Buyer guide · Updated June 15, 2026
If you’re shopping in Esplanade by the Islands, one of the biggest decisions is whether to buy new construction from Taylor Morrison or purchase an existing resale home already inside the community. Both can make sense. The better choice depends on your timing, budget, floor-plan preference, tolerance for upgrades, and how much you value a finished home versus designing one from the ground up.
The headline: Most buyers should not be comparing “new vs. resale” in the abstract. They should be comparing the true finished cost of a specific builder home vs. the true delivered value of a specific resale — same floor plan when possible.
For many buyers, new construction is best if you want the newest floor plan, the ability to choose finishes, and the peace of mind of buying directly from the builder.
Resale is often best if you want a finished home now, want a retired floor plan that can no longer be built, or want a property where expensive improvements like the pool, lanai screen, window treatments, appliances, lighting, and landscaping are already done.
The smartest move is not simply “new” or “resale.” It’s comparing the true finished cost of each option.
New construction gives you the cleanest starting point. You’re buying a never-lived-in home, often with modern design packages, current floor-plan revisions, builder warranty protections, and the ability to choose certain options depending on the stage of construction.
For buyers relocating from out of state, that can feel easier. There’s no wondering how the prior owner maintained the home, no concern about old paint colors, outdated lighting, worn flooring, or a pool that needs resurfacing. You’re starting fresh.
New construction also appeals to buyers who want one of the current Taylor Morrison plans — Lazio II, Pallazio II, Genoa, Cascata, Cresta, Florence, Argenta, Monte, Sereno, Marino, Colina, or Ravenna — or a current Coach Home plan.
The other big advantage is builder-incentive potential. Incentives change frequently, but depending on inventory, timing, financing, closing deadlines, and construction stage, there may be room to negotiate credits, rate buydowns, design-center credits, or closing-cost assistance.
The key is knowing what is real value and what is just marketing.
Builder base pricing is only the starting point. A buyer may see a published base price and assume that’s close to the number they’ll pay. In reality, the final cost can change significantly once you factor in everything that turns a base shell into a finished home.
This doesn’t mean new construction is a bad value. It means buyers need to compare the finished number, not the advertised starting number. A base-price home and a finished resale home are not always apples to apples.
Resale homes can be attractive because many of the expensive decisions have already been made. A good resale may already include the pool, lanai screen, lighting, fans, window treatments, outdoor kitchen, upgraded appliances, closet systems, landscaping, water-view premium, and owner improvements that would cost a new-construction buyer extra time and money.
Resale also gives you certainty. You can walk through the exact home, see the exact view, feel the exact lot, inspect the exact finishes, and understand the surrounding streetscape.
That matters in a community like Esplanade by the Islands because lot position, view, exposure, privacy, pool orientation, driveway length, neighboring homes, and proximity to amenities can materially affect the way a home lives.
With resale, you’re not buying a rendering. You’re buying the real thing.
One of the strongest reasons to look at resales is that several original Esplanade by the Islands floor plans are no longer available from the builder.
Plans like Lazio, Pallazio, Beacon, Farnese, Mazzano, Ceretti, Ambra, Letizia, Lincoln, and Humboldt may only be available on the resale market.
That matters because some buyers prefer the original layout, room proportions, lot placement, or established streets over the current builder lineup. A retired floor plan with a pool, mature landscaping, and a good view can be very hard to replace.
For example, if a buyer specifically wants a Lazio or Pallazio resale, waiting for the right one to come up may make more sense than forcing a current builder plan that doesn’t fit as well. See the full floor-plan archive — current and retired →
If you’re particular about finishes, new construction can be a major advantage. Some buyers don’t want to inherit someone else’s cabinet color, backsplash, flooring, pool finish, light fixtures, or design choices. They want to select the home from the beginning and have everything feel like theirs.
That’s completely reasonable.
The tradeoff: personalization usually comes with cost and patience. Upgrades can add up quickly, and depending on the build stage, not every choice may still be available. A quick move-in home may already have many selections locked in.
The question becomes: are you truly customizing from scratch, or are you buying a builder-selected inventory home that happens to be new? That distinction matters. More on how the design-center process really works →
Timing is one of the biggest reasons buyers choose resale. If you need to move this season, want to furnish before winter, or need certainty around closing, resale may be easier. You can usually close faster, inspect the property, and begin using the home much sooner.
New construction can involve uncertainty around completion dates, construction delays, inspections, punch-list items, and final-walkthrough timing. That doesn’t make it bad — but it does mean the timeline needs to fit your life.
If you want the home usable on a fixed date, a finished resale can be especially appealing because it may allow immediate occupancy rather than spending a first season managing construction decisions.
