How are these landowners paying property taxes? Why doesn't the county foreclose? To me it seems there are easy ways to shut this down. Politicians on both sides are bought and won't do anything about it.

Honestly, kudos to the guy. He took advantage of a Federal & State government allowing a wide open border for the past decade plus. Without that Colony Ridge never happens.

aggiez03 said:

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Yes, the kids are in Cleveland schools. The school district can't get a school bond to pass, and it sounds as if these land buyers are not providing any tax base to provide money to the district like a normal high growth area would.

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It just seems like Cleveland HS was a 3A school. Now they are in 6A.

A lot of Houston has moved out there. It's a 45 mile commute to center downtown.

This is just a large scale owner finance land deal. Same thing happens in every county, just not as big.

We only write our owner finance ads in Spanish. They have cash, work hard, and pay on time.

suburban cowboy said:

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Honestly, kudos to the guy. He took advantage of a Federal & State government allowing a wide open border for the past decade plus. Without that Colony Ridge never happens.

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This guy is one of the reasons we have limp-wristed politicians on the issue of illegal immigration. How about you use your wealth to better your country and state, instead of using it to further line your pocket at the expense of both? Kudos my ass.

agz win said:

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A lot of Houston has moved out there. It's a 45 mile commute to center downtown.

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Only 30 minutes

a landowner taking advantage of a piss poor immigration policy has nothing to do with the creation of that policy.

Should Home Depot also not sell to them?

Old May Banker said:

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a landowner taking advantage of a piss poor immigration policy has nothing to do with the creation of that policy.

Should Home Depot also not sell to them?

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Does said landowner finance piss poor politicians? Do they create (or avoid stopping) piss poor policy?

Correct.

aggiez03 said:

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Listening to this now...

Guy is basically a legal slum lord on 55 square miles.

Bought cheap property, selling the land at 12% interest rate, with 40K residence today, 100K residence by 2035, and 200K residences by 2040s.

This will be an anchor on Liberty county for 100 years.

Apparently, there are no restrictions in the neighborhood at all, so nothing to keep this from being slums.
He says if he did it again, he would still no put restrictions at all.

He basically doesn't give a damn about any existing neighbors.

500 Million in Land Sales Annually @ 12% Interest PER YEAR = $60 Million per Year in Interest Payments Alone

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One thing I learned working in Latin America is nothing matters if you can't collect the money from them.

fightingfarmer09 said:

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aggiez03 said:

---

Listening to this now...

Guy is basically a legal slum lord on 55 square miles.

Bought cheap property, selling the land at 12% interest rate, with 40K residence today, 100K residence by 2035, and 200K residences by 2040s.

This will be an anchor on Liberty county for 100 years.

Apparently, there are no restrictions in the neighborhood at all, so nothing to keep this from being slums.
He says if he did it again, he would still no put restrictions at all.

He basically doesn't give a damn about any existing neighbors.

500 Million in Land Sales Annually @ 12% Interest PER YEAR = $60 Million per Year in Interest Payments Alone

---

One thing I learned working in Latin America is nothing matters if you can't collect the money from them.

---

I am pretty sure he doesn't care if they have to foreclose. They are getting the lots back, clean them up, and sell them to the next sucker who comes along.

97% of foreclosures in Liberty County come out of this neighborhood.

He knows exactly what he is doing.

AlaskanAg99 said:

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Untreated sewage is a TCEQ violation.

The state could do something IF they wanted to.

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I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this guy is donating big $$$ to Abbott, Patrick, etc.

aggiez03 said:

---

Listening to this now...

Guy is basically a legal slum lord on 55 square miles.

Bought cheap property, selling the land at 12% interest rate, with 40K residence today, 100K residence by 2035, and 200K residences by 2040s.

This will be an anchor on Liberty county for 100 years.

Apparently, there are no restrictions in the neighborhood at all, so nothing to keep this from being slums.
He says if he did it again, he would still no put restrictions at all.

He basically doesn't give a damn about any existing neighbors.

