We Buy Houses in Lee County

One county, very different properties

A canal home in Cape Coral, a 1920s house near downtown Fort Myers, a golf-community villa in Estero, and a rental on a quarter-acre lot in Lehigh Acres share a county, but they sell for different reasons and to different buyers. Our team has been buying as-is properties for more than 10 years, and we look at each Lee County property on its own facts: flood zone, elevation, roof, seawall, association, and permit history.

You don't need to repair, clean out, or list anything. We make a cash offer, show you how we got there, and you decide whether it works for you.

Hurricane Ian and the 50 percent rule

Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa on September 28, 2022, and pushed catastrophic storm surge into Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Cape Coral, and Fort Myers. Sections of the Sanibel Causeway washed out. Two years later, Hurricane Milton came ashore near Siesta Key in Sarasota County and brought another round of wind and water to the region.

For flooded homes in a flood zone, FEMA's substantial damage rule often decides what happens next. If repair costs reach 50 percent of the structure's market value, the building generally has to be brought up to current floodplain standards, which can mean elevating it or tearing it down. Lee County reviews homes in unincorporated areas, and each city reviews its own, so the answer depends on where the house sits. Some owners now hold a home they can't afford to rebuild to that standard. We buy those homes as they are.

Since October 1, 2025, Florida sellers must also disclose past flood insurance claims and federal flood assistance, such as FEMA grants. We ask about both early so nothing surprises anyone at closing.

Incorporated or not: who handles your permits

Lee County has six incorporated municipalities: Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, and Sanibel. Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers, Pine Island, and many neighborhoods with a Fort Myers mailing address, such as Iona and San Carlos Park, are unincorporated, so Lee County handles building permits, code enforcement, and flood reviews there.

Open permits and code liens are recorded by whichever government has jurisdiction. We check the right one for your address before we make an offer.

Lee County properties we buy

• Homes on freshwater and Gulf-access canals, including ones with damaged seawalls or docks
• Flood-damaged houses facing a substantial damage determination
• Villas, condos, and coach homes in golf and 55+ communities
• Rental houses and duplexes, with or without tenants
• Manufactured homes on land you own
• Vacant residential lots and teardowns
• Inherited homes, including those still in probate

Assessments, districts, and court cases

Documentary stamp tax on a Lee County deed is $0.70 per $100 of the sale price, and your contract states who pays it and every other closing cost. Many newer master-planned communities in the county sit inside Community Development Districts, and those assessments appear on the property tax bill. In Cape Coral, utility extension assessments can show up there too. The title company finds these balances and settles them at closing.

Probate and foreclosure cases in Lee County are handled by Florida's 20th Judicial Circuit. If your property is part of a case, share the case number, and we can write a contract that follows the court's timeline.

Frequently asked questions