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Yes – the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch is a gated community nestled amid breathtaking nature, from mossy oaks and tall pine trees to lakes, wetlands and grasslands. Located east of I-75 off of Clark Road, this community emulates the “Old Florida” beauty of nearby Myakka River State Park. It’s why Lee Wetherington Homes is proud to be a trusted custom home builder in the Forest, designing and building incomparable custom homes that turn aspirations into reality – a true retreat in the wilderness.

Upon completion, the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch will have 54 exquisite homes, creating a secluded community with an intimate feel. With a variety of sweeping resale homesites and range of elegant yet innovative design styles, homebuyers can bring to fruition their visions for life on the Suncoast with several trusted and preferred luxury home builders in the Forest. That includes our team at Lee Wetherington Homes, which has an over 40-year local legacy of consistency and award-winning craftsmanship.  

There are a number of resale lots available to homebuyers in the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch. These stunning homesites range from three to six acres – perfect for creating a custom home that’s truly singular. Contact our team at Lee Wetherington Homes, which is a trusted luxury home builder in the Forest, to learn more about the impeccable homesites that are for sale in this community.  

Custom home builders in the Forest are designing and building estate homes varying in square footage, depending on floor plans and the tastes of each discerning homebuyer. Lee Wetherington Homes has a number of fully customizable custom home floor plans for the Forest that are intended to ignite your inspiration. These designs include the award-winning Mainstay II, Solstice, Haven and Turnberry, which range from 3,200 to 4,200 square feet of living area.

No two homes are alike – an impressive detail about the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch. This community has a “no-repeat architecture” rule, meaning each custom home must be unique and not a duplication. Explore the streets of Swaying Branch Road, Leafwing Drive, Ruffled Fern Lane and it’s easy to notice that a wide variety of one- and two-story styles are featured across each property, from Mediterranean to West Indies and Key West. Lee Wetherington Homes’ award-winning designs, including the Mainstay II, Solstice, Haven and Turnberry, can be fully customized to create an incomparable home that aligns with your one-of-a-kind vision for life.

While no Lee Wetherington Homes models are currently located in the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch, the Haven – one of several award-winning floor plans intended to spark your inspiration in this community – is now available to tour in Everly at Wellen Park. This expansive custom home, which blends tropical modernism with contemporary influences and layered textures, was the recipient of six top awards during the 2024 Parade of Homes, including “Best Overall” for meticulous craftsmanship. To learn more about Lee Wetherington Homes’ capabilities as a trusted custom home builder in the Forest, explore our model homes page.  

There are currently no models in this community that are designed by Lee Wetherington Homes, which is a trusted and preferred custom home builder in the Forest. However, our team has several innovative yet timeless custom homes – intended to showcase “what could be” – that are available to tour in villages across the Suncoast. Our models, including the award-winning Haven, Caravel, Sapphire and Cobalt, are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

The Forest at Hi Hat Ranch doesn’t have a sales center. However, as a trusted and preferred custom home builder in the Forest with an over 40-year local legacy of building masterpieces in premier communities, we recommend contacting Debra Thomas, our Sales Consultant, at (904) 962–3568 or email us at Info@LWHomes.com.  

The feeling of “Old Florida” is experienced each day in the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch, from its natural scenery that mirrors the wonder of nearby Myakka River State Park to the diverse wildlife – turkeys, white tailed deer, hawks, egrets, bald eagles and more – found across this sweeping 270-acre gated sanctuary.  

Here, location is everything. Situated east of I-75, homeowners are just a drive away from the beautiful white sands and clear, blue waters found at Siesta Key Beach and Turtle Beach, in close proximity to shopping, dining, entertainment, numerous A-rated schools and more, and have easy access to Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Venice, Bradenton and beyond. With an impeccable three- to six-acre estate and incomparable home created by Lee Wetherington Homes, a trusted custom home builder in the Forest, a singular lifestyle is truly second nature.  

For homebuyers in the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch, seclusion and convenience intertwine – especially when it comes to high-quality education. This exclusive community is only minutes from Sarasota County’s A-rated schools, including Riverview High School, which Niche placed among the top 1,000 college prep public high schools in the nation out of 19,000 ranked, Lakeview Elementary and Sarasota Middle. Innovative charter schools, like Imagine School at Palmer Ranch, are also just a short drive away.  

Surrounding your home, designed and built by a trusted custom home builder in the Forest, the education options are expected to expand. In 2021, Sarasota County’s planning board approved a proposal that sets the stage for the development of a future high school, several vibrant villages and shops.  

As a homeowner in the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch, you’re within minutes of a number of shopping options, including three Publix supermarkets – at Northridge, the Shoppes at Palmer Ranch and the Bee Ridge Extension. Costco, located in Palmer Ranch, is also a short drive from Clark Road. With convenient access to I-75, you’re also able to easily take your pick of the many shopping, dining and entertainment offerings in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton and beyond.

