welcome to whitehall

Stunning 656-acre regal ranch near Houston lassos luxury, resort-style living for $42M

Between the work-at-home shift and popularity of cowboy culture getting to obnoxious levels (we see you, Jeff Bezos), Texas ranches are one of the biggest real estate searches around.

The latest: a grand, 656-acre ranch listing near Houston merges the big-land life with a luxe ranch retreat vibe. Whitehall Ranch, a sprawling private escape in southern Grimes County (that’s roughly an hour north of Houston, between Magnolia and Navasota), has listed for $42 million.

Photo via Nan and Company Properties

Whitehall Ranch boasts 656 acres, manicured greens, and resort-style living.

Reflecting that post-pandemic price hike, Whitehall Ranch actually listed for half the current price — $21.6 million — in 2020, as Houston Business Journal reported — a veritable value, these days. Whitehall is currently repped by Houston-based luxury real estate firm Nan and Company Properties.

About this regal ranch: Polo fans and aficionados can stomp divots after chukkas on an on-site, regulation polo field and stables, which spans 11 acres and anchors an 8-acre lake, per press materials. The field has seen “several top polo matches” over the years, per Nan and Company. Should the new owners pass on polo, they can instead repurpose the 11-acre field into a driving range, cricket pitch, baseball field, or any outdoor activity they choose.

Whitehall Ranch horse in stable Horse around and the sizable stables. Photo via Nan and Company Properties

Whitehall Ranch sunset house Enjoy sunsets and sweeping vistas. Photo via Nan and Company Properties

Luxe living amenities start with the main residence, tucked away surrounded by a secluded countryside oasis, per the listing. The main home is open-concept design and plays to the space with “soaring” ceilings and wall-to-wall windows throughout. Mornings and sunsets can be taken in on a surrounding porch that showcases the stunning, protected acreage.

Guests and family can look forward to a two-suite guest residence, plus a four-suite bunk house for larger groups (a fun spot to play out those favorite Yellowstone bunkhouse scenes).

Whitehall Ranch interior windows High ceilings and tall windows open the area and bring the outside in. Photo via Nan and Company Properties

A green oasis — dubbed the “Home Camp” — boasts a heated saltwater pool, and a pool house that’s replete with a full kitchen and the always-important pass-through serving bar. Residents can live out their Post Ranch Inn memories at the sauna, massage studio, full indoor gym, and even a commercial laundry room for dirty cowboy gear or those sweaty Lululemon threads.

Whitehall Ranch tub No tin pots here: soak in a garden tub. Photo via Nan and Company Properties

But, this is a ranch after all, and it includes two twin barns, fitted with everything needed for resident horses, donkeys, or cows. Owners can grow their greens and plants in a greenhouse, tend to the chicks in a chicken coop, and take in five, lush ecosystems. For the sporting life, shooters can grab their Benellis and head to the skeet and trap range, which comes with its own “cozy clubhouse” and full kitchen.

Whitehall Ranch chicken coop Tend to the eggs and chicks in the chicken coop. Photo via Nan and Company Properties

Houstonians rolling in will no doubt be familiar with Whitehall Ranch’s presence on FM 362, near Highway 6 and the Highway 249 “Aggie Freeway” extension. But for those opting for an airy arrival can get to the chopper, as the ranch includes an FAA-approved, lighted helipad for that truly elevated entrance.

rent report

New report reveals how many Texans are paying too much for rent

Photo by Francesca Tosolini on Unsplash

undefined

Millions of Texas renters, both current residents and new arrivals, suffer from wallet whiplash.

A new report from the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers shows 45 percent of the state’s renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Renters occupy more than 4.2 million Texas households, representing nearly half of the state’s residents.

Worse yet, 81 percent of extremely low-income households in Texas spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing, the report says. For that income group, Texas has a shortage of 864,000 affordable homes.

Thirty percent is the standard financial benchmark for spending too much income on rent, while 50 percent puts a renter in the “severely cost-burdened” bucket.

“To sustain growth and secure future prosperity, Texas will need more than 320,000 additional affordable homes [rented and owned] to address workforce housing affordability and meet the demands of a growing population,” says the report.

“Today, the state is creating thousands of new jobs,” the report adds, “but housing supply has not kept pace with demand, driving up housing costs and constraining continued economic growth.”

Not surprisingly, people who live in or move to three of Texas’ biggest metro areas get hit with the state’s highest apartment rental rates. Here’s Apartments.com’s list of the 10 most expensive places for renters in Texas, based on apartments whose average size ranges from 713 square feet in Austin to 771 square feet in Plano:

1. Frisco — $1,477 per month
2. Plano — $1,461 per month
3. Austin — $1,417 per month
4. Dallas — $1,413 per month
5. McKinney — $1,363 per month
6. Grand Prairie — $1,327 per month
7. Irving — $1,318 per month
8. Garland — $1,237 per month
9. Fort Worth — $1,217 per month
10. Houston — $1,183 per month

San Antonio boasts some of the lowest average rent among Texas’ 10 most affordable markets: $1,075 per month. Mesquite, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, also fits into that category, with average monthly rent of $1,052.

Earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott announced more than $114 million in grants to help develop or rehabilitate properties, providing more than 4,400 affordable rental units.

“As our state grows, we must ensure that Texans have access to the affordable housing they need to thrive,” Abbott says.

rent prices report apartments