About Cedar Hill's Lake Ridge

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When it comes to lake view neighborhoods there are few getting more buzz right now than The Sanctuary at Lake Ridge on Joe Pool Lake in Cedar Hill, Texas. Just west of the critically praised Tangle Ridge Golf Club you will find this multi-phase gated community with elevated bluff views of both Joe Pool Lake and 600 acres of wooded Federal Conservation land. The layout of the neighborhood is an intimate one, with a single street that winds from the hilltop of Phase I down into Phase II, interlaced with private cul-de-sacs and no cross streets. This intimacy is balanced with spacious lots that range from a half to 1.7 acres, and the location along the south-eastern ridge of Joe Pool Lake, which means a literal haven of peace and quiet that is free from the sounds of cars or motor boats.

Phase I of The Sanctuary at Lake Ridge was opened several years ago to a welcoming crowd of buyers. It offers panoramic views of 3000 acres of rolling hills and trees to the South which are rivaled only by the highpoint Northern views spanning from Dallas to Fort Worth. Even Dallas Cowboys stadium can be seen from such heights and the nightscape of twinkling city lights and brilliant stars give this small exclusive neighborhood a hallmark status among the many communities of Lake Ridge. It is the most popular place at Lake Ridge to watch the annual 4th of July fireworks over Joe Pool Lake.

Phase II of The Sanctuary at Lake Ridge will officially open in September of 2011 and offers more choices in mature hardwood shade trees, flat build sites, and hilltop views. Homesite sizes here will range from half to 1 acre, with options to replat into larger acreage lots. Phase II also offers more homesites with views of Joe Pool Lake than Phase I and will be lower in cost; in fact, compared to other lake view neighborhoods that are centrally located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, The Sanctuary Phase II currently ranks as the #1 consumer best buy for overall price, views, lifestyle, location, and investment potential.

Both phases of The Sanctuary offer a unique amenity unlike any other community in Lake Ridge—permission to camp, bike, or hike onto the beautiful U.S. Army Corp of Engineers private property that surrounds the neighborhood. Many of the homesite backyards border this property, thus offering permanent views of undeveloped trees and water. Residents can also maintain their own hike & bike path down to a private lagoon area of Joe Pool Lake for camping, fishing, or just relaxation.

The Sanctuary at Lake Ridge is expected to be the showcase neighborhood of Lake Ridge, already attracting the likes of former professional athletes, recording artists, and TV/film actors. Aside from the multi-million dollar luxury homes going in there, more modest-sized/priced homes are also among them, adding a unique flavor of diversity to the atmosphere that has come to be common at Lake Ridge in general. Home to families, empty nesters, and seniors alike—there are few lake view communities in all of North Texas with a better mix of small town Americana and modern ambiance.

FOR A VIRTUAL TOUR, GO TO OUR PHOTO GALLERY

The Dallas/Fort Worth real estate market has made it a great time to build a custom home--land prices are at an all-time low in many spectacular communities and some of the best custom builders in the area are hungry enough for business to lower costs without lowering quality. Before the market dropped in 2008, the price per square footage of a quality custom home at Lake Ridge on Joe Pool Lake could easily cost you $140-$160 or more. Now many of these same builders are priced closer to $125. Since the materials and contractors are costing less, the same quality of the pre-2008 custom build jobs is still there.

If you call a custom builder, they will tell you to get your land first. There is no sense in designing the home of your dreams until you see what you're working with as far as the land it's going to be sitting on. Many of my clients have never built a custom home and are unfamiliar with the process; this can lead to fears that may get in the way of making the right decisions, so I've put together a list of the most important considerations in your search for the perfect homesite and how the neighborhood and surrounding community should effect your choices:

Space—do you want a mass-grade subdivision with zero lot lines, homes built close to each other, and minimal lawn space on rectangular block layouts or more of a resort style community with larger acreage, varied property lines, and spacious yards built on winding block layouts?

Location—is it close enough to city amenities like food and shopping but far enough away to avoid traffic noise, congestion, or expanding commercial development? How close is the nearest fire station, hospital, or regular police patrols? How far is the nearest airport? How long is your commute to work?

Safety—what is the crime rate and is anything going to cause it to increase drastically over time? Do police regularly patrol and what is the response time? Is there a hospital or fire station nearby? What is the community like after dark? Is there an effective crime watch or community officer? Are there safe paths for you or your children to walk, jog, or bike?

Education—do you find the local school choices acceptable? What about options on private or college preparatory academies? What do current parents living there have to say?

Preservation—have the neighborhoods consistently preserved qualities like low crime rates, views, friendly neighbors, and the overall way of life? How much of the adjacent land might be developed in such a way as to disrupt views or create noise and congestion?

Restrictions—what is the minimum square footage home allowed? Can you choose your builder or do you have to go with one of their selections? Is there a timeline to build once you buy land? Are the HOA/POA fees reasonable and do the restrictions allow you the home and lifestyle you prefer there?

