Bonita Springs, Florida
Selling in Spring Lakes, Bonita Springs? See every recorded sale, how we price by phase, size and lake lot, the Forest Mere papers and flood records buyers ask for and the cost to sell. Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
Updated October 2026 · Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, Domain Realty
Selling a home in Spring Lakes, the Forest Mere Drive neighborhood east of downtown Bonita Springs, starts with the record a buyer's lender, appraiser and insurer will read: the recorded sales of your section and lot, your flood zone, your roof permit and the Forest Mere association's estoppel certificate. Our Spring Lakes community guide holds the full neighborhood record; this page is the seller's version, and our guide to selling a home in Bonita Springs covers the citywide steps. Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.
To sell a home in Spring Lakes in Bonita Springs in 2026, price it against the Lee County recorded sales of its own section, size and lot type, gather the estoppel certificate, roof permit, wind mitigation report and, on an AE lot, the elevation certificate before listing, and market it to buyers who want a garage house near downtown.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County recorded sales through September 25, 2026; county roll dated October 11, 2026).
You compete with the other Spring Lakes houses of the same size and section, with the 2018 and 2019 houses of Wildwood Preserve off Terry Street, which sold for $460,000 to $495,000 in the last 12 months, and with older single-family houses across Bonita Springs at similar prices.
The market record for sellers, how we price, the closing-cost math, the Forest Mere paperwork, the flood and insurance questions buyers ask, selling a townhome, condo or Red Hibiscus home, preparing the house, the tax changes, what happens between contract and closing, selling a house with storm damage, and 43 seller questions answered from the record.
List your Spring Lakes home with McGreevy and Comisar because we price from the Lee County record of your section and lot, prepare the association, flood and roof answers a buyer's lender needs, and market to buyers who want a single-family house near downtown Bonita Springs. We lead Domain Realty Group, the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County recorded sales through September 25, 2026).
Our headquarters is at 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101 in Bonita Springs, about six miles by road from Forest Mere Drive. If you are comparing the best real estate agents in Bonita Springs, ask each one to show you the recorded sales of your own section; we start every listing there.
Spring Lakes recorded 10 home sales in the 12 months to September 25, 2026. We tracked every one of them and the 45 sales of the last 60 months, separated the sections, the lake lots and the house sizes, and set aside the one outlier sale, and we price from that. Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.
McGreevy and Comisar is a top-reviewed Spring Lakes realtor, and our clients review us on Google in their own words. We publish no aggregate score, and every review we quote is a five-star review.
★★★★★ "No one knows real estate, especially Florida real estate like Marc and Jesse. Smart and savvy. They also have a great team that is knowledgeable and professional." Verified Google review
Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 for a confidential conversation about your Spring Lakes home.
The Spring Lakes market recorded 10 qualified home sales in the 12 months to September 25, 2026, at a $420,000 median, from $278,959 to $569,000, or $287.41 per square foot of county heated area. All ten were single-family resales, eight on Forest Mere Drive and two on Red Hibiscus Drive.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County recorded sales, DOR-qualified, through September 25, 2026).
| Window | Single-family sales | Median | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months | 10 | $420,000 | $278,959 | $569,000 |
| 24 months | 15 | $425,000 | $278,959 | $569,000 |
| 36 months | 21 | $461,850 | $278,959 | $569,000 |
| 60 months | 34 | $455,925 | $270,000 | $577,500 |
| Month | Price | Street | Built | County heated sq ft | Beds | Per county heated sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2025 | $485,000 | Red Hibiscus Dr | 2003 | 1,561 | 3 | $310.70 |
| December 2025 | $360,000 | Forest Mere Dr | 2003 | 1,258 | 3 | $286.17 |
| December 2025 | $278,959 | Forest Mere Dr | 2003 | 1,710 | 3 | $163.13 |
| December 2025 | $470,000 | Forest Mere Dr | 2003 | 1,694 | 3 | $277.45 |
| December 2025 | $355,000 | Forest Mere Dr | 1988 | 1,328 | 2 | $267.32 |
| January 2026 | $415,000 | Forest Mere Dr | 1989 | 1,332 | 3 | $311.56 |
| April 2026 | $465,000 | Forest Mere Dr | 2003 | 1,759 | 3 | $264.35 |
| April 2026 | $420,000 | Forest Mere Dr | 1990 | 1,455 | 3 | $288.66 |
| July 2026 | $569,000 | Red Hibiscus Dr | 1993 | 1,804 | 4 | $315.41 |
| August 2026 | $420,000 | Forest Mere Dr | 2002 | 1,409 | 3 | $298.08 |
Set the December 2025 outlier aside and the other nine sales ran from $264.35 to $315.41 per square foot of county heated area. The two highest per-foot sales were a 1,332-square-foot 1989 house and the 1,804-square-foot 1993 house on Red Hibiscus Drive, so a well-kept older house can still set the top of the range.
