More Roofs Set at Park Forest as Buildout Nears

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, March 12, 2018 – The residential development of Park Forest in Englewood is building out fast. Its developer has started working on the sixth and final phase of this popular neighborhood offering Sarasota homes for sale for age 55-plus residents.

This property sits just west of the Englewood Sports Complex and north of East Dearborn Street, its main access road. Park Forest’s developer is Englewood-based Diamond Homes of Southwest Florida, which platted the community into 367 home sites for single family homes and stand-alone condo units which were built in Phases 2 and 3.

Homebuilding Rebound

Park Forest, a gated community, has most of its homes adjacent to a lake while others back up to lush nature preserves. The first homes in the community’s Phase 1 were built in the late 1980s, but residential construction here halted in 2008 because of the housing market crash and the Great Recession.

Building activity at Park Forest started to pick up in 2009, and it henceforth continuously gained momentum, setting the stage for its Phase 6 planned for 60 newly built Sarasota homes for sale. The amenities in this community include a clubhouse with a kitchen, swimming pool and Jacuzzi, tennis courts and shuffleboard courts.

The residents of this community enjoy a maintenance-free living. Their HOA fees cover lawn care and irrigation, Wi-Fi internet and cable TV as well as the upkeep of the community’s landscaping and amenities.

Buying Come-ons

Diamond Homes has provided some buying incentives to stimulate market interest in new Park Forest homes for sale. Residential features which were formerly add-ons have been included as standard, such as granite kitchen countertops, high-end appliances and crown molding throughout. Additionally, each house gets new exterior paint every even years and a new roof every 17 years.

Four new homes under construction set for completion in the second half of 2018 are currently listed in the MLS of Sarasota homes for sale. These residences are attractively priced in the $300s, featuring three bedrooms and two baths within floor areas of 2,060 square feet.

Pre-loved Home Choices

Prized finds amongst Forest Lakes homes for sale are those pre-owned homes priced in the upper $100s, which could sell less than two weeks of their listing. These homes are typically those built in the late 1980s designed with floor areas of about 1,600 square feet, featuring two bedrooms and two baths.

Available condo villas in this community are as highly desirable and fast-selling, with typical price quotes also in the high $100s. These residences were completed in the late 1990s likewise designed with two bedrooms and two baths set in floor areas of between 1,150 and 1,400 square feet.

Nearby Comparables

Comparables with Park Forest homes for sale could easily be found at a community just west of it—Foxwood—also a development for age 55-plus residents. In late February, a Foxwood villa-style home built around the mid-1980s was sales-listed with a tag price in the low $200s. It has a floor plan of 1,453 square feet designed with two bedrooms and two baths.

Foxwood features amenities similar to those at Park Forest. These include a clubhouse, a swimming pool, hot tub/spa, tennis courts, bocce and shuffle board courts.

The residents of both communities are within a few miles of venues for golf, fishing, boating and other leisure activities on Gulf Coast beaches. In addition, shops, healthcare facilities and a top-notch library are just close by.

Englewood has plenty of restaurants to offer too, ranging from fast-food to casual to fine dining. Cultural events, such as those in the Englewood Performing Arts Series and Lemon Bay Playhouse, are regularly held in Englewood, as well as in nearby Venice and Sarasota, to help further boost home buying interest in this area.