Buy a Home in Dove's Nest at The Forest, FL

Updated September 2026 · By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, Domain Realty

What Does It Take to Buy a Home in Dove’s Nest?

Buying a home in Dove’s Nest means buying one of 48 three-bedroom condominium units in six 1983 and 1984 buildings on Timberlakes Drive, inside The Forest, the gated golf community in south Fort Myers, with two association layers, fees no association publishes, and a next-door twin, Dove Hollow, whose documents and sales must never be mixed with yours. Two units sold in the last 12 months, so the record decides the price.

The full record of the neighborhood, its six buildings, its association, its flood map and every sale of the last four years, is on our Dove’s Nest guide, which this buyer page sits beside. The wider community, its two golf courses, its gates and its 19 neighborhoods, is covered in our complete guide to The Forest, and the community-wide purchase path is on buying a home in The Forest. This page is about the Dove’s Nest purchase itself: what to check, in what order, and what it costs to own. Owners on the other side of the table should read how we sell Dove’s Nest homes or start with a free Dove’s Nest home valuation. Call Marc Comisar at (239) 287-5873 to talk through a specific unit.

If you are searching for the best buyer’s agent for Dove’s Nest in Fort Myers, Florida, McGreevy and Comisar represents homebuyers across Fort Myers, Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples, Lee County and Collier County. Whether you are relocating, buying a seasonal home or trading a house for a lock-and-leave condominium, including in The Forest, its neighboring golf communities and the US 41 corridor of south Fort Myers, our team provides honest market guidance, pre-market awareness, partner-level negotiation and a clear plan to help you buy confidently.

A Three-Bedroom Condominium Inside a Non-Bundled Gated Community

Dove’s Nest is 48 of The Forest’s 487 attached homes, about 10 percent, and every one of its units carries three bedrooms on the Lee County roll, which is rare among 1980s Florida condominiums. The Forest is non-bundled: buying a home does not make you a member of The Forest Country Club, and you pay club dues only if you choose to join. The gates, the private streets and sidewalks, Ruthie’s Park and Dove’s Nest’s own common elements come with the home.

Six Buildings, Three Plans, Two Associations

Dove’s Nest is six buildings of eight units at 16460, 16466 and 16472 Timberlakes Drive, finished in 1983, and 16478, 16484 and 16490, finished in 1984. Lee County records three plans: 24 units of 1,418 heated square feet and 12 of 1,420, each with three bedrooms and two baths, and 12 of 1,964 square feet with three bedrooms and three baths. Every owner belongs to Dove’s Nest Condominium Association, Inc. and to The Forest Property Owners’ Association, the master association.

What Dove’s Nest Is Not

Dove’s Nest is not Dove Hollow, the 48-unit condominium in the six buildings immediately before it on the same street, with the same three plans on the county roll but its own declaration, association, budget and sales record. It is also not a three-story building, so Florida’s milestone inspection and structural integrity reserve study laws do not reach it, and it has no published fee at either association layer and no unit outside FEMA flood Zone AE. A buyer weighing both Dove condominiums should read our Dove Hollow guide too, and we cover both.

Why Do Dove’s Nest Buyers Work With McGreevy and Comisar?

Dove’s Nest buyers work with McGreevy and Comisar because a Dove’s Nest purchase turns on records a general agent rarely reads: ten sales in four years, three floor plans that price differently, two estoppel certificates, an unpublished budget and reserve schedule, a FEMA panel on some of the lowest ground inside the gates, and a twin condominium next door whose paperwork is easy to confuse with yours. Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.

The Record, Stated Plainly

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and their Domain Realty Group team have sold over $2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over $900 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

Those are career numbers across Lee and Collier County. As the leaders of Domain Realty Group, the #1 real estate team in Southwest Florida since 2012, our team has closed over $2.5 billion in real estate; learn more at DomainRealtyGroup.com. If you are comparing teams, our guide to the best real estate agents in Fort Myers sets them side by side on the public record.

What a Buyer’s Agent Owes You at Dove’s Nest

Your agent should tell you which of the ten recorded sales your offer is really competing with, which of the three plans the unit is on the county roll, and what the association’s budget, reserves, insurance and minutes show before your review period ends. Your agent should confirm that every document in your file carries the Dove’s Nest name and declaration, order the condominium estoppel and the master estoppel the day you sign, and read the resale package with you. That is the job, and it is the job we do.

Who Does the Work

Marc Comisar runs the buy side in the field: gate access, tours, inspections, contractor quotes and the walk-through. Jesse McGreevy runs the data, the documents and the association paperwork. Reach Marc at (239) 287-5873 or Jesse at (239) 898-6072, and read more on our about McGreevy and Comisar page.

Key Takeaways for a Dove’s Nest Buyer

• 48 condominium units, six buildings, three plans: 24 units of 1,418 heated square feet and 12 of 1,420, three bedrooms and two baths, and 12 of 1,964 square feet with three baths, all built in 1983 and 1984, per the Lee County roll.
• A separate condominium from Dove Hollow: its own declaration at Official Records Book 1701, Page 283, its own association filed in 1983, its own budget. No umbrella association joins the two.
• Prices, with the window named: 2 MLS closings in the 12 months to September 23, 2026, at $260,000 and $200,000; 10 closings in 48 months at a median of $279,500 (the mean of $260,000 and $299,000), from $192,500 to $365,000.
• Negotiation room: both sales of the last 12 months closed below list, at 94.55 and 95.69 percent, after 99 and 135 days on market.
• Two listings were active on September 23, 2026, both in the building at 16478, asking $240,000 and $279,900, about 12 months of supply at the last year’s pace.
• Fees are not published at either layer: the condominium assessment and the master assessment appear only in each association’s budget and on the estoppel certificates.
• Outside the three-story condominium laws: the county records every building at one or two stories, so no milestone inspection or structural integrity reserve study applies; ordinary reserve rules still do.
• Club membership is optional: The Forest is non-bundled, so golf and the clubhouse are a separate purchase.
• Flood: every unit is in FEMA Zone AE, base flood elevation 11 feet, on a median ground of about 6.3 feet, so a financed purchase needs flood insurance.

How Do We Track the Dove’s Nest Market for a Buyer?

We track the Dove’s Nest market for a buyer from two independent records: every closed and active Dove’s Nest listing in the Southwest Florida MLS over the last four years, and Lee County’s parcel roll, which places each sale in its building and records each unit’s plan, size, story count and value. Each figure on this page names its window and its count.

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, pulled September 23, 2026; Lee County parcel roll, queried September 2026)

What We Tracked in the Last Twelve Months

In the last 12 months we tracked 2 Dove’s Nest closings in the Southwest Florida MLS, $460,000 in closed volume, covering closings dated September 24, 2025 to September 23, 2026. We tracked all 10 closings of the last 48 months as well, $2,741,500 in total. The MLS files the neighborhood as Dove Nest, so we matched every one of its 12 records, 10 closed and 2 active, by address to a Dove’s Nest unit on the county roll, and checked that no Dove Hollow sale had slipped in.

Why the Numbers on This Page Are the Market’s, Not Ours

Domain Realty, our brokerage, closed 856 transaction sides in Fort Myers in the 60 months to October 5, 2026, $443.4 million in volume counted by side, per the Southwest Florida MLS pulled that day. McGreevy and Comisar are the #5 real estate team in Florida in the 2026 RealTrends rankings. A buyer needs the whole neighborhood’s record to judge a price, and the whole record is what follows. These are market figures we tracked.

Thin Data, Said Plainly

A 48-unit condominium turns over two or three units in a typical year. Our rule for a thin market is to widen the window from 12 months to 24, 36 and 48 and to publish a median only for a window that reaches 10 closings. Dove’s Nest had 2 closings in 12 months, 4 in 24, 6 in 36 and 10 in 48, so the 48-month median is the only median on this page, and every shorter window is listed sale by sale.

What We Bring to a Dove’s Nest Offer

The recorded sales, the live competition, the building and plan of the unit on the county roll, the flood panel and ground elevation, and the list of association documents to request, assembled before you tour, so that when the right unit comes up you can write a clean offer inside days rather than weeks.

What Is the Dove’s Nest Market Like for Buyers Right Now?

The Dove’s Nest market leans toward buyers: the Southwest Florida MLS counts 2 closings in the 12 months to September 23, 2026, at $260,000 and $200,000, both below list and both after more than three months on market, and two listings were active that day, about 12 months of supply in a 48-unit neighborhood.

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, pulled September 23, 2026)

The Last Twelve Months, Sale by Sale

Window: September 24, 2025 to September 23, 2026. Two closings, $460,000 in volume. Neither closed at or above its asking price. The simple average of the two sale-to-list ratios is 95.12 percent and of the two days-on-market figures 117, by our arithmetic; both describe these two sales, not a market rate. The two sit $60,000 apart on units of almost the same size, which is a condition and location spread, not a market move.

What Is for Sale Right Now

On September 23, 2026 the MLS showed two active Dove’s Nest listings, both in the same building, and no pending sale.

