Had a deal fall apart once because the “unrestricted” land turned out to have a pipeline easement running right through the middle—couldn’t build anything on half the acreage. Now I always pull the plat maps and call the county myself. Never hurts to double-check.
That’s a tough break, but you’re spot on about double-checking everything yourself. I’ve learned the hard way too—had a piece of land under contract that looked perfect on paper, but when I walked it, there was an old, unrecorded oil well smack in the middle. Seller swore up and down it was “clean.” Turns out, even the county records missed it because it was so old.
Now I always pull the plat maps and call the county myself. Never hurts to double-check.
Couldn’t agree more. Trust but verify, right? Folks get excited about “unrestricted” land, but there’s always something—pipelines, flood zones, weird easements. It’s a pain, but doing your own digging saves a lot of headaches. Texas land is wild right now, but due diligence never goes out of style.
Man, you nailed it—Texas land can be a real mixed bag. I’ve been burned by “unrestricted” listings before, too. Once, I found out after the fact that my “dream lot” had an old pipeline running right through the back corner. Didn’t show up on any of the first maps I pulled. Now, I always do a walk-through and ask neighbors if they know any history. It’s a hassle, but like you said, better safe than sorry. You’re definitely not alone in learning these lessons the hard way.