Brian Embery and Jessica Salazar Embery, a couple in their 30s, were looking to move from Seattle with their two kids to somewhere warmer.

That’s when they found a modern, minimalistic house in Lewisville on Redfin with high ceilings and high-end finishes and appliances. They bought it for $650,000 and moved in at the beginning of this year.

“It’s modern and minimal, kind of like a Tesla is one way I would describe it,” Brian said. “There are not too many buttons, but everything’s real sleek and modern-looking.”

But even with the striking look, there’s something fundamentally different about the Emberys’ new home than others in their neighborhood.

Their home is a prototype from Netze Homes, a new company that plans to create small communities of steel-framed houses across North Texas. The company uses materials made from recycled steel in place of lumber to create resilient, energy-efficient homes with high-end designs.

“I thought it was really intriguing,” Jessica said. “Commercial buildings are all steel-framed, so it was definitely interesting, but in a positive way, that a residential home was going to be steel-framed.”

Netze Homes is based out of a warehouse in Lake Dallas and also has an office in Lewisville. The builder chose North Texas simply because of the size of the region’s housing market.

The company plans to start construction on 150 homes in Corinth, Denton, McKinney, Van Alstyne, Krum and Mesquite this year and sell about 100 of them, costing $650,000 to $750,000 each. The sites are all in urban-infill locations, meaning places already equipped with infrastructure and within existing communities.

Netze has laid foundations for several homes in a 3.6-acre community that will have 17 homes along Tower Ridge Drive in Corinth.

The builder’s goal this year is $5 million to $6 million in profit. In 2024, Netze plans to bring its factory to full capacity — which means being able to produce 300 homes a year from a 20-employee factory equipped with three metal-forming machines. It also plans to expand into Houston and Austin next year.

“Our goal is to do as many as possible,” said Nejeeb Khan, the company’s CEO. He formed the company in May 2021 with a goal of reducing carbon emissions in the building industry. He said his steel-framed houses produce fewer emissions than traditional homes, largely because of the lumber production process.

As an architect, Khan was not focusing on the emissions issue until he worked on projects in Indonesia and the Maldives, countries especially threatened by rising sea levels. That’s when he decided to do something about it.

“It’s real stuff, I’ve seen it with my eyes,” Khan said.

Khan studied at University of Colorado Denver and worked at Fentress Architects until 2006, when he founded a firm in India called KGD Architecture, which he sold to California-based Katerra in 2019.

Netze framed the Emberys’ roughly 2,000-square-foot home with materials recycled from six scrapped cars instead of wood. Khan said the same home with traditional methods would take about 40 to 50 matured trees.

The company’s strategy of building in established neighborhoods helps to reduce emissions, said Anthony Tworek, a real estate agent with Century 21 Judge Fite Co. who is representing Netze.

“The big homebuilders that do buy 100-plus acres of land, just imagine what they have to do with that land to build the homes,” Tworek said. “They have to clear all of the trees, put in all of the infrastructure, all of that is emitting immense amounts of carbon.

“So by focusing on pocket communities where everything is present, that’s another way that they’re reducing [emissions].”

The Emberys’ home was built in about five months, and it took about 30 hours to form the metal using a digital file of the home’s design. The goal for Netze is to eventually build the homes within 12 weeks and finish framing in three days.

“We shouldn’t be spending nine months to build a home when we have so much demand,” Khan said.

The homes have a midcentury modern, prairie style of architecture inspired by architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright, stressing an inside-outside relationship.

“I like contemporary architecture, but midcentury modern is a really nice middle ground,” Khan said.

Khan said the homes are stronger than wood-framed homes and are resistant to things such as termites and fires. They are also designed to be more energy-efficient, with overhangs over windows to limit sunlight — which would be more expensive with wood-framed construction.

Buyers get their own digital file showing details about every element of their home, from all the components of the foundation to the exact color of paint and where they can buy it.

Khan said the homes’ added protection from the environment and the story of making them out of steel will give them a personal touch.

“It has to feel like a home,” he said. “It should have that emotional value to it.”

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Texas leads the way in lake home and lot listings, and one of North Texas’ lakes ranks among the five largest markets nationwide for lake property listings, according to a new report.

