Positive Signs Appearing Frequently in the Houston Real Estate Market

Houston and its housing market is certainly a bright spot in the bleak, nationwide housing market slump.

Although Houston has seen its share of sales declines and lower home prices, it has weathered nicely over the last year and is expected to continue to do so throughout the upcoming year.

Houston’s job market remains strong, which ultimately carries the housing market and the economy.

Some of the accolades bestowed upon Houston include:

• Local Market Monitor, a North Carolina-based real estate market research company, ranked Houston as one of the top 10 large US markets based on home values over the last, 12 months (Dallas and Fort Worth also made the list).
• The Brookings Institute ranked Houston high according to home appreciated (the Houston-Sugar land/Baytown area experienced a 4.7 increase between the first quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009).
• The Local Market Monitor estimates that Houston will be the strongest city in the nation for home prices for the next 12 months.

Houston-area Developments Remain Strong

It should come as no surprise then that, according to RCLCO, a real estate advisory firm, Houston was home to five of the 10 top, master-planned communities in the nation, according to new home sales.

This study of new home communities by RCLCO comes at the same time that many master-planned communities throughout the nation have struggled. In fact, the report by the RCLCO states that many master-planned communities across the nation have seen a “significant decline” in both sales and home prices.

Houston’s Top Master Planned Communities

• Cinco Ranch

The Houston community of Cinco Ranch ranked #2 in RCLCO’s list of the Top 10 Master Planned Communities in the nation. The developer of Cinco Ranch is Newland Communities. Sales of new homes in Cinco Ranch were 775 in 2008, a seven percent increase from 2007.

• The Woodlands, developed by the Woodlands Development Company, ranked #3 on the list. Net sales of new homes totaled 750 in 2008.
• The community of Telfair, developed by Newland Communities, ranks #6 on RCLCO’s master-planned communities list. Net sales of homes in Telfair were 412 in 2008, a 13 percent increase from 2007.
• Sienna Plantation, developed by the Johnson Development Corporation, ranked #8, with new home sales totaling 369 in 2008.
• The master-planned Houston community of Eagle Springs, a Newland Communities development, ranked #10 on RCLCO’s list of the Top 10 Master Planned Communities, with new home sales totaling 274 in 2008.

The three master-planned communities under Newland Communities - Telfair, Cinco Ranch and Eagle Springs – are all well-established communities that have provided Houston with quality housing for years. Cinco Ranch was developed in 1990; Telfair was developed in 2004; and Eagle Springs was developed in 1999.

Sienna Plantation, located about 30 miles south of Houston, offers homes from $100,000 to over $1 million. Situated over 10,500 acres, Sienna Plantation includes a water park, golf courses, recreation areas and plenty of green space.

The Woodlands includes over 110 miles of parks and 180 miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as individual community parks and swimming pools. Homes in the Woodlands range from lofts to palatial estates.

All of these communities have key similarities, including excellent locations within highly rated school districts; an element of sustainability; and a superb community plan, complete with amenities and services for their residents.