500 Million in Land Sales Annually @ 12% Interest PER YEAR = $60 Million per Year in Interest Payments Alone

---

The Liberty County Sheriff's office estimates that there are between 75-100k people there currently.

And to give people an idea how close this place is, the southern end of it is almost up against the new portion of the Grand Parkway.

murphyag said:

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AlaskanAg99 said:

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Untreated sewage is a TCEQ violation.

The state could do something IF they wanted to.

---

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this guy is donating big $$$ to Abbott, Patrick, etc.

---

Has given 1.5 million to Abbott in 300K chunks. Also paid Morgan Lutrell and has two lobbyists on his payroll full time.

aggiez03 said:

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murphyag said:

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AlaskanAg99 said:

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Untreated sewage is a TCEQ violation.

The state could do something IF they wanted to.

---

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this guy is donating big $$$ to Abbott, Patrick, etc.

---

Has given 1.5 million to Abbott in 300K chunks. Also paid Morgan Lutrell and has two lobbyists on his payroll full time.

---

There are plenty of ways to legally close this place down and to stop this guy from developing land like this. He has paid the politicians on both sides enough that they look the other way. Start beating down Abbott's door and make enough noise you might slowly see something happen.

Currently, Abbott and others are totally wagging the dog. They take a few photo ops in their jeans and official state fishing shirts on the border, brag how they sent some illegals to New York, but in the background they are still getting their pockets lined and letting the vast majority of illegals set up camp in our backyard. It is all smoke and mirrors.

If my Grandfather hadn't sold all of our family land, this is what I would have done with any of it that I inherited

What's more American than debt you can't afford?

This guy selling land to these vagrants doesn't amount to fly **** in the pepper in the grand scheme of how much money is flowing thru there... I'm not sure if it's jealousy, anti-private property rights, or what.... but the take that this guy is wrong while every other business in Texas capitalizes off of their presence seems short sighted.

He didn't let them cross... but just like HEB, McDonald's, Home Depot, etc, he'll take their money.

Old May Banker said:

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This guy selling land to these vagrants doesn't amount to fly **** in the pepper in the grand scheme of how much money is flowing thru there... I'm not sure if it's jealousy, anti-private property rights, or what.... but the take that this guy is wrong while every other business in Texas capitalizes off of their presence seems short sighted.

He didn't let them cross... but just like HEB, McDonald's, Home Depot, etc, he'll take their money.

---

Maybe... but the HEBs/McDonald's of the world don't turn a whole county into a ****hole.

ABATTBQ11 said:

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aTmAg said:

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TxSquarebody said:

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Doesn't have to be illegal to be wrong.

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If you find yourself arguing for less liberty, then you are probably wrong.

Thomas Sowell had a chapter/essay regarding "slum lords" in NY during the industrial revolution. Basically the story was that some do-good reporter did an expose on slum lords reporting that tenants were living 6-8 to a room with only one bathroom per floor. People were shocked and the local government reacted by passing a law that required "basic standards" like a bathroom, only a few people per room, and crap like that.

Some of them refused to comply out of principle. So when the police were dispatched to shut these places down, the landlords were armed and ready to defend their property against tyranny. In addition, the TENANTS WERE ARMED RIGHT ALONG SIDE OF THEIR LANDLORDS. You see the tenants desperately NEEDED to live in a place with damn low rent. In many cases, they were fathers of foreign families who immigrated here alone. They were working to save up money to bring the rest of their family over. They didn't care about a bathroom in their room, they wanted to earn as much as possible to bring their families over ASAP. So when the government shut their landlords down, THEY got screwed more than anybody. In many cases they could no longer afford to live here, and so they spent their saved money going back to their home country since they didn't want to wait 15 years to bring their families over.

The lesson to learn out of this, is that liberalism always screws people over. No matter how good it sounds.

---

That may be all well and good for the desperate tenants and the landlords looking to make a buck off them, but that kind of stuff comes with consequences for the surrounding community when it comes to things like health and sanitation that modern cities are built on. That kind of setup is perfect breeding outbreaks of disease that spill over to other surrounding areas. Think having a house with high grass and junk all over the yard being a breeding grind for mosquitoes, rats, snakes, mice, and other pests that spill over to neighbors. No one lives in a vacuum, and your neighbors absolutely have a say on what you can and can't do when it's going to impact them.