The two ask $39,900 apart for the same recorded 1,420-square-foot plan in the same building. The $279,900 listing is a unit that sold for $320,000 in November 2023, per its MLS history, and the $240,000 listing has been on market 307 days. The $279,900 asking price also sits $79,900 above the June 2026 sale of a 1,420-square-foot unit at 16460, which is the kind of gap we put in writing before you offer. Listings change weekly; your search is set up to catch the next one the day it appears.

What a 95 Percent Sale-to-List Means for Your Offer

The two Dove’s Nest sales of the last 12 months closed at 94.55 and 95.69 percent of list, and neither closed at full price. Over the full 48 months, two of ten sales closed at their asking price, both in the first half of 2023, and the 48-month median sale-to-list ratio is 96.07 percent. Dove’s Nest buyers negotiate, and they negotiate best with the recent sales, the plan and the association’s documents in hand.

Months of Supply

Two listings against 2 closings in the last 12 months is about 12 months of supply, by our arithmetic; at the 48-month pace of 10 sales, it is about 9.6 months. By the usual rule of thumb, more than six months favors buyers. On a sample this small, one sale moves that figure by months, so read it as a direction, not a measurement.

Widening the Window to 24, 36 and 48 Months

The 24-month window adds two sales, $240,000 in May 2025 and $299,000 in October 2024, for 4 closings from $200,000 to $299,000. The 36-month window adds the two November 2023 sales, $365,000 and $320,000, for 6 closings from $200,000 to $365,000. Only the 48-month window reaches 10 closings, at a median of $279,500 and $196.96 per square foot, with a median of 83 days on market. The four closings since October 2024 all came in at $299,000 or less, while four of the six 2023 sales were $315,000 or more, which is the direction a buyer should see before writing an offer.

Ready to Buy at Dove’s Nest? Talk to Us Before You Tour

With two listings and two or three sales a year, the buyer who is ready when the right unit lists gets it. McGreevy and Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008; call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida. Selling a home to buy here? Get a free Dove’s Nest home valuation or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.

What Have Dove’s Nest Condos Sold For Over Four Years?

Dove’s Nest condos have sold for $192,500 to $365,000 over the last 48 months, on 10 MLS closings at a median of $279,500 (the mean of $260,000 and $299,000) and $196.96 per square foot of MLS living area. Every one of the ten was a 1,418 or 1,420-square-foot unit; none of the twelve 1,964-square-foot units sold in the window.

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, pulled September 23, 2026; closed sales September 24, 2022 to September 23, 2026)

Every Dove’s Nest Sale in the 48-Month Pull

Ten closings, $2,741,500 in volume. Price per square foot is each sale’s sold price divided by its MLS living area, and the median is the median of those ten ratios. Every sale was listed in the MLS as three bedrooms and two baths.

What the Ten Sales Say

Three readings stand out. First, the direction: the last four closings, $299,000, $240,000, $260,000 and $200,000, all sat below the 2023 run, and their days on market ran 99 to 205. Second, the plan split: the five 1,418-square-foot sales ran $240,000 to $365,000 and the five 1,420-square-foot sales $192,500 to $320,000, so the two nearly identical sizes did not trade as one product. Third, the spread: the same plan sold from $135.56 to $257.40 per square foot of living area inside four years.

What the Ten Sales Do Not Say

Ten sales cannot tell you the price of a specific unit. Condition, updates, the unit’s position in its building and its view, the carport that conveys and, above all, what the association’s budget, reserves and minutes show will move a Dove’s Nest price more than any trend line drawn through ten points.

The Early-2023 Sales

Two units closed in February and March 2023, at $225,000 and $192,500, after one and two days on market, months after Hurricane Ian. The MLS record does not say why either sold that quickly at that price, so we do not use them to price a unit today; they are in the table because leaving them out would flatter the median.

Calendar-Year Sales

No Dove’s Nest sale closed between late September and December 2022, the weeks after Hurricane Ian; the first closing in the window is February 2, 2023. One or two sales a year has been normal since, which is why a buyer who waits for a perfect comparison usually waits a long time.

MLS Living Area Versus the County Plan

The county roll records every unit at 1,418, 1,420 or 1,964 heated square feet. MLS living area is entered by the listing agent, and every Dove’s Nest sale and listing in the pull reported 1,418 or 1,420 square feet, the two smaller recorded plans. Every price per foot on this page uses MLS living area; when you compare Dove’s Nest with a neighborhood whose listings stray from its recorded plans, use the county figure.

What the County Roll Assumes

Lee County’s 2026 just values, a mass-appraisal figure for taxation and not a market price, put Dove’s Nest’s 48 units between $187,707 and $258,077, a median of $192,298.50. By plan, the median just value is $190,470 for the 1,418-square-foot units, $192,583 for the 1,420-square-foot units and $245,482 for the 1,964-square-foot units. The roll covers every unit, including the 38 that have not sold in the 48-month pull, but it lags the market, which is why an assessment is not a price.

How Does Dove’s Nest Compare With The Forest’s Condominium Market?

Dove’s Nest sat at the slow and lower end of The Forest’s condominium market in the last 12 months: 30 condominiums and villas closed across The Forest at a median $286,500 and $148.88 per square foot, with a median 81 days on market, while Dove’s Nest’s two sales ran $200,000 and $260,000, $140.85 and $183.36 per square foot, after 99 and 135 days.

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, pulled September 23, 2026; the community figures as published on our guide to The Forest)

Dove’s Nest Against Its Neighbors, 48 Months

Source: Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, closings September 24, 2022 to September 23, 2026, each sale resolved by address to its Lee County condominium code; medians are the median sold price, with the middle pair named where n is even. Stories from the Lee County parcel roll.

What the Benchmark Shows

On size, Dove’s Nest’s plans sit mid-range inside the gates: larger than Partridge Place and Partridge Court, close to Quail Cove, smaller than Sparrowood or Fairway Woods. On bedrooms it stands out, because the county records all 48 units with three. On turnover it is ordinary: 10 sales on 48 units is about 21 percent of units in four years, by our arithmetic. On price it is one of the lower medians among The Forest’s condominiums, below Dove Hollow next door.

Where Dove’s Nest’s Price per Foot Sits

Over 48 months Dove’s Nest’s median was $196.96 per square foot of living area, against $209.80 at Dove Hollow, $202.91 at Waters Edge and $202.62 at Quail Cove, per the Southwest Florida MLS. In the last 12 months its two sales ran $140.85 and $183.36, close to Dove Hollow’s three at $158.67 to $186.62. A Dove’s Nest buyer is paying a mid-pack price per foot for three bedrooms, and a recent-sales price per foot well below the 2023 run.

How Do You Choose a Dove’s Nest Unit by Building and Plan?

You choose a Dove’s Nest unit by plan first, because the three recorded plans differ in size, bath count and the story count the county records, then by building, which decides the neighbors, the year of construction and the walk to the carport, and then by position, which you confirm from the recorded documents and in person, never from the unit number alone.

The Three Plans on the County Roll

Source: Lee County parcel roll, all 49 Dove’s Nest parcels (48 units and the common elements), 2026 values, queried September 2026. The pattern repeats in every building.

Do Not Read the Floor From the Unit Number

Dove’s Nest units are numbered 101 to 104 and 201 to 204 in each building, and it is tempting to read the first digit as the floor. Do not rely on it. Elsewhere in The Forest, at the Heron Coach Houses and Fairway Woods, the first digit identifies the building, not the floor, and the county’s story count describes the unit record, not which level a room sits on. The roll publishes no floor layouts, so which rooms are on which level is a question for the seller’s floor plan, the recorded condominium documents and a showing. We confirm the layout of every unit we show.

The Building Directory

Source: Lee County parcel roll, queried September 2026. The same unit number exists in all six buildings, so always quote the street address with the unit number.

The 1,964-Square-Foot Plan Has No Recent Sale

Twelve units, the two numbered 202 and 203 in each building, are the largest plan at 1,964 heated square feet with a third bath. None closed on the MLS in the 48 months to September 23, 2026, so there is no recent sale to price one from. The county values the plan about $55,000 above the smaller ones. If you want the larger plan, expect to wait for one to list, and expect its price to be argued from the smaller plans’ per-foot line and condition rather than from a comparable.

Bedrooms: The Roll Versus the Listing

Every Dove’s Nest unit carries three bedrooms on the county roll. Listings do not always agree: one of the two active listings describes its 1,420-square-foot unit as two bedrooms plus a den. Room labels in a listing are the seller’s description; the roll is the assessor’s record. If you need a legal third bedroom, check the closet, window and door in person.

Carports, the Pool and No Garage

The county roll flags a carport and a pool on every Dove’s Nest unit record and shows no garage. On condominium unit records those flags usually reflect common-element features credited to each unit, and the roll does not say which carport space goes with which unit or where a pool sits. Pools inside The Forest belong to neighborhood associations, so any Dove’s Nest pool is an expense inside the Dove’s Nest budget. Ask, in writing, which carport space conveys with the unit.

Age of the Buildings and the Building Code

Dove’s Nest’s buildings were completed in 1983 and 1984, before the first statewide Florida Building Code took effect on March 1, 2002, per the Florida Building Commission. That does not mean the buildings are unsound; roofs, windows or shutters replaced since 2002 were permitted under the code in force at the time. It does mean the association’s records of what has been replaced, and when, matter more than the build year, and the county publishes no bulk layer of re-roof permits to check against.

