On January 27, 2026, a newly formed board met in special session at a spot about 460 feet west and 670 feet north of where Homeplace Boulevard ends, in unincorporated Montgomery County. Three of its five directors attended. They voted 3 to 0 to call an election for May 2.
That election asked voters to approve more than half a billion dollars in new bond authority for Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 226A. Two ballots were cast. Every proposition passed 2 to 0. If you are thinking about buying in Homeplace, the community taking shape off Highway 105, that vote probably matters more to your monthly costs than any feature on the site plan.
The Community the Headlines Describe
The press coverage has focused on bikes, and with good reason. The Houston Chronicle reported in July that Homeplace is a 2,100-acre project near Montgomery built by Rochester Development with the Randall family, who have owned parts of the land since the 1800s. The full buildout is about 4,500 homes over 15 years. The first phase of 330 homes is expected to be ready by August 2027, with prices running from about $300,000 to more than $1 million.
The plan calls for 17 miles of dedicated bike lanes arranged in seven connected loops, which works out to roughly 100 possible riding routes. According to the Chronicle, a pedestrian tunnel under Homeplace Boulevard has already been built so children can walk to nearby schools. The mountain bike trails are being designed with the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, and they will connect to a 43-acre amenity complex with a bike pump track. Houston Agent Magazine reported that the tunnel leads to Creekside Elementary School and Lake Creek High School without vehicle access. It also reported that a later amenity center called The Hub is planned to include a dog park, playground, fitness center, pools and sports fields.
The lanes, trails, tunnel and pools all have to be paid for, and so do the water lines, sewer plant and roads beneath them. At Homeplace, the financing for that bill was put in place well before the first buyer arrives.
How the Financing Got Set Up, Step by Step
Homeplace's district structure took shape over three years.
- 2023. The Texas Legislature passed HB 5374, creating Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 226. Its initial territory was about 535.7 acres out of land conveyed to Homeplace Lands, LLC. The act lets the district finance utility and road projects. It requires voter approval before property taxes or tax-backed bonds, and a two-thirds vote for road bonds paid from property taxes.
- November 12, 2024. Montgomery City Council took up a petition from Homeplace Lands LLC to release private property from the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction. The city attorney had just explained, on a similar petition, that the amended state law lets such a petition take effect if the council takes no action. Council took no action on the Homeplace petition, 4 to 0. The release process is in Texas Local Government Code Chapter 42, Subchapter D, added in 2023.
- July 2025. TCEQ received a wastewater permit application from HPL WWTP 1 LLC for a proposed MCMUD No. 226 treatment plant, with an average discharge flow of 1.3 million gallons per day.
- January 27, 2026. MUD 226's directors adopted an order dividing the district. That order created MUD 226A, and the new district's board called the May election the same day.
- May 2, 2026. MUD 226A's eight propositions all passed 2 to 0, and five directors were elected.
Taken together, Homeplace sits outside both the city limits and the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction, and its infrastructure is financed through a special district created by the state. The Chronicle describes the development as being in unincorporated Montgomery County.
What the Two Ballots Approved
The full wording is in the district's election order, which is posted on the Montgomery County elections site. Here is the short version:
| Proposition | What it authorized | Maximum amount |
|---|---|---|
| A | Confirm creation of MUD 226A | None |
| B | Water, sanitary sewer, drainage and storm sewer bonds | $369,635,000 |
| C | Recreational facility bonds | $62,440,000 |
| D | Road bonds | $94,700,000 |
| E | Refunding of water, sewer and drainage bonds | $123,200,000 |
| F | Refunding of recreational bonds | $20,800,000 |
| G | Refunding of road bonds | $31,500,000 |
| H | Annual operation and maintenance tax | Up to $1.50 per $100 of value |
Propositions B, C and D add up to $526,775,000 in authority for new borrowing. The refunding propositions add $175.5 million more for refinancing. Propositions B through G allow bonds that run up to 40 years, and they back repayment with an annual tax levied, in the order's words:
"WITHOUT LIMIT AS TO RATE OR AMOUNT, UPON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY WITHIN SAID DISTRICT"
The recreational bonds in Proposition C cover facilities like those the brochures describe. The road bonds in Proposition D cover paved roads and the drainage that serves them. The $1.50 in Proposition H is a separate tax for the district's operations, and it has a hard cap. The debt-service tax does not.
Authorization Sets the Limits. The Board Sets the Rate.
None of these numbers is a tax bill. A bond authorization is permission to borrow up to a ceiling. It does not mean the district has borrowed that much. Under the district's enabling law, the board sets the maintenance tax at any level up to the voter-approved $1.50 cap, so the cap itself is not the rate. The rate a Homeplace owner actually pays will depend on how much the board borrows, when it borrows, and how much taxable value has been built in the district by then.
That last point is where timing matters most. Early in a district's life, there are fewer homes to spread debt payments across. The people who buy in the first phase arrive after the borrowing limits were approved and before most of the community's tax base exists. They will have a vote in future district elections once they live there. The authority approved on May 2 is already in place.
Where Homeplace Sits in the Fall 2026 Market
This matters more because buyers in the Houston area have options right now. The Houston Association of Realtors reported 5.5 months of single-family inventory for September 2026, with 40,192 active listings, up 6.3% year over year. Homes averaged 58 days on market, and the median price was $325,000. On the new-construction side, HomesUSA.com's September 2026 report put the Houston average new-home price at $406,408, according to Citybiz. That was down 1.9% from August. HomesUSA's three-month average showed 16,092 active new-home listings.
With that much supply, a buyer weighing a Homeplace home against a resale in an established Montgomery County neighborhood can afford to compare them carefully. A resale home's taxing units already have adopted rates you can look up. A home in a brand-new district has a cap, a borrowing limit, and a rate the board sets year by year. The sticker prices of the two homes might be close. Their carrying costs could be quite different.
Questions to Put in Writing Before You Sign
If Homeplace's first phase is on your list for 2027, these are the questions worth asking the builder or district in writing, and confirming against public records:
- Which district will your lot be in? MUD 226A was carved out of MUD 226 by division, and the parent district can be divided further, so it helps to know which district's ballot and bonds apply to your address.
- What combined tax rate has that district adopted for the current year, and how much of it is debt service versus maintenance?
- How much of the $526,775,000 in new-money authority has been issued as bonds so far?
- Which amenities are planned for district bonds and which for private funding? This includes the 43-acre amenity complex and The Hub.
- What is the status of the MCMUD No. 226 wastewater permit, application WQ0016838001 at TCEQ?
This post is general information about public records. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, so please confirm how any district tax would apply to you with a qualified tax or legal professional.
If you are comparing Homeplace's first phase with resale homes around Montgomery and Lake Conroe, Jenny Hill can help you line up the district records and the questions above for each home on your list, so you are comparing what each one will really cost to own. Schedule a Consultation, and bring the addresses you are considering.
