Forest Lakes is conveniently located in Albemarle County across from Hollymead Town Center. Opened in 1989, it was this area’s first planned community, and has been a popular place to live ever since. Today it consists of two sections, North and South plus Forest Grove, a recently launched Ryan Homes neighborhood. Forest Grove homeowners will be part of the Forest Lakes Home Owners Association (HOA) with access to all of its amenities.
Forest Lakes contains1400+ homes in a range of price points and styles that appeal to a wide variety of buyers. Everyone from first timers or those looking for a no-maintenance townhome to move up buyers needing more space or a house with more amenities will find what they are looking for there.
The community has a multitude of recreational opportunities including miles of walking trails, competitive sports of all kinds including tennis, swimming and soccer, and a fitness facility available to all residents. Forest Lakes homeowners also enjoy the beauty and privacy that come with living amongst mature trees, well maintained common areas and access to the six lakes which give this neighborhood its name.
All in all Forest Lakes offers amenities that make its homes a solid investment and is a community where many of the families who move in choose to stay for many, many years.
Buyers Love Forest Lakes
The agents who work Forest Lakes all agree that its long list of amenities is a lot of what makes it a desirable place to live.
Part of the appeal is the way the original 1400 building lots were spaced within the subdivision, explained Fulton Gaylord with Keller Williams Inc. “Thanks to the topography and the woods, homes were privately situated. They are there but you can’t see them all,” he said.
Gaylord and his family are long time residents of Forest Lakes where he serves on the Board of the HOA. He described a time when he and his wife were watching the kids swim at one of the pools soon after they moved in. On this sunny day with a nice breeze he and his wife looked at each other and said, “we’ve moved to Disney World.”
Pat Jensen with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate III echoed this sentiment when she referred to Forest Lakes as “the cruise ship of our subdivisions.” “It’s large but it doesn’t feel large,” she added, explaining that the developers left many of the trees intact and created smaller neighborhoods with similar price points throughout the community.
Judy Savage with Judy Savage & Company Realtors said it is “the amenities of the pools, tennis courts and playing fields that are still the biggest draw. When I have listings in nearby neighborhoods and follow up I often find the buyer chose a less desirable house just so they could get into Forest Lakes.”
Debbie Cash took an office manager job at Forest Lakes back in 1989, just one week before the first house closed. Today she is an agent with RE/MAX Affinity Group. She said that unlike in some subdivisions where a clubhouse is part of the package but not built until later, in Forest Lakes the clubhouse was up and running from the beginning. “Frank Kessler, the original developer, had a vision of an all inclusive walkable community with schools, shops, paved trails, a clubhouse and pools,” Cash said. Building the clubhouse was part of his commitment to that vision.
The appeal of the planned community was reflected in the popularity of this community when it first opened. At that time, its location eight miles from the university was considered “far out,” Cash said. In spite of that, many families bought there for the lifestyle it offered even though it meant driving across town to get to work. The early sales figures were impressive…the agents sold 154 homes in the first 15 months.
Appreciation for a planned community like this continues today.
“We love living here,” Gaylord said. He explained that everything they need is nearby, They have shopping at Hollymead Town Center across the street and recreational activities such as a swim team for the children. The swim team is well known with participation from many of the local families. Gaylord also appreciates the privacy, the miles of walking and bike trails and the work out facility which is open to all homeowners.
Another factor in the popularity of Forest Lakes is the quality of the schools. Gaylord referenced two nearby elementary schools and a middle school within the neighborhood, which make it easy and safe for children to get to school every day.
Cash agrees saying that buyers frequently tell her they have searched for information about the schools and choose Forest Lakes for that reason.
The Forest Lakes Real Estate Market
Forest Lakes is a neighborhood where “homes sell more quickly and for more,” Cash said.
Usually these homes sell well “across the board,” Jensen said, however there are always cycles. At the moment the homes that are selling best are in the $400,000 to $500,000 range and the $200,000 to $300,000 range. The new construction section is also very popular.
