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| Creek |
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| Creek and hill |
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| View on the way up |
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| View from top |
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| Old pens and ramp |
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| Old pens |
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Land Finalist #1 (ranking)
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.
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!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
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.
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.
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| Entrance gate |
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| View from front |
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| Clearing |
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| Wildflowers and trees |
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Land Finalist Tied for #2 (ranking)
This land is very close to #3 (near Blanco), and is 57 miles (1 hour, 10 minutes) from home. It's a square ten acres, priced at $10,900/acre (recently reduced from $11,900), and is on a private road in a rural subdivision. We had taken a quick look at it on one of our long multi-property drives in March, and I had said it had potential, but Mr. D.H. seemed totally unimpressed, so I wrote it off. After looking at #3, I knew this was very close and suggested we take another look at it. We almost didn't, but then when we did, Mr. D.H. suddenly started seeing the potential!
The potential is mostly in the views; from the high points there are almost 360 degree views of surrounding hills. It has been used as a hunting property, and there is an abandoned hunting cabin and several deer stands (all of which would be abolished if we bought it). Unfortunately, the land is not "verdant" - it is as rocky and unattractive as #4. There are many cedars and a few oaks.
After three dates, we put this relationship temporarily on hold while we explore other options. The property is still listed (and has been for 180 days plus).
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| Entrance |
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| View From Back Corner |
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| View From Side Fence |
After three dates, we put this relationship temporarily on hold while we explore other options. The property is still listed (and has been for 180 days plus).
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| View to Other Side |
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| View Towards Road |
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| Center |
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| Road |
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Land Finalist #3 (ranking)
We chose to go in the back way the first time we visited this land, and we were smitten by the beauty of the county road near Blanco. It's just the type of road I dream of, with towering trees, stone walls, old properties, and gorgeous views. However, the property itself is not on the county road, but in a rural subdivision on a private loop off the county road. The subdivision is unrestricted, and contains a mix of site-built and manufactured housing. Still, it's attractive, and this land has some character. It's 12.45 acres, priced at $10,441/acre (reduced from $12,048), and is 55 miles (1 hour and 5 minutes) from our house. Part of its charm to me (less so to Mr. D.H.) are the outbuildings and junk piles (archeological digs I call them) left behind from a previous homestead. Not an antique homestead, unfortunately (probably 40 years or so), but interesting nonetheless.
We were taken by the winding drive leading past the old garden and through a second gate into a clearing of wildflowers and butterflies. What a perfect site for a home! This land is much nicer than #4, with green grasses, wildflowers, and an abundance of various types of plants. Verdant!
This property also has a well and septic, but they are likely in the wrong place for where we would want to put a house, so might have to be replaced.
We spent quite a bit of time studying the plat map for the area, and it appeared that the plot was near square (a preference), but the measurements kept adding up to more than 12.45 acres. On our second visit, we discovered that a corner had been cut out of the plot and had a residence on it. This was close to a deal-breaker for Mr. D.H.
Other problems were the lack of any real view, the quality of the neighborhood, and the inaccessibility for moving a house. Ultimately, after three dates, we "broke up" with this property (which is still listed at this time, and has been for 180 days plus according to Trulia).
We chose to go in the back way the first time we visited this land, and we were smitten by the beauty of the county road near Blanco. It's just the type of road I dream of, with towering trees, stone walls, old properties, and gorgeous views. However, the property itself is not on the county road, but in a rural subdivision on a private loop off the county road. The subdivision is unrestricted, and contains a mix of site-built and manufactured housing. Still, it's attractive, and this land has some character. It's 12.45 acres, priced at $10,441/acre (reduced from $12,048), and is 55 miles (1 hour and 5 minutes) from our house. Part of its charm to me (less so to Mr. D.H.) are the outbuildings and junk piles (archeological digs I call them) left behind from a previous homestead. Not an antique homestead, unfortunately (probably 40 years or so), but interesting nonetheless.
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| Winding Drive |
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| Old Garden |
We were taken by the winding drive leading past the old garden and through a second gate into a clearing of wildflowers and butterflies. What a perfect site for a home! This land is much nicer than #4, with green grasses, wildflowers, and an abundance of various types of plants. Verdant!
This property also has a well and septic, but they are likely in the wrong place for where we would want to put a house, so might have to be replaced.
