Your Advocate. Your Expert. Your Southwest Florida Move.
Find the home of your dreams in Southwest Florida.
Stephanie specializes in representing buyers, putting your interests first from the moment you begin your search through the day you receive the keys.
- Agent
- Stephanie DeLisle, REALTOR®
- Represents
- Buyers only
- Based in
- Cape Coral, FL
From the Midwest to the Gulf Coast.
Sarasota to Naples · Based in Cape Coral
The Midwest specialist
Many of her clients are making the move from the Midwest to Southwest Florida.
Whether they’re looking for a permanent home, an investment property, a vacation retreat, or a place to escape the winter months.
A permanent home
The house you will actually live in, chosen town first.
An investment property
Rental rules checked for the exact address before any offer.
A vacation retreat
Water, boat access and lock-and-leave, weighed honestly.
Escaping the winter
Four months here, twelve months of costs on paper first.
Buying from a distance
When you’re buying from a distance, beautiful photographs only tell part of the story. Stephanie gives you the local perspective you need to buy with confidence.
We are real estate agents specializing in Southwest Florida, with experience living in the area as well as renting properties. We can help you find the perfect property for your needs.
What a listing photo won’t tell you from up north
The local checks Stephanie runs on every property before you write an offer.
Bridge clearance
“Gulf access” can still mean a fixed bridge your boat won’t clear.
Flood elevation
Two houses on one street can carry very different flood premiums.
Rental rules
City, association and state rules decide if you can rent it.
Insurance
In Florida, a quote is part of due diligence, not paperwork.
The neighborhood
Road noise, the neighbor’s boat, the drive to the airport.
How it works
From your first call to your keys — mostly from home.
Seven stages, and you can be a thousand miles north of here for nearly all of them.
The first call
What you are solving, how buyer representation works, and what it costs.
Choose the area first
We compare towns against your list and cross some off.
Video tours, then one trip
Honest narrated walkthroughs first, one concentrated visit once the list is short.
The offer
Price plus timelines, deposit, closing date and seller contributions.
Inspection and due diligence
Roof, wind mitigation, seawall, flood picture, association documents, insurance quote.
Closing, largely remote
We read the closing statement together, line by line.
The year after
Homestead filing, insurance, local contractors, hurricane-season prep.
Your dream, your town
What does your Florida dream look like?
Pick the one that sounds most like you. Stephanie will show you where to start looking.
Look here first
Cape Coral · Fort Myers
Cape Coral is a residential grid built around navigable canals, so waterfront here usually means a boat lift behind the house. Fort Myers sits on the Caloosahatchee with river access and a shorter run to the airport.
Worth knowing
“Gulf access” can hide a fixed bridge. We check clearance before you fall for the house.
Look here first
Sanibel · Captiva · Pine Island
Sanibel incorporated to control its own land use: no traffic lights, low density, shared-use paths and the “Ding” Darling refuge. Pine Island and Matlacha keep an old-Florida, fishing-village pace.
Worth knowing
Islands mean causeways, tolls, and contractors that are an island problem rather than an errand.
Look here first
Naples · Sarasota
Both give you a center you can reach without a car: Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South in Naples, St. Armands Circle and downtown in Sarasota, with a museum and theater season attached.
Worth knowing
Lock-and-leave usually means an association, with its own fees and rules about renting.
Look here first
Cape Coral · Estero · Bonita Springs
The mainland is where the practical answers are: larger lots, more house per dollar than the barrier islands, and Southwest Florida International close enough for family to visit.
Worth knowing
You are further from the sand than on an island, and you will drive more than you think.
Look here first
Cape Coral · Fort Myers Beach
A single-family canal home in Cape Coral or a condo on Estero Island. In both, whether you can rent it while you are back north is a legal question before it is a financial one.
Worth knowing
We confirm the city, association and state rules for the exact address before any offer.
Fort Myers · Cape Coral · Pine Island · Matlacha · Sanibel · Captiva · Fort Myers Beach · Estero · Bonita Springs · Naples · Sarasota
Why buyers choose Stephanie
On your side from the first search to the day you get the keys.
- Buyers
- Who she represents
- Midwest
- Where many clients come from
- SWFL
- Sarasota to Naples
- Local
- Lives and rents here
Your advocate
Stephanie specializes in representing buyers, putting your interests first from the moment you begin your search through the day you receive the keys.
From the Midwest
Many of her clients are making the move from the Midwest to Southwest Florida—whether they’re looking for a permanent home, an investment property, a vacation retreat, or a place to escape the winter months.
Your local expert
When you’re buying from a distance, beautiful photographs only tell part of the story. Stephanie gives you the local perspective you need to buy with confidence.
Good questions
Questions Midwest buyers ask
Buying a home a thousand miles away raises questions you won’t find in a listing. These are the ones Stephanie hears most.
Don’t see your question? Ask Stephanie.
Bring the ones you are embarrassed to ask. No question is too early in the process.
Book a call →Can I buy a house in Florida without flying down first?
Yes, and most of Stephanie’s out-of-state clients do part of it remotely. Touring starts with narrated video walkthroughs, then one concentrated trip to walk the finalists. Florida closings are handled by a title company or real estate attorney and can largely be completed remotely.
Who pays the buyer’s agent?
Since the 2024 practice changes, it is negotiated in writing in each transaction. It may be paid by the seller, the listing brokerage, the buyer, or a combination. You agree it in a buyer representation agreement before you tour homes.
What does “Gulf access” mean in Cape Coral?
A boat can travel from the dock to the open Gulf through the canal system. It does not tell you whether a fixed bridge is in the way. Ask how many fixed bridges lie between the dock and open water, the charted clearance of the lowest, and the depth at the dock at low tide.
Do I need flood insurance in Southwest Florida?
If the property is in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area and you finance with a federally backed mortgage, yes. Under Risk Rating 2.0, premiums depend on first-floor height, distance to water and more, so get a quote for the specific address during your inspection period.
Can I rent out my Florida house when I’m not using it?
Sometimes. City ordinances, association documents and state licensing each decide part of it, and the answer can change across a city line. We confirm all three for a specific address before you write an offer.
Start with a call
Planning your move south? Let’s talk first.
Which areas fit, how buyer representation works and what it costs. No showing, no pressure, no mailing list. If you are eighteen months out, that is a normal time to call.