Houston led the way in national home sales in 2013, and two master-planned communities in Sugar Land and Missouri City have been ranked in the top 20 developments in the nation. More than 15,000 homes were sold in the top 20 master-planned communities around the country, and eight of these communities are in Houston, according to a study by John Burns Real Estate Consulting.

Four developments by the Johnson Development Corporation made the top 20 list, including Riverstone and Sienna Plantation at No. 6 and 17, respectively. In 2013, nearly 800 homes within the Riverstone community were sold31 percent more than 2012and 445 homes were sold in Sienna Plantation15 percent more than 2012according to the report.

"Our communities appeal to families looking for new homes near their workplace, quality builders, well-planned amenities and great schools," said Doug Goff, CEO of Johnson Development.

Additional reports by John Burns Real Estate and Robert Charles Lesser & Co. placed Riverstone as the second-highest-ranking development in Texas thanks to last year's record-breaking sales, said Tom Wilcox, general manager of Riverstone.

"Every builder reported strong sales in all price points and housing styles," he said. "We are expecting another robust year in 2014."

A majority of home sales in Riverstone were from a mix of buyers: empty nesters, active retirees and first-time homeowners from throughout Houston and beyond, Goff said.

"We continue to see an across-the-board balance of relocations from other parts of Houston [and] the country," he said.

The Club at Riverstone—a 17-acre water park and recreation center—is expected to open within the master-planned community by summer 2014 as part of the proposed build-out. Plans for Sienna Southa new phase of development in Sienna Plantationare underway and are expected to add as many as 7,000 new rooftops and several new commercial sites in coming years.

In addition to Riverstone and Sienna Plantation, Johnson Development is also working on developing Imperial Sugar Landa more than 700-acre mixed-use development surrounding the former Imperial Sugar Factory. In late 2013, four builders were selected for the project's next phase of developmenttwo neighborhoods that will feature 116 patio homes and 27 town homes.