• Relaxation: One of the best ways to relax is to be outside and watch the calm water. Texas Homesites offers homesites with backyards where you can see the lake directly beyond your house. Can you imagine sitting on your porch and enjoying the peace and quiet of the lake?
• Privacy: Living on a lake offers a great deal of privacy. Lakeside homes are often secluded and strategically set so that they offer the most out of the land. If you are looking for a way to escape from the hectic city life or are just looking for a weekend retreat, living on a lake may be the answer for you.
• Easy access: Living on a lake provides you and your family easy access to great entertainment. You are able to go outside and immediately enjoy great water activities such as boating, canoeing, fishing, skiing, swimming, tubing, and so forth. Also, living on the water often provides many other recreational benefits such as hiking on trails and other exercise opportunities.

Lakefront living offers relaxation, privacy, and easy access to fun activities for you and your family. Lakefront homes make the perfect spot for a second home. Lakefront homes are often in more remote locations, giving you the opportunity to live and work in the city and then enjoy the outdoors and lakefront living on the weekends.

If you have dreamed about owning waterfront property, contact Texas Homesites. We have multiple communities that offer waterfront living in Texas. To learn more about our available communities, download our free eBook titled The Texas Land Buyer’s Guide.

Yes, that’s right—three-time NFL Pro Bowl selection Dexter Coakley lives in Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake!

Dexter Coakley is a former American football player who played for 10 seasons in the National Football League. After his football days at Appalachian State, Coakley was the Dallas Cowboys’ third-round draft choice in 1997. Coakley started as a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys and become a huge playmaker for the Cowboys’ defense. Pro Football Weekly and Football News later named Coakley to All-Rookie teams. In 1999, Coakley made 131 tackles and intercepted four passes, which made him the first Dallas linebacker to go to the Pro Bowl since 1993. Coakley earned Pro Bowl honors in 1999, 2001, and 2003.

Coakley played for the Cowboys for eight seasons and started in 127 games, only missing one game to due a sprained knee. Coakley ranks fourth in Cowboy club history with 1,046 tackles!

Dexter Coakley says he moved to Lake Ridge because the community has it all. Coakley likes Lake Ridge’s location, because the property is not too far from downtown Dallas and not too far from Fort Worth. After a long search all through the Dallas suburbs, the Coakleys found Lake Ridge and decided it was the perfect place to start making memories.

No wonder Dexter Coakley loves Lake Ridge. Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake is a master-planned community unlike any other. Lake Ridge is a gated community that offers golf and both waterfront and mountain views. Lake Ridge is located in Cedar Hill, Texas, just 20 miles from downtown Dallas. The 7,500-acre Joe Pool Lake, a huge body of water with two marinas, boating, sailing, fishing, and the Oasis Lakeside Restaurant, surrounds all Homesites in the Lake Ridge Communities. Also, in the center of the community, you’ll find the Tangle Ridge Golf Club, which was rated as a four-star 18-hole golf course by Golf Digest.

Want to be Dexter Coakley’s neighbor? To learn more about Lake Ridge or any Texas Homesites Community, visit us at TexasHomesites.com. We are dedicated to finding the best homesite for you and your family at the most affordable prices!

Central Texas land in the Hill Country has so many amazing aspects. The spring wildflowers that fill the countryside with an explosion of color, the clear rivers and lakes, the abundant wildlife, the BBQ…there are so many wonderful facets to Central Texas Land in the Hill Country that it’s no wonder this part of Texas has become a highly after place to own land. There are many people who ever pursue the dream however, because they assume that land prices would simply be too expensive for most people. Fortunately, that’s simply not the case.

Below are several planned communities that offer Central Texas land that makes Hill Country living a reality.

Vintage Oaks at the Vineyard

There are few places on earth more romantic area of the Hill Country. Located in prime Texas wine country, Vintage Oaks offers one to three acre lots that start at under $50,000.

Amenities include:

- Hiking trails

- Nature preserve

- Pools

- Fitness Centers

- Tennis Courts

Lifestyle highlights include:

- Quiet life away from city, but with easy-access to big cities

- Located in historic New Braunfels between San Antonia and Austin

- Close to multitude of activities on the Guadalupe River

- Near Schlitterbahn Water Park – one of the top-rated in the country

- Just miles away from beautiful Canyon Lake

- Surrounded by premier golf courses

- Multitude of shopping opportunities at Prime Outlets and Tanger Outlet Center in San Marcos

- Dry Comal Creek Vineyard is adjacent to Vintage Oaks

Havenwood at Hunters Crossing

Graceful Hill Country living in an ideal location with resort-style amenities is what makes Havenwood such an amazing location for potential homesites. Lots sizes range from one acre all the way up to 13 acres, with prices starting at $50,000 and going up to $200,000.

Amenities include:

- Lake views

- Boat ramp

- Hiking trails

- Pools

- Fitness centers

- Tennis courts

Lifestyle highlights include:

- Quiet country living with big city convenience

- Lots nestled on rolling hills among huge, majestic oaks

- Near Canyon Lake, Lake Travis and Guadalupe River

- Outlet malls only miles away

- Nearby dance hall, Gruene Hall, commonly features legendary Texas and national musicians

Mystic Shores at Canyon Lake

Upscale living in the Hill Country is now affordable, thanks to gorgeous Mystic Shores. Perched above the limestone bluffs that overlook the Guadalupe River, owning land in this area is a chance to secure a piece of Texas Hill Country beauty. Lot sizes range from one to three acres and go from $50,000 to $200,000.

Ameneties include:

- Fishing

- Hiking trails

- Nature preserve

- Pools

- Fitness centers

Lifestyle highlights include:

- Waterfront lots with incredible mountain views in a gated community

- Conveniently located in Spring Branch, TX, between Austin and San Antonio

- Unique shopping, dining and entertainment options nearby

Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake offers one-half to two-acre homesites that provide an idyllic setting similar to East Texas Land in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex. When walking around these properties, it is difficult to believe that you’re only 20 miles away from downtown Dallas. This secret gem of a property has the benefits of a country retreat, with rolling hills, lake views and heavily wooded areas. However, unlike most properties with these rural luxuries, Lake Ridge at Joe Pool lake is within easy access to all the urban activities that make life in the Dallas area so enjoyable – and offers an easy commute into work.

One of the advantages to having a property that gives the sense of East Texas land in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex is the proximity to so many of the amazing activities that Dallas and Ft. Worth have to offer. For sports fans, there are few markets in the entire country that offer better teams in better venues than Big D. From the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, who make their home at American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas, to the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington and the Texas Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington, professional sports are in great supply for residents of Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake.

Along with sports, residents of Lake Ridge at Joe Pool Lake will enjoy the other amazing entertainment, cultural and shopping opportunities available in both Dallas and Ft. Worth. The museum district in Downtown Ft. Worth boasts the nationally recognized Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum, Ft. Worth Museum of Science and History and Modern Art Museum, among others. Dallas also has fine cultural opportunities, which include premiere museums and other experiences, such as the Myerson Symphony Center. Dining opportunities for every taste and budget await. Simply put, the only difficult decision you’ll have is deciding what to do first.

<a href="http://www.lakeridge.net/" target="_blank"><img title="Lake Ridge" src="http://www.whybuylandnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/largeads_lakeridge.jpg" alt="Lake Ridge" width="610" height="225" /></a>

Another advantage of this property that emanates East Texas land in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex is a city that has a multitude of employment opportunities, and a job market that has remained much stronger than most large cities around the country. Many people love the idea of purchasing East Texas land, but simply couldn’t make the commute into their city-based job. Lake Ridge at Joe Pool solves that problem, and gives property owners the best of both worlds – East Texas land in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex.

The current residents of Lake Ridge at Joe Pool enjoy their quiet community that feels a lot like East Texas land in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex, and you can too. Find out more by calling 800-563-8276 today, or visit our website for more information.

Both sales and selling prices of vacation homes fell in 2008, according to member survey data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released this week.

Sales of existing and new vacation homes dropped almost 31 percent to 512,000 in 2008, from 740,000 in 2007 and a high of 1.07 million in 2006. Sales of primary residences declined about 13 percent, from 4.34 million in 2007 to 3.77 million last year.

The median price of a vacation home was $150,000 in 2008, down 23 percent from $195,000 in 2007 and from the record $204,100 in 2005. About 75 percent of 2008 vacation-home sales were located in small towns, rural areas and resorts. Almost 70 percent of vacation housing bought in 2008 were existing homes, and 70 percent were detached single-family structures. Forty-five percent were in the South, and only 15 percent were in the Midwest.

NAR’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data found 8.1 million vacation homes nationally, 40.5 million investment units and 75.5 million owner-occupied, principal residences last year. NAR classifies both vacation homes and investment properties as second homes. Trends like these — vacation-home sales down by about half and median price off by about 25 percent in a few years — usually bring buyers into the market. That is, except when buyers are scared stiff and “mattressing” their remaining cash.

The typical vacation-home buyer in 2008 was 46, but 27 percent were under 35 and 31 percent were over 55. Some younger folks are buying for investment and family reasons, while older folks are looking for transitions into retirement housing. Almost 80 percent of vacation-home buyers reported household income of more than $75,000, with the median at $97,200. Sixty-four percent came from two-income households. Some 80 percent of all vacation-home buyers thought it was a good time to buy in 2008.

A vacation property that can be purchased at 30 to 50 percent less than its 2006-2007 asking price is worth serious thought as an investment. While sales and prices of primary housing and vacation homes were sliding into the pits, values of agricultural lands were going up. Average U.S. farm real-estate value, which includes buildings and improvements, increased from $2,160 per acre in 2007 to $2,350 in 2008. Crop land rose from $2,690 to $2,970 per acre, driven by demand for corn-based ethanol. Pasture rose from $1,160 to $1,230 per acre. Agricultural land prices have risen steadily for the last 20 years. The USDA recently posted 2008 land values.

Farm values in 2008 declined only in New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland and Delaware. While USDA is projecting a decline in U.S. net farm income in 2009 from about $89 billion last year to perhaps $66 billion, the Department found “the projected decline in farm income in 2009 is not expected to have much effect on national agricultural land values.” (Economic Research Service, USDA, The 2008/2009 World Economic Crisis: What It Means for U.S. Agriculture, WRS-09-02, March, 2009) Farm values are projected to slip by only two percent in 2009 in USDA’s model despite the projected $23 billion loss in agricultural income. Long-term expectations of returns drive farm real-estate values, and these are relatively stable and have trended up.

Farm values rose 12 percent annually for the five-year period, 2004-2008. USDA is projecting a five-year rise of five percent annually. Cash-flow problems will force some farm properties on the market in the next few years, as much as I dislike saying so. Buyers will have opportunities to make long-term investments that are more profitable, less risky and more tax-friendly than stocks, bonds and Madoffs. Country property is broader than farm land. It includes small-town housing, undeveloped and recreational land, timberland, hobby farms, second homes, mineral properties and conservation tracts. Trends in sales and prices for these categories are often better understood regionally than nationally.

The value of timberland, for example, has held its own in much of the South but fell in the North and Northeast. Demand for high-quality northern hardwoods used for flooring, furniture and cabinetry has tracked the decline in new home construction. Southern wood products are less-construction dependent. Buyers should be able to find pretty good timberland tracts (without minerals) for $900 to $1,500 per acre in Pennsylvania and for less than $1,000 in upstate New York. For large-lot second homes, timberland in northern-hardwood areas may be a better value than adjacent farmland. Most country-property purchases are discretionary. Buyers can postpone them, even forget them completely.

Sales of these properties, however, are often forced by the economic vise that is squeezing everyone today. Knowledgeable buyers look for “motivated” sellers, which is a polite way of saying, sellers in a jam. Knowledgeable sellers in a pinch don’t blow off low offers. They work knowledgeable buyers toward a “reasonable” price and make the deal because their alternatives are worse. Several hundred billions of dollars were rescued from the stock market’s death spiral during the last year.

Buyers who think like investors might use some of this to pursue either marginal small farms and discounted woodlands for second homes or the hammered vacation properties – on the beach, in the mountains, along a lake — that NAR reports are still in the eye of the storm.

We're closing out of one our beautiful neighborhoods at Lake Ridge. Right now, you can save more than $45,000 on the final 10 homesites in this stunning neighborhood. We intend to close out these last wooded and view homesites by August 30. Therefore we're offering unprecedented deep discounts of up to 52 percent off from the 2008 pricing levels.

Don't miss out on this exclusive opportunity to acquire these properties at these deep discounts before we offer them to the general public beginning this weekend, August 8th and 9th.

Call Lake Ridge today as this is your last opportunity to take advantage of these prices, as the best ones will go first: 800-716-8442.

Click Here to view our current special offers.