Residential Developments

Almost 60,000 more single-family homes for the DFW area

Housing starts climbed by more than 20% in 2021 across North Texas, hitting a new record level of over 58,000 units. The developers of the sprawling residential communities that most of those homes are being built in are busy making room for more.  The Dallas Business Journal, with input from Dallas-based housing market analysis firm Residential Strategies Inc., has compiled a list of a dozen of those developments to keep an eye on for the rest of this year and the next decade or so. 

The list is not comprehensive, but the communities selected for this roundup were selected because they stand to have a major impact on their surrounding areas and shape how Dallas-Fort Worth morphs and where its people live for years to come.   Presented in no particular order, the selections were limited to housing developments that are in early stages and phases:

Elevon, Lavon

The Elevon housing development will bring more than 4,500 single-family homes to 1,500 acres north of Wylie and partially within the Collin County city of Lavon.  Work on the projected $2 billion community east of Plano started in early 2021 by Dallas-based MA Partners LLC.  When completed, Elevon is designed for roughly 4,700 single-family homes, about 1,000 multifamily residences, an 80-acre business park and more than 100 acres of mixed-use construction. The 300-acre initial phase will have 1,000 homes.  MA Partners has developed projects in North Texas, Austin and Houston, including communities the company has in progress in Dallas, Fort Worth and Melissa.

Cartwright Ranch, Crandall

Centurion American Development Group is developing Cartwright Ranch on more than 1,300 acres along Interstate 20 in the Kaufman County city of Crandall.  Plans call for roughly 4,000 homes on the site near Terrell.  Industrial and retail uses are also planned along with the single-family residential in the Farmers Branch-based Centurion American Development Group project.  

Painted Tree, McKinney

The new Painted Tree residential community under development in McKinney will include about 3,400 residential homesites at full buildout ranging from detached townhomes and cottages to larger single-family homes and some custom homesites.   Located north of U.S. Highway 380 near Lake Forest Boulevard, Painted Tree is one of the largest residential developments underway in North Texas. It will have 1,200 single-family homes for purchase in its first phase, and 275 built-to-rent homes will be part of the phase.  Tom Woliver, co-president and founder of Dallas-based Oxland Advisors, the developers of Painted Tree, called it a record-breaking phase one delivery.  "This may be the largest phase one in DFW in history," Woliver said. "It's a pretty aggressive phase one."

The homebuilder line-up for Painted Tree includes Trophy Signature Homes, Normandy Homes, CB Jeni Homes, Tri Pointe Homes, David Weekley Homes, Highland Homes and Drees Custom Homes.  The 1,100-acre residential community is projected to open in 2022.  Amenities at Painted Tree will include 25 miles of looped paths and trails, a 20-acre lake, 11.5-acre signature trailhead and community gathering space called "The Outpost," pools, parks, adventure playgrounds and more.

Hunter Ranch, Denton

Hillwood Communities plans to kick off construction later this year on the 3,200-acre Hunter Ranch development on Interstate 35W in Denton, which is master-planned for more than 6,000 houses.  Located at I-35W and Robson Ranch Road in far southwest Denton, the property includes the landmark Pilot Knob rock outcropping, which Hillwood plans to protect with the buildout.  The city of Denton has already zoned Hunter Ranch and the adjoining Cole Ranch to bring thousands of new homes to the area.

Hunter Ranch and Cole Ranch would encompass about 6,400 acres and bring a combined 19,350 new homes to Denton, boosting the city's housing stock by roughly 50 percent. Together, the development would include 12,900 single-family homes and 6,450 multifamily units, according to prior reports to Denton's City Council.  In addition to 6,500 single-family home sites, Hunter Ranch is planned to have 3,500 multifamily units, about 4 million square feet of commercial construction along I-35W and about 1 million square feet of retail.  Phase 1 will deliver some 800 lots in late 2023, according to Hillwood Communities' Fred Balda.

Prairie Ridge, Midlothian

The Prairie Ridge residential community under development near Midlothian will eventually add 4,600 homes to North Texas at full buildout.  The 1,500-acre master-planned community is being developed by Dallas-based Provident Realty Advisors. The site is off U.S. Highway 287 near Midlothian.  The community will have multiple amenity centers, swimming pools, walking trails and fishing ponds.  Provident Realty also developed Paloma Creek off U.S. Highway 380 in Denton County, which now has more than 5,000 homes. Provident is also developing the Tavolo Park community in southwest Fort Worth.

Pecan Square, Northlake

Pecan Square in Northlake, developed by Hillwood Communities, is the youngest and most successful master-plan launch to date for the Dallas-based residential company, according to Fred Balda, president of Hillwood Communities. It continues to draw buyers with its Town Square concept and on-site co-working space, Balda said.  Pecan Square sold 495 homes in 2021 and 509 the year prior, making it one of the top-selling master-planned communities in the nation in both years, according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting.  More than 30,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor amenity space forms the heart of the $1.5 billion community, including a large former horse arena now repurposed as the event and sports hub for residents.

