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 and medical professionals joining NCH Healthcare System, Physicians Regional, Lee Health, Arthrex 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 in Fort Myers and Bonita Springs |
| Arthrex | Headquarters campus off Immokalee Road in North Naples, about 3 miles from Vanderbilt Beach and 4 from Pelican Bay |
| Closest In | Olde Naples, Coquina Sands and The Moorings sit 1 to 2 miles from NCH Baker; Vanderbilt Beach and Pelican Bay 4 to 5 miles from NCH North Naples |
| 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, practice or company 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.
Drive Times to the Hospitals and Arthrex
For a physician on call, the drive to the hospital decides the neighborhood as much as the house does. The table below shows the off-peak drive and distance from the center of each of Naples’ waterfront neighborhoods to NCH Baker downtown, NCH North Naples and the Arthrex campus in North Naples.
| Area | NCH Baker | NCH North | Arthrex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olde Naples | 4 min 1.0 mi |
21 min 10.3 mi |
18 min 9.8 mi |
| Aqualane Shores | 6 min 1.9 mi |
22 min 10.9 mi |
20 min 10.3 mi |
| Port Royal | 9 min 3.0 mi |
26 min 12.3 mi |
23 min 11.8 mi |
| Royal Harbor | 7 min 2.4 mi |
22 min 10.7 mi |
20 min 10.9 mi |
| The Moorings | 5 min 2.2 mi |
16 min 8.4 mi |
13 min 7.4 mi |
| Coquina Sands | 6 min 1.1 mi |
21 min 9.9 mi |
19 min 8.8 mi |
| Park Shore | 9 min 4.0 mi |
15 min 7.3 mi |
12 min 6.3 mi |
| Pelican Bay | 13 min 6.2 mi |
10 min 4.8 mi |
8 min 3.8 mi |
| Vanderbilt Beach | 16 min 8.4 mi |
9 min 4.1 mi |
7 min 3.1 mi |
| Windstar | 8 min 3.3 mi |
23 min 11.6 mi |
22 min 11.8 mi |
Physicians Regional runs two campuses east of the coast, one on Pine Ridge Road near I-75 and one on Collier Boulevard in East Naples:
| Area | Pine Ridge | Collier |
|---|---|---|
| Olde Naples | 20 min 9.5 mi |
18 min 8.5 mi |
| Aqualane Shores | 21 min 10.1 mi |
20 min 9.1 mi |
| Port Royal | 25 min 11.5 mi |
23 min 10.5 mi |
| Royal Harbor | 19 min 9.2 mi |
17 min 7.8 mi |
| The Moorings | 16 min 7.6 mi |
21 min 11.8 mi |
| Coquina Sands | 21 min 8.9 mi |
23 min 10.0 mi |
| Park Shore | 15 min 6.5 mi |
25 min 13.5 mi |
| Pelican Bay | 14 min 6.5 mi |
26 min 15.5 mi |
| Vanderbilt Beach | 17 min 8.3 mi |
29 min 17.2 mi |
| Windstar | 18 min 9.0 mi |
14 min 6.8 mi |
These are drive times without traffic. From January through April, when the seasonal population arrives, US 41 and the east-west roads to I-75 are slower, and a physician taking call should test the route at the hours they will actually drive it. We do that with you during the search.
Where Physicians Live in Naples
Near NCH Baker and downtown. Olde Naples, Coquina Sands and The Moorings are 1 to 2 miles from the hospital, a drive of about five minutes, with the beach, Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South close by. Across Naples Bay, Royal Harbor and Aqualane Shores add a private dock with bridge-free access to the Gulf, and Port Royal sits about 3 miles south.
Near NCH North Naples and Arthrex. Vanderbilt Beach and Pelican Bay are 3 to 5 miles from both, about ten minutes off-peak, with Gulf-front high-rises, private beach access and, at Vanderbilt Beach, boating to Wiggins Pass. Park Shore sits between the two hospitals, about fifteen minutes from NCH North Naples and nine from NCH Baker, which suits a household with one physician at each.
Near Physicians Regional. The Pine Ridge campus is about fifteen minutes from Park Shore, The Moorings and Pelican Bay. For the Collier Boulevard campus, Windstar, a gated golf and boating community on Naples Bay, is about fourteen minutes away and eight from NCH Baker. Lee Health positions in Bonita Springs and Fort Myers point the search north, toward Vanderbilt Beach and the communities beyond it. For a broader picture of the city, see Living in Naples.
Hospitals and Neighborhoods on the Map
The hospitals are lettered and the neighborhoods numbered. The coastal neighborhoods run in a line along the Gulf, NCH Baker sits at the downtown end of that line and NCH North Naples and Arthrex at the north end, with the two Physicians Regional campuses inland along I-75.
Naples hospitals, Arthrex and the waterfront neighborhoods. Map by Alpizar & Company.
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 seasonal furnished rentals and keeps the search open for the right purchase.
For Recruiters and HR Teams
A physician or senior hire who cannot picture where the family will live is harder to sign. Recruiters and HR teams at Naples hospitals, practices and medical companies can ask us for a relocation briefing on a candidate’s visit: the neighborhoods that fit the commute and the budget, what homes there have recently sold for, and a guided tour on the day. It is complimentary, and Marlene coordinates it directly with the candidate. Call (239) 438-1102.
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 Questions
Which Naples neighborhoods are closest to NCH Baker Hospital?
Olde Naples, Coquina Sands and The Moorings are 1 to 2 miles from NCH Baker downtown, about four to six minutes off-peak. Royal Harbor and Aqualane Shores, both with bridge-free boating, are about six to seven minutes away, and Port Royal about nine.
Which Naples neighborhoods are closest to NCH North Naples and Arthrex?
Vanderbilt Beach is about 3 to 4 miles from the Arthrex campus and NCH North Naples, roughly seven to nine minutes off-peak, and Pelican Bay about 4 to 5 miles, eight to ten minutes. Park Shore is about twelve minutes from Arthrex and fifteen from NCH North Naples.
How much longer is the drive in season?
The drive times on this page are off-peak. From January through April, US 41 and the east-west roads to I-75 carry the seasonal population, and the same trip takes longer, particularly at rush hour. Test the route at the hours you will drive it before you buy; we do that with you.
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.
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. Call (239) 438-1102 to speak with Marlene.
Drive times and distances are off-peak estimates from OpenStreetMap routing data, measured from the center of each neighborhood to each hospital or campus in October 2026; actual times vary with the address, the hour and the season. 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?