Of the 6,600 lakes featured on LakeHomes.com, Lewisville Lake in Denton County has the fourth largest inventory available, totaling $648.6 million between lakefront, lake view and lake access homes and lots, according to the quarterly Lake Real Estate Market Report.

Lake Michigan, Ill; Puget Sound, Wash.; and Lake Norman, N.C., rank first, second and third on the aggregate inventory list, according to the Spring 2023 report from Birmingham, Ala.-based Lake Homes Realty. Those lakes have $902 million, $831.5 million and $273.8 million in inventory listed.

Looking solely at lake homes (not lots), Lake Lewisville also is the fourth largest market, at $549.6 million in lake home listings, trailing the same three lakes that led the home-and-lot list. Lake Michigan has $896.3 million in lake home listings, Puget Sound has $740.7 million, and Lake Norman has $552.1 million worth of listings.

Besides Lewisville Lake, the only other Texas lake to rank in the top 10 in inventory dollar value is Lake Travis in Austin, which comes in sixth in both aggregate inventory and home listings, at $585.3 million and $479.4 million, respectively.

Looking at home counts, Lewisville Lake again ranks fourth, with 1,004 home listings available. The North Texas lake follows Table Rock Lake on the Arkansas-Missouri border with 1,132 homes listed, Lake Michigan with 1,060 homes listed, and Lake of the Ozark, Mo., which also has 1,060 listings.

Following Lewisville Lake in the number of listings is Puget Sound, Lake Norman, then three Texas Lakes: Cedar Creek Lake in Kaufman and Henderson counties, Canyon Lake in Comal County, and Lake Conroe in Walker and Montgomery counties.

Overall, the lake real estate industry is down from last quarter, but listings are higher than last spring nationwide.

Eleven states serviced by Lake Homes Realty had more than one billion dollars in lake home and lot real estate listings, according to the quarterly report.

Texas leads the way with a total of $6.63 billion from its 12,670 listings statewide.

Florida is second with $4.5 billion for its 8,748 listings. Washington state was third with $2.54 billion for 2,711 lake home and lot properties for sale.

The other $1 billion-plus states in order include North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Alabama, Illinois and South Carolina.

The total Texas market decreased from $7 billion in winter 2022-2023 to $6.63 billion in spring 2023, a 6% drop.

The lake real estate market is only loosely related to the broader U.S. housing market, with the general market influencing the lake market to a small degree, Glenn S. Phillips, CEO and chief economic analyst for Lake Homes Realty, said in the report.

That’s because the lake real estate market consists of discretionary homes instead of must-have properties, according to Phillips.

Mortgage interest rates are “virtually meaningless” for lake real estate, he said. Lake home buyers often pay cash, particularly if they have a second home.

“The buyers are highly insulated from mortgage rates and have plenty of purchasing capability, even in a recession,” Phillips wrote in the report. “Sellers rarely ‘must’ sell. In good times and bad, it is not uncommon for a buyer to shop for a lake home for more than two years. When seeking a dream, these buyers can be patient and picky.”

Lake home and land sellers should think more broadly than local real estate market comparisons, Phillips said. From buyers across the country visiting LakeHomes.com, it’s evident that shoppers are looking for a lake home on multiple lakes, often in different states, so sellers are not just competing with houses for sale on their local lake, he said.

The lake market nationwide has already peaked, but Philips doesn’t expect prices to plunge, he said.

“I strongly encourage lake property owners to think with an investment mindset,” he writes in the report. “While not overly apparent to most, the peak of the market in real estate and at essentially all lakes has passed. It is not the start of a crash. This trend is the market driving over the top of a mountain that lacks steep sides.”

Ranked by Local dollar volume of home sales

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Fairfield Lake State Park, 96 miles south of Dallas, is expected to close permanently by the end of the month because its landlord is selling the land.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department received a lease termination notice from the owners, Vistra Corp., which had operated the Big Brown coal power plant at that location until the plant shuttered in 2018. Vistra is selling its 5,000-acre property to Dallas-based real estate developer Shawn Todd and his firm, Todd Interests, for $110.5 million.

Todd announced the land will be turned into an exclusive gated community, which includes multimillion-dollar homes and a private golf course, The Dallas Morning News and Bloomberg reported.