We spent quite a bit of time studying the plat map for the area, and it appeared that the plot was near square (a preference), but the measurements kept adding up to more than 12.45 acres. On our second visit, we discovered that a corner had been cut out of the plot and had a residence on it. This was close to a deal-breaker for Mr. D.H.
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| Open Meadow |
Other problems were the lack of any real view, the quality of the neighborhood, and the inaccessibility for moving a house. Ultimately, after three dates, we "broke up" with this property (which is still listed at this time, and has been for 180 days plus according to Trulia).
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| View From Back Fence |
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| Distant Hills |
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| Old Barn |
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| Mobile Home Which Would Be Removed |
Land Finalist #4 (ranking)
This parcel is a pretty good size at 16.29 acres, and a good value at $6,108/acre. It's also the closest to home that we looked at, at 42 miles and 52 minutes from our house. It's on a ranch road in Burnet County, between Burnet and Lampasas. The road is a pretty nice drive, with a lot of undeveloped land, but the development is a mix of nice homes and manufactured homes, so there are likely few restrictions. (We have mixed feelings about restrictions; on the one hand we would like to be in a nice area, but on the other hand, we don't want anything so restrictive that we wouldn't be able to move in a house and have outbuildings, etc.). Another positive is that this doesn't appear to be a "subdivision." (We never got to the point of finding out for sure about the subdivision and restrictions aspects.)
This land also already has a well and septic system. We have been viewing this as a plus (because of the cost of having them installed), but have since learned that if they are not in the location we want the house, we might have to have additional ones installed anyway. The accessibility for moving a house to this property would be decent.
Negatives regard the land itself, and the neighboring properties. As you can see, it's pretty rocky soil, and the vegetation is mostly cedars. Nothing particularly "verdant" about it. There are a few distant views, but nothing spectacular. (Not that we're expecting champagne views on a beer budget, but some views are a must.) Also, there are other houses very close to the property lines on either side.
Not being stunningly impressed, we left this land behind for a few weeks and went off to view others. A couple of weeks ago I decided maybe we should reconsider it because of the size, value, and closeness, but upon calling the realtor found out that it is under contract. So we had two "dates" with this land and were set to have a third when a third party stole it away :D
This parcel is a pretty good size at 16.29 acres, and a good value at $6,108/acre. It's also the closest to home that we looked at, at 42 miles and 52 minutes from our house. It's on a ranch road in Burnet County, between Burnet and Lampasas. The road is a pretty nice drive, with a lot of undeveloped land, but the development is a mix of nice homes and manufactured homes, so there are likely few restrictions. (We have mixed feelings about restrictions; on the one hand we would like to be in a nice area, but on the other hand, we don't want anything so restrictive that we wouldn't be able to move in a house and have outbuildings, etc.). Another positive is that this doesn't appear to be a "subdivision." (We never got to the point of finding out for sure about the subdivision and restrictions aspects.)
This land also already has a well and septic system. We have been viewing this as a plus (because of the cost of having them installed), but have since learned that if they are not in the location we want the house, we might have to have additional ones installed anyway. The accessibility for moving a house to this property would be decent.
Negatives regard the land itself, and the neighboring properties. As you can see, it's pretty rocky soil, and the vegetation is mostly cedars. Nothing particularly "verdant" about it. There are a few distant views, but nothing spectacular. (Not that we're expecting champagne views on a beer budget, but some views are a must.) Also, there are other houses very close to the property lines on either side.
Not being stunningly impressed, we left this land behind for a few weeks and went off to view others. A couple of weeks ago I decided maybe we should reconsider it because of the size, value, and closeness, but upon calling the realtor found out that it is under contract. So we had two "dates" with this land and were set to have a third when a third party stole it away :D
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| Distant Hills, Cedars |
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| Outbuildings on Property, Rocky Soil |
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| View Across the Road |
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Time for an Update
Well, friends, it's been a while since I posted here, because it's been a very emotionally draining couple of months, with nothing really to report. I still have no good news to report, but I can update you a bit on what's been going on.
