Moving up and out

North Texas among top U.S. markets for home sales in master-planned communities

Buyers are flocking to Pecan Square in Northlake.

Dallas-Fort Worth is mastering the art of the master-planned community.

A report released January 4 by RCLCO Real Estate Advisors shows the DFW metro area was home to four of the 50 top-selling master-planned communities last year.

The four DFW communities on the list are:

Magnolia Point, Royse City, from D.R. Horton, ranked 20th (tied) with 660 homes sold (2020 data unavailable).
Pecan Square, Northlake, from Hillwood Communities, ranked No. 41 with 502 homes sold, (down 1 percent from 2020).
Heartland, Heartland (near Forney), from Huffines Communities, ranked No. 42 with 482 homes sold (2020 data unavailable).
Union Park, Little Elm, from Hillwood Communities, ranked No. 47 with 460 homes sold, (down 24 percent from 2020).

“The boom in work-from-home demand drove record master-planned community sales in 2021,” according to John Burns Real Estate Consulting.

Gregg Logan, managing director of RCLCO, says the survey results indicate demand for new single-family homes in master-planned communities remains high, “with favorable demographic tailwinds suggesting this strong demand will continue in 2022.”

However, lingering supply chain woes and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have hampered the ability of master-planned communities to capitalize on that demand, Logan adds.

“As these challenges are resolved in the coming months, we are optimistic for the success of master-planned communities in 2022,” he says.

Houston ranks first among all of the metro areas represented on the list. According to the survey, one-fifth of the country’s 50 top-selling master-planned communities last year are in the Houston metro area. Collectively, the 10 Houston-area communities in the top 50 sold 5,773 homes in 2021, according to RCLCO’s data.

In terms of the success of communities in the Houston area last year, Howard Hughes Corp.’s Bridgeland development in Cypress tops the list. According to the survey, Bridgeland sold 713 new homes last year, down 18 percent from 2020. The 713-home tally puts Bridgeland at No. 16 nationally for the most sales at master-planned communities last year.

The top-ranked master-planned community in Texas is Hunt Communities’ Mission Ridge development in El Paso. Last year, the community sold 811 new homes, good enough for a No. 10 ranking in the U.S. The sales figure for 2020 wasn’t available.

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renter livability report

Hot Dallas suburb ranked 12th best U.S. city for renters in 2026

City of Plano Facebook

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Renters looking for a place in Dallas-Fort Worth that balances affordability, convenience, and quality of life may want to start in Plano, which was just named the 12th best city to rent in America.

Plano's rental market offers better livability than nearly all other cities in Texas and in the country, according to WalletHub's newly released report, "Best & Worst Places to Rent in America." Experts analyzed 182 U.S. rental markets based on 21 relevant metrics, including the difference between rental rates and mortgage payments, rental affordability, the local cost of living, job availability, and more.

Surprisingly, Amarillo was deemed the No. 1 best Texas city for renters, and it ranked 10th nationally. Plano came in second place statewide and ranks 12th for a second year in a row, leaving Austin in third place and 13th overall (up from No. 31 last year).

Plano has the 7th best quality of life out of all 182 U.S. cities in the report, which should come as no surprise considering the strength of its local job market, its high-quality park system, and its happy-go-lucky residents. The city lagged behind in the "renter market and affordability" category, ranking 78th overall, but that clearly isn't deterring newcomers from moving there.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the best cities for renters offer much more than inexpensive housing, a good job market, and recreational activities. For example, rent prices in the top cities cost tenants as little as 15 percent of their income.

"You’ll also have access to robust laws that protect renters, such as limiting deposits to only a month or two of rent," Lupo added.

Elsewhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Dallas proper ranked as the 71st best place to rent in the U.S. and appeared 13th in Texas. A separate RentCafe study found Dallas has become a hotspot for Gen Z renters searching for good job opportunities, recreation, and good schools.

Here's how other North Texas cities' renter markets stacked up in the national ranking:

No. 34 – Grand Prairie
No. 49 – Arlington
No. 50 – Fort Worth
No. 66 – Irving
No. 79 – Garland

Though renting can be more cost effective than owning a property, WalletHub said it's not always a better choice.

"The right road to take depends on a variety of factors, including an individual’s or family’s financial means and how well the local real-estate market is doing," the report said. "Like home prices, rental rates can vary significantly by region, state or city."

Rent prices in DFW have fallen nearly 10 percent since last year, so things might be starting to look up for North Texas renters.

Other Texas cities that ranked among the top 100 best places to rent in America include El Paso (No. 24), Laredo (No. 37), Brownsville (No. 48), Corpus Christi (No. 63), San Antonio (No. 64), and Lubbock (No. 81). Houston ranked as one of the worst cities to rent in America, landing as No. 144 nationally.

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