Fairfield isn’t the only state park on borrowed land. There are 14 other public parks, like Cedar Hill, Lake Whitney and Ray Roberts Lake, that could face a similar fate.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Chair Arch “Beaver” Aplin III said the agency attempted to purchase the state park site, but neither the company nor the buyer would consider selling part or all of the land to the state. The park includes 1,460 acres of land and the 2,400-acre Fairfield Lake.

A renowned fishing spot, the lake attracts anglers who fish for bass, crappie, perch, catfish, tilapia and red drum. The lake is also popular for swimming and kayaking, while the surrounding land offers 15 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horse riding. With close to 250 species of birds recorded — including the bald eagle — the park is a bird-watching heaven.

For more than 50 years, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department leased land for the state park from energy companies, Vistra and Luminant. Since 1976, the state has invested $72 million in renovations and improvements to the park.

“This is an unprecedented loss of a state treasure for Texans,” said David Yoskowitz, executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “The demand for outdoor recreation exceeds supply in Texas, so losing even one state park is a setback for all of us who enjoy publicly accessible lands.”

The department said the park will close permanently Feb. 28. The Vistra spokesperson said the state will have 120 days from Feb. 13 — the date the lease termination was sent — to vacate the property. During that time, park staff will begin to remove equipment, relocate staff members to other parks and cancel upcoming camping reservations. More than 2,700 people had already reserved spots for dates after Feb. 27, according to a press release.

Aplin said the selling of the parkland was a surprise and will have a huge impact on Fairfield, a town of about 2,800 people.

“They had been a coal-producing plant for some 40 or 50 years,” he said. “So when they decided to shut down, we didn’t see that coming. … [We] had no way of knowing.”

A Vistra spokesperson said the company has leased the land to the state at no cost and gave the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department a two-year notice that it intended to terminate the lease effective October 2020. The spokesperson said Vistra encouraged the state to submit a bid to buy the entire property — but the state did not submit a bid.

Since 2016, Irving-based corporation Vistra has closed or announced the closure of 19 coal plants as what was once the state’s largest electricity generator pivoted to solar power, investing about $850 million toward seven solar projects in Texas.

“This is one of their big attractors in their community,” Aplin said of the Fairfield area. “People come to the park and shop in the town of Fairfield. We had 83,000 people come to the park last year. It’s a big deal, not only for our agency, but for the community and Freestone County.”

State Rep. Angelia Orr, R-Itasca, whose district includes the park, filed a bill Tuesday that, if passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor, would allow the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to use eminent domain to seize the park’s land.

Orr said lawmakers also are working on a bill to prevent more state parks from being closed.

“This treasured piece of Texas has blessed our local families and countless visitors for generations, and losing it is hard to comprehend,” she said. “I join park lovers in Freestone County and across the state in expressing my sincere disappointment in hearing this news. As a result, we are now working on legislation to prevent this from ever occurring in any of our other beautiful state parks going forward.”

Luke Metzger, executive director of the advocacy group Environment Texas, said it was especially tragic that the park will close during the 100-year anniversary of the state park system.

“Our state parks are sacred to us as Texans,” Metzger said. “Unfortunately, this loss means fewer nights camped, fewer fish reeled in and fewer memories with our families.

“Texas desperately needs more state parks, not fewer,” he added.

State Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, who chairs the Business and Commerce Committee voiced his displeasure Tuesday.

“Today’s heartbreaking announcement of the closing of Fairfield Lake State Park is a tremendous loss for Freestone County and all Texans who enjoy our state’s unique parklands,” he said. “It is unfortunate that Vistra and this private developer were unable to come to an agreement that would have allowed the state of Texas to purchase the park from Vistra to maintain it for future generations of Texans.”

Disclosure: The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

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Fairfield Lake State Park south of Dallas in Freestone County will open to visitors again, but only temporarily.

Starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 14, people can visit the 4,200-acre park for free until the park reaches capacity. Only day-use visits are allowed -- no overnight stays -- and they aren't taking any reservations.

The 50-year-old park closed last month after it was announced the land was sold to a private developer and the park had been given 120 days to vacate the land. The parks department closed the park on Feb. 28, well ahead of the 120-day deadline, to begin decommissioning the park.

Now the parks department is reopening the park after staffers developed a plan to reopen on the recommendation of the House Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

"Since closing the park in February, we have heard an outpouring from Texans who would love to visit their park," said TPWD State Parks Director Rodney Franklin. "While we still stand committed to reaching a compromise that would save Fairfield Lake State Park for future use, our team will be working hard to keep this gem as accessible as possible for as long as possible."

