Estero, Florida
Buy a home in Forest Ridge Shores with McGreevy and Comisar, Top 1% nationally since 2008. Every recorded closing, the HOA documents and the buyer approval reviewed for you. Call Marc at (239) 287-5873.
By Jesse McGreevy and Marc Comisar, McGreevy and Comisar, Domain Realty Group. Updated September 2026.
Buying in Forest Ridge Shores means buying one of 64 detached houses on three streets inside the gated community of Fountain Lakes in Estero, where 16 houses closed in the Southwest Florida MLS in 60 months and 5 in the last 12, and where none was for sale on September 29, 2026. This guide sits beside our full Forest Ridge Shores neighborhood guide, and it answers the buyer's questions: what a house costs, what it costs to carry, what the association requires of you, and which papers to ask for before you write an offer.
If you own a house you must sell first, our Forest Ridge Shores seller guide and Forest Ridge Shores home valuation guide cover that side. Buyers comparing agents across the village can set us beside the others in our guide to the best real estate agents in Estero.
Two neighbors need a word. Forest Ridge is a separate, larger neighborhood with its own association, and its buyers have their own Forest Ridge buyer guide. Buyers looking across the whole gate have the Fountain Lakes buyer guide. Marsh Landing on Forest Ridge Drive is an unrelated community outside the gates.
McGreevy and Comisar are the best realtor for buying in Forest Ridge Shores because we have read every recorded closing, the recorded declaration and the 2026 budget, and we tell you before you offer what the price, the dues and the approval clock will do to your plan. We are the #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012 and Top 1% nationally since 2008.
Marc Comisar and Jesse McGreevy work with buyers directly, not through an assistant. We lead Domain Realty Group, and as the leaders of Domain Realty Group our team has closed over $2.5 billion in real estate across Southwest Florida. Our office is in Bonita Springs, a short drive south of the US-41 gate.
Recent Forest Ridge Shores market record (12 months to September 29, 2026): 5 MLS closings, a $522,500 median sold price, a range of $470,000 to $610,000, a median of 44 days on market and a median 95.9% of final list price. The 60-month record has 16 closings at a $552,000 median. Source: Southwest Florida MLS (Matrix), pulled September 29, 2026.
Domain Realty, our brokerage, closed 615 transaction sides in Estero in the 60 months to October 5, 2026, $352.2 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. None is on file for this neighborhood. In the last 12 months we tracked every one of the 5 closings in the MLS and all 16 on record since March 2022.
Honors and recognition:
Marc runs the search, the tours, the offer and the negotiation, with Jesse on data and the association paperwork. Reach Marc at (239) 287-5873 or Jesse at (239) 898-6072, and read about the partnership on our about McGreevy and Comisar page.
Buying in Forest Ridge Shores? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 and read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida. Selling first? Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 or start with a free home valuation.
Forest Ridge Shores buyers who read nothing else on this page should know these ten facts, each sourced below. They decide your budget, your paperwork and your odds of finding a house more than any listing photo will.
The Essentials: What Does It Take to Buy a Home in Forest Ridge Shores? · What Is the Forest Ridge Shores Market Like for Buyers Right Now? · What Have Forest Ridge Shores Homes Sold For? · What Does a Forest Ridge Shores Home Cost by Size and Bedrooms? · What Is for Sale in Forest Ridge Shores Today? · How Do Forest Ridge Shores Prices Compare With Other Fountain Lakes Neighborhoods? · Forest Ridge Shores vs Forest Ridge: Which One Should You Buy In? · What Does Florida Law Give a Forest Ridge Shores Buyer Before Contract?
The Details: How Do the Estoppel Certificate and Association Approval Work in Forest Ridge Shores? · What Should You Inspect Before Buying in Forest Ridge Shores? · How Do You Insure a Forest Ridge Shores Home? · What Will You Pay Each Month to Own a Forest Ridge Shores Home? · What Are Buyer Closing Costs in Forest Ridge Shores? · How Does Buyer Representation Work After the NAR Settlement? · Can You Finance a Forest Ridge Shores Home? · How Do We Find You the Right Home in Forest Ridge Shores?
Costs, Law and Rules: How Do We Negotiate for You in Forest Ridge Shores? · Which Forest Ridge Shores Rules Decide Whether a Home Works for You? · Is Forest Ridge Shores the Right Place for You to Buy? · What Do Buyers Say About Working With McGreevy and Comisar? · Get Your Personalized Forest Ridge Shores Buyer Consultation · Why Does a Forest Ridge Shores Specialist Matter for a Buyer? · Thinking of Selling Your Forest Ridge Shores Home? List With the #1 Team in Southwest Florida Since 2012 · Frequently Asked Questions, Buyer Edition
Questions, Contacts and Sources: Frequently Asked Questions, Selling One Home to Buy in Forest Ridge Shores · Your Local Real Estate Experts · Sources and Authoritative References · Downloadable Documents · How Do You Reach the Forest Ridge Shores Buyer Team Today?
Buying in Forest Ridge Shores takes six steps: set a budget with the full monthly cost, sign a written buyer agreement, choose the house, make and negotiate the offer, review the documents and inspect, and close after the association approves you. The approval and the documents are what make this neighborhood different.
Add $150 a month in dues to your payment, then insurance, property tax and, where required, flood coverage. The dues are about 0.34 percent of a $522,500 price a year. We do not quote insurance premiums or tax bills, because they depend on the house, the roof, the zone and the carrier, and the Lee County Tax Collector's site shows a current bill for any address.
Since August 17, 2024, a buyer's agent needs a written agreement with you before touring a house. It must state the compensation and that it is negotiable. We explain it before the first tour, and you can read the NAR guidance yourself.
