Woodforest Sees Spike in Sales, Building Activity

Montgomery, Texas –  With housing starts and sales increasing well into the triple digits, Woodforest is now the most active community in booming Montgomery County.

In a recently released report prepared by Bohlke Consulting Group, Woodforest posted the highest number of Montgomery County housing starts of any development, with 244 building permits awarded from August 2011 to July 2012. Two-thirds — 156 permits — were granted this year. Plus, Bohlke now ranks Woodforest among Houston’s top 10 master-planned communities for housing starts.

“Our velocity picked up in the second half of 2011 and it’s continuing into this year,” said Virgil Yoakum, general manager of Woodforest, a project of The Johnson Development Corp.

The number of building permits issued in Woodforest rose 154 percent during the 12 months ending July 31 compared to the previous 12 months, said Bohlke’s Gary Latz.

“Woodforest’s growth is remarkable for the Houston area, which recorded a 23.5 percent increase during the same time period,” Latz said. “With The Woodlands expansion occurring primarily in Harris County, Woodforest is by far the most active community in Montgomery County.”

Woodforest’s sales pace mirrors the increase in the number of building permits, with 192 new-home sales through August, a jump of 123 percent over 2011.

“The Woodforest team is doing an exceptional job, forging onward through what has been a difficult housing market. It is well ahead of the 30 percent growth rate in new-home starts currently seen in the Houston housing market,” said Metrostudy’s David Jarvis.

Yoakum attributes the spike in activity to 12 national and regional builders offering a variety of products and prices in the community and a location just minutes from major Montgomery County attractions, such as the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Market Street and Lake Conroe.

“We offer an ideal location, not just for shopping and dining, but also for jobs, since we are convenient to major employment centers,” Yoakum said. “We already have several residents who have moved here in anticipation of the new Exxon Mobil campus opening in 2014.”

For more information on Woodforest, visit www.woodforesttx.com.