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Hey everyone,
I'm new here. Thought i'd introduce myself in case anyone has similar interests as mine.
I am 26 years old and have lived in Brownsville, Texas, all my life. A year ago I decided to move to San Antonio because that's where most of my clients were located (I do website development for small businesses). I'm freelance, so I could basically live wherever I wanted.
Well, I'm at that point in life now where I want to start moving further into the rural country (yea, most people my age think I'm crazy--they want the fast, high life in the city!) and purchase my own piece of land that I can live off of. You see, my father once told me when I was very young the first thing a man must do is to own a piece of land. When you go into a store and you buy something it's chattel, but when you own a piece of land, that's real. And that's where the words "real estate" originated.
I've always been captivated by rural Texas, especially the smaller towns like Johnson City and Stonewall, Texas. Having visited there and helped an old couple in Wimberley, Texas, I decided that this is the kind of lifestyle I want--a dream as old as America itself; give me a piece of land to call my own, a little town where everyone knows my name. It's a dream we are dreaming with a new heart-and-gut-felt urgency. More than the romance of the country, it's a promise of safety, of comfort, and old-fashioned values.
Now, I'm not the richest person on the block, but I've been saving up for that perfect acreage I've spied from the corner of my eye. I just need a bit more time.
I'd like to hear from other people (doesn't matter your age) who live out in the real hill country (Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Harper, Stonewall, etc). Who knows, maybe we can become friends and help on another in accomplishing our dreams.
Looks like a great forum! I hope I can share many more posts with ya'll.
Last edited by doss1; 04-01-2007 at 07:07 PM..
Reason: added line
Wow! Do you ever sound like you have your head on straight for a young man! You sound a little like my son who is 4 years older than you are. That's the kind of life he wants and hopefully, it will become a reality for him in due course.
Your dad was ever so right. I only wish I had done the things you're wanting to do when I was younger. You are lucky that you're thinking about it now and by the time you're my age, you'll be all set and all the ones in the fast life of 2007 will say, "By gosh, TexasNick was right 30 years ago." I wish I had the brains he had."
I read some of your other posts about the Hill Country. I'm planning to go down there this summer and check things out. Right now, I'm interested in Harper, Fredericksburg (but away from the tourist trap), Ingram, and Hunt.
I took a trip to Leakey last year and liked it pretty well, but it seems a little too rugged for me, more so I imagine than Harper as you mentioned in another post about it being rocky.
I live in rural Central Texas and as strange as it may seem, it's growing too fast for me. The Hill Country is prettier too and even though I'd love to move to the mountains of VA, I've about given that up as my children (I have a daughter also) want to stay in Texas, and I don't want to be that far away from them.
I wish you the best of luck and trust you will definitely achieve your goal, a delightful one at that.
I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts and watching your progress as you find the land of your dreams.
I'm planning to go down there this summer and check things out. Right now, I'm interested in Harper, Fredericksburg (but away from the tourist trap), Ingram, and Hunt.
I took a trip to Leakey last year and liked it pretty well, but it seems a little too rugged for me, more so I imagine than Harper as you mentioned in another post about it being rocky. [/b]
Thanks for your comments. I haven't been to the Harper area yet, but I plan to take a quick peek this week depending on weather. If you'd like, I can share some photos with you.
I'm thinking of documenting my journey for land on a blog. I need a way to stay focused and content...so this may work.
As for my comment about the Harper area being rocky, I am not sure. You start getting into the rugged areas up there and things start to get real cheap because it's pretty far from "civilization". The way I see it, nothing is ever too far anymore. Development is on the rise in the Hill Country. The last time I checked, they weren't making anymore land.
My folks live out near Willow City (north of FB) on a few dozen acres and love it out there. I would love to buy some land adjacent to them, but the prices are already too high. I have looked at Harper and am considering some land out there; the problem for me is that I don't plan to move there immediately (job doesn't work there), so I would have to keep it for quite a while. Taxes would eat me alive, so I would really need to have/maintain an Ag. exemption by leasing the land out to a rancher of some sort, or look into 'habitat improvement' (still looking into this). My advice is to be aware of the possibility of homesteading a couple acres and maintaining an ag. exemption by leasing land back out to a local. Goats, sheep, and cattle are all possibilities, with goats doing best on rocky.
Thanks for your comments. I haven't been to the Harper area yet, but I plan to take a quick peek this week depending on weather. If you'd like, I can share some photos with you.
I'm thinking of documenting my journey for land on a blog. I need a way to stay focused and content...so this may work.
As for my comment about the Harper area being rocky, I am not sure. You start getting into the rugged areas up there and things start to get real cheap because it's pretty far from "civilization". The way I see it, nothing is ever too far anymore. Development is on the rise in the Hill Country. The last time I checked, they weren't making anymore land.
I'd love to see any photos that you take; that's very nice of you.
I love your "journey for land" blog idea so if you do that, please do let me know so I can keep tabs on the search.
When I was in Leakey last year, very rugged and rocky area, I looked at some 5 acre tracts. Good grief, they were priced between $45,000 and $55,000, and I just can't swing that.
Gads, I don't even know if I'll ever be able to afford to move to the HC but until I'm sure, I'll just keep dreaming, I guess.
