Top 15 Home Builders in Naples

When you're building a home in Naples where the Florida elements can take a toll on the property, you want to know it's built by a home builder who knows what they're doing.

You also want to be sure they're using the finest materials and are working with a design team who stays up to date on the most current trends.

Any quick Google search, though, will reveal that there's no shortage of builders throughout Naples. Making sense of all the options can be quite a challenge.

Fear not. We've compiled a list of the top builders you should be considering when building a new home in Naples.

So without further adieu, let's jump in.

Local Naples Home Builders

While Naples has no shortage of large developments being built by some of America's biggest homebuilders (which we'll cover in just a minute), we're also home to some incredibly talented local home builders.

These builders tend to focus on custom homes or more unique spec homes than the national builders, producing a more bespoke finished product for a discerning buyer. 

Let's take a look at some of the top companies you'll want to consider.

Knauf-Koenig Group

Founded by Matt and Gisela Knauf, The Knauf-Koenig Group has been producing stunning custom homes throughout Naples since 2006.

The Knauf-Koenig Group works with their clients from the inception of a project through it's closure and beyond.

Before the construction starts, they'll work with your designer and architect and conduct a site analysis. This helps them determine project feasibility and establish a construction budget and timeline.

After the build is complete, they're there to ensure that anything else that comes up is taken care of immediately.

Divco Custom Homes

Divco Custom Homes is deeply rooted in Naples.

Their current owner moved to Naples in 1977, graduating from Barron Collier High School shortly thereafter as part of their first graduating class.

After joining Divco in 1983, he bought the company from its founder and has since transformed it into one of the most prolific custom home builders in all of Southwest Florida.

Building in Fort Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs, Marco Island, Miromar Lakes and Naples, Divco has the experience to go wherever your home search takes you.

Nova Homes

With over 2,000 completed custom homes to date, Nova Homes not only has the experience to build your dream home, they have the buying power and scale to get it done affordably.

Focusing their efforts primarily on Naples and Marco Island has allowed them to turn the process of building homes here into a science.

In fact, they now have a handful of predefined floor plans that you can choose from to simplify the build process, all while still offering full customization if desired.

Each of Nova's homes is also a “High Performance Home“, which, according to the Energy Act of 2005, means it “integrates and optimizes all major high performance building attributes, including energy efficiency, durability, life-cycle performance, and occupant productivity.”

Diamond Custom Homes

If you're looking for a truly custom home from a team that has a proven track record, Diamond Custom Homes is well worth your consideration.

Offering the combined experience of their team, Diamond Custom Homes relentlessly pursues the highest workmanship standards and builds with only the finest materials.

They also have a strong partnership with Edge Cabinetry and Space Creators, one of Southwest Florida's premiere custom cabinet creators. This allows them to create breathtaking kitchens that you need to see to believe. 

Potter Homes

If you're looking for a beachfront custom home, look no further than Potter Homes.

Potter has been going from strength to strength in the custom home and spec home space with a primary focus on Bonita Beach, but also extending into Fort Myers Beach and Naples as well.

Despite producing the majority of the spec homes along Hickory Boulevard in Bonita Springs, they're adept at finding unique ways to make each one stand out from the next.

Of course, when they put those talents to work on a custom home, they can create whatever your heart desires.

CK Custom Homes

With over 40 years in combined construction experience, CK Custom Homes has the proven ability to build the custom home of your dreams.

Their exclusive focus on custom homes built in North Naples, Old Naples, Aqualane Shores and Port Royal has allowed CK Custom Homes to hone in their process so that their customers have as seamless of an experience as possible.

They create some breathtaking spaces, so be sure to check out their gallery.

The Lutgert Companies

The Lutgert Companies is a full service developer that has been a Naples institution since 1964.

While they focus primarily on large condo developments, they're still able to provide a bespoke product to their clients that feels like it was designed just for them.

One of their best known projects is the condo residences at Mercato. Lutgert was engaged by the Mercato developers to build the condos and residents now enjoy immediate access to the incredible nightlife and shopping that Mercato has to offer.

