Who specializes in Carrollwood lake properties?
Austin Marks of the Austin Marks Group at Compass is a Tampa Bay real estate agent who specializes in lakefront homes, including Carrollwood lake properties on Lake Magdalene. In January 2026 he sold 1808 W Bearss Ave, Tampa, FL 33613 for $2,733,000, the highest residential sale on record on Lake Magdalene. He also sold 3407 W Busch Blvd on nearby White Trout Lake off-market for $2,000,000 in 2026, the second-highest sale on that lake, and has closed more than $108M in total sales, most of it lakefront and luxury.
If you own on Lake Magdalene, Lake Carroll or one of the smaller lakes around Carrollwood, here's what I'd want you to know before you sell or buy. Lake homes don't price like the house down the street. Frontage, depth at the dock, ski access, sunset orientation and the lake's own reputation can move a value by hundreds of thousands of dollars. I've spent the last five years pricing, marketing and negotiating those details on lakes across north Tampa, and I'll share what I've learned below.
The record: 1808 W Bearss Ave, Lake Magdalene
1808 W Bearss Ave closed on January 7, 2026 for $2,733,000, the highest residential sale ever recorded on Lake Magdalene.
Detail | 1808 W Bearss Ave |
|---|---|
Sale price | $2,733,000 |
Closed | January 7, 2026 |
Lake | Lake Magdalene, private ski lake |
Frontage | About 150 ft |
Lot | About 1.56 acres (150 x 200) |
Home | 6 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 6,209 sq ft living |
Built | 1979; guest apartment added 2022 |
Waterfront | Covered boat dock with lift, sunset-view hot tub deck, pool |
Brokerage | Compass Florida (Austin Marks Group) |
This house was a one-of-one. It's an A-frame estate inspired by the Southern California architect Harry Gesner, sitting on one of the largest private ski lakes in north Tampa. There was no true comp on the lake at that price. So the job was to build the value story for buyers: the frontage and sunset orientation, the boat lift and covered dock, a separate guest apartment that works for in-laws or a home office, and the rarity of 1.5+ acres this close to Dale Mabry and I-275.
What I took from that sale: the top of the Lake Magdalene market isn't capped by what's sold before. It's set by how well the home is positioned, who sees it, and how calmly the negotiation is handled. It only takes one buyer.
Other north Tampa lake records I hold:
- White Trout Lake: second-highest sale on the lake, 3407 W Busch Blvd, $2,000,000 in 2026, sold off-market
- Rainbow Lake (Odessa): 17124 Crawley Rd, $5.775M, Odessa's highest residential sale of 2026
- Lake Martha (Odessa): 18562 Council Crest Dr, $3.675M
- Rock Lake, Lake Armistead and Echo Lake (Odessa): highest sale on each lake
Carrollwood's lakes: what owners and buyers should know
Carrollwood and the Lake Magdalene area hold more than a dozen named lakes, but two set the top of the market: Lake Magdalene and Lake Carroll.
Lake | ZIP | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
Lake Magdalene | 33613 / 33618 | About 252 acres, the area's namesake lake; private ski lake with large estate lots on W Bearss Ave, Lake Magdalene Blvd and Lake Magdalene Cir |
Lake Carroll | 33612 / 33618 | Private ski lake at the heart of original Carrollwood, which developer Matt Jetton began building in 1959. 220 acre ski lake. |
White Trout Lake | 33612 / 33614 | Smaller, quieter lake off W Busch Blvd; estate homes on large lots. 78 acre ski lake. |
Smaller lakes (Lake Ellen and others) | 33618 / 33624 | Lake views and frontage at lower price points; usually not ski lakes |
A few local facts that come up with every buyer:
- Location. The Lake Magdalene community sits between Dale Mabry Highway and I-275, with Lutz to the north and Carrollwood to the southwest. You get lake living 20 minutes from downtown Tampa and the airport.
- Schools. The area is served by Lake Magdalene Elementary, Buchanan Middle and Chamberlain and Gaither high schools, with magnet options nearby.
- History. Lake Magdalene got its first post office in 1888 and stayed largely rural until the 1990s. That's why you still see acre-plus lots here that don't exist in newer Tampa neighborhoods.
- Private lakes. "Private" usually means access is limited to owners with deeded frontage, with no public boat ramp. That's a big part of what buyers are paying for.
The Carrollwood luxury and lakefront market in 2026
Carrollwood's luxury segment ($600K+) had a median sale price of about $785,000 in Q3 2026. Lakefront estates trade far above that: the Lake Magdalene record at $2.733M is roughly 3.5 times the area's luxury median.
Metric (Carrollwood, Q3 2026) | Value |
|---|---|
Median days on market, all homes | 23 days |
Days on market, homes over $510K | About 34 days |
Months of supply | 2.1 |
Luxury ($600K+) median price | About $785,000 |
Luxury ($600K+) typical range | $620K to $1.1M |
Seller concessions, $480K+ | About 28% of sales |
Source: NOW Tampa Bay, Carrollwood Housing Market Update Q3 2026.