As soon as we cancelled our contract on House #22, we started searching for land, still with the idea of revisiting #22 and trying to have it moved. We have driven every weekend (spent a small fortune on gas!), and viewed over 30 properties, in several different directions. Our criteria have been the number of acres (preferably between 10 and 20); price; distance from home; distance from hospitals, stores, etc.; the area; the views; and the accessibility of actually moving a large house to it. We also prefer a paved road. A couple of weeks ago, we had narrowed it down to four, and then to two (both of which were, interestingly, chosen on revisits, after being rejected on the first visit). Mr. D.H. says we have to "date" the properties (as in courtship), and can't make an offer until after multiple dates (whatever...). (I know people like pictures, so I will try to do separate posts on each land finalist.) While both the finalists are acceptable, neither is "perfect" and we were torn. Meanwhile, the reality of finances was setting in, as well as the reality of the potential problems and costs that might be associated with moving a house 100 miles. Mr. D.H., in particular, was getting a severe case of cold feet. I was starting to wonder as well if it was really going to be feasible to move that particular house to the areas we were looking at. I had gotten no feedback from the one mover I had contacted, and I felt we really needed to consult with a mover, so I sent a request to the Texas Association of Structural Movers. Ironically, one of the members contacted me last Friday morning, right before everything started to shift.
Within the last week, several things have happened almost simultaneously that may have changed our direction. I check the real estate listings daily, and House #22 was always sitting right there, just waiting. Keep in mind that it has been for sale for 2-3 years, is not inhabitable without major expenditures, and we requested to be notified if the status changed. Suddenly, last Friday, it was no longer listed. I immediately sent an email to our realtor, but did not get an answer until Sunday. The answer was that the owners had gotten a cash offer on it (we were not notified), but were not able to resolve problems with liens against it, so it had gone into foreclosure and the bank was going to sell it to the cash buyer. I did not fight this, or try to counter offer, because I knew Mr. D.H. was not willing. It makes me very, very, sad to lose that house, as I love it very much, have not seen anything else remotely like it, and have a lot of dreaming tied up in it.
Back to the land, like I mentioned, we neither one felt that our two finalists were "perfect," but if I had been able to really get that house and have it moved, I could be happy with either one. A couple of my negatives about them is that they each feel a little small at 10 acres, and they don't have a "rural" enough feel. They are both in "rural subdivisions" and I want something a little more "real country" which is a bit hard to explain, but I keep saying that an old homestead would be perfect, preferably with a windmill, a water tank, and an old barn (oh, and a creek would be nice). (On the plus side, they are both a reasonable distance from home and civilization, and are approximately half-way between each of our respective parents. Our parents won't always be a consideration of course, but they are aging and may be needing us more in the next few years.)
Last Saturday we decided to check out a new land listing that had just come out. This land is considerably larger, at 22.5 acres (and thus more expensive, but the price per acre is almost half the others), but is farther from home and civilization than we prefer to go. It is very near my hometown, but quite a ways from my in-laws. We drove far out on a county road, and hills came into view in the distance. The road passed an old homestead, with house (not for sale, darn it), and cows lounging in and near the road. Right before the property, it turned into a dirt road (negative), and then we spotted the for sale sign. Nothing spectacular from the road, but we decided to explore (we had not yet contacted the realtor, but every one we've contacted so far has told us to feel free to explore on our own, so we've gotten pretty bold about trespassing - and we've since contacted him and he said go ahead). A shallow rocky creek runs along the edge of the property, which is both a positive and a negative; perfectly picturesque, but you have to cross it to get to the rest of the property, so a bridge would have to be built. We hop-skipped across (I'm a country girl at heart you know), and came to a clearing which contained an old livestock pen and loading dock built of cedar logs (plus!). There were not as many wildflowers as we've seen on some properties, but some beckoned in the distance (and I figure I could always seed). Past the clearing, we started up a tree-covered hill. I said something like "I don't think there are really any views from this property" and Mr. D.H. concurred with something like "no, none at all" and at about that instant I reached a level from which I could look out and see not only the hills, but Lake Buchanan in the distance! I said "oh, you are wrong - so wrong!"
Well, we are pretty intrigued with that land (in my opinion it's the best we've seen by far), but knew right away that moving a house to it would be logistically and financially challenging if not impossible. House movers and their websites say that ANYTHING can be moved ANYWHERE, given enough financial resources! That's just the problem - short of winning the lottery, I don't think we have those resources! And then the next day we found out that we lost House #22, so it is really back to Square One.
We talked about building on the land, possibly using old house materials from architectural salvage dealers, but I'm just not feeling it. Restoring an old house is a HUGE long-time dream for me, and it will break my heart not to own an old house. I considered the possibility of trying to buy an old house that was going to be torn down and salvaging the materials ourselves, which would at least give me the feeling that I "owned" that one house and was "restoring" it in a different way...the problem with that is those are hard to find. Believe me, I've done a LOT of internet research on all these possibilities. I considered revisiting House #21, which is in foreclosure and now listed at $45,000, and making a really low-ball offer (like $25,000), and if accepted tearing it apart and using the salvageable materials. I thought this might be my answer, but Mr. D.H. vetoed it out of hand.
