Pine Ridge Estates Naples, Florida

Welcome to Lavish Living in Naples. I’m your host Kim Menkhorst and today we’re in Pine Ridge Estates, speaking with Linda Donnelley of ROI Naples. Pine Ridge Estates was voted by Adam Data Solutions as America’s best neighborhood. This coveted community spans from Pine Ridge Road to Vanderbilt Beach Road and between 41 and Goodlette Frank Road in central Naples, Florida.

Over the last few years, the older homes are being torn down and replaced with luxury homes of all designs and styles. Unlike many of the neighboring communities, Pine Ridge Estates is not a gated community, although most homes have their own private gates. The home prices here range from $1.5 million for just a lot to over $15 million and everything in between.

One of the most attractive things about this community are the lot sizes. Each parcel spans 1 acre to over 5 acre with ZERO restrictions. That’s enough room to build your dream home complete with a pool, a huge workshop, private tennis courts and guest homes. you can even bring your horses, goats or other wildlife!

In Pine Ridge Estates you’re close to everything and if you’re in the northern area of Pine Ridge you can even walk or bike to the Mercato plus it’s just a quick golf cart ride to the beach. It’s easy to see why Pine Ridge Estates is booming and becoming one of the most popular locations to build in Naples.

I personally love that you can find all different architectural styles here and anything goes. There are so many great homes, but one of my favorite architectural homes in this community has been completed by ROI Naples, who has completed an award winning home and currently working on a few more projects.

Kim Menkhorst: 
Hi, Linda.

Linda Donnelly: 
Hey Kim.

Kim Menkhorst:
Thank you for having me here today at your design center.

Linda Donnelly: 
My pleasure. Thank you for coming.

Kim Menkhorst:
Absolutely. So I want to ask you a few questions. I know you and Rich moved here from out of state. So I wanted to kind of see your background and talk about what brought you to Naples and how you guys got started in development.

Linda Donnelly: 
Well, about 10 years ago, we decided that we no longer wanted to shovel snow. And we love Naples. I have family here. And so we knew that Naples was safe, beautiful. There were a lot of really wonderful qualities that we thought would be great for our young family at the time, three sons. And then we decided the developing industry was really growing and there was a lot of momentum.

Linda Donnelly: 
And Naples specifically, there’s just so much opportunity for carving a new niche in a market that has seen some repeated trends. And we wanted to put our own kind of New England farmhouse chic stamp on developing here.

Kim Menkhorst: 
Sure, absolutely. So with that said, what brought you to the Pine Ridge Estates area? I know you’ve done some work in here and you’ve got a few projects going on. So can you tell me a little bit about why you felt this community was so unique.

Linda Donnelly: 
Well, number one, land. The proximity of having this much land so close to the beach, Mercado, waterside shops, the Ritz Carlton even downtown Naples is only about six minutes drive. Restaurants, nightlife. I think having this much land and being that close to all of those incredible perks is really why Pine Ridge has gained so much momentum right now.

Kim Menkhorst: 
Sure. And I agree with you. I know it brings a lot of professional athletes, executives in business, and people from all over the world and internationally kind of settle in here. So with that being said, your home, can you tell us a little bit about this project specifically here at 423 West?

Linda Donnelly: 
Sure. It’s 1.23 acres. And what we’ve done is maximized every portion and every quadrant of that property. We have a sports course with an observation gazebo. We have a detached guest house. Our main home is 5,000 square feet. And in the backyard, instead of actually having the house a little closer to the street, we’ve pushed it a little bit further back and we’ve put a sunken fire pit in the back.

Linda Donnelly:
I think typically a lot of houses, basically you have the house and you have the pool and we wanted to make something more of a compound feeling, a journey as you come in off the front entrance. The gravel drive kind of winds you back behind 50 year old leaching nut trees and tamarind trees and black olives and oaks. That I think is what makes this property very unique. And I think what makes Pine Ridge very unique is that you do see a lot of land with great landscape.

Kim Menkhorst: 
Yeah. I agree with you. And I think the way that you guys have it set up is incredible. That’s why I’m here. And that’s what originally drew me to you and Rich’s designs in general, because I feel like a lot of builders and developers here do a lot of the same thing, which are beautiful and nice, but not as unique and luxurious.

