As summer comes to a close, the interns at Huffines Communities reflect on the past three months of their program. During their time here, they had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects within the multifamily and master-planned community space. Interns played an integral role in filling gaps in active projects across every domain. After gaining this holistic view of the real estate industry, here’s what they had to say:
School: University of Arkansas
Academic Year: Graduated 2025
Major: BSBA in Marketing
What is your favorite memory from the summer? My favorite memory from interning at Huffines Communities was attending and helping plan the Horizon Lakes groundbreaking ceremony. It was such a unique and rewarding experience to be hands-on with the event’s organization. Seeing the very beginning of a new community and witnessing firsthand the dedication, detail, and effort that Huffines puts into their developments made the day truly special.
What is your best piece of advice for future interns? Fully embrace every opportunity that comes your way. Take initiative and volunteer for projects that spark your interest, even if they fall outside your original role. The more you engage, the more you’ll learn and grow both professionally and personally. Make the effort to connect with your colleagues, ask about their roles, and understand different aspects of the business. Building relationships and broadening your knowledge of the industry can open doors and create valuable connections for your future career.
What is the most interesting thing you learned this summer? We had an in-house AI 101 Lunch and Learn, and I learned so much about the behind-the-scenes process of coding AI and how far the technology has developed. I was fascinated to discover how much of AI’s foundation is built on linear algebra, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for the complexity and innovation driving the tools we use every day.
School: Texas Christian University
Academic Year: Graduated
Major: BS in Economics
What is your favorite memory from the summer? I have many favorite memories of this summer and last spring. One recent memory that sticks out was the Horizon Lakes groundbreaking ceremony. It was awesome to listen to Don and Philip’s speeches about how Horizon Lakes will create a larger community for many generations to come. I thought it was cool to see an excavator and dump truck cutting dirt just a couple of hundred yards away from where we were standing. You can’t comprehend how much dirt they are moving with each dump truck until you watch it in person. A fellow intern had a great point, Alex Mushinski said, “This business means nothing without dirt”. I also enjoyed going on sight during one of the beginning phases of Solterra with Jerry, Edward, and Nick in January of 2025. We drove on-site to see the process of installing the sewer pipes.
What is your best piece of advice for future interns? My best piece of advice for future interns would be to listen in on the meetings and schedule lunch and learns. The lunch and learners are great to have because they give you an in-depth look at what the person does daily and what kind of tasks they need to do. The Monday meetings show you the ongoing process of developing the MPCs. Seeing the updated drone photos every week shows you real-time progress, which is so rewarding to see.
What is the most interesting thing you learned this summer? The most interesting things I learned this summer were the lunch and learns. One of the PM’s lunches and learns was over the Land Plans. He explained how the franchise and non-franchise utilities are installed for horizontal development. Another great lunch and learn was the land acquisition topic. An interesting quote from the lunch and learn, “land is just dirt until it has water, sewer, and a plan.”
School: SMU Cox School of Business
Academic Year: Full-Time MBA (Class of 2026)
Major: Real Estate & Finance
What is your favorite memory from the summer? My favorite memory from the summer was a combination of sitting in on my first Project Manager meeting and attending the Solterra Phase 3A acceptance walk with the City of Mesquite. Watching over 20 city officials from various departments inspect the roadways, paving, sanitary sewer, water, and stormwater infrastructure was a fascinating learning experience that deepened my understanding of the land development process.
What is your best piece of advice for future interns? My piece of advice for future interns is to hit the ground running. Go above and beyond on every task, even the smaller ones, because that’s how you will build credibility. Be proactive, seek out additional tasks and projects from Project Managers, and position yourself as someone reliable, curious, and driven to add value.
What is the most interesting thing you learned this summer? The most interesting thing I learned this summer is that you can put a cap rate on a sewage treatment plant, because if there’s a cash flow, there’s a cap rate.
School: University of Arkansas
Academic Year: Graduated 2024
Major: BSBA in Marketing
What is your favorite memory from the summer? My favorite memory this summer was helping set up and attend the Horizon Lakes groundbreaking ceremony. Being part of such a milestone event was both exciting and inspiring. Standing on the open land, it was incredible to imagine how it will transform over the next few years and the many families who will create memories there. Having the chance to contribute, even in a small way, to the start of that journey made it a truly meaningful experience.
What is your best piece of advice for future interns? Take every chance to learn. Exploring different parts of the business can help you discover new interests, grow your skills, and understand how everything works together. This broader knowledge will make you more adaptable and better prepared for future opportunities.