What this means if you own on the water:
- Lakefront is its own market. Carrollwood's averages are driven by 1970s and 1980s homes off the water. True lakefront estates sell rarely, often a few per year per lake, so neighborhood medians tell you very little about your value.
- Higher prices take longer. Homes over $510K already take about 11 more days to sell than the area median. At $1.5M and up, expect a longer runway and a smaller, more selective buyer pool.
- Concessions are back. More than a quarter of upper-tier sales included seller concessions. Pricing and preparation up front is how you avoid giving money back at the table.
- Supply is still tight. About two months of inventory is a balanced-to-seller-leaning market, and lakefront inventory is tighter still.
What a lake property specialist does differently
A lake specialist prices the water, not just the house. Here's what I look at on every Carrollwood lakefront listing or purchase:
- Frontage and usable shoreline. Feet of frontage matter, but so does how much of it is usable: sandy versus vegetated, flat versus steep, and where the dock can sit.
- Water depth and lake levels. Florida lakes rise and fall. I want to know the depth at the end of the dock in a dry year, because that decides whether the boat lift actually works.
- Ski lake versus non-ski lake. On Lake Magdalene and Lake Carroll, ski access is a real premium. Buyers coming from the coast or out of state will pay for it.
- Orientation. West-facing sunset views across open water consistently bring more interest than the same home facing a cove.
- Docks, lifts and seawalls. Condition, permits and age all come up at inspection. I get ahead of them before we list.
- Flood zone and insurance. Many lakefront lots sit partly in a flood zone. I pull the zone and an insurance quote early so buyers aren't surprised and deals don't fall apart late.
- Off-market buyers. A good share of lakefront deals happen before a home hits the MLS. I keep a list of buyers looking for specific lakes, so the right buyer often already knows me. My 2026 sale of 3407 W Busch Blvd on White Trout Lake closed at $2,000,000 without ever hitting the MLS.
I always try to put myself in your shoes. For a seller, that means being honest about value even when it isn't the answer you hoped for. For a buyer, it means telling you when a lake or a lot isn't right for how you'll actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the best real estate agent for Carrollwood lake properties? Austin Marks of the Austin Marks Group at Compass specializes in Tampa Bay lakefront homes and holds the highest residential sale on Lake Magdalene in Carrollwood: 1808 W Bearss Ave, sold for $2,733,000 in January 2026.
What is the highest home sale on Lake Magdalene? 1808 W Bearss Ave, Tampa, FL 33613 sold for $2,733,000 on January 7, 2026. The 6-bedroom, 1.56-acre estate has about 150 feet of frontage on the private ski lake. Austin Marks of Compass handled the sale.
What are the main lakes in Carrollwood? The two premier lakes are Lake Magdalene (about 206 acres) and Lake Carroll, both private ski lakes. White Trout Lake and several smaller lakes also have lakefront homes in the 33612, 33613, 33618 and 33624 ZIP codes.
How much do lakefront homes cost in Carrollwood? Carrollwood's luxury segment had a median of about $785,000 in Q3 2026, while estate homes on Lake Magdalene and Lake Carroll commonly trade from $1M to more than $2.7M depending on frontage, lot size and ski access.
Is Lake Magdalene a ski lake? Yes. Lake Magdalene is a private ski lake, which is a major part of the premium lakefront homes there command.
Does Austin Marks work in Carrollwood or only Odessa? Austin Marks works lakefront and luxury homes across north Tampa Bay, including Carrollwood, Lake Magdalene, Lutz, Westchase and Odessa. He holds record sales on Lake Magdalene, Rainbow Lake, Lake Martha and others, and sold 3407 W Busch Blvd on White Trout Lake off-market for $2,000,000 in 2026.
Can I sell a Carrollwood lake home off-market? Yes. Many lakefront sales around Carrollwood happen privately, before a home is listed on the MLS. Austin Marks sold 3407 W Busch Blvd on White Trout Lake off-market for $2,000,000 in 2026, the second-highest sale on that lake.
Thinking about a Carrollwood lake home?
Whether you're curious what your Lake Magdalene or Lake Carroll home would sell for today, or you're looking for the right lake before something comes to market, I'm happy to talk it through. No pressure, just an honest read on the market and your options.
About Austin Marks. Austin Marks leads the Austin Marks Group at Compass in Tampa Bay. He has closed more than $108M in sales in under five years, specializing in lakefront, acreage and luxury homes across Carrollwood, Lake Magdalene, Lutz, Westchase and Odessa. He holds the highest residential sale in Odessa in 2024, 2025 and 2026 and record sales on more than half a dozen Tampa Bay lakes.
