The author of this page is a property owner of a residential property in The Grand Prairie (TGP) master planned community in Hockley, TX. To date, my experience with The Grand Prairie HOA has been frustrating at best. Hopefully, the information on this page will help potential buyers in TGP make more informed decisions. The information on this page is accurate as of 4/8/2025.

The Overreaching Nature of TGP HOA Covenants:

One of TGP Governing documents is a document entitled The Grand Prairie Development Area Declaration (Residential). I will abbreviate as the “GPDAD”. The GPDAD contains 16 pages of use restrictions. I would advise reading through all of them BEFORE SIGNING A PURCHASE AGREEMENT with any builder in The Grand Prairie.

When you read it, you see phrases like “The Board, in its sole discretion, will…” in many places throughout the GPDAD. Keep in mind that wherever this phrase exists in the GPDAD, it gives the HOA board power to make decisions without regard to what property owners want.

Outbuildings:

Of particular concern to the author of this page are the restrictions regarding outbuildings. The GPDAD indicates that outbuildings are permitted (with approval from the Architectural Reviewer). The author submitted an outbuilding application to TGP Property Management vendor (CCMC Management), who forwarded the application to this “Architectural Reviewer” vendor, to whom none of TGP property owners have access. The application was declined the first time because the outbuilding was going to be taller than 6ft. (you can’t buy one that is 6 feet or shorter). The HOA decided to extend the height restriction to 9ft., so I resubmitted my application. This time it was declined because the outbuilding would be visible from the street adjacent to my property.

If a Grand Prairie builder tells you that you can put an outbuilding/shed on your lot, ask more questions, and get the answers in writing. You likely cannot.

Since so many garages in the community are 20ft wide or narrower and 20 feet deep or shorter, it is difficult to store lawn maintenance equipment and two vehicles in a garage, and still be able to walk around the vehicles or get in and out of them (particularly if one of them is a pickup). Since outbuildings are effectively banned unless they’re not visible from the street, potential buyers should carefully consider where they will store their lawn and garden maintenance equipment.

A Few Other unreasonable restrictions:

• Property owners cannot change any landscaping (changing the shape or size of a flower bed, changing the plants in the flower bed, planting a tree, etc.) without submitting an application for approval, along with a $25 application fee.

• Property owners cannot perform maintenance on their vehicles unless the vehicle is in the garage with the garage door closed.

• Property owners cannot add exterior lighting on their residence or property without submitting an application for approval, along with a $25 application fee.

• Property owners cannot add security cameras on their residence or property without submitting an application for approval, along with a $25 application fee.

Fees, fees, and more fees:

TGP HOA charges fees to property owners for simply requesting an architectural review for changes on their property. The author has lived in multiple communities subject to an HOA, but this is the first community in which property owners must pay a fee to request change reviews from the HOA. The fees range from $25 - $75 depending on what change you are requesting for review. There is also a $1,000 deposit for a pool. Each item requested to be reviewed is considered a separate application and requires a separate fee. The HOA board claims that these are pass-through fees from the vendor with whom they contracted. Currently, if an application is declined, the applicant can revise and resubmit (along with another fee).

Cumbersome application process:

For property change requests, communities subject to an HOA typically have application processes that involves bringing your application and plot plan (if applicable) to an HOA meeting for review. The HOA board will frequently have questions, but you have the opportunity to discuss or even amend the application during the meeting, and have an immediate decision regarding your request. It is generally a collaborative process. It’s a little different in TGP. You submit you application (with the appropriate fee that most other communities do not charge). The Architectural Reviewer has 30 days to hand down their authoritarian decision. If your application is declined, you can revise and resubmit the application (with the appropriate application fee), and wait for another authoritarian decision to be handed down. The process is neither cooperative nor collaborative, and it takes a ridiculous amount of time.

HOA Dues commensurate with Current Amenities?:

Builders’ sales staff are touting many future amenities, but few amenities exist currently. The Grand Prairie web site reports planned pools, parks, playgrounds, splash park, pickleball courts, trails, and a future amenity center. The only amenities in place currently are  lakes and sidewalks. With almost no current amenities, the HOA is still charging $1,200/year HOA dues. The HOA dues should be reduced until amenities are in place that provide more value for the dues property owners have to pay.

Rental Properties:

The northwest portion of the community is leased homes only. Builders’ sales staff do NOT advise buyers of this. It will be interesting to see if landlords/tenants maintain these leased properties to standards set forth in the GPDAD, or if those properties will deteriorate and stay that way, bringing down property values throughout the community. Higher crime rates in the community as a result of the high concentration of rental properties is another concern.

Summary:

The Grand Prairie HOA treats property owners more like renters than owners. The covenants have stripped property rights away significantly. If you want to have control over what you are able to do on your own property, and do it without paying ridiculous fees to ask if you can make changes, you should look somewhere other than The Grand Prairie.