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Kerrville Real Esate

Tommy Taylor, Realtor-CNE,SRS
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(830)257-0155 Office
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Avoid Hidden Costs When Buying Land to Build

By temineth Leave a Comment Jul 12 0

You’re finally here! You’re looking for land to build your dream home. This can be a very exciting time but there are a lot of details and important items to review prior to purchasing the land itself. Yes, price and location are important but they are just the beginning. There are several hidden costs and fees involved with purchasing land and beginning the construction phase. I want you to be aware of these costs and how to avoid some of them.

Depending on the development of the land there are several items that you may need to have installed on the property before you can even begin development. Here are just some of the items that you’ll need to consider:

  • Survey
  • Septic system
  • Drilling a well or pump
  • Excavation, blasting if needed
  • Easement roads, paving and driveways
  • Permits and building fees
  • Utility hookup including phone, electric, cable, gas, water and potentially sewer
  • Impact fees (also known as development fees, mitigation, service availability charges, or facility fees, which vary by state and municipality)

Impact fees are probably the biggest one that many homebuyers and home builders don’t understand. These are assessed individually by town or city to pay for schools, infrastructure and public facilities. About 60% of all towns and cities with over 25,000 residents will require impact fees but be sure to check with your specific municipality for details. NOTE: Kerrville is only about 22,000 residents and does not incur impact fees

When purchasing a home there are many costs to estimate including the land and the building costs. Not only will you have the cost of land but any brokerage fees if necessary.

Permits may also be required for septic, well drilling, driveway construction and of course the building itself. If you’re not going with septic, sewer tap fees will need to be added on as well. If you don’t have a well, municipal water tap fee will also be added.

Depending on the state of the land and how raw it is, other fees may include a planning review, certain inspections, land clearing and curb cuts. Many lenders and building departments will also require a survey which could cost anywhere from $400-$1000 depending on the size of the property.

You may also be required to pay an engineering inspection. This is specifically for steeper grade sites, wetland sites, or land with problem soils. Soil testing may also be required based on the engineering inspection.

Landscaping can also be an additional fee unless you’re planning on doing a lot of it yourself. Clearing the land, excavation and even blasting may be required depending on where you’re putting the home and if it is allowed to be placed in your desired location.

Avoiding some of these unnecessary fees is possible if you choose a plot or parcel that is already permitted, developed, accessible and routed for utilities however, you would likely be paying more in the purchase price.

For more information or to answer questions about your land purchase for development and building contact my office today.

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Testimonials

Heath R. Kelley

“When my wife and I started looking for a house we were all over the place with options and hurdles,...
2015-08-03T15:42:44+00:00
“When my wife and I started looking for a house we were all over the place with options and hurdles, and I feel most real estate agents would have at the very least gotten aggravated and lost interest especially when it looked like the financing might not go through. Tommy never wavered and was always cheerful and positive and continued to give us first class customer service even after the 50th house he showed us. Along with being treated like a friend, he gave sound advice and did so with a honest straight forward approach that made me feel at ease about everything that goes into buying a house. This is not easy to do because I am very skeptical about everything, especially when it involves 30 years of my life. He was able to make one of the most nerve wrecking, stressful experiences in my life almost pleasant because I knew I could depend on him to be honest and on my side…I would recommend Tommy Taylor as a Real estate agent to any of my family and close friends.” - Ingram, TX
http://texasforsale.net/testimonials/heath-r-kelley/

Dave Murray

“I have bought and sold ten houses all over the United States. We purchased a piece of land Tommy had...
2015-08-03T15:43:20+00:00
“I have bought and sold ten houses all over the United States. We purchased a piece of land Tommy had listed last year. We found Tommy to be the most informative agent we’ve ever had, and at no time did we feel he was trying to steer us into any particular area or property as so many agents are wont to do. His knowledge of land and ranch management was very helpful in our decision. Our negotiation with the seller took two months, and Tommy’s unbiased efforts to bring us a fair deal were as good as I’ve seen any agent produce. I would not hesitate to use him again and recommend him to others.” - Dallas TX
http://texasforsale.net/testimonials/dave-murray/

Jason Kenney

“Of course we would call you for our property related needs!  Who else would we call?  You are the only...
2015-08-03T15:43:39+00:00
“Of course we would call you for our property related needs!  Who else would we call?  You are the only real estate agent that would get out and walk around aimlessly with us instead of sitting in the truck talking on a cell phone.  Shoot, you even admitted you got us lost – we knew then that you were as honest as they come!  Seriously, you did a great job last time and both of us were highly impressed with your service and knowledge of the area and the wildlife.  It was a much easier and more pleasant experience for us having you involved and that is high praise coming from me because I can’t stand real estate agents… “ - Louisiana
http://texasforsale.net/testimonials/jason-kenney/

Angie Westerfield

“We had a excellent experience using Tommy Taylor as our Realtor. He walked us through the process of selling our...
2015-08-03T15:44:16+00:00
“We had a excellent experience using Tommy Taylor as our Realtor. He walked us through the process of selling our own house and purchasing another one. Questions were answered expertly and he let us know all the different options we had available to us. He went out of his way to make sure we were happy. We know there are thousands of realtors in the Texas Hill Country, but he was recommended to us by a friend and NOW we will never use another! Tommy Taylor is the ONLY realtor that we will use for our future property needs.” - Fredericksburg, TX
http://texasforsale.net/testimonials/angie-westerfield/
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