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How to buy Land
When looking for land, be sure you can use the land for the intended purpose. If you want to plant a garden, look for land with soil that is well drained. Any soil can be improved; so don't worry about the quality of the soil right away. Just be sure it can be tilled easily and you can pull weeds without throwing out your back. Heavy dense clay or hardpan will take years to improve. A sandy loam is perfect, which is a mixture of enough sand and clay to hold moisture. The perfect soil should form a ball when squeezed together while damp and then easily fall apart when dropped to the ground from a height of 48 inches. Don't plan on overwhelming your neighbors with a mansion or flashy lifestyle. People live in the country to get away from the rat race. Bringing it to them will only create resentment and make everyone nosey. Keep your money in the bank and think about downsizing and keeping it simple. Beware the tax burden. Land that has an agricultural use exemption will only keep that tax exemption if it continues to be used for agricultural purposes. In Texas, if you don't make an effort to keep the exemption in place, you can lose it and be responsible for the taxes going back several years. A wildlife exemption may be available to you as a new landowner if an agricultural exemption was already in place when you made your purchase. Talk to your county tax office with questions. Is the land you like accessible? If you have to cross private land to get to yours, be sure the easement is permanent and listed in your neighbor's deed. Otherwise, forget it. You don't need access problems. Also, what does the road into your property look like? Fifteen hundred feet of bad road will cost you five to ten thousand dollars to fix. Take a hard look at unpaved ounty roads leading to the property. If it's storming and you have a medical emergency, will you be able to get to a hospital or can help get to you? Erosion from soft sandy soil combined with gopher activity can be a serious problem. A big rain can wash out sinkholes six feet deep and just as wide on your property. The washout problem can grow much worse after clearing vegetation on a slope. Iif you plan on clearing a site for a home, be sure the proper erosion controls are in place or can be put in place. In fact, while inspecting any land for a purchase that includes sandy soil, be aware of the erosion problems that already exist because you will have to fix them or face further damage and expense as the years go by. If you plan on digging a pond, do a soil analysis for clay content to be sure the soil will hold water. How far off the paved road will you be? The dirt roads can turn to dusty washboards in the summer and if your house is less than 100 feet from the road, you will be getting plenty of dust from June to September. Also, can your car take the rough road into town every day? Lastly, look for utility access. Water wells cost thousands of dollars and may not produce good water. Telephone and electricity lines may be non-existent and expensive to run.
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If you are thinking about buying land in this part of Texas, (Central) I thought I would share a few tips. These are things I've learned over the years as a landowner and someone who bought land in order to raise a commercial garden.
