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| WESTLAKE’s VAQUERO |
Planned & Posh
What can $1 million buy you these days? At these tony planned developments, indoor putting greens, country club memberships, and lots of trees.
If you build it, they will come. Truer words have never been spoken. From Colleyville to Parker, planned developments are springing up and selling out faster than you can buy the gas to get there. According to some estimates, in just the northwest corridor of the Dallas area, there are more than 100 subdivisions with prices that range between $500,000 and $1 million. Intimate to gargantuan, wooded to zero-lot, on the highway to in the pasture, iterations of every imaginable type of home site are available. The following list is a representation of what is in the dirt and on the drawing board in the upscale end of development ($500,000 and up, and most with ample sites still available). Oh, and if you aren’t buying a spec home, this isn’t the time to be shy when discussing details with your builder. Your new abode will be completely “custom.” Inquire about the options for elevators, yoga rooms, tornado shelters, high-tech media delivery, indoor putting greens, and multiple master suites. If they appear at all reticent, just ask your neighbors for their house plans.
Addison
Bellbrook Estates
According to builders and realtors, the major appeal of Bellbrook Estates is its prime Addison location. A dearth of luxury home sites in the area has made this community a hot commodity. Of the original 50 lots, only three home sites remain. Rolling terrain and city parks that border both north and south perimeters add to the desirability. On average, lot sizes are about one-third acre.
Age: 1994
Builders: Sharif & Munir
Home Types: Ecletic: Old World to contemporary
Home Features: All custom and highly distinctive, designed by imaginative architects with great attention to detail
Price Range: $1 million to $2 million
Contact: Grady Yates at 214-502-7668 [email protected]. www.sharif-munir.com.
Colleyville
Beldon Hollow
Developers recently broke ground in new Beldon Hollow, a 16-acre subdivision of 16 lots, most of which have a water view. Six lots will share three bridges that have been designed as private entrance driveways. Also gated, this neighborhood is heavily wooded and will have a natural park complete with walking trails. This one will go fast nine lots have already been spoken for.
Age: 2004
Builders: None yet, home owners can choose their own builders with approval
Home Types: To be determined when building begins
Home Features: All custom
Price Range: $1 million and up
Contact: ICI Development at 817-545-0727. www.icidevelopment.com.
Broughton
One of David Bagwell’s newest projects, Broughton captures the same feeling as his other developments, one of melding gracious new home building with nature. Trees, open spaces, and a Colleyville Blue Ribbon Elementary School within walking distance, makes this a very appealing location. Approximately 70 lots remain.
Age: 2002
Builders: Michael O. Browning Homes, Calais Custom Homes, Garabedian Properties, Homes by Steve Pence, Roque Custom Homes, Team 3 Homes
Home Types: Old World
Home Features: All custom
Price Range: $600,000 and up
Contact: Susan Folkert at 214-902-0882; David Bagwell at 817-540-5500. www.bagwellcompany.com.
Clairemont
Clairemont is expected to contain 84 homes when Phase II of the neighborhood is complete. The gated neighborhood has a private lake/pond and typical lot size is about one-half acre. A vine-covered bridge and cut-stone wall delineate the entrance. The big draw here is a combination of the exemplary Keller ISD and well-priced custom homes in a gated community.
Age: 2001; Phase II, spring 2004
Builders: Ambiance, Browning, Cadence, Custom Design, Oldfield, Park Place, Thornbury, Westin
Home Types: Old World, Hill Country, Mediterranean
Home Features: All custom
Price Range: $600,000 to $850,000
Contact: ICI Development at 817-545-0727. www.icidevelopment.com.
Estates of Westmont
This larger, half-acre-plus lot section of Westmont ensures a quiet ambience with picturesque home sites on tree-lined cul-de-sac streets. Its 2000-tree Millennium Grove adds scenic drama along with a lake, wooded flowing creek, and hike-and-bike trail. Westmont is well known for its nature appeal and thoughtful landscape design, utilizing native as well as transplanted trees and wildflowers. Of the original 44 lots only 15 remain.