The 24-month window to September 25, 2026 adds five earlier single-family sales to the ten above, 15 in all at a $425,000 median.
| Month | Price | Street | Built | County heated sq ft | Per county heated sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | $417,000 | Red Hibiscus Dr | 1993 | 1,390 | $300.00 |
| May 2025 | $425,000 | Snowberry Ln | 2003 | 1,258 | $337.84 |
| June 2025 | $483,000 | Forest Mere Dr | 1994 | 1,646 | $293.44 |
| August 2025 | $425,000 | Red Hibiscus Dr | 1994 | 1,549 | $274.37 |
| August 2025 | $499,999 | Red Hibiscus Dr | 2003 | 1,777 | $281.37 |
The same 1,258-square-foot size sold for $425,000 on Snowberry Lane in May 2025 and $360,000 on Forest Mere Drive in December 2025, a reminder that lot, condition and updates move a Spring Lakes price as much as the size does.
The 36-month single-family median, $461,850, sits above the 12-month median, $420,000. Part of that is mix: the latest 12 months held more of the older, smaller 1988 to 1990 houses. Part may be the wider market, and the county record alone cannot separate the two. We price your house against its own comparables, not against the headline median.
Over the 60 months to September 25, 2026, the county recorded 10 single-family sales in Phase One's 45 houses (22.2 for every 100), 10 in Phase Two's 46 (21.7) and 14 in Phase 3's 48 (29.2). The 48 townhomes and condominium units recorded 11 (22.9 per 100) and Red Hibiscus none. In any one phase that has meant zero to six sales a calendar year since 2019, so a well-priced listing usually sets the comparable the next seller in that phase will be measured against.
Spring Lakes closings do not bunch in spring the way many Bonita Springs condominium sales do. Of the 34 single-family sales in 60 months, December recorded 7, August 6, April and May 5 each and March 3; January and November had one each. Most houses here are primary residences, 97 of 139 homesteaded, so the buyer pool is spread through the year, and a house ready in any month can meet it. The January to April season still brings more seasonal buyers to Bonita Springs as a whole.
Ten sales a year is enough to price a house against real comparables, but not enough to average away an odd sale. The $278,959 sale in December 2025 is far below the others for its size; we set it aside when we price.
Start with a free Spring Lakes home valuation, built on the recorded sales of your section, size and lot, or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
Two nearby communities set the comparison a Spring Lakes buyer often makes: Wildwood Preserve, newer houses about 0.2 mile away off Terry Street, and Woods Edge, which shares Spring Lakes' school zones on US 41.
| Yardstick, county record | Spring Lakes | Wildwood Preserve | Woods Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified sales, 12 months to Sep 25, 2026 | 10 | 3 | 14 |
| Price or median, 12 months | median $420,000 | $460,000 to $495,000 | median $340,000 |
| Single-family sales, 60 months | 34, median $455,925 | 13, median $470,000 | 10 villas, median $637,500 |
| Built | 1988 to 2005 (single-family) | 2018 to 2019 | 1997 to 2007 |
For a Spring Lakes seller the useful lines are the single-family ones: a 1990s or 2000s Spring Lakes house competes with Wildwood Preserve's newer houses on price, and the record puts Spring Lakes' five-year median about $14,000 below them, with older houses but lake lots and pools.
