Real Estate Bargains
I buy land whenever I can find a bargain. I sometimes add value, by mowing, picking up trash, cleaning up title, burning tires, subdivision and the like. Then I offer for resale and pass the bargain along. I try to hold investments for a year before I resell. I'm getting old and stupid and am putting about everything I own up for sale. This includes a tract I've owned over 30 years, 20 acres next to my house, some fine pasture and a commercial corner.

31510 Lazy Ridge Road Up By Magnolia
The five acre lot is in a subdivision on a paved county road. The last owner had a home, so all utilities are in place. The lot is served by G&W water system, has electrical service, septic tank, and scraps of cable t.v. About half the lot is open and half with some huge pines and oak trees. Waller ISD. You won't find a better tract for only $72,500.00. For pictures and more information click here.

17140 FM 359. Baja Four G Ranch 70.101 Acre Pasture
This is the 70.101 acre pasture, just south of the historic 4G Ranch, is the remainder of a tract I bought several years ago. My purpose was to subdivide the tract. I had engineering studies, plats, contours, the whole catastrophe. After spending much time and energy I concluded it isn't cost effective for me. Somebody with better market connections than I have or who has a friend in the road business might strike it rich. Otherwise, it's a pretty nice pasture. It's also it's a pretty good investment with the proximity to Houston. Priced less than others offer for the same stuff at $9,500 per acre. If you find something comparable at a cheaper price, I'll match the price, or like the car dealer buy you a Corvette. The purchase price includes all the engineering work and plat which received preliminary approval from Waller County. Click here for a copy of the plat. Click here for an outline picture. Thanks to Google Earth, you can see a satellite view of the property, showing the two small ponds. Click here for pictures and more.

Northfield Commercial Corner
Just north of the 70 acres is 1.5 acres of potentially commercial property. Not bad on the inside. The tract is accessible from FM 359, one of the few sites still available with the new Highway Department setback rules. The lot has utilities. $55,000, with our without the house.

40813 Holik Road and 14344 FM 1887, Hempstead
Clumps of trees around old homesites. Mostly open pasture. Small farms or second homes less than an hour from downtown Houston. A little while after the Civil War Charlie Holik started farming in the Monaville community in mid-Waller County. He had a lot of land and could build anywhere he wanted. The ruins of Charlie's house are in a clump of trees at the crest of what passes for a hill around here. Best breeze and best view. There's still some square nails and cypress siding. When Charlie died he left 40 acres to each of his daughters. One, Anita, got the house and the other got the well. Anita was a tough old lady who lived in a sagging house a little less than a half mile from her parents. The house had no electricity or water until a few years before she died. Her husband was intemperate and she scraped out a living gardening, farming and raising cattle on her 40 acres. When Anita was in her 60's she looked after her mother. At night she would watch the home place until she saw her mother's light go out. There weren't any phones, so if Anita started worrying she would tramp across the pasture to check on her mama. In her later years she sold off corners of her land for cash to live on. She sold more than half her land but kept her parents' homesite and her house. The homesite, about 14 acres, and house site, about 10, are connected by a short 20 foot passageway. Over 30 years ago, my father and I bought the 24.638 acres Anita had left from her estate. We were both veterans and got financing from the Texas veteran's land program. The land was surveyed off in two. The north part, which fronts on Holik road has a shape that at least makes sense. A couple of hundred feet of frontage that opens up toward the top of the hill. The south part, which fronts on State Highway 1887 a half mile from the north boundary, has frontage but a shape that makes sense only if you know the story. I decided not to resurvey Charlie's and Anita's tracts for property tax purposes. $9,500.00 per acre. Description, terms.

Wolf Trap. 27.699 Acres Schmidt Road South of Hempstead
This is pasture for its own sake. The tract has what looks like some planted grass. There's a creek fed pond on the side. Ag. exempt. There's only 60 feet of paved county road frontage; a 1200' strip connects it. Perfect for the person who wants some seclusion an hour away from Minute Maid Park in Houston. $8,500 per acre. pictures and more.