All In on the Gulf-Front Lifestyle

When there’s nothing between you and the Gulf but a stretch of broad Texas sand, you’re free to relax, to dream, to live the coastal lifestyle. Gulf-front property has value that goes beyond the price per square foot. Such an investment encompasses your future, your family, your legacy. 

We can tell you that in our realty office, but let two families who are currently building homes at Cinnamon Shore South explain why they think it's worth the investment.

Proximity to family and friends

"Port Aransas is no more than a five- or six-hour drive for any of our friends or family in Texas," says J.B. Goodwin, a Founding Neighbor at Cinnamon Shore South who looks forward to sharing his new beach home with others.

Residents of Austin, J.B. and his wife Marilyn just closed on a Gulf-front lot at Cinnamon Shore South after two years of renting a Gulf-front home at Cinnamon Shore North. After spending up to 25 nights a year renting the same house, it made sense to buy a Gulf-front lot at the community's expansion when it became available. Though they own property in San Diego, too, they wanted friends and family right here in Texas to have easy access. "It takes 13 hours to drive to Water Color [a master-planned development in Florida] and 3 days to get to California," says J.B., a Texas real estate mogul with decades in the industry. "Our kids and grandkids will leave on a Thursday and come stay here for the weekend." 

J.B. also considered the value of having a place to bring his realty teams, whether for recreational or working getaways. He can get them here with ease, compared to jetting them off for a retreat in San Diego, which he guesses could cost $25,000 or more. Instead, J.B. can put on a work-related gathering here for just a fraction of that cost.

Great sense of community

During their initial visits, J.B. and Marilyn noticed how friendly everyone was at Cinnamon Shore. They saw families at outdoor movie nights and sunset cocktail hour on the patio at Lisabella's Bistro. And then they saw how everyone pulled together after Hurricane Harvey. "The house we rented was gorgeous, the community was great, and people were friendly," Marilyn says, adding that they almost bought a home in Cinnamon Shore because they liked it so much. "There are just so many fun events that make Cinnamon Shore a great community." Now, they'll be helping build that same sense of community at Cinnamon Shore South.

Coastal lifestyle for less

Not only does the easy access and proximity to major urban areas in Texas make our community attractive, but so does the incredible price point of the coastal property here compared to other coastal regions. With decades in the real estate business in Texas, J.B. estimates that the same piece of property on the Texas Coast would cost three times as much on the Florida Coast and 10 times as much on the California coast. Here, you get the coastal lifestyle for less.

Rare resort-quality community on the Texas Coast

From the start, just over 10 years ago, we aimed to bring resort-quality living to a coastline that's not had it before. Modeled after the successful, master-planned communities on the Florida Panhandle, we brought New Urban design and the idea of friendly, neighborhood-oriented beach living to the Texas Coast. J.B. recognized that our community originated that concept in the Lone Star State. While he admits he doesn't like to get his feet sandy and that Marilyn is more of the "beach person" between the two of them, he became entranced by the view from the Gulf-front home they rented and by the amenities we offer.

"J.B. likes to travel first-class," Marilyn says, adding that because she had grown up vacationing in Port Aransas, he had always indulged her with vacations there. She didn't mind more modest accommodations around town, but when J.B. discovered the luxury vacation experience here at Cinnamon Shore, it became a haven they enjoyed so much they're now property owners here and champions of the community. 

A higher design standard

"It's a resort project that has quality, but it will also maintain its quality," says J.B., noting that the tight design standards at Cinnamon Shore North have only resulted in a better-than-ever aesthetic, even as North nears completion with various cottages, homes, retail outlets, and more. "It keeps looking better and better, and the quality control helps property maintain value."

Architectural plans for the Goodwins' own beachfront home were approved by Florida land planner Mark Schnell, who drew the overall community plan for both Cinnamon Shore North and South. 

The Gulf-front Goodwin home, left, shown here during construction.

Great opportunities at Cinnamon Shore South

With the expansion at Cinnamon Shore South, take advantage of Gulf-front home sites at fantastic prices! Some as low as $895,000! “Once you build a home on these 45-foot lots, you could be all in for just under $2 million total,” says Jodi Peters, managing broker at Cinnamon Shore Realty.

“Our architects and builders make things easy for buyers,” says Jodi, who recently chatted with property buyer Ryan Burkhart from Grapevine, Texas, another one of the Founding Neighbors at Cinnamon Shore South. His family bought a lot just one block off the Gulf-front tier, and the custom building process is going smoothly.  

From left, the Burkhart kids, Madison, Jake, and Hunter, survey the progress at their future Cinnamon Shore South beach home.

Falling in love with the community

Ryan Burkhart grew up in San Antonio and vacationed in Port Aransas from the time he was a baby. When he married his wife Kate, from north Texas, she quickly became smitten with the classic beach town. "To me, it's the best of both worlds," she says, pointing to character of the city and the amenities and style in our development. "In Port Aransas, you have some of the nice things like a you see at [Florida's] 30A, but you also don't have to wear makeup every day." Just a 5- or 6-hour drive from their home near Dallas, the town became their family's go-to beach destination. 

The couple and their three children vacationed for the past five or six years at Cinnamon Shore North, and when home sites opened for sale just one block back from the first-tier lots at Cinnamon Shore South, they took the opportunity seriously. They sat down with me and we looked at the cost of their vacations with us over the past few years against the cost of the site and what it would take to build a beach home. "Jodi showed us the numbers and took her time explaining all the possibilities," Kate says.

The couple weighed the potential for rental income from vacationers eager to stay in a brand-new, luxe home at Cinnamon Shore South. They thought our community's reaction after Hurricane Harvey hit the region -- how well we fared and how the whole town rallied. "We were like, 'OK, we’re buying here,'" Kate says. They love the sense of community in our little seaside village and finally decided to become official property owners here. 

Madison jumped for joy when her parents bought the home site at Cinnamon Shore South.

Now they're part of that community of neighbors and beach lovers who truly understand the value of this swath of Texas Coast. On one visit to the home site before construction began, Kate's kids gathered seashells from the sandy lot. "We haven't decided if we'll keep them in the new beach home or back home in Grapevine, so we can have a piece of Cinnamon Shore always with us," she says.

Now the Burkharts have their coastal dream home built and ready to enjoy.

Visit with us at Cinnamon Shore Realty & become a Preferred Buyer.

New property releases are happening later this year. The best way to take part is to join the Preferred Buyer program. Learn about all the benefits HERE!

Let us know how we can help you realize your dream of Gulf-Front Living on the Texas Coast. Call us at 361-749-1851; email Jodi Peters at [email protected]; send us a message on our site!

Published by Jennifer Chappell Smith
Monday, July 6, 2020