Hawkes Bluff vs Forest Ridge, Davie: Which Community Fits Your Budget (2026)

If you are choosing between Hawkes Bluff and Forest Ridge, you have already done the hard part. You narrowed Davie down to two gated communities that both hold value. The question now is not which one is nicer. Both are established, both are well kept, both sit in western Davie. The question is which one fits the number you can carry every month. That answer comes down to the HOA, the price band, and what each community gives you for the money.

The quick answer for budget buyers

Hawkes Bluff is the lower carrying cost option. The HOA is minimal, roughly $380 a year, which works out to about $32 a month. You pay for less because you share fewer amenities. Forest Ridge runs a heavier HOA, generally in the range of $114 to $342 a month depending on which of its nine sub neighborhoods you buy in. That fee is higher because it covers a community pool, a tennis center, and private trails.

Neither is more expensive in a way that matters until you add the monthly fee to your mortgage, taxes, and insurance. Two homes at the same purchase price can cost very differently to own once the HOA is in the math. Run the full carrying cost before you fall in love with a floor plan.

Hawkes Bluff at a glance

Hawkes Bluff (33330) is a gated single family community with Spanish and Mission style homes, tile roofs, and lakes inside the gates. Most of it was built in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Homes run roughly 1,538 to 2,840 square feet on lots of about 8,400 to 11,116 square feet. There is also a lower entry point in the attached home pocket for buyers who want the address without the full single family price.

Pricing moves with the market and the specific street, so treat any single number with caution. Recent single family sales have generally landed in a band from the high $500,000s to just over $1 million, with a midpoint around the mid $700,000s. The standout is the carrying cost. With an HOA near $32 a month, your monthly obligation stays close to the mortgage, taxes, and insurance and very little else. For the full breakdown of streets, lots, and recent activity, read the Hawkes Bluff neighborhood guide.

Forest Ridge at a glance

Forest Ridge (33328) is a larger gated community spread across more than 150 acres with a mature oak canopy and nine distinct sub neighborhoods, including Old Orchard, Arborwood, Lake Park, Oak Grove, and Chapel Hill. The homes are Mediterranean style with barrel tile roofs and stucco, built from the 1980s through 1998. Floor plans range widely, roughly 1,256 to 3,935 square feet and two to six bedrooms, on lots from about 4,000 up to 19,000 square feet.

That range is the point. Forest Ridge has more entry points at the smaller end and more house at the top end than Hawkes Bluff does. The 12 month median has sat around $729,000, with a listing band that stretches from the low $500,000s for the most modest homes up toward $900,000 and higher for the largest. The HOA is the trade. You pay more each month, but that fee buys a community pool, a tennis center with eight lighted courts, and private trails that connect to the back entrance of Tree Tops Park. See the full layout in the Forest Ridge buyer guide.

The real budget difference is the monthly carrying cost

Here is the mistake I see buyers make. They compare two list prices, pick the lower one, and stop there. The list price is a one time number. The HOA is forever.

Take two homes both listed at $700,000. In Hawkes Bluff, the HOA adds about $32 a month to your cost of ownership. In Forest Ridge, the same price point can add $200 or more a month depending on the sub neighborhood. Over ten years that difference is real money, and it is money you are spending on amenities. If you will use the pool, the tennis courts, and the trails, that fee is a fair price for a lifestyle you actually live. If you will not, you are paying for a community feature you drive past. Either answer is fine. The wrong move is not knowing which one is true for you before you sign.

What each community gives you for the money

Both communities are gated, so security and controlled access are not the deciding factor between them. What differs is the shared amenity package.

Hawkes Bluff keeps it simple. Low fee, lakes inside the gates, and a quiet single family layout. You maintain your own home and you keep more of your monthly budget.

Forest Ridge bundles more into the fee. The pool, the tennis center, and the trail access to Tree Tops Park are shared assets you help fund every month. For a buyer who wants amenities inside the gate, that structure removes the need to join a separate club or drive to a park. For a buyer who wants the lowest possible monthly obligation, it is cost that Hawkes Bluff does not carry.

