“I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion. And this is true to the extent that people either passionately love Texas or passionately hate it and, as in other religions, few people dare to inspect it for fear of losing their bearings mystery of paradox. But I think there will be little quarrel with my feeling that Texas is one thing. For all of its enormous range of space, climate and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions and strivings,…

One way to get a real education in rural land is to buy some raw acreage and improve it. Think of it as a blank canvas. One goal, of course, is to eventually sell it as improved for a profit. I am not a land developer but hopefully the comments below will provide some guidance. Raw v Improved Raw acreage offers endless potential but also involves significant investment, planning and work. The ideal blank canvas would be an overgrown tract owned by a buyer who is either tired of the property or someone with financial challenges or both. In other…

Browsing the various websites featuring rural land for sale is a lot of fun. I should know, I spend time almost everyday browsing the internet for land deals. Gorgeous pictures, superlatives extolling the virtues of country living, assurances of the very best prices, etc. At some point though, if we are really serious about owning some land, now is the time to get organized and take action. So let’s talk about some specific steps which, taken in the right order, will make for an efficient and enjoyable journey to finding your perfect property. Folks reading this post will include the…

Buying land in the country is a pretty wide ranging concept. Obviously it can be full time or part time and the country lifestyle depends a lot on the type of property you are interested in. Property types can range from a historic home in Fayetteville to a weekend retreat on some acreage outside of Navasota to a full scale ranching or farming operation near Schulenburg. There are a lot of property types and many variations of each. Additionally, property types and the neighborhoods in which they are located in constantly change. Let’s check out some of the ones that…

Searching for property listings on a website is a lot of fun but is just the beginning of the land buying process. The Internet does not replace the professional rural land broker. Buyers absolutely need a land broker to represent their interests and organize all aspects of the transaction. Don’t go solo when buying property in the country especially if you are not experienced. The Buyers Representative Works for You. The owner of the property listed on the website already has a broker. That broker is the listing agent. That listing agent has signed a contract to represent the owner.…

LAND PROFESSIONALS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW The following is a list of some of the professionals usually involved with owning, buying or selling rural land near Houston. Most of them you will run across just once or twice, others you will have considerable interaction with. In any event, it is useful to be aware of the role these folks play in rural real estate transactions. Your land broker will be very useful in identifying and recommending these professionals. Old Timers Some of the folks you should probably check in with would be a pair of characters like the ones…

The newspaper article in question made an appearance at my mother’s 100th birthday party. Mother lived with my wife Debbie and me at the time and we hosted her birthday party at our home in Houston attended by almost 100 people including four generations of relatives and several close friends. Actually, I mostly hosted and she did all the work. I had suggested having the affair catered but in typical fashion, Debbie said, “I‘m not afraid of cooking for a 100 people” so that was that. It turned out great. Along with an endless number of old photos and various…

I have spent all of my adult life appraising, brokering, buying and selling rural land all across Texas. During the course of my career, I have read hundreds of books and articles about buying, owning and selling land. I have particularly enjoyed the following. You should be able to buy any of them on Amazon. BUYING RURAL LAND: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR BEGINNERSI wrote this guide as a primer for the beginning land investor. All of the books below are excellent; however, I recommend you read this one first as a foundation before reading the others. FINDING, BUYING AND DEVELOPING…

ALL ABOUT CUSTOM COWBOY BOOTS IN TEXAS I have been fascinated with custom cowboy boots for as long as I can remember. My dad took me to a boot shop in San Antonio when I was fourteen. The bootmaker made me a pair of soft kangaroo hide black boots with no stitching for a $100. They fit like I was standing in a box of talcum powder. I have been wearing handmade custom boots ever since. The boots cost more now but they are worth every penny. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT COWBOY BOOTS I am indebted to Jennifer June for much…

YOU REALLY NEED A CUSTOM COWBOY HAT You can try to find a hat (after several stops) at a western wear store or order it online but you will have to pick from standardized sizes, shapes and colors available at the time. On the other hand, you can visit a custom hatter and be fitted individually and tailor the hat to your taste. Not to mention that it is really cool to have a custom cowboy hat. The following includes some interesting facts about custom hats and  a list of some of the best know custom cowboy hatters in Texas. CUSTOM…

