HBW subscribers eyeing Austin residential construction job leads already know that Meritage Homes, renowned for its grandly scaled housing developments, is downsizing to meet the demands of Austin home buyers. Their latest project, South Austin’s Solavera, is part of the city of Austin’s infill strategies meant to generate housing near the city’s centers.
Of this new emphasis on urban infill, Meritage’s Austin division president Charlie Coleman says that “We’re trailblazers…Over the past year our strategy in Austin has changed” to include the infill projects in major cities where the company is well-represented. No doubt that part of the reason Meritage has adopted this strategy is because of the profound lack of otherwise entitled A- and B- grade lots available in urban centers and the lack of entitled land tracts in the outskirts of bustling urban areas.
Meritage will continue building its large suburban communities in Buda, Lakeway, and Pflugerville, but their latest move will put them in direct competition with infill specialists and Austin locals PSW Real Estate, who are developing pocket communities along the Spicewood Road Corridor. PSW focuses on sustainable design and building for the urban Austin environment for families who want to live in walkable communities near their workplaces and favorite entertainment haunts.
Meritage’s Solavera is slightly over three acres in size. It is located at 2807 Del Curto Road, just east of the South Lamar Boulevard and Manchaca Road intersection. The fully entitled yet thoroughly vacant site was purchased this year from Four Seasons land and Development LLC principal Shawn Breedlove.
By December, the infrastructure work will be finished and building will begin on the single-family detached houses. A debut event showcasing the community for select realtors happened on October 9. Next week will be the VIP event for potential buyers.
Demand for the units has proven to be so strong that Meritage will hold a pre-sale lottery to determine potential homeowners for the community. Buyers must pre-qualify for a home loan of $520,000 or more to be selected for the lottery. Final home prices for the contemporary-styled homes are as yet undecided, but are expected to begin in the $600’s for floor plans ranging from 1,814 to 2,866 square feet.