Borelli Construction

Featuring no less than 3 generations of custom home building experience, Borelli Construction has a proven track record of producing quality, beautiful homes.

Offering both custom home builds along with renovations, Borelli is your one-stop shop for whatever your construction needs may be. 

You can find their projects in luxury gated communities such as Grey Oaks, Tallis Park, Pelican Bay and many others.

Build Construction

Build Construction is a full service developer who has extensive commercial experience in addition to their custom homes division.

With commercial clients including Arthrex, WCI and Toll Brothers, you can rest assured that Build understands how to produce a quality product.

Their custom homes can be found all the way from Manasota Key down to Old Naples, with countless projects in between.

Pere Development

Despite the truly custom nature of the homes that many of these builders produce, Pere Development brings new meaning to the term bespoke.

Pere uses only the finest materials and pays attention to the small details that make a big impact.

Take a look at their website and you'll see that their homes are truly one of a kind.

National & Regional Home Builders in Naples

Throughout Naples you'll see large neighborhoods being developed by national home builders.

These companies bring a wealth of experience and the cutting edge technology that comes with being one of the biggest companies building homes in the entire country.

The downside is that because they focus on building a high volume of homes, their properties can tend to be a little more cookie cutter.

So if you're looking for a well built product with a well funded company standing behind it, you'll want to consider one of these builders. If, on the other hand, you're looking for more of a unique and custom-tailored home, you'll likely want to focus on the local builders we covered above.

Let's take a look at these builders one at a time.

D.R. Horton

D.R. Horton is the biggest home builder in America. Founded in 1978, it's safe to say they have some experience building quality homes.

Luckily for Naples homebuyers, D.R. Horton has taken a keen interested in the Southwest Florida market. Currently they have multiple communities across the greater Naples area.

Mockingbird Crossing, for example, just off the corner of Collier Blvd. (951) and Vanderbilt Beach Rd., is one of their most recently completed communities. It features homes starting just north of $600,000, many of which are still being built and thus can still be customized.

That's far from their only offering though. You can also find D.R. Horton in Bonita Springs where they're building a massive community called Seasons.

This gated community features state of the art amenities including a spectacular club house, pickle ball courts, bocce ball courts, a gym, a resort style pool with lap lanes, and tennis courts. Homes here start just over $300,000.

Lennar Corporation

Lennar Corporation is another one of America's largest home builders. Founded in 1954, Lennar has ample knowledge of how to build not only a great home, but also a great community.

Fortunately, Lennar has been putting that knowledge to work in the Naples area, having built numerous communities here over the last 5 years.

For example, just off the corner of Immokalee Rd and Collier Blvd. they've built two communities called LaMorada and Bent Creek. Each of these feature homes and villas ranging from $261,000 to $752,000.

You can also find Lennar in Bonita Springs. Right next to the previously mentioned D.R. Horton community, Seasons, Lennar has been hard at work building their own development called Bonita National. Homes here start at $283,000 and go up to $517,000.

Toll Brothers

Toll Brothers has been ranked as The #1 Home Builder Worldwide by Fortune Magazine for the last 5 years in a row.

With that resume, it's no wonder they currently have no less than seven development projects underway in Naples. Five of those seven are currently offering homes, while the other two are coming soon.

Most of their communities range in price from $300,000 to $600,000. You can learn more about each of their different developments here.

Neal Communities

Neal Communities has been building amazing neighborhoods in Florida since 1974.

Bringing the experience and build quality you'd typically expect to find in a national homebuilder, Neal has managed to stay true to their roots and focuses primarily on developments in the Southwest Florida area.

Currently, Neal has 3 communities that are currently up and running in Naples, with another, called Seychelles, on the way. Avalon, Marquesa Isles and Richmond Park all feature homes between 2 & 3 bedrooms starting at $268,990. Avalon is quickly filling up though, so if you're interested, don't wait!

Mattamy Homes

Founded in 1978 and now operating as North America's largest privately owned home builder, Mattamy homes knows a thing or two about building a great home.

Fortunately, out of the 90,000 homes they've sold to date, they decided to build some of them right here in Naples.

