Local Developer Predicts North Texas May Become Too Big for the Border
Share News:
The DFW Metroplex is like a microcosm of the universe itself. It’s defined by its energy, momentum, constellations of bright lights, and vast potential. Not to mention, it’s home to the Stars… And like the universe, DFW seems to be infinitely expanding. As northern suburbs like Plano and Frisco look more and more like early versions of Dallas itself, new circles of sprawl are increasing the footprint of this fast-growing area. One local developer even believes North Texas may not even stop at state lines.
Accommodating the Innovation
With the business-friendly nature of North Texas, the cause of this expansion is evident. In the last several years, the region has welcomed the relocations of corporate titans like Toyota, McKesson, and the PGA of America. This coupled with the expansion of powerhouses like Texas Instruments in Sherman and AT&T has created an ever-compounding corridor of commerce.
This aggressive influx of businesses has brought growing infrastructure to accommodate it all. If you find yourself northbound on US-75 or the Tollway, the changes are undeniable. Just past Allen or Frisco, the proliferation of office space, shopping centers, and amenities is transforming the landscaping. Even commercial air travel is mapping a course for McKinney.
North Texas and New Homes
With so much incoming industry, housing infrastructure is rapidly developing to meet demand. Rod Wede, a custom home builder in the area, predicts the Metroplex may soon even exceed state limits.
“We’re seeing a real expansion across the far North Texas area,” said Wede. “As a custom home builder, a great percentage of my clients come from other states and countries. Many of them are relocating or coming for new technology career opportunities.”
In addition to a diversity of incoming clientele, Wede analyzes multiple market indicators that allude to growth even beyond what some builders expect.
“If you look at what’s happening across the technology and commercial real estate sectors, it’s pretty apparent how much potential the region has,” said Wede.
He points to the incoming Texas Instruments wafer factory in Sherman, Texas and a $6 billion Margaritaville resort planned for Lake Texoma as early indicators of this new era of expansion.
“If you think about how many people those will bring in and the amount of housing needed to accommodate them all,” said Wede. “You can easily see how the Metroplex could reach beyond the Texas border in the coming years.”
Reshaping the North Texas Aesthetic
As a custom builder, Wede only provides a handful of personal touches to his homes. Everything else is dreamed up by the incoming residents. With an array of differing tastes and preferences, these buyers may soon reshape the housing landscape across the region.
“I make sure to pier every foundation. Also, I ensure all of my homes are as energy efficient as possible with foam insulation and the latest eco materials,” said Wede. “I give clients a solid foundation to start with and they dream up the designs.”
Wede explained that his clientele is typically not accustomed to the architecture of the area. Interestingly, many of them opt for lower ceilings, cleaner lines, and more modern aesthetics.
“I recently had one relocation client from Kentucky,” said Wede. “He wanted an American traditional with dormer windows, picket fence, and all the classic Americana aesthetics. However, when it came to the interior he wanted everything more contemporary.”
Bridging the Future
There are approximately 80 miles of dirt between Downtown Dallas and the Red River to our north. Currently, about 40 miles of that is paved through decades of unprecedented North Texas development. When you factor in outliers like Sherman, Denison, or Gainesville, it’s easy to see how the dots of DFW will connect in the coming years.
“I’ve lived in this sprawl since I started building,” said Wede. “Anytime you get growth like they’re going to have in Sherman, it’s going to bring in buyers of all types. They’re going to have the $100,000 employee. They’re going to have the $200,000 employee. We’ll even see the million-dollar executives. So, it will have impacts across all sectors of the real estate landscape.”
15 Comments
Leave a Comment
“As northern suburbs like Plano and Frisco look more and more like early versions of Dallas itself”
Is this guy high or just does he just lack any architectural design understanding – at all? Typical developer.
YAY, more ugly, nondescript/characterless architecture, straight out of the McMansion Hell blog. Congrats on spreading the unremarkableness of the suburbs?
No one is going to want to live in DFW if it doesn’t figure out how that people don’t want every part of their county paved over and the countryside replaced with cookie cutter houses. If DFW does not set more common sense regulations and preserve some open space then it’s gonna be comparable to suburban New Jersey. DFW will be a shithole.
Then there’s the other aspect of DFW where the people overwater their yards on this arid drought prone region. Water developers want to flood East Texas farms and Texans homes to create lakes- just to supply DFW city folks green lawns. Obviously rural Texans are sick of the people in the cities and their greed- the constant development of DFW needs to end.
Texans are being taxed out of Texas
I think we needed builders, developers, expansionists, realtors, all the city planners etc should’ve sat down to draft a real blueprint for DFW?! This is unbelievable … truly is and sad!