With no active listing on September 29, 2026, we set up alerts and watch the MLS, the neighboring Forest Ridge and our own network. When a house appears, we compare it with the 16 closings before you tour.
We price the offer from the closings by size and date, write the disclosure summary into the contract, and set the closing date around the approval clock.
You read the 2021 declaration, the 2026 budget and the sales packet, inspect the house, and start the insurance quote in the first week.
The association approves your application, the estoppel is issued, the title agent records the deed and you receive the keys and a gate barcode decal.
The Forest Ridge Shores market for buyers is thin and negotiable: 5 MLS closings in 12 months at a median of 95.9% of final list, 16 in 60 months at 98.5%, and no active listing on September 29, 2026. Few houses come up, and the ones that sold under list did so after weeks or months.
Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, pulled September 29, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser recorded sales through July 29, 2026)
The MLS does not separate this neighborhood cleanly, so we assigned closings two ways: rows carrying the neighborhood's own label (12 of the 16), plus closings filed under the generic Fountain Lakes label whose price and date match a county-recorded sale of one of the 64 lots (4 of the 16). Six Fountain Lakes closings after the county file ends on July 29, 2026 could not be tested.
Window to September 29, 2026 | MLS closings | Median sold | Median $ per MLS sq ft | Median days on market | Median sold-to-list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 months | 5 (small sample) | $522,500 | $319.33 | 44 | 95.9% |
24 months | 8 (small sample) | $525,750 | $320.62 | 59 | 95.5% |
36 months | 8 (small sample) | $525,750 | $320.62 | 59 | 95.5% |
60 months, first window with 10 or more | 16 | $552,000 | $324.09 | 28.5 | 98.5% |
The 24-month and 36-month windows are the same eight sales, because none closed between August 2023 and March 2025. The 60-month median sits above the 12-month figure because five of the sixteen closed in the 2022 run-up. Read the 12-month and 24-month medians as today.
Least leverage: 2022, when four of five houses sold in 3 days and three above list. Most leverage: 2025, when two of three sold below list after 74 and 250 days at 90.7% and 92.7%. In 2026 the median is 44 days and 95.9%, and the one sale above list, the August four-bedroom, three-bath house, closed at 102.6% after 126 days.
We do not quote months of supply for a neighborhood this small. With no active listing and five closings a year, the practical fact is that a house you like may be the only one.
Forest Ridge Shores homes sold 16 times in the MLS in the 60 months to September 29, 2026, from $420,000 to $699,000, at a $552,000 median and $324.09 per MLS square foot. Each row below shows the list and sold price, so you can see how much room the ask left.
Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, pulled September 29, 2026)
Closed | Beds and baths | MLS living area (sq ft) | List price | Sold price | Sold-to-list | Days on market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aug 2026 | 3 and 2 | 1,785 | $599,900 | $570,000 | 95.0% | 14 |
Aug 2026 | 4 and 3 | 2,080 | $594,500 | $610,000 | 102.6% | 126 |
Jun 2026 | 3 and 2 | 1,460 | $490,000 | $470,000 | 95.9% | 91 |
Apr 2026 | 3 plus den and 2 | 1,559 | $522,500 | $522,500 | 100.0% | 44 |
Mar 2026 | 3 plus den and 2 | 2,047 | $500,000 | $475,000 | 95.0% | 36 |
Aug 2025 | 3 and 2 | 1,559 | $529,000 | $529,000 | 100.0% | 21 |
Jul 2025 | 4 and 2 | 2,032 | $589,000 | $534,000 | 90.7% | 74 |
Apr 2025 | 3 and 2 | 1,466 | $549,900 | $510,000 | 92.7% | 250 |
Jul 2023 | 3 and 2 | 1,461 | $440,000 | $420,000 | 95.5% | 174 |
May 2023 | 3 and 2 | 1,793 | $589,900 | $585,000 | 99.2% | 45 |
Apr 2023 | 3 plus den and 2 | 2,052 | $620,000 | $607,000 | 97.9% | 6 |
Nov 2022 | 3 and 2 | 1,749 | $699,000 | $699,000 | 100.0% | 3 |
Nov 2022 | 3 and 2 | 1,466 | $525,000 | $490,000 | 93.3% | 12 |
Jun 2022 | 4 and 2 | 2,100 | $599,900 | $650,000 | 108.4% | 3 |
May 2022 | 3 plus den and 2 | 1,745 | $625,000 | $650,000 | 104.0% | 3 |
Mar 2022 | 3 and 2 | 1,765 | $599,900 | $695,000 | 115.9% | 3 |
Every one of the 16 is a marketed MLS sale, and none was entered after closing. The 60-month total is $9,016,500.
Forest Ridge Shores, the 64-lot neighborhood inside Fountain Lakes, had 5 MLS closings in the last 12 months at a $522,500 median (a small sample) and no active listing on September 29, 2026, so the next house that comes up is worth being ready for. Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 and read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida. If you are selling a house first, request a free home valuation or Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
Price band | Closings, 60 months | Closings, 12 months |
|---|---|---|
Under $500,000 | 4 | 2 |
$500,000 to $599,999 | 6 | 2 |
$600,000 to $699,999 | 6 | 1 |
The top of the record is $699,000 (November 2022, 1,749 square feet, 3 days) and the bottom $420,000 (July 2023, 1,461 square feet, 174 days). In the last 12 months the range is $470,000 to $610,000. The buyer who pays $610,000 is buying the record's only three-bath house.
A Forest Ridge Shores home costs a median $500,000 under 1,600 square feet, $650,000 from 1,600 to 1,999 and $607,000 at 2,000 and above over 60 months, though three of the five middle-band sales closed in 2022. Each band is a small sample, so compare a house with same-size houses closed in the last 24 months.
Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, pulled September 29, 2026)
The six houses under 1,600 square feet had a median of $500,000 (mean of $490,000 and $510,000), the five from 1,600 to 1,999 a median of $650,000 and the five at 2,000 and above a median of $607,000. The MLS records four size clusters: about 1,460, 1,560, 1,750 to 1,800 and 2,000 to 2,100 square feet.
Nine of the sales were three-bedroom (median $529,000), four were three bedrooms plus a den (median $564,750) and three were four-bedroom (median $610,000). Fifteen of the 16 have two baths and one has three. The county roll shows 52 of 64 houses with three bedrooms, 10 with four and 2 with two.
A bigger house did not always cost more per square foot: the 2,047 square foot house that sold for $475,000 in March 2026 is the lowest per square foot on record at $232, and the 1,749 square foot house that sold in November 2022 is the highest at about $400. Condition and timing matter as much as size.
The declaration requires at least 1,300 square feet for a one-story house and 1,450 for a two-story house, and an attached garage for two to four cars. The smallest house on the roll, at 1,346 square feet, meets the one-story minimum.
No Forest Ridge Shores house was for sale on September 29, 2026 under the neighborhood's own label, against 5 closings in the previous 12 months. A listing filed under the generic Fountain Lakes label would not appear in that pull, so a live check with Marc is the way to know today's inventory.
Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, pulled September 29, 2026)
An empty shelf means a well-priced house can move fast, as the 2022 sales did, and a buyer who waits for the perfect one may wait months. We set up alerts so you see a new listing the day it appears.
The neighboring Forest Ridge had one active on September 29, 2026: a three-bedroom, two-bath house of 1,550 square feet at $550,000 after 212 days. It is a separate association with older houses, and we can tour it beside Forest Ridge Shores to show the difference.
A buyer who wants a 2000 to 2002 house on its own lot with tighter leasing rules fits Forest Ridge Shores. A buyer who wants a lower entry price fits Forest Ridge or The Greens, and an attached-villa buyer fits Villas at Timber Lakes or Villas of Fountain Lakes.
Forest Ridge Shores is the fifth largest of seven for-sale Fountain Lakes neighborhoods at 64 lots, with every house built in 2000 to 2002 and a $522,500 12-month median on 5 closings, well above The Greens, where 9 closings had a $185,000 median. Its closest neighbor for a single-family buyer is Forest Ridge.
Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, pulled September 29, 2026)
Neighborhood | Units | Regime | Year built | MLS closings, last 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The Greens | 143 | Condominium, Chapter 718 | 1988 | 9 |
Forest Ridge | 135 | Homeowners' association, Chapter 720 (inferred) | 1994 to 1999 | 5 |
Sunrise | 128 | Homeowners' association | 1988 to 2003 | 1 by label |
Lakeside | 86 | Homeowners' association | 1990 to 2004 | 0 by label |
Forest Ridge Shores | 64 | Homeowners' association, Chapter 720 | 2000 to 2002 | 5 |
Villas at Timber Lakes | 62 | Condominium use on the county roll | 1994 to 1996 | 3 |
Villas of Fountain Lakes | 49 | Homeowners' association per the community; a state extract lists a condominium | 1989 to 1991 | 4 |
Closings are by MLS label from our sub-community roster, and the counts for Sunrise, Lakeside and the Villas of Fountain Lakes run lower than a county match would give, so treat the small counts as rough.
The whole community is covered in our Fountain Lakes community guide. Forest Ridge Shores is the newest single-family group on the list, and you pay for that. The condominium neighborhoods cost far less, and the regime is different: a condominium buyer receives condominium documents, and a Forest Ridge Shores buyer receives the homeowners' association summary.
Tour Forest Ridge if you want to see what a lower price buys, and Sunrise for a broader range of construction years. Both are inside the same gates.
Forest Ridge Shores is the newer, smaller and higher-priced of the two Fountain Lakes neighborhoods with Forest Ridge in their names: 64 houses built 2000 to 2002 at a $552,000 60-month median, against Forest Ridge's 135 houses built 1994 to 1999 at $452,500. Both are Chapter 720 associations with separate documents.
Data updated: September 2026 (Southwest Florida MLS Matrix, pulled September 29, 2026; Lee County Property Appraiser 2026 roll)
Question | Forest Ridge Shores | Forest Ridge |
|---|---|---|
Lots on the county roll | 64 | 135 |
Regime | Chapter 720 homeowners' association | Chapter 720 homeowners' association (inferred) |
Year built | 2000 to 2002, median 2001 | 1994 to 1999, median 1996 |
Heated area on the roll | 1,346 to 2,202 sq ft, median 1,759 | 1,309 to 2,525 sq ft, median 1,601 |
Bedrooms on the roll | 2 (2), 3 (52), 4 (10) | 2 (14), 3 (95), 4 (22), 5 (4) |
MLS closings, 12 months | 5, median $522,500 (small sample) | 5, median $440,000 (small sample) |
MLS closings, 60 months | 16, median $552,000 | 18, median $452,500 |
Median $ per MLS sq ft, 60 months | $324.09 | $266.24 |
Median days on market, 60 months | 28.5 | 46.5 |
Median sold-to-list, 60 months | 98.5% | 96.4% |
Active listings, September 29, 2026 | 0 | 1, at $550,000 |
Dues | $450 per quarter, 2026 | Read the Forest Ridge guide |
The 60-month medians differ by $99,500 and the price per square foot by about $58, but the 12-month gap of $82,500 is the better present comparison, because the 2022 sales dominate the 60-month figure.
