Anybody ever bought land and had a house built ?

[zzyzzx]

Originally Posted by Cujet
YES!

My current house (FL) was done this way. And I'm ready to do it again in PA.

The obvious advantages such as picking land with features you like and placing your house on that land, the way you want, come to mind.

The less obvious advantages are, in my mind, what makes it all worthwhile. For Example:

1) My garage sits 2 feet lower than the house. But the roofline is unchanged. This allows room for a "bonus room" over the 3 car garage, by lowering the garage ceiling 2 feet.
2) I located the 5 ton, 16 seer air handler INSIDE the house, directly adjacent 2 each, 24x24 inch filters. This reduces restriction, makes service a snap, keeps equipment healthy by keeping it out of the attic or garage, and improves efficiency.
3) I installed 3/4 inch plumbing for all the outside faucets, along with 3/4 inch ball valves. This provides adequate flow for watering and washing. My builder swore smaller plumbing increases pressure, but his fundamental misunderstanding did not win the day. I'm incredibly happy I did that.
4) I have a 5 foot x 9 foot glass enclosed shower. Each shower station (his and hers) has 2 body sprays. In total, 6 shower heads. Also fed by 3/4 inch plumbing
5) I have an 80 gallon heat pump (hybrid) water heater located in the garage, adjacent the laundry room (so the HE washer gets hot water instantly) The hybrid water heater does a great job air conditioning my garage.
6) I have a propane 6 burner cooktop and a nearby propane oven. I prefer to cook with gas. So I use 60 pound propane tanks, attached to the house with RV style mounts. Cheap to fill, no awful propane contract, lasts all year.
7) I have significant off grid capabilities. Very helpful during hurricane season.
8) I chose an elevation (look of the house) that is very classy, with a grand entrance and white barrel tile roof for efficiency. Along with 2 solar attic fans located on the back side. The house looks wonderful.

The list goes on and on. But here is the Kicker. My house was not expensive. $157,000 when I built it. I saved money everywhere I could by doing things myself. I ended up with a really nice place, built the way I want, on a lot I love, worth far more than I've invested.

I moved in before it was finished and hired my own contractors to do interior work. That was smart, as I saved a bundle and got far better flooring than the builder would have provided.


No basement???

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted by Schmoe
You know what you can buy for 600K here? McMansion easy...5-10 acre lot, 5-8 bedrooms, 4-5 bathrooms, huge kitchen, living room, 3-4 car garage with a separate metal garage building EASY.


Are you talking about Oklahoma City or Tulsa ?

 

[tony1679]

Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Originally Posted by Schmoe
You know what you can buy for 600K here? McMansion easy...5-10 acre lot, 5-8 bedrooms, 4-5 bathrooms, huge kitchen, living room, 3-4 car garage with a separate metal garage building EASY.


Are you talking about Oklahoma City or Tulsa ?

Yeah, what part of the state? Nice seeing fellow Okies on here.

 

[GON]

Originally Posted by crinkles
We bought semi-rural 2 acres with a 1800 square foot living area house built a couple of years ago. This was going to be our forever home, raise the kids, and let the grandkids come visit us.

The attached garage and the porch added 1000 square feet.

Lovely land. We had wild animals come up to our porch.

Was awesome until the neighbors moved in. Demon possessed, sociopathic, take your pick.

Sometimes you just don't know what you are going to get.

Sad thing is, we wanted to buy the neighboring lot, and listened to everyone advising against it.

We'll probably lose our property because of it.


Very good point and very sorry this happened to you. The luckiest thing we ever did was buy a 2 acre home with many covenants and restrictions. We did not like them, but prevented a lot of issues. No garbage left outside, no commercial vehicles, no fences, no trailers, no commercial vehicles, no outside sheds, etc. The covenants were not renewed in error, and no anything can happen on the land, and it has. My next door neighbor put a giant shed in his front yard, and parks his tractor trailer 18 wheel dump truck in his driveway- starts it up and idles for an hour in the morning. We no longer live on this property- we rent it out, but the free for all with the neighbors has made selling a challenge.

Pick your land very wisely- covenants and restrictions may be your friend at a 1 acre & $700,000 price range. At 50 acres- no big deal, or sub $200,000 no big deal- but at $700,000 you have a lot of money on the line to have a bordering landowner impact the value and resell ability of your home.

 

[Schmoe]

Originally Posted by tony1679
Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Originally Posted by Schmoe
You know what you can buy for 600K here? McMansion easy...5-10 acre lot, 5-8 bedrooms, 4-5 bathrooms, huge kitchen, living room, 3-4 car garage with a separate metal garage building EASY.


Are you talking about Oklahoma City or Tulsa ?

Yeah, what part of the state? Nice seeing fellow Okies on here.

I live in Chickasha, work at Fort Sill. In Chickasha, that 600K would buy all that and then some. In the OKC area, 600K would still get you something bigger than what the OP had mentioned. I know...location is king and all that, but 2/3 of a MILLION dollars for that size of a house seems unfathomable to me. That's a lot of money. Is everybody rich but me??? My house....slightly under 1/4 acre....1800 sf, 3 bedroom, 2 car garage, nice size kitchen, living room , fireplace, upstairs and a deck with automatic lawn sprinklers and storm shelter, was appraised last year for 160K, 1200 a year property taxes and 1700 a year home insurance. I can only imagine what property taxes and insurance runs down in Florida.

 

[Mr Nice]

Out of curiosity I'd like to see a $600K house in OKC.

Hurricane building codes down here cause homes to be a little more expensive.

 

[dnewton3]

My last two homes have been built on my lots, by myself as the GC. It's not what I do for a living, but in my county if I pull the permits then I can be the GC and hire my own subs.
Did a lot of the work myself; some electrical, most plumbing (including gas lines), miscellaneous stuff. Built the back deck and porch, etc.
It's hard to find sub-contractors at the moment; very busy market here.
I am a quality and control freak; being the GC gives me much better control over what goes on. If a sub wants to get paid, they do it the right way the first time, or do it over until it's done right. No money until it's correct.

Why do I tolerate the bitter cold of winter and blazing humidity of summer in Indiana?
Because my 7.5 acres in a heavily-wooded platted subdivision, 2000 sq-ft house with a full basement with attached 3-car garage, plus a 1200 sq-ft detached garage with man-cave loft cost me less than $350k.

 

[tony1679]

Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Out of curiosity I'd like to see a $600K house in OKC.

Hurricane building codes down here cause homes to be a little more expensive.
Here you go, several current examples of what $600,000 can buy (several linked in case some are removed/sold):

Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4

And just by doing a quick 2 minute search, here is something perhaps slightly similar to what you said you're looking for:
3 Bed, 2 Bath, 2+ acres

No hurricanes here... Wanna live like royalty?

 

[Mr Nice]

When I said.... "Out of curiosity I'd like to see a $600K house in OKC."

I meant I would like to walk around inside those houses in OKC and see / inspect the quality of materials used and the quality of the construction.

Like I said before, $600K is reasonable for a nicely built house in a very nice area with low crime and great schools. I don't want or need a house in Malibu, CA.

Sometimes big expensive houses are poorly built and slapped together.