Real Estate Round-Up

Little boxes no more: Master planned communities go away from perfect lawns andgolf courses to embrace the wild

The developers of Cross Creek Ranch decided to go sustainable in itslandscaping, land development and water usage. Wildflowers replaced standardcarpet grass.
Photo by Tom Fox/SWA Group
The development is now ranked in the top 10 communities for new home sales inthe Houston area.
Photo by Tom Fox/SWA Group
The curves of the land’s natural creek had been straightened for efficiency’ssake, the grass was pounded into submission by cattle and the property wasbarren, without trees.
Photo by Tom Fox/SWA Group
The community’s parks and picnic areas that do have Bermuda grass are wateredwith recycled gray water.
Photo by Tom Fox/SWA Group

Mow the lawn. Water the lawn.

Now it’s time to plant those pansies so we can enjoy a little color for a couple of weeks before the petals fry to a crispy brown in Houston’s summer sun.

Meanwhile, an errant sprinkler soaks the pavement and water pours down the gutter.

Living in Cross Creek Ranch has a natural feel. Residents there don’t feel like they are raping Mother Earth.

For years, this has been the standard operating procedure for developers of many master planned communities in the Houston suburbs. But Cross Creek Ranch, a 3,200-acre community in Fulshear, has changed the way it’s always been.

The developers of Cross Creek Ranch decided to go sustainable in its landscaping, land development and water usage. Wildflowers replaced standard carpet grass. Living in Cross Creek Ranch has a natural feel. Residents there don’t feel like they are raping Mother Earth.

Call it astute marketing. Or call the developer environmentally concerned. But whatever the motive, people like it. Home buyers have responded.

Cross Creek Ranch is one of the hottest projects in town. Since its grand opening in 2009, during the depths of Houston’s housing downturn, Cross Creek Ranch has surged in popularity. With a very impressive showing for a newbie project, Cross Creek Ranch sold 200 homes in its first year of operation and has seen 250 new home sales in 2011.

The average home price came in at more than $300,000. It’s now ranked in the top 10 communities for new home sales in the Houston area.

A Denuded Beginning

The Cross Creek Ranch acreage was worn-down pasture land in 2005 when Trendmaker Homes bought the ranch, located about 30 miles west of Houston. The curves of the land’s natural creek had been straightened for efficiency’s sake, the grass was pounded into submission by cattle and the property was barren, without trees. Sediment filled the creek, which didn’t support wildlife much anymore.

“The property was denuded by ranching. The site was hurting. It has really been degraded,” says Houston landscape architect Matt Baumgarten of the SWA Group.

Trendmaker and SWA devised a plan to restore the land, make it consistent with native vegetation and make the community a showplace for sustainability and sound ecology.

“The idea was to make the community about sustainable landscape,” Baumgarten says.

The banks of Flewellen Creek — redesigned to wind some three miles through the property — were restored with carefully plantings of native grasses and black willow trees. Native grasses that don’t have to be mowed and watered were planted. Trendmaker planted thousands of trees and spent millions on landscaping improvements. Huge wildflower displays — not manicured lawns — were designed on roadside acreage.

Fifty acres were converted into wetlands and reeds and grasses were planted. The wetlands act as a natural filtration system for what Baumgarten calls “water-polishing” that cleans the water and allows it to be recycled. The community’s parks and picnic areas that do have Bermuda grass are watered with recycled gray water.

Jump on the Bandwagon

The success of Cross Creek Ranch has been noticed.

“We’ve had other developers coming to us and saying: ‘That's what we want to do,' " Baumgarten says.

Around the nation, the new thinking is taking root: Master planned communities don’t have to be covered with lawns and golf courses.

Bishops Bay, a new community near Madison, Wis., has introduced a concept called “agricultural urbanism” and a considerable amount of land in the community will be devoted to growing fruits and vegetables. Water conservation and energy efficiency are important in Bishops Bay. The community’s plan was recognized for excellence last year by the National Association of Home Builders.

Around the nation, the new thinking is taking root: Master planned communities don’t have to be covered with lawns and golf courses.