Specifically, they have two communities they're currently selling homes in: Compass Landing (just off of Immokalee Rd. & Collier Blvd.) and Arboretum (on the corner of Bayshore Dr. & Thomasson Dr.).

Prices in Arboretum start in the lower $300s whereas in Compass Landing they start in the upper $300s.

Stock Development

Having built over 4,800 homes to date, Stock Development has proven to be one of Southwest Florida's most prolific home builders.

They're also one of the only builders who straddle the line between being a mass producer of more standardized homes while also producing totally custom homes.

They currently have 13 communities throughout the Naples area with homes starting in the low $400s and going all the way beyond $7MM.

Conclusion

Fortunately, thanks to the discerning buyers typically found in Naples, the cream truly rises to the top here when it comes to home builders. Simply put, mediocre builders just can't survive here long term.

Having said that, they do pop up from time to time, so we hope this list has been helpful in giving you a good starting point.

If you have any follow up questions please don't hesitate to email me at susan@naplesnewrealestate.com or call at (239) 248-5580.

The Definitive Guide to Purchasing a Naples Home

So…You're ready to purchase your own Piece of Paradise…

I remember the moment I decided to move to Southwest Florida. My excitement couldn't be contained.

Over 30 years later and my passion for this incredible corner of the map is stronger than ever before.

And now that you're coming to join the fun, I wanted to put together a comprehensive guide walking you through everything you'll need to know before, during and after you put that offer in.

These are the things I wish I knew when I first moved here, and the things that as a Realtor over the last 30 years I've helped countless families navigate as they've bought their own Naples home.

So grab your morning coffee, maybe even a note pad, and most of all, don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions at all.

Buying Your Naples Home

Once I decided to trade in the frigid Chicago winters for the warm sunny beaches of Naples, my mind was immediately flooded with questions…

Was I really about to upend my life to move across the country?

What area of Naples would I want to live in?

How could I be sure I was making the right move (pun intended)?

Luckily, throughout the moving process and soon afterward, I gained clarity on these questions. So let's start from the beginning.

Where Do I Start?

With any property purchase there are a number of things to consider.

Knowing what to focus on will help you cut through the noise and make sound decisions for you and your family.

Let's start with the elephant in the room.

How Much Can I Afford?

This is the very first thing you'll want to get clarity on because it will prevent you from wasting time looking at homes that either aren't affordable or are much cheaper than what you actually could afford if it makes sense.

There are a number of ways to tackle this question, but I recommend taking a comprehensive approach involving:

1. Your Mortgage Banker
2. Your Financial Advisor
3. Your gut

Your Mortgage Banker

If you plan to use financing to purchase you home, sitting down with your Mortgage Banker will give you a clear understanding of what you'll be able to get in terms of loan proceeds to assist with the purchase.

As you probably know, banks became much more stringent in their loan approval requirements after the financial crisis.

They now seem to want every record of your entire existence and want to interview your 3rd grade math teacher just to give you the approved stamp. It can be even tougher if you're self employed, as many Naples homeowners are.

Knowing this, it's helpful to keep your expectations in check when it comes time to sit down with your Mortgage Banker. Having said that, you may end up walking out pleasantly surprised, finding you can afford more than you thought possible.

Before you go popping the bubbly, though, let's take a look at the next two steps in that comprehensive approach I mentioned.

Your Financial Advisor

Just because your Mortgage Banker says you can afford a particular price range, doesn't necessarily mean it's the best decision for you and your family. Your Financial Advisor will be able to help you put that pre-approval into the context of your broader financial picture.

For example, if you have a goal to start a new business or give a large charitable donation in a few years time, maybe it makes sense to keep the housing budget a little more modest. Talk with your Financial Advisor to see how this home purchase fits into your overall financial plan.

Your Gut

Once you've gotten opinions and data from your Mortgage Banker and Financial Advisor, it's time to listen to your gut.

Only you know your situation inside and out, and only you will care enough to think through every aspect of the situation. Ask yourself what your main priorities are in life and see how this home purchase fits into that picture.

