Living in Florida's Space Coast
Lake Forest at Bayside
Lake Forest is the estate section of Bayside Lakes. You enter through your own gate at Forest Ridge Drive, and the lots start at half an acre and run past an acre and a quarter. Homes reach 4,176 square feet with garages up to five bays. Dues sit near $950 to $1,150 a year, and there is still vacant ground being built on.
Lake Forest at Bayside In Palm Bay, Florida
Lake Forest at Bayside Lakes occupies the large lot corner of the Bayside Lakes area in southwest Palm Bay. Its gate is its own, off Bayside Lakes Boulevard at Forest Ridge Drive, and the streets inside are Amberwood Drive, Brightwater Drive, Devonwood Court and Dellwood Court. The Florida association corporation, Lake Forest at Bayside Lakes Homeowners Association, Inc., has been registered since 2000, which tells you when the developer platted this section.
Lot size is the entire premise. Parcels run from half an acre to 1.27 acres with about 0.63 typical, against roughly a fifth of an acre in the neighborhoods a few streets over. That extra ground is why you see side entry three car garages, RV and boat garages built into the house, summer kitchens on the lanai and pool decks that do not touch the property line. Six of ten homes have a pool.
Houses run 2,307 to 4,176 square feet with 2,758 typical, three to five bedrooms and two to five baths. Most were built starting in 2001, but this is not a finished neighborhood. Custom construction is still going up on remaining parcels, including recent work on a 0.62 acre lot with a side loading three car garage. That means a 2002 house and a brand new custom home sit on the same street at very different prices per foot.
The association runs $950 to $1,150 a year, administered in part through Space Coast Property Management, and it is the highest annual figure among the Bayside neighborhoods covered here. It buys a clubhouse, community pool, tennis courts, basketball court, fitness center, playground, shuffleboard and grounds maintenance. It also buys something genuinely useful on a half acre lot: dedicated RV and boat storage, which appears as an amenity for most of the community.
Be honest with yourself about the time frame. Prices run $520,000 to $900,000 with $637,500 typical at about $232 a square foot, and homes here have taken around four and a half months to find a buyer. That is far slower than the surrounding neighborhoods. The pool of buyers who want a half acre gated lot at this price is thin, which cuts both ways: patience selling, and leverage buying.
Lake Forest at Bayside At A Glance
Lake Forest by the numbers, starting with the lot sizes that set the price.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Detail | Value |
| Location | Off Bayside Lakes Boulevard at Forest Ridge Drive, inside Bayside Lakes, Palm Bay 32909 |
| Built | 2001 to current custom construction, most around 2002 |
| Home size | 2,307 to 4,176 square feet, about 2,758 typical |
| Bedrooms | Three to five, with two to five baths |
| Lot size | 0.50 to 1.27 acres, about 0.63 typical |
| Construction | Concrete block and stucco, shingle roofs, storm shutters on half the homes |
| Association | Mandatory. Lake Forest at Bayside Lakes Homeowners Association, Inc., registered in Florida since 2000, with Space Coast Property Management involved, roughly $950 to $1,150 a year |
| Gated | Yes, with its own gate at Forest Ridge Drive |
| Amenities | Clubhouse, community pool, tennis courts, basketball court, fitness center, playground, shuffleboard, grounds maintenance |
| RV and boat storage | Available to the community, listed as an amenity on most properties |
| Utilities | City water and public sewer |
| Private pools | Six of ten homes, most with screen enclosure |
| Water frontage | Four properties sit on water |
| Garage | Two to five car, with three car typical and RV garages on some homes |
| Streets | Amberwood Drive, Brightwater Drive, Devonwood Court, Dellwood Court |
| Price range | $520,000 to $900,000, typical $637,500 |
| Price per square foot | Around $232 |
Lake Forest at Bayside Details
Its Own Gate
Lake Forest does not share an entrance with the neighborhoods beside it. The gate sits at Forest Ridge Drive off Bayside Lakes Boulevard and serves this section only. Combined with four short streets and no through route, the traffic inside is limited to people who live here and people visiting them.
Half An Acre And Up
Lots run from 0.50 to 1.27 acres, with roughly 0.63 typical. In a city platted largely in quarter acre increments, that is a different product entirely. It is what allows the side entry garages, the deep setbacks and the pool decks that are not pressed against a fence line.
RV And Boat Storage On Site
Most properties here carry RV and boat storage as a community amenity, which is rare in a gated Palm Bay subdivision. Several homes also have oversized garage bays built specifically for a coach or a trailer. If you own something long, this is one of the few places in the city set up for it.
Still Being Built On
Vacant parcels remain and custom homes are still being completed, including recent construction on a 0.62 acre lot with a side loading three car garage. That means the price per square foot varies widely depending on whether you are buying a 2002 house or a 2026 one, even on the same street.
