Buying land in the Hill Country: what to check first

Buyers come to the Hill Country for the view and then sign for the water, the access, and the exemptions. Land is a different purchase from a house, and the things that decide a good deal are rarely the things that catch the eye on the first drive out. Here is the short list I walk every property against before I let a client fall in love with it.

Water rights and supply

Start with water, because nothing matters more. Ask whether the land is on a public supply, a shared well, or a private one, and if it is a well, what the yield and depth are. Surface water, creeks, and tanks come with their own rules. A spring-fed creek is a beautiful thing to own, but the right to use it is a separate question worth a clear answer in writing.

Access and easements

Confirm legal access to the building site, not just the gate. Shared roads, utility easements, and conservation easements all shape what you can build and where. A parcel that looks open can carry restrictions that only show up in the title work, which is why we order it early on raw land rather than late.

Exemptions and taxes

An agricultural or wildlife exemption can change the carrying cost of a property by a wide margin, and losing one by changing the use can trigger a rollback. Find out the current status, what maintains it, and what your plans would do to it. The right answer is sometimes to keep running cattle you never intended to own.

Acreage is patient, and so should the buyer be. The view will still be there after the title work clears. Get the water, the access, and the exemptions right first, and the rest of the purchase tends to follow.