At the end of the day, we all tend to have a pretty smart voice inside our head (or gut) that usually knows what's best. So when you're making as big of a decision as how much to spend on a Naples home, it's usually wise to trust that voice.

Determine What Kind Of Lifestyle You Want

As the great Stephen Covey said, start with the end in mind.

When we apply that timeless principle to the process of buying a home in Naples, it means we'll first need to figure out what exactly we want out of our Southwest Florida lifestyle.

Because Naples is such a diverse city featuring many different living experiences, this will often be completely different from one homeowner to the next.

For example, some people will want their Florida abode to be as simple as possible.

They want to come into town for a few months, enjoy the warm weather and breathtaking beauty of the beach, then pack up and head North without much thought or worry. That type of person, depending on their other needs, might be well suited to live in a high rise condo, which offer residents simplicity in their ownership experience.

Another person might want to bring their extended family down each winter, so they may be better suited for a single family home, which tend to offer the most space.

Keep in mind, you don't have to get this nailed down just yet. Despite the number of options Naples offers, it's easy enough to see multiple different property types in one outing with your Realtor.

So at this point, you simply want to narrow it down so you can be more effective once you're on the ground house hunting.

Find The Right Realtor

Perhaps nothing will impact the efficiency, enjoyability and cost effectiveness of your home buying process as much as ensuring you find the right Realtor.

Along every step of the journey, your Realtor will (or at least should) be offering invaluable advice, helping you see what's around the next corner and making sure you avoid common pitfalls.

Before we discuss how to find the right agent, let's first take a look at how your Realtor will help guide you through the buying process.

Services Your Realtor Provides

Your Realtor will do a variety of specific things throughout your buying process. This will include:

• Using their knowledge to help you navigate local market conditions
• Advocating for your interests throughout the closing process
• Negotiating the best possible terms and price for your new home
• Helping you find the best partners, such as attorneys, title agencies, inspectors, etc.
• Providing advice on what repairs or improvements you should seek from the seller
• Guiding you through all of the mind-numbing paperwork
• Attending the closing to ensure any last-minute questions or issues get appropriately addressed

Considering all of that, it's no wonder why 87% of buyers bought their home through a Realtor in 2018.

How To Find The Best Realtor

Unfortunately, not all Realtors are created equally.

And when it comes to making one of life's biggest purchases, you can't afford to be making decisions based on bad information, lackluster customer service and poor attention to detail.

Knowing that, let's take a look at some tips for ensuring you find the right person for the job. Full disclosure – this is the “Shameless Plug” part of the blog post 😉

• Look for a long track record: Only after spending a significant amount of time as a Realtor do you begin to understand the nuances of the profession and how to effectively serve your clients. Luckily, after having moved to Southwest Florida in 1989 and getting my real estate license in 1990, I've produced a nearly 30 year track record filled with successful closings and happy buyers.
• Look for the local expert: Does your Realtor really understand Naples? If not, you need to find another Realtor. Specializing in a particular city allows a Realtor to understand its particular nuances and trends. Fortunately after having lived and sold real estate here for nearly 30 years, I think it's safe to say I know a thing or two about Naples.
• Look for testimonials: Can your Realtor provide a list of happy customers they've worked with recently? If not, that's a clear red flag you should be looking elsewhere. Luckily, you can read all of our reviews conveniently right here.
• Ask for credentials: Does your Realtor have any certifications or credentials beyond their real estate license that would make them more valuable to your home purchase? Humble brag incoming: I hold an MBA from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, something that has helped me understand market trends, effectively negotiate on behalf of my clients, and ensure deals actually get across the finish line.
• Ask about fees: Understanding how your Realtor gets paid is critical – it can mean tens of thousands of dollars in savings or excess cost. We're proud to offer highly competitive, straightforward pricing on our services – get in touch today to learn more.

Alright, now that we got our shameless plug in, let's continue 😉

Start Your Search

Once you've selected your Realtor, the first thing you'll want to do is make sure you're both on the same page.

