TX Waterfront Homes Command a 77% Premium — And D-FW Can Be Pricier
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Waterfront living comes at a price, and a recent analysis of lake communities puts that premium at around 77% in the Lone Star State.
LakeHouse.com, an online real estate marketing platform for waterfront residential and commercial properties, found that such listings averaged $338 per square foot compared to $191 for their landlocked counterparts in Texas. For a hypothetical 2,000-square-foot home, that difference works out to nearly $300,000, and in the same community, no less.
“Waterfront homes are more than just real estate. They represent a lifestyle, limited availability, and lasting demand,” said Jasper-based broker Joseph Carter. “Because there is only a finite amount of shoreline, these properties have historically demonstrated stronger appreciation and greater long-term investment potential than many traditional in-town homes.”
That 77% Texas premium exceeds the 53% premium clocked nationally, and several lakes in and around D-FW carry markups well above even the statewide figure.
Lake Grapevine posted one of the largest premiums in the state. Listings there had a median price of roughly $550 per square foot, 132% higher than the $237 median for homes away from the shoreline.
Eagle Mountain Lake on the Fort Worth side of the Metroplex wasn’t far behind. Its waterfront properties commanded a median $393 per square foot compared with $181 away from the water, representing a 117% premium. Lake Worth registered an 87% premium, with waterfront homes at about $340 per square foot versus $182 for non-waterfront properties.
Buyers willing to venture farther outside D-FW won’t necessarily find much in the way of premium relief. Cedar Creek Lake, a popular second-home destination southeast of Dallas, carried a 93% premium. Lake Texoma came in at 85%, while Richland Chambers Lake registered a 96% difference.
Possum Kingdom Lake was among the most dramatic examples anywhere in Texas. Waterfront homes there listed for about $490 per square foot, 155% above the $192 median away from the shoreline. Further north, though, Lake Cypress Springs has waterfront homes going for 177% over.
Other North Texas-area lakes showed more moderate, though still substantial, differences. Lake Lavon had a 61% waterfront premium, Lake Granbury 57%, Lake Tawakoni 56%, Lake Weatherford 46%, and Lake Lewisville 45%.
Lake Ray Hubbard recorded one of the smaller gaps in the region at 31%, with waterfront listings fetching about $233 per square foot compared with $178 away from the lake. Even White Rock Lake in the heart of Dallas registered a roughly 60% premium, with waterfront listings at $513 per square foot.
