Lake, Ranch Life, and Polo All Within 45 Minutes of Dallas at 505 Ranch Club

Most second home shoppers build vacation home dreams on one or two activities — the beach, the lake, or the hills. But buyers at the 505 Ranch Club  are getting three or more activities to fill the lazy days of weekends and turn every day into an experience. The private, exclusive enclave on Cedar Creek Lake, one of the largest lakes in the state, sits on one and a half miles of sparkling shoreline. There is water, there are 505 acres (hence the name) of dense woods to explore on foot, skeet shooting, target practice, trail rides, mountain biking, and unlike most vacation home communities, each home is set far apart from its neighbors, as if you were living in the middle of the woods.

The 505 Ranch Club also offers one of the top equestrian centers in North Texas, with ample paddocks and corrals, all available to owners at their whim but no upkeep. The shared ownership ranch concept marries the carefree freedom and fun of the ranch experience. But it almost completely eliminates the back-breaking hard work!

Still, the best part may be just pure geographical luck: when you buy your vacation home at the 505 Ranch Club, your no-maintenance ranch is only a 45-minute drive from Preston Center.

56 private, waterfront home sites meander along the lake, dotting a 505-acre shared ranch. (Insiders say the total house population may only top 40 or less, as buyers snap up more acreage per purchase.) And if you are not familiar with the shared ownership ranch concept, well get ready. City Slickers, you’ve met your nirvana. Enjoy the attributes of living on a ranch with zero work. Realtor Suzanne Warner of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury has sold many homes to vacation home buyers on Cedar Creek Lake as well as local ranches. She says 505 Ranch Club buyers are looking for more than just a place to go on the weekend and vacations.

“They don’t want to just have a lake house, or a ranch, they want to have the lifestyle,” says Suzanne. “And the 505 offers you both the fun of living on the lake with a full ranch at your disposal.”

And now, a new offering for the future is a private polo and equestrian facility that will provide homeowners with exciting events, membership programs, riding lessons, polo lessons, and boarding and stabling opportunities.

In recent vacation home surveys from the National Association of Realtors, buyers say the ideal vacation home is located within a two hour drive of their primary residence.

“The drive to the 505 Ranch Club is not stressful drive at all,” says Suzanne. “In fact, it’s downright peaceful. It’s just enough time to make a few calls and wrap up the hustle.”

Because of the close proximity, homeowners tend to enjoy their lake homes at the 505 Ranch Club more often. Owners find their “second” home to be more year-round, so much that some end up living in their vacation home permanently, reverse commuting for work or working from home. It is not uncommon for homeowners to gather the family into the 505 Ranch Club for a holiday stay, since DFW is only an hour away.

“That’s closer than almost any other lake community I know of,” says Suzanne. “We all love Colorado but it takes one, sometimes two plane trips to reach the destination.”

Once there, homeowners have their pick of amenities. Put those phones away — children will not be glued to their phones or devices, there is too much to do. There is movement, activity, romping in the fresh outdoors. Check out a board game at the owner’s lodge, ride at the equestrian center, hop on the ATV course or head to the skeet range or stocked fishing ponds.

A full-time director of homeowners’ services and staff is on hand to make sure homeowners and their families are never bored.

Or burdened with home maintenance while they are supposed to be having fun.

“It can be a true lock and leave,” Warner said. “You never have to change a bed, do the sheets, clean the house — we can even have your kitchen stocked, counters wiped, and your boats gassed and serviced.”

Having a party? Try celebrating special events at your lake house with special friends. The club offers full catering services from event-planning to clean-up. And the community hosts quarterly events, including pop-up dinners with local chefs (the most recent one was by Chef David Anthony Temple, also known as Chef DAT), helicopter rides over the property, and skeet shooting events using Firebird clays, and high-end equestrian entertainment.

“For families, kid-wise, the Ranch Club is really ageless — your kids can grow up here, create wonderful memories,” she said. “There’s everything from bounce houses on the Fourth of July to ATV riding for the older kids.”

The age range of buyers is from young professional millennials to retirees and empty nesters. Warner recently sold a home to a doctor and his wife with a two-year-old, so the age range is varied.

Lots can range from one to four acres, depending on homeowner’s preference. Land pricing starts at $325,000 and are mostly priced according to linear waterfrontage.

“We will never be a dense community,” says Warner. “We’re projecting that there will probably only be about 35 homes, and we’re already close to 80 percent sold.”

The entire development is the brainchild of Eastern Partners, who are responsible for luxury communities all over the country –  from a Condo project on the banks of Lake Travis to the Villas at Cortina in Telluride, Colorado. The 505 Ranch Club concept was to be able to have a ranch, lake and equestrian atmosphere all in one.

Warner says each home built is crafted so painstakingly, you will never see cookie cutter.

“We only do one spec home at a time,” she said.

The current spec home, located at 447 Sun Valley, is on the market and is definitely a showstopper.

 

Designed by Jerry Coleman, the 4,863 square foot, four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home sits on 1.32 heavily treed acres of waterfront property, guaranteeing lakefront views. Coleman’s experience in building luxury homes has resulted in a clean-lined, rustic ranch and lake house.

The home is built for entertaining, and with only the best finishes and top appliances. The open kitchen offers a Bertazzoni cooktop, wine fridge, a Bosch refrigerator, and quartz countertops.

Oak floors traverse the common areas, with carpet in the bedrooms. Slate flooring, quartz countertops, and tile finish out the master bathroom, and the upstairs bathrooms feature Macabus counters and stone flooring.

“The home boasts the finest quality of finishes including hardwood flooring, heavy beams, natural stones, and quality millwork,” Warner said.

Throughout the home, reclaimed beams accent tall ceilings, and a Lsokern wood-burning fireplace will provide the perfect spot for winter lake living, too.

Outside, there is more space for entertaining, including wide patios and a screened porch overlooking the lake, plus a space ready for you to grill up a steak or two, since the gas tap has already been installed.

The 505 Ranch Club at Cedar Creek Lake will host an open house at its newest home Sunday, July 29, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. This is one part of Texas you simply HAVE to see … get those suitcases ready!