How property taxes are determined: If you’re a Texan, or you own property in the state, there are two components used to determine how much property tax you owe: the value of your home or land and the tax rate. Your county appraisal district has the responsibility of appraising your home. The appraisal district bases that value on the location, size, and features of your home, as well as recent sales prices of similar properties in your neighborhood. To calculate what you owe, you need to know the assessed property value of both the land and house. Remember, this amount is not what you paid for the land and home but the amount at which the tax assessor has valued them.

Appraisal: Obviously the appraisal of your property factors heavily into the amount you owe in taxes. Once you've qualified for a homestead exemption, your taxable value can't go up more than 10% in a year, unless you've made improvements to the property. While appraisals generally go up, they can go down in years when market values have decreased.

Exemptions: You may qualify for one or more exemptions that lower your appraised value, and, thus, the tax you owe. You automatically qualify for a homestead exemption on your principal residence. However, you must file for the exemption. A homestead exemption lowers the taxed property value. For example, a $150,000 property with a $15,000 homestead exemption for your school district will be taxed as if it were valued at $135,000. There are also exemptions available for homeowners 65 and older, homeowners with disabilities, and disabled veterans.

Whether you’re ready to begin custom building a home, or are looking for acreage for later development, Texas Homesites can show you land for sale in Texas. Land tax benefits are one of the many reasons now is a great time to buy land in Texas. For more information, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.

Defining elements: Simply put, a master planned community is a community in which thought is given to the future needs of the residents who are going to live there. Master planned communities typically have elements such as landscaping, environmental graphics or signage, wall treatment, lighting, and architecture. They have design standards by which builders must abide. They generally offer a way of life, with amenity packages, including everything from walking trails, parks, and recreation centers. Some contain public facilities like schools, libraries, performing arts centers, fire and police stations, and even medical clinics and hospitals, along with retail and other commercial enterprises.

Typical amenities: Master planned communities are about convenience, from the new home that won't require extensive maintenance to amenities that make it easy to enjoy long weekends and quality family time. Specific amenities might include tennis courts, hiking trails, recreation centers, pools, gyms, sports fields, golf courses, clubhouses and much more. Smart community planning also considers views of nature and the preservation of natural open space, as well as convenience for residents. For example, a planned community will typically be close to good schools, commercial/retail centers, and major transportation corridors.

Sense of community: As the name suggests, master planned communities create the neighborly atmosphere that homeowners love. Families and children gather at the playground or around the grill, and a pool or recreation center is often the center of activity. You can feel the pride of good planning in the way the residents feel about their community. They own more than a comfortable home in a beautiful neighborhood. They have a great place to live, whether they are starting a family, raising children, enjoying a new phase of life as a couple, or cherishing their privacy.

If a planned community is an option you’d like to know more about, Texas Homesites can show you land for sale in master planned communities that are ideally located, like the Bridges at Preston Crossing, situated just outside Dallas, or Vintage Oaks at the Vineyard, between San Antonio and Austin. For more information, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.

Location selection: It’s frustrating to find a home you love in a location that doesn’t work for you. Avoid this by custom building. You may find your dream home, but what if it’s located in the middle of a bustling city, near a train track? School zones are often of utmost importance to first time homebuyers who have, or are planning for, children. Custom building a home affords greater flexibility because you can buy land that’s ideally located. You don't have to sacrifice location for a dream home.

Budget control: Custom building a home empowers you to build a home you can afford that functions according to your lifestyle. You decide how many rooms you want, whether or not you want a formal dining room, a study, a toy closet, a game room, etc. Sometimes it's hard to determine the quality of the materials used in existing homes. When you build, the control over materials and floor plan is in your hands.

Updated systems: It's easier and cheaper to install the latest technology in a custom built home rather than retrofit an older home with the same technology. It’s easy to pre-wire a custom built home to meet your requirements for security systems, sound systems, high-speed cable, central air conditioning, and central vac systems. A tankless hot water heater is another money saver that many existing homes don’t offer. Even if you purchase a newer existing home, it may not have been built with the updated systems you want, and the cost to install them is often considerable.

If you’re considering buying land in Texas, Texas Homesites can show you land for sale in ideally located master planned communities. You can begin building your dream home in Texas on your timetable. For more information about Texas real estate options, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.

Start simple: All you need to begin planning your dream home is a pencil and a piece of paper. Sketch your ideas. Make lists of features you want each room to have. Keep a notebook handy that you can use to get your ideas out of your head and onto paper, even if they come to you in the middle of the night. Even rough sketches can help your home design team understand what you want. It’s never too early to plan, so regardless of when you break ground, start the process now.

Think ahead: Do you plan on having children in the coming years? Do you have aging parents? Do relatives stay with you during the holidays? If so, you’ll need to think about accommodating family members in many different scenarios. Consider the kind of family you’re likely to become, so don’t focus only on your needs now. Include features your future self will find handy.

