You have more negotiating room than the numbers initially suggest. While final sale prices often land close to the original listing price, nearly half of all active properties have reduced their asking price at least once. This indicates many sellers started with higher expectations and have watched their listings age without offers. These are the sellers most open to negotiation. Your best strategy is to search slightly above your target budget. A home listed at your upper limit may ultimately close at the price point you originally planned for, particularly if it has accumulated days on market. Lowball offers rarely succeed in this environment. Instead, present a well-structured, clean offer on properties where the seller has had time to adjust their expectations.

Standard listings receive basic photography, brief descriptions, and MLS placement. That represents the minimum, not the maximum. I create professionally filmed lifestyle videos designed for buyers who haven't yet visited the area. A significant portion of local demand originates from Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and California. These buyers conduct extensive online research before making the drive, and video content is what motivates them to visit in person. I also coordinate neighborhood open house events that feature multiple properties in a single area simultaneously, generating substantially more buyer traffic than individual showings can achieve. One recent weekend event of this type resulted in multiple properties going under contract.

You shouldn't prioritize one over the other. Evaluate both simultaneously. The land itself dictates what construction is feasible and what it will cost. A builder may provide an attractive per-square-foot estimate that becomes unworkable once site-specific factors emerge—sloped terrain, distance from utility connections, or subsurface rock where septic systems need installation. I regularly work with clients who purchased land without builder input, only to discover their construction budget has increased by two hundred thousand dollars or more due to site challenges. Have a builder assess any property before you finalize the purchase. This single step prevents more cost overruns than any other decision in the building process.

More than most buyers anticipate: water availability (well or utility), septic feasibility, electric access and the cost to extend it, floodplain, deed restrictions, easements, and whether the property has an AG exemption. Any one of these could change what a "cheap" piece of land actually costs. I walk clients through all of it before they make an offer. That's a big part of what I do.

An agricultural valuation lets qualifying land be taxed on its productive value instead of market value, which can mean significantly lower property taxes. It can usually be maintained if you continue a qualifying use such as livestock, hay, beekeeping, or wildlife management, but the rules and minimum acreage vary by county. I help buyers understand what a property's exemption status means before closing so there are no tax surprises.

Less than you might expect. Many of my clients purchase on 1–10 acre tracts, enough for privacy, a shop, and room to breathe without taking on ranch-scale maintenance. The right answer depends on the lifestyle you envision: horses need more space than a garden does, and some counties and subdivisions have minimum requirements. Tell me what you're after and I'll help you determine the right acreage.

It varies widely with site conditions, finishes, and builder — and the land itself can add costs people overlook: well, septic, utility extension, and foundation work on rocky ground. The honest answer is a budget discussion, not a number on a website. My free Custom Home Building Guide breaks down the real cost categories, and my free class goes deeper. [Make "Custom Home Building Guide" a link to the Custom Home Building page guide section.]

Plan on several months of planning such as design, budgeting, builder selection, and permits before ground breaks, and roughly a year of construction for most custom homes, with additional time needed for complex sites. The best way to keep a build on schedule is to make decisions early. I stay involved from land purchase through closing to help keep things moving.

Before you fall in love with a floor plan, get a clear understanding of the land and the budget. The lot you choose influences everything, including what you can build, what the site work costs, and whether the numbers pencil out. My process starts with a conversation about the lifestyle you want, then finding and evaluating the right piece of land, followed by connecting you with builders and lenders who fit your project. If you want to learn the whole process first, download my free Custom Home Building Guide or attend my free class in New Braunfels.

Very. Land buyers shop differently. They care about water, soil, views, fencing, access, and restrictions, and many are searching from Austin, San Antonio, Houston, or out of state. Marketing land effectively means drone video, accurate boundary and improvement maps, and pricing based on what comparable tracts actually sell for, not an algorithm's estimate. That's how I market land.

In most transactions, my compensation comes through the transaction and is clearly outlined in writing up front. Texas requires a written representation agreement before we tour homes, so you'll see exactly how I'm paid before we begin. No surprises, and you'll have my full attention throughout the process.

The Texas Hill Country. I'm based in New Braunfels and assist clients throughout the region, including Canyon Lake, Bulverde, Spring Branch, Seguin, San Marcos, Wimberley, Blanco, Boerne, Fredericksburg, and the surrounding communities. If you're not sure whether I serve your area, just ask.