We price a Spring Lakes home in five steps: the recorded sales of the same section and lot type, the size and age of the house, the flood zone of the lot, the roof and systems, and a check against the 36-month and 60-month record. Each step uses the Lee County record, not a portal estimate.
A 1988 Phase One house and a 2003 Phase Two house are different products. We start with the sales of your own phase and, where the record is thin, widen to the phases next door.
County heated area moves the price most. The 12-month sales ran about $287 per square foot of county heated area at the median; the 36-month lake and non-lake medians both ran about $293.
A lake lot adds to the price on the record, mostly because the lake houses that sold were larger. We compare a lake house with lake sales and a dry-lot house with dry-lot sales.
An AE house carries a flood policy cost a buyer will weigh; a current elevation certificate and quote shrink that question, and a FEMA letter of map amendment removing the house from the floodplain (FEMA lists 14 inside Spring Lakes) answers it outright for the lender. A shaded X house is a simpler insurance story.
We check the price against the 36-month and 60-month medians and the high and low of the range, so the list price sits where buyers expect it.
Phase One, Phase Two and Phase 3 homes in Spring Lakes sell differently because they were built at different times, run to different sizes and sit in different flood zones. Phase One is the oldest and smallest and is all AE; Phases Two and 3 are larger and mostly shaded X.
| Section | Houses | Built | Median heated sq ft | Lake houses | FEMA AE / shaded X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase One | 45 | 1988 to 2004 | 1,416 | 22 | 45 / 0 |
| Phase Two | 46 | 1991 to 2004 | 1,563 | 27 | 20 / 26 |
| Phase 3 | 48 | 1993 to 2005 | 1,520 | 18 | 15 / 33 |
The age of the roof and systems and the AE flood policy. A Phase One house with a newer roof and an elevation certificate stands out.
The lake, the size and the floor plan. Many of these houses date from 2002 to 2004, so the buyer compares finishes and updates.
These are separate markets with their own associations, covered below.
In Spring Lakes, Bonita Springs, the smallest houses sell for the most per square foot and the largest for the least. Over the 60 months to September 25, 2026, houses under 1,400 square feet recorded a median of $335.99 per square foot of county heated area, against $278.23 for houses of 1,600 square feet or more.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County recorded sales, DOR-qualified, through September 25, 2026; groups built from the 2026 roll's heated area and year built for the 139 single-family houses).
We split the 139 single-family houses into three size groups on the county roll and ran the recorded sales of each group.
| County heated area | Houses | Sales, 60 months | Median, 60 months | Range, 60 months | Median per county heated sq ft | Sales, 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1,400 sq ft | 31 | 12 | $421,000 | $335,000 to $500,000 | $335.99 | 3, $355,000 to $415,000 |
| 1,400 to 1,599 sq ft | 59 | 12 | $450,000 | $270,000 to $535,000 | $304.39 | 3, $420,000 to $485,000 |
| 1,600 sq ft and up | 49 | 10 | $491,500 | $278,959 to $577,500 | $278.23 | 4, $278,959 to $569,000 |
The largest houses recorded a median $70,500 above the smallest, but each added square foot bought less. For a seller that means one rule: price a small house from the small-house sales and a large house from the large-house sales, never from the neighborhood's average per-foot figure of $299.04. The 60-month figures also carry the 2022 and 2023 peak; the three small-house sales of the last 12 months came in at $267.32 to $311.56 per square foot, so the latest sales set the range.
| Built | Houses | Sales, 60 months | Median, 60 months | Range, 60 months | Sales, 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 to 1999 | 55 | 14 | $433,500 | $270,000 to $569,000 | 4, $355,000 to $569,000 |
| 2000 to 2005 | 84 | 20 | $463,425 | $278,959 to $577,500 | 6, $278,959 to $485,000 |
The 2000s houses recorded a 60-month median about $30,000 higher than the 1988 to 1999 houses, at $296.72 per square foot for the older group over 60 months and $304.39 for the newer group over the 36 months to September 25, 2026. Age is not a ceiling, though: the highest sale of the last 12 months, $569,000, was a 1993 house. A buyer pays for the roof, the windows and the updates the age implies, so an older house with a newer roof and impact openings competes with the 2000s houses.
