Sams has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you tell me a little about your background?
I’ve been in residential land development in Houston for a little over 20 years, first as a civil engineer and then in land development, most recently ... working as a general manager for the Johnson Development Corp. on their master-planned communities.
How do current trends in home sales affect development?
We try to provide a diverse range of residential options. ... We’ve offered 40- and 50-foot home sites to try to get that price point at a good position for entry-level buyers, along with our traditional home products on larger home sites. That mix and blend ... is what makes it what we want it to be, diverse across socioeconomic [environments].
Why are people buying in master-planned communities?
We create these communities to attract a diverse mix of residents and businesses, and one of the ways we do that is develop with the idea of an urban core—office, shopping, dining and entertainment. Also with some residential and a walkable environment, those open spaces are going to ... allow residents to connect with nature.
What is a challenge of developing The Woodlands Hills?
[In The] Woodlands Hills we are also trying to cater to the market with some diverse home products. We recently introduced new products on 60-foot homes. Chesmar is debuting their Villas product, which is detached townhomes ... The main challenge we have in both Bridgeland and Woodlands Hills is keeping up with housing demand, which really is a problem nationwide.
Ongoing development
The Howard Hughes Corp. is developing The Woodlands Hills, a master-planned community spanning the Conroe and Willis areas north of FM 830.
