Neighborhood of the week: Lake Forest

Sometimes you want to build your dream home, carefully selecting the light fixtures and flooring, choosing the appliances, designing the living space to suit your unique needs. But sometimes, you want to take advantage of a home that's already "broken in" - one that fits your lifestyle without having to spend the time to create it yourself. You want to live in a neighborhood with established landscaping, long-time neighbors, and an existing sense of community - not to mention a centralized location, minutes away from the wide variety of amenities that our area offers.

If this is the type of home that you're looking for, then Lake Forest is the place.

When the opportunity to develop this outstanding piece of North Idaho was brought to the attention of Mike Fitzgerald of Hallmark Homes in late 2000 by his agents, Marcello Conigliaro and Katie Bane, he didn't waste any time, jumping at the chance to design Lake Forest in his own vision.

Their timing couldn't have been more perfect: the real estate market in Kootenai County at the time was good, and picking up speed. Combining their efforts, Fitzgerald, Conigliaro and Bane created a number of custom floor plans that fit well with the treed landscape, winding streets, and "tucked-away" feel of the neighborhood.

Lake Forest is bordered to the north by Wilbur Avenue, to the south by Hanley Avenue, to the east by West Pinegrove Drive, and to the west by Coeur d'Alene's newest neighborhood, Lake Forest West. Developed and built by Hallmark Homes, homes were available to purchase in 2001 and sold quickly, with all 129 properties sold in just over three years. Those homes were marketed exclusively by Marcello Conigliaro and Katie Bane, now of Northwest Realty Group.

Centrally located with easy access to Highway 95, Ramsey Road and I-90, Lake Forest is close to schools, shopping, restaurants and other services. Sidewalks meander through the neighborhood and lead to the extensive trail system crisscrossing the area, so you're a bike ride away from the Kroc Center, Riverstone, or downtown Coeur d'Alene. Or take the Centennial Trail to the lake or Spokane Valley; the possibilities are endless.

And then there are the trees. With street names like Sumac, Windy Pines, Willow Lake, Grove, the focus on the mature trees that tower over this neighborhood is clear.

Lot sizes in Lake Forest range between 1/5 and 1/3 of an acre. Residents have an active homeowners association, with dues of $105/year.

Ten homes were listed in 2014, and eight sales closed. Prices ranged from $169,205 to $293,500, averaging 85 days on the market. As has been the case in recent years, Northwest Realty Group agents represented 40 percent of the clients in 2014.

"There's an excellent mix of home styles in Lake Forest, ranging from 1,300- to 2,400-square-foot ranchers, 1,800- to 2,400-square-foot multi-levels, and a number of 2,400- to 2,600-square-foot split-entry homes that maximize the most square footage for the money," said Conigliaro.

Currently, there are two active listings, which include a 1,780-square-foot rancher with 3 bedrooms/2 baths, bonus room, central A/C, gas fireplace, covered front porch and covered rear deck at $210,000, listed by Katie Bane of Northwest Realty, and a 2,344-square-foot split entry with 5 bedrooms/3 baths, central A/C, and new carpet and paint at $244,900, listed by Jan Leaf of Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty.

Idaho's housing market has seen many changes over the past 20 years, but at Hallmark Homes, one thing has remained the same: the Fitzgeralds' commitment to helping people achieve their dream of owning a home. Hallmark Homes is a local, family-owned company established in 1990 by Mike Fitzgerald, a Coeur d'Alene native, with the intention of catering to the needs of new homeowners. His son, Michael, has since followed in his father's footsteps. Hallmark Homes includes a wide variety of features usually considered upgrades by other builders, and offer lifetime warranties on many of the structural details. They are one of North Idaho's largest homebuilders.

"Recently I drove through Lake Forest to drop my daughter off at a friend's house and couldn't help but reflect back on the many memories of the home owners, their children, their dogs, and the treats that would come to the model home at the holidays," Bane said. "It really is a neighborhood that is dear to our hearts, as Marcello and I personally assisted each and every one of the original owners as they made lot selections, color choices, and previewed floor plans. We take pride in the fact that cooperating agents knew that we would take care of their clients as though they were family, but still respect their client relationship."

If centralized location, wooded lots and an established neighborhood appeal to you, contact Katie Bane at (208) 661-6753 or Marcello Conigliaro at (208) 640-0269 for information about becoming part of Lake Forest.

If there's a neighborhood that you'd like to see featured, please contact Beth Hanggeli at (208) 659-8367 or bhanggeli@cdapress.com.