Texas’s remarkable economic and population growth creates an unprecedented demand for thoughtfully planned communities where families and businesses can flourish. As a large-scale, independently owned Texas real estate developer, Hillwood Communities transforms this demand into opportunity. We possess comprehensive capabilities spanning residential, commercial, and mixed-use development, building places where generations can thrive.

Our long-term vision, guided by the Perot family’s legacy, allows us to create communities that are not just built for today but designed for enduring value. From the award-winning agrihood of Harvest to the innovative town square concept at Pecan Square, our projects are a testament to a future-focused development philosophy.

What Makes Hillwood Texas’s Leading Community Real Estate Developer?

Our leadership as a premier community real estate developer in Texas is built on a foundation of long-term vision, unmatched scale, and flawless execution. While others focus on single projects, we specialize in creating entire ecosystems designed for life. From initial land acquisition to the final home sale, our comprehensive development approach ensures that every detail contributes to a vibrant and enduring community.

Unmatched Scale and Market Presence

Our scale is a testament to our success as one of the leading real estate developers in Texas. For over 35 years, we have been a dominant force in residential development in Texas, with a significant presence across the state’s major growth corridors, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and the Austin-San Antonio region. This deep market penetration solidifies our reputation among the top Texas land developers.

Our portfolio includes over 100 master-planned communities, demonstrating a track record of success that few can match. This extensive experience gives us unique insights into market trends and the expertise to execute complex, large-scale projects that define regions.

Hillwood Communities at a Glance (as of January 2026)

105

Communities Developed

Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin

Texas Markets Served

11 in Texas

Currently Active Communities

12,500

Acreage Under Development in Texas

Nearly 32,000

Homes Planned in Texas

38

Years of Experience

Comprehensive Development Expertise

Our success as a mixed-use community developer stems from our vertically integrated expertise. We manage every phase of the development lifecycle under one roof, including market research, land acquisition, entitlements, master planning, infrastructure development, and marketing. This seamless collaboration is a core strength, backed by Hillwood’s 38-year legacy in real estate development.

As a Perot Company, we have interdisciplinary expertise at our fingertips including retail, office, and industrial businesses. This allows us to offer our partners a level of seamless collaboration that few full-scale developers can provide, ensuring a cohesive and successful outcome for cities, municipalities, and landowners.

The Hillwood Communities Development Philosophy

Guided by Ross Perot, Jr., and the family’s legacy of visionary thinking, we approach land not as a commodity but as a canvas for creating enduring value. Our philosophy prioritizes long-term stewardship over short-term transactions. We are privately owned, freeing us to focus on what is right for the place, the time, and for the generations who will call it home.

Strategic Master Planning for Lasting Value

Value is created through meticulous, forward-thinking master planning. We design places that foster genuine human connection by integrating homes with parks, trails, schools, and commercial hubs. Our plans include world-class amenities and thoughtfully designed infrastructure that not only serve residents today but also support sustainable, long-term growth and livability.

Commitment to Quality and Innovation

Our commitment to quality is uncompromising. We partner with the region’s most respected homebuilders and hold every aspect of construction to the highest standard. Simultaneously, we embrace innovation, integrating smart technology, sustainable practices, and wellness-focused designs to meet the evolving needs of modern families and create communities that stand the test of time.

Why Texas Is the Premier Market for Master-Planned Community Development

Texas isn’t just a location; it’s the epicenter of opportunity for master-planned communities. Its dynamic environment provides the perfect foundation for large-scale, visionary development projects.

Economic Growth Fueling Community Demand

The state’s robust economy, fueled by corporate relocations from across the nation and significant job growth in diverse sectors, creates a constant and powerful demand for high-quality housing. This sustained in-migration from other states means that families are actively seeking out the well-designed, amenity-rich environments that define a Hillwood master-planned community.

Development Advantages in Texas

For real estate developers in Texas, the advantages are clear: available land, a pro-business regulatory environment, and a strong public commitment to infrastructure investment. This climate, combined with a trusted homebuilder network and collaborative municipal partners, makes Texas the ideal landscape for ambitious, long-term community development.

What Sets Community Development Apart from Traditional Real Estate

Developing a master-planned community is fundamentally different from traditional real estate projects. It is a long-term commitment to placemaking that requires a unique blend of vision, capital, and expertise. It involves transforming thousands of acres of raw land into a complete, self-sustaining environment over one or two decades.

This process requires a symphony of coordination between public and private stakeholders—from city planners and school districts to utility providers and homebuilders—to ensure that every element works in harmony.

Feature	Master-Planned Community Development	Traditional Real Estate Development
Timeline	10–20+ years, multi-phased	1–3 years, single phase
Scale	Hundreds to thousands of acres	Single parcel or small collection of lots
Scope	Comprehensive: homes, schools, amenities, parks, retail, employers	Singular focus: apartments, office buildings, etc.
Stakeholders	Multiple public & private partners (developer, city, school district, builders)	Primarily private developer and lender
Goal	Create a complete, livable environment	Complete a one-time transaction or build a building
Infrastructure	Developer plans and often builds major infrastructure	Taps into existing public infrastructure

Hillwood Communities by the Numbers: Proven at Scale across Texas

Our track record is measured in acres, homes, and the recognition of our peers. The numbers demonstrate our capacity to deliver excellence at scale, and you can see the results in our portfolio of master-planned communities across Texas.

