A start date, a contract, a move across the country — and a home to find in between.
Physicians and medical professionals relocating to Naples arrive with a fixed start date, a signed employment agreement, and very little time to search. Marlene Alpizar, a Certified DRS Agent who worked in the medical field before real estate, works with doctors joining NCH Healthcare System, Physicians Regional, Lee Health and the practices around them, managing the search, the physician loan programs and the logistics of buying from another city so the move is complete before the first shift.
| Your Advisor | Marlene Alpizar, GRI, Certified DRS Agent — the physician-relocation designation endorsed by the AMA and other medical associations |
| Hospitals | NCH Baker (downtown) and NCH North Naples; Physicians Regional Pine Ridge and Collier Boulevard; Lee Health (Fort Myers and Bonita Springs) |
| Financing | Physician mortgage programs: low or no down payment, no mortgage insurance, jumbo limits, and student debt treated favorably; offer letters accepted before start |
| Timeline | Typical relocation window is 60 to 120 days; remote search and video showings begin immediately |
| Purchase From Afar | Video walk-throughs, remote inspections, electronic signing and mail-away closing; one visit to confirm, or none |
| Also | Lease-first options through Alpizar Property Management for physicians who want a season in Naples before buying |
Tell Us About Your Move
Share your start date, the hospital or practice you are joining, and what you are looking for, and Marlene will respond personally with a curated selection and a plan built around your timeline. Complimentary and without obligation.
Where Physicians Live in Naples
Proximity to the hospital matters more for a physician than for most buyers. For NCH Baker and the downtown practices, Olde Naples, Coquina Sands, The Moorings and Royal Harbor are minutes away. For NCH North Naples and Physicians Regional Pine Ridge, Pelican Bay, Vanderbilt Beach and the North Naples communities along Immokalee Road put the Gulf and the hospital within a short drive of each other. For Physicians Regional Collier Boulevard and Lee Health in Bonita Springs, we look east and north. Marlene builds the search around the commute you will actually make. For a broader picture of the city, see Living in Naples.
Physician Mortgage Programs
Several lenders offer mortgages designed for physicians, dentists and other medical professionals: low or no down payment on purchases into the jumbo range, no private mortgage insurance, and underwriting that treats student debt and a signed offer letter more favorably than conventional loans. These programs are the reason many physicians can purchase in Naples' better neighborhoods immediately on arrival rather than years later. We connect you with lenders who write them and coordinate the approval to your start date.
Buying Before You Arrive
Most physician clients complete the search from their current city. Marlene conducts video walk-throughs on your schedule, including between shifts, coordinates inspections and vendors in your absence, and closes by electronic signature and mail-away so the keys are waiting when you land. For those who prefer to rent for a season before committing, Alpizar Property Management places physicians in annual and furnished rentals and keeps the search open for the right purchase.
Why a Certified DRS Agent
The DRS Agent Network certifies agents who serve the medical community and is endorsed by the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association and other physician organizations. Certification reflects experience with the specifics of a medical relocation: employment-contract timing, credentialing and licensing delays, residency and fellowship calendars, physician loan underwriting, and the reality that a doctor's search happens at odd hours from another time zone. Marlene's own years in the medical field before real estate mean she has been on both sides of that calendar.
Physician Relocation — Frequently Asked Questions
What is a physician mortgage?
A loan program offered by certain banks to physicians, dentists and other medical professionals, typically featuring low or no down payment, no private mortgage insurance, loan amounts into the jumbo range, and underwriting that discounts student debt and accepts a signed employment contract as proof of income before the start date. Terms vary by lender and specialty; we connect clients with lenders active in Naples.
Can I buy a home in Naples before my position starts?
Yes. Physician loan programs generally accept a signed employment contract with a start date within 60 to 90 days as qualifying income, and the entire purchase can be completed remotely. Most physician clients close before their first day.
How far are Naples' waterfront neighborhoods from the hospitals?
Olde Naples, Coquina Sands, The Moorings and Royal Harbor are within about ten minutes of NCH Baker downtown. Pelican Bay and Vanderbilt Beach are within about ten to fifteen minutes of NCH North Naples and Physicians Regional Pine Ridge. Lee Health facilities in Bonita Springs are roughly twenty to thirty minutes north of the North Naples communities.
Should I rent or buy when relocating to Naples?
Physicians on multi-year contracts generally benefit from buying, particularly with physician loan programs that remove the down-payment barrier. Those on one-year positions, or uncertain about the area, often rent for a season first. We do both, and there is no pressure toward either.
What is a Certified DRS Agent?
A real estate agent certified by the DRS Agent Network, which is endorsed by the American Medical Association and other physician associations, to serve relocating doctors and medical professionals. Certification reflects experience with medical relocation timelines, physician loan programs and the logistics of purchasing from another city.
Loan program features vary by lender and are subject to qualification; this page is general information and not lending advice.
Meet the Team
Connect with Real Estate Advisors... not Salespeople.
Alpizar & Company is a family-owned independent brokerage specializing in luxury waterfront real estate across Naples' most sought-after neighborhoods. Led by Robert Alpizar (CLHMS, GRI, SRS, PSA) and Marlene Alpizar, our team operates as advisors — not salespeople — guiding buyers and sellers with firsthand local expertise and no corporate quotas.
We offer complimentary, pressure-free consultations without any commitment.
Over 250 closed transactions. $100 million in Naples luxury waterfront sales. Read what our buyers and sellers say about working with an advisor-driven independent brokerage — and why they come back.
What's it like working with Alpizar & Company?