New-home sales increased 10% in 2009 in Telfair, a 2,018-acre master-planned community being developed by Newland Communities in Sugar Land.

Homebuilders in Telfair sold a total of 449 new homes in 2009, compared to 408 new homes sold in 2008. Last year was the best year for new-home sales in Telfair since the community opened in 2006.

Strong local move-up sales, new homebuilders and added amenities helped Telfair post a double-digit sales gain in a year where Houston area new-home sales were significantly down from their peak two years ago, said Heather Gould, marketing director for Newland Communities.

“Since Telfair opened in 2006, it has built a strong brand that has appealed to both local and out-of-town buyers, and referrals from existing residents are accounting for a growing share of new-home sales,” Gould said. “In these times especially, buyers appear to prefer master-planned communities such as Telfair, viewing them as safe havens of quality and value.”

Telfair was the third best-selling community in the Houston area for new-home sales for the first three quarters of 2009, the latest statistics available from Houston-based Metrostudy.

Telfair added a new homebuilder in 2009, Pulte Homes, which opened a new model in the community’s low-maintenance patio home neighborhood. 

Telfair also gained attention in 2009 with the fall opening of the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land, located in the historic Central State Farm building in Telfair, which was donated by Newland Communities to the museum and the City of Sugar Land. Adjacent to the museum, Newland opened the first phase of Telfair Central, which will ultimately become a 25-acre recreation and community center complex for Telfair.

Gould said Telfair’s location at U.S. 59 South and University Blvd., just south of Highway 6, has appealed to current Sugar Land and Fort Bend County residents who want to move up to a new home but remain in the area. “With the opening of the museum at Telfair, Sugar Land Towne Square, the University of Houston at Sugar Land and other attractions, this area has gained an impressive critical mass that also includes a strong employment base and excellent freeway access to other parts of Houston,” she said.

More than 1,600 homes have been built at Telfair since the community opened in 2006. The 2,018-acre master plan calls for approximately 2,800 homes and 300 acres of recreational amenities.

Elsewhere in the Houston area, new-home sales increased 15% in 2009 at Cinco Ranch, a 7,600-acre community also being developed by Newland Communities in Katy. A total of 892 new homes were sold in Cinco Ranch in 2009, compared to 773 sold in 2008.