Consider function and flow: Consider how your final design will flow and how your family might function in each space. To reduce noise in sleeping areas, place bedrooms away from the communal areas of the house. Build a mudroom off the garage if your family spends time outdoors.

Work around the sun: Availability of natural light figures into the placement of rooms in a custom home plan. If you want to enjoy natural morning light in your dining nook, it would be wise to face the nook east, where it will catch the morning sun.

Electric matters: Think carefully about how artificial lights in your home facilitate comfort, such as installing bright task lighting over kitchen countertops to adequately illuminate food prep areas. Lighting can also help create a mood. Don’t overlook details, like dimming sconces in the bedroom, to achieve the peaceful retreat you want.

Affordable Texas living is drawing new land buyers to Texas every day. Let Texas Homesites show you land in master planned communities where you can begin building your dream home. For more information, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.

Meet local builders: Find local builders currently constructing homes similar in size, quality, and location to what you are considering. Interview builders, and ask to see their work. A reputable builder should be able to tell you what they charge per square foot to build a house, and give you an idea of what extras, such as heavy crown molding, another bathroom, or an oversized kitchen, will cost.

Crunch the numbers: Begin with the projected price of the land you will buy on which to build your new home. Then, look at newly constructed homes in and around your desired location. Find a few homes similar to what you want to build in terms of size and quality. Divide the price of the home by its total square footage to get an idea of what the owners paid per square foot, and if you’re comfortable with it, talk to the owners themselves. They will likely have a wealth of invaluable knowledge.

Narrow your list of extras: There are likely features you want in your home you will be unable to find in an existing home, and this is probably a reason behind your decision to custom build. Whether it’s extra bathrooms, a large kitchen, oversized closets, or a garage large enough for your boat, any and all of these are possible when you custom build, but options like these add to the cost of building. Decide what is most important to you, and what you can afford to pay for it, to determine if custom building a home is right for you.

If you’re looking for the perfect home site to begin custom building a home, let Texas Homesites show you land for sale in master planned communities in Texas. There are pristine lots available in Havenwood at Hunter’s Crossing, which is just outside San Antonio, The Bridges at Preston Crossing near Dallas, and Vintage Oaks at the Vineyard, conveniently located between San Antonio and Austin. Texas Homesites is your source for information on Texas real estate. Find us on Facebook and Twitter today for more information.

Ideally located land: Whatever your land needs, Texas Homesites can help you. We have land for sale in planned communities surrounding the major metropolises in Texas. If you want to stay near Dallas, but are seeking a quieter lifestyle for your family, let us show you land in The Bridges at Preston Crossing. Vintage Oaks at the Vineyard, is ideally situated between the Texas capitol, Austin, and the vibrant city of San Antonio. Havenwood at Hunter’s Crossing is a planned community outside San Antonio in the beautiful Texas Hill Country.

Developed land: Texas Homesites offers land for sale in planned communities. This means you can begin custom building a home when you’re ready, because the difficulties that often accompany buying undeveloped land are a non-issue. Utilities are readily available and roads are paved.

Restricted land: When it comes to land, restricted is what you want because restrictions help to protect your purchase. Texas Homesites offers lots in planned communities that are zoned for residential development, many of which are designed around beautiful golf courses. If you’ve always dreamed of living on a golf course, Texas Homesites will show you land in a golfing community in Texas. Live on the links and never worry about the view from your backyard. You plan to custom build a beautiful home, and you deserve the peace of mind of knowing your neighbors will do the same.

Let Texas Homesites help you find the perfect place to build your dream home in Texas. Master planned communities have so much to offer. For more information about Texas real estate, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.

Tax deductions: Mortgage interest and property tax obligations are a homeowner's best friend come April 15. For both federal and state income taxes, these payments are usually fully deductible, and in the first years after a home purchase, the bulk of the money paid toward those mortgage payments represents interest.

Borrowing power: As you make your monthly payments, you build equity in your home that can wield financial power, should you need it. Equity can be used to secure a loan or obtain a line of credit, meaning more buying power to fund home improvements or to assist with the purchasing of iproperty.

Stability: Renters generally have no idea what they'll be paying in rent in a few years. Homeowners with fixed-rate mortgages, however, essentially have the same payment for up to 30 years. Even those with adjustable rates have a cap and can figure out their maximum potential mortgage payment. Stability also comes from the sense homeowners get of being anchored to their community. When you own your home in a community where others do as well, you’re all more invested in improving and maintaining your surroundings.

Autonomy: The freedom that accompanies home ownership is often the driving factor that motivates people to make such a large purchase. You can paint the walls whatever color you want, plant perennials in the yard and enjoy them year after year, and plant trees that will grow with your family.

If you’re in the market for a new home or are looking to buy land, let Texas Homesites show you your options. New land buyers are discovering carefully planned Texas communities that offer amenities galore. Texas Homesites can show you master planned communities and golfing communities in Texas with home sites ready for you to begin custom building a home. For more information about Texas real estate opportunities, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.

