Preston Harbor, Denison
Thinking about Preston Harbor on Lake Texoma?
A roughly $7 billion development is rising on the Denison shore of Lake Texoma, and it's already moving prices around it. Here's the straight version: what's actually being built, whether you can buy there yet, and how to time it, without the sales-center spin.
Start here
What Preston Harbor is
Preston Harbor is a master-planned community going in on roughly 3,100 acres of Lake Texoma shoreline, on the Denison side. The full vision is big: around 7,500 homes over time, a marina, shops and restaurants, and a Margaritaville resort as the anchor. Local officials have said a project this size could come close to doubling Denison's population.
That scale is the reason it matters to you even if you never buy a home inside it. A development this large pulls demand, prices, and timing for every existing home around it, in Denison, in Pottsboro, and along the lake. Knowing where the project actually stands, versus where the marketing says it stands, is the difference between moving at the right time and chasing it late. That's the read I give my clients.
Figures on this page (acreage, home count, dollar value, timeline) come from the developer and local reporting, are roughly stated and dated to mid-2026, and will change as the project builds. For any specific purchase I verify the current details in writing.
What's being built
Three parts, on three different clocks
"Preston Harbor" is really several projects under one name, and they don't all arrive at once. Knowing which piece you're asking about is the start of timing it well.
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The main residential lots
The first neighborhoods are roughly 1,200 to 1,300 home lots on about 550 acres, on standard 50-to-60-foot widths. These are the everyday-Preston-Harbor homes, and they're the first to reach the market as builders take delivery of finished lots.
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The Estates
A separate tier of 115 larger estate lots, from about half an acre up to seven acres, many with lake or greenbelt views. Interest ran ahead of supply here early: the developer reported roughly 250 reservations for those 115 lots. A reservation isn't a sale, but it tells you where the demand is pointing.
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The resort & marina
The centerpiece is a Margaritaville resort with a hotel, restaurants, and lakefront bungalows, alongside a marina planned for around 900 boat slips, plus retail and dining. This is the part that turns a subdivision into a destination, and it's slated to come later than the first homes.
The question everyone asks
Is it built yet — and when should you move?
Not yet, and that's the important part. As of mid-2026 Preston Harbor is under active construction, with heavy equipment moving dirt across the site, but there are no finished homes for sale. The developer expects to hand completed lots to home builders around late 2026, so the first actual houses come after that, and the resort is targeted to break ground later still.
So the early move isn't buying a house that doesn't exist yet. It's getting positioned: understanding the phase releases, watching which builders come in and at what price, and weighing a nearby existing home in Denison or Pottsboro that benefits from the same wave. A build this size runs a decade or more, and early phases shift. I won't promise you a price or a payoff. I'll give you the honest timing and the real comparable sales, and let you make the call.
Want the wider picture? Denison, the town it's reshaping · buying on Lake Texoma's waterfront · the Pottsboro side of the lake · relocating from out of state.
Worth knowing up front
Six things to know about Preston Harbor
- It's real, and it's moving dirt. Preston Harbor spent years as a plan. That changed. The residential phase broke ground in late 2025, and by mid-2026 there were reportedly 50 to 60 pieces of heavy equipment moving dirt across the site. This is under construction now, not a rendering. (Figures roughly stated, as of mid-2026, from the developer and local reporting.)
- But you can't buy a finished home there yet. As of mid-2026 there are no completed Preston Harbor homes for sale. The developer is turning finished lots over to home builders around late 2026, which means the first actual houses come after that. If someone tells you they can sell you a move-in-ready Preston Harbor home today, be skeptical, and let me check it.
- The scale is the whole story. Plans call for roughly 7,500 homes and as many as 20,000 residents at full build-out on about 3,100 acres of Lake Texoma shoreline. Local officials have said a project this size could come close to doubling Denison's population. That's the reason it moves values and timing for everything around it, not just the homes inside the gates.
- Who's building it matters. The overall vision is led by David Craig's group, the same developer behind Craig Ranch in McKinney, with Centurion American building out the residential neighborhoods. Established developers with a track record is a good sign for a project this big, though timelines on a build of this scale always shift. I watch the actual pace, not the press release.