Making your priorities clear will allow your Realtor to find the homes that best suit your needs and prevent you from wasting time looking at properties that don't meet you and your family's needs.

What Are Your Must Haves?

Let's establish some basic guidelines you can give to your Realtor to help guide your search.

We're not trying to think of every last detail – just enough to start narrowing down the field. Ask yourself the following questions:

• How long do I envision staying in this home? This question will guide some of your later answers, so start here. If you plan to retire in this home, you may require different things out of it like an elevator, for example.
• How many bedrooms and bathrooms will I need? Do you plan to have family visiting often? If so, you might need to look at single family homes instead of condos.
• What minimum square footage do I need? Do you value having extra space in your home or are you fine with something more simple?
• Do I need the home to be move-in ready or am I okay with a fixer-upper? If you have some experience renovating homes and are willing to wait to move in, you might feel you can get a better deal and put your own stamp on your home by buying a fixer-upper.
• What other features do I consider a requirement? Do you need a movie theater or a gym in your home? If there's anything more particular you'll want out of your new residence, ensure you let your Realtor know so they can include that in their search parameters.

Once you've done this, your Realtor can draw up a list of homes and a plan of attack to make sure your home search is as efficient and productive as possible.

Often times when buyers are looking to purchase a home in Naples, they're coming from up North. In these cases we'll typically arrange a couple day period in which we might look at 20 different properties so that the buyer can make their trip down here count.

Bring In Additional Partners

While you're house hunting, you'll also want to start spending some time finding other partners who will help you throughout the buying process.

Finding these people ahead of time will give you one less thing to worry about as you're navigating your closing. 

Your Realtor should be able to offer up a handful of recommendations, so that's typically a great place to start. You'll likely need each of the following:

• An attorney
• An inspector (sometimes multiple, more specialized inspectors if you want to be more thorough)
• An insurance broker
• The aforementioned mortgage banker and financial advisor.

You'll likely want to interview a couple of providers for each of these positions, as it can make a significant difference both in the cost and quality of their services.

Select A Home And Submit An Offer

Alright, time for the rubber to meet the road.

You've found the right realtor, identified what you want out of your dream home, toured a number of different properties and you finally found it – the perfect Naples Home.

Now there's only one thing left to do – submit your offer. 

Understand Market Conditions

To make a smart offer, you'll need to understand the market conditions you're operating within.

For example, if it's a strong buyer's market and there are plenty of homes for sale, you can often get away with an offer below asking price. Sellers in that type of market have less negotiating power, as they're not sure when the next offer may come around

On the other hand, if it's a strong seller's market and there aren't very many homes for sale, you may find yourself in a situation where many buyers are vying for the same home. In these cases you'll often times have to offer full asking price or even more to ensure you get the home. If possible, it can also help to keep your offer free from any financing contingencies and keep your closing timeframe as short as possible.

Consult With Your Realtor

Your Realtor should have a firm grip on the prevailing market conditions and should be able to guide you to what offering price will make the most sense.

That's because if they're truly the local expert, they will have been consistently conducting deals in that market over the months leading up to your purchase.

That insight will give them a pulse on the state of the market. They'll have seen which deals fell through because the offer wasn't strong enough, and they'll also see which buyers had overpaid when the seller likely would have accepted less. 

So it's important to take their counsel to heart here, as this can be the one of the most important decisions you make throughout the buying process.

Finalize Everything

Now that you've got a clear understanding of what it should take to seal the deal, provide your Realtor the specifics of your offer.

From there, they'll send your offer, along with your loan pre-approval if you're using financing, over to the seller's Realtor. Now it's simply a waiting game. 

At this point the seller will either accept, counter or decline your offer. Let's look at each scenario.

• If they accept, great! You're off to the races and will begin the closing process.
• If they counter, you'll need to consult with any other family members making the decision with you along with your Realtor to again get an understanding of how much negotiating power you truly have at this stage.
• If they decline you can always submit another higher offer, but it may make sense to simply move onto the next home (particularly if they declined your offer in favor of another offer).

Begin The Closing Process

Congrats! You've had your offer accepted and now there are only a few hurdles between you and your new Naples home!

