Buying a house or condo will likely be the biggest purchase you’ll ever make but don’t worry, you don’t need to figure it out on your own. You’ll want to start by picking an awesome Naples Real Estate Agent who works with you and is willing to make you a priority. There are thousands of Real Estate Agents in our area with varying business models so find the right agent or team that fits your personality and beliefs.  You’ll also need a local lender to take you through your financing options (Florida is a tricky state so it’s best to deal with a local lender who understands how this area works). You will also need to choose a lawyer or title company to help with the legal aspects of the purchase. There are thousands of professionals out there (of varying quality), so ask your friends and family for recommendations, do your research and don’t be afraid to interview multiple people.

Where’s the first place we go when we want to look something up? If you said the internet, you’re not alone. 98% of buyers looking for homes starts online.  Use our custom Lavish Listings Naples home search tool to stay updated on new active listings.  

Looking for a custom search? Send us a quick email and we’ll send you a daily automatic e-mail to match the criteria you set, so you never miss a listing. This website will also consistently be updating with the latest local home information so be sure to keep visiting!

Tips for searching homes online:

• Keep an open mind. Photos aren’t always representative of what the house looks like in real life. (They can look much better or worse)
• Don’t always believe the description and read between the lines, “quaint=small, a beach front home selling for $200k? Unlikely.  A lot of agents put beach photos on their listing even if the condo is 20 mins from the beach, check the maps!
• Remember that the asking price is very different than the sale price. The asking price is a marketing tool – if you want to know how much homes are currently selling for, ask us! We have list price vs sold price stats for all Naples neighborhoods.  
• If you’re shopping for a condo, keep in mind that what’s included in the maintenance fees varies from building to building, so it isn’t easy to compare condos. Take note of what’s included in those fees, you can estimate a realistic monthly cost. 

Viewing properties is your opportunity to get a feel for the different Naples communities, the location and commute time and a chance to refine your wish list, and ask questions. The truth is the majority of knowing it’s your next house is a feeling you get when you walk in and just know.  Of course, it helps when it satisfies your needs and wants too, but don’t underestimate the power of ‘just knowing’ even if it’s a community you weren’t initially excited about.

You can visit homes for sale in real life with your real estate agent or by attending an open house. Keep in mind that not all properties will have open houses, so working with a real estate agent you trust is the only way to guarantee you’ll be able to see the houses or condos.

Tips for looking at homes in real life:

• Make a plan. If you currently live in Naples or have visited a few times before you probably already have a few target areas. Try to focus on one neighborhood at a time, depending on what time of the year, your agent will make a plan on how long it will take with traffic.
• Don’t just focus on the house or condo, focus on the neighborhood. Drive around the neighborhood. Locate the schools, parks, restaurants and grocery stores. Make a point of how long your commute will be and what places you will frequent the most. 
• Bring Water and a sweater depending on the time of year.  In and out of the heat and a/c can be draining during certain times of the year.  It’s best to be prepared so you can focus on homes and not your discomfort.
• Take notes and collect a property brochure. It’s surprising how quickly you can forget the first house or condo you saw, or more frequently when you think you remember how it looked and are picturing moving your furniture when in fact you go back and it looks nothing like you remembered. 
• See past the gross. You’ll probably be surprised to find out how some people live, but don’t let someone’s bad decorating styles, outdated tastes and lack of housekeeping get in the way of finding your perfect Naples house or condo.  And please keep an open mind, I know you hate the blue walls and can’t seem to get past it but I promise paint is an easy thing to change.