---

Your statement of "landlords looking to make a buck off them.." shows that you have fallen for liberal propaganda. Both sides are providing a service to each other. If there weren't landlords willing to rent to desperate tenants, then those desperate tenants would be screwed and far more desperate. Such landlords are HELPING their fellow man, not screwing them over. The people who are screwing them over are nanny government types who forbid such trades from taking place in the first place. The idea that these landlords should give away their housing for a loss so that 3rd party nanny types can virtue signal is simple minded.

And if you want to live in a place that forces cut grass, then find a neighborhood with a pre-established HOA. Don't force it at a city or state level. Let people decide the pros and cons of their decisions for themselves. If I want to risk living near somebody with "rats, snakes, and mice" in exchange for no-HOA then I should be able to chose that. If you don't, then fine.

aggiez03 said:

---

Listening to this now...

Guy is basically a legal slum lord on 55 square miles.

Bought cheap property, selling the land at 12% interest rate, with 40K residence today, 100K residence by 2035, and 200K residences by 2040s.

This will be an anchor on Liberty county for 100 years.

Apparently, there are no restrictions in the neighborhood at all, so nothing to keep this from being slums.
He says if he did it again, he would still no put restrictions at all.

He basically doesn't give a damn about any existing neighbors.

500 Million in Land Sales Annually @ 12% Interest PER YEAR = $60 Million per Year in Interest Payments Alone

---

It will be the largest cock fighting arena in the world!

Can someone send a link or some backstory here?

aTmAg said:

---

ABATTBQ11 said:

---

aTmAg said:

---

TxSquarebody said:

---

Doesn't have to be illegal to be wrong.

---

If you find yourself arguing for less liberty, then you are probably wrong.

Thomas Sowell had a chapter/essay regarding "slum lords" in NY during the industrial revolution. Basically the story was that some do-good reporter did an expose on slum lords reporting that tenants were living 6-8 to a room with only one bathroom per floor. People were shocked and the local government reacted by passing a law that required "basic standards" like a bathroom, only a few people per room, and crap like that.

Some of them refused to comply out of principle. So when the police were dispatched to shut these places down, the landlords were armed and ready to defend their property against tyranny. In addition, the TENANTS WERE ARMED RIGHT ALONG SIDE OF THEIR LANDLORDS. You see the tenants desperately NEEDED to live in a place with damn low rent. In many cases, they were fathers of foreign families who immigrated here alone. They were working to save up money to bring the rest of their family over. They didn't care about a bathroom in their room, they wanted to earn as much as possible to bring their families over ASAP. So when the government shut their landlords down, THEY got screwed more than anybody. In many cases they could no longer afford to live here, and so they spent their saved money going back to their home country since they didn't want to wait 15 years to bring their families over.

The lesson to learn out of this, is that liberalism always screws people over. No matter how good it sounds.

---

That may be all well and good for the desperate tenants and the landlords looking to make a buck off them, but that kind of stuff comes with consequences for the surrounding community when it comes to things like health and sanitation that modern cities are built on. That kind of setup is perfect breeding outbreaks of disease that spill over to other surrounding areas. Think having a house with high grass and junk all over the yard being a breeding grind for mosquitoes, rats, snakes, mice, and other pests that spill over to neighbors. No one lives in a vacuum, and your neighbors absolutely have a say on what you can and can't do when it's going to impact them.

---

Your statement of "landlords looking to make a buck off them.." shows that you have fallen for liberal propaganda. Both sides are providing a service to each other. If there weren't landlords willing to rent to desperate tenants, then those desperate tenants would be screwed and far more desperate. Such landlords are HELPING their fellow man, not screwing them over. The people who are screwing them over are nanny government types who forbid such trades from taking place in the first place. The idea that these landlords should give away their housing for a loss so that 3rd party nanny types can virtue signal is simple minded.

