Gated communities are among the most popular neighborhoods for new homes in and around Houston. Gated communities are booming, which shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with housing trends across the nation. In fact, gated communities are not just a Houston phenomenon. The popularity of gated communities is rising nationwide as the country deals with concerns about safety, comfort and security.

Houston gated communities, however, have a long history. The Houston metropolitan area has always been on the forefront of housing trends, with master planned communities becoming popular nearly four decades before they caught on with the rest of the country. Similarly, gated communities have been popular in Houston for quite some time now. The rest of the country is only just catching on.

The promise of security and safety are offered to residents in Houston. Gated communities are luxurious enclaves with parks, recreational amenities and all the ingredients for the good life just outside your own front yard. Each neighborhood or subdivision offers unique amenities to its residents, with safety being just the first on the list. Privacy and luxury, prestige and peace of mind all have their place on the list of reasons that people choose to live in gated communities.

If you're considering gated community living, you have a wealth of choices in and around the Houston area. Whether in the city proper, or in outlying towns and subdivisions like Katy and Sugar Land, there are many new and existing developments that offer the benefits of living in a secluded, security conscious community with all the advantages of nearby metropolitan living. They include homes that range from town homes and attached duplexes to palatial family estates on acres of wooded land and range in price from the low $150s to several million dollars.

Of course, there are far more reasons to choose a neighborhood than the existence of a gate. Offered are special perks to residents of Houston. Gated communities, depending on the neighborhood, may have golf courses, country clubs, lakes with private docks, parks and hiking trails and fitness clubs.

The neighborhoods range in atmosphere from small town suburban to secluded luxury estates, with a wide range of choices between. There are home sites available on lake fronts, with river views, tucked into hillsides or fronting the golf green. Whatever the needs or desires of your family in a home, you're likely to find it in one of the beautiful gated communities in and around Houston.

The housing market in other parts of the country hasn't affected the Houston real estate market at all. The city continues to top the nation's chart for growth in population and housing starts, with a strong economic base and a growing population of well-educated workers on which to draw. The healthy economy and growing market are prime indicators for Houston's continued growth, and the housing market reflects the city's optimistic outlook.

In addition to existing gated communities and homes being built in them, there are a number of new gated communities in the first and second stages of construction. New home buyers in these communities will have the option of buying new construction production homes, or working with custom home builders to design their own luxury custom homes for the ultimate in luxury family life.