Entry-Level Product Nets 60% of Home Sales at The Groves

HOUSTON—Master-planned community, The Groves, located in northeast Houston, is ending the year on a high note with plans for continued growth next year. Home sales achieved a 52% net sales increase year-over-year and the community experienced a 43% traffic increase year-over-year through mid-November 2019.

The Groves offers amenities, parks and a variety of new home options. In 2019, homebuilders including Highland Homes (40-foot model), Perry Homes (45-foot model) and Chesmar Homes (40 and 50-foot models) introduced expanded offerings of affordable entry-level options.

“We have seen about 60% of our home sales in 2019 come from our entry-level type products. We are also seeing an increase of homebuyers that are not your traditional young family buyers, including young singles, young couples and single parents,” said Mike Miller, vice president, Houston, Ashlar Development. “Data from John Burns Real Estate shows that homebuyers in today’s market are seeking organic, authentic, unplanned and experience-based lifestyle amenities that allow them to get outside and take advantage of nature.”

Additional homebuilders within The Groves include Village Builders, Trendmaker Homes, Lennar, Westin Homes and Toll Brothers. The Groves offers 15 product types and more than 160 floor plan options, ranging from 1,500 to 2,900 square feet with home prices from the $220,000s to $600,000s. Home features include game rooms, outdoor living space and multi-car garages.

In 2020, The Groves will unveil additional product lineups, opening within expanded sections of the community. Builders will introduce new model homes including Lennar (50-foot model), Westin Homes (60-foot model) and Perry Homes (60 and 70-foot models), with homes starting from the $270,000s.

Toll Brothers announced it will unveil Canopy at The Groves, an exclusive gated community in 2020. Canopy at The Groves will offer one- and two-story home designs ranging from 2,741 square feet to 3,789 square feet situated on 60-foot home sites. The home designs will offer up to four bedrooms, five bathrooms and two- to three-car garages. Homes in Canopy will be priced from the low $400,000s.

Groves residents have access to Humble ISD schools located within the community. West Lake Middle School opened in the 2018-2019 school year and serves nearly 1,500 students. The Groves Elementary School opened in the 2017-18 school year.

According to a lifestyle survey of residents, top factors for Groves buyers include woods/nature access, schools, floor plan options and affordability. Expanded floor plans are available at prices ranging from the low $200,000s. Homes at The Groves also cater to younger buyers with options such as open concept floor plans, entertainment space, clean interior design, smart home technology and sustainable features.

“Several factors attract these buyers, in addition to outdoor amenities and nature access,” Miller tells GlobeSt.com. “The appeal continues of ‘surban’ neighborhoods, suburban neighborhoods offering the most desired features of urban and suburban living. The surban experience at The Groves makes the community unique and attractive to younger homebuyers.”

According to a report prepared for ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing by John Burns Real Estate Consulting (which coined the term surban), the suburbs will draw at least 80% of the coming wave of new households as younger families seek urban amenities combined with more kid-friendly housing and good schools typically associated with the suburbs.

Additionally, the surban experience offered at The Groves includes a lifestyle program created by a full-time lifestyle director.

“She plans hundreds of events annually for all ages and interests, from toddler story time to adult happy hours to outdoor movie nights to our weekly farmer’s market,” Miller tells GlobeSt.com. “Younger and Millennial buyers enjoy the strong community ties and interactions with neighbors.”

This fall, The Groves provided $1,500 closing cost assistance on contracts for new homebuyers, in recognition and support of local families recovering and seeking relocation following Tropical Storm Imelda.

“The Groves was fortunate to remain afloat during recent major flooding events, including Hurricane Harvey and Tropical Storm Imelda,” said Miller. “The Groves was thoughtfully developed with the most rigorous standards. Planned design efforts such as Madera Creek, which runs throughout the community, helps reduce flooding during major weather events.”