Free · 108-page PDF · 2026 Edition
Everything you need to know about buying a home in Southwest Florida.
Southwest Florida is not one market — it is dozens of micro-markets across Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties, and the difference between them is measured in hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is the reference our own buyers use before they ever get on a plane.
Written by John Garuti and the team that sells across all three counties every week — not scraped off a listing site.
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Inside the guide
Actual pages, not a sales brochure
One hundred and eight pages of the reference material we hand our own relocation clients — the county-by-county breakdowns, the canal and flood-zone detail, and the fee math most buyers don't see until they are sitting in a builder's sales office.
What's covered
Eight parts, twenty-one chapters, one region.
Whether you are retiring to a 55+ community in Naples, buying a canal home in Cape Coral, or underwriting a short-term rental in Port Charlotte, the part that applies to you is in here.
The SW Florida Market
Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties, micro-markets, the seasonal cycle, post-Ian reset, and the Florida AS-IS contract step by step.
New Construction
How to buy in a builder's market, the major builders compared, price escalation clauses, design center strategy, and master-planned communities.
55+ Communities
Why retirees pick SW Florida, active adult vs. age-restricted, the top communities by county, financing in retirement, and the senior exemption.
Waterfront Living
The Cape Coral canal system, Charlotte Harbor and Marco Island boating, freshwater lake communities, elevation certificates and flood insurance.
Investment & STRs
The four investment strategies here, the short-term rental playbook, city-by-city rules, and the expenses that wreck a pro forma.
Specialty Niches
Horse farms and equestrian acreage, bundled vs. equity golf, condo types and special assessment risk, and building custom on your own lot.
Relocating Here
Utilities, homestead and driver's license, schools, hospitals, RSW airport, and the practical checklist for your first ninety days.
Working With Us
How the team is built, what a buyer specialist actually does for you, plus a quick-reference appendix and full terminology glossary.
Who put this together
We work all three counties, every week.
Team John Garuti works with buyers relocating to Southwest Florida from out of state — most of whom choose their community before they ever get on a plane. We know which builders are moving on price, which canals actually reach the Gulf without a bridge, and which fees show up after closing.
On new construction the builder pays your agent's commission, so having us in your corner costs you nothing and puts someone on your side of the table reading the contract.
- Cape Coral
- Fort Myers
- Naples
- Bonita Springs
- Estero
- Punta Gorda
- Port Charlotte
- Babcock Ranch
- Lehigh Acres
- Ave Maria
- Marco Island
- Englewood