I bought through Ronnie at
http://www.coast2coastpropertiesturkey.co.uk/ and his joint agent colleague Bunyamin of
http://www.index-properties.com/en/location/hisaronu. I highly recommend both agents.
Both these agents are very knowledgable about the area and you should spend quite a bit of time visiting the various districts in the Fethiye region as they each offer a different choice of lifestyle.
I spent around a year researching property buying in Turkey, and like you read the horror stories. I feel the research served me well and helped me narrow down my property selection.
I avoided off-plan and new build and knew re-sale was the way to go for us. I also knew I didn't want to purchase on a complex as I didn't want the hassle of maintenance committees and anyway we like our privacy and wanted our own pool. Then again we had no intentions of renting out to holidaymakers and chose our property always with the view of living here full time.
I also chose the best solicitor in the area
http://www.sulebeder.av.tr/. Şule (pronounced 'Shoolay' ) Beder ensured that all our best interests were covered and again, I recommend her highly. I genuinely do not understand why anyone paying out tens of or hundreds of thousands of pounds for a property begrudges then paying a highly recommended solicitor a reasonable fee. You are in a foreign country, chances are you speak little of the language and you probably know little of legal and purchasing etiquette never mind all the hidden or ever so Turkish pitfalls!
As a result, we purchased without any problems at all.
I will have lived here full time for 2 years next March and my husband has more or less done the same with time out back in the UK for business commitments. Our whole family has spent many weeks here and so have many friends.
We have no regrets at all