The two largest U.S. homebuilders have opened model homes in a Hill Country market outside the Texas state capital.
D.R. Horton and Lennar are selling single-family homes on 50-foot lots at Thunder Rock in Marble Falls, Texas, about 50 miles northwest of Austin, according to master developer Centurion American Development Group. Prices start in the $290,000s.
The 214-lot second phase follows a 280-lot first phase, Centurion said. Residents will be close to the Colorado River and outdoor recreational activities.
“Buyers are seeking communities that offer both connection to nature and access to everyday conveniences," said Rob Romo, a Centurion vice president, in a statement.
The project is set to include access to a 26-acre city sportsplex, a 10-acre city recreational center, more than 200,000 square feet of future commercial space, linear parks and hiking and bike trails, according to the master developer.
D.R. Horton, based in Arlington, Texas, is the nation's largest homebuilder based on 93,311 sales last year, according to Builder Magazine. Miami-based Lennar ranks second with 80,210 sales.
Marble Falls has a population of about 9,400, a 33% increase since 2020, according to the latest U.S. Census data.
While the city is growing fast, it's still considered far from the more densely populated areas of the greater Austin area, according to Israel Linares, a senior market analyst for Homes.com and its sister company, CoStar. It may appeal to people who work in southwestern Austin and who don't mind commuting about 45 minutes one way, he said.
"Because it is not as built out, it caters to people who value that small-town feel," Linares told Homes.com.
As with other small towns on the outskirts of the Austin metropolitan area, water supply has been an ongoing issue, but Marble Falls is taking steps to prepare for the growth and increased demands on water, Linares said.