Forest Hills Preserve

Independent Assessment

Forest Hills Preserve is explicitly classified as age-restricted (rather than age-targeted), and it is priced at a meaningfully higher tier -- individual home listings ranged from roughly $850,000 to over $1.1 million. Because construction is still underway (begun 2024, not yet at the full 35-home build-out), pricing, available lots, and HOA structure are still evolving; buyers should treat any published price range as a snapshot rather than a fixed figure and request current builder pricing directly. A recorded declaration establishing the age restriction also could not be confirmed, so the classification rests on 55places' community-level designation.

Who May Find This Community Appealing

Forest Hills Preserve suits a buyer who wants a legally age-restricted community but has no interest in resort-style amenities -- someone who values a private, wooded lot (up to nearly an acre), a custom-built home, and Washington County's comparatively favorable tax structure over a clubhouse, pool, or organized activities calendar. It is best suited to buyers who already have an established social life and healthcare relationships in the east metro and are looking for a premium, low-density setting rather than a built-in community.

Homes, Builders & Development History

Guidance Homes, Inc., a Forest Lake-based builder, began construction of Forest Hills Preserve in 2024 with plans for 35 single-family homes at build-out. Homes are custom-built to the buyer's specifications on lots ranging from slab-on-grade to full-basement walkout lots up to nearly an acre; individual listings reviewed showed one- and two-story designs with three to four bedrooms and roughly 2,200-3,400+ square feet.

Current Pricing & Market Positioning

Forest Hills Preserve is the premium end of this east-metro cluster's price spectrum. Individual home listings reviewed ranged from approximately $850,000 to over $1.1 million; some third-party aggregators cite a broader working range around $600,000-$900,000+. A single, current, authoritative price range could not be confirmed given the community's active construction status -- buyers should request current pricing directly from Guidance Homes or the community's sales office.

New Construction vs. Resale Considerations

Forest Hills Preserve is an active new-construction community, begun in 2024 and not yet at its full 35-home build-out. Buyers should confirm current lot availability, build timelines, and whether they are purchasing a to-be-built custom home or a spec home already under construction, directly with Guidance Homes.

Taxes, Insurance & Special Assessments

Forest Hills Preserve is subject to Forest Lake and Washington County property tax administration. Washington County's average effective property tax rate is cited by SmartAsset's Minnesota property tax data at approximately 1.01% -- on an $850,000 home, that implies roughly $8,585/year in property tax, though the county's rate remains among the more moderate in the metro relative to Ramsey County. Unit-specific tax figures, the association's insurance structure, and any special-assessment history were not confirmed; buyers should confirm exact current figures with the Washington County Assessor.

Community Layout & Lifestyle

Forest Hills Preserve is organized as a low-density, custom single-family neighborhood rather than a clubhouse-anchored master-planned community -- there is no shared amenity center. The lifestyle draw is privacy and nature: wooded lots, nearby trail access, and proximity to Forest Lake's small-city downtown and lake recreation, rather than an on-site social program.

Shopping, Healthcare & Airport Access

Forest Hills Preserve is located off 211th Street N/211th Court N in Forest Lake, MN 55025, in Washington County, a few minutes from downtown Forest Lake and I-35. Forest Lake offers fishing and lake access on Forest Lake itself and nearby lakes, with the Wild River State Park corridor to the north; downtown Minneapolis is roughly 30 miles away. Buyers should confirm current drive times to specific medical providers and shopping from individual lot addresses.

Age Qualification & Material Ownership Restrictions

55places.com classifies Forest Hills Preserve as an age-restricted (rather than age-targeted) 55+ community, a distinction that matters because 55places applies the age-targeted label explicitly to several other new-construction communities in the same metro. A recorded plat, declaration, or deed-restriction document establishing the legal age minimum or its verification procedure was not independently reviewed. Buyers should confirm the exact legal restriction and verification process directly with the builder or homeowners' association before purchasing.

Tradeoffs & Limitations

At 35 homes and without any planned clubhouse, pool, or fitness center, Forest Hills Preserve will not deliver the social infrastructure of a larger, amenity-rich 55+ community -- buyers seeking an active social calendar or resort-style common areas should look elsewhere in this cluster. Because the community is still under construction, buyers should verify current lot availability, whether the association's governing documents (and their age-restriction language) are finalized, and current builder pricing directly with Guidance Homes rather than relying on any previously published figures.

Comparison With Nearby Communities

Forest Hills Preserve is the only community in this east/north-metro cluster explicitly classified as age-restricted among the new-construction candidates, and it occupies a distinctly higher price tier than the Lennar-built age-targeted communities in Anoka and Wright counties (Lexington Waters, Fields of Winslow Cove, Watermark Villas, Anton Village Villa), none of which offer comparable lot size or privacy. Its tradeoff versus those larger communities is the complete absence of a clubhouse or organized amenity program, and versus Hidden Pathways in nearby White Bear Lake, a purchase price several multiples higher.

Current Listings

A connected local agent, or Guidance Homes directly, can provide current available lots, floor plans, and pricing at Forest Hills Preserve.

Is Forest Hills Preserve legally age-restricted?

55places.com classifies it as an age-restricted (not merely age-targeted) 55+ community. The recorded declaration or deed-restriction language was not independently reviewed, so buyers should confirm the exact legal mechanism directly with the builder or association.

Does Forest Hills Preserve have a clubhouse or resort amenities?

No. The community is deliberately marketed on its wooded, private-lot setting rather than a clubhouse or amenity center -- there is no pool, fitness center, or organized activities program identified.

How much do homes cost at Forest Hills Preserve?

Individual listings reviewed ranged from approximately $850,000 to over $1.1 million, with some aggregators citing a broader working range around $600,000-$900,000+. Because the community is under active construction, buyers should request current pricing directly from Guidance Homes.

Who is building Forest Hills Preserve?

Guidance Homes, Inc., a Forest Lake, MN-based builder, began construction in 2024 with plans for 35 single-family homes at build-out.