This is the part where you'll want to begin leaning on the partners you gathered earlier. Each one will bring a unique skillset to the table and will be invaluable as you conduct your home closing.

Make Your Escrow Deposit

Once your offer is accepted you'll likely need to put down a deposit for the seller to take the home off the market.

While technically this is a negotiable point, in Naples it almost always follows a standardized format that has two separate deposits prior to the closing date.

First you'll make a $10,000 earnest money deposit immediately after the offer is accepted. This is a show of good faith that proves to the seller that you're serious about buying the property. After this point, if you were to back out of the closing without cause, you would lose the $10,000 to the seller.

Once you've gotten through attorney review, the earnest money deposit is followed by a second installment that brings the total escrow deposits to 10% of the purchase price. This again shows the seller that you're acting in good faith.

Order Your Home Inspection(s)

The second thing you'll want to do after your offer is accepted is to order your inspection (or inspections if you're conducting a variety of different inspection types).

Often times inspections can uncover problems with the home that ultimately delay the closing process. If you're able to order the inspection right away, it will give you more time to work out any potential issues, possibly keeping the closing on schedule. 

After ordering your inspection, give some thought to the types of issues you're willing to ignore versus those you'll want the seller to fix before closing.

The extent to which you can request repairs will largely depend on the market you're in. If you're in a buyer's market, you'll have more negotiating power than if you're in a seller's market, so consult with your realtor to see how much leverage you truly have.

Order Your Title Search & Title Insurance

When buying a home it's important to make sure that the seller owns the home free from any liens or encumbrances. Enter, your title company.

The search your title company conducts will verify just that. They'll do a comprehensive dive into public records, ensuring there aren't any unwanted surprises.

The other thing they'll help you with is Title Insurance. This will protect you and your lender if any claim of ownership was ever made against the property. 

If there are currently any claims, they'll need to be resolved prior to closing on the property.

Attorney Review

With the price tags that typically come along with buying a home in Naples, it only makes sense to have an attorney review the paperwork to make sure your interests are protected. 

Specifically, your attorney will review the complex paperwork, answer any questions you may have, help negotiate any special terms you need, and can even close on the home for you so you don't have to attend the closing.

Knowing this, ensuring you have a competent and thorough attorney on your side will pay huge dividends. We can recommend a few options if you need a Florida attorney.

Complete the Appraisal

If you're getting financing on the home, one of the first things your mortgage provider will do after you submit your offer is request an appraisal.

They want to ensure that they home they're about to lend against is actually worth what you're paying for it. Because they'll tend to be a little on the conservative side, this can sometimes present issues.

If the home doesn't “appraise out” you could be forced to either come up with a larger down payment or lower your offering price. To help mitigate this risk, be prepared to defend the offering price – have some comparable sales to present, ask the seller's Realtor to provide any other offers they received on the home, or ask your lender to simply redo the appraisal.

Purchase Homeowner's Insurance

Now it's time to protect the investment you're making.

Homeowner's insurance in Naples can be a little tricky because we're so close to the water, so you'll want to make sure you go with a quality provider.

We recommend getting a few quotes because it's easy enough to do and it can mean a great deal of savings each year.

Schedule Your Walkthrough

You're almost there!

Now you'll want to revisit the property to make sure the sellers didn't throw a big going away party and leave the place a mess 😉

On a serious note, this is your last chance to make sure everything looks good before proceeding to closing. Your Realtor will coordinate this with the Seller's realtor and it will typically be within days of the upcoming closing.

This will be much quicker than the formal home inspection you did earlier – here you're essentially just checking that nothing changed between then and now.

Head to the Closing Table

The big day has finally come! Now let's make sure everything goes according to plan.

As we mentioned earlier, your attorney has the ability to close on your behalf, so it's possible you won't even be at the closing table.

If you are planning to attend, be sure to bring two forms of ID for you and any other buyers – many of the signatures are notarized and the notary will require ID.

The paperwork will be coming at you fast and will be filled with mind-numbing legalese. Not to worry though! Your Realtor, attorney and closing agent will all be there to guide you every step of the way.

