More Than a Home: Real Resident Stories From Miromar Lakes

A group of Miromar Lakes homeowners reflect on what drew them here, what made them stay, and the connections that turned neighbors into lifelong friends.

There’s a moment residents return to more than once. Each describes it slightly differently, but they always arrive at the same feeling. It happens just after passing through the iron gates at Miromar Lakes, when the landscape opens and the lake comes into view.

Sunlight glimmers off the water. A sailboat drifts in the distance. There is an immediate sense that you have arrived somewhere intentional.

At Miromar Lakes, exclusivity may be what draws you in. But as residents echo one another’s sentiments, it becomes clear that it is the sense of belonging, the friendships formed over time, the generosity of neighbors, and the quiet understanding that you are part of something larger that defines what comes next.

For many, the journey begins with a search for a Florida home, though no two paths look exactly the same.

Kathy Courtnage: Four Homes, Twenty Years, One Community

For many, the journey to living at Miromar Lakes begins with a search for a Florida home. Kathy Courtnage, a resident of more than two decades, has lived in four different homes throughout the community. Each one marks a new chapter. As she begins her story, others around her smile, already familiar with how it starts.

It began with a recommendation from an unexpected source. A waitress in Naples, when asked where she would live if she could choose anywhere, answered without hesitation, “Miromar Lakes!”

Within days, Kathy and her husband Larry were touring the community. Within weeks, they had purchased their first home.

What followed was not just a series of moves. It was a deepening connection to both place and people.

“Every neighborhood we’ve lived in, we’ve become very close to our neighbors,” she says, as others nod in agreement.

That closeness, she explains, is not incidental. It is cultivated. She recalls a neighbor in her first community who hosted weekly gatherings, opening her home to everyone on the street. Inspired, Kathy carried that tradition forward.

“She’d host one week, and I’d host the next,” she says, as a few voices chime in, laughing and affirming her reputation as a natural host.

Years later, in a new neighborhood and in the midst of a global pause, she found herself once again starting from scratch.

“I said, ‘I don’t know my neighbors, I’ve got to do something.’ So we had a barbecue.”

More than 50 people showed up from a single street.

It is this instinct to gather, to include, and to extend beyond one’s immediate circle that quietly shapes the culture of Miromar Lakes. The group seems to agree without needing to say it outright.

Phyllis & AJ Jones: The Connections You Notice When They’re Gone

For Phyllis and AJ Jones, the difference is very noticeable when they leave. After spending months at their home in Maryland, they found themselves missing the everyday interactions they had come to expect.

“We didn’t see our neighbors there,” AJ explains. “Here, even when we’re away, people check in. They call us.”

It is a sentiment echoed across many Miromar Lakes resident testimonials. Connections here do not pause when you leave.

Their journey spanned years and coastlines before returning to Southwest Florida with a clear vision. They wanted space for family, room for grandchildren, and a home that felt both expansive and connected.

As they describe it, others lean in and add their own parallels. The shared priorities that brought them here become clear.

Gregg Bohn & Mary Schafer: Where Everyday Details Matter

For Gregg Bohn and Mary Schafer, it is often the smaller, everyday details that define the experience.

The landscaping is meticulously maintained year-round. Evenings are spent seated by the water at the Blue Water Beach Grill. Hosting friends feels easy in a setting that is both refined and relaxed.

“Not every community has that,” they note. “And it makes a difference.”

These everyday moments elevate the experience of living in a luxury lake community in Southwest Florida.

JT Steffey: From Part-Time Retreat to Permanent Home

JT Steffey’s search began in Naples, ideally within walking distance of Fifth Avenue. But something was missing. “None of the homes felt like what we wanted,” she recalls.

It wasn’t until she arrived at Miromar Lakes, drawn by the Arthur Hills Signature Golf Course, the Amenities and a level of accessibility that felt almost effortless that everything shifted.

“We thought we’d be here part-time,” she says. “But once we moved into our single-family home, that changed everything.”

Visits turned into everyday living: family gathered at the 10,000-square-foot infinity pool and the simple luxury of amenities proximity.

Life Inside the Community

The community naturally organizes itself into smaller neighborhoods, from the peninsula to the golf course. This creates intimate friend circles between neighbors.

As the group talks through it, the overlap becomes clear. There are shared dinners, familiar faces at the clubhouse, and impromptu plans formed while playing putt-putt on the newly completed 9-hole course or waiting on a court. Pickleball, in particular, has become a social cornerstone for this group of friends.

What began as a small gathering has grown organically. It is shaped as much by friendship as by the game itself. Lessons lead to introductions. Introductions lead to invitations.

“It’s not hard to get people to come along,” Kathy shares, as others laugh in agreement. “You start talking, and suddenly you’re making plans.”

That ease is something they return to again and again. Each story reinforces the next.

There is a clear level of refinement here. The homes are often custom-built and thoughtfully designed. The amenities are expansive and consistently maintained. The setting is centered around water, light, and open space.

But as the conversation continues, what distinguishes Miromar Lakes becomes clear. This is not a place where luxury exists at a distance. It is something lived in, shared, and continually renewed through the people who call it home.

Calendars fill quickly here, though never out of obligation. There are holiday gatherings, dinners with neighbors, evenings at the club, and mornings on the courts. There is always something unfolding, and always someone to share it with.

“It’s very high-end,” Kathy says. “We love that.” She pauses, and the group quiets slightly, as if anticipating what comes next. “But it’s the people. That’s what keeps us here.”

Experience Living at Miromar Lakes

There is, undeniably, a level of refinement at Miromar Lakes.

• Custom-built homes.
• Expansive amenities and event calendar.
• A neighborhood setting defined by boating and golfing.

But what distinguishes Miromar Lakes isn’t just the luxury, it’s how that luxury is experienced.

“It’s very high-end. We love that. But it’s the people. That’s what keeps us here.” Kathy says.

Explore available homes, amenities, and the lifestyle that continues to turn first impressions into lifelong connections.