Buying Land

TXZane

Member
I am looking at a property around Athens, TX that is 40 acres and has an older but sound home on it. It's all open pasture with scattered trees and a small almost dry pond. I plan to run cattle on it and cut some hay. What sort of things should I be doing or looking at before I buy this place? What questions should I be asking the realtor? Are there things that should be deal breakers that I need to know about? Any advice would appreciated. Anybody farm in east texas that can weigh in on this?
 
Going to be right North of there at Canton this weekend. Forty acres in Texas is called a house lot. LOL Sure you can have some fun on it, not sure how much money you will make but that is not a bad part of Texas
 
jm I work in canton and am going to the trade days this weekend with the wife. I'm assuming that's why you will be in town.
 
You got it if you see a 70 year old guy with a KUBOTA cap no dealership name just KUBOTA that will be me. Lots of folks October is always big. Will be there all day Friday and not sure about Sat. May go on down to Noonday
 
Ask "is this in a flood plane? Do you get mineral rights. Get house inspected. Has this house ever has termites? What is the condition of roof and foundation. Are there any easements on this property, if so what?
 
Contact the county FSA (Farm Service Agency) in that county. You may need the owners permission, or actually just ask him and have him supply or show you the Conservaton Plan. Nowdays every farm has to have a Farm Plan to show that it is not being farmed improperly. It will show it is HEL, (Highly Erodable Land). If it is, it is supposed to be farmed a certain way. Not farming across terraces, using conservation or No-till, etc.

If it is all pasture and the owner never grown row crops, he may have never done a farm plan. Anyway, is is something to check.

Also, look at the ditches or gulches. Any trash dumps? Old Herbicide cans leaking into the watershed?

Maybe drive up to a neighbors place and "visit" You can be surprised what neighbors know and will tell you.

Good luck, Gene
 
Before you sign a contract on any land in Texas get the tax ID from the realtor and go down to the county and check out taxes, liens, restrictions and ownership of this plot of land. In Texas so many parcels of land are passed down thru families but never have the correct titles established, Go and talk to the county and find out what they know about this land. They can also tell you if it is in a floodplain. Do NOT trust the Realtor to know anything they just want to make a sale, I have also seen bad stuff slip past the title company. Do your own homework, you will be much happier in the long run.
( Don't ask me how I know this....)
Andrew
 
Ask about mineral rights and in that area check for any pipeline or power line easements.

I would get the soils map for that county and see how the dirt is compared to the rest of the area. All kinds of information in a soil survey. You can find them online or talk to county extension agent or SCS.

Look at the google map of the area and make sure you're not downwind of a dump, paper mill, etc.
 
Check on the condition of the well!

As has been said, go to the county and do a thorough search yourself for anything filed against the property. I have found things filed against property and people that were 30+ years old. Often, those filings do not get released even after the matters have been settled - but you need to know and track down any filings still on record.
 
different state, when I was a boy Mom had to sell part of the farm, got $200 / acre. I bought it back some years later, gave $1000 / acre. Just bought the adhacent part, $4000 / acre. They ain't making any more.
 
My mother owned some property in southern texas next to mexico. She went to sell it and found there was an old lean on property. It was there before she bought it. It was a headache selling her property. In Indiana I will not buy a property unless it goes throught a title company, that way if an old issue that a realitor or lawyer over looks, I'm covered. In texas a lawyer only gives his opinion. You are in trouble if he doesn't find an old lean. The title company does stand behind old issues. I've collected on an old issue the title company didn't find.
 
I would ask about the sewer system. Is it a legal system? In my state, a piece of property with a non-legal sewer system is somehow legal to sell if the water supply is disconnected. No water supply--(disconnected) = no legal sewer system nescisary. Water supply hooked up = you have to have a legal sewer system. Current owner might have illegal system (never caught), and disconnect to sell. Also ask about if there is a good water supply for the house. Remember that the realtor is representing the seller and not the buyer when asking them questions. Your responsibility to find things out for yourself. Especially if its not in the contract.
 
I doubt if these apply to you but the three biggest things around here (Indiana) are flood plane, you can't get insurance or super expensive, nearby chicken or turkey barns (terrible odor). Don't think you underground coal mine there but ask if any mining has been completed. It illegal to mine under a standing structure here but can cause problems if you someday decide to build.

Also need to confirm water supply and has quality been checked.
 
Most of the big stuff looks covered. Little stuff if important to you. Is there a good cell signal and is decent Internet available (besides capped, might be important especially if you have a family)?
 
(quoted from post at 00:15:00 10/02/14) I am looking at a property around Athens, TX that is 40 acres and has an older but sound home on it. It's all open pasture with scattered trees and a small almost dry pond. I plan to run cattle on it and cut some hay. What sort of things should I be doing or looking at before I buy this place? What questions should I be asking the realtor? Are there things that should be deal breakers that I need to know about? Any advice would appreciated. Anybody farm in east texas that can weigh in on this?

One other thing that probably doesn't apply, see if this land is blocking someone else's property, and they have to cross this to get to theirs. With just a 40 should be easy to just look and see. My one 80 blocked one of the neighbor's landlocked chunks of ground, so they had the right to cross mine (had been for many years before I bought it from my mom). They bought the land along the trail that goes by it, so they could now go around and it would take them maybe 5 minutes extra depending which chunk they go to, but they won't. I talked casually to a lawyer and he said there was nothing I could do about it at that time. I asked the neighbor to stop, and he or his help won't. They move hay across it, cows, whatever, when it's muddy it leaves ruts. I hay there and when dumping bales I have to not dump on their path, etc. Since I asked them to stop a couple times, they are doing better. Plus drought or near drought for years so not much more mud. But all the old ruts are there because they didn't used to follow the same exact path (like driving around mud holes). To be courteous they could wait to cross it in the summer until after I hay, but they won't do that either, they usually are haying theirs around the same time I am in a normal year. Can't ask much "harder" because it's the neighbor, and it would cause many more issues.
 

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