Longboat Key, FL
The Bayou
Custom single-family homes behind the Bay Isles gates, with sites on the Bay Isles Waterway, along the golf course, or over the lakes. Deeded Beach Club access and optional Longboat Key Club membership come with the address. The county roll assesses 358 units across 9 plats, built 1956 to 2006, rising 3 floors, in both Manatee and Sarasota counties, since the line runs through it.
Price Range
Est. $1M to $3M
Home Types
Single-family (custom)
Total Homes
358 units
Amenity Level
Medium
Amenities & lifestyle
- Deeded Bay Isles Beach Club access
- Optional Longboat Key Club membership
Michael’s Take
County roll: 358 units, built 1956 to 2006, 3 floors, assessed in Manatee/Sarasota County. Recorded across 9 separate plats, so confirm which one a listing sits in. No CDD; Longboat Key carries none.
How The Bayou compares
From the county records
$540,000
Median of 8 recorded sales since October 2023, the middle eighty percent between $525,000 and $610,000.
12%
Of the 32 finished houses here carry a homestead exemption, which reads as almost entirely second homes, rentals and investors.
Newest building completed 1973. The roll records no completions here in the last three years, so this is a built-out community rather than one still being delivered.
Arm’s-length sales recorded with Manatee County, read October 2026. Quitclaims, foreclosures, family transfers and pre-construction sales are excluded. Homestead requires the property to be a permanent residence, so the share carrying one is a strong proxy for how many owners live here full time, not a census of them.
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The Bayou FAQ
How much do homes in The Bayou cost?+
Homes in The Bayou are generally priced in the Est. $1M to $3M range. Pricing moves with the market and varies by floor plan, lot, and incentives, so reach out for the most current numbers.
What kind of homes are in The Bayou?+
The Bayou offers single-family (custom). As single-family housing, the roof, the exterior and the insurance on the structure are yours rather than an association's, which is the main practical difference from a villa or condominium. What a specific home includes, and what the association maintains, is set out in that community's documents and is worth reading before an offer rather than after.
Is golf membership required at The Bayou?+
Golf is central to The Bayou, but living in a golf community and holding a golf membership are two different things and the distinction costs real money. Membership structures vary: some are required with the home, some optional, some sold separately to non-residents, and some carry a waiting list. Confirm which applies to the specific address, and the current dues, directly with the club before relying on it.
What amenities does The Bayou have?+
The Bayou offers Deeded Bay Isles Beach Club access, Optional Longboat Key Club membership. Worth separating two things that often get blurred together: amenities the HOA maintains and which every owner pays for, and club or golf facilities that may require a separate membership on top. Which category each amenity falls into determines your actual annual cost, and it is set out in the community documents rather than in any listing.
What have homes in The Bayou actually sold for?+
8 arm's-length sales have been recorded in The Bayou since October 2023, at a median of $540,000. The middle eighty percent of those sales fell between $525,000 and $610,000, which is a better guide to the range than the extremes. These are prices recorded with Manatee County, not asking prices, so they describe what buyers and sellers actually agreed. Figures read October 2026; quitclaims, foreclosures and family transfers are excluded.
Do people live in The Bayou year round?+
12% of the 32 finished homes in The Bayou carry a homestead exemption, which Florida grants only on an owner's permanent residence. That reads as almost entirely second homes, rentals and investors. It is a strong proxy rather than a census, since an owner who lives there but never filed does not appear in it, but it is the most direct public signal of how occupied a community is outside the winter.
Is The Bayou still being built?+
The most recent home the county records in The Bayou was completed in 1973, across 33 platted parcels of which 32 carry a finished home. The county records no completions here in the last three years, so The Bayou is built out and what trades is resale rather than new construction. Build year matters more in Florida than buyers expect, because insurers weight roof age heavily and it drives what a property costs to carry rather than just what it costs to buy.