We're becoming the first residents of our new property as refugees fleeing the greatest menace to American society and Texas freedoms: the Home Owners Association. We are "HOA free" here and could not be more pleased. Lest this become a diatribe about the evils of HOAs, we'll simply say how sorry and sympathetic we are for all those who have been and will be victims of the most blatant form of Socialism in the US of A. Enough said about that. We're all done with HOAs.
About the Ranch
Painted Views Ranch is 19.22 acres with nearly 12 acres of cleared and improved pasture devoted to beef cattle, which makes it an Ag Exempt property. When our new residence is completed that will change for the one acre of homestead, but for now, taxes are $26 dollars a year.
<-Looking west from the center of the property, across the pasture to the road below
The house will sit on a bluff high above and about a quarter mile from the roadway, with approximately a five mile, 180 degree view to the west. Can hardly wait to start watching the sunsets!
<-Looking from the road, across the pasture to the home site on the hilltop
Being the first people to ever establish a residence on this 19 acres there is much to get done. We have already installed a temporary gate to access the property during construction, cleared the cedars from the home site and have had 1500 feet of road base installed for our driveway. Next on the list are things like a septic system, drilling a water well and of course electricity.
The two of us have done the hands on tree clearing for about 300 feet of 20 foot wide right of way for the electric lines. Test holes have been dug for the septic system and we have contracts for septic, drilling a well and building a steel barn and well house.
And this old dog has been dragged kicking and screaming into the world of fancy cell phones because installing a land line all the way to the house would cost more than buying the moon. So this is very much about a major change in lifestyle, but we do what we must.
That's it for now. Any comments you care to make below will be read with interest. You might want to subscribe your email in the top of the right sidebar to be notified when we post again and we'll look forward to having you join us on our journey.
If you want to email us privately, the address is paintedviewsranch@gmail.com.