What is the most interesting thing you learned this summer? This summer opened my eyes to just how much goes on behind the scenes in real estate development. From the early vision and design to coordinating countless moving parts, I saw firsthand the level of organization and teamwork it takes to shape a master-planned community.
School: Southern Methodist University
Academic Year: Rising Junior
Major: Finance with Real Estate Specialization
What is your favorite memory from the summer? My favorite memory from this summer was visiting Solterra with Haley and several other interns. I enjoyed getting to tour the construction of the Amenity Complex and the unique Lookout Tree House Park. This visit helped me understand that precise project management of smaller elements like street banners and larger elements like the fitness facility helps to shape aesthetic communities.
What is your best piece of advice for future interns? My advice to future interns is to learn to be a great active listener. As you get an assignment or listen in on meetings, make sure to write down detailed notes and follow-up questions that you take the initiative to ask someone about. This will help you absorb as much information as possible and deliver high-quality work.
What is the most interesting thing you learned this summer? One of the most interesting things I’ve learned this summer was how much planning and work go into the development of sports fields. It was insightful to learn how much net acreage is available to develop these large community spaces after accounting for flood zones, parking, bathrooms, and walking spaces. Learning about space and cost constraints helped me understand how to think creatively about effective ways to utilize land.
School: Southern Methodist University
Academic Year: Rising Senior
Major: Civil Engineering with a Minor in Business
What is your favorite memory from the summer? The most memorable experience I had while working for Huffines was attending a construction meeting in Solterra. I was tasked with identifying discrepancies in the engineering plans and comparing them with LJA Engineering’s comments. This was not only a valuable learning experience, but it also allowed me to showcase my knowledge of civil engineering and development.
What is your best piece of advice for future interns? My best piece of advice for future interns is to step out of your comfort zone and remain open to learning new things. As an engineering student, I unexpectedly learned a great deal about finance and marketing throughout the internship. I realized that combining knowledge from multiple disciplines allows you to perform your role more effectively.
What is the most interesting thing you learned this summer? I was fascinated by the overall development process, from groundbreaking to the completion of homes and amenity centers. I learned that land acquisition is a critical step, as Huffines strategically seeks tracts of land within gaps in city zoning to gain negotiation power for reimbursement in the form of bonds. Combining this knowledge with my engineering background has given me a well-rounded internship experience that I can leverage for future opportunities.
School: University of Texas
Academic Year: Rising Sophomore
Major: Business Administration
What is your favorite memory from the summer? It would be the groundbreaking ceremony for the Horizon Lakes development. Lots of work in finance and accounting is spent in a more conceptual space, like keeping track of expenses, maintaining systems, and projecting the financial performance of projects. But visiting the site allowed me to visualize and physically interact with the final product that we are all working together to create. It is quite amazing to see all the excavators and machinery clearing out the site to prepare it for development, and you feel a sense of pride and accomplishment to see that your work is contributing to the real world in a very tangible way. In the future, many people will live there, and it was amazing to see it all begin to come together.
What is your best piece of advice for future interns? My advice would be to communicate often and early, as business runs on clear, effective, and frequent communication. The better you can define your objectives, set expectations. and clarify any ambiguities, the better and more efficient your work can be. Everyone is working together to push projects ahead, and people are very nice and more than willing to help, so do not hesitate to ask questions, get feedback, or simply chat it up. After all, as an intern, your job is to contribute to projects but also to learn as much as you can. The team at Huffines has taken you on because they want to mentor you, and remember that mentorship can only be effective if you are willing to communicate.
What is the most interesting thing you learned this summer? Although my work was mainly in accounting and finance, I had exposure to many aspects of the business that allowed me to learn a bit about everything. The most interesting thing I learned was how important the legal side of business is. From different holding entities to contractual obligations and even waiver forms, everything you do has a connection to the legal space. In land and real estate development, this is especially prevalent as there are lots of stakeholders involved, such as Huffines themselves, the many contractors that help complete the project, and the jurisdictions and local governments with whom we partner to build our communities. Without a proper and clearly defined legal system, none of the work Huffines does, or any company for that matter, could be possible. My biggest takeaway from this is a newly gained reverence for the importance of legal systems and an admiration for how well it is organized. It truly is a marvel and a testament to the ingenuity of society.
Horizon Lakes July2025 Groundbreaking Event photographed Wednesday, July 23, 2025 in Heath, Texas.
Photography by Bruce E Maxwell.
Horizon Lakes July2025 Groundbreaking Event photographed Wednesday, July 23, 2025 in Heath, Texas.
Photography by Bruce E Maxwell.