Fulshear's future

23-acre walkable mixed-use development planned for Houston suburb

The walkable city trend is getting another new development in the Greater Houston area. Kirksey Architecture, a Texas-based firm with 38 million square feet of LEED projects in its portfolio, broke ground on a 23-acre housing development located in Fulshear on July 25 in a ceremony that included Don McCoy, Mayor of the City of Fulshear.

“We are beyond excited for this incredible development in the City of Fulshear and can’t wait for our residents to enjoy all that’s to come,” said McCoy. “It has been a joy working with both Janapriya Upscale and Kirksey Architecture.”

The new development is located between F.M. 1093 and McKinnon Road, and will be managed by Janapriya Upscale, a real estate firm based in India. It is slated for completion by Alpha Bravo Construction in early 2026. Fulshear was recently named one of the fastest growing wealthy suburbs in America.

Walkable or "15-minute" cities have become a new buzzword and trend in development. The idea is to reduce the isolation and cost of modern life by making it easier for residents to walk to necessary businesses instead of being beholden to cars for all travel. The concept has been slow to catch on in Texas, though at least one walkable neighborhood has opened in Houston's East End. Despite the name, all walkable neighborhoods remain accessible to automobiles.

The design of the new neighborhood involves one-story retail spaces along F.M. 1093 and another set of one- and two-story commercial/office condominium spaces arranged around a central town square with coffee shops and ice cream shops anchoring the corners. Residents will also have access to a lake for strolls, hopefully encouraging chance meetings and a greater sense of community.

“We’re proud to be part of the exciting momentum taking shape in Fulshear,” said Paul Newsoroff, Commercial Practice Director of Kirksey. “The goal of this mixed-use development is to give Fulshear residents a functional lifestyle center in their growing community, and we are thrilled to see it come to fruition.”

A quad full of people on a nice day in a housing development.

Courtesy of Kirksey Architecture

The proposed walkable housing development in Fulshear.

construction fulshear mixed-use development

Market Upset

Houston shocks as one of 10 worst big cities for first-time homebuyers

Row of houses in Houston, Houston homes for sale

Getty Images

Houston is the worst Texas city for first-time buyers.

The Houston housing market may not be for everyone. In a surprising turn of events, Houston has flopped to the bottom of a new list of the best U.S. cities for first-time homebuyers.

WalletHub's new study — which analyzes the affordability, quality of life, and real estate market in 300 U.S. cities — ranks Houston No. 271, or the 30th worst city overall in the U.S. to buy your first home. And, when broken down by city size, WalletHub ranks Houston the 9th worst big city for first-time buyers (No. 61 out of 69).

Houston's lack of appeal for first-time buyers is essentially due to its poor affordability and quality of life scores, rather than the state of the city's housing market, according to the report's findings.

H-town ranks 216th out of all 300 U.S. cities for its affordability, and it appears farther down the list for its quality of life, landing 284th nationally. Houston's cost of living, however, is better than most cities, ranking 51st overall.

The city's real estate market ranking is among the top 100 in the U.S., at No. 91, but that wasn't enough to outweigh its less-than-stellar rankings in the other main categories.

Other metrics (where No. 1 is the best and No. 150 is average) that factored into Houston's overall ranking include:

No. 31 – Total home energy cost
No. 77 – Rent-to-price ratio
No. 99 – Median home-price appreciation
No. 148 – Foreclosure rate
No. 246 – Real estate tax rate
No. 270 – Property crime rates

While Houston boasts the lowest Texas ranking on the list, it isn't the only Lone Star city that is less than favorable for first-time buyers. In fact, only one Texas spot — the Dallas suburb of McKinney — lands among the top 100 of the report. A total of 20 Texas cities rank outside the top 100, with Laredo (No. 200), Mesquite (No. 202), San Antonio (No. 208), and Dallas (No. 233) joining Houston as the state's worst.

First-time buyers across the country are entering the housing market at a difficult time, the report says. The National Association of Realtors reported the share of first-time homebuyers sank to an all-time low in 2025, to 21 percent, whereas the historic national average is 40 percent.

"Buying a home for the first time is an exciting and important milestone for many Americans, but achieving that milestone is getting more difficult as prices and interest rates continue to rise," the report's author wrote. "People willing and able to invest in a house this year must balance what they want and need with what they can afford. Often, people begin searching for their dream home without a realistic idea of market prices, interest rates or even their eligibility for a mortgage."

wallethub real estate housing market first time homebuyers houston reports

Fulshear's future

23-acre walkable mixed-use development planned for Houston suburb

How vintage finds shaped the look of Houston’s nostalgic new steakhouse

Beloved used bookstore returns to Montrose 5 years after closing

8 of Houston's best thrift stores for vintage finds and designer deals

Market Upset

Houston shocks as one of 10 worst big cities for first-time homebuyers