And if you want to live in a place that forces cut grass, then find a neighborhood with a pre-established HOA. Don't force it at a city or state level. Let people decide the pros and cons of their decisions for themselves. If I want to risk living near somebody with "rats, snakes, and mice" in exchange for no-HOA then I should be able to chose that. If you don't, then fine.

---

Sounds great until that neighborhood is built in your backyard. Imagine having family land that you retire to and live on your last 30 years of your life only to find out that this development is backing up to your property and their dogs are running on your property, there sh*t is running on to your property.

No one says it is illegal. Creating slums is just a sh*tty thing to do..

I think you would think differently if it were happening to you personally.

Catag94 said:

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Can someone send a link or some backstory here?

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Sure, here you go...

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=colony+ridge+trey+harris+controvery

StandUpforAmerica said:

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Old May Banker said:

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This guy selling land to these vagrants doesn't amount to fly **** in the pepper in the grand scheme of how much money is flowing thru there... I'm not sure if it's jealousy, anti-private property rights, or what.... but the take that this guy is wrong while every other business in Texas capitalizes off of their presence seems short sighted.

He didn't let them cross... but just like HEB, McDonald's, Home Depot, etc, he'll take their money.

---

Maybe... but the HEBs/McDonald's of the world don't turn a whole county into a ****hole.

---

No disagreement... so buy his property, change the county restrictions, etc... but private property rights are absolutely paramount IMHO... even if I disagree with their outcome.

StandUpforAmerica said:

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Old May Banker said:

---

This guy selling land to these vagrants doesn't amount to fly **** in the pepper in the grand scheme of how much money is flowing thru there... I'm not sure if it's jealousy, anti-private property rights, or what.... but the take that this guy is wrong while every other business in Texas capitalizes off of their presence seems short sighted.

He didn't let them cross... but just like HEB, McDonald's, Home Depot, etc, he'll take their money.

---

Maybe... but the HEBs/McDonald's of the world don't turn a whole county into a ****hole.

---

Ever seen a Fiesta grocery store?

Its an interesting conundrum when you juxtapose this thread with the housing affordability thread.

Having more restrictions on development to try and prevent Colony Ridge will only drive land acquisition and development costs in Texas ever higher.

Meanwhile, folks are posting daily about housing being unaffordable and that there is no end in sight for rising housing costs.

But what happens if you are already there and people move in that have no problem living with rats, crapping in their yard, etc. right next door?

It's a double edged sword, for sure....but the fact of the matter is that you impact your neighbors, and they impact you.

Old May Banker said:

---

StandUpforAmerica said:

---

Old May Banker said:

---

This guy selling land to these vagrants doesn't amount to fly **** in the pepper in the grand scheme of how much money is flowing thru there... I'm not sure if it's jealousy, anti-private property rights, or what.... but the take that this guy is wrong while every other business in Texas capitalizes off of their presence seems short sighted.

He didn't let them cross... but just like HEB, McDonald's, Home Depot, etc, he'll take their money.

---

Maybe... but the HEBs/McDonald's of the world don't turn a whole county into a ****hole.

---

No disagreement... so buy his property, change the county restrictions, etc... but private property rights are absolutely paramount IMHO... even if I disagree with their outcome.

---

Odds are he has control over enough of the county that this isn't happening.

Private property rights are paramount....but they do have limitations, and everybody agrees on that whether you want to admit it or not.

There's a reason why developers are only a small step above used car salesmen in a lot people's eyes.

A few things:

1. Quadvest is the water purveyor there, no MUD district. They are a private water operator that has a few wells and the distribution system. The owner is also a really good friend with the developer.

2. Sewer is supposed to be septic, but I'd venture that there are a significant percentage of the properties that don't ahve a septic system that meets TCEQ standards, whether conventional or aerobic. That does cause problems, especially if it is spread over a large area with enough properties contributing.

3. The mechanism, while technically legal, that the developer is using is sketch as hell. Basically he takes illegals that can't get financing anywhere else and offers them a high rate for their property, of which most will never actually pay off the loan. And the firs time they are even a day late...he forecloses on their property, kicks them off and then resells it. Legal? Sure. Ethical? No.

