One of my favorite quotes is from Mark Twain – “Buy land, they aren’t making it anymore.” If you can afford it, a piece of property for recreational purposes is an excellent investment.
So where do you even begin?
First off, think about what you’d most like to enjoy on the property.
Similar to buying a house, create a wish list of your “must haves”, and your “would like to have but could do withouts.”
What do you want the most?
Do you love to fish? Then we need to look at a place ideally with ponds in place. Or if nothing else, at least a place that the soil type is conducive to putting in a pond the right depth that will actually hold the water.
Wanting a nice horse property? You need to take into consideration your soil types. While your farrier might not mind the extra work, you might get a little tired of constantly dealing with lost shoes in the mud if you buy a place with a black clay soil versus a sandy ground.
Do you love hiking and birdwatching? Then let’s look for something in a more scenic area with hills. You don’t want to be down by the coast where the land is flat. But the seagull watching would be great. 🙂
Love to hunt? OK great, what do love to hunt? If you’re a waterfowl hunting enthusiast, then that coastal area property that the hikers didn’t want would be a great fit. Even better if there’s a well on the property to help you irrigate. If you’re wanting a place for whitetail deer hunting, then we want to look at how the property is laid out and what types of brush cover and forages are available. Do you want a low fenced place or do you want a high fenced property that you’ll manage?
It can seem simple to just want a fun place on the weekends, but if you’re spending the money on the investment, then it’s best to really put some thought into what exactly you want from the property and why.
It’s imperative to work with a broker or agent who truly understands what your long term goals are for your new recreational property.
They’ll help you look at soil types, elevations for where to build, grass and forage types available, and overall suitability for what YOU hope to get out of the place. Plus, a good broker will have the right contacts and know how to get you in touch with a team that is going to help you – this can include wildlife biologists, county extension agents, NRCS officers just to name a few.
You should take pride in owning your property, make sure you get the right person to help you do it right.
If you’d like for our team to help you find your perfect recreational property, we’d be honored. Please reach out to us at
TexasLandAndHome@gmail.com or 979-541-7810
