www.leepa.org/TaxRoll/Millage%20Books/2025%20Taxing%20District%20Millage%20Book.pdf
30. 2026 Preliminary Taxing District Millage Book (PDF), Lee County Property Appraiser. https://www.leepa.org/TaxRoll/Millage%20Books/2026%20Taxing%20District%20Millage%20Book%20Prelim.pdf
31. Portability: $500,000 cap, three-year window, form DR-501T, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://www.leepa.org/Exemption/Portability.aspx
32. Save Our Homes: assessed value returns to market value after a sale, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://www.leepa.org/Changes/Amendment10.aspx
33. General exemption information: March 1 deadline and the 2026 additional exemption of $26,411, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://www.leepa.org/exemption/generalexemptioninfo.aspx
34. 10% assessment limitation FAQ, Lee County Property Appraiser. https://www.leepa.org/FAQ/ALFAQForm.aspx
35. 2026 preliminary sale data file, Lee County, Florida Department of Revenue. https://floridarevenue.com/property/dataportal/Documents/PTO%20Data%20Portal/Tax%20Roll%20Data%20Files/SDF/2026P/Lee%2046%20Preliminary%20SDF%202026.zip
36. 2026 NAL, SDF and NAP users guide with sale qualification codes (PDF), Florida Department of Revenue. https://floridarevenue.com/property/dataportal/Documents/PTO%20Data%20Portal/User%20Guides/2026%20Users%20guide%20and%20quick%20reference/2026_NAL_SDF_NAP_Users_Guide.pdf
37. Documentary stamp tax, Florida Department of Revenue. https://floridarevenue.com/taxes/taxesfees/Pages/doc_stamp.aspx
38. Save Our Homes assessment limitation, 2026 cap of 2.7% (PDF), Florida Department of Revenue. https://floridarevenue.com/property/Documents/SaveOurHomes.pdf
39. Property tax information for taxpayers, Florida Department of Revenue. https://floridarevenue.com/property/Pages/Taxpayers.aspx
40. 2025 property tax bill, a homesteaded Lakes of Estero home, Lee County Tax Collector. https://lee.county-taxes.com/public/real_estate/parcels/34-46-25-E3-10000.0330
41. Property taxes: billing, discounts and due dates, Lee County Tax Collector. https://leetc.com/property-taxes/
42. The Lakes of Estero Homeowners Association, Inc., document N02000001197, Florida Division of Corporations. https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail?inquirytype=EntityName&directionType=Initial&searchNameOrder=LAKESESTEROHOMEOWNERSASSOCIATI%20N020000011970&aggregateId=domnp-n02000001197-0f69fccd-c056-47f9-b847-e7a876bdcaa0&searchTerm=LAKES%20OF%20ESTERO&listNameOrder=LAKESESTEROHOMEOWNERSASSOCIATI%20N020000011970
43. Articles of Incorporation of the association, 2002 (PDF), Florida Division of Corporations. https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/ConvertTiffToPDF?storagePath=COR%5C2002%5C0408%5C80914378.tif&documentNumber=N02000001197
44. 2026 Annual Report of the association (PDF), Florida Division of Corporations. https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/GetDocument?aggregateId=domnp-n02000001197-0f69fccd-c056-47f9-b847-e7a876bdcaa0&transactionId=n02000001197-a6552f47-2e9b-412d-9c93-ae82770deb98&formatType=PDF
45. Lakes of Estero community page, plans, prices and quick move-in homes, D.R. Horton. https://www.drhorton.com/florida/southwest-florida/fort-myers/lakes-of-estero
46. 9936 Springlake Circle quick move-in listing, D.R. Horton. https://www.drhorton.com/florida/southwest-florida/fort-myers/lakes-of-estero/qmis/9936-springlake-cir
47. Coral floor plan, D.R. Horton. https://www.drhorton.com/florida/southwest-florida/fort-myers/lakes-of-estero/floor-plans/2596
48. Lakes of Estero standard features (PDF), D.R. Horton. https://www05.drhorton.com/website/swflorida/Lakes_of_Estero_Standard_Features.pdf
49. D.R. Horton fiscal 1998 Form 10-K, acquisition of Continental Homes, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/882184/000088218498000063/0000882184-98-000063.txt
50. Resale and lender documents, FirstService Residential. http://www.fsresidential.com/florida/resale-and-lender-documents
51. Section 720.30851, Florida Statutes, HOA estoppel certificates, Florida Legislature. https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799%2F0720%2FSections%2F0720.30851.html
52. Section 720.401, Florida Statutes, HOA disclosure summary, Florida Legislature. https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799%2F0720%2FSections%2F0720.401.html