What Are the Steps to Buy a Home in Dove’s Nest?

The steps to buy a home in Dove’s Nest are: choose the plan and building, confirm the association is Dove’s Nest and not Dove Hollow, collect the fee layers, check the flood file, write the offer with the document review in the calendar, order both estoppels on day one, read the resale package, clear inspection and insurance, confirm the tax reset, and close and register at the gate.

Step 1: Choose the Plan and the Building

Decide between the 1,418, 1,420 and 1,964-square-foot plans, then the building and position. Read the ten recorded sales against the unit, and confirm the layout from the seller’s floor plan and the recorded documents rather than the unit number.

Step 2: Confirm the Association by Name and Book and Page

Dove’s Nest and Dove Hollow sit side by side with the same plans. Check that the listing, the contract, the estoppel request and the resale package all name Dove’s Nest Condominium Association, Inc. and the declaration at Official Records Book 1701, Page 283, and that every comparable sale is a Dove’s Nest address from 16460 to 16490 Timberlakes Drive.

Step 3: Collect the Fee Layers

List the Dove’s Nest condominium assessment, the master assessment, the tax bill with the San Carlos Park fire levy, insurance, sewer, water and fiber, and the club only if you join. The unpublished lines stay blank until the estoppels arrive, and your contract calendar should give them time to arrive.

Step 4: Check the Flood File

Every unit is on FEMA panel 12071C0438H in Zone AE at 11 feet, on a median ground of about 6.3 feet. Ask for the building’s elevation certificate with the first disclosures, and quote flood insurance early if you are financing.

Step 5: Write the Offer With the Document Review in the Calendar

Build the review period around the condominium resale package under section 718.503 and both estoppels. Ask the association to confirm in writing that its buildings are under three stories and that no milestone inspection or structural integrity reserve study applies, so the file answers a lender’s question before it is asked.

Step 6: Order Both Estoppels on Day One

One estoppel certificate comes from the Dove’s Nest association and one from the master association, ordered through its manager’s resale and lender documents page. We order both the day you sign, and confirm the Dove’s Nest manager of record on that order.

Step 7: Read the Resale Package

The declaration with every amendment, the articles, bylaws and rules, the budget and reserve schedule, the insurance declarations and the last year of minutes. This is where the leasing terms, the pet rule, the carport assignment, any special assessment and the roof history live.

Step 8: Clear Inspections and Insurance

A general inspection and a look at the unit’s windows and doors, then bind a unit-owners policy against the association’s master policy and deductible, with loss assessment coverage sized to that deductible, and flood coverage if your lender requires it.

Step 9: Confirm the Tax Reset

Budget the tax bill from your price, not the seller’s bill, and if the unit will be your permanent residence, plan the homestead application for March 1 of the next tax year.

Step 10: Close, and Register at the Gate

At closing the estoppel figures are paid or prorated. Afterward you request vehicle barcodes through the master association’s barcode request form and set up guest access through the DwellingLive visitor system. If you are joining the club, the membership is its own transaction with the club.

What Will You Pay Each Year to Own at Dove’s Nest?

A Dove’s Nest owner pays two association bills, the Dove’s Nest condominium association and The Forest’s master association, neither of which is published, plus the Lee County tax bill with the San Carlos Park fire levy and a solid waste line, private sewer, county water, and club dues only if you join.

Data updated: September 2026 (San Carlos Park Fire District FY2025/26 final budget, adopted September 15, 2025; Lee County special districts roster and MSTBU layer, queried September 2026)

The Fee Stack, Layer by Layer

“Not published” means no public source states the figure, and we do not estimate it.

Layer 1: The Condominium Assessment

The Dove’s Nest association sets its own assessment, which is not published; it appears in the association’s budget and resale estoppel certificate. Dove’s Nest has no public association website, and neither the Division of Corporations nor the state condominium registry publishes its finances. In a condominium this is usually the largest line, because the association insures and repairs the buildings and roofs, funds reserves and keeps the parking and grounds.

Layer 2: The Master Assessment

The master association does not publish its assessment. The amount appears in its annual budget and on the estoppel certificate issued with every resale. What it pays for is not in doubt: the private streets, a Main Gate staffed 24 hours a day, an Island Park Gate staffed from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, a nightly patrol and, because The Forest sits in no county MSTU, street lighting, landscaping and drainage inside the gates.

Why the Reserve Schedule Is the Line to Read

Because Dove’s Nest’s buildings are one and two stories, no structural integrity reserve study applies, and the statutory floor that binds Sparrowood’s reserves does not bind Dove’s Nest’s. That does not make reserves optional: the ordinary reserve rules of section 718.112 still apply, and 1983 and 1984 roofs, paving and exteriors still have to be paid for. Read the reserve schedule’s components and balances against the buildings’ age before anything else in the budget. We do not know Dove’s Nest’s reserve contribution, because the budget is not public.

Layer 3: The Tax Bill Lines Specific to The Forest

Every Dove’s Nest unit record carries the San Carlos Park fire district and garbage district 002. The fire district levies 2.3590 mills for fiscal year 2025/26; as an illustration only, $200,000 of taxable value owes $471.80 to the fire district, by our arithmetic. Lee County bills solid waste as a non-ad-valorem assessment in Service Area 2 and sets the charge by unit type, so read the condominium line on the unit’s own bill rather than a single-family figure.

Sewer, Water and Fiber

Lee County’s utility franchise maps place The Forest in Lee County Utilities’ water service area. Sewer service is provided by Forest Utilities, Inc., a private utility; The Forest lies outside the county’s wastewater service area, and the utility’s rates are not published online. The community has a Hotwire fiber arrangement; whether it is billed through the association is not published. Ask the seller for twelve months of water, sewer and internet bills.

Why We Will Not Publish a Total

Each layer is a disclosure from a different party on a different billing cycle, and neither association layer publishes a figure. A single total assembled from guesses would look precise and be wrong for someone. We put both estoppels, both budgets and the seller’s utility bills side by side for the specific unit before your review period ends.

Which Documents Must a Dove’s Nest Seller Give You, and What Should You Read First?

A Dove’s Nest seller must give you, under Florida Statutes 718.503, the declaration, articles of incorporation, bylaws and rules, the association’s most recent year-end financial information and the frequently asked questions and answers document, and you will also need two estoppel certificates: one from the Dove’s Nest association and one from the master association.

Data updated: September 2026 (Florida Statutes 718.503, 718.116 and 720.30851; Florida Division of Corporations filings, retrieved September 2026)

Read the Budget and Reserve Schedule First

Because neither association publishes a fee, the budget is the first page that states your number. Read what it funds, the reserve schedule against 1983 and 1984 buildings, the insurance line and whether any special assessment is levied or proposed. Special assessments are not published; buyers find them in the estoppel certificate and the meeting minutes.

Then the Minutes

The last twelve months of board minutes show what the budget does not: roof, paving and insurance discussions, bids, and any assessment being considered. The county record shows one Dove’s Nest project since the storm, a parking reseal and restripe finaled in December 2023, so look for how it was paid and where the next resurfacing sits in the reserve schedule.

Then the Declaration and Its Amendments

The Dove’s Nest declaration is recorded at Official Records Book 1701, Page 283 in the Lee County public records, and every unit’s legal description cites it. The declaration is not posted online. It holds unit boundaries, common and limited common elements, each unit’s share of expenses, the leasing terms, the pet rule and any approval procedure for sales and leases, so read every amendment before you rely on an answer.

The Filings You Can Read Today

Dove’s Nest Condominium Association, Inc. is Florida document number 766992, a not-for-profit filed February 15, 1983 and active, with a reinstatement filed September 23, 1994 and a 2026 annual report filed April 23, 2026, per the Division of Corporations. The record lists seven officers and directors. The state condominium registry records Dove’s Nest as project PR1P003489, licensed May 17, 1983, with 48 units in two phases of 24 and Forest Joint Venture as developer, per the DBPR condominium search.

Two Estoppels, and What They Cost

The condominium estoppel under section 718.116 states the assessment, any special assessment and the account status; the master estoppel under section 720.30851 does the same for the master assessment. Florida caps the fee at $250 when nothing is delinquent, plus $100 for delivery within three business days, and up to $150 more if an account is delinquent. Who pays for each certificate is a term of the contract.

Records Online Above 25 Units

Florida requires a condominium association of 25 or more units to post its official records online, under section 718.111(12)(g). Dove’s Nest has 48 units. The statute allows those documents to sit in an owners-only section, so the practical route for a buyer is through the seller, who as an owner can download them.

The Questions to Ask the Association

• What are the current regular assessment, its billing cycle and any special assessment, line of credit or loan adopted or proposed?
• What do the budget and reserve schedule fund, and when were the roofs last replaced on each building?
• What are the master policy’s limits and wind deductible, and does the association carry flood coverage on the buildings?
• Which carport space conveys with this unit, and where is it recorded?
• What is the written approval procedure for a sale or a lease, and how long does it take?
• What are the pet, leasing and alteration rules, and have they changed since the declaration was recorded?

