student4life Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Hello I was wondering if the community had any thoughts on whether or not it is possible to find a vacant lot in Houston between 0.25 acres and 1.0 acres which is 20 to 25min from downtown, with a price point of around $25k? Looking to build a small house with a garden in the backyard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasVines Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 might check for tax repos though they will probably not be in the best neighborhoods and you may also look at tax repos that have an existing house that is trashed and can be cleared off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Hello I was wondering if the community had any thoughts on whether or not it is possible to find a vacant lot in Houston between 0.25 acres and 1.0 acres which is 20 to 25min from downtown, with a price point of around $25k? Looking to build a small house with a garden in the backyard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Chenevert Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 There ya go....http://www.har.com/8613841 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 Hello I was wondering if the community had any thoughts on whether or not it is possible to find a vacant lot in Houston between 0.25 acres and 1.0 acres which is 20 to 25min from downtown, with a price point of around $25k? Looking to build a small house with a garden in the backyard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
student4life Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 Thanks guys for the advice!!! The search continues.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
august948 Posted November 20, 2008 Share Posted November 20, 2008 Hello I was wondering if the community had any thoughts on whether or not it is possible to find a vacant lot in Houston between 0.25 acres and 1.0 acres which is 20 to 25min from downtown, with a price point of around $25k? Looking to build a small house with a garden in the backyard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandW Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Keep this in mind when buying land or any type of land speculation. Land values do not go down once a threash hold has been met in the market. The only reasonable way to get a "good deal" on land is through the afore mentioned tax repos. Most land/lot speculation that has occured the past few years have been through savy investors/speculators that have somewhat deep enough pockets to understand market dynamics. That same tract of land that traded at $20/SF one year ago is still going to be marketed at that level or above. there is a return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
student4life Posted December 19, 2008 Author Share Posted December 19, 2008 Yea Tax repos appear to be a good way to get a "good deal" but from speaking with various people Tax repos require:1) A lot of up front research in order to make sure there are no leans on the property that you will be responsible for...2) Must have ALL the money in hand after the auction concludesOne thing I am thinking about doing is requesting a data export of delinquent property taxes from the tax office. I did it several years back for a database project and I think they charged about $25 for the ASCII file export that fits on a CD... It will has the location of the property as well as the owner information and how much is owed... The trick back then was extracting the address information and then mapping it into some sort of GIS software package. It should be easier now with mapping products like Microsoft's MapPoint or Google maps.... Once that information is mapped it should be easier to see graphically where potential properties are located and maybe approach the owner to see if he/she is willing to sell since their property taxes are delinquent... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insidehouston Posted December 25, 2008 Share Posted December 25, 2008 Before you build I would check what comparable houses are selling for. I have seen people build where they spend say 25k on land 125 on a house and then realize comparable houses are selling for 100k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
student4life Posted January 6, 2009 Author Share Posted January 6, 2009 After talking with various realtors and searching HAR for days, I have updated my requirements for a lot (see below). If someone knows of a property that may fit the below criteria please feel free to send me a PM... Thanks! Purpose for lot: Planning to build a modest house that will be around 1500 sq ft (not including the garage) with a nice size yard in order to insure there is "elbow" room between the neighbors and myself as well room for a very small vegetable garden. Summary of lot Requirements:1) Lot size MINIMUMS: a. Within the 610 Loop: 0.25 acres (10,890 sq ft) (if it has a view of the city skyline or in a very nice old neighborhood, I may consider a slightly smaller lot)b. Outside the 610 loop BUT within the beltway: 0.5 acres (21,780 sq ft) c. Outside the beltway: 1.0 acres (43,560 sq ft ) 2) Lot location: a. NOT near an airportb. NOT near a large canalc. NOT near large electrical power transmission line towersd. NOT next to a railroad tracke. Location should be within a 30 minute drive time of downtown Houston, TX3) Miscellaneous: a. Would prefer (but not required) an area with little or no home association feesb. Relatively low crime areac. An area where the realtor or current owner wouldn't have an issue living there himself/herself4) Budget for lot: a. Lot should be under $40,000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgallagher Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 4) Budget for lot: a. Lot should be under $40,000SOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott08 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Sorry but no way you're going to find a lot that meets all your requirements for $40K. A year ago or so I was looking around and found a handful of $70K innerloop 5000 sq ft lots in areas that I would feel comfortable living in, but most were $85K+. I think you will have to go outside your time/distance boundaries to find anything that cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandSon Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 My mom is thinking about moving my grandfather in with her so I may have something that may meet your criteria... send me a PM if interested... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 I can think of some neighborhoods inside the loop where you might be able to get a 5,000-square-foot lot for under $4 per square foot without being next to railroad tracks, but you would need to become comfortable with neighbors that few Realtors would be comfortable living near, much less even driving past on their way to work each morning.I very strongly recommend that you look for vacant lots or teardowns in 77011, 77012, or 77021. If you can find something in a location that you like and the lot next door is vacant, then even if it isn't listed for sale, look up the owner and make an offer. Try to line up the purchase of both lots, each deal contingent upon you closing the other.If you have to pay a little more than you thought, well that sucks. But if this is what you want, it's probably worth it. And I have a strong personal belief that these zip codes have bright futures, so if you have to come in a little overbudget at first, it'll probably be worth it down the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanS Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 After talking with various realtors and searching HAR for days, I have updated my requirements for a lot (see below). If someone knows of a property that may fit the below criteria please feel free to send me a PM... Thanks! Purpose for lot: Planning to build a modest house that will be around 1500 sq ft (not including the garage) with a nice size yard in order to insure there is "elbow" room between the neighbors and myself as well room for a very small vegetable garden. Summary of lot Requirements:1) Lot size MINIMUMS: a. Within the 610 Loop: 0.25 acres (10,890 sq ft) (if it has a view of the city skyline or in a very nice old neighborhood, I may consider a slightly smaller lot)b. Outside the 610 loop BUT within the beltway: 0.5 acres (21,780 sq ft) c. Outside the beltway: 1.0 acres (43,560 sq ft ) 2) Lot location: a. NOT near an airportb. NOT near a large canalc. NOT near large electrical power transmission line towersd. NOT next to a railroad tracke. Location should be within a 30 minute drive time of downtown Houston, TX3) Miscellaneous: a. Would prefer (but not required) an area with little or no home association feesb. Relatively low crime areac. An area where the realtor or current owner wouldn't have an issue living there himself/herself4) Budget for lot: a. Lot should be under $40,000Pretty much described every reason that people have for living in Friendswood. Except the price. 1/3 acre for ~20K. 1/2 acre for 55K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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