Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[greybeard]

But do they have enough water for ranching? We are from southern California so dry to some is not dry to us. We just need a good well and enough water to irrigate pasture if necessary. 100 acres plus would be good. We like Weatherford a lot and stay in the RV park there when we are in Texas on business. Do you think that would be a good ranch location? Remember we will be wanting to lease out our pasture for cattle and hay raising to larger professional raisers, while keeping only a certain amount of pasture for rotational grazing for our sheep. Is there enough water there for that?

One of my relatives and her husband ranch in Weatherford Tx, where he makes his living at it

 

[Ridgetop]

We will check out the Weatherford area as well.

 

[greybeard]

The only real problem with Weatherford is it's close proximity to Ft Worth, which drives property values up significantly, but if you can't ranch in Parker County Tx, you can't ranch anywhere. High 6 to 7 figures for around 100 acres of at least partially improved land is what I've seen. A finished horse ranch, significantly higher than that. Old O&G money abounds there so there's competition for anything going up for sale.
$1.2M for 130 ac..no residence or buildings, but does have O&G production to convey to new owner.
https://www.landandfarm.com/property/Pittman_Ranch_Potential_Development-8446451/

Pretty typical of smaller parcels....37 acres of raw land:
"
LOCATION:

Approximately 5 minutes south of Interstate 20.

TERRAIN:

The land is gently rolling to sloping native country. The dominate cover includes post oak, live oak, mesquite, cedar, and hackberry. Browse includes greenbrier, elbow or skunk bush, sumac, and other varieties. Excellent cover for deer and turkey.

WATER:

Water wells are on the adjoining properties so drilling for water should not be a problem.

COMMENTS:

The land is scenic with many building sites, minutes from Weatherford High School or Interstate 20.

PRICE:

Asking $16,500.00 PER ACRE due to area sales."



Talked to a fellow cowman just today that told me he lives 20 miles south of Weatherford, and I know him well enough to know he's doing good with minimum inputs.

 

[Ridgetop]

This property sounds nice, but expensive. O & G income would be good, but price of land probably reflects income. Sinking a well would be expensive although you would find water. On the other hand it does not have an existing AG designation which would need several years to acquire. 5 out of 7 years must be worked as AG before obtaining AG deduction for property taxes? Familiar with Tin Top Road - is very close to town (specs say 4 miles off IS20). I would not mind being a little farther out from town but maybe this is the area to look in. Probably could lease the land for cattle or hay easily and keep enough for ourselves to run our sheep on pasture. What about Brownwood?

Probably could afford it but it would not leave us any working capital after improvements. That would be bad since we are coming to this with no cattle or haying experience. If we had to take over the cattle or hay operations, we would need some fall back capital to hire workers and carry us over.

 

[Ridgetop]

DH is entertaining me by reading off the internet about animals most likely to kill you in every state. Surprisingly Oklahoma has escaped tigers roaming around. Rafting fire ants are the killers in Texas. New Jersey it is domestic cows. Illinois or Indiana apparently has "zombie coyotes". Not really zombies, but rabid coyotes that people mistake for an injured dog and try to help, getting themselves attacked. California it is several kinds of rattlesnakes. Montana is grizzlies and Colorado is cougars. When you combine that with oceans full of sharks, it makes you want to stay inside a darkened room protected by automatic insect sprayers. Yes, one of the states listed mosquitoes as the biggest killer!

 

[greybeard]

What about Brownwood?

Gets pretty dry in Brownwood and it's rougher terrain. In addition, it's rocky soil and that is mesquite and pear country.
This one is off market but is pretty typical of the Brownwood area. I lived/worked about 90 miles farther West for about 10 years so I'm pretty familar with the region.
https://www.landandfarm.com/propert...excellent_hunting_surface_water_oaks-8015153/

If I were single and starting over, I would be looking hard around Burleson County Tx.
Better grass, better soil, adequate rainfall, and more affordable land.
https://www.landwatch.com/Texas_land_for_sale/Burleson_County/Farms-Ranches

But it's too far East for my wife so we'll move farther West.

 

[Baymule]

Land is getting stupid high, here's some possibilities

https://www.landandfarm.com/search/TX/Van-Zandt-County-land-for-sale/?MinAcreage=100&MaxAcreage=125

https://www.landandfarm.com/search/TX/Wood-County-land-for-sale/?MinAcreage=75&MaxAcreage=125

 

[greybeard]

Land is getting stupid high, here's some possibilities



https://www.landandfarm.com/search/TX/Wood-County-land-for-sale/?MinAcreage=75&MaxAcreage=125

Nice place, and a relatively low price...but in 36 pictures, it doesn't show any of the real fences, just the showy look at us! "front pasture" steel fence, no real pics of barns, outbuildings or working facilities.
And.......how many bridge players are nearby?

This is missing information that is really important.

Upside..I see at least 10 different commercial poultry operations within 8-10 mile radius...should be plenty of free/low cost fertilizer available,

 

[Ridgetop]

QUOTE="greybeard, post: 609025, member: 5064"]Nice place, and a relatively low price...but in 36 pictures, it doesn't show any of the real fences, just the showy look at us! "front pasture" steel fence, no real pics of barns, outbuildings or working facilities.
And.......how many bridge players are nearby?

Bridge is very important, but we will commute for bridge! More important is the AG designation for taxes, good well - sufficient GPM, fencing in adequate repair, terrain, and outbuildings. House less important since we can reno, we are not looking for a brand new fancy show place type "ranch". We want a working ranch and are willing to put in some improvements. Good cattle fences will be excellent since we can rent out to cattle raiser right away. Hay fields ditto. We will put in sheep fences (LGD proof), convert outbuildings to lambing barns and feed storage. Overseed and fertilize pastures for sheep and cattle if needed. We like rolling type land for high ground in case of flooding, trees and brush on part is ok since sons want to come and hunt.

I did see a property in Burleson with possibilities with Ag designation being grazed by horses. Can't use fertilizer on fields due to creek, but as grazing land it will be fertilized anyway. LOL

We will expand search to Burleson County.

Greybeard: By the way is that ranch you mentioned still on the market?

I know just the East Tx place for you, and it's going on the market this year too. You won't have to worry about water. Got nearly 100" of rain last year. (of course almost 1/2 of that was in a 4 day period...........)

I think it was affordable too . . . .

As a special deal just for such a good BYH member, I'll let you have it for it's new, post-Harvey appraised market value

 

[greybeard]

Yep, it's going on market this year but I can tell you, it will take a special kind of new owner to be able to manage it. I have only a few insurmountable problems but I've been here on and off for over 50 yrs.
Lack of water is not a problem.
I sometimes have enough to float a battleship..