Age: 2001
Builders: Cary Hy Custom Homes, Classic Residential, Michael O. Browning, Michael Moore, Roque Custom Homes, Castlegate Homes, Talisman, Simmons Estate Homes, Peyton Thomas Homes
Home Types: Traditional
Home Features: All custom
Price Range: $800,000 and up
Contact: Susan Folkert at 214-902-0882; David Bagwell at 817-540-5500. www.bagwellcompany.com.
Old Grove
Five acres of deep woods have been preserved in Old Grove for its residents and their neighbors in the adjacent Westmont addition. Across Old Grove on its west side is a riverine forest through which runs a branch of Big Bear Creek. Beside it will soon be a new leg of the proposed Solidago Trail, a one-and-three-quarter-mile pedestrian pathway that will encircle Old Grove, Westmont, Whittier Heights, and Colleyville’s McPherson Park. Seventy lots are in the plan for Old Grove, each designed to back or side wooded areas.
Age: 2004
Builders: Custom Design Homes, Old Field, Cary Clarke, Daron Gunter, Wright Properties, Roque, Ellison Construction Company, Peyton Thomas Homes
Home Types: Old World, traditional
Home Features: All custom
Price Range: $500,000 and up
Contact: Susan Folkert at 214-902-0882; David Bagwell at 817-540-5500. www.bagwellcompany.com.
Whittier Heights
Whittier Heights is known for its natural wildlife appeal and will complete a three-mile-long segment of Colleyville’s citywide trail providing residents with the opportunity for recreation and exercise, within a beautiful landscape. The trail features extensive native tree, shrub, and flower plantings. Two ponds grace the subdivision, contributing to the natural beauty of this area. Of 120 lots, 50 remain.
Age: 2003
Builders: Custom Design Homes, Oldfield Fine Homes, Cary Clarke, Daron Gunter, Wright Properties, Roque Custom Homes, Ellison Construction Company, Peyton Thomas Homes, S.C.C. Homes, LTD
Home Types: Old World, traditional
Home Features: All custom
Price Range: $500,000 to $750,000
Contact: Susan Folkert at 214-902-0882; David Bagwell at 817-540-5500. www.bagwellcompany.com.
Coppell
The Reserves
The Reserves is comprised of 21 home sites uniquely located close to the entrance to the historic section of Coppell. Old World architecture dominates in this family-filled enclave. Bordered by the city park, horse stables, and a creek, this neighborhood community has a uniquely rural feel. Coppell ISD exemplary status.
Age: 1999
Builders/Developer: The Holmes Builders
Home Types: Old World, European
Home Features: All custom
Price Range: $725,000 to $2 million
Contact: Sammy Brumit at 214-621-3637 or [email protected]. www.theholmesbuilders.com.
St. Andrews Manor
Located two blocks east of MacArthur Blvd. on Deforest Rd., St. Andrews is one of a few small cul-de-sac developments in the heart of Coppell. With only 23 home sites, St. Andrews manages to convey the rich sense of a close community. A multitude of trees and a creek create a truly nature-like environment. Coppell ISD – exemplary status.
Age: 2004
Builders/Developer: The Holmes Builders
Home Types: Old World, European, Country French, Tudor, English
Home Features: Custom
Price Range: $650,000 to $2 million
Contact: Sammy Brumit at 214-621-3637 or [email protected]. www.theholmesbuilders.com.
Dallas
Cochran Hollow
Located in the Cochran Chapel area of historic Bluffview, with limestone cliffs and running streams, Cochran Hollow is a quiet, gated enclave of 30 private residences. Existing homes range in size from 3,000 square feet to more than 4,000 square feet. Both public and private schools are within two miles, including Ursuline Academy, Hockaday, St. Marks, and Episcopal School of Dallas. While this subdivision is largely developed, several lots still remain.
Age: 2000
Builders: Flansburgh Custom Homes
Home Types: Contemporary to Country French
Neighborhood Character: Families, professionals
Price Range: $500,000 and up
Contact: 214- 902-9313, HOA.
Flower Mound
The Reserve at Bridlewood
Bridlewood epitomizes the upscale master-planned community. The development is situated on 800 acres of hilly woods with meandering streams, an 18-hole championship golf course, five tennis courts, two pools, jogging trails, equestrian center, outdoor pavilion, fitness and recreation center, and a 12,000-square-foot-clubhouse. Lewisville ISD. Two neighborhoods within Bridlewood, The Reserve and Bridlewood Farms, fit into a distinctly upscale category.
The Reserve, a gated neighborhood within Bridlewood, is a golf community, located adjacent to the fifth fairway. This community has 57 half-acre-or-larger lots, including 13 golf course sites. All custom builders must be approved by the architectural review committee.
Age: 1999
Builders: New Haven Custom Homes, Huntington Homes, Pierce Homes, Street Custom Homes
Home Types: Old World, country
Home Features: Some homes with multiple master suites, exercise rooms, jacuzzi tubs, media rooms, high-tech electronics, and wooden garage doors
Price Range: $650,000 to $2 million
Contact: Ken Harrell, President HOA at 972-899-2740 or [email protected].
Chateau du Lac
Twenty-nine homes, majestically situated on two-acre lots with private access to Lake Grapevine, is a tough act to beat. The 79-acre luxury development also sports a greenbelt and gated entrance. Exemplary school districts Flower Mound and McKamy cinch the deal.
Age: 2001
Builders: Chateau Home Builders, Monogram Homes, Holland Home Builders
Home Types: Old World, European, Mediterranean, French
Home Features: Grand staircases and excellent wine cellars
Price Range: $1 million and up
Contact: Verna Rhodes at 972-380-7967 or [email protected]. www.rhodesandassociates.com.
Chimney Rock Estates
This 100-acre community, established around a two-acre lake and 50-acre nature conservation, is so special it has even drawn builders as residents. Developed by Chimney Rock Partners, L.P., wildlife, native flowers and grasses flourish amidst 48 one-acre lots (and one ten-acre lot), most bordering the wooded easement. Original spec homes have been acquired and several new ones will break ground before fall. The minimum house size is 3,500 square feet. To top it off, the community adjoins the core property of Lake Grapevine.
Age: 2003
Builders: Garvey Homes, Monogram Homes, Steve Morey Associates, Pressley Group
Home Types: Old World, English, Hill Country, Tuscan, New Orleans
Home Features: Some homes with granite slab kitchen countertops, solid core doors, energy-efficient vinyl frame windows, and radiant barriers in the attic
Price: $600,000 to $1.6 million
Contact: Mark Weatherford, developer, at 214-361-8614. www.chimneyrockflowermound.com.
The Landing at Northshore
The Landing offers expansive two-acre home sites in a serene lakeside setting. Situated directly on Lake Grapevine, this community consists of only 51 home sites, many on secluded culs-de-sac. This heavily wooded, rolling terrain is secured behind a gated entrance.
Age: 1998
Builders/Developer: The Holmes Builders
Home Types: Old World, European
Home Features: Some homes actually front the shoreline of the lake
Price Range: $1 to $10 million
Contact: Sammy Brumit at 214-621-3637 or [email protected]. www.theholmesbuilders.com.
The Estates at Tour 18
The smart money is headed for the remaining lots at Tour 18 Estates. Even with a minimum lot size of 1.5 acres, gated security, heavily wooded terrain, and the exemplary Argyle ISD, prices are extremely reasonable. Many of the homes back up to the Tour 18 golf course, a public course well known for its design (and recently acquired by Arnold Palmer).
Age: 1994
Builders: J. Lambert, Thornbury
Home Types: Old World, Mediterranean, colonial, contemporary
Home Features: All custom, some with wine cellars and fabulously expansive yards
Price Range: $700,000 to $4 million
Contact: Susan Sanford, President HOA at 817-961-0762, 214-537-4122 or [email protected].