Keep in mind that when you went through the attorney review process, your lawyer already looked over all of these documents, so don't feel like you have to read through everything right there on the spot.

Now Pop the Champagne

Congratulations! You're officially part of an exclusive group of people who understand the incredible lifestyle that Southwest Florida, and in particular, Naples, affords its residents.

You can now look forward to world class sunsets, beachfront dining, daily walks along the white sand beach, and joining the incredible social circle of Naples homeowners. 

We're looking forward to having you!

Conclusion

If you're ready to make this dream your reality, we'd love to help you along your journey.

Get in touch with us today to trade in the frigid North for the sunny, tropical paradise of Naples!

Naples New Construction Market Overview

So you're interested in buying a new construction home in Naples. Great!

But where do you start?

What type of neighborhood might be a good fit? Are there any developments in particular I should know about? What should I look for in terms of build quality and design trends?

That's what we want to help solve in this post. We're going to give you an overview of the new construction market in Naples so you can make an informed decision on your purchase.

So sit back, relax and let us know if you have any questions along the way!

Naples New Construction Homes

If you've spent any time in Naples recently, you know that there's a bit of a boom happening here in the new construction market.

Everywhere you look there are new communities and condo buildings going up. But when you consider the stunning number of people moving to Florida, it's really no surprise.

While it's great that we now have so many options, it can be a lot to make sense of. To bring some order to everything, let's break down some of the main aspects of the market.

Community Types

There are a wide variety of communities throughout Naples that feature new construction homes and condos, so let's start by taking a look at how this breaks down.

Golf Course Communities

Golfers rejoice – Naples has more golf courses per capita than anywhere in the U.S.

All of these golf courses are built inside of residential communities, and the trend of building that got us to the number 1 spot has not slowed down.

East of Airport Pulling road, national developers have been building these golf course communities at a breathtaking pace. Particularly on Immokalee Road, there are new communities going up everywhere you look, each featuring an incredible golf course.

Typically, these communities offer a variety of residences. While they're mostly composed of single family homes, they can often times feature condos or even villas.

All of them feature spectacular, state of the art club houses with incredible amenities like gyms, libraries, pools and even game rooms!

Gated Communities

These communities are very similar to golf course communities in that you have (you guessed it) a gated entrance and a full homeowner's association, but there isn't a golf course.

Many of these communities still offer an incredible suite of amenities, such as gyms, pools, club houses, tennis courts and even the occasional nature trail.

A perfect example of this would be Barefoot Beach. As one of Southwest Florida's only gated communities directly on the Gulf of Mexico, it's a truly special community. And yes, I might be a little biased as this is where my family and I have called home for the last 30 years 😏.

While it's definitely an older neighborhood, many of the homes have been either completely renovated or torn down and rebuilt in recent years.

Non-Gated Communities

While they're far outnumbered by gated communities, in a handful of areas throughout Naples you can find neighborhoods without a homeowner's association or gated entrance.

These would include neighborhoods like The Moorings, Pine Ridge and Naples Park, all of which are along 41, along with other neighborhoods further East like Golden Gate.

If you take a quick drive through any of these neighborhoods, you'll quickly be inundated with new home after new home. Thanks to strong market fundamentals, local developers and flippers alike have come in and built or renovated a number of high end single family homes.

If you want that new home feel without the ties or fees of a homeowner's association, this is your ticket.

Condo Buildings

If you're looking for simplicity in your ownership experience, look no further than the incredible new condo buildings that are going up throughout Naples.

Often times offering similar amenities to gated communities, these buildings can offer a resort style experience where you have your pool, gym, shared office space, party room, tennis courts and even dry cleaners right on site.

Many of these buildings are also right on the Gulf of Mexico, so they feature breathtaking views. This would include buildings such as Kalea Bay and Mystique.

If you prefer to be closer to the social scene than the beach, you'll find great options in Naples Square or Mercato.

Design Trends

The one constant when it comes to design trends is change. What's in one year can easily be out of style just a few short years down the road.