Our commitment to creating exceptional places is consistently validated by the recognition we receive from our peers and colleagues in our industry. Celebrated communities like Harvest, a perennial award-winner for its innovative agrihood concept, Pecan Square, recipient of the 2025 National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Nationals Gold Award for Master-Planned Community of the Year, Wolf Ranch, a 2025 Nationals Silver Award Winner for Master-Planned Community of the Year and the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin MAX Award for Best Master-Planned Community of 2024, and Pomona, the Greater Houston Builders Association’s Master-Planned Community of the Year for both 2022 and 2023, showcase our dedication to quality and resident satisfaction.

These accolades reflect our unwavering commitment to creating exceptional places to live, work, and play. As part of the Hillwood organization, we benefit from decades of experience across commercial, industrial, and residential real estate.

Partnering with Hillwood Communities: Maximizing Your Land’s Potential

For landowners, a partnership with Hillwood Communities is more than a transaction; it’s a strategic alliance to maximize your land’s legacy. We understand the trust you place in a development partner, and we honor that with a transparent, collaborative approach designed to achieve shared goals.

A Collaborative Development Approach

We guide our partners through a proven, collaborative process that begins with a deep respect for the land and your vision. Our step-by-step approach includes:

Initial land evaluation and vision alignment
In-depth market analysis and planning to ensure optimal land usage
Navigating entitlements, approvals, and municipal coordination
Executing infrastructure development, phasing, and construction
Curating builder partnerships and comprehensive marketing campaigns
Ensuring long-term stewardship and value appreciation

Building Texas Communities for the Long Term

For over 35 years, Hillwood Communities has been more than a community developer; we are stewards of the land and architects of the future. We build places that honor Texas’s heritage while embracing its dynamic future. We invite you to join us in this legacy.

Ready to transform your land into an iconic Texas community? Learn more about partnering with Hillwood Communities.

FAQs About Community Development in Texas

How is developing communities unique and different from other real estate developments?

Community development is a complex, long-term endeavor focused on “placemaking.” Unlike traditional real estate, which often involves a single building or project, developing a master-planned community means creating a complete ecosystem over 10-20+ years, including homes, schools, amenities, parks, commercial spaces, and major infrastructure, all while coordinating with numerous public and private stakeholders.

Why is Texas a top state for master-planned communities?

Texas is an ideal market due to its strong economic and population growth, which fuels sustained housing demand. The state also offers key development advantages, including land availability, a business-friendly regulatory environment, and strong municipal partnerships, making it a prime location for large-scale, long-term projects.

What are some recent awards Hillwood Communities have received?

Our communities consistently earn industry recognition. For example, Pecan Square received the National Association of Home Builders’ The Nationals Gold Award for 2025 for both Master-Planned Community of the Year and Lifestyle Program of the Year. Wolf Ranch received The Nationals Silver Award for Master-Planned Community of the Year in 2025, and its Lifestyle Director received The Nationals Gold Award for Lifestyle Director of the Year in 2023.

Harvest was named the Dallas Builders Association McSAM 2025 Lifestyle Program of the Year, and Hillwood Communities was named the McSAM 2025 Developer of the Year for the seventh time and fourth consecutive year. All told, we received 32 awards for 2025 alone.

2024 was also a banner year for Hillwood Communities. Union Park was named Master-Planned Community of the Year at the Dallas Builders Association’s McSAM Awards. Wolf Ranch was named Master-Planned Community of the Year by the Austin Business Journal and received Best Master-Planned Community at the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin’s MAX Awards.

Furthermore, Pomona was named Master-Planned Community of the Year by the Greater Houston Builders Association’s (GHBA) Prism Awards, with back-to-back wins in 2022 and 2023.

How does Hillwood work with landowners to develop communities?

We work as collaborative partners with landowners, beginning with understanding the landowner’s vision and then applying our expertise in market analysis, master planning, entitlements, and execution to maximize the land’s long-term value and legacy.

How many communities has Hillwood developed in Texas?

Hillwood Communities has a 38-year track record and has developed 105 master-planned communities, most of them in Texas, delivering over 50,000 single-family lots across our portfolio.

What is the total acreage and number of homes at all active Hillwood Communities?

As of January 2026, Hillwood Communities has more than 12,500 acres under development at our active master-planned projects in Texas, with individual communities ranging from a few hundred to several thousand acres. These communities, in aggregate, will include nearly 32,000 homes at full build-out, with individual communities ranging in size from 940 to 6,000 homes.

A Leading Texas Real Estate Developer of Planned Communities