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| FRISCO’S THE LAKES ON LEGACY |
Frisco
Chapel Creek
The countryside of Frisco is home to Chapel Creek, a community with a Phase 1 plan that contains more than 150 lots. Creeks, trees, hiking and biking trails, and rolling hills characterize this upscale neighborhood. Lot size goes up to one acre, affording privacy within the subdivision. Developed by LandPlan, the company that also developed Stonebriar Park, Chapel Creek has additional phases on the drawing board, so expect a multitude of new home sites to become available in the near future.
Age: Late 2001
Builders: Avida, Bob Bobbitt, Robert Balkman, Chapman, Citelli, Classical, Lonnie Gray, Ken Fox, Hawkins-Welwood, J Adam, McGregor Homes, Phipps & Co., Reynolds, Sharif & Munir, Rick Smith, Stephenson, Zachary, Darling Homes, Sanders
Home Types: Old World, European
Home Features: Some homes with media room, pool and spa, outdoor living area, wineroom, exercise room, outdoor gazebo
Price Range: $550,000 to $3 million and up
Contact: Greg Barnett, HOA, at 972.934.0400 or [email protected]. www.cmamanagement.com.
The Lakes on Legacy
The Lakes on Legacy Dr., a premier 218-acre master-planned community, offers a lake, scenic views and picturesque greenbelts, creating a rural-like backdrop for the three exclusive residential villages. Included in the homeowners’ dues is access to the adjacent swim club, tennis courts, and fitness center. An excellent daycare center and elementary school are nearby.
Age: 1999
Builders: Bella, Crestview
Home Types: Old World, European, Mediterranean
Home Features: Beautiful entryways
Price Range: $750,000 to $2.5 million for custom homes; some homes in smaller lots available for $450,000 and up
Contact: Verna Rhodes at 972-380-7967 or [email protected]. www.rhodesandassociates.com.
Latera
Latera will be a gated community on an expansive 120 acres. Jogging paths, trees, and wooded-creek lots characterize Phase I. Roads have just been finished and the ground breaking is expected by fall.
Age: 2004
Builders/Developer: The Holmes Builders
Home Types: Old World, European, Italian, Mediterranean designs expected
Home Features: All custom, many with European and period influences
Price Range: $550,000 to $1.1 million and up
Contact: Jack Garton at 469-446-1698 or [email protected]. www.laterafrisco.com.
Starwood
The 550 acres that make up Starwood are designed around a village concept. The master-planned community is complete with private recreation center, swimming pool, indoor half-court basketball, cardio-vascular weight room, tennis courts, and 4.5 mile wooded public hike-and-bike trail. Spanish oak trees and a creek contribute to a quiet ambience. Starwood was developed by Blue Star Land, which is owned by Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones of the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. A Montessori school is available on-site and nearby Frisco ISD schools offer an exemplary-rated education.
Age: 1996
Builders: Axxium, Jim Benson & Associates, Bob Bobbitt, Cresswell, Curtiss, Darling, Drais/Thompson, George E. Fuller, Huntington, Kirlin, Martineck-Johnson, Mayfair, Bruce Ott, Pierce, Balthazar, Reynolds, Steve Roberts, Tony Rossi, Solera, Wilson, Zachary
Home Types: Traditional, Old Word, modern French country
Home Features: Home sites all greater than one acre; all custom, including “low-maintenance luxury patio homes, traditional executive residences, and heavily wooded, lush creek side estate homes.”
Price Range: $400,000 to $4 million and up
Contact: Dena Compton at 972-335-6800 or [email protected]. www.starwooddev.com.
Stonebriar Park
Stonebriar Park is one of the many successful LandPlan Development Corporation ventures shaping the North Texas area. Often referred to as “gated French living in Frisco,” Stonebriar Park is known for its 17th-century style European architecture and six French-style villages. Parks, ponds, and creeks give the community a casual countryside feel. A social membership to Stonebriar Country Club grants access to the pool.
