saddle up

Lush and oak-lined new development brings ranch-style living to Houston area

Massey Oaks brings a ranch aesthetic to Pearland.

Photo courtesy of Trez Capital

With Houston’s scorching real estate market showing no signs of cooling off, inventory is at a premium. That means large developments, such as the previously reported Prairieland Village, are in high demand.

To that end, a new project is in the works for those looking for lush, wooded sites in the suburbs.

Trez Capital has just announced the closing of a $44 million loan to Massey Oaks Development, LP for Massey Oaks, a sprawling new development coming to Pearland. The new master-planned community spans 356 acres and will boast approximately 950 homesites upon completion, press materials note.

Situated at the intersection of Harkey Road and McKeever Road, Massey Oaks pays homage to the mature live oaks and other trees on Massey Ranch, which were planted by the Massey family.

Buyers can expect recreational amenities and a ranching aesthetic. The modern homes start at the high $300,000 mark and are zoned to Alvin ISD. Amenities include a center with a lakefront open-air pavilion, playgrounds and a splash pad, walking and biking trails throughout the property, and recreational areas — including a grove and lake park area.

Massey Oaks offers easy access to State Highway 288 and SH35. Meritage Homes and Castle Rock builders are slated for the first phase of home development. The first phase of lots are expected to deliver in the first quarter of 2022, per a press release.

“We’re pleased to provide the financing for Massey Oaks, a modern, new master-planned destination that will attract many families and young professionals due to its natural setting, mature trees, extensive amenities and its location just outside Houston,” said John Sullivan, vice president of Trez Capital, in a statement.

“Houston and the surrounding cities are rapidly expanding and this is one of the last tracts in that area of any size that could be developed. Massey Oaks Development is taking prudent care to capture the character of the land with its storied history as a part of the Massey Ranch, which was founded by the Massey family of Pearland.”

home-for-sale

small but mighty

4 Houston neighbors ranked among best small cities the U.S.

Friendswood Library/Facebook

Friendswood ranks in the 76th percentile of the best small cities.

Four Houston neighbors — with Friendswood at the top of the pack — have been rated among the best small cities in America for 2026.

WalletHub's annual survey compared over 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 residents based on 45 livability metrics categorized into five key dimensions: affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life, and safety. Cities were then grouped by percentile, where the 99th percentile represents the very best.

Nineteen small U.S. cities were rated in the 99th percentile, with the top three spots occupied by Lexington, Massachusetts; Brookfield, Wisconsin; and Carmel, Indiana. No Texas city earned this rating.

Friendswood has been on top of the local list of best small cities in the Houston metro for the last three years, and it was rated in the 76th percentile of all small cities in the country in 2026.

North of Houston, Conroe's rating has remained consistent for the second year in a row and currently ranks in the 58th percentile nationally. Two more Houston suburbs, Deer Park and Missouri City, ranked in the 53rd and 52nd percentile, respectively.

A longstanding reputation as a family-friendly city and recent buzzy restaurant openings in Friendswood are helping this suburb's popularity soar in Houston. Meanwhile, Conroe is no stranger to earning praise for its livability. Conroe was named one of America's top-10 boomtowns earlier this year, and it has become a hotspot for millennial movers.

Affordable housing is a big draw for residents that want to move out from a busy city like Houston, and Friendswood and Deer Park are both among the 50 most affordable small U.S. cities to live in, the report's findings revealed.

"Moving from a bustling metropolis to a small city could drastically cut down your cost of living," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "While small cities may lack some advantages of big cities, like robust public transportation systems, they make up for these shortcomings in other areas."

Cost-saving benefits aside, Lupo also said the best small cities have "strong job markets, high-quality education, good health care, safe living conditions, and plenty of local flair to help [residents] achieve a high quality of life."

The top 10 best small cities to live in Texas are:

Cedar Park and Allen – 96th percentile (tied)
Leander – 93rd percentile
Flower Mound – 91st percentile
Little Elm – 87th percentile
The Colony and Rockwall – 86th percentile (tied)
Colleyville – 85th percentile
Georgetown – 84th percentile
Southlake – 82nd percentile

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