Homes For Sale in Iris Grove

About Iris Grove

Iris Grove is a freehold adult-lifestyle community in Kawartha Lakes operated by —. Homes are typically bungalows and low-maintenance designs aimed at the 55+ buyer.

Adult-lifestyle communities turn over steadily as owners downsize or relocate. Every listing below sits inside the community boundary shown on the map.

The homes of Iris Grove

Iris Grove, in Bobcaygeon, is a 61-home conventional freehold development by Apex Development Group with a bungalow-focused plan mix aimed at retirees and families alike. The designs run from main-floor bungalows to bungalofts with real second-level living space — the builder's Cameron 'A' Loft model home, for example, offers over 3,000 square feet with five bedrooms, three full bathrooms plus a powder room, 9-foot ceilings, main-floor laundry and an attached 1.5-car garage. These are substantial, modern detached homes, not compact downsizer units.

No asking prices were captured in this research, so there is no responsible band to quote — have your agent pull recent sales of Apex designs in Bobcaygeon. Note the positioning: Iris Grove serves retirees and families together, so expect a mixed-age streetscape rather than an adults-only enclave, and price against Bobcaygeon's broader new-bungalow market. That mixed-age character is a deliberate feature, not a bug — buyers who want grandchildren-friendly streets and a livelier neighbourhood often prefer it to adults-only alternatives, while buyers seeking quiet exclusivity should look elsewhere.

How Iris Grove works: tenure and fees

Iris Grove is conventional freehold: you own the home and the lot, with no condominium corporation, no land lease and no mandatory association identified in the material reviewed. Critically, it is not a maintenance-included community — owners retain ordinary private-property maintenance responsibilities: your roof, your lawn, your snow. That distinguishes it sharply from the condo and land-lease communities elsewhere in this guide, and it should shape your buying decision as much as the floor plans do. That simplicity is the appeal — but it also means every exterior cost, from the roof to the lawn mower, lands on you.

The trade is straightforward: lower monthly carrying costs than any condo or managed community, in exchange for doing (or hiring) all exterior maintenance yourself. Confirm on title whether any subdivision-level obligations, architectural controls or shared-service agreements attach to the exact lot, as newer developments commonly carry them. Get contractor quotes for the ongoing work before you buy if you won't be doing it yourself — lawn care, snow clearing and exterior maintenance have real annual costs that belong in the purchase math, and compare that total honestly against a condo's monthly fee before deciding which lifestyle you actually want.

Amenities and daily life

Iris Grove has no clubhouse, pool or programmed activities of its own — the amenity package is Bobcaygeon. The community sits beside scenic Wilderness Park with its peaceful walking trails, minutes from Pigeon and Sturgeon Lakes and the Trent-Severn Waterway for boating and recreation. Downtown Bobcaygeon's shops, restaurants, entertainment, banking, medical services and the new beach park are within walking distance, which is a genuine walkability advantage few adult-lifestyle communities can claim. The new beach park and the village's summer festival calendar add seasonal texture — Bobcaygeon leans into its tourism identity in summer, which keeps the village lively for residents too.

Daily life here is small-town, not managed-community: your social calendar is your own making, through the village's clubs, churches, Legion and seasonal events. Buyers choosing Iris Grove over a programmed 55-plus community should be honest about whether they'll build that social life themselves. The village's churches, service clubs, Legion branch and seasonal events provide the raw material — but unlike a programmed 55-plus community, assembling a social life here is entirely your own project, so be honest about whether you'll do the work or miss having it organized for you.

Location and getting there

Iris Grove is in Bobcaygeon — the 'Hub of the Kawarthas' — in the City of Kawartha Lakes, about 90 minutes from the GTA via Highway 115. Lindsay is roughly 20 minutes south; Peterborough about 40 minutes east. The community sits on a well-maintained municipal road with full municipal water and sewer services; natural gas was described as in development for the area, so confirm servicing for the specific lot. Confirm natural gas availability for the specific lot before you assume — the builder described gas as in development for the area, and servicing can vary by phase.

A car covers everything beyond the village core, though the walkable downtown is a real asset for daily errands. Winter driving on Kawartha roads is the usual rural consideration — test the routes you will actually use. Also check winter maintenance on the community's roads — as a newer development, confirm whether roads are assumed by the municipality yet or still privately maintained, since that affects both service levels and potential costs, and ask the builder for the assumption timeline in writing.

Iris Grove market snapshot

Iris Grove is a newer development with limited resale history — the builder was still marketing model homes, including price adjustments tied to Ontario's expanded HST rebate for new homes. With 61 homes total and a builder still selling, new-construction pricing sets the tone and resales compete against it. No asking prices were captured in this research; price against current builder sheets and recent sales of comparable new bungalows in Bobcaygeon. That rebate-driven pricing also means the effective price depends on your eligibility — confirm with your lawyer how the HST rebate applies to your specific purchase before relying on the advertised number.

The HST-rebate angle is worth understanding if you're considering a new build: Ontario's expanded rebate for new homes was cited by the builder as the reason for a price adjustment, which can meaningfully change the effective price. Have your agent and lawyer confirm the current rebate treatment and net pricing before you sign anything. Also compare the builder's price against resale bungalows elsewhere in Bobcaygeon — new construction carries a premium, and the resale market shows what the same money buys without it.

Buying in Iris Grove: what to check

Confirm the servicing and title picture for the exact lot: municipal water and sewer are in place, but verify natural gas availability, lot grading and drainage, and any subdivision obligations or architectural controls on title. For new builds, review the Tarion warranty coverage and the builder's deposit structure with your lawyer before signing. For the bungaloft designs specifically, verify insulation, ventilation and moisture management in the loft level — bonus upper space is wonderful until it develops condensation or temperature-control problems.

For resales, inspect as a standard detached home with attention to the builder's finish quality and any loft-level moisture or insulation issues common to bungaloft designs. And weigh the maintenance question honestly: with no condo corporation and no included exterior maintenance, budget for lawn care, snow clearing and exterior upkeep — either your time or a contractor's invoice. Also walk the Wilderness Park trails and the route to downtown before you buy — the location's walkability and natural setting are core to the value proposition, so experience them firsthand.

Frequently Asked Questions