To be continued...
Well, friends, it's been a while since I posted here, because it's been a very emotionally draining couple of months, with nothing really to report. I still have no good news to report, but I can update you a bit on what's been going on.
As soon as we cancelled our contract on House #22, we started searching for land, still with the idea of revisiting #22 and trying to have it moved. We have driven every weekend (spent a small fortune on gas!), and viewed over 30 properties, in several different directions. Our criteria have been the number of acres (preferably between 10 and 20); price; distance from home; distance from hospitals, stores, etc.; the area; the views; and the accessibility of actually moving a large house to it. We also prefer a paved road. A couple of weeks ago, we had narrowed it down to four, and then to two (both of which were, interestingly, chosen on revisits, after being rejected on the first visit). Mr. D.H. says we have to "date" the properties (as in courtship), and can't make an offer until after multiple dates (whatever...). (I know people like pictures, so I will try to do separate posts on each land finalist.) While both the finalists are acceptable, neither is "perfect" and we were torn. Meanwhile, the reality of finances was setting in, as well as the reality of the potential problems and costs that might be associated with moving a house 100 miles. Mr. D.H., in particular, was getting a severe case of cold feet. I was starting to wonder as well if it was really going to be feasible to move that particular house to the areas we were looking at. I had gotten no feedback from the one mover I had contacted, and I felt we really needed to consult with a mover, so I sent a request to the Texas Association of Structural Movers. Ironically, one of the members contacted me last Friday morning, right before everything started to shift.
Within the last week, several things have happened almost simultaneously that may have changed our direction. I check the real estate listings daily, and House #22 was always sitting right there, just waiting. Keep in mind that it has been for sale for 2-3 years, is not inhabitable without major expenditures, and we requested to be notified if the status changed. Suddenly, last Friday, it was no longer listed. I immediately sent an email to our realtor, but did not get an answer until Sunday. The answer was that the owners had gotten a cash offer on it (we were not notified), but were not able to resolve problems with liens against it, so it had gone into foreclosure and the bank was going to sell it to the cash buyer. I did not fight this, or try to counter offer, because I knew Mr. D.H. was not willing. It makes me very, very, sad to lose that house, as I love it very much, have not seen anything else remotely like it, and have a lot of dreaming tied up in it.
Back to the land, like I mentioned, we neither one felt that our two finalists were "perfect," but if I had been able to really get that house and have it moved, I could be happy with either one. A couple of my negatives about them is that they each feel a little small at 10 acres, and they don't have a "rural" enough feel. They are both in "rural subdivisions" and I want something a little more "real country" which is a bit hard to explain, but I keep saying that an old homestead would be perfect, preferably with a windmill, a water tank, and an old barn (oh, and a creek would be nice). (On the plus side, they are both a reasonable distance from home and civilization, and are approximately half-way between each of our respective parents. Our parents won't always be a consideration of course, but they are aging and may be needing us more in the next few years.)
Last Saturday we decided to check out a new land listing that had just come out. This land is considerably larger, at 22.5 acres (and thus more expensive, but the price per acre is almost half the others), but is farther from home and civilization than we prefer to go. It is very near my hometown, but quite a ways from my in-laws. We drove far out on a county road, and hills came into view in the distance. The road passed an old homestead, with house (not for sale, darn it), and cows lounging in and near the road. Right before the property, it turned into a dirt road (negative), and then we spotted the for sale sign. Nothing spectacular from the road, but we decided to explore (we had not yet contacted the realtor, but every one we've contacted so far has told us to feel free to explore on our own, so we've gotten pretty bold about trespassing - and we've since contacted him and he said go ahead). A shallow rocky creek runs along the edge of the property, which is both a positive and a negative; perfectly picturesque, but you have to cross it to get to the rest of the property, so a bridge would have to be built. We hop-skipped across (I'm a country girl at heart you know), and came to a clearing which contained an old livestock pen and loading dock built of cedar logs (plus!). There were not as many wildflowers as we've seen on some properties, but some beckoned in the distance (and I figure I could always seed). Past the clearing, we started up a tree-covered hill. I said something like "I don't think there are really any views from this property" and Mr. D.H. concurred with something like "no, none at all" and at about that instant I reached a level from which I could look out and see not only the hills, but Lake Buchanan in the distance! I said "oh, you are wrong - so wrong!"
