Parents are looking to move to College Station. Looking for a .5-2 acre lot and to spend 200-300k on building a house.

Any recommendations?

We just moved in to a Magruder Home. Great experience, he builds all over town, total price will have a lot to do with what subdivision they choose and what they get a lot for.

I know John builds all over town, all price ranges.

They were easy to work with and follow thru, we recently finished punch list and quickly completed it.

They were great to work with. If we ever build again there will be not other choice.

Heath Townsend, his company is Heath Townsend Homes. I can say from personal experience that he builds a great product and is easy to work with.

Jimmy Pitman also builds nice homes in that range and is a real stand-up guy.

[This message has been edited by TXTransplant (edited 2/9/2013 4:23p).]

[This message has been edited by TXTransplant (edited 2/9/2013 4:25p).]

Michael Schaefer is a good builder and so is Mark Weber. I live in one of their homes and the other is my neighbor. Is $200-300k the total budget (lot plus build)? I'd be happy to help them find a lot and talk to builders. Feel free to contact me at any time.

_______________________________________
Jeff Mazzolini '05 | Brokerage Services
jmazzolini@caldwellcos.com
C: (281)814-0665 | O: (979)260-7000

www.caldwellcosbcs.com

I have a lot for sale in King Oaks that is 1.10 acres and heavily wooded. I can make them a great deal on the lot if they are interested. Property taxes are lower there than in College Station and it is still close to all of the amenities of College Station.

I would love to speak with them. We build in all of the B/CS subdivisions as well as on your lot and currently have a 20+ exclusive acreage lots in our inventory that I'm sure they would love!
Matt Johnson - Blackstone Handcrafted Homes - 979-696-4663

My folks are actually in the same boat. But looking for total cost around the ~350k range, and for a larger lot size between 3-10 acres outside of town. Lot size isn't as important as having no deed restrictions. They are country folks and have no problem living outside of town. I'm just not sure how far they have to go to fall into that range.

Where are some good websites to go to find lots of that range? I tried lands of america, landwatch, land and farm, but nothing seemed to pop.

Feel free to PM me if you like.

The only problem with building outside the city limits of any community or restricted subdivision will be water, sewer, utilities, and access for internet services. Those are just a few items a friend of mine did not think about prior to purchasing 10 acres just outside B/CS. Also check to see who owns all the property surrounding any place you decided to purchase. You never know who might end up being your neighbor and what their plans are for their property in the future.

PM sent MontanaAg11

Ryan Dykes
ryand@bcrbcs.com
979-571-2756

Great Oaks, Estate Living...a Caldwell Companies development to start soon.

Great Oaks Estates, located just off Holleman Drive South and Rock Prairie Road, offers the serene environment of country living just minutes away from Kyle Field and College Station. Lot sizes range from 1 acre to 5 acres, heavily wooded in a quiet neighborhood in CSISD. The perfect community for your country estate home with great in-town conveniences.

I'm thinking about doing this, also. In fact, I'm coming to BCS to look at potential lots in April.

I've bought and sold quite a bit of real estate over the years, but this will be my first foray into building a house. My question is: do most custom builders have an architect on staff? Do you select a builder first or is getting the plans done with an independent architect the first step?



[This message has been edited by ZonaAg (edited 3/9/2013 1:49p).]

It depends which builder you work with. I can only speak for Blackstone Handcrafted Homes, we have a number if plans we can work from and also have a number of architects that we work with.

Zona,

You may already have found this out, however for the thread, I can tell you that most builders do not have an architect on staff. Most will build from stock plans and modify them, which is fine for 80% of their clients. If however, you are seeking to integrate your plan with green building design (i.e., site orientation, PV, etc.) beyond materials and equipment, having an architect work with your builder can pay off greatly.

One of the hangups builders and some new clients have about architects is that they drive up the costs, that is not always the case. I believe that you need an architect or highly qualified designer to do more with less. I have designed some great homes that were smartly arranged and took advantage of newer trends (materials/finishes/equipment)in kitchen and bath design. While it did take a couple of months more to start construction, it was worth it. Call or email if you have any questions.

+pablo

Experienced homeowners that have built prior come to me first, get their plans well thought out & site friendly, THEN select several homebuilders to interview ... that suit their expectations, look capable of satisfying their designs and are willing to bid Plan/Specifications customized to the Owner. Even though on a different track from "this is what we do" ... "or modify" ... the costs & time frame can be very similar. These types of Owners seldom move again - so think about the savings in stresses, time, costs ....