Old Forest Lakes is an intimate community where people know each other. Tucked between Webber Street and Bee Ridge Road and just north of Beneva Road, Old Forest Lakes is a unique enclave unknown to most people, but those who do know about it consider it a much-sought-after neighborhood.
Besides convenient access to all of Sarasota including a Publix supermarket within walking distance and only a 15 minute ride to South Gate mall and Siesta Public Beach are within a 15-minute drive.
With only 72 homes, Old Forest lakes has its share of the largest properties west of I-75, ranging from one-half acre to just over 2 acres. Most of the homes are not visible from the street. The neighborhood is quiet, picturesque with a lush canopy of stately oak trees festooned with Spanish moss.
Judie Berger, a Sarasota real estate professional reported that she “loves the Old Forest lakes neighborhood where most of the homes were built in the late 1950s and early 1960s. More recently, some people have bought older homes as teardowns and put up new homes while some other homes have been extensively remodeled.” Old Forest Lakes,” she says, “definitely has that appealing “Old Florida” feel.”
Architectural styles in the neighborhood range from single-story homes and 2-story cottages to Spanish Mediterranean villas. The area has attracted a number of younger families in addition to professionals and retirees as its location, stability and character continue to make Old Forest Lakes an attractive neighborhood.
According to Bob Henley, a local REMAX Sarasota Florida real estate agent, while at the peak of the Sarasota real estate boom, homes were selling above $800,000 in Old Forest Lakes, today prices are in the $250,000 to the low $400,000’s