Find your house's row in each table, then read the latest sales inside that row first and the 60-month median second. A 1,300-square-foot 1989 house and a 1,750-square-foot 2003 house sit in different rows of both tables and should not share a comparable set, even when they back onto the same lake.
Spring Lakes and Wildwood Preserve sit about 0.2 miles apart off Terry Street, and a buyer shopping one will see the other. Wildwood Preserve's 44 houses are newer (2018 and 2019) and larger; Spring Lakes is older and offers more lake lots and a lower entry price.
| Item | Spring Lakes single-family | Wildwood Preserve |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 139 | 44 |
| Built | 1988 to 2005 | 2018 to 2019 |
| Heated area | 1,034 to 2,185 sq ft, median 1,511 | 1,672 to 2,470 sq ft |
| County sales, 12 months | 10, median $420,000 | 3, $460,000 to $495,000 |
| County sales, 36 months | 21, median $461,850 | 7, $460,000 to $560,000 |
| County sales, 60 months | 34, median $455,925 | 13, median $470,000 |
In the last 12 months we saw three Wildwood Preserve sales against ten in Spring Lakes, so most buyers in this price band see more Spring Lakes choices. A Wildwood Preserve buyer pays for a newer roof and building code. Your Spring Lakes listing answers with price, a lake if you have one, a larger lot and a long association record; a renovated Spring Lakes house with a new roof competes head to head.
The county record shows every qualified deed, including sales that never went through a listing, and it measures the house by county heated area. The MLS shows days on market, list prices and the active competition, which the county does not.
Days on market, sale-to-list ratio, active and pending listings and months of supply. No MLS pull for Spring Lakes was on file for this guide: Information not available at time of publishing (checked 2026-10-10). We pull it for your listing appointment.
Sales that were never listed, and a consistent square-foot measure across every house.
The association fee, the roof's condition and the inside of the house. Those come from the estoppel certificate, the permit file and a walk-through.
Now is a workable time to sell a Spring Lakes home: the county recorded 10 sales in the last 12 months at a $420,000 median, a steady pace for a 139-house neighborhood. Timing within the year, and the East Terry Street construction, matter more than the headline.
Southwest Florida's seasonal buyers arrive from January to April. Listing photos, the estoppel request and the inspection reports should be ready before then.
The City's $17.8 million East Terry Street Stormwater and Multi-Use Pathway Project, approved April 15, 2026, runs from Old 41 Road to Bonita Grande Drive with a 593-day construction schedule after notice to proceed. It brings detours during construction and a new pathway and drainage when done.
The buyer's property tax resets on the purchase price, and the buyer's insurer prices the roof and the flood zone. Both shape what a buyer can pay.
The cost to sell a Spring Lakes home includes two statutory lines the seller customarily pays in Lee County, the deed documentary stamp tax and the owner's title policy, plus the association's estoppel fee, commission and closing-agent fees. The contract controls who pays what.
| Price | Deed stamps ($0.70 per $100) | Owner's title premium (promulgated rate) | Sum |
|---|---|---|---|
| $355,000 | $2,485.00 | $575.00 + $1,275.00 = $1,850.00 | $4,335.00 |
| $420,000 (12-month median) | $2,940.00 | $575.00 + $1,600.00 = $2,175.00 | $5,115.00 |
| $569,000 | $3,983.00 | $575.00 + $2,345.00 = $2,920.00 | $6,903.00 |
The title premium uses Florida's promulgated rate: $5.75 per $1,000 up to $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 from $100,000 to $1,000,000.