Why Don’t Florida’s Milestone and Reserve-Study Laws Reach Dove’s Nest?

Florida’s milestone inspection and structural integrity reserve study laws do not reach Dove’s Nest because both apply only to condominium buildings three habitable stories or more in height, and Lee County records every Dove’s Nest unit at one or two stories. In The Forest only Sparrowood’s three buildings reach three stories.

Sparrowood’s three buildings are the only three-story residential buildings in The Forest, according to Lee County property records, which places Sparrowood alone under Florida’s milestone-inspection and structural integrity reserve study requirements for condominiums of three or more stories. Buyers there should ask the association for its milestone inspection report and reserve study.

What the County Records Show

The Lee County parcel roll records the twelve 1,420-square-foot Dove’s Nest units at one story and the other 36 at two, and the county’s building footprint layer shows every condominium building in The Forest other than Sparrowood’s at one or two stories.

What the Statutes Say

Section 553.899 requires milestone inspections of condominium buildings three habitable stories or more in height, and section 718.112(2)(g) requires a structural integrity reserve study for the same class of building and states that it “does not apply to buildings less than three stories in height.”

The Precision Caveat

Both statutes measure height as the Florida Building Code determines it, and that determination belongs to the local building official, which for unincorporated Lee County is the county. The property appraiser’s story count is strong evidence and the only public one we found, which is why we ask the association to confirm its position in writing rather than rely on the roll alone.

What Still Applies

Being outside the two statutes means no milestone summary and no reserve study to read at Dove’s Nest, and it answers a question a lender or insurer reviewing a condominium may ask. It does not make the buildings new, and it does not make reserves optional. The ordinary reserve, insurance, hurricane protection and official-records duties of Chapter 718 still apply to the Dove’s Nest association.

What a Buyer Should Still Ask For

Ask for the current budget and reserve schedule, the most recent roof and paving work on each building, the insurance declarations, and whether any special assessment is proposed or levied. Those are the documents that show whether buildings finished in 1983 and 1984 have been kept up, and they matter more here than any statute that does not apply.

How Do You Check Flood Zone and Insurance for a Dove’s Nest Condo?

You check flood zone and insurance for a Dove’s Nest condo against FEMA panel 12071C0438H, effective November 17, 2022, where every unit is in Zone AE with a base flood elevation of 11 feet NAVD88, then price the association’s master policy, your own unit-owners policy and, if you finance, flood coverage before you go firm.

Data updated: September 2026 (FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, queried September 2026; Lee County 2018 LiDAR spot elevations; FEMA CRS eligible communities list, April 2025)

Zone AE at 11 Feet, on One Panel

Every Dove’s Nest parcel reads Zone AE, inside the Special Flood Hazard Area, on FEMA’s National Flood Hazard Layer and Lee County’s own FIRM layer. All six buildings are on panel 12071C0438H. No home in The Forest sits in Zone X or a VE zone.

The 2022 Map Change

The November 2022 map revision raised the base flood elevation across The Forest by one foot, from 10 to 11 feet NAVD88. Lee County keeps the superseded map as a pre-coastal-study layer, so an elevation certificate or insurance quote from before November 2022 was written against the old number.

Ground Elevation at Dove’s Nest

Source: nearest 2018 LiDAR ground point to each parcel in Lee County’s spot elevations layer, stated accuracy plus or minus 0.57 feet. That is ground, not a finished floor; only an elevation certificate states a building’s lowest floor for rating.

The Master Policy and Your Unit-Owners Policy

Under section 718.111(11), the association insures the condominium property under its master policy, and the unit owner insures the interior, contents and improvements under a unit-owners policy. Ask for the master policy declarations, the wind and all-other-perils deductibles and whether the association carries flood coverage on the buildings. We do not publish premiums, because a premium quoted without those documents is a guess.

Loss Assessment Coverage

Every Florida unit-owners policy must include at least $2,000 of loss assessment coverage, under section 627.714, which pays toward an association assessment after a covered loss. In a 48-unit condominium that shares a master deductible across six buildings, a buyer may want more than the minimum.

Flood Insurance and the Class 5 Discount

A mortgage from a federally regulated or insured lender on a unit in the Special Flood Hazard Area requires flood coverage, per FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 page, and most NFIP rates may not rise more than 18 percent a year. Unincorporated Lee County is a Class 5 community in FEMA’s Community Rating System, worth 25 percent off NFIP premiums inside the flood zone, per the April 2025 CRS list. Dove’s Nest has a Fort Myers mailing address but is not in the City of Fort Myers, which the same list rates Class 9, so make sure any quote uses the county’s class.

Citizens and the Condominium Unit-Owners Form

Florida makes flood coverage mandatory for Citizens personal-lines policies inside the Special Flood Hazard Area under section 627.351(6), and exempts policies written on a condominium unit-owners form. A lender may still require flood coverage.

Roof Age and Wind Mitigation Through the Master Policy

The roofs at Dove’s Nest are association components. The roof-age rules in section 627.7011(5) and the wind-mitigation discounts required by section 627.0629 work mainly through the master policy for a condominium building, so ask the association for its most recent re-roof permit date and any wind-mitigation report on each of the six buildings.

Lee County’s 50 Percent Rule

Lee County applies FEMA’s substantial improvement and substantial damage rule in unincorporated Lee County: work or damage costing 50 percent or more of a building’s market value brings the structure under current flood rules, and new or substantially improved buildings must sit one foot above the base flood elevation, per the county’s substantial improvement page. In a condominium the building, not the unit, is the structure, and at Dove’s Nest that line is 12 feet NAVD88, about 5.7 feet above median ground, by our arithmetic.

What Does the Hurricane Ian Record Show for Dove’s Nest?

The Hurricane Ian record for Dove’s Nest is thin and we keep it that way: U.S. Geological Survey crews surveyed a high-water mark about 2.9 feet above ground at a Waters Edge building inside The Forest, no mark was surveyed at Dove’s Nest, and no public record we reached says whether water entered any Dove’s Nest unit.

What the Measurement Shows

The Waters Edge mark reads 9.5 feet NAVD88, per the USGS Short-Term Network record for Ian. It measures the water surface at that one building. It does not measure water at Dove’s Nest, and a building’s finished-floor elevation, not its ground, decides whether water reaches a unit.

Helene and Milton, 2024

The USGS holds no surveyed high-water mark within about 6 kilometers of The Forest for either Helene or Milton, and no county development order inside The Forest names either storm.

What the Record Does Not Say

Interior flooding depends on each building’s finished-floor elevation, which only an elevation certificate records. We do not treat listing descriptions of storm history as evidence. Ask the seller for the flood disclosure Florida law requires under section 689.302 and the association for its insurance claims history.

The 2023 Parking Reseal

The county record shows one project at Dove’s Nest since the storm: development order LDO2023-00277, “Doves Nest,” a reseal and restripe closed and finaled December 28, 2023, per the county’s development orders layer. The order does not say whether the work was storm-related. It is the kind of maintenance a buyer should see reflected in the minutes and reserves.

Evacuation Zone A

Dove’s Nest, like all of The Forest, is in Lee County Evacuation Zone A, the first zone told to leave, and the state’s Know Your Zone lookup confirms any address. The master association’s re-entry rules admit contractors with a prior pass or barcode after a storm. Seasonal owners should register a key holder with the association before leaving for the summer.

What Does the Non-Bundled Club Mean for a Dove’s Nest Buyer?

For a Dove’s Nest buyer, the non-bundled club means the unit and the golf are two separate decisions and two separate costs. Buying at Dove’s Nest does not make you a member of The Forest Country Club, you pay no club dues or member assessments unless you join, and a seller’s membership should not be assumed to transfer.

Data updated: September 2026 (The Forest Country Club membership page, retrieved September 2026; club Form 990 filings for 2022 to 2024)

Non-Bundled, in Two Independent Voices

The club’s membership page calls The Forest “a non bundled gated community offering resident and non resident memberships,” and the master association’s resident portal says, independently, “The Forest is a non-bundled gated community.” When two separately governed bodies say the same thing on their own sites, a buyer can rely on it as the community-wide rule.

What You Get Without Joining

A Dove’s Nest owner who never joins still gets the staffed gates and nightly patrol, the private streets and sidewalks, Ruthie’s Park and Dove’s Nest’s own common elements. A non-member does not play either course, use the club’s courts or fitness center, or dine at the clubhouse as a matter of right.

What the Club Offers If You Join

The Forest Country Club, at 6100 Club Boulevard, about half a mile from Dove’s Nest in a straight line, runs two courses. From the back tees the Bear plays 7,010 yards (rating 75.1, slope 144) and the Bobcat 6,607 yards (rating 71.8, slope 125), per the club’s December 2025 scorecard; the Bear reopened on December 1, 2025 after a full renovation. The club lists six Har-Tru Hydro clay tennis courts, three lighted, plus pickleball, bocce and a fitness center, on its lifestyle page.

Member-Owned, and Specially Assessed

The club describes itself in its federal tax filings as a private, member-owned club, and its filings show special assessments on members in 2022, 2023 and 2024, per its Form 990 filings. Those assessments fall on members only; a Dove’s Nest owner who does not join pays none of them.