A common mistake is assuming resale automatically means less expensive. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t.
A resale home may command a premium if it has a desirable floor plan, wide water view, southern exposure, custom pool, outdoor kitchen, upgraded finishes, impact windows, designer lighting, and high-end furnishings. The right resale may be priced above a builder base price but still be a better value because the completed improvements would cost far more to duplicate.
The reverse can also be true. A new-construction home may be the better buy if the builder has inventory pressure, attractive incentives, or a plan that gives you the space you need without paying for another owner’s upgrades.
The real question is not “Which one has the lower price?” The better question is: “Which one has the better total value once everything I want is included?”
The comparison framework: for any decision between a specific builder home and a specific resale, line up: builder base + lot premium + estimated design upgrades + pool/outdoor + closing costs + incentives + completion timing — vs. — resale list price + included improvements + condition + negotiation room. That’s the only way to know which one is truly stronger.
Negotiating with a builder is not the same as negotiating with a resale seller.
A homeowner may negotiate on price, closing date, furniture, repairs, inspection credits, or contingencies.
A builder is more likely to negotiate through incentives, credits, financing promotions, upgrade packages, closing-cost assistance, or inventory-home discounts — rather than simply dropping the published price.
Both can be negotiated. The strategy is different.
With the builder, timing and inventory matter. End of month, end of quarter, standing inventory, completed homes, and homes nearing completion all affect leverage.
With resales, leverage usually depends on days on market, seller motivation, competing listings, condition, pricing accuracy, and whether the home has features buyers are actively chasing.
Buyers sometimes assume they don’t need representation when buying from the builder. That’s usually a mistake.
The builder’s sales team is paid by the builder. They know the product well, but they are not independent of it.
A buyer’s agent who understands Esplanade by the Islands can help you compare builder options against resales, review floor-plan tradeoffs, evaluate lot premiums, understand what upgrades actually return at resale, and structure a cleaner offer or negotiation. More on why the builder pays your agent →
The same is true on resale. A general Naples search isn’t enough. Esplanade by the Islands has its own floor-plan history, HOA structure, community fees, builder timeline, retired plans, resale patterns, and lifestyle features. Those details matter when deciding whether a home is priced correctly.
You want a never-lived-in home, prefer the current Taylor Morrison plans, want the newest design packages, are willing to wait for completion, and want to be involved in the build or selection process. It also makes sense if builder incentives are strong enough to offset the additional costs of upgrades, lot premium, and timing.
You want to move sooner, want a retired floor plan, prefer an established street, want to see the exact view and lot, or value a home where the pool, lanai, lighting, window treatments, landscaping, and other upgrades are already complete. It also makes sense if you want to avoid the uncertainty of construction timing or design-center decisions.
The biggest mistake is comparing a builder base price to a finished resale price. That comparison is almost always incomplete. A fair comparison should include the finished cost of the new home and the real market value of the resale home.
For example, a resale with a pool, lake view, outdoor kitchen, upgraded flooring, plantation shutters, designer lighting, and mature landscaping may look more expensive than a builder base price. But if those improvements would cost six figures to recreate, the resale may actually be the stronger value.
On the other hand, a resale with dated finishes, no pool, weaker lot, or unrealistic seller pricing may not compete well against a new builder option. Every home has to be evaluated individually.
Those answers usually make the decision much clearer.
There’s no universal answer to whether new construction or resale is better at Esplanade by the Islands.
New construction gives you freshness, current plans, builder warranty, and potential personalization. Resale gives you certainty, established locations, retired floor plans, completed upgrades, and often a faster path to enjoying the home.
The best buy is the one that gives you the strongest combination of floor plan, lot, view, upgrades, timing, and total cost.
If you’re comparing builder homes and resales at Esplanade by the Islands, I can help you look at both sides of the market and build a true apples-to-apples comparison before you make a decision.
Keep reading: The true cost to own at Esplanade by the Islands in 2026 → | Full 2026 HOA & assessment breakdown → | Already own here? See how I list Esplanade homes →
Nicholas Nolan is a Florida REALTOR® with Realty ONE Group MVP who focuses on Naples, Marco Island, and Esplanade by the Islands. He has family who live in the community, plays pickleball at the courts, and has been working inside Esplanade since the community first opened — showing, hosting open houses, and closing transactions across new construction and resale. He helps buyers compare floor plans, understand HOA/CDD costs, evaluate resale values, and negotiate strategically.
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Pricing & floor plans. Subject to change without notice. Verify all current pricing, availability, and specifications with the builder before making purchase decisions.