Each column uses the 2026 median ad valorem line of the phase the example comes from, a June 30 closing (the seller's share of the year is 180 days under the standard Florida contract) and the $299 estoppel cap.
| Line | $355,000, a Phase One house | $420,000, the 12-month median | $465,000, a Phase 3 house |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deed documentary stamps ($0.70 per $100) | $2,485.00 | $2,940.00 | $3,255.00 |
| Owner's title premium (promulgated) | $1,850.00 | $2,175.00 | $2,400.00 |
| Estoppel certificate (cap) | $299.00 | $299.00 | $299.00 |
| Tax proration, 180 days | $3,128.87 x 180 / 365 = $1,543.00 | $3,850.07 x 180 / 365 = $1,898.66 | $2,816.14 x 180 / 365 = $1,388.78 |
| Sum of these lines | $6,177.00 | $7,312.66 | $7,342.78 |
The $420,000 column uses the Phase Two median tax line. Your own tax bill replaces the median, and commission, closing-agent fees, your mortgage payoff and any repair credit come off on top. The contract controls who pays each line.
The first table leaves out the estoppel fee and the tax proration, which the net sheet adds; neither table includes commission, the closing agent's fees, your mortgage payoff or any repairs or credits.
Selling in Spring Lakes surfaces four sets of paperwork: the Forest Mere association's estoppel certificate and any sales application, the Florida HOA disclosure summary, the roof and permit history, and on an AE lot the elevation certificate and flood disclosure.
The Forest Mere Property Owners Association's website links the resale portal that issues it; it states the assessment, any amount owed and any special assessment. Florida's section 720.30851 sets the rules and the fee cap.
Florida's section 720.401 requires the disclosure summary in a contract for a home in a homeowners' association.
The City of Bonita Springs permit portal shows roof, window, air conditioning and pool permits by address. Pull them before you list.
FEMA's letter of map amendment layer lists 14 determinations inside Spring Lakes, nine of them on single-family houses in Phases One, Two and 3, all issued before the 2022 map and marked "not incorporated", plus two recent letters on Robin Way. If your house has one, put it in the listing packet with the elevation certificate: a buyer's lender decides whether it still applies, and a seller who hands it over on day one answers the flood question before the buyer's insurance agent asks it.
Florida's section 689.302 requires a residential seller to disclose known flood insurance claims and federal flood assistance on the statutory form.
Between contract and closing on a Spring Lakes home in Bonita Springs, Florida law sets the clock: the HOA disclosure summary and the flood disclosure go to the buyer before the contract is signed, the Forest Mere association has 10 business days to issue the estoppel certificate, and the buyer's inspection, insurance quotes and appraisal run in parallel.
Data updated: October 2026 (Florida Statutes sections 720.401, 720.30851 and 689.302, read October 20, 2026; Citizens Property Insurance rate and flood notices, read October 17, 2026).
Two documents. Section 720.401 requires that a buyer in a homeowners' association be presented the disclosure summary before executing the contract; if it is missing, the buyer may cancel by written notice within 3 days after receiving it or before closing, whichever comes first, and that right cannot be waived. Section 689.302 requires the seller's flood disclosure at or before the time the contract is executed. The form asks whether you know of flooding that damaged the property during your ownership, whether you filed a flood insurance claim, including with the National Flood Insurance Program, and whether you received flood assistance, including from FEMA. We put both forms in the listing packet so neither one can delay a signed offer.
The Forest Mere association must issue the estoppel certificate within 10 business days of a written or electronic request, and if it misses that deadline it may not charge for it. A certificate delivered by hand or electronically is good for 30 days and one sent by regular mail for 35, so we time the request to the closing date. The statute sets a $250 base fee, $100 more for delivery within 3 business days and $150 more on a delinquent account, and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation adjusts those figures every five years: the current caps are $299, $119 and $179. The association's actual fee may be lower.
The buyer's agent will order a four-point inspection on an older house and a wind mitigation report, and the quote follows the roof, the openings and the flood zone. Two 2026 changes matter here. Citizens Property Insurance cut its homeowners multiperil rates by an average of 8.8 percent for 2026, from July 1 for new policies and at renewal for existing ones. And from January 1, 2027, Citizens requires flood coverage on new and renewing personal residential policies that include wind coverage, whatever the zone (condominium unit-owner, tenant and wind-excluded policies are exempt), so a buyer of one of the 59 shaded X single-family houses who insures with Citizens will ask the flood question too. On an AE house, the City's flood protection page says each foot of elevation above the base flood elevation can lower the flood premium by nearly half, which is why the elevation certificate matters so much.