What Membership Costs

The club does not publish its dues or initiation schedule; figures are provided to prospective members on inquiry through its inquiry form. If you plan to join, get the category’s initiation, dues, any food and beverage minimum and any pending assessment in writing before you are bound on the unit.

How Much Will Property Taxes Be After You Buy at Dove’s Nest?

Property taxes after you buy at Dove’s Nest start from your purchase, not the seller’s bill: Florida’s Save Our Homes cap follows the owner, so a homesteaded seller’s bill can sit below yours. The bill adds the San Carlos Park fire levy of 2.3590 mills and a county solid waste line, and there is no CDD or MSTU line.

Data updated: September 2026 (Lee County parcel roll, queried September 2026; San Carlos Park Fire District FY2025/26 final budget)

Why Your Bill Will Not Look Like the Seller’s

The Save Our Homes cap limits annual increases in a homesteaded home’s assessed value to 3 percent or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower, under section 193.155, and after a sale the home is reassessed at just value. Ten of Dove’s Nest’s 48 units carry a homestead exemption on the 2026 county roll, so a buyer of one of those ten should expect a higher bill than the seller’s.

Homestead, If You Will Live Here

If the unit becomes your permanent Florida residence on January 1, the exemption removes up to $50,000 of assessed value under section 196.031 and starts the Save Our Homes cap. Apply with the Lee County Property Appraiser by March 1 of the tax year; the seller’s exemption does not carry over to you.

No CDD, No MSTU

The Forest does not appear on Lee County’s official roster of special districts, and the county’s MSTBU layer returns no taxing unit inside the community. The only independent special district that reaches Dove’s Nest is the San Carlos Park fire district. Compare total tax bills, not millage alone, when you weigh Dove’s Nest against a newer community that carries a CDD.

Which Dove’s Nest Rules Decide Whether a Unit Works for You?

The Dove’s Nest rules that decide fit, leasing terms, pet limits, alterations, hurricane protection, carports and parking, are written in the declaration and the association’s rules, which are not published online. Read them in the resale package before your review period ends, and read the master association’s community rules as well.

Leasing

Minimum lease terms and rental frequency are not published. Under section 718.110(13), an amendment prohibiting rentals or changing the rental term or frequency applies only to owners who consent and to owners who acquire title after it takes effect, so a buyer takes title subject to whatever rental amendments are in force on the closing date. Thirty-eight of the 48 units carry no homestead exemption, which is consistent with second-home and rental ownership but does not show how many are rented.

Pets

Pet rules at Dove’s Nest are set in the declaration and rules, which are not published online, so we do not state a pet limit. Ask in writing how many pets and of what size a unit may keep, whether tenants may keep pets and whether the rule has changed. Florida’s rules on emotional support animals in housing are in section 760.27.

Age Restrictions

No public record we reached establishes an age restriction at Dove’s Nest, and this page makes no claim either way. Housing for older persons must meet the statutory tests in section 760.29, and any restriction would appear in the recorded declaration and rules.

Alterations and Hurricane Protection

Changes to a unit’s exterior, windows, doors and shutters are governed by the association, and The Forest’s master association has its own architectural rules. Under section 718.113(5), every residential condominium board must adopt hurricane protection specifications for each building. Ask for the adopted specifications and the written alteration procedure before you plan impact windows or shutters, and ask the seller for any approval letters for work already done, because a buyer inherits an unapproved alteration.

Carports, Parking, Golf Carts and Guests

Carport assignment, guest parking and rules on boats, trailers and commercial vehicles sit in the Dove’s Nest declaration and rules; golf-cart rules on The Forest’s private streets sit in the master association’s rules. Neither is published. Guests are pre-registered by residents through the DwellingLive visitor system.

Moving Day

Ask the association for any move-in rules, deposit or reserved hours, and register the moving company through DwellingLive before it arrives at the gate. Neither association publishes move rules on a public page.

Dove’s Nest vs Dove Hollow: Which Timberlakes Drive Condominium Should You Buy?

Dove’s Nest and Dove Hollow are two 48-unit condominiums of six buildings each, side by side on Timberlakes Drive, with the same three plans on the county roll, and they are the pair buyers weigh most often inside the gates. Buy at Dove’s Nest for the newer buildings, a lower 48-month median and more listing choice per sale; buy at Dove Hollow for a record of faster, higher-priced sales per foot and more homesteaded owners on the county roll.

Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, pulled September 23, 2026; Lee County parcel roll, spot elevations, development orders and easements layers, queried September 2026)

Dove’s Nest vs Dove Hollow Decision Table

Source: Southwest Florida MLS Matrix closed and active records, pulled September 23, 2026, each sale resolved by address to its Lee County condominium code; median price per square foot is the median of each sale’s own ratio on MLS living area, and medians with even n name the middle pair. Lee County parcel roll, spot elevations, development orders and easements layers; Division of Corporations records; FEMA panel effective November 17, 2022. The Dove Hollow easement’s grantee is Hotwire Communications, Ltd.

The Same Plan, Side by Side

The cleanest like-for-like pairs on the record are the two recorded plans that sold in both neighborhoods in 2026. A 1,420-square-foot Dove’s Nest unit at 16460 sold for $200,000 in June 2026, $140.85 a foot, and a 1,420-square-foot Dove Hollow unit sold for $230,000 in May 2026, $161.97 a foot. A 1,418-square-foot Dove’s Nest unit at 16472 sold for $260,000 in May 2026, $183.36 a foot, and a 1,418-square-foot Dove Hollow unit sold for $225,000 in April 2026, $158.67 a foot. Those figures are our arithmetic on the Southwest Florida MLS records, and they show the premium running in both directions: condition, not the name on the entrance sign, set the price.

Who Should Choose Dove’s Nest, and Who Should Choose Dove Hollow?

Choose Dove’s Nest if you want the newer of the two building groups, finished in 1983 and 1984, a 48-month median about $18,000 lower, a parking reseal finaled in December 2023 on the county record, and a buyer-leaning market with two listings to choose from today; for a buyer who reads the budget and reserve schedule, that combination can buy three bedrooms for less. Choose Dove Hollow if you weight a record of faster sales, a median 60.5 days against 83, a higher 48-month price per foot, ground about two tenths of a foot higher, a Hotwire easement on the county record and a larger share of year-round owners, and you accept buildings two years older and a higher median price.

Do Not Mix the Two Files

The two condominiums share a street, a design and part of a name, but not a declaration, a board, a budget, an insurance policy or a set of rules. A special assessment, a roof project or a leasing amendment at one says nothing about the other, and an estoppel certificate from one is worthless for a purchase in the other. We check every document and every comparable in your file against the right address range and the right Official Records book and page.

Where the Other Forest Condominiums Fit

Over the same 48 months Quail Cove, 24 units in two-story buildings, closed 9 sales from $190,000 to $370,000; Waters Edge closed 11 at a median of $425,000; Fairway Woods 31 at $350,000 in one- and two-story buildings with garages; and Sparrowood, the only three-story condominium, 8 from $150,000 to $450,000. Our buyer pages for Fairway Woods at The Forest, The Heron at The Forest, Partridge Place, Waters Edge at The Forest and Sparrowood walk through each purchase the same way this page does.

How Do We Find You the Right Dove’s Nest Unit?

We find you the right Dove’s Nest unit by matching your budget to the recorded sales and to a plan and building, watching a neighborhood of two or three sales a year so you hear about a listing the day it appears, clearing gate access before every showing, and touring with the questions a listing does not answer.

Matching Your Budget to the Record and the Plan

With ten sales in four years, a Dove’s Nest price is a judgment built from a handful of comparables and a document file. We show you every recorded sale, its building, its plan, its date and its time on market, so you know whether your number buys an updated 1,418-square-foot unit, an original 1,420, or has to wait for one of the twelve 1,964-square-foot units.

Watching a Market of Two or Three Sales a Year

Dove’s Nest recorded one to six sales in each full calendar year of the pull, and the master association estimates The Forest’s population at about 1,000 year-round and about 2,000 in peak season. Seasonal owners often decide while they are here in winter, so we keep your criteria on file and alert you when a Dove’s Nest unit comes to market, and when a Dove Hollow or Quail Cove unit does, because many Dove’s Nest buyers weigh them too.

Pre-Market and Off-Market Conversations

Some Dove’s Nest owners prefer a quiet sale. When we learn of a unit before it reaches the MLS, we will tell you whether it fits your budget, and we will price it against the same recorded sales as any listed unit.

Touring Behind a Staffed Gate

Every visitor enters through a staffed gate, and guests are pre-registered through the association’s DwellingLive system, so we arrange access before we schedule. On tour, check the layout against the county plan, the carport that conveys, the windows, doors and shutters, the air conditioning and water heater dates, the view and the walk from parking to the door.

Set Up Custom Listing Alerts for Dove’s Nest

Ask Marc at (239) 287-5873 to set up a saved search for Dove’s Nest by budget and plan, browse current homes for sale in The Forest on DomainRealtyGroup.com, or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida and use the buyer form on this page. Alerts route to us directly, so a new listing reaches both you and us the same day.

How Do We Negotiate for You at Dove’s Nest?