Current listings include two townhomes under $200,000 which would be attractive to first time buyers, Jensen said. The lowest priced townhome is 1200 square feet and is on the market for $172,990. At the other end of the spectrum is a 5000 square foot home with six bedrooms and five baths listed at $519,900.
“The market in Forest Lakes is good,” Savage said. “However many of the homes now have some age on them. Some homes were built as early as l989 so are 25 years old. If a home has not been updated it will sit.” She added that the new Ryan homes going up with “all the bells and whistles,” are a lot of competition for older homes, especially ones that have not been updated.
“Prices hold better in Forest Lakes than any other area,” Gaylord said. The community’s amenities are a big part of this. His kids tell him they never want to leave the neighborhood, and, he added, “they don’t need to.”
The stability of prices is due in part to what Gaylord describes as the HOA’S “proactive management of the subdivision’s assets.” He attributes much of this to efficient management of the Association’s funds and careful maintenance of the common areas and association owned buildings. Careful management has also meant that the HOA fees have stayed essentially the same for the last seven years. The dollar amount increased but this was due to adding trash pick up as an HOA service.
The Association is professionally managed and maintains a club house and offices as well as two pools. It is also responsible for maintaining walking trails, tennis courts, soccer fields and the subdivision’s lakes.
Insurance and landscaping are the biggest costs Gaylord explained, but repair and maintenance can also be costly. In recent years the club house and association offices were renovated to make them more energy efficient. The association also did major repairs on a pool, fixed problems with the walking trails, and improved the ecological balance in the lakes by adding carp.
Who is Moving to Forest Lakes
Forest Lakes attracts a wide spectrum of home buyers.
Gaylord described the cul de sac where he lives which has families with children, two families who originally moved here for jobs but now work from home, some elderly couples, including three where the people are well into their 80’s. “It’s a nice mix of people,” he said, “and we don’t get a lot of turnover.”
It’s still a “family” neighborhood,” Savage said. “When I think back over the last year as to what the buyer profile has been it’s definitely been a family with children.” A big attraction for kids is the water slide at the pool.
Savage said, “when I worked in the Forest Lakes sales center in the 90’s we had a bay window right in front of the water slide. If a family walked in with kids in the summer we would stroll over to that window to look out over the pool. We hoped that some child would come swooshing down the water slide just at that moment. If they did we could count on the children in the family begging mom and dad to buy there. It’s still a big draw today. My grandkids live in Forest
Lakes and each year they can’t wait till the pool opens.”
There are also sections that appeal to couples whose children have grown. “I find empty nesters like the Arbor Lake Villas, Ravenswood and Willow Bend where there are first floor master bedrooms and garages,” Savage added.
“It’s a great place for families,” Jensen said, adding that “there are so many kids’ activities.” Often these families are people who have lived in townhomes, but are ready to move up to a larger home with a yard.
Retirees also favor Forest Lakes, Jensen said, especially the sections that have one story homes. “They love the trees, the lakes, and the hike and bike trails.” All of this adds up to “feelings of comfort and enjoyment,” Jensen concluded.
Where They Move From
“They come from all over,” Savage said. “Some are local but many are new to the area and like the idea of the planned community which is safe for them and their children. I’ve seen families live in several different homes in the neighborhood,” she continued. “They might start in one of the smaller homes and move up from there as their family grows.”
There are also a few of what Jensen called “transients.” These are often people with a job at NGIC which is just a few miles away from Forest Lakes, and who choose to rent.
“The rental market is quite active,” Cash said agreeing that many of the tenants are affiliated with NGIC. Monthly rent for a rancher can be as high as $1300, not less than $1100, she explained.
Cash estimates that about 50 percent of the people who move to Forest Lakes are local. Many are move up buyers already in the subdivision who want a larger or nicer home. They stay in part because the children are connected there and enjoy their friends, the swim team and their tennis lessons. People who move in from out of the area seek out Forest Lakes because it is similar to the kind of community they are moving from.
Are you in the market for a home in a community with a nice selection of amenities? If so ask your agent to show you Forest Lakes. It is a beautiful place with a terrific lifestyle, and a range of home styles and price points. One of them will be right for you.
Celeste Smucker is a writer, blogger and author who lives near Charlottesville.