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New housing concepts pop up around North Texas

New housing concepts pop up around North Texas
New housing concepts pop up around North Texas 01:59

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - So you want a buy house but can't afford the down payment. 

Or, you need to lease but don't want to live in a traditional apartment building or complex. 

The answer may be North Texas hottest new housing concept - build for rent housing communities.

They are starting to pop up all over the area and are giving those of you stuck between buying a home and renting an apartment a new option. 

With a growing family, Stephanie Sims couldn't wait to get into a house after years in apartments. 

"It started to get really cramped, we just needed that space," Sims said. "In our last apartments, there was always somebody on top making a bunch of noise."

There are no shared walls in Sims' house that sits in a community of other one, two and three bedroom homes that, like apartments, are all for rent. 

"It's relatively new, but I think it's here to stay in lots of markets," said Josh Eadie, VP of development for NexMetro. "There's been an anti-apartment movement. It's been well received so far."

Avilla Homes and NexMetro are among the companies behind a concept for those want nice, modern luxury homes but not the huge down payments and maintenance costs that come with purchasing. 

Rents range from $1,600-$2,700 a month with annual leases on the houses that can be up to 1,200 square feet in size. 

The communities of cottage style homes come with apartment amenities, like pools and on site maintenance. 

A good sized backyard appealed to Sims and her family, who say it's a way of living that works for them. 

"Also kind of getting practice for once we do our home it's a good transition to getting used to what it takes to keeping up with a house," Sims said.

DFW already has about two dozen of these communities, which is the third most in the nation.

More than a dozen are under construction.

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