Typically the FARM AND RANCH CONTRACT Promulgated By The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) is used for rural property.  There is an abundance of resources related to contracts and closings associated with rural land. TREC requires license holders to have 3 hours of education related to contracts every two years. Many professional organizations  such as the Texas Chapter of the Realtors Land Institute and title companies provide this training. There are a lot of differences between the Farm and Ranch Contract and the Residential One to Four Family (Resale) Contract. These differences include; accessories specific to farm and ranch, timber…

Daily life just doesn’t seem to be as simple as it used to be. We are distracted by increasing traffics, the pace of life in general is faster, Covid is a disrupter, social unrest is constantly in the news and the list goes on. It seems like there are an awfully lot of people around and maybe a little more elbow room would be nice. But these are all negative reasons for wanting to move to the country. There are a lot of positive ones as well. Why you might want to buy some land within 100 miles of Houston…

If you are interested in buying, selling and owning land, you probably spend a lot of time on various websites and blogs. I find myself doing just that a couple of hours a day. The following are ones that I find myself going back to over and over. I have also added blogs and websites about Texas that I especially enjoy. Texas LandOwners AssociationThis website is organized for Texas Landowners but anyone can join. The content consists of a blog, a YouTube section and a resource page. The topics are wide ranging and span the range of Texas rural land.…

There are a lot of different property types in rural Texas. That is a good thing because variety is one of the reasons for choosing the country life style over living in the city or suburbs. One of the most popular is the rural subdivision. The rural subdivision is great choice for country living but they are different in many respects from other rural property types and to other rural subdivisions for that matter. What is the difference between raw land (acreage) and a rural subdivision? A rural subdivision has been developed while raw land has not. When we use…

Knowing what a property is worth is the basis of any real estate decision. Enlisting a knowledgeable land broker when buying or selling rural property is fundamental and one of the main functions they can provide is their estimate of most probable sales price for a particular property. What is a comparable market analysis (CMA)? A Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) is frequently used for residential property. The report consists of a list of actual sales of properties very similar to the subject property.  The CMA usually includes minimal analysis and does not require an interior inspection. This report is excellent…

So your family has enjoyed going to their country place for at least three generations. The property doesn’t have any road frontage but they have used a dirt road across the adjoining neighbor’s land for years. Years have passed, the family is dispersed and everyone agrees the time has come to sell. The family representative meets with a broker who is familiar with rural land in the area. After accompanying him to the property and visiting about the asking price, the broker says the property seems to be landlocked and that will probably affect its market value.  This would be…

Value is fundamental to making a real estate decision. An opinion of value is necessary before almost any action with regard to land can be made. Just a few examples include; buying, selling, taxes, litigation, probate, easements and the list goes on. There are many types of value and they all have their place in the decision making process. This post is about market value appraisals and how they fit into the mix. What is Rural Land Near Houston Worth? What is land worth constitutes a pretty broad question but I get asked that almost everyday. First of all let’s…

An old joke common among Rural Land Brokers is “once you have a signed contract, the easy part is over”. There is a lot of truth in that saying. Escrow, title and closing procedures involve many potential challenges. Hopefully, this blog post will shed some light on the process. Who picks the Title Company Generally speaking, the party that pays for the owner’s title policy chooses the title company which will handle the closing process. Most often the seller pays for the owner’s title policy because that is part of proving ownership. However, choice of title policy is negotiable and…

I am an avid reader and my favorite topic, hands down, is any and everything about Texas. Texas is a state of mind and common threads run throughout. Cattle ranches, Oil Wells, Texas Rangers, Bigger than life Politicians, Bordellos, Comanche Indians, Mexican Bandits, Beer Joints, BBQ, Football, Hunting and Fishing, Religion, Money, Unique Literature and the list goes on and all form the colorful tapestry of past and present Texas. I have tried to fashion a fun list of classic books and authors who have best painted the picture of Texas. I am a reader not a writer and these…

Someone once paraphrased Proverbs by saying, “For everything there is a season, including a time to sell.”  Many landowners find themselves faced with selling their land for a variety of reasons including; taxes, probate, desire to redeploy funds, relocation of owners, etc. I can’t advise you whether you should sell our not, I hope you don’t unless you want to.  THE PROPER STEPS IN THE RIGHT ORDER There is an orderly process to take once you have decided to sell your land. Regardless of the reason for sale, the common goal should be to receive a fair price in an…