We negotiate for you at Dove’s Nest at partner level, with the recorded sales for the same plan in hand, the listing’s days on market and price history, the association’s budget, reserves and minutes as leverage, and a contract calendar that gives both estoppels and the resale package time to arrive before your deposit is at risk.

Price From the Recorded Sales

A list price above the recent sales has to show why, with updates, a view or a better building record. If it cannot, we write to the sales. The last two Dove’s Nest closings took 99 and 135 days and closed at 94.55 and 95.69 percent of list, and one current listing is a unit that sold for $320,000 in 2023 and now asks $279,900, which is the market’s own evidence of how it treats a price above its sales.

Documents as Leverage

A reserve schedule that is thin against 1983 and 1984 roofs, a planned special assessment, a paving or insurance item in the minutes, an unapproved alteration or aging air conditioning are all facts that move a price. We put them in writing, tie them to a document or a quote, and use them to negotiate a price, a credit or a repair rather than a vague discount.

Protecting Your Deposit

The review rights under section 718.503, the inspection period and any association approval period give you defined exits. We track every deadline, deliver every notice in writing and on time, and sequence them so your deposit is not at risk before you have read the budget, the reserve schedule and both estoppels.

Closing Dates That Fit the Association

Where the declaration requires the association to approve a purchase, we set a closing date that leaves room for it and file the application the week you sign. The association does not publish its approval timeline, so we ask for it in writing on day one.

What Are the Closing Costs When You Buy at Dove’s Nest?

Closing costs when you buy at Dove’s Nest include ordinary Florida buyer costs plus condominium items: the estoppel fees the contract assigns to you, prorated condominium and master assessments, prorated taxes including the San Carlos Park fire levy, and on a financed purchase the documentary stamp tax on the note and the intangible tax on the mortgage.

Data updated: September 2026 (Florida Statutes 201.08, 199.133 and 201.02; Florida Administrative Code Rule 69O-186.003)

Title Insurance and the Promulgated Rate

Florida sets the title premium by rule, Rule 69O-186.003, at $5.75 per $1,000 of coverage up to $100,000 and $5.00 per $1,000 from $100,000 to $1,000,000, so what varies between title companies is the settlement services around it. As an illustration at a $250,000 price, the owner’s premium at those rates is $1,325, by our arithmetic, before endorsements. Who pays for the owner’s policy and who chooses the title agent is written into the purchase contract.

Taxes on a Financed Purchase

Documentary stamp tax on the note runs at $0.35 per $100 under section 201.08, and the nonrecurring intangible tax on a new mortgage at 2 mills under section 199.133; neither applies to a cash purchase. As an illustration at $250,000 with an 80 percent loan of $200,000, the note stamps come to $700 and the intangible tax to $400, by our arithmetic.

Prorations and Estoppel Items

The condominium assessment and the master assessment are prorated to the closing date from the figures on each estoppel certificate, and any special assessment the estoppel shows as due appears as its own line. Property taxes are prorated against the seller’s current bill, which is not a forecast of yours.

What the Seller Customarily Pays

The documentary stamp tax on the deed, 70 cents per $100 under section 201.02, is customarily paid by the seller, and the resale package under section 718.503 is provided at the seller’s expense. The contract controls every allocation.

Inspections and the Elevation Certificate

Budget for a general inspection of the unit. If the association has no elevation certificate for the building, ask whether one can be obtained before you bind flood coverage, because it is the document an insurer prices.

How Does Buyer’s Agent Compensation Work at Dove’s Nest in 2026?

Buyer’s agent compensation at Dove’s Nest in 2026 follows the National Association of REALTORS practice changes in force since August 17, 2024: you sign a written buyer agreement with your agent before touring, offers of compensation no longer appear on the MLS, and every commission is negotiable and not set by law.

The Written Buyer Agreement

The agreement must be signed before the tour, in person or by live virtual tour, per the NAR settlement FAQs and its guide to written buyer agreements. It must state the amount or rate of compensation, prohibit the agent from receiving more than that from any source, and state conspicuously that broker fees are not set by law and are fully negotiable. You need no agreement to talk to us or ask which plan a unit is.

Who Pays

A seller may offer to contribute toward your agent’s compensation, you may ask for it in your offer, or you may pay it yourself. Florida’s brokerage relationship law, section 475.278, sets out the duties owed to you under each form of representation. We tell you plainly which approach fits the unit and the seller before you write.

What You Get for It

The recorded sales for the plan, both estoppels ordered on day one, the budget, reserve schedule and minutes read inside your review period, a file checked against the right association, the approval step built into the calendar, the flood and insurance file assembled before you bind, and a closing that lands on time.

What Is Daily Life Like Around Dove’s Nest?

Daily life around Dove’s Nest runs through The Forest’s staffed gates and the US 41 corridor of south Fort Myers: a Publix about 1.4 miles away, Southwest Florida International Airport about 16 minutes, Gulf Coast Medical Center about 9 minutes, and Bunche Beach Preserve about 19 minutes, measured as free-flow drives from The Forest Country Club’s address, about half a mile from Dove’s Nest.

Data updated: September 2026 (routes computed September 23, 2026; Florida Department of Education 2026 school grades file)

Gates, Barcodes and Guests

The Main Gate on Forest Boulevard at Tamiami Trail is staffed 24 hours a day and the Island Park Gate from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, with a nightly patrol, per the master association’s 2022 Emergency Preparedness Plan, which also seats Dove’s Nest on the master board. Residents request vehicle barcodes through the association’s barcode request form.

Everyday Drives

Routes were computed from the club’s address inside The Forest on the OpenStreetMap road network with no traffic model; season traffic runs longer, and Dove’s Nest adds a minute inside the gates.

Schools

Lee County assigns students through zones of school choices, not a single school per address. Dove’s Nest, like every neighborhood in The Forest, sits in Elementary Zone O, Middle School Zone MM and High School South Zone 2, per the district-linked 2026-27 zone map. The three-bedroom plans make that more than a footnote here.

Grades are from the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades file. The district’s 2026-27 transportation plan does not provide Dunbar bus service to The Forest’s subzone. Confirm choices for a specific address through the district’s student enrollment page.

Hospital

Gulf Coast Medical Center, 13681 Doctors Way, is Lee County’s state-designated Level II trauma center, per the Florida Department of Health’s trauma center list. HealthPark Medical Center and Golisano Children’s Hospital share a campus about 5.8 miles from the club.

What Is Changing Nearby

Almost nothing is being built inside The Forest. The live case on its land is a proposed 149-foot wireless monopole on the club’s golf parcel, Lee County cases SEZ2026-00001 and VAR2026-00001, In Review with no hearing scheduled and nothing approved as of September 23, 2026. Outside the gates, the county’s zoning cases layer carries a proposed mixed-use rezoning known as Dia Crossing, case DCI2023-00020, about a mile east, and an approved 391-unit multifamily project, DCI2023-00049, about 1.4 miles northwest. Lee County’s development records show no pending rezoning, plat or site plan at Dove’s Nest itself.

How Do You Get a Personalized Dove’s Nest Buyer Consultation?

You get a personalized Dove’s Nest buyer consultation by using the buyer form on this page or calling Marc Comisar at (239) 287-5873. We review your budget against every recorded sale and plan, walk through the two association layers and the documents to request, and set up alerts for Dove’s Nest, Dove Hollow and the other condominiums inside The Forest.

What the Consultation Covers

Your budget against the recorded sales, which plan and building fit how you will use the unit, the association layers and what each estoppel will state, the budget and reserve file, the flood and insurance picture, the rules to read, the club decision and a timeline that fits the season.

How to Reach Us Today

Call Marc Comisar at (239) 287-5873 or Jesse McGreevy at (239) 898-6072, or email [email protected]. The office of McGreevy and Comisar is at 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134, south of The Forest on the same US 41. Read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida.

Selling a Home to Buy Here?

If you are selling in Southwest Florida to buy at Dove’s Nest, we sequence both sides with one calendar. Owners inside The Forest can read how we sell homes in The Forest or get a free home valuation in The Forest, and Dove’s Nest owners moving within the neighborhood can start with how we sell Dove’s Nest homes or call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.

What Do Buyers Say About Working With McGreevy and Comisar?

McGreevy and Comisar are a top-reviewed buyer’s team on Google, and the quotes below are genuine five-star client reviews reproduced in each reviewer’s own words. We publish no aggregate score and no star-rating widget. Read the full set on the McGreevy and Comisar Google reviews profile.

A Buyer on Fit, Not Upselling

★★★★★ “Marc was great! He helped us find a place that matched our needs, without trying to upsell us into something too big. And he’s helped us settle into the area. 100% recommendation!” Guy Avagliano, verified Google review

A Buyer on Finding the Right Home

★★★★★ “Highly recommend Marc as a realtor. His devotion to finding you the perfect house is obvious and a breath of fresh air at such a stressful time.” Kendall Sweat, verified Google review

An Experienced Buyer on Knowledge

★★★★★ “We have purchased many properties over the years and Jesse is without a doubt the most knowledgeable, personable and efficient real estate broker we have ever worked with!” Jennifer Schnabel Wood, verified Google review

Why Does a Dove’s Nest Specialist Matter When You Buy?