A buyer who wants a newer house, a faster-selling resale market and stricter leasing that limits investor turnover.
A buyer who wants a lower entry price, more choice (135 houses) and more floor-plan variety.
Do not use Forest Ridge sales to justify a Forest Ridge Shores offer, or the reverse. They are separate associations with separate declarations, budgets and approval offices.
Florida law gives a Forest Ridge Shores buyer three written disclosures before contract: the Section 720.401 homeowners' association disclosure summary, the Section 689.261 property tax disclosure and the Section 689.302 flood disclosure, plus protection against a seller's known hidden defects. Because the neighborhood is a Chapter 720 association, the condominium rules do not apply.
You must be presented a disclosure summary before you sign the contract, and on a resale the seller supplies it. If you were not given it first, the contract is voidable: you may cancel by written notice within 3 days after receiving the summary or before closing, whichever comes first, you cannot waive that right, and it ends at closing. Read the summary before you sign, because the contract must say so in conspicuous type.
Section 720.401(2) excludes associations under Chapters 718, 719, 721 and 723, and some Fountain Lakes neighborhoods are condominiums. Forest Ridge Shores is not one: the 1999 supplement says the association is not intended to be a condominium association and the state's condominium register lists no such project. If a lender or insurer assumes otherwise, we give them the recorded documents in writing. This page is information, not legal advice, and your closing agent or attorney has the final word.
We have not found a clause in the documents we read that restates the seller's disclosure duty or sets a resale transfer assessment. The sales packet lists a $2,500 capital contribution and a $150 application, and the contract should say who pays what.
Section 689.261 requires a property tax disclosure summary at or before contract: do not rely on the seller's current taxes, because a change of ownership can trigger reassessment. Section 689.302 requires the seller to complete a flood disclosure at or before contract, asking about flood damage, flood claims and flood assistance.
Forest Ridge Shores buyers deal with three association items: the estoppel certificate, which shows what the seller owes, the buyer's purchase application with its $150 fee, and the $2,500 capital contribution. The application goes in at least 20 days before the sale date, and an unapproved transfer is void until approved.
Under Section 720.30851 the association must issue an estoppel within 10 business days of a written request. It states the regular assessment, amounts owed, any capital contribution, open violations, whether board approval of the transfer is required and other information, and it is effective for 30 days when hand delivered or sent electronically and 35 when mailed. The fee is capped at $299 for a current account, and the seller customarily orders it.
The sales packet lists a $2,500 capital contribution for a new owner. It does not say whether the master association's own $2,500 is a separate charge, so ask both offices and put the answer in the contract.
The $150 application is non-refundable, is filed at least 20 days before the sale date and can take up to 30 days to review. A cash buyer is not exempt. A buyer who plans to lease files a separate application: $150 plus a $50 background check for each adult applicant and occupant, at least 30 days before the lease begins.
The main gate at Fountain Lakes Boulevard and US-41 has a call box, and a residents-only back gate is at West Tree Road and Williams Road. Vehicles need a barcode decal, and gate monitors are posted from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Buying in Forest Ridge Shores? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873. Selling first? Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 or request a free home valuation.
A Forest Ridge Shores buyer should inspect the roof, air conditioning, water heater and plumbing, windows and doors, exterior work and permits, because the houses date from 2000 to 2002 and are on or near their second round of major systems. Ask for dates and permits before the inspection, not after.
The recorded rules require architectural shingle or tile roofs, and a replacement needs association approval. A buyer's insurance quote will ask for the roof's age, so get the age and the approval and permit.
For a house of this age ask for the dates of the air-conditioning and water-heater replacements and a plumbing inspection. Water is supplied by Bonita Springs Utilities up to each house's shut-off valve, and the owner is responsible from the valve inward.
Hurricane protection that changes the exterior needs association approval, so confirm the approved style. Ask what protection the house has and its age.
Permits come from the Village of Estero, and an association approval is not a permit and a permit is not an association approval. A house that has one without the other can cause a problem at resale. Ask for permits and final inspections for the roof, any pool or screen enclosure, driveway and air conditioner.
A wind-mitigation inspection on the state's uniform form can earn insurance credits, and we ask sellers for an existing report.
A Forest Ridge Shores buyer insures the house directly: the declaration requires owners to insure their own homes, including flood coverage where required, and a federally backed mortgage on a Zone AE house requires flood insurance. Three of five street points we tested were Zone AE, so get the exact zone for the address before you offer.
Unlike a condominium, there is no shared roof or exterior policy. The neighborhood budget carries $12,000 for association policies, and each owner insures the house and its contents.
Zone AE is a Special Flood Hazard Area, and Zone X here is the 0.2 percent annual chance area. FEMA panel 12071C0587G took effect November 17, 2022. Check the exact address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, and ask for any elevation certificate.
Our Fountain Lakes guide reports a Village of Estero flood-insurance discount under FEMA's Community Rating System of 20 percent, which we flag for re-verification before you rely on it.
The neighborhood is inland, about four to five miles from the Gulf, so wind and freshwater flooding are the risks. Hurricane Ian made landfall in Lee County on September 28, 2022 as a Category 4 storm, and the records we read do not describe damage to any lot. Ask a licensed insurance agent to quote each house.
A Forest Ridge Shores owner pays $150 a month ($450 a quarter, $1,800 a year) in 2026 dues, plus insurance, property tax and any flood coverage, with a $2,500 capital contribution and a $150 application at purchase. We know the dues exactly and the rest depends on the house, so we build the number with you.