A lender's appraiser works from recent closed sales of similar houses nearby, the same record this page is built on. A list price that sits inside the range of your size group and section is one the appraisal can support; a price well above it invites a low appraisal and a renegotiation. That is why we show you the band before we agree a list price.
The Forest Mere association's website links a sales and leasing application. Ask the buyer to submit it as soon as the contract is signed, so the approval and the estoppel certificate arrive together.
A Spring Lakes buyer will ask which flood zone the house is in, whether it has ever taken water, how old the roof is and what insurance will cost. The answers differ by section: Phase One and the townhomes are all AE, and most of Phases Two and 3 are shaded X.
147 of the 213 homes are in Zone AE and 66 in shaded Zone X on panel 12071C0657G, effective November 17, 2022. The AE areas carry no static base flood elevation; the nearest BFE line we found reads 12 feet NAVD88, and the ground reads about 13.6 to 14.7 feet.
Spring Lakes is inland, in evacuation Zone B, in the Leitner Creek watershed. The City's flood plan centers on the 2017 creek and river floods; we found no public record of house-by-house damage here from Irma, Ian or Milton.
Most houses date from 1988 to 2005; the design wind speed is 160 mph and the neighborhood is in the wind-borne debris region. A newer roof and impact-rated openings lower the wind premium.
An elevation certificate on an AE house, the wind mitigation report, the roof permit, a four-point inspection on an older house, and the current insurance declarations.
Yes, but each is its own market. The Forest Mere townhomes and Forest Mere Court recorded 11 qualified sales in 60 months between them and none in the latest 12, and the county holds no market sale of a Red Hibiscus home.
Seven townhome sales in 60 months ran from $185,000 to $385,000; the latest was $190,000 in May 2025. Order the townhouse association's estoppel certificate through its manager, Infinity Property Management Firm.
The four units sold for $180,000 to $200,000 in 2024. The condominium association is inactive on the state record, so be ready to show who maintains and insures the building.
Start with Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties and your recorded deed and mortgage, which set the resale terms.
We market a Spring Lakes home with the record first: the section, the size, the lake, the flood zone, the association and the recorded sales, in the first lines of the listing and in the documents a buyer's agent receives.
Data updated: October 2026 (Lee County roll dated October 11, 2026; Lee County recorded sales through September 25, 2026).
The street and section, the year built, the heated area, the lake if there is one, the roof year and the flood zone.
Two in three Spring Lakes homes are owner-occupied, so most buyers are moving in: buyers who work in Bonita Springs, Estero or Naples and buyers relocating to Southwest Florida who want a single-family house near downtown and I-75. On the 2026 roll, 97 of the 139 single-family houses carry a homestead exemption, and 217 of the 236 parcels in the neighborhood have an owner mailing address in Florida, so the next buyer is most often already living in the state.
Before listing a Spring Lakes home, fix what an insurer or the Forest Mere rules would flag: the roof, a stained driveway or pool cage, overdue exterior paint and any open permit. Large remodels rarely return their cost at this price point.
Roof age, electrical panel, plumbing, water heater and air conditioning age, and opening protection.
Clean roofs, driveways and pool cages; paint within the 8 to 10 year cycle in an approved color; trimmed landscaping; no stored boats or PODS beyond the limits.
At a $420,000 median, a full kitchen and bath remodel is a buyer's project. Paint, pressure cleaning, lighting and landscaping return more.
A Spring Lakes house in Bonita Springs with storm damage, an open permit or an unapproved exterior change can still sell, but each one narrows the buyer pool and moves the price. On an AE lot, the 50 percent rule sets how much a buyer may spend on repairs before the whole house must meet current flood rules.
Data updated: October 2026 (2026 Lee County roll building values for the 139 single-family houses; City of Bonita Springs flood zone information, read October 17, 2026; Florida Building Commission code effective dates).