Diversity—is there diversity in young couples, families, empty nesters, retirees, and seniors? Will various cultures and races feel welcome? Do most of the homes look the same or is there a multitude of architecture represented?

Amenities—are there entertainment and leisure activities convenient to the community such as paved jogging/biking paths, sports fields, parks, swimming, horseback riding, golf, music and festivals?

Views & Terrain—is there anything distinctive about the landscape as you tour the community, such as elevation or views? Is there a good selection of gated and non-gated neighborhoods or lake views or mature hardwood trees? Would the terrain allow unique architecture for the area, such as walk-out basements or infinity pools? Do wooden privacy fences clutter too much of the view?

People—what are the people like overall? Is there a friendly atmosphere where still wave at each other? Do neighbors diligently pay attention to suspicious activity and respond? Does there seem to be an attitude of respect and cleanliness among residents or a sense of pride to live there?

Value—is the property a good value given the views and community? Will it likely gain high equity over time? How much would a custom home cost per square foot on that particular property? Are the HOA/POA fees and property taxes worthwhile? Do other qualities of the community, like those mentioned in this list, justify spending more to live there than somewhere else?

These are all important elements of your decision, but I would also add that you should qualify the credibility of your information as you do your research. For instance, if you speak to a builder who doesn't usually build in the community you are asking about, that builder may give you false information in order to lure you to a community where he gets an incentive to build at (whether it's an official incentive or not). Talk to builders who build there regularly, then get referrals of residents from them.

Finding the homesite to build your dream home should be an exciting experience and your ultimate decision should support your instincts on where you most see yourself living the life you imagine.

Premium Homesites and Beautiful Custom Homes

Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake is a 3300 acre resort-style development of gated and non-gated communities along scenic Joe Pool Lake in Cedar Hill, Texas. The resort-style features include spacious homesites from .5 to 1+ acres, beautiful West Coast style landscapes and elevated views, sports and leisure activities, entertainment and shopping within a five minute drive, and unprecedented peace and quiet for a community located so close to both Dallas and Fort Worth.

Gated homesites range from $69,000 to $500,000, while non-gated properties range from $29,000 to $59,000. The average custom build cost per square foot ranges from $75 to $125+ and architectural styles vary from traditional Southern Colonial, Ranch, Tudor, Old World, European, Mediterranean, and Contemporary. The minimum allowed home size is only 2200 square feet, with no build timeline once you buy, and you can choose your own custom builder.

Modern utilities include fiber optic cable, sewer, and electric—all underground—and are ready for your builder to connect onsite. No more unsightly utility poles or worries over downed power lines in icy/stormy weather.

Resort Style Living for All Ages

Developed as a resort style community, the layout of Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake is unlike any community in the area. You won’t find rectangular blocks of zero lot lined cookie-cutter tract homes wedged closely together, but instead the community is spaciously laid out over winding streets with limited cross streets over slopes and hills that show off the high elevation and panoramic views of the cityscape of Dallas/Fort Worth. The elevation and cool lake breezes create temperatures in the mid 70's after dark, regardless of triple digit Texas summer days.

Lake Ridge borders the south-eastern shoreline of the 7500 acre Joe Pool Lake, which is home to 2 public marinas, Lynn Creek Marina and Joe Pool Marina, both popular venues for boating and water sports. At Lynn Creek Park you will find beaches and picnic sites and holiday attractions like the 4th of July fireworks over the lake and the Christmas "Prairie Lights" tour. For the serious campers, Loyd Park offers 213 camp sites with electric and water hookups and nearby showers or choose one of their fully furnished cabin rentals nestled in the woods right off the beaches of Joe Pool Lake.

What is a resort without night life? Residents of Lake Ridge join other locals from around Dallas/Fort Worth watching the sunset at The Oasis, a nearby restaurant & club located at Lynn Creek Marina, offering live music on a huge outdoor patio overlooking the lake.

Cedar Hill State Park is located just across Lake Ridge to the north and is the largest area park. Its camping, wildlife & nature preserve, hiking trails, and award winning mountain biking courses attract visitors from around the country. One only has to look at the area map to see how much this tremendous park has to offer and why it is one of the most popular getaways among Lake Ridge residents. The Dallas Off-Road Bicycling Association (DORBA) worked closely with park engineers to develop the 3 mountain biking courses there. You can view a detailed topography map of them and get an idea of how impressive the experience really is.

Distinctive Highly Ranked Golf Course

The Quintessential Safe Neighborhood

A notoriously low crime rate is one of the most attractive qualities of Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake and there are a variety of factors that attributed to this:

Limited access--the entire 3300 acre development has gated and non-gated neighborhoods but overall has a gated feel to it due to its limited access of only one main entrance at the North and one at the far South, unlike mass grade subdivisions which have numerous cross-streets that provide quick escape for criminals.

Remote but convenient location--Lake Ridge lies on the outskirts of both Cedar Hill and Grand Prairie, but 5 minutes from major shopping and eateries.

