Wake Forest has plenty of new construction, but the neighborhoods themselves offer very different ways to live. Some put you close to Downtown Wake Forest in a townhome or condominium, while others give you more land, more privacy and the opportunity to build a custom home.
If you are comparing new neighborhoods in Wake Forest, this guide looks at the communities still selling, the builders behind them and what sets each one apart. It also includes Lowery Estates and other opportunities for custom homes in Wake Forest.
Wake Forest currently has at least seven communities in this guide with active new-construction opportunities, ranging from townhomes and condominiums near downtown to single-family homes on larger lots and custom residences. Prices range from the $300s to the $1 million-plus range, depending on the location, homesite, and type of builder.
Closer to downtown, many of the newer options are townhomes and condominiums. At the same time, larger single-family homes and custom residences are more common in communities with more land and a little more distance between homes.
The new communities in Wake Forest are not all built around the same idea. Some are centered on shared amenities and a more traditional neighborhood layout. Others lean toward walkability, lower-maintenance living, larger homesites, or a more custom building experience.
Rosedale is one of Wake Forest’s larger master-planned communities, with Lennar building single-family homes off Averette Road.
Plans begin around 2,000 square feet, with larger homes approaching 4,000 square feet. The neighborhood also includes a clubhouse, pool, pickleball courts, playground and picnic areas, giving it more of a full-community feel than a smaller infill development.
Homes are still actively selling, with current pricing beginning in the upper $300s and increasing based on the collection, floor plan and homesite.
Holding Village already has the feel of an established neighborhood, even though new homes are still being added in The Mews.
Tri Pointe Homes is building two- and three-story townhomes with three to four bedrooms and roughly 1,720 to 2,317 square feet. Prices currently begin in the mid-$300s.
Residents also have access to 35 acres of open space, six parks, nature trails, a pool and cabana, and Holding Lake. Downtown Wake Forest is only a few minutes away, which gives the community a nice balance of neighborhood space and convenience.
Grove 98 is built around a more connected, mixed-use setting than most of the communities on this list.
Stanley Martin is building two- and three-bedroom townhome-style condominiums near Wegmans, restaurants, retail and open space. Current plans range from about 1,524 to 2,503 square feet.
Homes are still available, with current listings beginning in the upper $200s. Downtown Wake Forest is less than three miles away, with shopping, dining and everyday errands already close to home.
Forestville Towns offers newer townhomes with more space than many attached-home communities.
Dream Finders Homes is building three- and four-bedroom plans ranging from roughly 2,268 to 2,336 square feet. Two-car garages are included, and some layouts add terraces or covered outdoor space.
The neighborhood also includes sidewalks, green space, a dog park and a bocce court. Current pricing begins around $379,900, with both move-in-ready and under-construction homes available.
Magnolia Trace stands out for one reason in particular: its location.
Stanley Martin is building two- and three-bedroom townhome-style condominiums near North White Street, putting Downtown Wake Forest restaurants, coffee shops, local businesses and events within walking distance.
Current homes range from about 1,577 to 2,526 square feet, and new-construction listings are still available. That downtown location separates Magnolia Trace from many of Wake Forest’s newer communities farther from the center of town.
Bristol Run shifts the focus from walkability to land and privacy.
Drees Homes is building single-family homes on wooded homesites of roughly one to two acres. Floor plans range from around 2,273 square feet to over 5,000 square feet, with several customizable options.
The community is still actively selling, with pricing beginning in the upper $800s. The larger homesites and mature trees create more separation between homes than you will find in many of Wake Forest’s newer developments.
Lowery Estates is McNeill Burbank’s custom-home community in Wake Forest.
The neighborhood was planned around larger homesites, mature trees and open space, with homes designed individually rather than selected from a single standard group of plans.
Current homes for sale are roughly 4,200 to 4,400 square feet, with additional homes ranging from about 3,700 square feet and up still coming to the community. The combination of larger lots, preserved natural features, and custom design gives Lowery Estates a more private, less standardized feel.
Lakestone is an established Wake Forest neighborhood, not a community where new homes are still being released.
Town of Wake Forest buildout data shows the neighborhood’s planned single-family lots as fully built out, so homes that become available today are generally resales. Its wooded setting, larger homes, and private lake are still part of what keeps Lakestone in the conversation for people looking in Wake Forest.
If those are the features that interest you, but you would rather build new, Bristol Run and Lowery Estates are two communities currently worth comparing.
Sometimes the neighborhood decides for you. If you want to live on a particular street or in an established part of Wake Forest where building has finished, an existing home may be the only option. You also get to see the house, yard, and surrounding properties exactly as they are before you buy.
With new construction, there may still be decisions left to make. A quick move-in home could already be nearly complete, while buying earlier may leave room to choose finishes or other details. With a custom home, those decisions can begin with the floor plan, architecture, and placement on the property.
That is why two homes labeled “new construction” can offer completely different experiences. In Wake Forest, the term covers everything from townhomes and production-built single-family homes to custom residences on larger homesites.
The right path usually comes down to what you do not want to compromise on. An existing home may give you the location and timing you need, while building new can give you more say in the home itself.
If none of the available homes feel quite right, building custom gives you another option. You can build on land you already own or choose a homesite within a community, depending on the type of setting you want and how involved you want to be in the design process.
McNeill Burbank builds custom homes in Wake Forest and currently has opportunities in Lowery Estates. For those looking beyond Wake Forest, Burnette North offers another McNeill Burbank community in North Raleigh.
Contact the McNeill Burbank sales team to talk through available homes, homesites, and custom-building options.
New construction is currently available in Wake Forest communities including Rosedale, Holding Village, Grove 98, Forestville Towns, Magnolia Trace, Bristol Run and Lowery Estates. Together, they include townhomes, condominiums, single-family homes and custom homes on larger homesites, with different price points and settings throughout Wake Forest.
New homes in Wake Forest currently range from the upper $200s and $300s for some attached homes to more than $1 million for larger custom homes. Pricing depends on the community, builder, square footage, homesite, selections, and stage of construction, so available homes can vary considerably even within the same neighborhood.
Magnolia Trace is one of the closest new-construction communities to Downtown Wake Forest, with homes near North White Street and downtown businesses. Holding Village is also only a few minutes away, while Grove 98 sits less than three miles from downtown. Communities such as Bristol Run and Lowery Estates are farther out.
School assignments depend on the specific home or homesite address. Wake County Public School System attendance boundaries can change as Wake Forest grows, so buyers should check the current assignment for the property they are considering rather than relying on an older listing, a neighborhood website, or a marketing brochure.
Wake Forest currently gives buyers several types of new construction to compare, from attached homes near downtown to single-family and custom homes on larger lots. Whether buying now makes sense depends on your budget, financing, preferred location, timeline, and whether you want a finished home or more involvement in the building process.
Yes, custom homes are currently being built in select Wake Forest communities, including Lowery Estates. Buyers may also be able to build on land they already own, depending on the property and local requirements. A custom build generally gives the owner more input into the floor plan, architecture, finishes, and the home’s placement on the property.
A new home in Wake Forest can take several months or longer to build, depending on the builder, homesite, permitting, design work and stage of construction. A quick move-in home may already be close to completion, while a custom home typically requires additional time for planning, selections and site preparation.
A production builder typically offers a set collection of floor plans and design options, while a custom builder gives the owner more flexibility over the home itself. That can include the layout, architecture, finishes, and the home’s position on the property, depending on the builder and homesite.
If you have narrowed down the kind of home and setting you want, McNeill Burbank can help you explore available homes, homesites, and custom-building opportunities in Wake Forest. Contact Us to see our latest homes