As an illustration only, here is half of each phase's median 2026 roll building value, the structure alone without the land.
| Phase | Houses mapped AE | Median 2026 roll building value | 50 percent of it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase One | 45 of 45 | $276,145 | $138,072.50 |
| Phase Two | 20 of 46 | $312,766 | $156,383.00 |
| Phase 3 | 15 of 48 | $307,471 | $153,735.50 |
The City of Bonita Springs' flood page explains the rule: in FEMA's mapped flood areas, repairs and improvements are held under 50 percent of the building's value, counted over a five-year period, and work that reaches it must bring the house up to current flood code, which can mean raising equipment, adding flood vents or elevating the house. Screen enclosures and sheds are not part of the building and do not count, and a building already built to current flood code is exempt. The roll figure is only an illustration: the City determines the building value it uses for the permit, so a buyer of a damaged AE house will ask the City before closing.
Yes. Price it against the repaired comparables less the cost and risk of the repair, and hand the buyer the elevation certificate, any City substantial damage letter, the insurance claim file and the repair estimates. The same claim history goes on your section 689.302 flood disclosure, so a complete file costs you nothing extra and saves the buyer's lender a week of questions.
Look up your address on the City of Bonita Springs permit portal before you list and close any open roof, window, air conditioning or pool permit. The Forest Mere rules require the association's prior approval for construction and exterior changes, so an unapproved addition, color or fence can become a condition of the sale. Fixing it before the listing is cheaper than negotiating it after an inspection.
The first statewide Florida Building Code took effect on March 1, 2002, and 55 of the 139 single-family houses were built from 1988 to 1999, before it. The buyer's insurer prices that age through the four-point and wind mitigation reports, so a newer roof, roof-to-wall connections and protected openings are what close the gap with the 2000s houses. The state's My Safe Florida Home program offers eligible homeowners a free wind-mitigation inspection and grant funding for upgrades such as roof improvements, impact windows and doors, garage door reinforcement and a secondary water barrier; a report from it belongs in your listing packet.
When you sell a Spring Lakes home, your homestead exemption and Save Our Homes cap end with your ownership, and your buyer's assessment resets to just value the year after the purchase. You can carry part of your benefit to a new Florida homestead.
Portability under section 193.155 moves up to $500,000 of the benefit to a new Florida homestead within the statute's time limit.
A buyer's bill in district 017 starts from the 2026 adopted rate of 12.7942 mills on the new assessed value, plus non-ad valorem charges.
McGreevy and Comisar are the team behind this Spring Lakes seller guide, and our headquarters is here in Bonita Springs, on Tamiami Trail. Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 and the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012, Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar price from the public record and advise on both sides of a Spring Lakes sale.
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). McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, a full-service Southwest Florida real estate team; learn more at DomainRealtyGroup.com or read more about McGreevy and Comisar. Buying instead? See how we represent buyers or our Spring Lakes buyer guide.
★★★★★ "Marc was extremely professional in all of our interactions and highly responsive and reliable. I would strongly recommend his services for anyone looking to sell a home in the Ft Myers area." Verified Zillow review
★★★★★ "I highly recommend Jesse and his brokerage for any of your real estate needs. They offer 'white glove' service from beginning to end." Verified Google review
These are the questions Spring Lakes sellers ask us, answered from the Lee County record, the Forest Mere association documents and Florida law. For your own house, call Jesse McGreevy at (239) 898-6072; you are working with Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.
It depends on your section, size, lot and condition. The county recorded 10 sales in the last 12 months at a $420,000 median; request a free valuation for your number.
10 qualified home sales in the 12 months to September 25, 2026.
$420,000 for the last 12 months; $455,925 for the 34 single-family sales of the last 60 months.
$287.41 per square foot of county heated area for the 12-month sales.
$569,000 in July 2026, a 1993 four-bedroom house on Red Hibiscus Drive.
The 36-month median was $465,000 for lake houses and $425,000 for the others, at almost the same price per square foot.
Yes. Phase One houses are older and smaller and all mapped AE; Phases Two and 3 are larger and mostly shaded X.
Yes, from the Forest Mere Property Owners Association through its resale portal.
In Lee County the seller customarily pays for the owner's policy; the contract controls.