On the north side of Houston, another developer, Holcomb Properties, is gaining attention with a careful environmental approach to developing the Falls at Imperial Oaks.

Holcomb Properties preserved the creek that runs through the property with planning that protects the land from erosion and maintains mature trees. The creek, previously unnamed, was christened Holly Creek.

The Falls at Imperial Oaks community, located near Interstate 45 and Rayford Road, was voted “Houston’s Best Community of the Year” in 2011 by the Greater Houston Builders Association.

Designing and developing environmentally friendly communities appears to be more than a passing marketing trend. In the pure terms of capitalism, these projects make money.

Trendmaker, the developers of Cross Creek Ranch, booked a tidy profit by developing the community. Trendmaker bought the 3,200-acre ranch for $56 million in 2005 and sold the remaining Cross Creek land for $125 million this spring.

Trendmaker sold Cross Creek Ranch to a group led by one of the oldest and most experienced land developers in Houston — Johnson Development.

Over the years, Johnson has developed dozens of communities in Houston, San Antonio and Atlanta, including Silverlake, Sienna Plantation, Riverstone and many more. Johnson doesn’t make many mistakes.

If Johnson Development is buying into the new green development trends at Cross Creek Ranch, it’s a solid bet for the future.

Ralph Bivins, former president of the National Association of Real Estate Editors, is founding editor of RealtyNewsReport.com.

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THE AMERICAN DREAM

How long it takes to save for a home down payment in Houston

iStock

Houstonians don't have to save long to afford a down payment.

Saving for a down payment remains one of the biggest barriers to homeownership nationwide, but a new report from Realtor.com shows San Antonio area buyers face a far shorter wait than most Americans.

According to the real estate site’s 2025 analysis, the typical U.S. household needs seven years to save for a standard down payment, a notable improvement from the 12-year peak in 2022. Still, the timeline remains roughly double the pre-pandemic norm, reflecting higher home prices, larger down payments, and lower household savings rates.

Houston, however, stood out as one of the most accessible major metros in the nation. The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro boasted one of the shortest time sto save for a down payment among the nation’s 50 largest markets, with households needing just 3.5 years to reach a typical down payment, according to the study.

The report found that Houston’s median down payment from January through November was $14,927. A median household income of $83,452 was estimated to produce an annual savings of $4,228. Notably, San Antonio, the only other Texas city included in the report, had the shortest time to save for a down payment at just 1.3 years.

Nationally, the time needed to save has shortened as home price growth cooled and affordability modestly improved. Still, saving for a down payment takes significantly longer than it did before the pandemic.

“Higher home prices and intensified competition have pushed typical down payments higher, at the same time that inflation and rising household expenses have reduced savings rates,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, in a release. “Although conditions have improved since 2022, today’s timeline shows that saving for a home takes meaningfully longer than it did before the pandemic, especially in high-cost markets.”

Lower savings rates have played a key role. The U.S. personal savings rate has averaged 5.1 percent of income so far in 2025, down from the pre-pandemic norm of 6.5 percent, limiting how quickly households can build funds for upfront housing costs. Meanwhile, the typical down payment has more than doubled over the past six years — rising from about $13,900 in the third quarter of 2019 to $30,400 in the third quarter of 2025.

In high-cost coastal metros, the impact is far more severe. Saving for a down payment can take 20 to more than 35 years in California cities like San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego, effectively sidelining many first-time and moderate-income buyers.

“In high-cost markets, the typical down payment alone exceeds a full year of household income,” said Hannah Jones, Realtor.com senior economic research analyst. “That reality makes homeownership feel unattainable for many buyers, particularly younger households trying to enter the market for the first time.”

Despite those challenges, the report notes that roughly three-quarters of Americans still consider homeownership part of the American dream. Realtor.com says easing rents could help first-time buyers save more, while repeat buyers may use accumulated savings to reduce loan balances and manage higher monthly payments.

“Saving consistently, even in small amounts, is a meaningful first step toward homeownership,” Jones said. “In today’s market, building that financial cushion can make a real difference when buyers are ready to act.”

home market economy down payments home ownership real estate