Draft:Land Tejas Development

• Comment: Zero independent sources Helpful Raccoon (talk) 20:20, 11 September 2026 (UTC)

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Land Tejas Development is a privately held residential real estate development company headquartered in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1997, the company develops master-planned residential communities throughout the Houston metropolitan area. As of 2026, it has developed more than 30,000 acres across more than 25 communities.

History

Land Tejas was founded in 1997 by partners Al Brende (1945–2025) and Courtney Grover (1955–2010) Between 1997-2005, the pair focused on guard-gated communities with resort-style amenities and attainable home pricing that allowed more people to move into home ownership. Land Tejas also started building strong builder partnerships, with many of the same builders offering homes in each community. Notable communities during this time included:

• Canyon Gate at Cinco Ranch (the first Land Tejas community)
• Canyon Gate at Northpointe
• Stone Gate
• Canyon Gate at the Brazos
• Park Lakes
• Legends Ranch.

Through these communities, Land Tejas became known for elevating community amenities beyond the traditional neighbourhood offerings of that time. These included introducing large-scale recreation centres, resort-inspired pools, golf course integration and family-focused lifestyle programming. In 2003, Land Tejas set a new trend for community amenities when it introduced one of the Houston area’s earliest splash pad concepts in Stone Gate. As demand for master-planned communities accelerated across the Houston region, Land Tejas expanded.

Notable Communities from 2006–2015

• Canyon Lakes West
• Harmony
• Westheimer Lakes
• Cardiff Ranch
• Miramesa
• Sterling Lakes.

Chronology

During 2006, Land Tejas reached an important milestone, with 10,000 homes sold in its communities. The next milestone came in 2010, with 15,000 homes sold. From 2014 to 2018, Canyon Lakes West was ranked among the nation’s 50 top-selling master planned communities. Beginning in 2017, Land Tejas transformed the Texas master-planned community market by installing Crystal Lagoons amenities and lazy rivers into its communities. Land Tejas became the first developer to introduce a Crystal Lagoons amenity to Texas when the Balmoral community opened in 2018 in Humble, Texas.

Introducing Crystal Lagoons' amenities to Texas

Land Tejas introduced the first Crystal Lagoons amenity to Texas in 2018 with the opening of a lagoon in Balmoral, a master-planned community in Humble. As brand ambassador for Crystal Lagoons, Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps appeared at the grand opening.

From 2017 to 2021, Land Tejas delivered multiple top-selling communities, all with resort-style amenities:

• Balmoral – First Crystal Lagoons amenity in Texas
• Sierra Vista – Heated lazy river
• Wedgewood Forest – Resident fishing facility
• Marvida – Lazy river
• Lago Mar – The largest Crystal Lagoons amenity in Texas.

In 2021, Land Tejas launched a joint venture with Starwood Land, ushering in new energy to the Houston development scene. At the time, Mike Moser, CEO of Starwood Land Advisors, called the transaction “a tremendous opportunity to acquire a high-quality portfolio of mature residential communities built by a first-class developer in a leading growth market.”

Land Tejas co-founder Courtney Grover died in 2015, and Al Brende died in 2025. His son, Alan Brende, assumed operational oversight of Land Tejas as co-president alongside co-president Melanie Ohl.

Land Tejas communities

Land Tejas has developed or participated in the development of more than 25 master-planned residential communities in the Houston metropolitan area. Its developments have included Canyon Gate at Cinco Ranch, Harmony, Balmoral, Lago Mar, Sunterra, Marvida, River Ranch and others.

Current communities

• River Ranch
• Grand Magnolia
• Lago Mar East
• Wynserra
• Cardon

Notable former communities

• Cardiff Ranch
• Miramesa
• Sterling Lakes
• Vanbrooke.

Awards and recognitions

Land Tejas was recognised nationally in 2014, with Canyon Lakes West was ranked on a list of the nation’s top-selling communities for 2013 new home sales. The national recognition continued, with multiple communities ranked among the nation’s top-selling items of the following:

• 2014 sales – Canyon Lakes West
• 2015 sales – Canyon Lakes West
• 2016 sales – Canyon Lakes West
• 2017 sales – Canyon Lakes West
• 2018 sales – Balmoral Lago Mar
• 2019 sales – Balmoral Harmony
• 2020 sales – Balmoral Sierra Vista / Sterling Lakes
• 2021 sales – Balmoral Sierra Vista / Sterling Lakes
• 2022 sales – Marvida Sierra Vista / Sterling Lakes
• 2023 sales – Sunterra Marvida
• 2024 sales – Sunterra (the top-selling community in Texas)
• 2025 sales – Sunterra (the top-selling community in Texas) Lago Mar

In addition, the Houston Business Journal named Land Tejas as Houston’s Largest Real Estate Developer in 2020 based on the number of local homesites developed the previous year. Beyond top-selling status, Land Tejas has won accolades for residential development in both the Texas Association of Builders’ Star Awards and the Greater Houston Builders Association’s Houston’s Best PRISM Awards. Notable awards include Lago Mar’s Master-Planned Community of the Year and Balmoral's Best Community Amenity Award.

Community involvement

Land Tejas has supported community organisations and educational programs through initiatives including the Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA) Benefit Homes Project and the Land Tejas Adopt-a-School program. The company first donated a homesite to the GHBA Benefit Homes Project in 1998 and in 2022 was named the project’s top donor with 18 lots donated. Proceeds from the project support HomeAid Houston and Operation Finally Home.

Land Tejas established its Adopt-a-School program in 1997 to provide funding for educational materials and programs at schools serving its communities. The program is funded through a fee assessed when a home is sold, with funds administered by the homeowners association of each community.

In 2007, Land Tejas made a $1 million gift to St. Luke’s Community Medical Center, of which $75,000 was designated for nursing scholarships. The previous year, Land Tejasdonated $352,000 to Cy-Fair College’s Associate Degree Nursing Program, a gift that allowed the program to add nursing faculty and more than triple student admission.