Tariff and recession concerns don't appear to be slowing development at a master-planned community earmarked for more than 3,000 homes in Fort Worth, Texas.
Highland Homes said last week it plans to build 325 houses within Ventana off Interstate 20 on Chapin School Road near Loop 820. It expects to start home construction by the end of next year.
Ventana opened in 2017 with about 1,200 homes occupied or under construction, according to master developer PMB Capital Investments. Other builders at the community include American Legend, Perry Homes and Trophy Signature Homes, and PMB is adding Beazer Homes, David Weekley Homes and Taylor Morrison for development of future phases. Home prices range from $375,000 to $875,000.
The development's ongoing success is tied to its prime location near top schools and a roster of homebuilders with "high quality but sensible design guidelines," PMB partner Taylor Baird said in an email.
With 163 housing starts in the past year, Ventana is in a strong position, confirmed Ted Wilson, principal at Residential Strategies, a Dallas-based homebuilding consulting firm. Ventana also benefits from the adjacent Maverick Golf and Ranch Club, a 500-home luxury development that PMB is building with Discovery Land Co., Wilson said.
Still, the broader industry in Texas and across the country feels a pinch.
Consumers remain wary
While Dallas-Fort Worth is the third-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country, international demand is fueling much of that growth, with domestic relocations on the decline, according to Wilson.
President Trump has eased aggressive tariff plans he announced in April, with most of the levies paused for 90 days. Even so, some homebuyers remain leery that the tariffs will lead to higher home prices and an economic slowdown. Meanwhile, U.S. housing starts are lackluster, and homebuilder confidence is at its lowest level since late 2023.
Builders in full growth mode a year ago are now cutting prices and offering discounts and incentives, such as mortgage-rate buydowns, to keep buyers motivated, Wilson noted in an interview.
"We've seen quite a bit of margin compression," he said. "It's not a fun process to go through."
Highland is developing its Ventana lots in-house rather than buying the land from other companies, a move that will allow it to control the supply and better meet buyer demand, according to Chip Boyd, vice president of land acquisition and development. The company won't release prices until the construction start date is closer.
Privately held Highland, based in Plano, Texas, builds exclusively in the Lone Star State. It ranks as the nation's 25th-largest builder based on 3,876 home sales last year, according to Builder magazine.