The plan is to step up the project where construction began fouryears ago, says Jim Jenkins, president of Newland's Texasdivision.

Newland also is planning to buy about 1,000 acres abuttingMeadowbrook Farms golf course near the intersection of FM 1093 andGrand Parkway, along the same artery where the developer hasrecently bought the 300-acre Country Lakes residential development,according to Jenkins. The Fort Bend County property is situatedclose to the parkway, a major route opening up land west of Houstonfor development. More than 2,000 homes could be built on theMeadowbrook Farms property.

Throughout the Houston area, year-to-date home starts have beentrying to keep pace with the estimated 65,000 new jobs created inthe past year in the city. A slowdown isn't expected anytime soon,with rising oil prices serving as an economic indicator thatHouston's energy firms will be enlarging their workforces.