Land Trends in Fayette County
Despite constant urbanization in the state, recreation land use inside Fayette County has increased in previous years. This trend, also seen in neighboring Lavaca and Colorado counties, contrasts the urban sprawl and loss of working lands seen in counties that surround Texas’s major cities.
Texas loses about 1000 acres of ‘working lands’ to urbanization every day. Working lands refers to privately owned farms, ranches, and forests actively used for agricultural and forestry production, providing essential goods and services. These lands are crucial for food and fiber production, supporting rural economies, and offering ecosystem services like wildlife habitat, clean air, and water. Texas leads the nation in the acreage of privately owned working lands. With the projected growth of our state’s population reaching 45 million people by 2050, we are only going to see more and more of these working lands converted into urban developments.
Recreation Land and Topographic Relief
On a recent episode of the Entre Podcast, guest Gary Maler of the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M, cited Fayette County’s ‘topographic’ relief as one of its prime features. Situated almost in the middle of three major metroplexes, Fayette county and its neighbors offer an escape to travelers bogged down by city life and the hustle of traffic. Rolling hills, the Colorado River, pockets of pine forest mixed in with the oak groves in sprawling pastures, all of this beckons to urbanites and rural folk equally. Maler even coined the term “Houston Hamptons” to refer to the counties like Fayette which are still outside the reach of Houston, Austin, and San Antonio’s spheres of influence.
An increase in recreational uses of land is evidenced by increased Wildlife Management designations given to properties in Fayette County. Land in Fayette, Colorado, and Lavaca county is certainly changing hands, but we are not seeing the same reduction in working lands as we are in counties surrounding major cities. Instead, grazing lands remain strong and wildlife management has increased significantly, with only about 2300 acres of working lands lost in the three counties since 1997.
Appealing to Recreation Enthusiasts
The Fayette County region offers unique topography and opportunities to those interested in many forms of recreation. Large acreage ranches are beginning to change hands with many being divided into sizable plots, often wooded or with water features that appeal to wildlife and humans alike. While these tracts may not offer ample acreage for grazing, they do offer the chance for land owners to participate in Texas’s Wildlife Valuation program, offering incentive to preserve our natural resources on private lands.
In Texas, a wildlife management exemption, more accurately described as a wildlife management valuation, allows landowners to maintain a lower property tax assessment by managing their land for wildlife rather than traditional agriculture. This is an alternative to agricultural exemptions, like those for farming, ranching, or timber production, and is based on the concept that managing for wildlife can be just as beneficial to open spaces as traditional farming.
6W Ranch: Exclusive Recreation
For this reason, many land listings now come with a multitude of feeders and features that promote natural wildlife success and allow new owners to participate in this program, alleviating some burden on those who wish to enjoy the land recreationally, rather than for just farming and grazing. One of our recent listings, the 6W Ranch, makes a picturesque case-study for this move towards recreational land in the area. Situated near Allen Ranch outside of Hallettseville, 6W Ranch boasts 600+ acres of mixed use land. From feed pastures and sowed fields near the roadway, to its wooded trails further in, one can spend an entire day exploring its pathways.
Visitors will also find stocked tanks, duck blinds, and a host of feeders spaced strategically around the ranch. This creates an oasis for outdoorsmen and their guests. Many listings in the region also boast these features and specifically appeal to those seeking recreation and outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing.
Fayette County: A Recreational Paradise?
Fayette County is poised to remain a recreational paradise for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the metroplex. Abundant wildlife populations, sustainable water features, and the division of large tracts of land provide ample opportunity for buyers to buy land they can relax on.
Check out our current listings and see for yourself the great options already available in the area, such as this Outdoorsman Retreat located just outside of Schulenburg.
Contact us today to find your piece of recreation land in Fayette County!