Age: 2001
Builders: Avida, Bob Bobbitt, Robert A. Balkman, Chapman, Citelli, Classical, Lonnie Gray, Ken Fox, Hawkins-Welwood, J. Adam, McGregor Homes, Phipps, Reynolds, Sharif-Munir, Rick Smith, Stephenson, Zachary
Home Types: Traditional, European
Home Features: Some homes include such luxuries as a media center, wine cellar, game room, or elevator
Price Range: $550,000 to $3 million and up
Contact: Greg Barnett, HOA, at 972.934.0400 or [email protected]. www.cmamanagement.com.
Keller
The Manors of Waterford
A new high-end subdivision in north Keller, The Manors is located in a hilly, heavily treed section, convenient to both highways and corporate campuses. Phase I and II are under construction with approximately five lots left in Phase I and 22 in Phase II. Sixty-four lots are planned for the 76-acre development in addition to five acres reserved for a park, lake, stream, and pedestrian trails. The Waterford Crystal logo has been authorized for use in this elegant development and entryway architecture – utilizing stone and wrought iron – to communicate this distinction.
Age: 2004
Builders: Freeland, Garabedian, Eagle View, The Morrison Group, Barfield, Larry Stewart, Enclave, Somerset
Home Types: Old World, European, Hill Country
Home Features: Many homes feature a wine cellar, casita, 4-car garage, large pool
Price Range: $800,000 to $1.7 million
Contact: Douglas Gilliland at 817-788-1000. www.themanorsofwaterford.com.
McKinney
Bluffs of Winding Creek
Just off Hardin Road, this development is one of the main north/south roads in West McKinney, giving homeowners easy access to the subdivision. Fifty-eight lots are spread across 28 acres of trees, greenbelts, and rolling hills. McKinney ISD’s fine reputation adds to the desirability of this new area.
Age: 2002
Builders: Kingsman Custom Homes, Brunswick Homes, John Spencer Custom Homes
Home Types: Old World, European, traditional
Home Features: Superior insulation and landscaping
Price Range: $500,000 to $1 million
Contact: Bob Fackler at 972-571-9030 or [email protected]. www.kingsmanhomes.com; Jim Moore at 972-960-9900 x205 or [email protected]. www.brunswickhomes.com.
Stonebridge Ranch
Stonebridge Ranch offers new home sites across a broad range of prices. In the higher end are neighborhoods Isleworth, Stonebridge Estates, Wellington Point, and Kings Lake. For residents, memberships are available at either of the two private country clubs and one has access to an 18-hole public golf course, a Beach Club & Swim Lagoon, a multitude of parks, an aquatic center and miles of hiking and biking trails. The three elementary schools within Stonebridge Ranch and many of the McKinney ISD schools have often received exemplary ratings over the years.
Contact: For general information on Stonebridge Ranch or its communities, contact Colleen Aldstadt at 972-529-5997 or [email protected]. www.newlandcommunities.com. www.stonebridgeranch.com.
Isleworth
Considered an island community within Stonebridge, Isleworth has a single gated entrance and is surrounded on all four sides by two fairways of the Dallas Stars Country Club Golf Course (formerly Stonebridge Country Club), the only signature Pete Dye Golf Course in the area.
Age: 2001
Builders: J. Adam, Axxium, Stephenson, John Crawford, Stirling Wainscott, Pierce, Stonecrest, Delmar.
Home Types: Traditional, contemporary
Home Features: All custom
Price Range: $600,000 to $2 million
Contact: Larry Delzell at 214-801-9999 or [email protected]. www.isleworthmckinney.com.
Stonebridge Estates
The gated community of Stonebridge Estates features some of the highest elevations within Stonebridge, great views, creeks, ponds, and native trees. All lots are oversized at three-quarters of an acre or more. The Estates is across the street from Stonebridge’s Beach and Tennis Club.
