The GF and I have narrowed our retirement areas down to 3 or 4 possibilities with San Marcos being in the lead. What is the area like? I Want to be out a little bit, looking for 1 to 2 acres (enough to put a small range on). General opinions of the area?

Thanks
Ed

1 or 2 acres is too small.

In neighboring Comal County, it is illegal to shoot on less than 10 acres, and I am told that is fairly common. 1-2 acres will be in a development with restrictions, to boot.

Otherwise, the hill country is very pleasant. Lots of bitter clingers.

Watch out for property near rivers. Every now and then there is 12-20” of rain all at once, and you get all new carpets, furniture, paint, fixtures, maybe more besides.

Thanks JALLEN, had originally looked at Austin on the first round a few years ago. I am not sure I can afford or want 10 acres. I would like to keep the price around $200 to $250k for a small 3 or 4 bedroom ranch.

quote:

Originally posted by Valpo Fz:
Thanks JALLEN, had originally looked at Austin on the first round a few years ago. I am not sure I can afford or want 10 acres. I would like to keep the price around $200 to $250k for a small 3 or 4 bedroom ranch.

Better get cracking on Zillo or similar then.

You might find ten acres, but without improvements, utilities, well, sewer, etc., and maybe steep terrain in many cases.

Valpo, you’d be hard pressed to find something like what you describe even here in Jerkwater. We’re a long way from Austin.

San Marcos has become, like most of the formerly “little” towns along I-35 in the area, a bedroom community for Austin and San Antonio. I urge you take time to learn about any rules the water nazis and other assorted bureaucracies have in place before you buy raw land near Austin. For instance, some counties have strict regulations on permeable cover that will limit what uses you can make of your property.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: arfmel,

In the State of Texas, so long as you have 10+ acres, local municipalities cannot restrict you from shooting on your land. That's not to say that you can't shoot on less, but local (city/county) governments are allowed to put restrictions in place.

As for San Marcos, what arfmel said above is correct. If you're open to other ideas I would point you to areas NW of San Antonio, Boerne, Comfort, Kerrville, and Fredericksburg are all great. Kerrville is probably what San Marcos was 10-15 years ago.

Fredericksburg is a great little tourist town with top notch German food and heritage and is home to the Museum of the Pacific war (Chester Nimitz was from Fredericksburg).

Lived in Kerrville until ‘99. I don’t think theres much likelihood of him finding anything there or around Fredericksburg that’ll meet his specifications either.

Maybe Bandera, Leaky, Uvalde.

Don't forget Luckenbach!

Everybody is somebody in Luckenbach.

One problem is that the old ranchers have all died off, and the kids don’t want to be ranchers.... too hard! Big developers come in, buy the ranch, divide into lots, put in roads, etc. There is a minimum lot size in the Edwards Plateau of 1 acre, but sizes vary from that up. You can hire a builder to build your home, probably not for your hoped for cost, though.

There are lots of lots! I was surprised when we were hunting for our home here 5 years ago. Since we moved, lots on either side have been built on, one just finishing now.

It’s hot and humid. I hope you’ve factored that in. 102 degrees and 90% humidity ain’t for the faint of heart.

You're gonna need to add at least 100k to your price, and go south and probably east of 35. You're about 15 years late on what you're looking for around here for that. Since the new RR12 has been punched through to Wimberly, most of the ranch properties have been subdivided. Been living just out of the SM city limits for 25 yrs or so.

I had a friend retire to Burnet and he likes it. I believe he got 10 acres for 100k but that’s raw land.

Thanks for the input, we are planning a trip sometime this summer.

Although I live in South Texas, I know that are quite well. I would advise figuring out what your lifestyle requirements are (anyone need to be close to doctors, favorite activities, etc.), and trying to live relatively close to them, as traffic is pretty bad.

I can't say if it's normal, but I've seen morning traffic pretty much from San Marcos to the IH-35/US 183 intersection at a crawl. Really, you can have miserable traffic all the way from San Marcos to Georgetown.

You might do a little better if you go a bit farther out. Blanco and Johnson City might be a little less costly than (say) Wimberley or San Marcos. Around Salado might be an option if you go North. Good Luck.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Opus Dei,

Just in the last 6 yrs, prices have risen substantially here in Wimberley, about 12 miles nw of San Marcos. You might have to go as far as Blanco or points west to find affordable 10 acres. Despite the abundance of property, there is a lack of places to shoot, unless you know someone who has property. It’s hot here in the summer, but the humidity doesn’t hit 90% very often. I don’t live next to a lake though. Since I lived on the Texas coast, any humidity factor below 90 is desert like to me.

As a previous poster mentioned, lifestyle is important. Access to medical vare in San Marcos was important to us given our ages. I’ve also got family in the area which was a factor. All in all, we love it here.

quote:

Originally posted by SigM4:
In the State of Texas, so long as you have 10+ acres, local municipalities cannot restrict you from shooting on your land. That's not to say that you can't shoot on less, but local (city/county) governments are allowed to put restrictions in place.

The law is actually more complicated than that. The 10 acre rule applies to shooting shotguns, air guns, and bows. The rule is 50 acres for pistols and rifles. There are also some other restrictions about distance to other buildings, property lines, etc., and finally, in certain counties the rule in both cases is 100 acres.

See sections 229.002 - 229.004 here:

http://www.statutes.legis.stat...cs/LG/htm/LG.229.htm

Have you looked into the Seguin area? It's not too far from where you were looking. I have no idea about land prices , but me and the Mrs. ran a 5k at the BS Brewery in Seguin.

quote:

Originally posted by gatopescado:
Have you looked into the Seguin area? It's not too far from where you were looking. I have no idea about land prices , but me and the Mrs. ran a 5k at the BS Brewery in Seguin.

Seguin is not a bad choice. Actually, between Seguin and New Braunfels. Between Seguin and San Marcos is really nothing to write home about.

quote:

Originally posted by Opus Dei:

quote:

Originally posted by gatopescado:
Have you looked into the Seguin area? It's not too far from where you were looking. I have no idea about land prices , but me and the Mrs. ran a 5k at the BS Brewery in Seguin.

Seguin is not a bad choice. Actually, between Seguin and New Braunfels. Between Seguin and San Marcos is really nothing to write home about.

That area is flatter, off the Edwards Plateau in what would be the western edge of coastal plains. That means there is actual dirt, instead of the more or less solid limestock covered by just enough soil to grow weeds, and bluebonnets. Generally, south and east of I35 is coastal plains, north and west is Edwards Plateau, the hill country.

More weather systems from the southwest travel that way, probably a bit more rain, sometimes a LOT more rain.

I'd look away from I35. The stretch between San Antonio and Austin is strip mall after strip mall, interspersed with Weakley Homes developments and Olive Gardens.

I'm in the Canyon Lake area, which is less than 30 minutes west of San Marcos. Developers are buying up lots and planting new houses on tiny lots around a 5th of an acre as fast as they can. It is still relatively rural in my area, but it won't be for long.

San Marcos and New Braunfels used to be such neato places to visit while I was growing up in Houston, but they have lost a lot of their charm since they are on the busy busy busy I-35 San Antonio/Austin Corridor.

Wimberley, though it is a little off the corridor, is still a nice area. However, just like a lot of Central Texas, it too is building up fast.

It is less hilly east of corridor, but I would suggest trying to find something along the San Marcos River east of I-35 like in the Martindale area.

I love the Canyon Lake area, but I can see San Antonio/New Braunfels will probably be on our doorstep in no time. I'll be 55 later this year so when it does, I will probably be very close to the end of my service life anyway. Good luck with the search.