Data updated: September 2026 (2026 adopted association budget)
Layer | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
Neighborhood regular assessment | $450 per quarter, $1,800 per year | 2026 adopted budget |
Of which, master pass-through | $370 per quarter, $1,480 per year | 2026 budget line |
Purchase application | $150, non-refundable | 2026 sales packet |
Capital contribution | $2,500 (a second $2,500 may apply) | 2026 sales packet |
Mortgagee questionnaire | Up to $150 | 2026 sales packet |
Community development district | None found | Fountain Lakes plan and 2026 budget |
The 2026 budget is $116,096.25 for 64 units: the master fee ($94,720, about 81.6 percent), insurance ($12,000), management ($6,600), the office ($1,540), contingency ($500), legal ($400), taxes ($275) and a state filing ($61.25). There is no reserve line, so ask how a large repair would be paid.
Our Fountain Lakes guide gives the master assessment as $380 a quarter and the Forest Ridge Shores budget carries it at $370. Confirm the current master fee with the manager before you rely on either.
Your property tax is set on your own assessment after a change of ownership, not on the seller's bill, so use the county's estimator.
Forest Ridge Shores buyer closing costs in Lee County customarily include the lender's title policy, deed recording, the $150 application, the $2,500 capital contribution, inspections and, with a mortgage, documentary stamps on the note at $0.35 per $100 and nonrecurring intangible tax of $0.002 per dollar borrowed. The seller customarily pays the owner's policy.
In Lee County the seller customarily selects the closing agent and pays the deed's documentary stamps and the owner's title policy, and the buyer pays the lender's policy and records the deed. Custom is not law, and the contract controls.
At a $522,500 price, the 12-month median, the arithmetic is as follows. These are illustrations from the tax rates, not a quote.
Down payment | Loan amount | Doc stamps on the note ($0.35 per $100) | Intangible tax ($0.002 per $1) | Total of the two |
|---|---|---|---|---|
5% ($26,125) | $496,375 | $1,737.40 | $992.75 | $2,730.15 |
10% ($52,250) | $470,250 | $1,646.05 | $940.50 | $2,586.55 |
20% ($104,500) | $418,000 | $1,463.00 | $836.00 | $2,299.00 |
Recording a deed costs $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page under Section 28.24, so a two- to four-page deed is roughly $18.50 to $35.50. Title search, closing fees and the lender's premium vary by title company.
Property tax is prorated at closing with a credit from the seller for the seller's days of ownership, and association dues are prorated too. Lenders also collect prepaid insurance and escrows.
Buyer representation in Forest Ridge Shores works the way it does across Florida after August 17, 2024: you sign a written agreement with your agent before touring, it states the compensation and that compensation is negotiable, and the seller may or may not offer to pay it. We walk through it before the first tour.
It names the compensation as a specific amount or rate, states that broker compensation is fully negotiable and not set by law, and is required before a buyer's agent tours a house in person or by live virtual tour.
Compensation is set by agreement. A seller may offer to pay or contribute, off the MLS, and where a seller does not, you are responsible under your agreement. General buyer concessions can still appear on the MLS.
The Florida Real Estate Commission regulates licensure, and you can look up any licensee. Jesse McGreevy (SL3101296) and Marc Comisar (BK3060671) are licensed with Domain Realty.
Yes, a Forest Ridge Shores home can be financed like other detached houses, and because it is a Chapter 720 association and not a condominium, a condominium project review should not apply. A lender may still ask the association for a mortgagee questionnaire, which the packet lists at up to $150.
The loan program, the down payment and the rate are set by your lender and your finances, not by the neighborhood. We do not quote a rate, and Freddie Mac publishes a weekly survey of average mortgage rates for context.
If a lender's form asks for condominium approval, tell the lender the association is a Chapter 720 homeowners' association and provide the recorded documents. The community website's label on the neighborhood's PDF is the usual cause of the mistake.
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation publishes down payment assistance programs with their own price limits and eligibility rules, so check the current limits against a $470,000 to $610,000 price band before you count on one.
A cash buyer files the same $150 application and is subject to the same approval, and the timeline is the same up to 30 days.
Get pre-approved, share the neighborhood's $150 per month dues and $2,500 capital contribution with your lender, and ask for the flood zone quote before you commit to a price.
We find a Forest Ridge Shores house by watching the MLS and our own network for the neighborhood and for the neighboring Forest Ridge, setting alerts, and comparing each new listing with the 16 recorded closings before you tour. With no active listing on September 29, 2026, being early is most of the job.
Tell us the size, the bedroom count, how you will use the house, and your budget with the full monthly cost. We match it to the size clusters in the record.
Before each tour we send the closings that fit the house, the ask history and the documents list, so you tour informed.
The four slowest sales sat 91 to 250 days. A long listing may be an ask that ran ahead of the market, and it is a negotiating fact, not a defect.
We negotiate a Forest Ridge Shores offer from the recorded closings: the price against the last comparable, the disclosure summary in the contract, the closing date set around the 20-to-30-day approval, and the inspection and insurance results. Marc negotiates each personally, and the goal is a fair price on a clean contract.
Nine of 16 closings sold below final list, and the 12-month median is 95.9% of list, so a fair offer often sits below the ask. We show you the closings that support it.
The disclosure summary gives you a 3-day right to cancel if it was not provided first, the inspection gives you a repair conversation, and the estoppel confirms what the seller owes. We use each in order.
A credit for a roof or air conditioner may suit your lender's limits better than a price cut, and a price cut sets a lower recorded comparable. We advise which fits your case.
Set the closing date around the approval, not around a wish, since the application can take up to 30 days.
Buying? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 and read how we represent buyers. Selling first? Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072.
