About Captain Mike

Local Knowledge Built Over Generations

My connection to Southwest Florida didn't begin when I became a Realtor.

I'm Mike Nabers, a Broker Associate with Michael Saunders & Company in Boca Grande. My family's Florida roots go back to before statehood, and our connection to Boca Grande, Charlotte Harbor, and the surrounding barrier islands spans more than a century.

In 1908, my great-grandfather, Gus Cole, established a family homestead on land that would later become part of what is now Boca Grande North. Other branches of my family, including the Faulkner family, were connected to Cayo Costa and the surrounding islands.

These weren't vacation destinations to them. The islands and waters of Charlotte Harbor were places where families lived, worked, traveled by boat, raised children, and built their lives.

I grew up with those stories and with an appreciation for the people and places that shaped this part of Florida. Today, I serve on the Board of Directors of the Boca Grande Historical Society, where I have the opportunity to help preserve and share that history.

For me, local knowledge isn't a marketing phrase. It's something that has been passed down through generations.

A Life on the Water

The water has been a constant throughout my life.

My maritime career eventually took me far beyond Southwest Florida, operating vessels in waters ranging from South America to Alaska. That experience taught me navigation, preparation, sound judgment, attention to detail, and respect for changing conditions.

I hold a U.S. Coast Guard Master's License, and that maritime background has become an important part of the real estate service I provide.

When I'm showing waterfront or island property, I'm not looking only at the house. I'm also looking at the water.

How do you get there? What is the boating access like? Where does the property sit in relation to Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico? What kind of dockage does it offer? How does the location fit the way the buyer actually intends to use the property?

For many waterfront buyers, those questions are every bit as important as the number of bedrooms.

Understanding Island and Waterfront Real Estate

Waterfront and barrier-island real estate has considerations that don't apply to a typical residential property.

Dockage, water depth, tides, bridge clearances, shoreline conditions, exposure, flood zones, insurance, utilities, boat access, and transportation can all affect whether a property is right for a particular buyer.

Some of the islands I serve are accessible only by boat. That creates an entirely different set of considerations when buying, owning, maintaining, or eventually selling a property.

My role isn't to tell buyers what they should want. It's to help them understand what they're buying so they can make an informed decision.

That same knowledge matters when representing sellers. Understanding what makes a waterfront or island property different helps me identify its important features and communicate them effectively to buyers who are most likely to appreciate them.

Experience Beyond the Islands

My connection to Florida has always extended beyond the coast. Growing up, I spent as much time as I could outdoors—hunting, fishing, camping, and exploring the woods and the Everglades. Those experiences gave me an early appreciation for Florida's natural landscape, wildlife, and the importance of preserving the character of the places that make this state special.

I have also lived in the North Port Estates area for many years and understand acreage property from a different perspective. Earlier in my career, I spent years working professionally as a farrier, giving me firsthand experience around horses, barns, acreage, and the practical considerations that come with rural and equestrian property.

Together, those experiences give me a perspective on acreage and rural property that can't be learned simply by studying a listing or looking at an aerial map.

I also hold a Mortgage Loan Originator License. I don't originate mortgages for my real estate clients, but that knowledge gives me additional insight into the financing side of a transaction and helps me recognize questions that should be addressed with a buyer's lender.

Marketing Property From Land, Air and Water

Knowing an area is important. Knowing how to present a property is equally important when it's time to sell.

As an FAA Part 107 Certified Remote Pilot, I use aerial photography and video when appropriate to show features that can be difficult to communicate from ground level—shoreline, acreage, waterways, neighboring islands, boating routes, proximity to the Gulf, and the overall setting of a property.

For waterfront and island properties, viewing a property from the water can sometimes explain its location and boating characteristics better than anything else can.

Through Michael Saunders & Company, my clients also benefit from extensive local, national, and international marketing resources. I combine those resources with property-specific marketing, professional photography, video, digital advertising, local market knowledge, and Island.RealEstate.

The objective isn't simply to advertise a property. It's to understand what makes it distinctive and communicate that effectively to the right buyers.

Areas I Know and Serve

My primary real estate focus includes:

• Boca Grande and Gasparilla Island
• Little Gasparilla Island
• Useppa Island
• Cayo Costa
• Placida
• Cape Haze
• Bokeelia
• Charlotte Harbor
• North Port Estates
• Englewood
• Punta Gorda and surrounding Southwest Florida communities

My work includes waterfront homes, island homes, luxury properties, boat-access properties, acreage, vacant land, waterfront lots, and other properties where local knowledge can make a meaningful difference.

Professional Credentials

• Broker Associate — Michael Saunders & Company, Boca Grande
• Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker
• U.S. Coast Guard Master's License
• FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
• Licensed Mortgage Loan Originator
• Board Member — Boca Grande Historical Society

Local Knowledge. Maritime Expertise. Powerful Marketing.

Southwest Florida has changed considerably during my lifetime, but the water, islands, woods, and communities surrounding Charlotte Harbor remain extraordinary places.

I believe buyers deserve someone who understands more than the current listings, and sellers deserve someone capable of explaining what makes their property and its location different.

That's the approach I bring to my real estate business: professional representation backed by generations of local knowledge, a lifetime of maritime experience, and powerful marketing.

If you're considering buying or selling in Boca Grande, Little Gasparilla Island, Useppa Island, Cayo Costa, Placida, Cape Haze, North Port Estates, or elsewhere around Charlotte Harbor, I'm always glad to talk about the property, the water, the market, or the area.