The Amenity List Is Long
Clubhouse, pool, tennis, basketball, fitness center, playground, shuffleboard and grounds maintenance all come with the roughly $1,000 annual assessment. That is a full recreation package for a per month cost under a hundred dollars, and it is the most complete amenity set of any neighborhood at this lot size in Palm Bay.
Expect A Slow Market
Homes here have taken around four and a half months to sell, roughly three times the pace of the smaller lot neighborhoods nearby. That is what happens when the buyer pool for a $600,000 gated half acre property is small. Sellers should price patiently, and buyers should not be shy about negotiating.
Homes For Sale In Lake Forest at Bayside
Anything currently offered in Lake Forest at Bayside Lakes appears below. You may see finished homes, custom builds underway and occasionally a vacant parcel, so read carefully before comparing one number to another.
Lake Forest at Bayside Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lake Forest gated?
Yes, and it has its own gate rather than sharing one. The entrance is at Forest Ridge Drive off Bayside Lakes Boulevard. Inside, the streets are Amberwood, Brightwater, Devonwood and Dellwood, all short and none of them a through route.
How large are the lots?
From half an acre up to 1.27 acres, with about 0.63 typical. That is the defining feature of the neighborhood and the reason prices sit well above the rest of Bayside Lakes. Walk the boundaries, because shape and usable area vary widely between parcels.
What do the dues cover?
Roughly $950 to $1,150 a year covers the clubhouse, community pool, tennis and basketball courts, fitness center, playground, shuffleboard, grounds maintenance and RV or boat storage. Space Coast Property Management has handled administration. Ask for the current budget and reserve study before you close.
Can I store an RV or a boat here?
Yes. RV and boat storage is listed as a community amenity for most properties in Lake Forest, and some homes were built with oversized bays for exactly that. Confirm availability and any waiting list with the association, since capacity is finite.
Are new homes still being built?
Yes. Remaining parcels are being built out with custom homes, and recent construction includes a five bedroom design with a side loading three car garage on a 0.62 acre lot. That gives the neighborhood an unusual mix of early 2000s houses and current construction side by side.
Why do homes take so long to sell here?
Median time on market has run around four and a half months. The buyer pool for a gated half acre lot in the $600,000 range is narrow, so listings sit longer than they do in the smaller lot neighborhoods nearby. That is a real cost for sellers and real leverage for buyers.
Do homes have pools?
Six of ten do, most with a screen enclosure, and several add a summer kitchen or spa on the lanai. On lots this size there is generally room to add one if the house does not already have it, subject to association architectural approval and setback rules.
How does Lake Forest compare to Deer Run?
Both give you land, but they are different products. Deer Run is two and a half acre lots on well and septic with almost no dues. Lake Forest is half acre to acre lots on city water and sewer, behind a gate, with a full amenity package and about $1,000 a year in assessments.
Forest Ridge Drive, Palm Bay 32909
Lake Forest sits along Bayside Lakes Boulevard in southwest Palm Bay, between DeGroodt Road to the west and Eldron Boulevard to the east. Bayside Lakes Boulevard is the continuation of Emerson Drive as it bends west, so most approaches start from Malabar Road and run south on Emerson. From the Minton Road side you can also come through Jupiter Boulevard and DeGroodt Road and reach the same gate from the other direction.
The everyday practicalities are decent for this part of the city. The Bayside Lakes shopping center is on the boulevard, so groceries do not require a project. I-95 is at the Malabar Road interchange, exit 173, roughly fifteen minutes away, putting Melbourne around half an hour and Viera closer to forty minutes. Palm Bay is inland, so the ocean means a drive east and across a causeway, not a walk.
Near Lake Forest at Bayside In Merritt Island
Considering Lake Forest at Bayside?
A half acre gated lot is a small market, and small markets reward preparation on both sides. My partner Nichole and I can tell you which parcels here are genuinely usable, what the association is charging right now, and what a listing that has sat for four months is actually worth. Whether you are buying or selling in Lake Forest, call or text (321) 212-7676.
Under Construction. All Images are virtual and/or previously built homes. One-of-a-kind custom-built home on a spacious .62-acre lot in a gated community! This exceptiona...
- 5 Beds
- 3 Baths
- 1072074 MLS
Located in the prestigious gated community of Lake Forest at Bayside Lakes, this beautifully updated lakefront home features a brand-new roof, new AC, new water heater, f...
- 5 Beds
- 3 Baths
- 1077231 MLS
Nestled in one of the most desirable gated communities in Bayside Lakes, this beautifully custom built 3-bedroom, 2-bath home offers an open floor plan with the perfect c...
- 3 Beds
- 2 Baths
- 1069951 MLS
