We bought a lot in an acreage neighborhood in the Houston area. The roads were not even paved at the time and elect, gas etc was not installed. Got a great deal. There is a drainage ditch along the front of all lots and along the sides of about every five lots. Usually building restrictions are greater on a side drainage, and here it was 22.5 ft vs 15 on opposite, so we lost 7.5 ft of buildable space. The ditch also ended up being larger than we had anticipated. Toward the front of our sub, some houses were built about five years ago. They were on the perimeter of the sub. Well now several of these houses have a lovely new elementary and middle school glaring at their backyards. So please check out what is going to be built nearby, are there any plans for road expansion that may put you on a busier than now street.

Hope this helps,, Tim in Houston TX

We're in the Houston area too! Which neighborhood are you in? We're looking in Katy.

The good thing about the lot we're looking at is it is in a small neighborhood that has no HOA but is surrounded by very nice subdivisions. The values have been going up. Some houses were built in the 70's and some in the last five years. All styles and sizes. All well kept. No place to put a school or shopping center or anything like that.

The streets are blacktopped and there is a ditch along the front of each lot. I'll have to check on the amount of buildable space. With an acre I think we'll be fine either way, but of course I'll check anyway.

You mention a well and septic system. Has the site had a perc test? Do you know what type and size of septic system it can handle?

Any indications as far as depth of well?

Thank you - I'm writing these questions down. I've never had well or septic in my life, so it's all new to me.

Are these things our realtor can find out for us? Or do we just need to ask the neighbors about the depth of their wells?

We too bought an acreage lot outside of Houston - Northeast. One of our main concerns was how low the lot was. Building a lot up can be a huge cost.

Go to your city hall or equivelant and find out what future plans are already slated/permits issued for your area ie; roads, freeways, industrial, commercial.
Is your lot cleared and flat? How much work will be required before you would be able to build on it, will rocks formations need to be blasted out etc?
I second the suggestion about the perc test.
What public services are offered - trash pick up etc?
How acessible are the present roads to hospitals, schools and shopping?

As far as depth of wells, I suppose the best way is to ask existing neighbors if possible. Or a well digger may be familiar witht the area. I know it can vary a lot so it's hard to predict. But it may give you an estimate of how much it's going to cost.

The septic system I think is the most important one. I would buy unless had the results of a perc test and knew what type and size of system I could put in.

Also, how will your 'dream house' fit on this lot? How does it orient to the sun, a view, etc.?

I would ask the neighbors about the water quality - does it taste OK, is it hard/soft, does it have a lot of iron, any sulfur smell etc. Did they need a water treatment system.

We got a big surprise at the very end of our build when the Water Boy (see my post on that) said we needed to spend 5000 to 8000 dollars to treat our water which was both hard (had a lot of calcium) and had a lot of iron.

It turned out that the Water Boy lied about the iron, but was correct on the hardness of the water. I purchased a whole house water softener and had it installed for a total cost of 1000 dollars.

I would also ask your neighbors if they had any issues excavating when they built their houses (did they hit rock or very soft soil). Both of these could drive up your foundation/slab costs.

You also might want to ask about any issues with running the utilities to the house. How long did it take to get power and phone? What did they charge?

These answers might help you establish better budgets and schedules for your site prep.

Is there an HOA in the neighborhood? If so, you might want to check on any rules for new construction such as work hours, clean up, etc.

To go along with the above mention of an HOA, you might also get a copy their Covenants and BYLAWS before you write an offer. In TX, you are required to get a copy of this before closing. If you don't ask however, you might not get your copy until closing. And later when you go to build, you might be in for a surprise.

Many HOA's have an architectural committee that reviews plans prior to construction to verify that is in compliance with the HOA's covenants. Examples might be masonry requirements, side vs front entry garage, set back lines, minimum square footage etc.

Are there only set builders who can build in the development, or can you bring your own? Is there a time limit to build in the neighborhood, IOW new buyers must begin construction within a year or something like that?

If it's going to be a while until you build, what upkeep must you perform on the lot? Must you keep it mowed in the growing season? If so, who is allowed to do that?

HOA dues and assessments might also be something to check out.

These restrictions might be nothing to worry about, or on the specific lot in question, the set backs could prevent you from being able to build the house you want.

I'd also verify easements on the property. Drainage easements, sanitary easements, etc could also affect a lot's buildability. I almost purchased a lot one time that had a sanitary easement on it. Due to septic being required, it was going to be very tough to build on the lot, and comply with the easements. I decided it wasn't worth it, and passed on the lot.

I'd also have an Real Estate Agent you trust pull comps for what has sold in the area. I'm sure you've the verified schools in the area?

Sorry for the rambling, just throwing out some of the things I've dealt with. HTH!

obwannab, all the stuff you mentioned has been checked and is not a problem, with the exception of any easements. I need to check into that.

- Easements, very important.
- Building setbacks. Our HOA has different (larger) setbacks than the county.
- Is the lot in its natural state or has there been fill brought in? We aren't allowed to put a septic on top of fill dirt. Need to test the compaction rate if there is fill... is it safe to build on or will you have to dig down to native soil?
- Has county documented any wetlands or spring? Our septic had to be a certain distance from a spring at the bottom of our lot. The spring has been mitigated with drain tiles, but just becasue it doesn't exist to us doesn't mean that it doesn't exist to the county.
- Septic setbacks... our septic was approved at the top of our lot, country required our home site to be at least 50 feet away from the last leach line. It would have pushed our home all the way down to the bottom of the lot. We resubmitted the paperwork and have a new septic approval. We're happy with the new approval area, but don't assume that just because septic is approved that it's a bonafide, buildable lot. Know that you have to plan for both an initial and repair septic, at least in the county we're building in. I knew nothing about a repair area. Also, what type of septic systems are they installing in your neighborhood? In some cases, 1 acre isn't a lot of room for a septic system and instead of installing a standard septic you might need a sand-filtered which could cost 3x as much $$.
- Taxes

Make the purchase contingent on the land passing a perc test.
Mound systems are not allowed in all locations and cost even more than a typical septic and leach field.
Go have a talk with whatever county engineering exists and look at any soil maps they may have.
While there are ways of building on just about anything, soil with a low weight bearing rating costs extra money to design for (either driven piers or grade beam type construction is required).
A GOOD local RE attorney should be able to provide guidance.
They are a lot cheaper than purchasing a lot that ends up having problems.

You might want to check on your property appraiser's website to see if you can find where the flood zone lines are on your property. The lot doesn't have to have any flooding issues to still be in the flood zone...and if you build any part of your house over those topography lines, you'll have to pay floor insurance. Ouch! Our land, for example, is one acre--it slopes, but the whole neighborhood is on a hill, so we're all high and dry. Still, the majority of the land sits in the flood zone. It will never flood up there, but this doesn't matter. Also, check your setbacks so you know where you can site the house and septic.

What's bordering your lot? I built last year with undeveloped property behind me... knew I was taking a risk, but felt it was worth it. Well, the township decided to change the zoning and now I am going to have a 110 foot long, 45 foot high set of senior apartments 50' from the property line. Apparently the development was in planning for years before I built but no actual plans were submitted for approval/public scrutiny until afterward. Just assess your tolerance for risk if there is undeveloped property around you.