What City do you live in? (Dallas, Austin: for sale, real estate, houses)

[Just Lookin]

I thought I would ask this question and maybe it will help me decide what area is better for me and hubby.

Most of the listings my Realtor sends me has the acres and the taxes of the property on them. I have noticed that the same areas are really high.

Upshure County is one. That is one of the places I wanted to live. Well, they out taxed me in that County. So what I wondered is, can you tell me what area you live in and what your taxes are if you don't mind.

It would really help as we are retired and need them to be kind of low. We are looking for something under $1000.00 a year. I know you have them because I saw them but the houses didn't have the amount of land we wanted.

Thanks a lot.

[Cathy4017]

We are looking for something under $1000.00 a year. I know you have them because I saw them but the houses didn't have the amount of land we wanted.

If you want acreage, you are unlikely to find one with taxes under $1000/year. Property taxes tend to be high all over TX, probably because we don't have a state income tax.

[Spookmeister]

Proud to call Round Rock, Texas, just outside of Austin, home. Only way you get taxes under $1k is if it's a rural homestead with an Ag exemption as well I think. If you look at a map look at the areas that are bound by I-35 in the west, State Highway 77 to the east and State Highway 79 to the south. This area froms a triangle of sorts where there seems to be a lot of land for sale. I do have to warn you though there's this Trans-Texas corridor plan in the works and although I'm not sure of it's exact path, I am wondering if the ones putting up their properties up for sale are privy to that info and are cashing in early to avoid a messy fight with the state.

[BobTex]

50 acres, 2100 sq. ft. home w/ wrap around porch, 2 barns and other outbuildings .

With homestead exemption --- $950.00 year.

No city......Tyler County!

[Just Lookin]

Well, there you go again. Wow, thats for me. Where did you find that? Realtor.com or something like that. You gave me back my hope Bob.

50 acres????????????????????????? Love it.

See, I told you they were out there. I was starting to think I wasn't going to find anything like that in East Texas.

Thanks Bob

[BobTex]

Actually, Bound, it's 48.56 acres. Got a 2 acre pond with 50 year old azaleas growing around it, camelia trees scattered throughout the woods, dogwood and grancie-graybeard trees everywhere(both are early spring bloomers.....along with redbud trees). Parts of the land are not very attractive (thick brush with scattered big trrees but it is all high and dry and my house is on a hill with a 40' - 50' elevation from my boundary lines. I've got 9 different specie of oak trees, beech, hickory,pine and other assorted stuff. I live right in the geographic middle. My nearest neighbor to the north and west is over 5 miles away but only 1/4 mile to the south and east. I looked 3 years for the piece. Back in the 1950's the folks that owned the place had aspirations to start a nursery so thus the azaleas and camelias.


The reasons I picked this place is my current job was in Beaumont and I wanted to be within 1 hour drive.........barely met that criteria. Also my teenage years I lived in this same county on an even more awesome piece of property with my grandparents that is in the same county but about 8 miles west right on the Polk County line. It was VERY remote at that time ('60's and 70's) with deer thick like the Hill Country and occasional bear and mountain lions. With this in mind I knew what I was looking for. I found my present piece of property listed in the local paper in 1995......it had been listed less that a week when I signed on it with 2 other persons in line behind me if my deal fell through. I paid less than $1200/acre for it then......prices have doubled since. New 4 lane split hiways are planned for the US Hwy 69 and 96 corrridors with the Hwy 96 almost 75% complete between Jasper and Beaumont. This will drive realestate prices up as lots of people commute southto the refineries/city to work!

Beaumont is the birthplace of the United States oil and petrochemical industries (see: Lucas Gusher and Spindletop oilfield) and will soon have the largest oil refinery(Motiva) in America and also the second or 3rd largest(Valero). Other than that the area Gulf Coast of southeast Tx. probably doesn't have much to offer. The air smells pretty bad down there at times (my grandpa would say "it smells like money"). You probably won't want to live within 10 miless of a paper mill either for the same reason.

In my research I'm finding upper East Texas realestate prices and costs higher than the southern areas (Lufkin and south). Tyler (where I'll go next week to look at job prospects) has more expensive listings than what I'm used to around here and the taxes look higher......maybe these areas being closer to Dallas are being influenced by their costs. I'll just have to do more research I guess! I've been looking at lakefront/lake area and some rural pieces.

More info to digest for you!

[Just Lookin]

Oh this is your house? Maybe you should stay there. Prices are rising and the land is getting less and less. I think when the Real Estate had its boom I should have sold then. Now here we are sitting and waiting. The market is real slow here in Ca.

Yes, maybe I should look into another area. I just loved East Texas though.

[Bridlewood]

Hey Bound!

I'm not sure where you're looking, but my wife and I have 20.49 acres just west of San Marcos in a development called Bridlewood Ranches (hence the username). Anyway, our property taxes last year were $36 due to an AG exemption we have because of roaming Longhorn. It will increase when we build, but because of the exemption and the fact we aren't going to fence, it probably won't go up that much...we'll see.

Bridlewood is a development of 55 ranch estates 12 miles west of San Marcos along FM-12 & CR-214. All the lots are b/w 20 and 50 acres. To be honest, we haven't seen the property yet aside from pictures (We bought while stationed in Japan @ $7500 an acre.), but the few people we've been in contact with in our "neighborhood" have been extremely friendly and eager to one day meet us, as we are them. We have regular property owner's ass. meetings and get togethers as well as an active newsgroup for ongoing information.

I know for a fact there are at least a few parcels available, 20 acres right next to us as a matter a fact. If you're interested, I can get you in touch with the owners.

Anyway, I thought you might like the info.

Happy Hunting!!

Kevin

[BobTex]

Originally Posted by Bound for Texas

Oh this is your house? Maybe you should stay there. Prices are rising and the land is getting less and less. I think when the Real Estate had its boom I should have sold then. Now here we are sitting and waiting. The market is real slow here in Ca.

Yes, maybe I should look into another area. I just loved East Texas though.

__________________________________________________ _______________

Maybe you missed my point Bound.......Stay at least 50 miles north of Beaumont up to just north of Lufkin and east of I-45 to the Sabine River/ Toledo Bend Reservoir. These areas will have some deals. Speaking of T Bend you might look over there some. Rolling wooded countryside.....just beautiful. Do a search on Sabine County and Toledo Bend Reservoir realestate. See what you see there if you really like the East Texas scene.

[Just Lookin]

Thanks both of you.

We would like a house already there. Not to old or new with land. I will check out those places Bob. Thanks.

Building a house isn't for us. Its nice but very expensive.