WHY IT WORKED: Value is the main draw at Forest Park. The homes, which range in price from $235,900 to $378,900, are downright affordable for tony Naples, Fla. Throw in more than 100 acres of forest, a 20-acre lake, and an award-winning community clubhouse, and you've got the ingredients for success.
One company, Charter Communities, builds at Forest Park and offers customers the opportunity to make structural changes to their homes. Hurricane shutters come standard.Single-family homes are available in 15 different elevations; attached courtyard villas come with three different floor plans. Features include covered entries and screened lanais, pocket doors, minimum 9-foot-4-inch ceiling heights, large master suites, and walk-in closets.For only $162 per month, the HOA provides full landscape maintenance and a community water sprinkler system.There's a laid back atmosphere at this non–golf course community that features a community walkway, a bike path, and plenty of trees.PROJECT CREDITS Project: Forest Park, Naples, Fla.; Sales started: April 2001; Sales through May 2004: 234; Units planned: 318; Price: $298,900 to $378,900 (single-family); $235,900 to $251,900 (attached); Unit size: 2,256 to 3,715 square feet (single-family); 2,142 to 2,399 square feet (attached); Builder: Charter Communities, Naples; Developer: Brennan Forest Park, Akron, Ohio; Architect: Feinberg & Associates, Voorhees, N.J.; Land planner: William Vines, Naples; Interior designer: Childs/Dreyfus Group, Chicago