Waco Surf Owners Dive Into 1M-Plus Home Market

A quirky Central Texas waterpark is evolving into a high-end residential community built around waves, wellness and lifestyle branding.

The owners of Waco Surf plan to break ground this summer on a 450-acre master-planned community dubbed The Desperado. The Austin Business Journal reported that the project along Old Mexia Road on the outskirts of the city will include 44 single-family homes and 44 duplex townhomes, with two- to five-bedroom layouts.

Prices will start at $1.6 million, at the high end for the Waco market, but tied to a growing niche of amenity-driven housing, according to the publication.

The first homes, as well as a new surf lagoon, are expected to be completed by summer 2027, effectively turning the once offbeat wakeboarding park into a full-fledged live-play destination, according to the outlet. Austin-based Icon and Firmah Architecture are leading design and construction, bringing a mix of 3D-printed housing technology and ranch-inspired aesthetics to the project.

Owners Luke Schock and David Taylor, part of the group that acquired the property in 2021, are anticipating that the park’s built-in following can translate into residential demand. Schock said in a statement that the master-planned community was a natural next step in the waterpark’s evolution.

That model is gaining traction across Central Texas, as similar surf-themed residential concepts are underway near Austin — such as iLand Development Group’s Leander Springs in Leander and SonWest’s $1.5 billion development in Mustang Ridge — as developers look to differentiate their communities in an increasingly competitive housing market.

Plans for the Desperado’s amenity package include a 13-hole golf course, pump track, Nordic spa and a 100-acre forest, layering traditional resort features onto the project’s signature surf component, according to the publication. Residents will have direct proximity to the existing park, which has grown into a destination for both casual visitors and professional surfers.

Early demand appears strong. Half a dozen homes have already been earmarked for presale, with interest coming from both in-state and out-of-state buyers, according to project officials.

The development also taps into sustainability messaging, with plans to achieve water neutrality by 2028 through capture and filtration systems.

— Eric Weilbacher