Buying
Buying a home in Naples and Southwest Florida without the expensive surprises. These articles walk through the due diligence that actually matters here: what a home inspection does and doesn't catch, the local conditions worth checking before you close — septic systems, radon, older-home defects — and how to protect your money from wire fraud during the transaction. Whether it's your first Naples purchase or your fifth, the goal is the same: go in with a checklist and clear eyes, not a leap of faith.
Buying The Branded-Residence Wave Hits Naples: Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons & Rosewood, Decoded
Three of the world's great hotel brands are delivering residences in Naples at once — the Ritz-Carlton Residences (from ~$4M, occupancy 2026), Four Seasons at the Naples Beach Club (153 residences, a ~$100M penthouse), and Rosewood (42 gulf-front, late 2026). What the 25–35% brand premium buys, the risks nobody mentions, and why the brands chose Naples now.
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Buying Best Bundled-Golf Communities in Naples for the Money (2026)
Bundled-golf communities include golf with the home and skip the big initiation fee — the most affordable way into Naples golf living. Here are the standout values in 2026 by annual dues and all-in cost, from under $2K golf dues to premium, with the trade-offs to weigh.
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Buying Caymas vs Esplanade by the Islands: Which New Naples Community Fits You?
Two of Naples' most popular new communities compared — STOCK Development's lakefront Caymas vs Taylor Morrison's Esplanade by the Islands: price points, builders, home types, amenities, fees and CDD, location, and who each one fits. Both are all-ages, neither has golf.
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Buying Grey Oaks vs Mediterra vs Quail West: Naples' Top Golf Communities Compared
An honest comparison of three of Naples' most prestigious golf communities — Grey Oaks, Mediterra, and Quail West: courses, membership structure and cost, home prices, recent sales data, location, and who each one actually fits.
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Buying Seven Shores vs Caymas: Which New Naples Community Fits You?
Toll Brothers' Seven Shores vs STOCK/Pulte's Caymas — two of Naples' top new-construction communities compared on price, builders, natural gas, amenities, scale, and buyer fit. Both are all-ages; neither has golf.
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Buying Valencia Sky vs Valencia Trails: Which GL Homes 55+ Community in Naples?
Two GL Homes 55+ resort communities in Naples compared — the newer Valencia Sky vs the established Valencia Trails: pricing, clubhouse, location, CDD, resale availability, and who each one fits.
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Buying What Upgrades Really Cost at Esplanade by the Islands (Two Real 2026 Sales)
Two real 2026 Esplanade by the Islands purchases, broken down: base price, $135K–$150K lot premiums, $166K–$191K in design-center upgrades, builder discounts, and the pool + finishes that push the true cost well past the sticker.
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Buying Naples vs Bonita Springs vs Marco Island: Where Should You Buy?
An honest comparison of three Southwest Florida options — Naples, Bonita Springs, and Marco Island: lifestyle, price, location, who each fits, and the trade-offs, so you can choose the right home base on the Paradise Coast.
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Buying Buying a Lot to Build (or Teardown-Rebuild) in Naples: Is It Worth It?
Thinking of buying a lot to build new — or tearing down and rebuilding — in Naples? The honest economics, the FEMA 50% rule, flood elevation, permits and timelines, where it makes sense (Old Naples, Aqualane, Naples Park, Port Royal), and the pitfalls to avoid.
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Buying Caymas Naples: A Guide to STOCK Development's New Lakefront Community
A guide to Caymas, the new gated lakefront community in Naples by STOCK Development — location off Collier Boulevard, the 30,000 sq ft clubhouse opening in 2026, home builders and prices, the CDD, and who it's for. No golf — a lifestyle-and-racquet community.
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Buying Gated vs Non-Gated Communities in Naples: Which Is Right for You?
The honest trade-offs between gated and non-gated living in Naples — security, amenities, HOA fees and rules, resale, walkability, and flexibility — with examples of each and who they actually suit.
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Buying How Much Income Do You Need to Buy a Home in Naples? (2026)
A realistic 2026 look at the income needed to buy in Naples — worked examples at $500K, $750K (the median), and $1M with 20% down at current rates, the 28/36 rule, and why insurance is the swing factor in Southwest Florida.
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Buying Boating Access in Naples: Direct Gulf, Bridged, Bay & Canal — What Each Means for Your Boat
Not all 'waterfront' in Naples is equal. A boater's guide to the four access types — direct no-bridge Gulf access, bridged canals, Naples Bay, and interior canals — plus bridge clearance, water depth, and Gordon Pass, so you buy the right dock for your boat.
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Buying Buying a Naples Condo in 2026: Milestone Inspections, SIRS & Special Assessments Explained
Florida's post-Surfside condo laws reshaped what to check before buying an older Naples condo. A plain-English 2026 guide to milestone inspections, the Structural Integrity Reserve Study (SIRS), the HB 913 changes, and the documents that reveal special-assessment risk.
Read →What $5 Million Buys in Naples Right Now (2026): Trophy Condo, Port Royal Entry, or a New Golf Estate?
A $5 million budget in Naples buys very different lives — a high-floor beachfront condo, the entry tier into Port Royal, a deep-water Aqualane Shores estate, or a large new golf-community estate. Here's the honest trade-off at $5M in 2026.
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Buying Naples New Construction in 2026: What's Still Selling vs. Sold Out
A 2026 availability map of Naples new construction — which communities are still selling brand-new homes (Esplanade, Caymas, Seven Shores, Valencia Sky, Naples Reserve, final Lely phases) and which have sold out and gone resale. For which one fits you best, see our by-buyer-type guide.