How to decide between the two

Work through this in order and the answer usually settles itself.

1. Set your true monthly ceiling. Add mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and the HOA into one number. In Davie, insurance and taxes are large line items, so do not estimate them. Pull real figures.

2. Price the HOA honestly. Ask the listing agent for the current fee, the billing schedule, and any special assessment history for the specific sub neighborhood. Fees vary inside Forest Ridge by section.

3. Rate the amenities against your life. If you and your household will use a pool and tennis courts, Forest Ridge earns its fee. If you will not, Hawkes Bluff keeps that money in your pocket.

4. Match the home size to your plan. Need six bedrooms or a large lot? Forest Ridge has more of that inventory. Want a tighter, lower maintenance footprint at a low carrying cost? Hawkes Bluff fits.

5. Verify the details before you offer. Confirm the parcel, lot size, and taxes on the Broward County Property Appraiser site, check the flood zone by address at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, and confirm the current assigned school zone with Broward County Public Schools rather than relying on a listing.

Do those five things and you are no longer choosing between two names. You are choosing between two numbers you can defend.

FAQ

Which is cheaper to own, Hawkes Bluff or Forest Ridge?

Hawkes Bluff usually has the lower cost of ownership because its HOA is minimal, around $32 a month, while Forest Ridge runs roughly $114 to $342 a month. At the same purchase price, Hawkes Bluff leaves more room in your monthly budget. Forest Ridge charges more because the fee funds a pool, tennis courts, and trails.

Are both communities gated?

Yes. Both Hawkes Bluff (33330) and Forest Ridge (33328) are gated. Because both offer controlled access, the choice between them comes down to price, HOA, lot size, and amenities rather than security.

Which community has larger homes and lots?

Forest Ridge has the wider range. Its homes run up to roughly 3,935 square feet with up to six bedrooms, and lots reach about 19,000 square feet. Hawkes Bluff homes generally top out near 2,840 square feet on lots around 11,116 square feet.

What price range should I expect in each?

Both move with the market, so verify current listings. Hawkes Bluff single family sales have generally landed from the high $500,000s to just over $1 million. Forest Ridge has a wider band, with a median near $729,000 and listings from the low $500,000s up toward $900,000 and higher for the largest homes.

Does a higher HOA mean a better investment?

Not automatically. A higher HOA pays for amenities, not appreciation. Forest Ridge and Hawkes Bluff both hold value in western Davie. The right question is whether you will use the amenities the fee funds. If you will, the fee is worth it. If you will not, the lower fee community protects more of your budget.

Ready to compare the actual listings?

Both of these communities are worth owning in. The difference is which one matches the number you can carry and the way you actually live. I can pull current active listings in Hawkes Bluff and Forest Ridge side by side, break down the real monthly carrying cost for each, and show you which homes fit your budget before you tour a single one. Start with the buying a home in Davie guide, then reach out for a side by side comparison. If you are still weighing other communities, the Davie neighborhoods guide and the gated communities of Davie overview map your other options.

Call or text Anthony Spitaleri at (954) 235-5783.

About the Author

Anthony Spitaleri is a Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker, one of the most established residential real estate brands, with approximately 3,000 offices globally and a founded in 1906. A Davie native who returned home in 2025 after 13 years in Miami Beach, Anthony specializes in luxury homes and estates above $1 million, acreage and equestrian properties with no HOA, and relocation buyers moving to Davie from out of state. He created livingindavieflorida.com, the most in-depth independent Davie real estate resource available, with in-depth coverage of Davie’s gated communities, acreage and equestrian properties, and luxury estates, plus original weekly market data, interactive tools, Town Council recaps, and a 24/7 AI concierge. Anthony has been licensed in real estate since 2013 (BK3281907), is a Certified Strategic Coach through Coaching Services International (CSI), an active member of the Davie Cooper City Chamber of Commerce, and a weekly volunteer at Bit by Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in Davie.

Contact

Anthony Spitaleri, Broker Associate

Coldwell Banker Realty

2690 Weston Road, Suite 101, Weston, FL 33331

Phone: (954) 235-5783

Website: https://livingindavieflorida.com