Daily life just doesn’t seem to be as simple as before. We are distracted by   increasing traffic, pace of life in general, Covid is a disrupter, social unrest is a constant topic in the news and the list goes on. It seems like there are an awfully lot of people around and maybe a little more elbow room would be nice. If you are just beginning to think about moving to the country (and I hope you are) there are a lot of things to consider before beginning the search process. This might be a good time to find…

One of the questions I get asked the most often is “Why would I need a land broker when I can browse the various land websites myself?” Another question is “Why use a rural land broker when my best friend is a well known residential Realtor?” These are good questions. Let’s talk about them. Looking at listings on a rural land website is a lot of fun but is just the beginning of the journey to finding or selling a property. Why should you work with a land broker and what should you expect from them? • Professional Land Agent…

THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF EASEMENTS AND THEY IMPACT YOUR PROPERTY IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS. PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT EASEMENT COULD BE THE ONE YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT. WHAT IS AN EASEMENT? Essentially an easement is the legal right for someone other than the   underlying land owner to use a property for a specific purpose. The holder of an easement has an interest in land that’s owned by another party. The easement rights are dominant to the rights of the underlying property owner.  EACH EASEMENT IS UNIQUE. Individual easements differ from all others even if only by…

THE GREATER HOUSTON METRO AREA HAS A POPULATION OF OVER 7 MILLION PEOPLE. AND THE REQUIREMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IS ENORMOUS. UTILITIES FOR WATER, SEWER, ELECTRICITY, ROADS, NATURAL GAS, PETROLEUM, ETC  ALL REQUIRE RIGHTS OF WAY TO CONNECT THEM TO PUBLIC USE. ACCORDINGLY, IT IS COMMON FOR RURAL LAND NEAR HOUSTON TO HAVE RIGHTS OF WAY ACROSS THEM. WHAT IS A RIGHT OF WAY?A right of way allows the public or a private entity to cross over an individual property.  Some examples would include; roads, power transmission lines and cross country pipelines. Rights of way often connect two or more points…

Property owners are often surprised by the necessity of having to provide a survey of their own property in order to sell. However, it is increasingly the case, that a recent survey becomes a requirement in today’s land transaction. WHAT IS A LAND SURVEY A survey describes a property’s physical characteristics. Generally a survey consists of a plat or drawing together with a legal description (metes and bounds). Surveys are performed by a professional surveyor. There are many types of surveys depending upon the use to which the property will be put. WHAT A LAND SURVEY IS NOT A survey…

Texas legalized hemp production in 2019 and there are a lot of questions yet to be answered. Is hemp going to be a breakout crop for Texas farmers or the next Emu fiasco? Are hemp and marijuana the same? Is hemp farming profitable? How do you begin farming hemp in Texas? What is hemp used for? It is important to make the distinction between hemp and marijuana. They are not the same. I believe the potential for hemp production in Texas is an exciting prospect for Texas agriculture. On the other hand, I am personally opposed to the legalization of…

I talk a lot about the country lifestyle and rural land near Houston. FFA is a wonderful feature of that Country Lifestyle, not just within 100 miles of Houston, but nationwide. It is one of the oldest (1928) and largest and most successful youth organizations in the nation. There are currently 760,000 students in the program in 8,739 Chapters with 13,000 teachers and advisors. All 50 states and Puerto Rico are represented. I hope you will visit ffa.org for more information. If you are reading this, you may be very familiar with the FFA or, you could be a parent…

The resources in this post represent a huge time saver for anyone interested in buying, selling or owning rural land near Houston. Of course we can’t guarantee the information service provided by these resources but they were chosen because of their wide spread use in the rural land community of Texas. We have included useful items (some serious, some fun) such as books, websites, publications, blogs, software, vendors, organizations, articles, and vendors. If you have a resource to add, please CONTACT US. Thanks in advance. ORGANIZATIONSRealtors Land InstituteThe RLI is the oldest and largest organization for land professionals in the…

EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO. YOU FIRST THOUGHTS ARE PROBABLY ABOUT THE FEATURE SUPERSTAR CONCERT OR MAYBE THE RODEO OR MAYBE THE TRAFFIC. IT IS A HECK OF A EVENT. BUT, IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO KNOW THAT EVERY COUNTY WITHIN 100 MILES OF HOUSTON HAS ITS OWN ANNUAL FAIR. EACH FAIR IS CHOCK FULL OF COUNTRY LIFE STYLE EVENTS SUCH AS; A KICK OFF PARADE, 4H AND FFA LIVESTOCK SHOW, RODEO, BBQ COOK OFF, QUEENS CONTEST, CALF SCRAMBLE, CONCESSIONS, EXHIBITS, MIDWAY CARNIVAL, CHILI COOK-OFF, FARM EQUIPMENT DISPLAYS, MUTTON BUSTING AND MUCH MORE. THERE ARE A…

Land comes in a lot of different types, locations, uses, sizes and improvements. Buying your own piece of rural Texas is usually quite a bit more complicated than buying a home. The following questions represent a minimum level of due diligence. If you are the buyer, hopefully you will engage a knowledgeable buyers representative to help you complete the checklist. If you are the seller, you will be getting requests for many of these items. 1. Address. This sounds obvious but some vacant land doesn’t have one. If the property you are interested in doesn’t have an address check with…

CHOOSING A TEXAS REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL TO HELP YOU WITH BUYING OR SELLING RURAL LAND NEAR HOUSTON CAN BE A CHALLENGE. WORKING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE MAZE OF CERTIFICATIONS, DESIGNATIONS, LICENSES, SPECIALIZATIONS, ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS IS LIKE LOOKING FOR THE PROVERBIAL “NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK”. HOPEFULLY, THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION WILL SIMPLIFY MATTERS. IF YOU PLAN TO BUY OR SELL RURAL PROPERTY, CHOOSE A BROKER WHO SPECIALIZES IN RURAL LAND. All serious real estate professionals (hopefully they are Realtors) specialize. A professional agent will typically be a “pro” in a particular property type such as residential, commercial or industrial for example.…

Perhaps the most important single factor to consider when thinking about buying rural property is financing. Most buyers will need to obtain a loan when buying property in the country. Knowing how much you can borrow will define the rest of the process. Choosing a lender and getting pre approved for a loan is a good first step on your journey to having a place in the country. There is an old saying, “Serious property buyers start the process in the lenders office, not at an open house”. You can substitute land listing websites for open house. Where to go…

Road Trips are great! Especially when you and the family are cooped up in the city. Taking a day trip into the countryside within 100 miles of Houston is incredibly rewarding because there is so much to see and do. Within two hours of Houston, you can experience castles, delightful little towns with historical buildings, breweries, painted churches, BBQ Joints, stately courthouses, beer joints and dance halls, creameries, bakeries, wineries and vineyards, state parks, museums, antiques, meat markets, rolling pastures with herds of cattle and horses, restaurants serving any type of fare you want and the list goes on. Let’s…

There are a lot of Texas BBQ lists; Texas Monthly, Trip Advisor, Yelp, and a lot more. Most of them focus on places like Austin, Lockhart, Taylor, and Elgin. Don’t get me wrong. I have eaten at most of them and they are good. Most BBQ is. But I think BBQ joints within 100 miles of Houston get the short end of the stick attention wise. I have made my living appraising, buying, selling and brokering rural property all of my adult life and that means traveling. When you drive  over 30,000 miles a year looking at property in the…

Ownership of Rural Land can result in significant Ad Valorem Tax relief. VALUATION: An exemption doesn't result in no ad valorem taxes being paid. It means that the land under exemption (based on its use) is appraised differently than other properties. This generally results in a much lower valuation and, accordingly, lower taxes. The land is exempt, not improvements. Check on Homestead Exemptions for possible tax savings. In Texas, property assessments are based on market value. For land to have an exemption, an agriculture productivity appraisal (1-d-1) is used. This valuation reflects the capitalized rental cost of the land-based on…

Allen Realty Advisors has a lot of experience. We are competent, we are professional and we are available to you even if you are not in the market right now. Give us a call (713.515.0934), text or complete our contact form with questions you have regarding your journey of finding land, selling land or being a good steward of what you already own. Texas Law requires that we provide the Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services TREC Information About Brokerage Services and the TREC Consumer Protection Notice to all prospective clients