Knowing this, when it comes time to buy your home you want to buy a property that is likely to age well.

In this section we'll point out what's hot right now and what's likely to last into the future.

Smart Home Tech

Perhaps nowhere is the constant of change more noticeable than in smart home technology.

Over the last 10 years technology has become more and more prevalent in our homes. Many buyers now expect new homes to have the ability to control lights, fans, blinds, speakers and even appliances like ovens, all from a smart home system.

So even if you're not planning on being a big user of the smart home tech yourself, it's important to keep this in mind for resale value.

The two most common systems that developers work with are Crestron and Control4. Because of their prevalence, it's best to go with a home that has one of these two operating systems installed if possible. It will give your home a broader appeal when it comes time to sell.

Color Schemes

Over the last decade or so, gray has been one of the most popular interior paint colors.

While this is almost certain to change at some point, right now it's what's in, and if you were to have to change it down the line it's only paint.

Another major component to the overall atmosphere of your home is the flooring. In Florida, hard surface floors rule the day because they're easy to maintain, especially when coming home from the beach!

Lighter colors like beige, gray and white have been in for the last 5 years, but recently we've been seeing a shift back to sand colored wood grain floorboards.

When it comes to the kitchen, white cabinets and quartz countertops (typically white or gray) are the most popular options and thus the safest choice in terms of resale value.

You may be thinking this is a boring look, but homeowners and designers can easily bring more color into the home through their choice of accent pieces such as lamps, pillows and rugs. 

Building Materials

Florida might be known for it's sunny beaches, but ask any longtime homeowner down here and you'll quickly learn it's also known for weather that tends to be pretty tough on homes.

Knowing this, it's important to get familiarized with what makes a well built home that can withstand the elements.

Wood Frame vs. Concrete Block

Building homes with wood presents a number of problems over the life of a home, particularly in Florida.

Wood is susceptible to rotting from either the humidity or wood eating organisms like termites and carpenter ants.

Concrete block on the other hand is much better suited to hold up to the elements. Because of this, many buyers specifically look for concrete block homes and are willing to pay a premium for them.

So even though it's going to cost you more up front, you'll be thanking yourself when it comes time to sell the home.

Roofing Materials

When you invest hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars into a home, you want to know it's protected.

The single best thing you can do to ensure your investment will stand the test of time is to buy a home with the correct roof type. Problems with your roof can lead to a slew of other issues throughout the house. On the other hand, a solid roof will ensure the rest of the house is as protected as it can be.

Over the last 5 years or so metal roofs have become the new trend. Not only do they look great, they're well suited to last decades in the Florida elements.

Tile roofs can be just as effective in the short to medium term, so it's not a deal breaker by any means if the home you fall in love with has a tile roof. The one thing to ideally look for with tile is to get flat tile, which is now the trending style.

Hurricane Windows

You may have heard that Florida has to deal with the occasional hurricane 🙄

Luckily, if you're reading this post you're interested in buying a newly constructed home. That means your home will be built to the latest standards and will be well positioned to withstand one of these storms.

Having said that, even though builders are more capable than ever at building sturdy homes, it doesn't necessarily mean they do. Hurricane windows aren't required by code, so be sure to determine whether the home you're looking at has them installed or not.

Price Ranges

Having lived in Florida for over 30 years now, I've seen the real estate market continue to grow and grow.

And while the housing supply has continued to increase, demand has far outpaced it. This has driven prices steadily up and provided incredible equity gains for homeowners here.

Right now, most new construction communities in Naples have homes starting at $300,000 and going up to $5,000,000. As you get closer to the Gulf of Mexico and look more at custom homes, prices can start to climb above $5,000,000 and in some neighborhoods such as Port Royal, Pelican Bay or Barefoot Beach can go well over $10,000,000.

Conclusion

While it's impossible to cover all facets of the Naples new construction market in a blog post, we hope this has given you a great starting point on your way to purchasing you new home!

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach out to us at (239) 248-5580.

We look forward to helping you ensure your home purchase goes off without a hitch!

-Susan & David