DesideriScuri
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Joined: 1/18/2012
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ORIGINAL: tj444
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ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri
I got a 1300 sq. ft. house sitting on 2 acres.
lol There are reasons to do more research here.. there are areas of deep poverty here and so you need to know what the area is like, and there tends to be a correlation between poverty and crime.. so I want to get the best idea of what an area is like, you can have a reasonably good area and a bad one only a few blocks apart.. and also, there is no zoning in Houston, there are only deed restrictions that might limit what can be built around your property, if there are no deed restrictions you could end up with an industrial plant or apartment building or who knows what next to your property.. but on the plus side, no deed restrictions means you can build a duplex (& get rental income) just as easily as building a single family house.. if you want to build more units than that or subdivide you need to get city approval tho.. I am not sure what that requires yet as I have not looked into that process..
I'm in a Township, just outside a City. The City's taxation ideas are stupid and that played a factor. Not a huge one, mind you, but a factor (no way I'd be able to get the property size I wanted within City Limits). I know the area fairly well, and one neighbor has a 2 acre property while the other side neighbor has a smaller property. But, behind their property is the "wayback" of another property on a cross street. So, it's fairly secluded of an area. Since I wasn't looking to develop the land, I didn't have to look into zoning restrictions too much.
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2 acres sounds like a nice size.. I am jealous! I would be planting tons of fruit trees and a huge garden.. lol but then I am in a warmer climate too so that can affect what you can grow.. I wonder if you could have a huge pond and grow your own fishies there.. that is easy to do here since there is no real winter.. there i think it would depend on how deep you would need for the fish to survive under the ice and such.. geothermal is a good idea & i do like it but its not cheap to put in.. and i am guessing you have enough wind there for a wind turbine to make sense.. I like the concept of solar but that really depends on the cost, which like you, I feel its too high also.. I am wanting to grow a garden this year too, just waiting for my seed catalogs to arrive.. :)
I have already gotten my seed catalogs. I've also decided that I'm going to plant plants instead of growing from seed this year. It might be a bit too late to get started on seeds, except those you sow outdoors. Just a small garden this year, but it will grow pretty much every year until it's huge. Since I am single and only have my boys every other weekend, I won't be in need of a lot of fruit from trees. With my neighbors apples and my own, and the assortment of berries and grapes, I'll have plenty. I have had a few people mention having a stocked pond, but I'm just not game for that. Too many bad things can happen. Though, if it's deep enough, it would make for a much cheaper geothermal system... I'm fairly certain I can figure out the necessary calculations and materials determinations for the heat sink of the system, but the specifics of getting it in the house and all that is probably going to be left to the pro's. I'm also quite willing to be very involved in the installation process, which will cut down on the cost some, too.
I don't know if I will have enough wind to provide on-demand power, but if I tie it into a battery bank, it will be one of those things that adds up over time. As long as maintenance and upfront costs aren't exorbitant, and I can get a variance, it might be one of those things that I do to try to nickel and dime costs down. Right now the zoning rules were either barring a good turbine size, too low to be effective considering the tree canopy, or both. I can't recall which, but it's been a while since I checked. It's not a short-term project anyway. When my ex and I had our house built, we specifically (well, I did, she couldn't care less) looked for a property we could build a north-facing house. That left the south side to have as large an unbroken roof surface as possible (and south facing is where you want to put solar panels). This was to make solar panels a future option. My current home faces West and has very little roofing that faces south, and there are trees that could make it less effective, too. But, again, every little bit helps. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I'll be collecting rainwater to use in watering the landscaping. That one will be easy, though.
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What I support:
- A Conservative interpretation of the US Constitution
- Personal Responsibility
- Help for the truly needy
- Limited Government
- Consumption Tax (non-profit charities and food exempt)
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RE: Housing Starts, Up..... - 
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The price I paid in 2012 was about the price of the pre-crash acreage. I was counseled several times to not get a house, but to get an apartment. I shook that off because the market around here was starting to move up again. There were more housing starts in areas that were expanding before the crash. I didn't want a mortgage. I wanted a large property. I didn't need a huge house. I got what I was looking for. I may have been able to wear them down a bit more, but I got a great deal anyway. I just have my hands full. I have more to do, and will be looking at making decisions that will be beneficial in the long term. 
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