University Villas... some questions

1. No
2. Yes but surely to become trash that close to Gardere
3. I've never seen the gates closed
4. Don't know don't care live elsewhere
5. See 4

I'm not a big fan of how there is only a 3 feet gap between houses and the size of the backyards.

Absolutely pathetic how they made the lots so ridiculously small just so they can build as many houses as possible.

ETA: If I wanted a house with that small of a lot, it wouldn't be University Villas. I'd choose Lexington Lakes or Preserve at Harveston.

I'm a builder who put a spec on the ground in the new part. I only did 1 as a trial basis and by the time we were done I wish I had done more. All lots are sold to other builders now and the demand is crazy. I've worked closely with the developer in the past and can answer some questions.

1. I can't speculate on the future value of the home, but I can say that the values rose higher than we expected them to. The older filing had houses in the lower 130/sf range, while the newer filing was hoping to start out around 140/sf but has now exceeded that and gone into the 150's. That stretch of Burbank is going to continue to develop over the next decade making the area desirable during that time.

2. The original filing does have a good number of college kids; however the new filing with larger houses - at least from what I saw coming through open houses, was young couples. There are 2 entrances and if you're in the new part there really wouldn't be a need to drive through the older filing.

3. Once construction is complete both gates will be closed during the day.

4. The homes in the new filing are considered a step above starter homes. There are about 6 different builders in there but all of them used finishes that you won't find in your typical specs. High ceilings, triple crown, slab granite or quartz, custom showers, etc. The yards are small. These are zero lot line houses meaning one side of the house is built on the property line, and the neighboring house is set 5' off of it. So not much of a side yard, and very little rear yard. That's a negative for some and a positive for others. I was surprised at how many people didn't want a yard. Most all yards can fit a swingset though, and the patios on most homes are large enough for a grill/small outdoor kitchen and some furniture.

5. The new filing has a pool, clubhouse, lake and walking trail.

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You're not wrong in the fact that a lot of the "starter" neighborhoods you find now have houses that are all the same. That usually happens when you have 1 or 2 builders building out the entire development. This developer allowed 6 builders in there off the top of my head - and I believe it might be more. All of the homes had to fit the restrictions, but with 6 or 7 builders, you have a wide variety of floorplans. I can tell you that I own the floorplan I built and it can't be found anywhere else in there.

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Well that's good news. Glad I was wrong on that.

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Damn. What exactly is your experience with the neighborhood?

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That's classified.

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Beef Supreme

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What other neighborhoods have you built in?

My fault, I meant Lexington Park. And I think preserve at harveston has the small lot homes as well. All 3 are comparable in price.

Preserve at Harveston just had one sell for $520k (according to the link a realtor sent me). I think they are now selling in the $185 - $195 per foot range.

Thanks for the input, Beef.