53. Section 689.261, Florida Statutes, property tax disclosure summary, Florida Legislature. https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0600-0699%2F0689%2FSections%2F0689.261.html
54. Section 689.302, Florida Statutes, flood disclosure, Florida Senate. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/689.302
55. Section 201.02, Florida Statutes, documentary stamp tax on deeds, Florida Legislature. https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299%2F0201%2FSections%2F0201.02.html
56. Section 28.24, Florida Statutes, recording charges, Florida Legislature. https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099%2F0028%2FSections%2F0028.24.html
57. Section 193.155, Florida Statutes, Save Our Homes and portability, Florida Senate. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/193.155
58. Section 196.031, Florida Statutes, homestead exemption, Florida Senate. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/196.031
59. Section 627.7011, Florida Statutes, roof age, Florida Senate. https://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2022/627.7011
60. Section 627.711, Florida Statutes, wind mitigation discounts, Florida Senate. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/627.711
61. Section 627.351, Florida Statutes, Citizens eligibility and flood requirement, Florida Senate. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/627.351
62. Section 215.5586, Florida Statutes, My Safe Florida Home, Florida Legislature. https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0200-0299/0215/Sections/0215.5586.html
63. Section 475.278, Florida Statutes, brokerage relationships, Florida Senate. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/475.278
64. Chapter 720, Florida Statutes, homeowners’ associations, Florida Senate. https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/Chapter720/All
65. SB 808 (2026), roof age bill, Florida Senate. https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026/808
66. CS/HJR 1-F (2026), property tax constitutional amendment, Florida Senate. https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026F/1F
67. House staff analysis of CS/HJR 1-F (PDF), Florida Senate. https://flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2026F/1F/Analyses/h0001z.SAC.PDF
68. Rule 69O-186.003, title insurance rates, Florida Administrative Code. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/RuleNo.asp?title=Title%20Insurance%20Rules&ID=69O-186.003
69. Johnson v. Davis, 480 So. 2d 625 (Fla. 1985), Justia. https://law.justia.com/cases/florida/supreme-court/1985/65330-0.html
70. Estoppel certificate fees (PDF), Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/lsc/documents/ESTOPPEL_CERTIFICATE_FEES.pdf
71. Title insurance overview, Florida Department of Financial Services. https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/consumers/understanding-insurance/title-insurance-overview
72. Premium Discounts for Hurricane Loss Mitigation (PDF), Florida Department of Financial Services. https://www.myfloridacfo.com/docs-sf/consumer-services-libraries/consumerservices-documents/understanding-coverage/consumer-guides/premium-discounts-for-hurricane-loss-mitigation.pdf
73. Property insurance changes, Florida Department of Financial Services. https://myfloridacfo.com/division/ica/propertyinsurancechanges
74. Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form (PDF), Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. https://floir.com/docs-sf/default-source/property-and-casualty/oir-b1-1802.pdf
75. Inspections: four-point and roof requirements, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. https://www.citizensfla.com/inspections
76. Flood insurance coverage rules, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. https://www.citizensfla.com/-/flood-insurance-coverage-rules-kick-in-for-citizens
77. My Safe Florida Home program, Florida Department of Financial Services. https://mysafeflhome.com/
78. National Flood Hazard Layer, FEMA. https://hazards.fema.gov/arcgis/rest/services/public/NFHL/MapServer
79. FEMA Map Service Center, FEMA. https://msc.fema.gov/portal/advanceSearch
80. Community Status Book, Florida (PDF), FEMA. https://fema.gov/cis/FL.pdf
81. Community Rating System eligible communities, effective April 1, 2026 (PDF), FEMA. https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_crs_eligible-communities_042026.pdf
82. Elevation point query service, 3D Elevation Program, USGS. https://epqs.nationalmap.gov/v1/json