4. The county is never going to keep up with the costs associated with the number of people there versus what they take in on property taxes - ever. Especially if the roads are crap and the county eventually assumes ownership of them and has to repair them constantly. It's overall a net loss for the taxpayers.

5. These types of "developments" are ultimately why HOA's exist, are the impetus for creation of new state laws that are aimed at one particular place but are blanket laws that screw everybody over and are a magnet that draws in unskilled and, generally speaking, undesirable people. Crime always shoots up in the surrounding areas and ultimately it is the surrounding actual citizens that end up paying for it in every way imaginable.

schmellba99 said:

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A few things:

1. Quadvest is the water purveyor there, no MUD district. They are a private water operator that has a few wells and the distribution system. The owner is also a really good friend with the developer.

2. Sewer is supposed to be septic, but I'd venture that there are a significant percentage of the properties that don't ahve a septic system that meets TCEQ standards, whether conventional or aerobic. That does cause problems, especially if it is spread over a large area with enough properties contributing.

3. The mechanism, while technically legal, that the developer is using is sketch as hell. Basically he takes illegals that can't get financing anywhere else and offers them a high rate for their property, of which most will never actually pay off the loan. And the firs time they are even a day late...he forecloses on their property, kicks them off and then resells it. Legal? Sure. Ethical? No.

4. The county is never going to keep up with the costs associated with the number of people there versus what they take in on property taxes - ever. Especially if the roads are crap and the county eventually assumes ownership of them and has to repair them constantly. It's overall a net loss for the taxpayers.

5. These types of "developments" are ultimately why HOA's exist, are the impetus for creation of new state laws that are aimed at one particular place but are blanket laws that screw everybody over and are a magnet that draws in unskilled and, generally speaking, undesirable people. Crime always shoots up in the surrounding areas and ultimately it is the surrounding actual citizens that end up paying for it in every way imaginable.

---

Is it determined if they are septic v sewer? I would find it difficult to think that with any density that septic would be an option. If its septic, there is no way its permitted and meets any of the TCEQ standards.

Did a quick search and here is a Fox 26 story from this week. I did not ready nor watch just skimmed the video for shots of Colony Ridge. Assuming the producer did not use footage from somewhere else, it appears sewer is on a "city" or common system not individual.

I would be interested in knowing more about who really owns the land after it is "developed" and how they are charging residents for water / sewer and who is ultimately responsible for it.

https://www.fox26houston.com/news/owner-of-colony-ridge-responds-to-claims-the-community-northeast-of-houston-is-haven-for-illegal-immigrants



I didn't crop out the stray dog but he is there on the bottom left to honor the return of Rocky the Dog.

schmellba99 said:

---

A few things:

1. Quadvest is the water purveyor there, no MUD district. They are a private water operator that has a few wells and the distribution system. The owner is also a really good friend with the developer.

2. Sewer is supposed to be septic, but I'd venture that there are a significant percentage of the properties that don't ahve a septic system that meets TCEQ standards, whether conventional or aerobic. That does cause problems, especially if it is spread over a large area with enough properties contributing.

3. The mechanism, while technically legal, that the developer is using is sketch as hell. Basically he takes illegals that can't get financing anywhere else and offers them a high rate for their property, of which most will never actually pay off the loan. And the firs time they are even a day late...he forecloses on their property, kicks them off and then resells it. Legal? Sure. Ethical? No.

4. The county is never going to keep up with the costs associated with the number of people there versus what they take in on property taxes - ever. Especially if the roads are crap and the county eventually assumes ownership of them and has to repair them constantly. It's overall a net loss for the taxpayers.

5. These types of "developments" are ultimately why HOA's exist, are the impetus for creation of new state laws that are aimed at one particular place but are blanket laws that screw everybody over and are a magnet that draws in unskilled and, generally speaking, undesirable people. Crime always shoots up in the surrounding areas and ultimately it is the surrounding actual citizens that end up paying for it in every way imaginable.

---