Gated Communities in Lake Worth, FL: What to Know About Whitmore Estates

Whitmore Estates is a gated community in Lake Worth, Florida, with five Kensington Collection plans from Lennar. A gate controls who drives in. It does not guarantee anything else, and what a gated community feels like day to day depends on how the gate is run and what is inside it. This guide explains what gated living means, what Lennar says Whitmore Estates has, and what to ask before you decide.

We will also point out a few other gated choices in the area, so you can compare. Homes here have recently started around $1.2 million, so it is worth knowing what you are getting for it.

What "gated" means

A gated community is a neighborhood with controlled entry. Cars come in through a gate. That might be a staffed guardhouse, a keypad, a call box or a remote. Guests are let in by a code or by a call to a resident.

That is the basic idea. What differs is the setup. Some gates have a person at them. Some have only a keypad. Some stay open at certain hours. These are real differences, and they are worth asking about.

Lennar's amenity list for Whitmore Estates includes "gated." It does not describe how the gate works. Ask your consultant.

What a gate does and does not do

A gate can:

• Limit through traffic. Fewer cars drive in just to cut across.

• Give you some control over who comes in.

• Give a community a clear sense of place.

A gate does not:

• Guarantee safety. Nothing does.

• Mean the streets are private in every way you might expect. Ask which roads and areas the community owns.

• Change what you pay for the house. It does mean the community may have shared costs and rules. Ask for the community documents before you sign.

What Lennar lists for Whitmore Estates

Lennar's page lists these amenities:

• A gated entry

• A swimming pool

• A clubhouse

• A barbecue area

Lennar's community description also mentions a putting green, a fire pit and a pool deck with a cabana. Clubhouse details are written in the future tense, so we cannot tell you whether any given part is open today. Call 561-704-0091 and we can tell you what is finished and what is planned.

Questions to ask about the gate

Before you decide, ask these questions. They take five minutes and tell you a lot.

1. Is the gate staffed, or is it a keypad?

2. How do guests, delivery drivers and workers get in?

3. Is there a second entrance, and is it gated?

4. What are the gate's hours, if any?

5. Who looks after the gate and the roads inside?

6. What does the community charge, and what does that cover? Ask for this in writing.

What to look for when you visit

Go twice. Once on a weekday morning, and once on a weekend afternoon. Watch how the gate works at each time. See how long cars wait, whether a person is there, and how visitors are let in. Then drive the streets inside. Notice how wide they are, how the houses sit and where the amenities are in relation to the homes.

Also look at the edges. See what is next to the community, and what the entrance looks like from the road. These are things a brochure cannot show.

The homes behind the gate

The Kensington Collection has five plans, and every one has a three-car garage and a covered lanai. The Maxwell is a single story. The other four have two stories. Sizes run from about 2,974 to about 4,665 square feet. The full breakdown is in all five Whitmore Estates plans compared. If you are choosing between one floor and two, see single story vs two story homes at Whitmore Estates.

Other gated choices around Lake Worth

Gated is a common feature in this part of Palm Beach County, and some of the new communities are priced much lower than Whitmore Estates. According to the builders' own websites, here is how a few compare. Prices change, so these are rounded recent starting points, not quotes.

Whitmore Estates is a bigger-home choice. Its plans run from about 2,974 to about 4,665 square feet, while the other two start smaller. If size and a three-car garage matter to you, that is a real difference. If price matters most, the others are lower.

We do not list every neighborhood in Lake Worth. Resale homes in older gated communities are also an option, and they can be a good fit if you want an established place. We cover that trade-off in new construction vs existing home in Palm Beach County.

What you are paying for at Whitmore Estates

If you are looking at the price and wondering what it covers, the home itself has a long standard feature list. It includes quartz counters, a GE Monogram stainless steel appliance package, impact-resistant windows and a paver driveway. We list everything in what Lennar's Everything's Included means at Whitmore Estates.

The size of the loan is its own question. A home at this price usually needs a jumbo mortgage. We explain it in jumbo mortgage in Florida.

Daily life nearby

Whitmore Estates is in Lake Worth. Lennar describes it as near Wellington and names the National Polo Center and Worth Avenue in Palm Beach as nearby draws. How near depends on where you start and when you drive. We do not give a minute count, because it is never the same for every reader. Try the trip yourself at the time of day you would really make it.

For what is in the Wellington area, read things to do in Wellington, FL. If you have children, read how to check a school zone in Palm Beach County school zone map: check an address.

Common Questions

Want to see the gate, the grounds and the plans in one visit? Call 561-704-0091 or See Whitmore Estates — Schedule a Visit. We will show you around and tell you what homes have recently started at.