The state never owned the land the park was on and previously had a long-term lease from energy companies who, until recently, had a generation plant at the lake. When Vistra Energy shut down the Big Brown Power Plant in 2018, they informed the parks department of their plans to sell the land and encouraged them to make an offer.

Vistra said the state never submitted an offer and they found a buyer in 2022.

"We know that Fairfield Lake State Park is a beloved treasure in a rapidly growing part of the state," said TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz, Ph.D. "We were heartened to hear the Committee's support for saving the park and see this as the essence of our mission, managing the natural and cultural resources of Texas for use and enjoyment."

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said they are still working with the new buyers to try to preserve the park for public use.

"With the dogwoods blooming and the bass biting, spring is an especially vibrant time to visit Fairfield Lake State Park," said Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Chairman Arch "Beaver" Aplin III. "I look forward to continuing my conversation with Vistra and Todd Interests to preserve both the park and Fairfield Lake for future enjoyment, but for now I applaud our TPWD staff for their dedication, creativity and flexibility in keeping the gates open. Many Texans will benefit from the continued use of this cherished resource."

At halftime of each boys basketball state championship game in San Antonio, the UIL honors that classification’s state championship team from 25 years prior. Coaches and players are celebrated at half court. Stories from that team’s glory days are shared.

Kimball coach Nicke Smith, in his postgame press conference following his team’s win over Killeen Ellison in the 5A state championship game on Saturday, turned to his players and made some future plans.

“If I’m alive,” Smith said. “I think it’s what, 25 years? We all come back together and get honored.”

Some good news for Smith and the rest of Kimball: they’ll have some folks to carpool down Interstate 35 with.

Kimball is one of three teams — including Lake Highlands and Faith Family — located within Dallas city limits to win a state championship on Saturday at the Alamodome. It’s the first time in UIL history that three teams from Dallas proper each won boys basketball state titles in the same season.

Lake Highlands (34-3) beat second-ranked Beaumont United 55-44 in the 6A championship game, and finished its season with just one loss to an in-state team (Duncanville). Kimball (33-2), which played in its third-straight state tournament, beat second-ranked Killeen Ellison 69-48 in the 5A championship game. It didn’t lose to a team within its classification all year. Faith Family (33-3) beat fourth-ranked Houston Washington 70-56 for the 4A crown, and went undefeated versus Texas teams this season.

Dallas’ three champions reflect the city’s basketball depth. Kimball, a traditional power, won the program’s seventh-state champion — the most in Dallas ISD history and the second-most in state history. Faith Family, an Oak Cliff-based charter school, expanded on a budding dynasty with its third title since 2019. Lake Highlands won its first championship since 1968, and might’ve laid the groundworks for the region’s next juggernaut.

The three won with star power — Lake Highlands five-star junior Tre Johnson, Faith Family four-star junior Doryan Onwuchekwa among them — and with those on the under-recruited side. Four of Kimball’s five leading scorers on Saturday — Tylar Hankamer, RJ Osborne, DaCannon Wickware and Barack Holland — are each unranked prospects. Only Wickware (Incarnate Word) is signed to a college. Senior point guard T’Johnn Brown is the team’s only ranked recruit at No. 245 nationally, per 247Sports.

Each team was ranked No. 1 statewide in their respective classifications, according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll.

“Dallas is a great, great basketball city,” Lake Highland senior Quinton Perkins said. “Dallas is a great place to get some hoops in.”

That may be an understatement.

Boys basketball teams within Dallas city limits have now won 13 state championships since 2011. The greater Dallas-Fort Worth region, with 29 titles since 2010, has laid its claim as the state and — possibly — the nation’s strongest amateur basketball hotbed.

But the city itself has proven to be the nucleus of a successful, championship-laden cell. In that same span that Dallas teams have won a baker’s dozen worth of trophies, Houston-area teams have won six times. A Houston ISD team hasn’t won a state title since Yates in 2014. San Antonio’s lone title in that stretch belongs to Cole (2021), and an Austin city limits team hasn’t won since Anderson in 1995.

“We’re in a talent-rich area,” Faith Family coach Brandon Thomas said. “No doubt about it.”

Consider that another understatement.