Let’s ask Mr. Wede what his inventory of houses are right now. I bet he won’t tell you. DFW area has the HIGHEST inventory of unfinished and unpurchased homes in the United States according to CNBC. This will be our next housing crisis and it will center right here in DFW. It will make 2008 look like a circus. Developers are intentionally not finishing homes so they are not added to their already exploding inventory. Look at the massive incentives developers are giving to new homes right now.
Oh please, this is nothing new. Dallas has been slowly moving North for decades. From fashionable Turtle Creek, to University Park, to Preston Hollow, to Prestonwood, to West Plano, to Frisco, to Celina, to…
Why no-one is seriously looking South or East is the real mystery.
The problem with building endless vertical skyscrapers and high rises for residential in Dallas for the purpose of avoiding sprawl is how the city historically has always been more focused on anchoring master planned developments with horizontally constructed iconic retail.
Just look on a map at the area between the North Dallas Parkway and Preston Road stretching north for thirty miles. It now takes in a 30 square mile area extending from Downtown Dallas all the way out to highway 380 north of Frisco. As people during ancient times went crazy for the erection of tall lifeless edifices, modern people are the same way today the way they are willing to give away their hard earned tax money to the city to pay for empty office buildings that will never fill up.
The North Texas area is diverse today in the sense that one can move to a little Austin that the college city of Denton is becoming. Want to live in Houston, move more towards Irving which has always been more lax concerning zoning. Don’t think Fort Worth is distinct from Dallas? One can buy luxury western wear at shops located within its historic Stock Yards district. There is just lots of options to choose from. While the immediate area is interesting both geologically and geographically – it is loaded down with dinosaur bones – lots of beautiful places with canyons, hills, mountains, and lakes are located just a few hours away.
Is there a PLAN to house the WORKER BEE CLASSES? It seems that the HIGH DOLLAR end of the scale will be fine, no matter what. TO BE CLEAR, I personally don’t have anything against the TOP END of the scale.
There seems to be a lack of BALANCe in your reporting on the issue of housing overall and it is critically important that the FULL SPECTRUM of housing options and PRICING need to be included and planned for — especially ing the northern EXPANSION ZONES.
Is anyone addressing this need.
And here is a helpful clue — the City of Dallas has OVERBUILT in “affordable rental housing” compared to its regional partners.
I’m a native here in Dallas and why didn’t we build the fair park area better it needs a lot of attention since in brings in millions to the park every year and yes we here in Texas are very nice people and what has been moving here is not what we like a lot more crime people living in the streets, find on corner up 75 to down town Dallas we are starting to look like California and yes I traveled there and witnessed the problem this is what we can’t tolerate, if you move to Texas don’t bring your attitude, rudeness, throw your trash out your car on our towns, crap up our stores, bring your buddies to rob and step from retailers smash and grab just please realize you will want to move out of here next do to living and being trashy , and let’s all get along because this is a nice time for everyone to bring economic transparency, not to hard to get it, and all these land grabbers support your local police departments the also are being put into the problems that criminals are doing .
Honestly after living in Houston, Atlanta and Dallas, I really see why this area is booming and is keeping it’s charm! This area has more family oriented businesses and parks that I so love.
I said this 5 years ago that the Sherman l/Denison corridor is the next big growth area of Texas if not all 9f the sunbelt states.
That’s because we’re being taxed like it’s 1980. Austin is not moving with the times and God help us if the state ever turns blue, because the waste will be of epic proportions. Hint: the surplus will not be used for the people that put it there, it will be wasted on handouts and freebies. Think CA, NJ, MA type waste.
It will continue till the economy takes a poop…and that can happen over night
To BEN CASS… so far you’re The only one posting on here that makes any logical truthful sense at all… People’s comments on here. Remind me of my first year in real estate. Listening to all the watercooler conversations From agents that have no idea what they’re talking about…
I might have an idea of who you might be listening to out there.Because your numbers are absolutely correct… The oversupply, the unfinished units, the shadow inventory added to the investor class.That’s moved from motivated to distressed.Selling not to mention the collapse in the government propping up the industry any longer…. Here comes the pain…
This whole “article” and it’s premise are ridiculous. The Metroplex will grow WEST & SOUTH at some point. The “far northern growth” will only happen as long as developments can make financial sense going there, people are willing to drive to DFW/Love Field and either Las Colinas/Downtown Dallas/Arlington/Downtown Fort Worth. There is more open land/cheaper land/Alliance Airport/and room to build/expand highways TO THE WEST. Islf the State of Texas/Feds won’t fund the infrastructure: It will stop at some point. I’ve long waited for the area to wise up the WESTERN POTENTIAL.