Rattlesnake Ranch - The One That Was Almost "It"

Wildflower meadow

Spring is absolutely the best time for looking at land, especially in the bountiful wildflower season that we've had! This is a large tract (37 acres) and is listed at $6,891 an acre including the house (which has very little value). Completely covered in wildflowers, it is also dotted with oaks and mesquites, with no cedar and very little cactus (pluses). Another huge plus for me is the picturesque old barn and cattle ramp, which add that "old homestead" character I'm seeking. It's not really a "view" property, but with some selective clearing of mesquites, distant hills would come into view.

Old barn

Cattle ramp

This property lies at the deadend of a short county road near Llano, about an hour and 15 minutes from home. I can picture a grand entrance gate into our country estate. And here's what could be the best bonus of all - there is an old house on the property. However (and it's a big however), this is really not anything close to my dream house.

The age is undetermined, but best guess from researching similar houses is that it was built in the late teens to early 20s, although it could be younger. The addition on the left ruins the facade and would have to go. That leaves a tiny little four-room square with not much useable space and a tiny porch. Thus, a large addition would be needed, to at least double the space. The interior trim is low-grade, and only two original windows remain (and one is broken).

Front of house

Closer view of house

On the plus side, the walls and ceilings are all beadboard, the floor is original wood, and the fireplace is gorgeous. There are also two wells on the property, which have been inspected and are supposedly in working order. There is a septic tank somewhere, but no one knows where so a new one would be recommended.

After viewing the property with the realtor, reality set in about the size and price of the whole 37 acres. It's far more land than we set out looking for, and far more dollars than we need to invest in a property that would require so many more dollars in renovations. The ad had stated that the owners would consider dividing it along an existing fence line, but that would separate the house and the barn! What to do? I redrew the tract showing a proposed new division keeping the house and barn together and had our realtor submit it to the owners' realtor. They not only turned down that proposal, they changed their minds about dividing it at all - all or nothing they said. The only suggestion the realtor had was that the neighbor on the side we didn't want might be interested in buying it from us if we bought the whole thing, but at a lower price than what the sellers were wanting.
 

Fireplace and beadboard

This was not the news we hoped for, and we got worse news the same day. I happened to visit with my brother who lives in Llano, and asked him what he knew about the property (hoping to find out more about the age of the house). He had very strong negative feelings about it, which seemed to center mostly around the previous tenant who had been evicted, and the area itself. While my brother and I do not see eye-to-eye regarding old houses (among other things), I did take his opinion into consideration in light of the other negative issues we were having. And speaking of the negatives, did I mention the reason we nicknamed this place "Rattlesnake Ranch"? That's right - this is what we found INSIDE the house on our first viewing! It would definitely need some snake remediation!

Mascot

All in all, maybe this is not the place for us, although I still fantasize about making it work. I know in a way it would be "settling" but I also think the reality is that there is going to have to be some settling as long as we're working within our budget and criteria. What I do know is that the perfect old house on the perfect property is not likely out there in our price range. At this point, we're back to Square One, with nothing on the horizon, and it's a disappointing place to be.

Wildflowers and oaks

Distant view of hills

One of two stock tanks

Land Finalist #1 (ranking)

Creek

Creek and hill

This piece of property (which I mentioned in the last update) was at the top of our list for several weeks. The largest so far at 25.5 acres, it's listed at about $5,700 per acre. It's very remote, almost at the end of a county road near Bluffton, and about an hour and 20 minutes from home (getting a little farther than desired). A small wet-weather creek runs along the edge of the property near the road, and has to be crossed to reach the property. There is no bridge, so a low-water crossing would have to be built. Once you cross the creek, the property goes up a hill, and the reward is at the top. Gorgeous views in all directions, and Lake Buchanan in the distance! At the bottom of the hill, on one edge, there are some old log fenced stock pens and a cattle ramp, which add character. The view had us captivated, and we even got estimates from a well business and a septic business.

View on the way up

So those are the pros. Here are the cons that eventually caused to back away (after three dates). 1) The land is very rocky, and would be expensive and difficult to have a well and septic put in, as well as to build. 2) Added expense of a bridge over the creek and a road up the hill. 3) Possibility (though slight) of getting flooded or iced either off or on the property. 4) The road is paved until a short distance before the property, then it turns to dirt road. Mr. D.H. has a strong aversion to living on a dirt road. 5) The vegetation is mostly cedars and cactus; not particularly verdant. 6) The owners had a new survey done, and it turns out the old pens aren't on the property. And the most important con, to me 7) It would be impossible to move an old house to this property; we would have to build new. Ultimately I decided I just couldn't give in to never having my old house dream!

View from top



Old pens and ramp



Old pens

Land Finalist Tied for #2 (ranking)

This one makes you draw a breath upon first sight, with the beauty of the wildflowers and the distant hills. This is a 10 acre tract on a high speed ranch road, about five miles from Johnson City, and part of a rural subdivision. It's 61.7 miles (about an hour and 15 minutes) from our current home. Priced at $12,490/acre, it is still for sale at this time.

While pretty, a closer inspection just didn't give off any vibes. No "character" so to speak, and no real views from the interior of the property. After two dates, this one kind of fell of the radar as we ventured to other areas.

Entrance gate

View from front

Clearing

Wildflowers and trees