kenacp
Bronze Member
My daughter and son in law will be moving to Austin this summer. So, we are looking for a rural get away within an hour drive. Maybe 50 to 100ac. Any thoughts or suggestions on where to start?
Austin Texas
- Thread starter kenacp
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Kyle_in_Tex
Super Star Member
West of Austin is rugged, hill country type land with a lot of cedar trees but beautiful.
East of Austin is mostly flat, farm, ranch and hay country.
Anything close = $$$
East of Austin is mostly flat, farm, ranch and hay country.
Anything close = $$$
texasjohn
Super Member
well, you won't be finding any swamps here.
Suggest you define what you are looking for...everything from deep soil black cotton land to dense brush with only rocks and hills so steep you need climbing gear is available. Raw land or highly improved with vineyard already installed...you have your pick, it's just a matter of choice and money.
And, it doesn't rain here for long periods of time...been in a drought for 5 years or so...lakes around 30% capacity and water rationing/restrictions in place. Having best spring in years now...don't know how long it will last, but still runoff is very slight.
Suggest you define what you are looking for...everything from deep soil black cotton land to dense brush with only rocks and hills so steep you need climbing gear is available. Raw land or highly improved with vineyard already installed...you have your pick, it's just a matter of choice and money.
And, it doesn't rain here for long periods of time...been in a drought for 5 years or so...lakes around 30% capacity and water rationing/restrictions in place. Having best spring in years now...don't know how long it will last, but still runoff is very slight.
sseelhoff
Veteran Member
As others have asked, what kind of land do you want? Is this to farm and have animals, or are you just looking for a remote retreat? Austin sits on the edge of the hill country. West is hill country-rocky, arid and hill. Great places to escape, but working the property will be tough To the east and south is more workable land.
SirReal63
Platinum Member
If I may ask, what is your budget? 50-100 acres within an hour may prove to be very expensive acreage.
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
I had a client who bought some land close to Austin with a to die for view, but after several attempts to drill for water, gave up trying to build a house there and they sold the land for about what they paid for it, minus the cost of the well driller. It's pretty country, but Austin has all the big city issues that I try to avoid, especially traffic!!!!
Eddie
Eddie
tamu94
Bronze Member
I live in Austin with our place in Lampasas which is about an hour away. Austin is a great city.
What kind of land do you want? If its views and hunting then you want the Hill Country to the west and north west. If its farming, you want the black land prairie to the east/north east.
What kind of land do you want? If its views and hunting then you want the Hill Country to the west and north west. If its farming, you want the black land prairie to the east/north east.
Thanks for the replies. I have some land in Miss. that has some pastures , woods, a catfish pond and garden/orchard. Lots of wildlife too for hunting.Trails for riding the 4-wheeler and golfcart. Was looking for something close to that. Thinking now," I may be looking for a needle in a haystack". Budget about $400k for land only.
sseelhoff
Veteran Member
It's very doable here. We have property like that all around us.
SirReal63
Platinum Member
The only real issue I see is the proximity to Austin. There are some places very near us that have what you want, but they are over a million bucks, some significantly more. Look South and East of Austin, and plan on being more than an hour from downtown and what you want is very easy to find, and for a lot less. West of Austin in the Hill Country has always been sought after, and for good reason, but there are still lots of places available, but you will be more than an hour away from Austin, unless you have several million to throw at it.
sseelhoff
Veteran Member
Yep. I am 50 miles south of downtown Austin. Plenty of what he is looking for at decent prices all over the place.
SirReal63
Platinum Member
Lockhart, Luling, Gonzales are all beautiful and there are many large acreage tracts available. To put west of Austin into perspective, there is a 174 acre "gentleman's ranch" a few miles from us, year round creek, several large outbuildings and a small house, they are asking 1.4 million, and they will probably get it. The land is gorgeous, in the hills with a couple pastures, basically what everyone wants.
To be in the Hill Country, you have to go farther west or north west, Llano, Mason and Lampasas are close enough to Austin yet far enough that the land isn't obnoxiously priced.
To be in the Hill Country, you have to go farther west or north west, Llano, Mason and Lampasas are close enough to Austin yet far enough that the land isn't obnoxiously priced.
sseelhoff
Veteran Member
We are just outside Luling, and go to Gonzales a lot. We like the area. Lockhart is much closer to Austin, but that is driving prices up as Austin expands. Property values are rising rapidly in northern Caldwell County. Price pressures have not yet reached southern Caldwell County. Take a drive down 80 toward Nixon or 183 toward Gonzales and there are many parcels for sale that have everything the OP is seeking.
Junction is nice, too. Not sure how far west that is.
sseelhoff
Veteran Member
Marble Falls area? Looks to be about an hour away. Nice lake, not overly developed IIRC.