Undeveloped: In Texas, recreational land represents possibilities. Often it stretches as far as the eye can see, acre after acre of rolling hills. Within some of the larger metropolises there are tracts of land set aside for recreation, such as parks. With several large metropolises across the great state, Texans do know how to enjoy the excitement of a big city, but they also love the peace and quiet of the outdoors. Here are popular uses for recreational land:

Fishing: With a lake or river at every turn, Texas is an ideal place to relax and fish. Canyon Lake and Lake Travis are popular fishing spots in the Texas Hill Country. In the South Texas plains region, fisherman flock to Coleto Creek and Choke Canyon, and saltwater fishing can be done along the Texas Gulf Coast. There are also many state parks that allow you to fish without a license.

Farming and ranching: Many wise investors snatch up large tracts of Texas land with the intent to farm or ranch, which are Texas traditions that are a revered part of the state’s culture and help to meet the demanding agricultural needs of the growing population. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan recently said that the U.S. needs more farmers and ranchers. According to Agriculture Department statistics, for every one farmer and rancher under the age of 25, there are five who are 75 or older.

Exercising: There are any number of activities that can be included on this list, but the one thing they all have in common is the need for wide open spaces. Running, hiking, biking, and team sports, such as baseball and softball, all require room to roam in the great outdoors.

Recreational land abounds in Texas. Let Texas Homesites show you what’s available today. If your search is residential, there are home sites available in master planned communities that include the amenities you expect, and are a short drive from big city entertainment. For more information about land for sale in Texas, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.

Location: Determine what is most important to you in a location. Consider the following:

Is it the quality of the schools and the activities you will be close to a priority?

Do you want to be in a more rural location with acreage and privacy?

Are you looking for a lot that is already developed, or are you willing to spend the time and money necessary to develop the property?

Do you want to be close to freeway access?

What is the minimum size lot you will need for your dream home?

Building potential: While all land may seem to suit the construction of your dream home, it is essential that you determine how much of the lot is buildable. Does that portion meet the needs of the dream home you and your family want to build? Topography and soil conditions are two vital issues.

Zoning: Talk with your real estate agent regarding what factors you might need to consider before you build. Environmental factors could restrict where you place your home on your land. Future community development could increase or decrease the value of your property.

Permits: You need to know what types of permits will be needed in the county or city where your prospective property is located. Some jurisdictions have very limited requirements for permitting, perhaps just for a well or septic system. Others are more comprehensive, requiring multiple permits for all aspects of your proposed building project.

Serviceability: Frequently, undeveloped land has few, if any, utilities present. If you choose to buy property that does not have utilities, you will be responsible for the cost and effort to bring them onto your land. This includes power, water, gas, telephone, and cable. Contact the local utilities in your area to determine what it will take to do this.

Let Texas Homesites show you land for sale in Texas. If you love the excitement of the big city, but want a quiet home site on which to custom build, Texas Homesites can show you land in master planned communities that offer the best of both worlds. For more information, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.

Golf at La Cantera: The Palmer Course at La Cantera is a public, 18-hole championship course designed by Arnold Palmer. It’s set on a breathtaking 250 acres in the *Texas Hill Country. Stay at the Westin La Cantera Resort and enjoy a round of golf. It’s the ultimate blend of recreation and luxury.

Shop the River Walk: If you love the outdoors and love to shop, the San Antonio River Walk combines the two activities in style. Millions visit the River Walk each year to enjoy the unusual urban sanctuary that winds along the San Antonio River in Central San Antonio, one story below street level. The lush landscapes, quaint pathways, tinkling waterfalls, quiet pools, outdoor art, and relaxing outdoor patios evoke the renowned public spaces of Europe.

Stroll the National Historical Park: The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park preserves four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, Texas. These outposts were established by Catholic religious orders to spread Christianity among the local natives. The park incorporates various sites and tracts of land along the river connected by the Mission Trail, a 12-mile route along city streets. It’s a unique, historical place to take a stroll.

Visit HemisFair Park: This 15-acre urban retreat with strolling paths has something for everyone. Highlights include a children’s Magik Theatre, a playground built like a fortress, cascading waterfalls, and diversions such as the Institute of Texas Cultures, the Instituto Cultural de México, and the 750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas.

Brackenridge Park: Hugging the waters of the San Antonio River are 343 acres of woodland, trails, and a historic par-72 golf course. You will also find the San Antonio Zoo, an elegant Japanese Tea Garden, and the Witte Museum, which features historic and science artifacts and the H-E-B Science Treehouse. Kids will love riding a miniature train that circles the park.

San Antonio has something for everyone. If you’re considering a move to the area, or are interested in buying land in Texas, let Texas Homesites show you your options. Beautiful home sites are available in master planned communities, like Havenwood at Hunter’s Crossing, located just outside San Antonio. For more information about Texas real estate opportunities, find Texas Homesites on Facebook and Twitter today.