Ever been to Porter, Texas?  Maybe not.  Located just north of Houston in Montgomery County a lot of it has been undeveloped woodland nestled between The Woodlands on one side and Kingwood on the other. As it turns out, Caldwell Communities spotted it as a prime opportunity and has started a 2,300-acre development called The Highlands offering homes from 13 different builders in a wide price range.

There's a championship level golf course nearby, lakes dotting the community and no, they didn't cut down all those trees. Instead they built more than 30 miles of trails throughout them, giving residents immediate access to the great out of doors without having to arm themselves with machetes to make their way through the undergrowth. There's a 200-acre nature preserve on the site.

On a recent visit to the development just off the Grand Parkway we were greeted by Marketing Manager Becca Green and Visitor Center Director Marci Raley,  both bright, friendly and able to dispense all manner of information as they took us on a guided tour negotiated by golf cart. As one section is built out, another is started and the homes range in price from $300,000 to more than $1 million. At completion, they expect to have about 4,000 families living in the community in varying lot and building sizes.
Home builders besides Caldwell Holmes include Beazer, Coventry, David Weekley, Drees, Empire, Highland, Lennar, Newmark, Partners in Buildingm Perry, Ravenna and Village Builders. Model homes with just a few exceptions are laid out in one area, so it's easy to go quickly from one builder to the next.

Zoned to New Caney ISD, in the fall of 2025 The Highlands plans to have an on-site elementary school. Utilities will be provided by MUD 140 for trash, water and sewer; Entergy for electricity, Centerpoint Energy for gas (all stoves and ovens are gas-powered) and Wellcom for fiber internet. There will be a homeowners association that will take over once the development is done with an annual fee estimated at $1,420.
The Fairway Pines section is for the "Active Adult" for residents 55 and older. At least one resident has to be 55 or older and no one under age 21 may purchase a home in this section. In addition to the general use amenities throughout the development, Fairway Pines has its own clubhouse and fitness room and its own set of planned activities.

Rooms in this section have wider doorways and showers are walk-in.  Plugs are raised on the walls for easier access.

Mirror Lake is the largest lake on site. and is stocked with fish.  Not everything has been built out yet: a general amenity center and several dog parks (resident-requested) are yet to come. They hope to break ground on the pool soon and a pickleball court is planned. Colors throughout are done in greens and browns in keeping with the "National Park" theme they've adopted. Even the fire hydrants are painted to blend in.
Making a lot of this possible has been the expansion of Highway 99 (Grand Parkway) which has opened up quick access to the area, Raley said. Major medical nearby  includes Methodist, Memorial Hermann and Texas Children's either town Kingwood or The Woodlands.

According to Green and Raley, most of their homebuyers so far have been first time homebuyers, people who work at the nearby Exxon campus and empty nesters 55 and older. The community has a focus on activities as a way to help residents know each other as well as enjoy life in their new homes.

There is a set aside behind each backyard so people enjoying the trails and the trees aren't right on your property, Green pointed out. "Each home is not more than a block away from a trail," she said. This is a golf-cart friendly environment whether used at the nearby course or just to cruise the area. t

There are one and two story houses on offer as well as duets which have a shared wall but otherwise are two separate houses.

To contact The Highlands for a tour, call 832-945-1616 or visit thehighlands.com

Here are some more views of the project: