Anyone homesteading or from the east TX area?

[Nik]

We're trying to find a place closer to my wife's brother for her, and am wondering what the countryside is like in the east TX area, like the smaller towns around Tyler. She's wanting to be closer to her brother and his family after pass away, so we're wanting to start the search as soon as possible, but am unsure as to how friendly the area was for off grid stuff like PV systems and rainwater cache and grey water systems.
Thanks,
Nik.

[Cyngbaeld]

Depends on the county. Some are more relaxed than others. Grey water use is legal in all of Texas. Pretty country around Tyler, Piney Woods area. All counties require a permit for septic, not all require building permits. I live in Milam, no restrictions, no building permit, but they do have requirements on the septic. PV is ok anywhere in TX. You might want to hook to the grid though because it is hard to size a PV big enough for the needed ac. HOT and humid in E TX.

[TxMex]

Land is pretty pricey here near Tyler. Ask locals before purchasing a place. This area is kind of quirky and you may find a great deal....and then after you have purchased it you will find out why. I was recently visiting with a woman that had bought an 'investment' property in a certain area near Tyler and was talking about how much cheaper it was than everything else in the area and how she expected to make a fortune when she resold it. I didn't have the heart to tell her that she had bought in the wrong area and would likely lose a very great deal of money on the venture.

If you have enough land you don't have to have a septic tank permitted. Seems like it is 40 acres or more. Check the specific county you are looking at buying in to see what the requirements are. A lot of the septic systems now are being required to be the aerobic kind with a sprinkler system. Much, much more money! Pretty sure this is to make more money for the septic system salesmen rather than from actual need.

Something else to keep in mind in this area is that it is an active oil field. Find out if any wells will be going in next to where you want to buy. Be prepared to have pipelines go across your property or even wells drilled on your property. Many folks that aren't from oil producing areas don't really understand mineral rights and it is important to look into it before purchasing property.

[sisterpine]

have a good friend that I believe lives in Tyler texas and likes it very much. I can put her in touch if you like. sisterpine

[Buffy in Dallas]

My daughter lives north of Tyler. Do you have kids? If so look for the Lindale school district. I hear they are head and shoulders above any other in the area and the Tyler school district is a nightmare. If not try to build out side of any small towns. Where we built in Fannin County, outside Bonham there are no building codes. Build whatever you want. It may be similar outside Tyler. Double check to make sure.

East Tx = SAND & pine trees.

[sarhound]

I live in Wood County; land going for around 3000 an acre around here, but you've got to watch to make sure it doesn't flood in the years we get heavy rains- got some of that land attached to mine, but I wouldn't give even $1000/acre for it. Pipeline does go thru my county, is pretty well built out now. There are several places for sale that are on or near the pipeline. Our house is older, so it's an old septic system. Not sure if newer places are requiring aerobic systems out this way.

We moved from Marion County (Jefferson.) Absolutely loved Jefferson, but taxes in town were sky-high for not much return. Taxes are better out here in this county; we have an ag exemption. The folks are great, and there's a strong sense of community.

I love the East Texas pineywoods...

[TedH71]

I grew up off and on in the Tyler area. Still have numerous family members living here. When I was little, the population was like 50k people. 30 years later, it's like 100k people so, yeah, it's growing. Jobs can be hard to find. Land is now getting expensive. The more furthur away you move, the cheaper the land is. Again, jobs aren't plentiful and if they're out there, they tend to pay around $7-9 an hour unless you have a degree and experience in a field that pays quite a bit more.