A Dove’s Nest specialist matters when you buy because the price turns on ten sales across three plans rather than one neighborhood median, the condominium next door shares the plans but not the documents, neither association publishes its fee, and every unit sits on low ground in a FEMA flood zone that an insurer will price.

Jesse McGreevy

Jesse McGreevy is a licensed Florida REALTOR and Sales Associate with Domain Realty and one half of McGreevy and Comisar, Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008. He runs the documents and data. Reach him at (239) 898-6072, and read his profile on the Jesse McGreevy agent page.

Marc Comisar

Marc Comisar is a licensed Florida REALTOR and Broker Associate with Domain Realty and the other half of McGreevy and Comisar. He runs tours, inspections and the negotiation in the field. Reach him at (239) 287-5873, and read his profile on the Marc Comisar agent page.

What a General Agent Tends to Miss at Dove’s Nest

A general agent may price a Dove’s Nest unit off a Dove Hollow sale, or off the early-2023 sales that were never a market price, read a unit number as a floor, treat the 1,418 and 1,420-square-foot plans as one product, quote one estoppel instead of two, or treat a Fort Myers mailing address as a City of Fort Myers flood rating. Each one costs a buyer money or a closing date.

The Wider Forest Picture

For the whole community, our guide to The Forest covers all 19 neighborhoods, and our Fort Myers guide covers the city around it. Our neighborhood guides cover The Heron, Fairway Woods, Sparrowood, Waters Edge, Dove Hollow, Dove’s Nest, Partridge Place, Partridge Court, Quail Cove and Eagle’s Landing.

Frequently Asked Questions, Buyer Edition: Buying a Dove’s Nest Condominium

These are the questions buyers ask most about Dove’s Nest, answered from the association’s state filings, Lee County’s parcel, flood and tax records, FEMA’s map, Florida statute and the Southwest Florida MLS, each with its window and source. Where the record is silent, the answer says so and names the document that holds it.

What is Dove’s Nest?

A 48-unit condominium inside The Forest, the gated golf community in south Fort Myers, built in 1983 and 1984 in six eight-unit buildings on Timberlakes Drive, with three recorded plans, every one of them three bedrooms.

Where is Dove’s Nest in Fort Myers?

Inside the gates of The Forest, in unincorporated Lee County between US 41 and Island Park Road, ZIP 33908. The six buildings are at 16460 to 16490 Timberlakes Drive, next to Dove Hollow’s six at 16424 to 16454.

Is Dove’s Nest the same as Dove Hollow?

No. They are separate condominiums with separate declarations (Official Records Book 1701, Page 283 for Dove’s Nest; Book 1569, Page 2023 for Dove Hollow), separate associations and separate budgets. No umbrella association joins them.

How much does a Dove’s Nest condo cost?

Ten MLS closings in the 48 months to September 23, 2026 ran $192,500 to $365,000 at a median of $279,500; the two sales of the last 12 months were $260,000 and $200,000. The two active listings ask $240,000 and $279,900.

Which Dove’s Nest condos are for sale right now?

On September 23, 2026 the MLS showed two, both 1,420-square-foot units in the building at 16478 Timberlakes Drive, asking $279,900 and $240,000, with no pending sale. Listings change weekly.

Is Dove’s Nest a buyer’s market right now?

It leans toward buyers: two listings against two sales in the last year is about 12 months of supply, and both sales closed below list after 99 and 135 days.

How big are Dove’s Nest condos?

Lee County records 24 units of 1,418 heated square feet and 12 of 1,420, each three bedrooms and two baths, and 12 of 1,964 square feet with three bedrooms and three baths.

What is the price per square foot at Dove’s Nest?

The 48-month median was $196.96 per square foot of MLS living area on 10 sales. The two sales of the last 12 months ran $140.85 and $183.36.

Have any of the 1,964-square-foot units sold recently?

No. None of the twelve 1,964-square-foot units closed on the MLS in the 48 months to September 23, 2026. The county values that plan about $55,000 above the smaller ones.

Are all Dove’s Nest condos three bedrooms?

On the county roll, yes, all 48. One current listing describes its unit as two bedrooms plus a den; check the room yourself if a legal third bedroom matters.

Does the first digit of a Dove’s Nest unit number tell you the floor?

Do not rely on it. The county’s story count describes the unit record, not which level a room sits on, and elsewhere in The Forest the first digit names the building. Confirm the layout from the floor plan and in person.

When was Dove’s Nest built?

The buildings at 16460, 16466 and 16472 in 1983 and those at 16478, 16484 and 16490 in 1984, per the county roll.

Who built Dove’s Nest?

The state condominium registry names Forest Joint Venture, a Florida general partnership, as developer of project PR1P003489, licensed May 17, 1983.

Does Dove’s Nest need a milestone inspection or a structural integrity reserve study?

No. Those requirements apply to condominium buildings three or more stories in height, and Lee County records every Dove’s Nest unit at one or two stories. In The Forest only Sparrowood reaches three stories.

Which associations will I belong to at Dove’s Nest?

Two: Dove’s Nest Condominium Association, Inc., filed in 1983, and The Forest Property Owners’ Association, the master association that runs the gates and streets.

What are the HOA fees at Dove’s Nest?

Not published. The Dove’s Nest assessment appears in its budget and resale estoppel certificate, and the master assessment is not published either. There is no CDD or county MSTU on top.

How many estoppel certificates will I need at Dove’s Nest?

Two: one from the Dove’s Nest association and one from the master association. Florida caps the fee at $250 when nothing is delinquent, plus $100 for delivery within three business days.

Who manages Dove’s Nest?

We confirm the manager of record when we order the estoppel certificate rather than state one here. The association’s corporate filings are public with the Division of Corporations.

Do you have to join The Forest Country Club to live at Dove’s Nest?

No. The Forest is non-bundled, per the club’s membership page and the master association’s resident portal. You join only if you choose to.

How much is a membership at The Forest Country Club?

The club does not publish its dues or initiation schedule; figures are provided to prospective members on inquiry. Get them in writing before you rely on them.

Does a club membership transfer with a Dove’s Nest unit?

Because membership is separate from home ownership, a club membership should not be assumed to transfer with a home. Treat the club’s written answer as the authority.

Does Dove’s Nest have a pool?

The county roll flags a pool on every Dove’s Nest unit record, and pools inside The Forest belong to the neighborhood associations. Confirm the pool, its rules and how it is shared in the resale package.

Do Dove’s Nest condos have garages?

No garage appears on the county record. The roll flags a carport on every unit record; which space conveys is set in the declaration and rules.

Is Dove’s Nest in a flood zone?

Yes. Every unit is in FEMA Zone AE, base flood elevation 11 feet NAVD88, on panel 12071C0438H, effective November 17, 2022. The median ground is about 6.3 feet.

Do I need flood insurance at Dove’s Nest?

With a federally regulated or insured mortgage, yes. Ask whether the association’s master policy includes flood coverage on the buildings. Unincorporated Lee County’s Class 5 rating cuts NFIP premiums 25 percent.

Did Dove’s Nest flood in Hurricane Ian?

No public record we reached says whether water entered any Dove’s Nest unit. USGS surveyed a mark about 2.9 feet above ground at a Waters Edge building; no mark was surveyed at Dove’s Nest.

Can I rent out a Dove’s Nest condo?

It depends on the declaration and rules, which are not published online. A rental-restricting amendment binds only owners who consent and owners who take title after it, so read the rules in force at your closing.

Are pets allowed at Dove’s Nest?

Pet rules are set in the declaration and rules, which are not published online, so we do not state a limit. Ask for the pet rule in writing before you sign.

Is Dove’s Nest a 55-plus community?

No public record we reached establishes an age restriction at Dove’s Nest, and this page makes no claim either way. Read the declaration before you rely on an answer.

What will my property taxes be at Dove’s Nest?

Budget from your purchase price, not the seller’s bill, because the Save Our Homes cap follows the owner. Add the San Carlos Park fire levy of 2.3590 mills; there is no CDD.

How does the homestead exemption work for a Dove’s Nest condo?

If the unit is your permanent residence on January 1, the exemption removes up to $50,000 of assessed value and starts the Save Our Homes cap. Apply by March 1; 10 of the 48 units carry one today.

Is Dove’s Nest in the City of Fort Myers?

No. Dove’s Nest has a Fort Myers mailing address, but every parcel is in unincorporated Lee County, which handles zoning, permits and flood-plain rules.

Who provides water and sewer at Dove’s Nest?

Lee County Utilities’ water service area covers The Forest, and sewer comes from Forest Utilities, Inc., a private utility whose rates are not published online.

Which schools serve Dove’s Nest?

Dove’s Nest sits in Lee County’s Elementary Zone O, Middle School Zone MM and High School South Zone 2. Confirm choices for a specific address with the district.

How far is Dove’s Nest from the airport and the beach?

About 8.6 miles and 16 minutes to the Southwest Florida International Airport terminal and about 10 miles and 19 minutes to Bunche Beach Preserve, free-flow from the club’s address about half a mile away.

How do buyers get through the gate for showings?

