Along Highway 361, new construction is visible as drivers head into town, including a convenience store being built near one of the area’s newest developments.
PORT ARANSAS, Texas — From new homes and vacation properties to resort-style amenities, development is changing the landscape of Port Aransas. But while new projects are taking shape along Highway 361, local real estate experts say the growing number of developments doesn’t necessarily mean the housing market is booming.
The appeal of Port Aransas remains strong, with its beaches, fishing and coastal lifestyle attracting visitors and prospective buyers from across Texas and beyond.
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Archie Bates, a visitor to Port Aransas, said she noticed the changes as she made her way into town.
“I’ve been to lots of different beaches, its beautiful,” said Bates. “I saw some condos as I was coming in, a lot of new infrastructure, I keep saying, “clean,” it’s very clean.”
The development is part of a broader change in the community’s landscape over the past decade, including the years since Hurricane Harvey.
Along Highway 361, new construction is visible as drivers head into town, including a convenience store being built near one of the area’s newest residential developments, Spoonbill Bay.
Spoonbill Bay is planned as a community of roughly 180 to 190 homes, with amenities designed to appeal to people looking for more than a traditional beach property.
Willard Hammonds III, CEO of Spoonbill Bay, said the development offers buyers another option in a market known for its coastal properties.
“We figured the timing was right. Everyone has been developing on the beach side, but the truth of the matter is, if you can have a little bit more of an easier entry point, still a high-end luxury product, and you can put the best amenities in the area here, it is a spectacular thing, not to mention your views of Corpus Christi Bay,” he said.
The development currently has 12 homes built, and three have sold, according to Hammonds. Two of those sales were investment properties, while another buyer is living in a home at the development.
One of the model homes is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit measuring approximately 1,000 square feet. Hammonds said the buyer of that home is coming from Nashville and personalized the interior to suit his preferences.
The homes are being marketed at what Hammonds described as a more attainable entry point compared with some properties closer to the beach, while still offering an upscale product.
The homes are only part of the development’s plans.
Spoonbill Bay is building Spoonbill Lagoon, an amenity area planned to include a family pool, a children’s splash area, a lazy river and a swim-up bar beneath a two-story pavilion.
Hammonds said the lagoon will cover approximately 1.5 acres, with the lazy river expected to stretch about 650 feet. Plans also include a tiki bar, food and drink options and space for food trailers.
The first phase is expected to open in spring 2027, according to Hammonds.
The development also plans a retail area across from the new convenience store, with restaurants, shops and a concert venue facing Corpus Christi Bay.
Hammonds said the appeal of Port Aransas is a major reason the company chose to invest in the area.
“Port A is its own little gem. There’s nowhere like it,” he said.
He said buyers from across the country are drawn to the opportunity to own a property near the coast. While some purchase homes as investments or second residences, others are choosing to live in Port Aransas full time.
Despite the visible construction, Will Storbeck with KW Commercial-Storbeck Realty Group said the market is more complicated than a building boom might suggest.
Storbeck said buyers are coming from outside the Coastal Bend, including the Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio areas. Some are paying cash for second homes and investment properties.
“We’ve seen a lot of people, buying cash or paying in cash to buy these properties, second homes investments, so, you have Cinnamon Shores finishing out a lot of their developments along with places like Sunflower Beach, new signs for development, such as Coastal Dunes…,” he said.
At the same time, Storbeck said Port Aransas has approximately 24 months of housing inventory. That figure represents the amount of time it would take to sell the available homes at the current sales pace, assuming no additional homes entered the market.
The existing supply means new developments must compete with homes already listed for sale.
Storbeck said the market has seen a slowdown in new-build starts, even as developers continue working on projects and buyers show interest in the area.
The higher-end segment has been particularly active, he said, with some buyers purchasing second homes and others deciding to make the coast their permanent home.
Tourism continues to drive interest in Port Aransas
Storbeck said the area’s appeal has grown alongside tourism, restaurants and the opportunity to enjoy the beach.
“Over the past decade or more, tourism has expanded and I mean the beach speaks for itself,” he said. “I mean you get to drive out to the beach, enjoy your time out there, you have wonderful restaurants and you have just an upscale, sort of luxury draw that’s been drawing all these people from out of town…”
He said the market also includes Winter Texans and people from other parts of the state who want to spend more time on the coast.
That demand has helped create opportunities for developers looking to build communities with amenities that appeal to vacationers, investors and full-time residents.
But the number of new projects alone does not tell the whole story. With existing homes competing against new construction, the market’s ability to absorb the additional supply will be an important factor in determining how development continues.
For now, Port Aransas remains a destination for buyers and developers betting on the long-term appeal of the Texas coast even as the real estate market adjusts to the amount of housing available.