Punta Gorda real estate experienced an intense growth phase starting in 1959 with the creation of Punta Gorda Isles, a neighborhood of canal-front home sites. Entrepreneurs Al Johns, Bud Cole and Sam Burchers laid out 55 miles of canals (100 feet wide and 17 feet deep) using dredged sand to raise the level of the canal front land. This provided the home sites of Punta Gorda Isles with water access to Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico.

Johns went on to develop several other communities in Punta Gorda, among which were Burnt Isles, another waterfront community with a golf course, and Seminole Lakes, a golf community. These communities provided the waterfront or golf course homes with easy access to a downtown with shopping, restaurants, and parks.

Johns was ultimately responsible for developing 4000 lots in Punta Gorda Isles, Burnt Store Isles, Burnt Store Meadows, Burnt Store Lakes, Burnt Store Marina, Deep Creek, Prairie Creek Park, Prairie Creek Estates, Prairie Creek West and Sugarmill in Citrus County, FL.

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Punta Gorda is a great hub for exploring the other parts of Florida. Centrally located between Sarasota and Fort Myers, Punta Gorda is located within a comfortable driving distance from Tampa, Orlando and Miami. The name Punta Gorda comes from the Spanish, meaning “Fat Point”. The name refers to a point of land that juts into Charlotte Harbor. Charlotte Harbor is an estuary off the Gulf of Mexico and one of the United States largest natural harbors. According to the United States Census Bureau, Punta Gorda real estate consists of a total area of 21 square miles, of which 15 square miles is land and 6 square miles is water.