Alex,

I would be happy to help find some land to build a home on in 2 years. In order to help you, it would be necessary that you contact me. My contact information is available on my web site. In addition, I would be happy provide you with a personal web site that updates you automatically daily on available properties and would be willing to provide you relocation package concerning this area.

Your question concerning pools, rock is sometimes very expensive to dig through to put in an in-ground pool, and the fact that there are many nice lakes in this area may be the reason why you are not seeing that many pools.

Hi Alec - Great idea to buy in Leander now while it is still very affordable. Leander is growing by leaps and bounds. They even have a Kohl's, Home Depot, and a Starbucks now!

I'd suggest contacting Greg Cooper, greg@goldwasserrealestate.com. That guy has great relationships with the best builders in the area and can help you find answers to your pool and building questions. He is SOLID at finding great land deals, too!

Are you working with a realtor to help you with your search?
Can you expand your search into areas near Leander, but are within the Leander ISD area?
What price range and style of home?
The areas of recommendation depending upon how you answer the two last questions:

Grand Mesa at Crystal Falls - starting at $85K for lots (some view lots)
Escalera Ranch and The Preserve(located in Leander ISD, but in City of Georgetown's ETJ - located halfway between Leander & Georgetown) - $120K and up for 1 to 6 acres (some view lots, lots of trees!)

There are other lots in subdivisions with higher volume builders, but these lots are much smaller and more time restrictive for construction.

Other areas to consider are older areas near the San Gabriel River with few restrictions.

So the possibilities run the gammet depending upon your goals.

Builders? I have a list of custom builders and some of them are certified "Green" builders. Just give me a call!

Donna Ciccarelli

GRI, ABR, CPS, CNE, EcoBroker
512-259-9154 Home office, after 6:30 pm family time (thanks!)
512-736-3124 Cell, after 6:30 pm family time (thanks!) http://www.donnaciccarelli.com


Goldwasser Real Estate
500 N. Capital of Texas Hwy.
Bldg. 5, Ste. 100
Austin, TX 78746
Office: (512) 420-0300 • Fax: (800) 948-4045
View all homes for sale in Austin at http://www.GoldwasserRealEstate.com

Hi Alec,
Congratulations on your move to Leander, TX and the Austin area. What a great place to call home! I think you are smart in your strategy of desiring to purchase some land now and building later as you near your actual targeted relocation date. Here's the reality. Land prices coming out of 2007 and moving into 2008 were at an all time high in Central Texas. Demand, quality of life, growth and economics all were factors in pushing prices upward to unprecendented highs. That was the peak. As we moved through 2008 and into 2009 the national economic situation caught up with Central Texas. Over the last 12 months new home starts are off by about 56% compared to a year ago. New development of additonal lots has slowed by even more. We currently have about a 2.5-3 year supply of lots. So what that has meant on a short term basis is softened land prices. Raw land has in turn come down some as well. It needed to as it was very over inflated in value.
The flip side though is that with new home starts down and inventory limited, coupled with minimal development of new lots, there will be a gradual absorption of the current supply and eventually lead to a shortage in supply. That will then put upward pressure on prices in a hurry. THIS IS EXACTLY what builders, developers and land owners want. It "cleanses the market" from their stanpoint and allows everyone to make more money through ramped up pricing. But do not be mislead. You must keep in perspective that even with a slowdown this Central Texas market has faced nothing like the conditions in other states/markets. There is still job growth here. There are still relocation buyers moving here. There is still housing demand. So prices have fallen but not drastically. There are some good deals out there if you know where to look and how to search. Of course it all depends on specifically what you are looking far. Location! Location! Location! So time your purchase effectively. If you need local expertise I would welcome the opportunity to earn your business and work with you. My company Cornerstone New Home Solutions was started for your very buyer profile. I specialize in clients seeking to buy a new home or build new custom homes from the ground up. I spent over 25 years in new home sales, construction and management before retiring from the corporate world and deciding to offer my knowledge and expertise to the client as opposed to the builder. I offer a comprehensive service that includes homesite/land acquisition. I can provide you with specialized knowledge and negotiating strategies that a general agent just does not have. Check out my web site at http://www.CornerstoneNewHomeSolutions.com for more information. I can save you time. I can save you money! Its that simple.

Stephen B. McClain Borker Owner
Cornerstone New Home Solutions
smcclain@cornerstonenewhomesolutions.com
512 876-3116

As for pools- you are right on for two reasons- with the growth the average lot in a developed community is size prohibited. There usually is not enough space for a pool and any remaining sizeable yard. The yard wins out to the pool. Additionlly, most of the master planned communitties offer full amenities such as huge neighborhood pools and facilities. The other reason is cost. Central Texas sits atop one of the largest limestone deposits in the workl. This makes digging holes tough. The Average pool cost here is about 40% higher due to the cost of digging. So a person must really want one to justify it. You can figure on recoupting about 50% of the value at resale.

It is just really expensive to dig into the limestone.Why would you spend 100k on a pool on a 400k house

Dear Alec,

Finding the best place for you to buy land in Leander and built on it later is a question of your budget and your preferrence in terms of the surroundings.

There will be several areas around Nameless Road (FM 2243, west of Highway 183) that will be more budget oriented and have more of a country feel to them. Acreage there is comparatively inexpensive. However, there are not a whole lot of rules and regulations, which means that it is hard to know what to expect from future (and past) development around you.

I positively think that most anybody that lives in Leander will agree that the premier development in Leander is Grand Mesa at Crystal Falls. Lot sizes range from one acre and up and section six of Grand Mesa just opened up for lot sales a few weeks ago. There are also some re-sale home sites available in Grand Mesa five. There have been many out-of-state buyers from California, and recently several from Illinois that have found this community to be the epitome of what they have dreamed about the Texas Hill Country.

If you would like for me to send you some photographs, I will be glad to (no strings attached). Just request them at Help@NooHome.com .

Best of luck, and welcome to Texas.

Sincerely,
Richard Olesch

I would recommend viewing several different builder models to see if you have a builder preference, then see what lot/build package deals they are offering and the timeframe required for completion. If you are leaning towards a custom build, then you will want to make sure the lot you choose is buildable. The issue with the pools is the cost of digging and lot size, the cost for a pool will start around $35k. As for location, you should research the schools and buy in the school district you prefer currently and also consider the future schools involved depending on the age of your children. Please let me know if I may assist you further!

Alec,

There are numerous lots available in the Leander, as well as, nearby communities. Feel free to go to my WEB site for available tools that can assist you in your research on the best place to buy. Some of the available tools are: lot search using Free Home Search tab, learn about the community using Useful Links tab, etc

Your question concerning pools in this area: there is no problem in having a pool, but to dig a hole for an inground pool may be expensive in some areas, due to a large amount of rock below the soil surface. Another reason for your observation, there is a great lake scene nearby which are used by many people. Great area to boat, water ski and go to restuarants on the lake.

I would happy to assist you in finding a lot. My contact information is available on the home page of my WEB site.

Hi Alec:

I'm an agent in Leander and I live here too! There are plenty of sites to build a home. Most of the subdivisions here have community pools. There is no problem with putting in a pool. Do you already have a realtor? I would love to assist you when you come. How many acres do you want?

Alec
No, just go to a good company. In Texas we are not strict on License yet - so get referrals or check on companies that have won awards.
Find good land in a good area and you have a head start on that loan when you build - good luck and Welcome to Texas
Margaret