Assigned community police outreach officer--Officer Tammie Cooper, a member of the North Texas Crime Prevention Association and Certified Crime Prevention Specialist for the Cedar Hill Police Department is a familiar face with residents at Lake Ridge. She coordinates the neighborhood watch programs, maintains public relations, and participates in many local events and festivals.

Double the police presence--Not only is Lake Ridge patrolled by Cedar Hill police, but also by the Grand Prairie police, who have a substation right on Joe Pool Lake. Response time for either department is mere minutes and some of the officers are property owners at Lake Ridge. Aside from low crime rates, safety is reinforced further due to a joint Cedar Hill/Grand Prairie fire station located right in the community and Mansfield Methodist Hospital, a full service ER/surgical hospital, is located only minutes away.

Public and Private Schools

Also appealing to young families is the availability of two different school districts, Cedar Hill Independent andMidlothian Independent, with great teachers, high standards, and hallmark athletic programs. Lake Ridge Elementaryis located right in the community and is one of the best in the area with an exemplary rating. Also nearby are many great private schools and college preparatory academies. Trinity Christian and Canterbury Episcopal are two exceptional academic institutions attended by many Lake Ridge children.

Lifestyle Preservation amid Booming Growth

How many times do you hear of residents moving out of neighborhoods due to negative change brought on by growth over the years? Have you ever experienced a decline in property values due to commercial expansion surrounding your community, as the views of trees turn into the view of a parking lot or shopping center? Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake has preserved its way of life, low crime rate, and views since it was first developed in 1994. Surrounded by Federal conservation acreage, Cedar Hill State Park, and the 7500 acre Joe Pool Lake, ensures no unsightly commercial development will ever crowd your neighborhood or disrupt the hill country views that have made Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake one of Dallas’ best kept secrets.

The Sanctuary: Gated Panoramic Lake Views

The Sanctuary at Lake Ridge is our newest neighborhood—an unusually quiet gated community divided into two phases. Each phase has a limited number of homesites and no cross streets of through traffic, ensuring an intimate but expansive layout.

Phase I sits atop a high bluff with a wide northern panoramic view of Dallas/Fort Worth and stretching views of the rolling hills and trees along the south. Here you will find half to 1.6 acre homesites with both level and sloped options and an elevated view of Joe Pool Lake.

The Sanctuary at Lake Ridge: Phase II will officially open in the Fall of 2011 offering more choices in mature hardwood shade trees, flat build sites, and hilltop views. Homesite sizes here will range from half to 1 acre, with options to replat into larger acreage lots. Phase II also offers more homesites with views of Joe Pool Lake than Phase I.

Both phases of The Sanctuary offer a unique amenity unlike any other community in Lake Ridge—permission to camp, bike, or hike onto the beautiful U.S. Army Corp of Engineers private property that surrounds the neighborhood. Many of the homesite backyards border this property, thus offering permanent views of undeveloped trees and water. Residents can also maintain their own walking/biking path down to a private lagoon area of Joe Pool Lake for camping, fishing, or just relaxation.

The Sanctuary at Lake Ridge is expected to be the showcase neighborhood of Lake Ridge, already attracting the likes of professional athletes, recording artists, and TV/film actors. Home to families, empty nesters, and seniors alike—there are few lake view communities in all of North Texas with a better mix of small town Americana and modern ambiance.

The grand opening of The Sanctuary: Phase II comes as a welcome treat for real estate agents, too, since Bluegreen Communities, the developer of Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake, is offering 10% commissions to agents on any property sold in either phase. A catered sneak preview for real estate professionals is scheduled to their clients first pick of homesites at The Sanctuary: Phase II.

View a photo tour of The Sanctuary

If you build it, they will come

There's never been a better time to custom build at Lake Ridge. The market has driven land prices down to an all-time low and made some of the top custom builders more competitive in their pricing. This combination of factors has created a paradigm shift from shoppers looking for existing resale/foreclosure houses to decide instead to custom build. Why buy someone else's pre-owned custom dream home on the homesite they chose, when you can choose your own site and build your dream for only a little more per square foot? And imagine the jump-start investment equity you will gain over an existing home once the market booms again.

CNBC ranked the State of Texas #1 in its list of states with the best economies, while Newsweek named Dallas #1 in its list of Top 10 American cities best situated for the recovery. Economists and real estate experts are also predicting Dallas to be one of the first in the country to experience another real estate boom.

Lake Ridge is already seeing unusual growth like few other communities of its size. Come see for yourself--driving around gated and non-gated neighborhoods alike and you will see houses being framed and finished all over. The city is spending millions to expand our main street into four lanes with a tree-lined median and jogging/biking path. We've sold more homesites this season alone than the previous three, and every week we get calls from those wanting to relocate to a better economy and job market.

That's why we proceeded with our plans to develop and market new neighborhoods like The Sanctuary, knowing that a falling market will rise again and we wanted to be ready with a superior inventory within a distinctive community. We would love for you to be a part of it, so call us today and schedule a personal tour. I can promise you a no pressure, friendly consultation that will educate you no matter where you go... phone (800) 576-5048 or call my cell at (469) 777-6040; ask for Stephen and please mention this article.