Forest Ridge Shores rules that decide whether a house works for you are leasing capped at two leases a year with a six-month minimum, three pets, fences only on 14 lots, exterior changes that need approval, and vehicle and parking limits. Read them before you offer, because they are recorded and enforceable.
Leases run six months to one year, with no renewal option, no subleasing and a natural-person lessee for the whole house. The master association allows 30 days and four leases a year, and the stricter rule controls here. We would not underwrite a purchase here on a short-term income model.
Up to three animals. The declaration bars aggressive animals, reptiles, monkeys, amphibians, poultry, swine, rabbits, ferrets and livestock, and the 2026 notice names Pitbulls and exotic pets including snakes. Boats, recreational vehicles and commercial vehicles may sit outside a garage no more than 48 hours, and overnight street parking is not permitted. Ask the manager in writing about any pet question. Properly documented assistance animals are handled under federal fair housing rules.
Roof, driveway, fence and landscaping changes need approval, and below-ground irrigation is required. Window and wall air conditioners are prohibited.
The master association runs a private nine-hole, par-3 course, two pools and a hot tub, a fitness center, tennis, pickleball, bocce and shuffleboard courts, a billiards room, a library and a playground. Neighborhood residents have no separate pool or clubhouse of their own, and a leased house's occupants are generally kept off the recreation facilities during the lease.
Forest Ridge Shores suits a buyer who wants a detached house built 2000 to 2002 on its own lot inside a gated community with a private par-3 course, at a mid-$500,000 price, and who is comfortable with a $2,500 contribution, a $150 monthly dues cost and tight leasing rules. It suits a buyer less who needs short-term rental income or a fenced yard on most lots.
A detached house on a platted lot, no shared roof or exterior insurance, no condominium structural obligations and access to the master association's amenities. It is a resale market: every house was built between 2000 and 2002.
A flood map that changes by address, no reserve line, a buyer approval and a few closings a year that make comparable sales thin.
Households with more than three pets, buyers who need short-term or frequent leasing, and buyers unwilling to carry flood insurance where it is required should look at other neighborhoods.
Coconut Point is across US-41 from the main gate, about 6 to 8 minutes from the mall. I-75 at Corkscrew Road is 5 to 7 minutes, Miromar Outlets about 8 to 12, Florida Gulf Coast University about 12 to 15, and Southwest Florida International Airport about 20 to 24. Lee Health Coconut Point has a freestanding emergency room a few minutes away.
Lee County assigns by choice and proximity. Forest Ridge Shores addresses sit in the School District of Lee County's elementary Proximity Zone Q, middle Zone GG and High School South Zone, Sub-zone 3 on the district's 2026 to 2027 map, read at our sample points on October 17, 2026. Zone Q elementary schools are Bonita Springs, Pinewoods, San Carlos Park, Spring Creek and Three Oaks; Zone GG middle schools are Bonita Springs Middle and Three Oaks Middle; South 3 high schools are Bonita Springs High, Estero High and South Fort Myers High. Families rank the schools in their zone and the district places students by preference, proximity and lottery, so no school is assigned by address; confirm yours with the district's school locator.
Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read the Forest Ridge Shores neighborhood guide first.
McGreevy and Comisar is a top-reviewed Forest Ridge Shores realtor, and the quotes below are genuine five-star Google reviews from buyers, reproduced in each reviewer's own words. We publish no aggregate score and no rating widget. Read the full set on our Google profile.
★★★★★ "Jesse is the best Realtor I have used. He found us our dream home even though it took months as we were not the easiest to please." Verified Google review
★★★★★ "Marc and Jesse are truly great people and they care about the people that they work with. Marc made our house purchase seamless and we closed within 30 days. If you want someone that's gonna treat you like family, well you found them." Verified Google review
★★★★★ "Marc's knowledge of the Southwest Florida real estate market is unmatched. He took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for in a home and quickly identified properties that checked all my boxes." Verified Google review
Forest Ridge Shores buyers get a personalized consultation by requesting one on this page or calling Marc Comisar direct at (239) 287-5873. It covers the closings that fit your budget, the association documents, the approval clock and the full monthly cost. The consultation is free and carries no obligation.
Your budget with the $150 monthly dues, the $2,500 contribution and the $150 application; the size and bedrooms you need; the flood zone and insurance questions; the rules that affect you; and an alert setup so you see a new listing first. Or call Jesse at (239) 898-6072. McGreevy and Comisar are the Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.
A Forest Ridge Shores specialist matters for a buyer because the purchase depends on 16 recorded sales, a Chapter 720 status the community website blurs, a 20-to-30-day approval and a flood map that changes by address, and a generalist may miss any of them. Marc and Jesse read all four before you tour.
Marc is a Broker Associate with Domain Realty (license BK3060671) and runs the search, tours and negotiation. Reach him at (239) 287-5873. His agent page is Marc Comisar.
Jesse has been in Southwest Florida real estate since October 2004, is a Sales Associate with Domain Realty (license SL3101296) and runs the data and paperwork. His agent page is Jesse McGreevy.
McGreevy and Comisar are Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008, the #1 Team in Southwest Florida since 2012, and lead Domain Realty Group, whose team has sold over $2.5 billion in real estate.
The difference between Forest Ridge Shores and Forest Ridge, the condominium label on the community website, the application clock and the address-by-address flood zone.
Forest Ridge Shores owners who are buying can sell with McGreevy and Comisar of Domain Realty, the #1 team in Southwest Florida since 2012, because a 64-lot neighborhood with five closings a year rewards a price set from every recorded sale and a documents file ready on day one.
Data updated: September 2026
If you are searching for a Forest Ridge Shores listing agent, or thinking, "I need to sell my home in Forest Ridge Shores," call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072, read the Forest Ridge Shores seller guide and see how a house here is priced in the Forest Ridge Shores home valuation guide.