83. 2026 flood map changes, Letter of Final Determination, Lee County. https://www.leegov.com/dcd/flood/floodways/femamapchanges2026
84. Elevation certificate search, Lee County. https://www.leegov.com/dcd/buildingpermitservice/searchec
85. National Hurricane Center report on Hurricane Ian (PDF), NOAA National Hurricane Center. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092022_Ian.pdf
86. Community Rating System, Village of Estero. https://estero-fl.gov/community-rating-system/
87. Hurricane Ian update, Village of Estero. https://estero-fl.gov/hurricane-ian-has-left-many-suffering-in-southwest-florida-including-some-of-our-estero-neighbors/
88. Adopted FY 2026-27 budget and millage, September 23, 2026, Village of Estero. https://estero-fl.gov/council-adopted-fy-26-27-budget-and-lowest-tax-rate-in-the-state-on-september-23/
89. Council summary, May 6, 2026: River Ranch Road, Village of Estero. https://estero-fl.gov/river-ranch-road-and-estero-sportspark-among-topics-addressed-by-council-on-may-6-2026/
90. Student Enrollment Plan 2026-2027 (PDF), School District of Lee County. https://www.leeschools.net/common/pages/GetFile.ashx?key=c5aKDQZk
91. School zones, School District of Lee County. https://www.leeschools.net/student_enrollment/school_zones
92. What the NAR settlement means for home buyers and sellers, National Association of REALTORS. https://www.nar.realtor/the-facts/what-the-nar-settlement-means-for-home-buyers-and-sellers
93. NAR settlement FAQs, National Association of REALTORS. https://www.nar.realtor/the-facts/nar-settlement-faqs
94. Summary of 2024 MLS changes, National Association of REALTORS. https://www.nar.realtor/about-nar/policies/summary-of-2024-mls-changes
95. NAR settlement FAQs for Florida, Florida Realtors. https://www.floridarealtors.org/law-ethics/nar-settlement-faqs
96. Florida expands flood disclosures, Florida Realtors. https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2025/09/florida-expands-flood-disclosures
97. Existing single-family home sales dashboard, Lee County, Florida Gulf Coast University Regional Economic Research Institute. https://www.fgcu.edu/cob/reri/dashboard/home-sales
98. Quality Control Standards for Automated Valuation Models, final rule, Federal Register. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/08/07/2024-16197/quality-control-standards-for-automated-valuation-models
99. Racial Disparities in Automated Valuation Models, Cityscape 26(1) (PDF), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/periodicals/cityscape/vol26num1/ch15.pdf
100. Topic 701, sale of your home, Internal Revenue Service. https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc701
101. Lakes of Estero community guide, McGreevy and Comisar. https://mcgreevyandcomisar.com/neighborhoods/lakes-of-estero
102. Florida seller closing costs guide, McGreevy and Comisar. https://mcgreevyandcomisar.com/seller-closing-costs-florida
103. Estero HOA and CDD fees, McGreevy and Comisar. https://mcgreevyandcomisar.com/lee-county/estero-hoa-cdd-fees

Closed sales, list prices, days on market and living areas: Southwest Florida MLS, development “Lakes of Estero” and ZIP 33928, closed sales for the 365 days to September 5, 2026. The MLS is a members-only system and is not linked.

Your Local Real Estate Experts

McGreevy and Comisar are a top-reviewed Lakes of Estero realtor team and Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008. Lakes of Estero sits inside the Estero market we have worked for more than twenty years, and Jesse McGreevy has lived in Estero for more than twenty years. Read more about McGreevy and Comisar, or return to our Lakes of Estero community guide.

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

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

Contact

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

Selling? Request your free Lakes of Estero valuation or see how we value homes on our Lakes of Estero home value page. Buying? Start with our Lakes of Estero buyer guide and how we represent buyers. Follow our Estero market updates on YouTube and Facebook.

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

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

Market data from Southwest Florida MLS, pulled September 5, 2026, and Lee County Property Appraiser and Florida Department of Revenue recorded sales through July 2026. McGreevy and Comisar, 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134, (239) 898-6072. Brokered by Domain Realty.