Guests, including buyers and agents, are pre-registered through the DwellingLive visitor system. We arrange access before we schedule a showing.

Who pays for title insurance when I buy in Lee County?

The purchase contract decides who pays for the owner’s policy and who chooses the title agent. The premium itself is set by the state’s promulgated rates.

Do I have to sign a buyer agreement before touring?

Yes, with an MLS agent. Since August 17, 2024, a written buyer agreement stating the agent’s compensation must be in place before a tour, and compensation is negotiable.

How does Dove’s Nest compare with Dove Hollow?

Dove’s Nest is two years newer with a lower 48-month median, $279,500 against $297,500; Dove Hollow has sold faster, at a higher median price per foot, on ground about two tenths of a foot higher.

What should I do first if I want to buy at Dove’s Nest?

Set your budget against the recorded sales, choose a plan, confirm every document names Dove’s Nest, decide whether you want the club, and set up alerts. Call Marc Comisar at (239) 287-5873.

Sources and Authoritative References

Every Dove’s Nest figure on this page traces to a primary source below, listed as of September 27, 2026: the association’s filings with the Florida Division of Corporations and the state condominium registry, Lee County’s parcel, flood, tax and development records, Florida Statutes and state agencies, federal flood and storm records, the master association’s and the club’s own pages, and the Southwest Florida MLS. No listing portal or competing brokerage is cited.

Dove’s Nest Association and State Condominium Records

1. Florida Division of Corporations, Dove’s Nest Condominium Association, Inc., document 766992
2. Dove’s Nest Condominium Association, 2026 annual report
3. Florida Division of Corporations, name search, Doves Nest
4. Florida DBPR condominium search (project PR1P003489)
5. Florida Division of Corporations, Dove Hollow Condominium Association
6. Florida DBPR, Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Homes
7. Florida DBPR, SIRS reporting and databases
8. Florida DBPR, condominium milestone inspection and SIRS information
9. Florida DBPR, licensee search
10. Florida Real Estate Commission

The Forest: Master Association, Club and Utilities

11. Florida Division of Corporations, The Forest Property Owners’ Association, Inc.
12. The Forest Property Owners’ Association, 2022 Emergency Preparedness Plan
13. The Forest resident portal
14. The Forest Property Owners’ Association website
15. The Forest Property Owners’ Association, vehicle barcode request form
16. DwellingLive visitor system, The Forest
17. FirstService Residential, resale and lender documents
18. The Forest Country Club
19. The Forest Country Club, membership
20. The Forest Country Club, membership inquiry form
21. The Forest Country Club, lifestyle
22. The Forest Country Club, scorecard, December 2025
23. Florida Division of Corporations, The Forest Country Club, Inc.
24. The Forest Country Club Form 990 filings, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
25. Florida Division of Corporations, Forest Utilities, Inc.

Lee County Geographic Records

26. Lee County parcel roll, feature service
27. Lee County building footprints layer
28. Lee County development orders layer
29. Lee County easements layer
30. Lee County 2018 LiDAR spot elevations layer
31. Lee County FIRM layer
32. Lee County pre-coastal-study FIRM layer
33. Lee County evacuation zones layer
34. Lee County MSTBU layer
35. Lee County solid waste districts layer
36. Lee County water franchise layer
37. Lee County wastewater service area layer
38. Lee County zoning cases layer

Lee County Government, Property Appraiser and Clerk

39. Lee County special districts roster
40. Lee County adopted solid waste rates
41. Lee County flood information
42. Lee County substantial improvement and substantial damage
43. Lee County Community Rating System discounts
44. Lee County Evacuation Zone A map
45. Lee County Utilities
46. Lee County Property Appraiser, homestead exemption
47. Lee County Property Appraiser, Dove’s Nest common-element parcel
48. Lee County Property Appraiser, Dove’s Nest Building 1 unit record
49. Lee County Clerk, official records services
50. Lee County case file SEZ2026-00001, proposed monopole
51. Lee County case file VAR2026-00001, companion variance
52. San Carlos Park Fire District, FY2025/2026 final budget
53. FEMA FIRM panel 12071C0438H, Lee County copy

Florida Statutes and State Agencies

54. Florida Statute 553.899, mandatory structural inspections
55. Florida Statute 718.112, bylaws, reserves and the structural integrity reserve study
56. Florida Statute 718.503, disclosure prior to sale
57. Florida Statute 718.116, assessments and estoppel certificates
58. Florida Statute 720.30851, homeowners association estoppel certificates
59. Florida Statute 718.111, the association, insurance and official records
60. Florida Statute 718.110, amendments, including rental restrictions
61. Florida Statute 718.113, maintenance and hurricane protection specifications
62. Florida Statute 689.302, flood disclosure
63. Florida Statute 627.714, unit-owner loss assessment coverage
64. Florida Statute 627.351, Citizens Property Insurance
65. Florida Statute 627.7011, homeowner policies and roof age
66. Florida Statute 627.0629, wind-mitigation discounts
67. Florida Statute 193.155, Save Our Homes assessment limitation
68. Florida Statute 196.031, homestead exemption
69. Florida Statute 760.27, emotional support animals in housing
70. Florida Statute 760.29, housing for older persons
71. Florida Statute 201.02, documentary stamp tax on deeds
72. Florida Statute 201.08, documentary stamp tax on notes
73. Florida Statute 199.133, nonrecurring intangible tax
74. Florida Statute 475.278, brokerage relationships
75. Florida Administrative Code Rule 69O-186.003, title insurance rates
76. Florida Building Commission, building code effective dates
77. Florida Division of Emergency Management, Know Your Zone
78. Florida Department of Health, trauma centers
79. Florida Department of Education, 2026 school grades file
80. National Association of REALTORS, written buyer agreements
81. National Association of REALTORS, settlement FAQs

Federal Flood and Storm Records

82. FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer map service
83. FEMA Map Service Center
84. FEMA Risk Rating 2.0
85. FEMA Community Rating System eligible communities, April 2025
86. FloodSmart, the National Flood Insurance Program
87. U.S. Geological Survey Short-Term Network, Hurricane Ian high-water marks, Lee County
88. U.S. Geological Survey Short-Term Network, Hurricane Helene high-water marks
89. U.S. Geological Survey Short-Term Network, Hurricane Milton high-water marks

Schools, Healthcare and Travel

90. Lee County School District, 2026-27 zone map
91. Lee County School District, student enrollment
92. Lee County School District, transportation optimization
93. Lee Health, Gulf Coast Medical Center
94. Lee Health, HealthPark Medical Center
95. Southwest Florida International Airport
96. OpenStreetMap

Market Data

97. Southwest Florida MLS, Matrix (The Forest development, closed and active records, pulled September 23, 2026; subscriber system)

McGreevy and Comisar

98. McGreevy and Comisar Dove’s Nest guide
99. McGreevy and Comisar guide to The Forest
100. Buying a home in The Forest
101. McGreevy and Comisar Dove Hollow guide
102. McGreevy and Comisar Fort Myers guide
103. Jesse McGreevy agent profile
104. Marc Comisar agent profile
105. Domain Realty Group
106. McGreevy and Comisar Google Business Profile

Downloadable Documents

Every row below links the authority that publishes the document, so a Dove’s Nest buyer always opens the official, current copy. We host nothing ourselves. The declaration, the bylaws and rules, the budget and reserve schedule and the board minutes are not posted publicly; they come with the resale package. The declaration, at Official Records Book 1701, Page 283, can be retrieved by book and page from the Lee County Clerk’s official records.

Your Dove’s Nest Buying Team, and How to Reach Us Today

McGreevy and Comisar represent buyers across Southwest Florida from an office in Bonita Springs on US 41, south of The Forest on the same highway, and Dove’s Nest sits inside the south Fort Myers market we work every week. The first conversation costs nothing, and it usually saves a buyer more than any negotiation later.

The Accolades, Verbatim

• Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008
• 5 Star Award for Customer Satisfaction for 21 Straight Years. Only 5 out of 21k+ Licensees (Gulfshore Life Magazine)
• #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012
• McGreevy and Comisar and their Domain Realty Group team have sold over $2.5 Billion in Real Estate
• McGreevy and Comisar alone have over $900 million in Sales
• Nationally Recognized Top Producing Realtors
• Platinum Sales Production Award Winners

Contact McGreevy and Comisar

Marc Comisar: (239) 287-5873. Jesse McGreevy: (239) 898-6072, [email protected]. Office: 24031 S Tamiami Trl #101, Bonita Springs, FL 34134. Use the buyer form on this page, return to the buyer consultation section, or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida. Video walkthroughs are on McGreevy and Comisar on YouTube, and the team keeps a company page at McGreevy and Comisar on LinkedIn.

Jesse McGreevy (Sales Associate, Florida license SL3101296) and Marc Comisar (Broker Associate, Florida license BK3060671) are licensed Florida REALTORS with Domain Realty; Florida real estate licensure is regulated by the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC).

McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, a full-service Southwest Florida real estate team; learn more at DomainRealtyGroup.com. McGreevy and Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008. Nothing on this page is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Market data from Southwest Florida MLS, pulled September 23, 2026, through the Southwest Florida MLS Matrix. Brokered by Domain Realty.