Oak Wilt in Fair Oaks Ranch? Any other negatives? (Boerne: new home, neighborhood)

[KB4467]

My husband and I are looking at a house in Fair Oaks Ranch. It is at the top of our budget. We have been told by friends to watch for Oak Wilt, but in a 30 minute drive through the neighborhood, we didn't see any infected or dead trees. Does anyone know? For that matter, does anyone know ANY negatives to living in the area? We would be buying this house with the intention of staying indefinitely. We will be making a fairly large down payment- has me a little freaked out. I really want to get my kids in the Boerne ISD but this is as far out as we can go and still allow my husband to commute to Lackland. We have been in Hollywood Park since 2002 and I have watched Oak Wilt decimate trees in three street radius- maybe more. Don't want to relive that.

[NurseDana]

I have never even heard of this! Makes me want to look at my own oaks!

[Paka]

I too am frightened at the thought of Oak Wilt (and anyone with Oak trees here should be), but from what I have read and been told, non of us are secure from it here in S Texas. Seems that the spores can come from other live trees in your area and spread to yours, from the insect depositing the spores directly on your trees thru wounds left untreated or even from someone in your area burning infected oak wood in their fireplace unknowningly. Always makes me wonder when I see those guys along side the roads and intersections as it turns cold, or the bundles at HEB of Oak wood for the fireplaces. We went to gas logs just because of our huge oak trees to try and avoid any undue risk. Also, kinda like being able to have an instant fire in the mornings when it is cold vs having to do without if you don't have a few hours to hang around the house to ensure it has gone out before you leave....not to mention I DON'T at all miss cleaning out the fireplace!!!

[Karen1969]

Check out this web page for Fair Oaks Ranch that has a discussion on Oak Wilt.

Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, Oak Wilt Information

We are in the process of moving into a newly purchased home in Fair Oaks Ranch and are very excited. It's so quite compared to where we are moving from. The views are also beautiful. Good Luck!!!

[KB4467]

Karen 1969, when you closed on your house in Fair Oaks Ranch, did you have to sign an Oak Wilt disclosure statement? Just curious. Congrats on your new home! Quite a change from Metairie.

Paka, you just have to be vigilant in painting all open wounds on your trees. The bigger concern for me is that once a tree is infected, it will infect all the trees around it. Oak tree roots fuse together underground, so in a sense, if one tree has it, they all will get it eventually. From what I understand, the initial infestation site in HP was trenched TWICE but still didn't contain the oak wilt. The town council considers Oak Wilt to be "nature taking it's course" and refuses to be proactive in controlling the damage. If the disease continues to spread, we will eventually be as bald here in HP as they are north of 1604.

[mastercone]

You can get all of the info you need on Oak Wilt at Texas Oak Wilt Information Partnership

[Karen1969]

Originally Posted by KB4467

Karen 1969, when you closed on your house in Fair Oaks Ranch, did you have to sign an Oak Wilt disclosure statement? Just curious.

I don't remember signing an Oak Wilt disclosure statement...doesn't mean I didn't, just don't remember it. We have six oaks in the back yard and one large one in the front, hope they are around as long as we are!