When you create your incomparable home with a trusted luxury home builder in the Forest, you’re just six miles – a roughly 10-minute drive – from I-75, which gives you direct access to North Port, Venice, Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, St. Pete and Tampa. 

Featuring sugary white sands and crystal clear waters, award-winning beaches in Sarasota are just minutes from your custom home, designed and built by a luxury home builder in the Forest. Clark Road is just a turn away, providing a direct line to Siesta Key Beach – named one of the top beaches in the world by TripAdvisor. And with easy access to I-75, which is six miles away, the beauty of natural Florida is always within reach.

Homeowners in the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch have easy access to I-75, providing access to the vibrant downtowns of Sarasota and Bradenton, and premier shopping and entertainment centers like Lakewood Ranch’s Waterside Place and Downtown Wellen near Venice. When you design and build a custom home with Lee Wetherington Homes – a trusted luxury home builder in the Forest – you’re also just one turn away from Clark Road, which directly intersects with U.S. 41, leading north to Sarasota and south to Venice.

Premier hospitals are never more than minutes from your custom home, brought to life by an experience luxury home builder in the Forest, like Lee Wetherington Homes. With fast access to I-75, facilities like HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital on Bee Ridge Road. Heading southbound, the new Venice campus of Sarasota Memorial Hospital, located off Laurel Road, is within easy reach. The hospital, which recently opened its Northeast Tower, will grow to over 200 beds by fall 2024 – and has the capacity to reach 400 beds in future phases of expansion.  

High-quality healthcare offerings continue on Clark Road, with locations like Sarasota Memorial Health Care Center at Clark Road – a center for multidisciplinary and specialized care, state-of-the-art imaging and rehabilitation services – and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Outpatient Care that provides pediatric primary care.  

The Forest at Hi Hat Ranch is close to a number of indoor and outdoor dining options along Clark Road and has easy access to I-75, allowing homeowners to travel anywhere they’d like to indulge in top-notch cuisine. From Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Café, which has a devoted local following for its award-winning wings, to Asaro’s on Bee Ridge Road, Café Barbosso, Gecko’s, Oak & Stone, Calusa Brewing and more, there’s a culinary atmosphere worth experiencing over and over again – all nearby your incomparable custom home, designed and built by a luxury home builder in the Forest.

Each three- to six-acre homesite in the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch offers a truly rustic experience with views of centuries-old oak trees, tall pines and palmettos to beautiful lakes. Just like the homes showcased throughout this stunning community, no two properties are the same. To learn more about available homesites in this community, contact Debra Thomas, our Sales Consultant, at (904) 962–3568 or email us at Info@LWHomes.com.

Homesites in the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch range from the high $400s and into the $700s. And when you design and build an incomparable custom home with a luxury home builder in the Forest, what were once aspirations for life on the Suncoast become a reality lived each day. Contact our team at Lee Wetherington Homes to learn more about homesite pricing in this impeccable gated community.

The Forest at Hi Hat Ranch has deed restrictions intended to maintain the serenity and rustic feel that every homeowner exclusively enjoys. Whether you decide to design and build an incomparable home with Lee Wetherington Homes or another luxury home builder in the Forest, we recommend inquiring about what agreements have been put in place.  

Yes – the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch has a homeowners association (HOA), which ensures the upkeep of this exclusive neighborhood and its common spaces. To learn more about the HOA’s specific responsibilities, contact your trusted and preferred custom home builder in the Forest, like Lee Wetherington Homes.  

Homeowners association (HOA) fees in the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch are $2,300 quarterly. To learn more about HOA costs in this community, contact your trusted and preferred custom home builder in the Forest, like Lee Wetherington Homes.  

The Forest at Hi Hat Ranch embodies a true retreat amid “Old Florida” scenery, blending rustic feel and a remote experience amid sweeping preserves. The HOA is responsible for maintaining the community’s aesthetic appeal, from upkeep of the electronic gate to landscaping of the entrance and setting certain community guidelines. To learn more about the HOA’s responsibilities, contact your trusted and preferred custom home builder in the Forest, like Lee Wetherington Homes.   

No – the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch is not an age-restricted community. Intertwining the feeling of a remoteness amid natural Florida, just minutes from everything you need, this community is truly designed for homebuyers of all stages of life.

Homeowners in the Forest at Hi Hat Ranch aren’t saddled with required memberships to golf or country clubs. However, there are seven premier golf courses nearby, including Gator Creek Golf Club, Misty Creek Country Club, Bent Tree Country Club and Laurel Oak Country Club. The community is also conveniently located near 123-acre Twin Lakes Park.