- The ripple reaches the resale market. You don't have to buy inside Preston Harbor to be affected by it. Existing homes in Denison, Pottsboro, and around the lake sit in the path of the demand it's creating. If you already own nearby, that changes the math on when and how you sell. If you're buying nearby, getting in ahead of more of the build-out is the lever.
- Verify every claim on a specific home. Marketing for a development this large gets ahead of what's actually finalized: phase lines, which builders, lot premiums, HOA terms, and what amenities exist on the day you close versus what's promised for later. I confirm the specifics in writing for any Preston Harbor purchase rather than going off a brochure or a sales-center pitch.
New to the area? Here's my guide to Denison, the town Preston Harbor is reshaping, and buying on Lake Texoma's waterfront, where the Corps of Engineers owns the shoreline and dock rules matter. Relocating from out of state? My relocation guide covers buying remotely, and my property-tax guide covers the homestead exemption every new Texas owner should file.
Common questions
Preston Harbor questions
What is Preston Harbor in Denison, Texas?
Preston Harbor is a roughly $7 billion master-planned community on about 3,100 acres of Lake Texoma shoreline in Denison. Plans call for around 7,500 homes, a marina with roughly 900 boat slips, shops and restaurants, and a Margaritaville resort as the centerpiece. The overall project is led by David Craig's group (the developer behind Craig Ranch in McKinney), with Centurion American building the residential neighborhoods. Local officials have said it could come close to doubling Denison's population, which is why it's reshaping demand across the whole Texoma market. (Figures roughly stated, as of mid-2026, and evolving.)
Is Preston Harbor built yet? Can I buy a home there now?
Not yet. As of mid-2026, Preston Harbor is under active construction but has no completed homes for sale. The residential phase broke ground in late 2025, and the developer expects to hand finished lots to home builders around late 2026, so the first actual houses come after that. The Margaritaville resort is targeted to break ground later still, around late 2027. If you want in early, the move right now is to get positioned and watch the phase releases, which is what I help buyers do.
Who is the developer of Preston Harbor?
The overall vision is led by Waterfall Partners under David Craig of Craig International, the same group known for developing Craig Ranch in McKinney. Centurion American Development Group, led by Mehrdad Moayedi, is handling the residential buildout on roughly 550 acres. Both are established North Texas developers, which matters on a project this large, though timelines on a build of this size always shift as it goes.
How many homes will Preston Harbor have, and how big are the lots?
At full build-out, plans call for roughly 7,500 homes and as many as 20,000 residents. The first residential neighborhoods are around 1,200 to 1,300 lots on standard 50-to-60-foot widths. There's also a separate estate tier of 115 larger lots, from about half an acre up to seven acres, many with lake or greenbelt views. The developer reported roughly 250 reservations for those 115 estate lots early on, which points to where the early demand is. (Figures roughly stated, as of mid-2026.)
Should I buy near Preston Harbor before it's finished?
It depends on your timeline and budget, and I won't pretend otherwise. The case for moving early is that a project this size tends to pull up demand and prices for existing homes around it, in Denison, Pottsboro, and along the lake, well before the resort opens. The case for waiting is that build-out will run a decade or more, and early phases can shift. What I won't do is promise you a number. What I will do is give you a straight read on the timing and pull real comparable sales so the decision is yours to make.
How will Preston Harbor affect Denison home values?
A development of this scale changes the market around it, though no one can promise by how much. More jobs, more amenities, and thousands of new households over time generally lift demand for nearby existing homes, which is why timing matters whether you're buying or selling in Denison right now. I track how the project is actually moving, phase by phase, and give my clients an honest read rather than a hype number. Every figure here is roughly stated and will change as the project builds.
Can I buy a Preston Harbor or Denison home from out of state?
Yes, and plenty of buyers are watching Preston Harbor from out of state. I run live video walkthroughs, attend inspections for you, verify the details that matter, and plan a focused scouting trip so you see the right homes in person. My relocation guide walks through buying remotely and the Texas property-tax picture every new owner should know.
Let's talk Preston Harbor
Get in ahead of the build-out.
Tell me whether you're eyeing a Preston Harbor lot, a nearby home that rides the same wave, or just want to understand the timing, and roughly when. I'll give you a straight read on where the project actually stands and a short list that fits. No pressure, no obligation.