Kim Menkhorst: 
And I felt when I saw the first project that you guys had done, that it really showcased different elements and different characteristics that you don’t really see here in Naples. More Instagram and other fun places.

Kim Menkhorst:
So I think that luxury really does translate on this property. And specifically, I think here at 423 west, it’s really cool that you’re utilizing the outside space because I know when I have buyers come in, they really want to live outside. We’re in Florida. The insight is great, but we need a space outside. And that’s really I think what kind of showcases them. So speaking of buyers, who do you think the ideal buyer is for this property?

Linda Donnelly:
I would say it’s a family property, either younger children or a family where the children have already left and gone on to their own lives, but are coming back for visits. The detached guest house is perfect for a mother-in-law suite, if you will. It gives you the opportunity to have a lot of entertaining on the property between the sports court, the pool and spa, the cabana and the fire pit.

Linda Donnelly: 
I think that’s a family that really enjoys privacy and land and space. I think that’s also another part of Pine Ridge that’s quite appealing is there are no restrictions. Architecturally, you can do what you want. You’re not limited to a certain master plan community where there’s four models and you can pick number three, but have a slight tweak to your roof line.

Linda Donnelly: 
This is a piece of art. You can make whatever you want here. And I think that having that New England vibe that we brought down with us and having that kind of Hampton style architecture, but with some European details in the interior design, like we’re doing chevron floors, for example. Brazilian chestnut actually. And Chevron is something you just don’t see here very often. I know hardwood floors are very popular, but usually it’s plank and that’s beautiful, but our last home we did herringbone and now we’re doing the Chevron and I think it’s very unique.

Kim Menkhorst:
Yeah. And can you show or tell our viewers what price point Pine Ridge estates is in?

Linda Donnelly: 
Sure.

Kim Menkhorst
I know it’s different, but-

Linda Donnelly: 
It’s become a sellers market here for sure. There isn’t a lot of inventory. So let’s say a developer like myself who is looking for the perfect piece of land, there’s not-

Kim Menkhorst: 
Slim pickings.

Linda Donnelly: 
Yeah. There’s not a lot because it has to check all the boxes. For us, some of those boxes are the sunset being in the backyard. So immediately you’re sort of down to half of the lots in the neighborhood. Then also you want to make sure you do have those older trees. I don’t want to start with just a plain piece of dirt because as I said, you can’t buy a 50 year old tree.

Linda Donnelly: 
So having great landscaping and some older mature trees on the property. And then of course, location. As I said, Pine Ridge is really just optimal and checks a lot of boxes for lifestyle in Naples, Florida.

Kim Menkhorst: 
Yeah. And I’ve seen where you have tear downs and lots selling for around 1.4, but then I’ve also seen that properties are selling for over 8 million. Just kind of depends on location and lakefront.

Linda Donnelly: 
About three years ago, when we acquired our last property, the acres were going somewhere in the neighborhood of 800, $900,000 per acre. Now you would be pretty lucky to get one to one and a half acres for 1.3, $1.4 million. And that’s just the land.

Linda Donnelly:
Houses then are in the range of $800 to $1000 dollars per square foot. And those homes generally around $3 to $7 million in Pine Ridge.

Kim Menkhorst: 
Yeah. Okay. Well, I really appreciate you taking time with us today and giving us a sneak peek at everything. And I look forward to coming back when it’s a little bit more completed.

Linda Donnelly: 
I would love that.

Kim Menkhorst: 
All right. Thanks.

Linda Donnelly: 
My pleasure.

Kim Menkhorst: 
Thanks for tuning into this episode of Lavish Living in Naples. A huge thank you to Rich and Linda Donnelley with ROI Naples for taking time to talk to us and share their insight about Pine Ridge Estates. For more information on their award-winning homes and upcoming projects, visit ROInaples.com. Their company information is also linked below. Don’t forget to like subscribe and share this video. See you soon.

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Kim Menkhorst, Premiere Plus Realty 239.776.0093

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