Age: 1995; second phase 2001
Builders: Kirlin, Bella, Mayfair, McClure Brothers, Bradford, G. G. Cain
Home Types: Old World, Mediterranean, neo-traditional, Italian
Home Features: Excellent media rooms and wine cellars, spectacular entryways, and intricate trimwork
Price Range: $600,000 to $1.6 million
Contact: Buck Driggers, developer, at 972-529-5988 or [email protected]. www.stonebridgeestates.com.
Wellington Point
Wellington Point is located across from the Dallas Stars Country Club, along the golf course’s greens and fairways. All homes within the community are more than 3,500 square feet and many have views of the country club, lakes, and fountains.
Age: 1987; newest phase 2001
Builders: Kirlin, Mayfair, G.G. Cain, Billings, Pierce, Jim Hughes
Home Types: Old World, Italian, stucco
Home Features: Like Stonebridge Estates, these homes feature excellent media rooms and wine cellars, spectacular entryways, and intricate trimwork
Price Range: $600,000 to $1.3 million
Contact: Buck Driggers, developer, at 972-529-5988 or [email protected].
Kings Lake
Kings Lake is a gated community on 65 acres featuring 117 custom lots. It is reputed to be the highest-end development in the history of McKinney. A 24-hour manned guard house provides security to this scenic neighborhood.
Age: 2003
Builders: Mayfair, Halifax, Mike Peckham, Ken Fields, J.D. Smith, Philip Ethan, George Fuller, Shelley Reynolds, Steve Penhollow, Acacia, G. G. Cain, Enviro, Martineck & Johnson
Home Types: European design, including French and English country, Mediterranean, Old World, Tuscany, and Spanish/Italian villa
Home Features: Lakefront lots, creek lots, and ravine lots available
Price Range: $500,000 to $2 million
Contact: Robert Saco-Vertiz at 214-212-5148 or [email protected]. www.kings-lake.com.
Parker
Dublin Road Estates
Within the Dublin Road Estates are several neighborhoods, each with one- to two-acre lots and a quiet, country feel. Most recent phases, Creekside and Edgewater, have only a few remaining sites, but they are spacious and desirable. Only eight minutes from the conveniences of Plano, these large home sites are a great deal for the pricea and are also close to the Los Rios Golf Course. A lovely community pond, creeks, trees, and great views make this a highly desirable area. Plano ISD.
Age: 1999
Builders: Alford Homes
Home Types: English and French Country, Mediterranean, Hill Country
Home Features: Gourmet kitchens, luxurious baths
Price Range: $650,000 to $2 million
Contact: Greg Alford at 214-384-8779 or [email protected]; Ashley Smith at 214-676-0992. www.alfordhomes.com.
Plano
Kings Gate
Kings Gate is a secure, gated West Plano community with some of the highest elevations around. Some of the most exquisite million-dollar estates in North Texas are situated in a natural country setting, full of 100-foot trees, lush greenbelts, rolling hills, and valleys. Home sites range from three-fourths acre to over two acres. Each estate-sized residence in Kings Gate offers its own unique attribute, such as wooded, creek-side, and hillside settings. Lewisville ISD.
Age: 1998
Builders: Cooper Custom Homes
Home Types: Old World, European, Mediterranean, French
Home Features: Many homes with view of city lights, four-car garages, impressive media rooms, and state-of-the-art lighting and technology
Price Range: $1.7 million and up
Contact: Verna Rhodes at 972-380-7967 or [email protected]. www.rhodesandassociates.com.
Southlake
Estes Park
From the same developers of Oak Pointe, Estes was inspired by Estes Park in Colorado and is complete with eight acres of walking trails. Forty-five one-third to half-acre lots are planned for Phase I, 77 lots for Phase II and will be completed by fall; expect a stone-and-brick look with a country flair.
(Estes Park, continued)
Age: Fall 2004
Builders: Calais, Conn-Anderson, V. Patrick Gray, Monument, Roque, Bruton
