Texas Land Loans Are Not One-Size-Fits-All - What’s Your Experience?

Yeah, those old Texas lots can be a real mixed bag. I’ve had deals where the plat map looked fine, but once boots hit the ground, you find out there’s a random well or a forgotten easement running right through the middle. Surveys aren’t cheap, but man, they’re worth every penny when you’re dealing with rural land. I’ve seen folks skip it and end up in court over a few feet of dirt... not fun.

Title: Texas Land Loans Are Not One-Size-Fits-All - What’s Your Experience?

Surveys aren’t cheap, but man, they’re worth every penny when you’re dealing with rural land. I’ve seen folks skip it and end up in court over a few feet of dirt... not fun.

This hits home. Had a deal out in Grayson County where the buyer was convinced the old barbed wire fence marked the real boundary - grandpa said so, so it must be true, right? Fast forward to closing, lender wants a new survey, and wouldn’t you know it... half an acre was actually on the neighbor’s side. Cue a whole lot of awkward conversations and a last-minute price drop. That “few feet of dirt” can get expensive real quick.

Funny thing is, I’ve seen folks spend thousands on due diligence everywhere else - title, inspections, you name it - but try to pinch pennies on the survey. There’s something about rural Texas land that makes people think the rules are different. Maybe it’s all those handshake deals from back in the day.

Not every loan officer gets it either. Some city banks just see “land” and assume it’s all the same as a vacant lot in a subdivision. But between access issues, ag exemptions, mineral rights (or lack thereof), and random oil wells from the ‘70s... there’s always something weird lurking under that mesquite tree.

I will gently disagree on one thing - sometimes those old plats are more accurate than you’d expect, especially if it’s legacy ranch land that hasn’t changed hands much. But for anything split up in the last 20 years? Trust but verify. The stories I could tell about “driveway encroachments” alone...

All this to say - Texas land is never boring. It’ll keep you humble and occasionally make you want to pull your hair out.

You nailed it with the “few feet of dirt” turning into thousands of dollars. I get wanting to save money - trust me, I’ve tried to trim every line item in a land deal - but skipping the survey just isn’t worth the risk. I do wonder, though, if there’s ever a scenario where an old plat plus a solid title policy could be “enough”? Sometimes the costs stack up fast, especially on smaller tracts. But then again, I’ve seen driveways end up in legal limbo, too... Just seems like there’s always a catch with rural Texas property.

Yeah, I hear you on the costs stacking up, especially when you’re just trying to buy a couple acres and not break the bank. I’ve been tempted to just roll with an old plat and a title policy too, but man, every time I think about it, I remember my buddy’s fence that ended up three feet over the line. Cost him way more to fix than a survey would’ve. Sometimes it feels like you’re paying for “what ifs,” but those “what ifs” can get real expensive real fast.

Totally get where you’re coming from. When I refinanced, the lender insisted on a new survey and I grumbled about the cost...until they found an old easement nobody knew about. Would’ve been a nightmare down the road. Sometimes those “what ifs” are worth it, even if it stings upfront.