Kyle_in_Tex
Super Star Member
I know of about 72 acres ready for trails and hunting very big white tail deer. About 50 miles due east of Austin. 1 hour drive with normal traffic. Will probably sell for $375,000.
SirReal63
Platinum Member
Our house in Meadowlakes is in Marble Falls, the 1.4 million property is just outside of Marble Falls. Here is one of our local Realtor listings, just to give an idea of what small and large acreage goes for. A few of these smaller acreage plots are not bad.
Jim Berry Hill Country Ranch Sales, Texas Real Estate, Marble Falls, Burnet, Lampasas, Llano, TX - Ranches For Sale
This one is probably my favorite,
75 acres in Oakalla, Texas offered from Jim Berry Hill County Ranch Sales
Jim Berry Hill Country Ranch Sales, Texas Real Estate, Marble Falls, Burnet, Lampasas, Llano, TX - Ranches For Sale
This one is probably my favorite,
75 acres in Oakalla, Texas offered from Jim Berry Hill County Ranch Sales
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
Texas Land, Farms & Ranches for Sale - LandsofTexas.com
Type in Austin, TX as the area you are looking for, then go into the Advanced Options area and type in how far out you want to look and your price range. Remember asking price is not the same as selling price, so don't be afraid to look at properties over your asking price. One of the biggest selling points with land and home buying in TX is the school district. If you don't have kids that are going to public school where you are buying, then the price in the not so desirable school districts is considerably cheaper. A good HS football team is going to drive up land values more then just about anything else!!!
Austin has been getting hit hard with all the rain lately. Don't buy assuming that all the water you see on the land right now is normal. We are having a very wet spring and this is not normal. We are 11 inches above normal for the year where I'm at. Everything is going to look green and lush right now. Ponds are all full, creeks are all flowing. This is going to lead to somebody buying land that will never look like this again for probably more then it's worth.
Eddie
Type in Austin, TX as the area you are looking for, then go into the Advanced Options area and type in how far out you want to look and your price range. Remember asking price is not the same as selling price, so don't be afraid to look at properties over your asking price. One of the biggest selling points with land and home buying in TX is the school district. If you don't have kids that are going to public school where you are buying, then the price in the not so desirable school districts is considerably cheaper. A good HS football team is going to drive up land values more then just about anything else!!!
Austin has been getting hit hard with all the rain lately. Don't buy assuming that all the water you see on the land right now is normal. We are having a very wet spring and this is not normal. We are 11 inches above normal for the year where I'm at. Everything is going to look green and lush right now. Ponds are all full, creeks are all flowing. This is going to lead to somebody buying land that will never look like this again for probably more then it's worth.
Eddie
txdon
Super Star Member
Lee County TX Real Estate - 58 Homes For Sale | Zillow
Our county is 50-60 miles east of Austin. Better soil than west of Austin and not as hilly. The land prices very reasonable comparably - it's between Houston (125 miles to the east) and Austin. Electricity is very cheap - Bluebonnet -co-op. Lee County Water co-op can be connected in most places so a well may not be needed. The local county government is very conservative with their money.
Hwy 290 is a straight shot to Austin.
Lots of wildlife not wild life like in Austin - people from Austin, Houston and Dallas buy their get-a-way places in this county.
Land is $5-6K per acre.
This is rural. The county has 3 grocery stores, volunteer FD, no hospital just Emergency Ambulance in two of the towns to serve the county, no Home Depot or Lowe's just Ace hardware and a couple of lumber stores and a small Walmart. Most people work in Giddings or Austin and one in College Station. Crops - some corn, mostly hay fields and cattle grazing fields.
Our county is 50-60 miles east of Austin. Better soil than west of Austin and not as hilly. The land prices very reasonable comparably - it's between Houston (125 miles to the east) and Austin. Electricity is very cheap - Bluebonnet -co-op. Lee County Water co-op can be connected in most places so a well may not be needed. The local county government is very conservative with their money.
Hwy 290 is a straight shot to Austin.
Lots of wildlife not wild life like in Austin - people from Austin, Houston and Dallas buy their get-a-way places in this county.
Land is $5-6K per acre.
This is rural. The county has 3 grocery stores, volunteer FD, no hospital just Emergency Ambulance in two of the towns to serve the county, no Home Depot or Lowe's just Ace hardware and a couple of lumber stores and a small Walmart. Most people work in Giddings or Austin and one in College Station. Crops - some corn, mostly hay fields and cattle grazing fields.
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sseelhoff
Veteran Member
txdon
Super Star Member
How could you not mention City Meat Market?
Oh right, no vegan restaurants. Bummer, but a good Cardiac Rehab 30 minutes away in LaGrange.
