We had posted a blog a few weeks ago entitled "Grass is Greener on a Ranch." We had made reference to the growing popularity of ranch land purchases outside of Austin's city limits. Ranch land is also popular in the Rio Grande Valley, outside of McAllen and Brownsville city limits. A reader asked that we elaborate on the subject, so we decided to comply. Rural land does not lose its value the way residential real estate does. Homes and neighborhoods can be dated or worn. Nearby commerce may slow down or go so corporate that it changes the values of the homes in the area. Rural land offers a privacy and an intimacy with nature that urban cities do not. This appeals to those whom have never lived in a city and those that are tired of living in the city alike. It does take work to live on a ranch, but it is a different kind of work. Wearing jeans, feeding animals, fresh air, and getting dirty is not the same as wearing a suit and punching the clock at an office. Some rural land owners can benefit from tax exemptions. There are strict requirements set forth by the state of Texas. The land must be devoted primarily to raising livestock or growing crops in order to receive the tax breaks. An agricultural appraisal must be performed to verify and exemption forms must be filed with the state. It is a process that takes time and fair amount of paperwork. Below are some links that may be useful in answering questions as to the steps that would need to be taken to apply and receive an agricultural tax exemption.

http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxpubs/tx94_101.html

http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/tx96_295/land.html