BIG APPEAL, SMALL TOWN
A new 135-acre luxury ranch-style community breaks ground in Round Top
Round Top is best known for its massive antique fairs and small-town charm, but the tiny community 100 miles northwest of Houston continues to attract luxury real estate developers hoping to appeal to wealthy vacationers.
Lappin Properties, a Houston-based real estate firm, recently broke ground on Round Top Springs, a 135-acre community about 6 miles off State Highway 237 that will have just 16 ranch-style homes. Each will sit on sites of 5 to 10 acres, be larger than 3,600 square feet and cost $2.9 million to $4.5 million.
Construction comes just before the spring Round Top Antique Fair, March 27 to April 1. Though Round Top’s official population is only about 90, a few hundred thousand people swarm the town during the festivals every fall, winter and spring.
The antique shows and small-town charm have made Round Top a destination for wealthy weekenders and tourists from Houston and Austin seeking second homes, realtors say. In recent years, Houston-based hospitality group Palacios Murphy, which owns Armando’s Mexican restaurant in River Oaks, even opened a few restaurants and a boutique hotel in the town because the owners believe it will have River Oaks-area residents staying there. Last year, Houstonbased real estate firm Layne Property Partners, launched by former Howard Hughes chief Paul Layne, acquired the Original Round Top Antiques Fair, the Big Red Barn venue and the Blue Hills antique venue nearby.
Meanwhile, home values in Round Top continue to climb, with the typical home value reaching about $1.1 million, a nearly 28 percent gain from a year ago, according to real estate firm Zillow.
The price of land in the area also continues to rise, says Sissy Lappin of Lappin Properties. Since 2020, prices in Round Top more than tripled, to a range of $68,000-$70,000 per acre from $10,000-$15,000 , Lappin said. Last year, a 10-acre property sold for $4.2 million after just one day on the market, she said.
“They aren’t making any more land. And ranch owners in the area don’t sell,” Lappin said “They know it is the safest place to park money. Demand and scarcity are going to keep driving prices and interest.”
Round Top Springs is just the latest luxury development planned by a Houston-area firm in the area. Last fall, Katybased Faircroft Communities, a division of BSR Properties, launched another community of “ranchettes” featuring estate-style homes.
Both developments appeal to tourists, empty-nesters and well-to-do families looking for a second home or weekend getaway.
“People are looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city living,” Lappin said. “They’re wanting a sense of nostalgic and idyllic country living.”
Homes in Lappin’s Round Top Springs will feature large porches, an open concept, gourmet kitchens, three to four bedrooms, bunkrooms, fire pit and designer finishes. Houston firms Brickmoon Design and TC Interiors are handling the architecture and interior design, respectively. The community also is slated to have a common entertainment area with a pool and a pickleball court.