Al Brende, cofounder and chief executive of Land Tejas, died on August 26 at the age of 80, according to an announcement from the company.
Brende was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He began his career as a homebuilder in California and later worked as a land developer in Nevada. In the 1990s, he moved to Houston and co-founded Land Tejas with Courtney Grover in 1997. Over nearly three decades, the company has developed 15,000 acres and more than 20 communities in Houston.
Land Tejas is known for several innovations in residential development. The company introduced gated communities with guards for entry-level homes and implemented early use of low-voltage wiring, fiber internet, and community-wide solar programming. Its Balmoral community was the first in Houston to feature a Crystal Lagoon amenity.
The Sunterra community by Land Tejas, located in Katy near Houston, consistently ranks among the top-selling master-planned communities nationally. In 2023, it ranked fourth with 1,325 sales according to RCLCO Real Estate Consulting (https://www.rclco.com/advisory-top-selling-master-planned-communities-mid-year-2023/). Construction on Sunterra began in 2020; upon completion it is expected to have around 7,000 homes across its 2,300 acres.
In 2021, Starwood Land acquired a majority stake in Land Tejas by purchasing a portfolio that included ten projects and approximately 16,000 lots for $425 million (https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2021/07/01/starwood-land-buys-majority-stake-in-land-tejas.html).
Earlier this year, Starwood began developing Sunterra Lakes—a sister community spanning 1,500 acres—which will eventually offer about 4,000 homes and include an elementary school within the Royal Independent School District.
Starwood Land CEO Mike Moser commented on Brende’s legacy: “His passion, his hobbies and his life were land development.”
Brende is survived by his wife Ann Bayless, three children and five grandchildren. Leadership of Land Tejas is expected to transition to his son Alan Brende and longtime CFO Melanie Ohl.
