Living in Iona, Fort Myers

Where Iona sits

Iona is in the southwest part of Lee County, outside the City of Fort Myers but with Fort Myers addresses. It lies along McGregor Boulevard and Summerlin Road between the McGregor corridor and Punta Rassa, the point where the causeway to Sanibel begins. Fort Myers Beach is also a short drive away. That location is the main reason people buy here: beaches, boating water and the islands are close, while shopping, the airport and the rest of Fort Myers are reachable without crossing a bridge.

Because Iona is unincorporated, Lee County handles permits and code enforcement, and the county's millage applies rather than the city's. Zillow's Iona boundary may also differ from how listing agents use the name, so check the subdivision on the property appraiser's site when comparing a listing with these numbers.

How Iona's prices compare

Among the 20 Fort Myers neighborhoods Zillow tracks, Iona ranks twelfth by value at about $299,809, about $6,768 below Mirror Lakes at $306,577 and above Parker Lakes at $279,498. The closest neighbors on the map show the spread around it:

• Punta Rassa, closer to the causeway, about $433,314, down 12.6% over five years.
• McGregor, to the northeast, about $321,347, up 2.7% over five years.
• Cypress Lake, about $183,062, down 0.3% over five years.

For the city overall, a typical single-family house is about $352,645 and a typical condo about $216,573. Iona's all-homes figure sits between those two, which fits an area with a mix of houses, condos and other housing types. A 3-bedroom home across Fort Myers runs about $341,108 and a 2-bedroom about $214,882, useful benchmarks when you look at a specific Iona listing.

What the five-year decline means

Iona's 1-year change is minus 3.3%, slightly better than the city's minus 4.2%. The 5-year number is the telling one: minus 0.7%, against a 6.7% gain for Fort Myers as a whole. Only Iona, Cypress Lake, Pine Manor and Punta Rassa are lower than five years ago on Zillow's list. Areas nearest the Gulf, Iona and Punta Rassa among them, have lagged inland neighborhoods such as San Carlos Park at 15.0% and Three Oaks at 13.6%.

The likeliest reason is storm exposure. Hurricane Ian in 2022 pushed storm surge across much of this low-lying part of Lee County, and since then buyers have priced flood risk and insurance cost into homes near the water. For a buyer today, that cuts both ways. Prices are lower relative to the rest of the area, but your due diligence on each house has to be deeper.

Flood zone, elevation and rebuilt homes

Much of Iona is in FEMA high-risk flood zones. For every property, check:

• Flood zone and elevation certificate. The certificate shows how high the lowest floor sits relative to base flood elevation. A home well above it can carry a far lower flood premium than one at or below it.
• Storm history. Ask whether water entered the home, what was removed and replaced, and whether permits were pulled.
• The substantial damage question. In a flood zone, a home damaged beyond a set share of its value has to be brought up to current flood rules when repaired, which can mean elevating it. Ask whether the county made a substantial damage determination on that address.
• New construction on old lots. Some lots have been rebuilt with elevated homes. These usually insure much better and sell at a higher price than the ground-level houses next to them.

Lenders require flood coverage on Iona homes in A or V zones. Get flood and homeowners quotes during the inspection period.

Wind, roof and salt air

Homeowners insurance in Iona depends heavily on the roof and wind protection. Order a wind mitigation inspection. Ask the roof's age, and if the home is older, expect the insurer to want a 4-point inspection of roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Hurricane deductibles are a percentage of dwelling coverage, often 2% to 5%, and apply once per calendar year. Near salt water, AC coils, pool cages, garage doors and exterior metal wear out faster, so add their ages to your inspection list.

Condos, waterfront and the shortlist

If you are looking at a condo in Iona, check whether the building is three or more stories. Those buildings need milestone inspections and a Structural Integrity Reserve Study, and owners can no longer vote to waive the reserves. Ask for the budget, any storm-related special assessments and the master policy. If you want a home on a canal with boat access, confirm the route to open water, any bridges and the depth for that exact lot, and have the seawall inspected.

If the home will be your permanent residence, homestead takes up to $51,411 off assessed value and caps increases at 3% or CPI. Tell me your budget, whether you want water and how you feel about a ground-level house versus an elevated one, and I can build an Iona shortlist that filters out the homes that will be hard to insure.