Land and acreage
Land comes with its own set of questions. Here are the big ones to ask about any tract, and who can give you a straight answer on each.
Access
Make sure the tract touches a public road, or has a written, recorded easement to one. The title company can check what's on record.
Water and utilities
Water may come from a city line, a rural water supplier, or a well. Ask who provides electricity and how far away the nearest line is. Where there's no city sewer, a septic system generally needs a permit from the county's TCEQ authorized agent (or TCEQ).
Minerals
In Texas, the minerals under a tract can be owned separately from the land on top, and they may have been sold off years ago. The title commitment lists known mineral exceptions. For questions about mineral rights, talk to a Texas real estate attorney.
Surveys
A survey shows the boundaries, easements and true acreage. Ask whether a recent one exists. If not, a licensed land surveyor can do a new one. Who pays for it is settled in the contract.
Ag valuation (the "ag exemption")
What most people call an "ag exemption" is officially agricultural (open-space) appraisal. It can lower property taxes based on how the land is used. A new owner usually has to apply with the county appraisal district, and if the land stops being used for agriculture, a rollback tax for up to the three prior years can be owed. Your county appraisal district has the details.
This is general information, not legal, tax or survey advice. Check the details for any tract with the title company, a licensed surveyor, the county appraisal district, or a Texas real estate attorney.
Ask me about land
Looking for acreage, or thinking of selling some? Tell me a little about it and I'll get back to you personally.