Expansion Capitalizes on DFW Housing Demand

DALLAS—With the local population bursting at the seams, one company is capitalizing on the influx of would-be home buyers in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. TRI Pointe Group is expanding its Texas footprint with the acquisition of Dallas-based homebuilder Dunhill Homes and its age 55-plus brand Nathan Carlisle Homes, both Winchester Carlisle Companies, for a cash purchase price of approximately $60 million.

As more than 300 homes are expected to be delivered in 2018 and nearly 1,500 lots owned or controlled as of now in the DFW region, the acquisition of Dunhill Homes provides TRI Pointe with a strong position in entry level, first move-up and 55-plus communities.

“When researching entry into the Dallas-Fort Worth market, our goal was to identify a customer driven, best-in-class local company with a strong leadership team with the same kind of values, mission and vision that defines TRI Pointe,” says TRI Pointe Group CEO Doug Bauer. “Seeing a close alignment of culture and philosophy, it quickly became clear that company was Dunhill Homes. Our newest division will benefit from the financial resources, economies of scale, thought leadership, and research and development capabilities of a national organization.”

Effective January 1, 2019, Dunhill Homes and Nathan Carlisle will begin operating under the name of Trendmaker Homes, which is TRI Pointe’s established regional homebuilding brand in Houston and Austin.

“Continuing to expand our footprint nationally is fundamental as we look ahead at new opportunities within the homebuilding industry,” Bauer tells GlobeSt.com. “2018 served as a pivotal year for the company with the launch of new divisions in Sacramento and the Carolinas, and now the news of this fruitful acquisition to further enhance our Trendmaker Homes brand and presence in Texas, a top homebuilding market in the US. Being able to serve first time, first move-up and 55-plus home buyers in the Dallas-Fort Worth market with our newest division, led by home-building veteran Rich Rodriguez, will continue to drive us forward in the year ahead.”

Rodriguez, the new division president of Trendmaker Homes Dallas-Fort Worth, brings 20 years of real estate experience in homebuilding, development and commercial construction. He has held senior leadership positions with several national and regional homebuilders, including Centex, Pulte, John Laing Homes and History Maker Homes.

TRI Pointe Group’s strategic expansion capitalizes on the Dallas and Fort Worth housing markets, which ranked in the top five nationally for population growth in 2017. As of September 2018, total employment in Dallas had increased nearly a full percentage point year-over-year to 3.5% and Fort Worth’s employment growth has also been strong, increasing 2.8%, GlobeSt.com learns. Additionally, the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area has a significantly higher percentage of its population in the 25 to 44 age cohort, a prime home buying demographic.

“The Dallas-Fort Worth metro area is attractive in many ways, from its impressive business growth and employment opportunities to its strong housing affordability,” said Rodriguez. “With a population growth that is twice the national rate, business climate and its many other advantages, the Dallas-Fort Worth region presents a tremendous opportunity for TRI Pointe Group to bring its successful homebuilding formula to a fertile high-growth residential market.”