Another large tract of undeveloped land in South Montgomery County has been sold to a homebuilder. Gracepoint Homes has made their largest land purchase ever, a 156-acre site near I-45 just south of FM 1488.

Construction will begin soon on The Forest, a 156-acre residential development in Conroe and could see homes for sale as soon as 2015, according to Gracepoint Homes.

"This is a beautiful property. Having a state forest as a boundary and being zoned to Conroe ISD schools located in The Woodlands are definite benefits," Gracepoint Homes President Tom Cox said. "Plus, a lot of the new Woodlands is tucked far back, it takes a while to get to I-45, and this project is less than a half a mile from I-45."

The development will include 65- and 80-foot homesites for single-family homes as well as a gated section for quarter-acre custom homes. Construction is slated to begin in May, and the homes are expected to range from the $600,000 to the millions.

"The lot sizes we chose have been two of the most supported lot sizes in The Woodlands for decades," Cox said. "If you do a competitive analysis of the area that was the pricing and the sizing that was selling the best."

Additionally, the property will include several lakes, parks, trails and open space.

"It sells," Cox said. "People that move to Texas, they want trees, they want the country feel. The architecture that we chose blends with it real well, so it's kind of a harmony between nature and suburbia."

Gracepoint has been working with the city of Conroe to provide facilities and to create an in-city municipal utility district.

"[The agreement] will keep the taxes in-line with the market around us," Cox said.

Gracepoint Homes will build The Forest on property currently used as farmland. The parcel is bordered by the 1,722-acre W.G. Jones State Forest, owned by Texas A&M University. Cox said open land is dwindling in the area, with the current boom of commercial development.

"The Woodlands is simply running out of lots, but it's creating tons of jobs and infrastructure," Cox said.