At buildout, the community will consist of more than 3,000 homes. It's being built on 1,157 acres near the southwest intersection of I-35W and FM 407 in Northlake. Builders include Ashton Woods, CalAtlantic Homes, DR Horton, David Weekley Homes, Highland Homes, Perry Homes, Plantation Homes and Pulte Homes.  Hillwood's Union Park community in Little Elm also made the Burns list of top master-planned communities, with 460 homes sold in 2021 and 607 home sales in 2020.

Silo Mills, Godley

A partnership between Southlake-based Terra Manna and Prophet Equity broke ground late last year on the first phase of Silo Mills, an 840-acre master-planned community in Johnson County.   Located on FM 917 and west of Chisholm Trail Parkway, the residential development is within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Cleburne and Burleson.  Silo Mills will offer 2,500 home sites upon buildout. The first phase will have 262 sites of 50-, 60- and 70-foot lots.   Antares Homes and Bloomfield Homes are the designated homebuilders, and model homes are anticipated for spring 2022. Prices will start in the high $200,000s.  The development will include a resort-style swimming and entertainment complex, parks and playgrounds, trails, water features and preserved green space. The Godley ISD will serve the families in Silo Mills, which will have a new elementary school.

Green Meadows, Celina

Tomlin Investments is building the $2 billion, 1,400-acre Green Meadows master-planned community on Legacy Drive one mile west of the planned Dallas North Tollway extension on the west side of Celina.  Green Meadows will have more than 4,000 home sites at buildout.   The first phase of homes is priced starting in the high $200,000s, and homebuilders on the project include Castlerock Communities, Gehan Homes, Pacesetter Homes and Stonehollow Homes.  Green Meadows, located at Legacy Drive and Punk Carter Parkway, will have a 10,000-square-foot clubhouse with party rooms and a full kitchen, workout facility, a large covered patio, pool with two giant water slides, splash pool, large deck and playground.

Legacy Hills, Celina

The massive Legacy Hills community along the future extension of the Dallas North Tollway through Celina is expected to include 7,000 single-family homes.  The development, spanning 3,200 acres, is also planned for 4,100 apartment units, 100 acres of commercial space, a 27-acre sports park, two Celina Independent School District schools, an extensive network of walking trails, seven amenity centers and a championship golf course.  Centurion American Development Group out of Farmers Branch is tackling the project.  Homebuilders committed to the Legacy Hills development include Ashton Woods, Beazer Homes, DR Horton, First Texas Homes, Lennar Homes, M/I Homes and Mattamy Homes.

Celina and Frisco, Prosper, Forney and Little Elm were some of the hottest markets in North Texas and the nation for new home construction last year.  Last year, Celina, the top residential construction market in North Texas, issued 2,516 building permits in 2021, up 35% from the 1,862 issued in 2020, which was up 49% from the 1,862 permits in 2019.

Mosaic, Celina

Prosper-based Tellus Group has purchased 686 acres in Celina for a new $1.5 billion master-planned community called Mosaic, which will have roughly 3,000 higher-end homes.  The Mosaic property is immediately north of Windsong Ranch in Denton County, just off Frontier Parkway. It's nine miles southwest of downtown Celina and roughly one mile from the Dallas North Tollway.

The community will have a nature-inspired lifestyle theme to encourage residents to connect with the world around them, said Craig Martin, president and founding partner of Prosper-based Tellus Group LLC.  "We have a long track record for developing residential communities of the highest quality while maintaining a commitment to environmental stewardship, value investing and thoughtful land planning," Martin said.  Tellus is perhaps best known for developing Windsong Ranch in Prosper, which boasts a large freshwater lagoon surrounded by white sandy beach as an amenity.

Rolling V Ranch, Rhome

The sprawling Rolling V Ranch residential development northwest of Fort Worth will accommodate 12,500 homes.   Dallas-based PMB Capital Investments has acquired more than 3,400 acres of land for the project near the intersections of State Highway 114 and U.S. 287 in Wise County, with sections of the property in the towns of Rhome and Newark.  In addition to the homes, the project includes over 300 acres of commercial property. The development is estimated to take 30-plus years to build out fully.

Monterra, Fate

Monterra is a 231-acre master-planned residential community in Fate, one of the fastest-growing cities in Rockwall County and the state.  The property, purchased by Dallas-based Wynne/Jackson real estate development firm in the third quarter of 2021, is located on Ben Payne Road, which runs perpendicular to Interstate 30 and provides direct access to the I-30 frontage road. The total project will consist of about 650 lots ranging in size from 50-feet wide to 70-feet wide.   Development began in late 2021 on the project's initial phase, which includes about 250 lots and the amenity center and the initial trail system.  Homebuilders in the project include K.Hovnanian Homes, Grand Homes, Highland Homes and David Weekley Homes, according to Wynne/Jackson.

• Dallas Business Journal, February 25, 2022