Listing-team credentials:
Start with our free home valuation. Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072, text or call. Confidential conversations welcome.
Yes. We time the two closings so the association approval and the sale meet. Start the buyer application early.
Florida lets homestead owners carry part of the assessment difference to a new homestead through portability. Ask the county property appraiser or a tax adviser for your case.
It depends on your financing and the market. With few houses for sale here, some buyers line up financing first and list soon after.
It helps. A valuation tells you what you will have to spend.
We plan for it: a rent-back or a short lease may work. We discuss options first.
Commission is negotiated separately for each side under your agreements, and both are negotiable.
These are the questions buyers ask most about buying a home in Forest Ridge Shores in Fountain Lakes, Estero, answered from the records cited below. Each answer names Forest Ridge Shores and points to the section with the detail. Where a record is not public, the answer says so.
Sixteen MLS closings in the last 60 months to September 29, 2026 had a median of $552,000 and ran from $420,000 to $699,000. The last 12 months had 5 closings at a $522,500 median, a small sample.
Look at the smaller houses. The six under 1,600 square feet had a median of $500,000 over 60 months, and the June 2026 sale of a 1,460 square foot house was $470,000. Watch for long listings, which have sold below list.
Compare each ask with the closings by size. Nine of 16 sold below final list, and the 12-month median is 95.9% of list, so an ask well above the recent closings has room to come down.
It is thin and negotiable. There was no active listing on September 29, 2026 and 5 closings in 12 months, but the median house sold at 95.9% of list after 44 days.
That depends on your loan. At the $522,500 12-month median, 5% is $26,125, 10% is $52,250 and 20% is $104,500, plus the $2,500 capital contribution and $150 application.
Dues are $150 a month ($450 a quarter) in 2026. Add insurance, property tax and any flood coverage, which depend on the house.
The 2026 regular assessment is $450 a quarter, or $1,800 a year, up from $430 a quarter in 2025. Of that, $370 a quarter is the master association line.
We found no community development district in the Fountain Lakes plan, and the 2026 budget has no such line. Confirm on the county tax bill for the specific address.
The master association fee, insurance, management, office costs, legal costs, taxes, a state filing fee and a contingency. It has no reserve line.
The packet lists a $2,500 one-time capital contribution for a new owner. Whether it is separate from the master association's own $2,500 is not stated, so ask both offices.
An HOA under Chapter 720, with 64 platted lots. The 1999 supplement says the association is not intended to be a condominium association, and the state's condominium register lists no such project.
The Section 720.401 disclosure summary, the property tax disclosure and the flood disclosure. Ask also for the 2021 declaration, the 2026 budget, the sales packet, the master rules and the estoppel.
Yes. You may cancel by written notice within 3 days after receiving the summary or before closing, whichever comes first. The right cannot be waived and ends at closing.
The association's statement of what the seller owes. It must be issued within 10 business days of a request and the fee is capped at $299 for a current account.
Yes. File the $150 application at least 20 days before the sale date. Review can take up to 30 days, and an unapproved transfer is void until approved.
Within limits: two leases a year, a six-month minimum, a one-year maximum, no renewal option, no subleasing and a natural-person lessee for the whole house.
No. The six-month minimum lease rules it out, and the master association prohibits stays under 30 days as well.
Yes, at the Fountain Lakes level: a main gate at Fountain Lakes Boulevard and US-41 and a residents-only back gate at West Tree Road and Williams Road. Vehicles need a barcode decal.
It depends on the address. Two of five street points we tested returned Zone X and three returned Zone AE, on FEMA panel 12071C0587G effective November 17, 2022.
A federally backed mortgage requires it in Zone AE, and it is recommended elsewhere. The declaration also requires owners to insure the house.
The roof, air conditioner, water heater, plumbing, windows and doors, and the permits for any exterior work. The houses date from 2000 to 2002.
Your bill is set on your own assessment after the sale, so do not rely on the seller's taxes, and the seller credits you for the days the seller owned the house in the year.
The contract controls. In Lee County the seller customarily pays the owner's title policy and the deed's documentary stamps, and the buyer pays the lender's policy, mortgage taxes and recording.
Yes, since August 17, 2024 a buyer's agent needs a written agreement with you before a tour, stating the compensation and that it is negotiable.
Compensation is set by your agreement. A seller may offer to pay or contribute off the MLS.
Loan programs are set by lenders, and the neighborhood is a Chapter 720 association, so a condominium approval should not apply. A lender may ask for a mortgagee questionnaire at up to $150.
The Florida Housing Finance Corporation publishes programs with price limits. Check the current limits against the neighborhood's price band before you rely on one.
Forest Ridge Shores is newer and higher-priced ($552,000 against $452,500 at 60 months), and Forest Ridge is larger with a lower entry price. The comparison table above has the detail.
Yes, but you file the same $150 application and wait for the same approval of up to 30 days.
The application review can take up to 30 days, so plan around it. We write the closing date around the approval.
Yes. Marc arranges tours, virtual walk-throughs and inspections, and closings can be handled remotely.
Resident play at the private nine-hole par-3 course is part of master association membership, and some league days carry a small day-of fee.
No. The recorded documents we read set no age restriction, and Fountain Lakes is all-ages.
Three. The declaration bars several kinds of animals, and the 2026 notice names Pitbulls and exotic pets including snakes. Assistance animals are handled under federal fair housing rules.
Call Marc at (239) 287-5873, or read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida first. Marc, with Jesse, is among the Top 1% Real Estate Agents Nationally Since 2008.