My folks live out near Willow City (north of FB) on a few dozen acres and love it out there. I would love to buy some land adjacent to them, but the prices are already too high. I have looked at Harper and am considering some land out there; the problem for me is that I don't plan to move there immediately (job doesn't work there), so I would have to keep it for quite a while. Taxes would eat me alive, so I would really need to have/maintain an Ag. exemption by leasing the land out to a rancher of some sort, or look into 'habitat improvement' (still looking into this). My advice is to be aware of the possibility of homesteading a couple acres and maintaining an ag. exemption by leasing land back out to a local. Goats, sheep, and cattle are all possibilities, with goats doing best on rocky.
I have not been to Willow City yet, but I've been to the Crabapple area--oh my gosh, what a beautiful and quiet place. Did you ever check out crabapple church and old school there in the middle of nowhere? Just south of Enchanted Rock.
I hear you about leasing out the land--a lot of people do this, but I do not know anything about it. The wildlife conservation thing is, I believe, free to the landowner and no money is exchanged. Texas A&M brings in their students and they research and restore the land back to its native habitat. I could be wrong. This is just based on what I saw on PBS (and PBS has had some darn good Texas programming lately--just makes you want your land faster).
Your parents made the right move, congrats. Keep me posted on your land status!
I'd love to see any photos that you take; that's very nice of you.
I love your "journey for land" blog idea so if you do that, please do let me know so I can keep tabs on the search.
When I was in Leakey last year, very rugged and rocky area, I looked at some 5 acre tracts. Good grief, they were priced between $45,000 and $55,000, and I just can't swing that.
Gads, I don't even know if I'll ever be able to afford to move to the HC but until I'm sure, I'll just keep dreaming, I guess.
Time will tell.
I have never been to Leakey..isn't that like near Dallas or Round Rock?
Okay I drove to Harper today--took me 1 hour and 5minutes from my house in San Antonio. It was a bit shorter than I thought, but it's still far and I guess you could call it the boondocks Just the way I like it...now I just need to convince a girl that there are no more Indians out there. I passed a sign that said something about an Indian Massacre that happened there in the 1800s. I believe a baby was kidnapped and taken into the tribe. Anyways, the land that I was looking at was just north of that. I took some photos, i'll post it on the blog tomorrow morning. The cheapest I saw was 10 acres for about 60,000. However, you should not have a problem finding something for the 30k range if you keep the acres around 1-3. It's beautiful out there! Oh, but there's a nice BBQ place near by...there, i'm set
When you get the chance, pick up a book titled COUNTRY PROPERTY, DIRT CHEAP. Don't be thrown off by the "cheap" title. It's actually a great little book written by a guy who could not afford land out in the country. Basically, what it came down to, he figured out that there are lots of "old" people failing health and who have lived on the land for many years. Many don't have a heir or family member to pass the land down to (I've always wondered why families that own lots of land, say, 300+ acres, have a son or daughter that does not want anything to do with it--they want to go to college in NYC and live the high life. It's always when they are approaching their 50s that they decide they want it back--oops, too late. Land sold).
Most importantly, according to the book, all you have to do is just post a small ad in a small town newspaper saying something like this: "Wanted to Buy: 3 to 5 acres within 25 miles of Springfield for $10,000". You know that every farmer that is worth his salt will be reading a paper with coffee on his front porch that morning. He'll see that ad, and if he wants to sell it the easy way, he'll contact you. Not everyone is interested in going through the hassle of a real estate agent, etc. A friend of mine did this in the Montana area and he was flooded with calls. He got to pick and choose.
I have not been to Willow City yet, but I've been to the Crabapple area--oh my gosh, what a beautiful and quiet place.
My folks live very close to Lower Crabapple (actually on Eckert Rd, which intersects it). They have ~22 acres and run sheep and train herding dogs. My dad has been drooling over the 11 acres adjacent to him for years (he currently leases it for grazing pasture), but the guy is not interested in selling. We had some discussion about buying 5 of the acres earlier this year so he could raise some cash (he is a builder in the Llano area, I think), but he ended up taking out a loan with the land as collateral. Almost had it....
Anyway, we never got down to a final price, but the land is appraised ~11k/acre for an 11 acre tract with some fencing improvements. We were going to buy the 'boring' part of the land (the pasture area) and were thinking in the 8-9k range.
If you can find something affordable out in that area, it is AWESOME (in a very quiet sort of way). My wife and I go out there on a regular basis so she can ride here bike for miles and miles and only see a car or two and even they do not try to run her over (like around some areas in NE Austin).
Look out toward Doss, too, that might be a little cheaper. Be vary wary of Oak Wilt....there is an area (on Pecan Creek rd., maybe?) that looks post apocalypse because of the grey and falling trees. I don't know if there are any programs to control it out there.....
I really enjoyed the blog entry "Harper vs Fredericksburg" you entered today. And, the two pictures. Look forward to more entries. You've really got your head on straight for a man of your age....heck, straight for men my age, too. I'm 54 and looking for early retirement this year and relocation from FW to the Hill Country. We have a ranch near Brownwood, but we're looking for a place closer to Austin or San Antonio. I'm very interested in reading of your travels through the area.
Keep up the good work! John
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Just the way I like it...now I just need to convince a girl that there are no more Indians out there. I passed a sign that said something about an Indian Massacre that happened there in the 1800s. I believe a baby was kidnapped and taken into the tribe. Anyways, the land that I was looking at was just north of that. I took some photos, i'll post it on the blog tomorrow morning. The cheapest I saw was 10 acres for about 60,000. However, you should not have a problem finding something for the 30k range if you keep the acres around 1-3. It's beautiful out there! Oh, but there's a nice BBQ place near by...there, i'm set
Enjoyed the Blog!
