Situated in the heart of Fort Myers, Florida, Pine Needle Park is a 43-lot manufactured housing community with a serene and laid-back ambiance. Surrounded by subtropical landscapes and lush beauty, residents and visitors can enjoy the best of both worlds, combining natural beauty and tranquility with all the creature comforts and amenities of home.
Boasting world-class dining options, a thriving arts scene, and some of the region’s finest beaches, the region is an ideal retreat for families and retirees. Characterized by its prime location and welcoming atmosphere, Pine Needle Park manufactured housing community / mobile home park offers the epitome of Florida living.
Pine Needle Park was acquired by GMF Group on February 29, 2024, for a recorded $2.07 million. Founded by Matthew Forssman and Gabriel Monfried, GMF Group is a prominent asset management firm based in the US.
Why Live at Pine Needle Park?
Fort Myers is a paradise for nature lovers, ranking as one of the top locations in the United States for beach combing, kayaking, and bird watching. The city was once known as the “Gladiolus Capital of the World” thanks to the horticultural efforts of its inhabitants, particularly settlers who migrated from Benelux in Europe, a renowned flower-growing region. Earlier inhabitants include Calusa Native Americans, who established a cultural center in Southwest Florida in 1150 B.C.
Fort Myers has something for everyone, with plentiful sunshine and natural attractions, diverse cultural discoveries, and an abundance of tropical fruits and seafood. For aficionados of the arts, the Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs is well worth a visit, comprising two campuses and multiple fine art galleries, fully equipped art studios, a library, sculpture gardens, and a gift shop.
Founded in 1959, the venue was created to enrich the lives of local people by providing opportunities for artistic expression, appreciation, and education. The Center for the Arts Bonita Springs stages a comprehensive calendar of events at its Visual Arts Center, including painting, drawing, and sculpture classes.
Meanwhile, the organization’s Performing Arts Center in Bonita Beach Road is home to an array of theatre, comedy, film, and live concert performances, as well as presenting music lessons, youth and adult dance classes, and more.
Outdoor Adventures in Fort Myers
South Florida boasts some exceptional dive sites, luring scuba divers from near and far. Off the coast of Fort Myers lie the Sanibel and Captiva Islands, their waters fabled for their diverse assortment of rare and interesting marine life. Man-made reefs and shipwrecks support numerous marine species, including grouper, amberjack, cobia, moray eel, nurse shark, and barracuda. Created from the rubble of a mainland bridge, the Edison Reef is one of the region’s largest reefs, just under 15 nautical miles off Sanibel Island Lighthouse. Other popular local dive sites include the Belton Johnson Reef and Pegasus Reef, the latter dive site located 28 miles west of Red Fish Pass.
About GMF Group
GMF Group is an asset management firm based in the United States, founded by Matthew Forssman and Gabriel Monfried. The company is distinguished by its unique approach to real estate investment, focusing on undercapitalized asset classes and markets.
In December 2024, GMF Group obtained a $65 million CMBS refinancing loan for a portfolio of 17 manufactured housing communities (MHCs) across Florida. Citigroup originated the loan, and Eastdil Secured was the borrower’s advisor. The five-year, interest-only mortgage provides liquidity for GMF Group’s investors and will be used to pay off previous mortgages and bridge loans on assets. GMF Group also plans to reinvest a substantial proportion of the funds back into these assets.
GMF Group’s portfolio of Florida MHCs includes properties like Fort Pierce Estates in Fort Pierce, Lakeside Gardens in Lakeside West, Arcadia Estates in Arcadia, and Sunshine RV Resort in Lake Placid, a 411-lot community in which GMF Group has invested $5 million since acquisition. Most of these and the other properties in the portfolio are all-age and pet-friendly communities with desirable amenities such as access to lakes, walking and hiking trails, clubhouses, playgrounds, pet areas, and storage.
Matthew Forssman has completed more than $1 billion of real estate transactions. Before co-founding GMF Group, Matt was an investment professional at BentallGreenOak, executing real estate investments across asset classes. Before joining BentallGreenOak, he was an Associate of investments at CIM Group, where he was involved in many facets of real estate acquisitions, developments, and financings. Matt Forssman began his career in the Investment Banking Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and holds a BA, cum laude, in Economics from Harvard College.
Gabriel Monfried has completed more than $1 billion of real estate transactions. Before co-founding GMF Group, Gabe was Vice President at Macquarie Capital, where he invested across real estate asset classes in North America and up and down the capital stack. Previously, he was Associate Vice President of Investments at CIM Group, a real estate private equity firm with approximately $30 billion in assets under management. Gabe Monfried began his career in the Investment Banking Group at Goldman Sachs and holds a BBA with honors in Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
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