These questions come from buyers who own a house today and want to move to Forest Ridge Shores. Each answer names Forest Ridge Shores and shows how the sale and the purchase fit together on the association's approval clock.
Value the current house first, then plan the two closings around the approval clock. Our free home valuation is the first step.
It depends on how thin the market is for you. With few houses for sale, some buyers make sure of financing and then list soon after.
It is possible, but a contingency can weaken an offer where the seller has few offers to compare. We advise on the alternatives.
That is a question for a tax adviser. The IRS explains the rules in Publication 523.
Florida allows portability of part of a homestead assessment difference to a new homestead. Ask the county property appraiser or a tax adviser for your case.
At a $522,500 sale, documentary stamps are $3,657.50 and the owner's policy is about $2,687.50 in Lee County, plus the estoppel cap of $299 and commission.
The seller does, and an association must issue it within 10 business days of a written request.
It is negotiable in the contract. Ask us before you list.
Start the buyer application in the first week, order the estoppel on the house you are selling, and set the two closing dates on the same week.
Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 or Jesse at (239) 898-6072, and we will answer it and add it to this page.
Forest Ridge Shores buyers work directly with Marc Comisar and Jesse McGreevy, who have sold Southwest Florida real estate for more than twenty years, lead Domain Realty Group, and checked every recent Forest Ridge Shores sale and public record before writing this guide. Learn more about our team.
Buying here begins with the record: 16 closings, the recorded declaration, the 2026 budget and the buyer application clock. In the last 12 months we tracked all 5 closings, and as the leaders of Domain Realty Group our team has closed over $2.5 billion in real estate across Southwest Florida.
Our team has closed more than 4,000 transactions across Southwest Florida. Since Jesse started in Southwest Florida real estate in 2004, we have represented buyers and sellers across Estero's gated communities. Read more about McGreevy and Comisar on our about page, and follow our latest listings on Instagram.
McGreevy and Comisar is a top-reviewed Forest Ridge Shores realtor; read every verified review on our Google profile.
McGreevy and Comisar lead Domain Realty Group, a full-service Southwest Florida real estate team. Learn more at DomainRealtyGroup.com.
Contact us when you are ready:
Jesse McGreevy (Sales Associate, SL3101296) and Marc Comisar (Broker Associate, BK3060671) are licensed Florida REALTORS with Domain Realty; Florida real estate licensure is regulated by the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC).
Buying in Forest Ridge Shores? Call Marc at (239) 287-5873 and read how we represent buyers in Southwest Florida. Selling? Call Jesse direct at (239) 898-6072 or request a free home valuation.
Forest Ridge Shores facts on this page rest on primary sources: the neighborhood's and the master association's own recorded documents, Florida state records, Lee County and Village of Estero records, FEMA and federal sources, and our own MLS pull. Parcel and sale facts come from the county roll and the MLS. No brokerage or listing portal is cited. Sources were accessed on September 30, 2026 unless dated.
Forest Ridge Shores buyers can pull the documents behind this page directly from the authority that issues each one. The recorded set is available through the Lee County Clerk's official records, and the estoppel through the association's manager.
Document | What it proves | Official authority |
|---|---|---|
2021 Amended and Restated Declaration, Articles and Bylaws | The neighborhood's covenants, one vote per lot, leasing, pet, fence and architectural rules | |
Original restrictions and supplement (1999) | That the association is not intended to be a condominium association | |
Recorded fence agreement (2000) | The west-line fence easement on 14 lots and who maintains the fence | |
2026 Sales Packet and budget | The $450 quarterly assessment, the $2,500 capital contribution and the $150 application | |
2026 Lease Application | The lease approval process, fees and timing | |
Fountain Lakes master Amended and Restated Declaration | The master covenants and assessments | |
Fountain Lakes master Rules and Regulations (2025) | Leasing, pet, parking and gate rules at the master level | |
Florida Statutes 720.401 | The HOA disclosure summary, its pre-contract timing and the buyer's 3-day cancellation right | |
Florida Statutes 720.30851 | What the HOA estoppel certificate must state, its 10-business-day deadline and fee caps | |
Florida Statutes 689.261 | The property tax disclosure summary in a residential contract | |
Florida Statutes 689.302 | The seller's flood disclosure owed at or before contract | |
NAR settlement FAQs | That commission is negotiable and how buyer-broker compensation works after August 17, 2024 | |
FEMA Flood Map Service Center | The flood zone and panel for your exact address | |
Current budget, rules and estoppel for your neighborhood | Fees, any special assessment and whether buyer approval is required | |
Documentary stamp and intangible tax overview | The $0.35 per $100 note tax and the 0.2 percent nonrecurring intangible tax a lender's buyer pays | |
Written buyer agreements 101 | What the buyer-agent agreement must say after August 17, 2024 | |
Primary Mortgage Market Survey | Weekly average mortgage rates for context | |
Portability of the Save Our Homes benefit (PT-112) | How a homestead owner may carry the assessment difference to a new homestead | |
Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form | The wind-mitigation report insurers use for credits |
You reach the Forest Ridge Shores buyer team by calling Marc Comisar direct at (239) 287-5873, calling Jesse McGreevy at (239) 898-6072, emailing [email protected], or using the buyer consultation form at the top of this page. The first conversation carries no obligation.
If you are thinking, "I need someone to help me buy a home in Estero, Florida," McGreevy and Comisar helps buyers search, negotiate and close with a local strategy built for Estero, Bonita Springs, Naples, Fort Myers, Lee County, Collier County, and Babcock Ranch. The neighborhood picture stays on our Forest Ridge Shores neighborhood guide, and sellers can start with our free home valuation.
Market data from Southwest Florida MLS, pulled September 29, 2026. Brokered by Domain Realty.