Well, we are pretty intrigued with that land (in my opinion it's the best we've seen by far), but knew right away that moving a house to it would be logistically and financially challenging if not impossible. House movers and their websites say that ANYTHING can be moved ANYWHERE, given enough financial resources! That's just the problem - short of winning the lottery, I don't think we have those resources! And then the next day we found out that we lost House #22, so it is really back to Square One.
We talked about building on the land, possibly using old house materials from architectural salvage dealers, but I'm just not feeling it. Restoring an old house is a HUGE long-time dream for me, and it will break my heart not to own an old house. I considered the possibility of trying to buy an old house that was going to be torn down and salvaging the materials ourselves, which would at least give me the feeling that I "owned" that one house and was "restoring" it in a different way...the problem with that is those are hard to find. Believe me, I've done a LOT of internet research on all these possibilities. I considered revisiting House #21, which is in foreclosure and now listed at $45,000, and making a really low-ball offer (like $25,000), and if accepted tearing it apart and using the salvageable materials. I thought this might be my answer, but Mr. D.H. vetoed it out of hand.
To be continued...
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Update on #22
We had the house inspected yesterday. There was much stress leading up to that moment. The outcome was mixed. Definitely not the outcome I would have preferred, but I am still trying to think positive. However, we are pulling out of our current offer on the house. Here is an excerpt from the email I sent our realtor, which explains the situation.
The house inspector had both good news and bad news. The good news is that the main part of the house is structurally sound, and in very good shape for a house its age. The bad news is that the electrical and plumbing systems have to be completely replaced in order for the house to be inhabitable, and she also suspects the gas would not be up to code even if reconnected. She does not recommend having that work done until it is moved because it would have to be done again. She also said the house has been for sale for a long time (just not with Keller Williams), with no interest because of those issues.
With all that information considered, and some of it being somewhat contradictory to the sellers' disclosure, which stated that the systems needed to be upgraded but were functional at this time, and since the initial costs would be much greater than we had hoped for, we have decided to walk out on this offer at this time; however, we are still interested in the house. We want to bide our time, gamble that the house will not sell, reconsider our financial situation (which we hope will improve within a year or so because of children graduating from college), and start looking for land. If the house is still available a few months down the road and we have been able to find suitable land, we will definitely revisit the situation, and consider putting in another offer.
So really it's just a matter of logistics. We most likely need to sell our current house to fund this whole thing, and we can't do that without a place to move to, and we can't live in #22 until after it's moved and rehabbed, and it makes no sense to buy it and let it sit there (paying expenses on it) while we look for land when we can't even spend any time in it or work on it because of no utilities. So...we will start looking for land and hope the house waits for us. Fingers and toes still crossed!
We had the house inspected yesterday. There was much stress leading up to that moment. The outcome was mixed. Definitely not the outcome I would have preferred, but I am still trying to think positive. However, we are pulling out of our current offer on the house. Here is an excerpt from the email I sent our realtor, which explains the situation.
The house inspector had both good news and bad news. The good news is that the main part of the house is structurally sound, and in very good shape for a house its age. The bad news is that the electrical and plumbing systems have to be completely replaced in order for the house to be inhabitable, and she also suspects the gas would not be up to code even if reconnected. She does not recommend having that work done until it is moved because it would have to be done again. She also said the house has been for sale for a long time (just not with Keller Williams), with no interest because of those issues.
With all that information considered, and some of it being somewhat contradictory to the sellers' disclosure, which stated that the systems needed to be upgraded but were functional at this time, and since the initial costs would be much greater than we had hoped for, we have decided to walk out on this offer at this time; however, we are still interested in the house. We want to bide our time, gamble that the house will not sell, reconsider our financial situation (which we hope will improve within a year or so because of children graduating from college), and start looking for land. If the house is still available a few months down the road and we have been able to find suitable land, we will definitely revisit the situation, and consider putting in another offer.
So really it's just a matter of logistics. We most likely need to sell our current house to fund this whole thing, and we can't do that without a place to move to, and we can't live in #22 until after it's moved and rehabbed, and it makes no sense to buy it and let it sit there (paying expenses on it) while we look for land when we can't even spend any time in it or work on it because of no utilities. So...we will start looking for land and hope the house waits for us. Fingers and toes still crossed!
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