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Buying Esplanade by the Islands: Should You Buy New Construction or Resale?
Buying in Esplanade by the Islands, Naples? Here's the honest trade-off between a brand-new Taylor Morrison build and a resale home — price, upgrades, build time, the $5,000 working fund, who pays it, mature vs. raw lots, and how to decide.
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Buying Inside Port Royal: What $20 Million (and Up) Buys in Naples' Most Exclusive Neighborhood
A guide to the ultra-luxury tier of Port Royal, Naples — the $20M+ streets (Admiralty Parade, Spyglass Island, Rum Row), what deep-water Gulf access and the Port Royal Club really mean, why prices reach $85M+, and how to actually buy at this level.
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Buying Port Royal vs Aqualane Shores vs Old Naples: Which Prestige Address Fits You?
An honest comparison of Naples' three most prestigious adjacent neighborhoods — Port Royal, Aqualane Shores, and Old Naples: deep-water boating, beach proximity, walkability, HOAs, and price ranges, so you can tell which one actually fits how you want to live.
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Buying True Cost to Own in Esplanade by the Islands: HOA, CDD, Food Minimum, Taxes & Insurance
The real annual cost of owning in Esplanade by the Islands, Naples — HOA dues, the CDD on your tax bill, the $800 food-and-beverage minimum, the $5,000 resale working fund, property taxes, and insurance — itemized, with what's fixed vs. what varies by home.
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Buying Pelican Bay vs Park Shore vs The Moorings: Which Beach Community?
Three of Naples' best-known beach communities sit side by side along Gulf Shore Boulevard — but they're surprisingly different on beach access, boating, price of entry, and fees. An honest comparison to help you choose.
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Buying The Vineyards vs. Fiddler's Creek: Which Optional-Golf Naples Community Fits You?
An honest, side-by-side comparison of two Naples communities where golf is optional — The Vineyards (North Naples, non-equity club, no CDD) and Fiddler's Creek (South Naples, mandatory Club & Spa, CDD bond). Home types, the real membership math, and cost of ownership.
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Buying The Vineyards vs. Mediterra: Non-Equity or Equity Golf in Naples?
Two North Naples golf communities where membership is optional — but the club models are opposite. The Vineyards (non-equity, family-owned, attainable) vs. Mediterra (equity, member-owned, two Tom Fazio courses and a private beach club). An honest comparison.
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Buying 55+ Communities in Naples Without a CDD: Why the List Is Short (and Where to Look)
Want a 55+ active-adult community in Naples with no CDD bond on the tax bill? The honest list is shorter than you'd think. Here's why, the standout option (Valencia Trails), and how to verify any community's CDD status before you buy.
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Buying New Construction in Naples: Does the Builder Really Pay Your Agent? (And the One Mistake That Costs You)
Buying a new-construction home in Naples? Here's how buyer's-agent representation and commissions actually work in 2026 after the NAR settlement — whether the builder pays your agent, the registration mistake that can cost you representation, and what a buyer's agent really does on a new build.
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Buying Valencia Trails vs. Esplanade by the Islands: Which Naples Community Is Right for You?
An honest, side-by-side comparison of two of Naples' most popular resort communities — Valencia Trails (GL Homes, 55+, no CDD) and Esplanade by the Islands (Taylor Morrison, all ages). Amenities, home types, location, and the real cost of ownership.
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Buying The Quarry in Naples: An Honest Review (From an Agent Who Knows It)
Is The Quarry in Naples worth it? An honest, no-spin review of the lakefront community built on a former limestone quarry — the boating and Beach Club, the optional golf, the real costs (CDD, dues, docks), and who it actually fits.
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Buying Greyhawk at Golf Club of the Everglades: An Honest Review (Is It Worth It?)
An honest, agent's-eye review of Greyhawk in Naples — the newer Pulte community at the Golf Club of the Everglades. Modern homes, optional Rees Jones golf, no CDD, and the real fees (HOA, capital contribution, F&B minimum) you need to budget for.
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Buying Septic Systems in Naples & Golden Gate Estates: Buyer's Guide (2026)
Buying a Naples home on septic? How to confirm it, why Florida bans point-of-sale septic mandates, inspection and replacement costs, and the 75-ft well rule.
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Buying Radon in Naples & SWFL Homes: A Buyer's Guide (2026)
Why 1 in 5 Florida homes test high for radon — even slab homes and condos — plus Florida's disclosure law, how to test during a Naples purchase, and mitigation costs.
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Buying Wire Fraud in a Naples Closing: How to Protect Your Money (2026)
Real-estate wire fraud cost victims $275M in 2025. How Naples buyers and sellers verify wiring instructions, spot the scam, and act fast if it happens.
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Buying Home Inspections in Naples: A Buyer's Guide (2026)
What a home inspection covers in Naples, what it costs, the specialized inspections it leaves out — 4-point, wind-mit, septic, seawall — and how to use the report.
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Buying Post-Purchase Home Inspections — and the 11-Month Rule for New Construction
New homes aren't flawless. Learn why Naples buyers inspect after closing, how the builder's 1-2-10 warranty really works, the Florida laws that protect you, and why the 11-month inspection can save thousands.
Read →Have a Naples question we haven’t covered?
Ask and I’ll answer it personally — and maybe turn it into the next post.