Anita Bursiel

You're going to have a little trouble with the price. I can't think of any areas where you're going to get that kind of price for a smaller tract. I know Rocky Creek Ranch on the north side of Canyon Lake near Fischer will allow you to park an RV while you build but those are only .5 acre tracts and they are running around $12k and up. - Sat May 17 2008, 09:28

Checking the Central Texas mls I was able to find 5 recent sales in the Garden Ridge area with prices between $325,000 to $550,000. 4 of the 5 are newer homes built from 2005 - 2007 with .75 to 1.5 acre tracts. The price per square foot on these ranged from $128-156. There was one older home, built in 1973, which sold for appx $109 ppsq.

Checking homes currently listed I found the average ppsq to be appx $137 and the size tract of these fell in the same range of .75 to 1.5 acre.

Anita Bursiel
Sales Consultant
Century 21 United
(830)708-9943
abursiel@gmail.com - Tue Aug 28 2007, 11:12

Canyon Lake was built primarily to regulate the flood waters of the Guadalupe River above New Braunfels. All waterfront lots on Canyon Lake that have any portion that lies below elevation 948 are subject to a flowage easement. When you purchase waterfront land here typically the lot will have a building site area above elevation 948 and include the land down to elevation 918. The Corp of Engineers has an easement on your property between elevations 918 to 948 and property owners are aware that from time to time that portion of their property will be underwater. Certain things are not allowed to be built in that easement area, i.e., residences, septic fields, etc. You are allowed to fence your property including the easement area, and I've seen Gazebos, Tennis Courts, etc on that land. You are required to request approval from the Corp when making any improvements to the easement area. The Corp generally likes to keep the Lake level around 909-911. So even in the worst of circumstances like the flood of 2002 when the Guadalupe actually went over the spillway flooding of any residences on Canyon Lake was rare. Lots below Canyon dam on the Guadalupe were, of course, devastated.

Now to answer your question specifically: I've checked the lake levels from time to time and haven't seen it rise much higher than 920 or so. Although a few of the boat ramps and Parks have closed around the lake off and on this Summer it hasn't been anything to worry about. The River activity below the dam has been suppressed due to the larger than normal outflow. It makes for a slow Summer business-wise but on the plus side the normally hopping weekends have been a little quieter and the lake views are great!

Anita Bursiel
Realtor
Century 21 United
(830)708-9943
abursiel@gmail.com - Tue Aug 28 2007, 08:24