$0.70 per $100 of the price: $2,940.00 at the $420,000 median.
$2,940.00 in deed stamps and $2,175.00 for the owner's title premium, $5,115.00 together.
MLS days on market were not available for this guide: Information not available at time of publishing (checked 2026-10-10).
Information not available at time of publishing (checked 2026-10-10). We pull it from the MLS for your appointment.
Information not available at time of publishing (checked 2026-10-10).
On an AE house, yes; it is the first thing a flood insurer asks for.
Older houses often do for the buyer's insurer; it covers roof, electrical, plumbing and air conditioning.
Yes. It documents roof shape, attachment and opening protection, which lower the wind premium.
Roof, windows and doors, air conditioning, pool and any additions, in the City of Bonita Springs permit portal.
Not to the sale itself; it applies to a buyer's later renovation of an AE house.
The estoppel certificate and any sales or leasing application the association requires; ask the manager for the list.
Not by law, but the rules require repainting every 8 to 10 years in approved colors, and buyers notice.
Florida's section 689.302 requires a residential seller to disclose known flood insurance claims and federal flood assistance on the statutory form.
Not with the paperwork ready. Buyers of Phase One houses and townhomes are already shopping AE.
It affects access during the work; the finished project adds drainage and a pathway.
Yes. A rental buyer follows the association's leasing application and the City's rental permit rules.
Yes, subject to the lease.
Fix what inspectors, insurers and the association would flag; leave major remodels to the buyer.
Portability under section 193.155 moves up to $500,000 of the benefit to a new Florida homestead within the statute's time limit.
The statute's base is $250, adjusted every five years by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation; the current caps are $299, plus $119 for delivery within 3 business days and $179 more on a delinquent account. If the association misses the 10-business-day deadline, it may not charge at all.
30 days when delivered by hand or electronically, 35 days when mailed, under section 720.30851. We time the request to the closing date.
At or before the time the contract is signed, on the form in section 689.302: known flooding that damaged the house during your ownership, any flood insurance claim and any federal flood assistance.
Under section 720.401 the buyer may cancel within 3 days after receiving it or before closing, whichever comes first. We deliver it with the listing packet so that window never opens.
Yes. Over 60 months, houses under 1,400 square feet recorded a $335.99 median per square foot of county heated area, against $278.23 for houses of 1,600 square feet or more.
The 60-month median was $463,425 for houses built from 2000 to 2005 and $433,500 for 1988 to 1999 houses, but the highest sale of the last 12 months was a 1993 house at $569,000.
No. The City of Bonita Springs says screen enclosures and sheds are not part of the building and do not count toward the threshold.
As an illustration, half of Phase One's median 2026 roll building value of $276,145 is $138,072.50. The City, not this illustration, determines the building value it uses for a permit.
It can. From January 1, 2027, Citizens requires flood coverage on new and renewing personal residential policies that include wind coverage, in any zone (condominium unit-owner, tenant and wind-excluded policies are exempt), so a shaded X buyer insured by Citizens will price a flood policy too.
34 single-family houses sold in the 60 months to September 25, 2026, about seven a year, or close to 5 of every 100 houses each year.
With the townhouse association's estoppel certificate; the latest townhome sale was $190,000 in May 2025.
Start with Habitat for Humanity and your recorded deed and mortgage.
Yes. We offer discreet off-market exposure to our qualified-buyer database when a seller needs privacy.
McGreevy and Comisar, Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008 and the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012. Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 or request a free Spring Lakes home valuation.
Every figure on this Spring Lakes seller page traces to a source below, read on October 17, 2026 unless a line says otherwise.
| Document | Issuer | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Mere Approved Rules and Regulations (July 7, 2026) | Forest Mere Property Owners Association | Open |
| Florida Statutes section 720.401 (HOA disclosure summary) | Florida Legislature | Open |
| Florida Statutes section 689.302 (flood disclosure) | Florida Legislature | Open |
| 2026 preliminary taxing district millage book | Lee County Property Appraiser | Open |
| Flood Reduction and Watershed Restoration Plan | City of Bonita Springs | Open |