What is a planned community (also known as a new home community)? Simply put, it’s a neighborhood designed by a developer to contain homes along with many features and conveniences that allow residents to live a fulfilling lifestyle and develop a sense of community or belonging. This design considers aesthetics, homeowner needs, and the natural flow of human activity, creating a community that feels welcoming and neighborly, not unlike a small town.
Planned communities are typically located in the suburbs, where land is plentiful and more affordable, yet still within reach of employment and entertainment opportunities. New planned communities, such as Treeline by Hillwood in Justin, TX, typically offer new construction homes from respected builders in a variety of styles, sizes, and price points.
7 Reasons to Buy a Home in a New Planned Community
Planned communities are increasingly popular, for a number of good reasons:
Community Amenities
When you live in a planned community, you won’t have to drive out of town to have a peaceful walk in nature. There’s no need for a gym membership, since swimming pools, fitness centers, and outdoor recreation areas are part of the grand design. You won’t have to go far for life’s conveniences, either, as restaurants, grocery stores, and schools are all nearby.
While it’s expected for a planned community to include these benefits, Treeline has some unique amenities you won’t find in any other new planned community. Examples include a gaming treehouse, a library treehouse, a cloudspotting/stargazing park, an orchard park, and more.
Meaningful Connection with your Neighbors
Neighborly connections are at the heart of planned communities. Some new home communities actively encourage residents to get to know each other through a calendar of planned activities and events. Hillwood Communities’ award-winning lifestyle programs give homeowners many opportunities to meet each other at community wide events like the holiday festivals, movie nights, and outdoor concerts. They also support a variety of smaller get-togethers like book clubs, crafting sessions, and fitness classes. And even by bringing neighbors together for charity through events like food drives, basketball tournaments, and community races.
Good Schools
Developers understand that homeowners value good schools—both for education and the bump in home values—so planned communities are typically located in top school districts. Treeline, for example, is located in the A-rated Northwest Independent School District (NISD).
Convenience and Walkability
A planned community is designed to be close to everything you need, and to encourage connection. This minimizes driving and maximizes socialization. You can walk from your new home to the neighborhood pool or park, and in most of Hillwood’s new home communities, your kids can even walk to school. An on-site NISD elementary school is planned to be on the grounds of Treeline in the future.
A Smart Investment
By its very nature, a planned community stabilizes home resale values, often resulting in higher home values than neighboring houses in typical communities. The Motley Fool also says that planned communities can make great financial investments, partly due to the value creation inherent in their design.
Abundant Green Space
Studies prove that being in a natural setting soothes the mind and is beneficial to our physical health. Since planned communities are typically built in suburbs, green space in the form of parks, trails, and natural areas are integral to the design. At Treeline, a flowing creek and mature oak trees anchor the neighborhood in natural beauty.
Homes from Top Builders
With a new planned community, you have access to the region’s most elite builders. You can purchase a move-in ready home, if available, or choose your own lot and home design, then select from a set of curated options for interior finishes. Upgrades to add additional rooms and deluxe features are usually available as well.
Treeline offers new construction homes from leading DFW new home builders including American Legend Homes, Beazer Homes, David Weekley Homes, D.R. Horton, Highland Homes, HistoryMaker Homes, Pulte Homes, and Tri Pointe Homes.
Master-Planned Community FAQs
What is a planned community?
While most communities develop organically, a planned community (also referred to a new home community) is designed by a single developer. The community is unified by an overarching aesthetic, and includes convenient, desirable features and amenities like schools, event spaces, fitness facilities, resort-style pools, playgrounds, trails, and green spaces, placing them strategically to encourage spontaneous resident interactions.
What are some planned community examples?
Reston Association in Reston, VA, is considered the first modern-day “master-planned” community. Built in 1964, the Reston Association design highlighted the natural environment and included recreational amenities. Seaside, FL was another ground-breaking planned community, designed to encourage walking and outdoor life.
In Texas, Pecan Square by Hillwood and Harvest by Hillwood are two very popular planned communities in North Texas that offer modern, energy-efficient homes along with a unique assortment of desirable amenities and award-winning lifestyle programs.
Treeline, a new Texas planned community, emulates these pioneering developments with its emphasis on the outdoors and community-centered amenities like walking trails, a resort-style swimming pool, and an amphitheater lawn. Opening in early 2025, Treeline will offer housing at a variety of price points.
Why invest in a planned community?
Planned communities not only offer benefits like convenience, walkability, and a sense of community, but are also a wise investment. Planned community developers evaluate locations carefully to identify up-and-coming areas poised for growth. This scrutiny, coupled with the community’s attractive design and amenities, tend to cause homes in these homes to appreciate more than others.
Learn More About Treeline by Hillwood
Sold on the benefits of a planned community? Check out Treeline, and be wowed by its verdant beauty, its unique amenities, and its convenient location in Justin TX, just a short drive from Fort Worth, Denton, and DFW International Airport. Learn more about the new construction homes for sale at Treeline (opening in early 2025), the Texas planned community you’ll want to call home. Visit www.treelinebyhillwood.com and sign up for our interest list to stay in the know!