Should You Buy a Lakefront or an Off-Lake Home in WildBlue, Fort Myers?

The dock. In WildBlue, a lakefront homeowner can build a private boat dock behind the house, while a resident on an off-lake lot reaches the same lakes through the community boat ramp and marina. Every resident can use the water; what you are deciding is whether the boat lives in your backyard or a short drive away, and whether the lake is your view every day or a place you go.

I am Kris Asquith, Broker Associate at Premiere Plus Realty, and WildBlue is one of the communities I work in most often inside Fort Myers. It sits off Corkscrew Road in southern Fort Myers at the Estero border, built around three large, deep freshwater lakes that were once limestone quarries and now cover more than 800 acres. Residents powerboat, water ski, wakeboard, kayak and paddleboard on them. This article walks through what changes between the two kinds of lot so you can decide which one fits how you would use the place.

Lakefront homeowners in WildBlue can build private boat docks, and that right is the single biggest reason buyers pay attention to the lakefront lots. What the right does not tell you is what a particular dock will look like, so treat each lot on its own:

• Is there a dock already? On a resale, find out whether one was built, when, and whether it was approved and permitted. Ask for the paperwork rather than assuming.
• What does the association allow? Ask for the community's written rules on docks and lifts: size, placement, materials and the approval process. Read them before you plan around a particular boat.
• On new construction, is a dock part of the build? Ask the builder directly whether a dock is included, offered as an option or left for you to add later, and get the answer in writing.
• What boat do you want to keep there? Bring its length and weight to the conversation with the association and a dock contractor, because the rules and the shoreline decide what fits, not the brochure.

Through the community boat ramp and marina, which serve residents who do not have a dock of their own. For someone who wants to ski or wakeboard on a weekend morning, that can be all the access they need, and the off-lake lot leaves the rest of the backyard for a pool, a lanai or a garden.

The practical questions are about the routine, not the right. Ask how the ramp and marina work day to day: where a trailer and a boat are kept when they are not in use, whether storage is offered and on what terms, and what the association's rules say about keeping a boat or trailer at the house. If you plan to launch often, those answers shape your week far more than the view from the kitchen does. And if you would rather paddle than power, a kayak or paddleboard is a much easier thing to bring to the water from any lot.

No. Plenty of buyers choose a lakefront home for the water view and the open space behind the house rather than for boating. A lakefront lot in WildBlue looks out over a large, deep lake instead of the back of another home, and the wider outlook is a real part of what you are buying even if a boat never comes into the picture.

Remember what kind of lake it is, though. These are active lakes where people drive powerboats and pull skiers and wakeboarders, so a lakefront home also sees and hears that activity. Visit at the times you would actually be home, a weekend morning and a weekday afternoon, and sit out back for a while. Some buyers want to watch the water busy with boats; others would rather look out on a quieter edge of the community. Both are reasonable, and an afternoon on the lot tells you which one you are.

Find out exactly what sits between the yard and the water, and who looks after it. Lake edges are built and maintained in different ways, and the community documents set out who is responsible for the bank, any wall or rock along it, and the plantings at the water's edge. Read that section before you buy, and ask the association whether any shoreline work is planned or has been done near the lot.

Then have it looked at. Ask your inspector to note the condition of the bank, any wall or dock, and the drainage across the yard toward the lake. Look at which way the back of the home faces too. A lanai facing west takes the afternoon sun straight off the water, which some buyers love and others would rather avoid, and it changes how the outdoor space feels for much of the year.

It can, so price both before you decide. Flood insurance in Florida turns on a home's flood zone and its elevation, and two homes in the same community can land in different places on both. Ask for the elevation certificate on any home you are serious about and get a flood quote early, before your inspection period ends. My article on flood insurance in a lake community like WildBlue explains what drives that number.

A private dock is also a structure you own and maintain, so add its upkeep and any lift service to your budget, and ask your insurance agent how a dock is treated on a homeowners policy. Off-lake, the costs to ask about are ramp, marina or storage charges if you keep a boat. On either kind of lot, read the association's budget and fee schedule so you know what your dues cover. My guide to WildBlue's amenities without a golf course covers the pool, fitness, tennis, pickleball and waterfront restaurant your dues support.

No. WildBlue's lakes are freshwater and inland. The private docks, the ramp and the marina all serve the lakes, not the Gulf of Mexico, so a dock here is for lake boating. If reaching the Gulf by boat from your own backyard is the goal, you are looking for a different kind of property altogether, such as a canal, river or bay home with a route out. If what you want is a large private lake for skiing, wakeboarding and paddling without tides, WildBlue was built for exactly that. My comparison of WildBlue and Esplanade Lake Club shows how it lines up against the other big lake community nearby.

Start with how often you would really be on the water. If you picture a boat on the lift and a run across the lake before breakfast, a lakefront lot with dock rights is what you are buying, and the dock rules, the shoreline and the orientation are worth as much attention as the house. If the water is something you would enjoy on some weekends, an off-lake home with the ramp and marina close by gives you the same lakes with a different backyard and a different set of costs. Either way, walk the lot, read the documents and price the insurance before you commit.

You can see how I take buyers from the first tour to the closing table on my home buying process page. If WildBlue is on your list, get in touch or call (239) 300-1427, and we can look at lakefront and off-lake homes side by side and work out which one fits the way you want to live on the water.

This article is a general overview and is not legal or insurance advice. The community's governing documents, your purchase contract and your insurer's terms govern any purchase.