They come, we build

Dallas-Fort Worth dethrones NYC as the nation's No. 1 spot for new apartments

LVL 29 in Plano is one of the many new apartment options in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Rendering courtesy of LVL 29

It’s not all in your head. Those new apartments you spotted on your way to work probably did just pop up — and it’s happening in big numbers in DFW and around the state, according to a new study.

RentCafe estimates 22,196 new apartments will be built in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area by the end of 2019 — by far the highest number in the country. Seattle makes for a distant second with 13,682 new units, followed by New York City, which was No. 1 in 2018, with 13,418 units planned for this year.

And these aren’t vanity projects. With more than 80,000 new residents calling the Metroplex home for the fifth year in a row, we need all the apartments we can get.

Fort Worth slightly leads the metro in terms of projected new apartment units at 3,875, compared to Dallas’ 3,859. Estimates are based on market data from Yardi Matrix, a software company that tracks multifamily properties in 133 U.S. markets.

Here are the biggest shares of new apartments expected in DFW:

Fort Worth – 3,875 units
Dallas – 3,859 units
Frisco – 2,548 units
Farmers Branch – 1,537 units
Richardson – 1,423 units
Euless – 838 units
Grapevine – 821 units
McKinney – 564 units
Plano – 483 units
Irving – 377 units
Waxahachie – 325 units

Most of Texas is booming, too. At No. 5 on RentCafe’s list is Austin, with 10,783 new units expected by the end of the year. No. 10 Houston is expected to bring 7,143 new units to the region, with about half rising just within the city of Houston. Meanwhile, 3,510 new units will be built in San Antonio, a steep decline of 41 percent from the 5,993 units built there in 2018.

Unlike the Lone Star State, the nation as a whole is seeing a slump in apartment construction. The 299,442 new apartments expected in 2019 represent an 8.2 percent drop from 2018’s 326,240 new units, which also were weaker numbers than in 2017, when 331,765 new apartments were built.

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HAUTE PROPERTIES

New Port Aransas luxury beach cottages come with their own water park

Spoonbill Bay/ Facebook

A splashy waterpark will be the centerpiece of Spoonbill Bay.

If thoughts of spring break have North Texans yearning for a beach vacation, an upcoming Port Aransas development may provide some inspiration — or at least a few daydreams. Spoonbill Bay is currently under construction on Mustang Island, promising ocean views and a slew of fun amenities.

Future residents of the community, located bayside of State Highway 361, are in for some splashy fun. State regulatory records reveal that Spoonbill Bay will soon begin work on a water park that will have multiple pools, a lazy river, a splash pad, an amusement park-style slide tower, sunning decks, and cabanas.

“This is what Phase One will be like when we open in May 2026,” said Alex Harris, owner and CEO of Brite Star Construction, in a Facebook post. “Children’s water slides and water playground, large family pool with a swim-up bar, second-floor pavilion for relaxing and parties, tiki bar with lots of TVs, and a full assortment of food at the entry building.”

Residents can enjoy their own private lap pools.Spoonbill Bay/ Facebook

Surrounding the aquatic park will be several white cottages built in Lowcountry style with raised foundations, porches, and large windows to take in the Coastal sun. The two- to three-bed homes come in a variety of floor plans with their own private lap pools.

Spoonbill Bay closes a gap in Port Aransas’ luxury vacation home market. Although the city is speckled with several ultra-high-end properties, the development provides a less expensive gateway to island living. The 916 to 1,284 square feet cottages start at $500,000, a hair below the area’s almost $600,000 median home price, according to Zillow.

Some of the homes have already been completed, and the full construction is expected to wrap up in 2026. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filings say the water park will be finished by late June, although timelines are always subject to change.

Spoonbill Bay/ Facebook

A splashy waterpark will be the centerpiece of Spoonbill Bay.

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