10 Dirt Cheap Farmhouses in Texas With 10+ acres starting from $42k

[00:00:00]You know what hurts me? There's 268,000 square miles of land in Texas and somehow you're still paying 2 and 1/2 grand a month to rent a box with a parking spot. That could end now, my guy. I've been down a Zillow rabbit hole for days and I found 10 farmhouses with [music] more than 10 acres of land ranging from 160,000 all the way down to 42,000. Cheaper than a full year of rent in any major US city. Let's get into it.

[00:00:33]Listing one, the College Station farmhouse.

[00:00:36]>> [music] >> We're starting at 160,000 and the very first thing I want you to know is that this is a four-bedroom, two-bath, 2,304 square foot house. Not some rusty, musty, crusty cabin. I'd never do that to you. Located at 620 Sundown Road in Caldwell, you're looking at a proper four-bedroom farmhouse on 10 acres in Burleson County, Texas. The wooden stairway has my whole heart. Tell me it's not gorgeous. Halloween is going to slap in this house. But the location here is the real diamond. Caldwell is in Burleson County sitting dead in the middle of what Texas calls the Texas Triangle. The zone between Houston, Dallas, and Austin and [music] San Antonio. You are 25 miles from Bryan and College Station, home to Texas A&M. The Brazos Valley has been growing steadily for years and Caldwell is right in the path of that growth. But if College Town farmhouse for 160K has you interested, the next one is 25 grand cheaper and comes with 21 fenced acres in Texas hunting country. Listing number two, the Hunting Range.

[00:01:41]Colorado City, Mitchell County. Right on I-20 between Midland and Abilene. 21 fenced acres, two water wells, propane hookup, paved road all the way to the front door. The home is just over 1,800 square feet with two bedrooms and one bath. And the listing is up front that it needs renovation work. And I respect that honesty. The house needs love. But, here's the thing about Mitchell County that most people browsing Zillow from out of state don't think about. This is serious hunting country. Whitetail deer, quail, dove, the mix of crop fields, cedar, and mesquite out here is exactly the habitat that makes hunters pay lease fees every single year. Two water wells on a 21 fenced private Texas acre can work for you through hunting leases while you're figuring out your timeline on the house. For some context, the median home price in Colorado City is about $137,000. A regular house in town with zero land costs about that what this costs. You're getting 21 acres on top of that essentially free. That's a serious deal no matter how you slice it.

[00:02:44]But, you think 21 acres for 135k in West Texas was good? The next one drops another 25 grand and gets stranger and better. Buckle up, soldier. We're heading to the border. Listing number three, the Border Ranch.

[00:02:59]Fort Hancock is in Hudspeth County in far West Texas, about 50 mi southeast of El Paso on I-10, sitting just north of the Rio Grande and the Mexican border.

[00:03:10]This is big sky, flat, open country with the Sierra Diablo and Quitman Mountains raising in the distance. And it has a raw, [music] frontier quality that either calls to you or doesn't. The listing description for this 20-acre property in the Sunset Ranches subdivision is pretty impressive for $110,000.

[00:03:29]Lush, flat land with panoramic views, ideal for livestock, a watch deck for hunting or sunrise sunset viewing, automatic solar panels, [music] three windmills, a battery bank for uninterrupted off-grid power, 15 cameras, and a Wi-Fi extender. The listing calls this the perfect weekend getaway. And at $5,500 per acre with a functioning off-grid power system already installed, I think that's an understatement.

[00:03:53]The structure is 600 square feet, built in 2017.

[00:03:58]One bed, one bath. It's small, yeah, but you're not buying a mansion, are you?

[00:04:02]You're buying 20 acres of Texas with solar already operational, windmills already turning, cameras already watching, and a deck already built to sit on while the sky does the thing that only happens in West Texas. The Guadalupe Mountains National Park is about an hour east. Big Bend is a few hours southeast. El Paso is 50 miles west and has a full international airport, hospitals, shopping, and everything a major city offers. For 110,000, this is a functioning off-grid ranch with serious infrastructure that would cost a significant amount to replace from scratch. Now, we are about to leave West Texas for a minute [music] and jump on over to Southeast Texas because there's a $99,900 listing in Beaumont that most people are probably scrolling right past and they absolutely should not be doing.

[00:04:49]Listing number four, the Southeast Texas sleeper. 22 acres in Beaumont, Texas under 100 grand. My lord. You get three bedrooms, one and a half baths on nearly 1,900 square feet of construction.

[00:05:03]Someone's really got to explain to me what one and a half bath is. What the hell's half a bath anyways? Anyways, Beaumont is in the golden triangle of Southeast Texas, about 90 miles east of Houston, bordered by [music] the Neches River, and this part of Texas has very specific kind of character that people who grew up here will recognize immediately. It's humid, it's lush, it's green in a way that West Texas simply isn't. The Piney Wood and the Big Thicket National Preserve are nearby.

[00:05:29]Sabine Lake and the waterways along Louisiana border create one of the best duck hunting and fishing regions in the entire South. 22 acres in this part of Texas means you are sitting on a real land. Southeast Texas acreage does not come cheap near Beaumont because the proximity to Houston, Port Arthur, and the petrochemical corridor creates a consistent demand. Getting 22 acres with a livable 1900 square foot farmhouse for under a hundred grand is kind of the deal that quietly disappears when the right buyer notices it.

[00:05:58]Keep that price in mind as we head [music] back west because 85 grand is the next stop and we're back to Texas Hill Country.

[00:06:06]Listing number five, Hill Country near the Nueces. Uvalde, Texas.

[00:06:11]If you know anything about Texas Hill Country geography, you know Uvalde is right at the edge of where the Hill Country transitions into the ranch land of South Texas.

[00:06:20]The Nueces River runs through this country. The terrain is beautiful and the land values here have historically been strong because of hunting, ranching, and the proximity to San Antonio, which is only 90 minutes east.

[00:06:32]Now, let me be real with you about the property because transparency is the whole point of this channel. This is an as is manufactured home that needs some TLC. The listing says as much. It needs work, not a cosmetic refresh. Actual renovation work. But, here's what you're getting in the deal. 1,858 square feet, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, electric and septic already in place. Furniture conveying with the sale and less than three miles from Highway 90 and 10 acres near the Nueces River for 85,000.

[00:07:05]The Nueces River access here is something I want to emphasize. River adjacent land in Texas is genuinely scarce and commands premiums. Properties near the Nueces with any kind of usable structure and 10 acres routinely list for two to three times this price, albeit in better condition. You're getting the location and the land at a discount because the home needs some work. If you can do that work or know someone who can, the end value of this property is significantly higher than the asking price. All right, if you're still watching, you're one of the lucky few because now it's time for this list to get properly disrespectful to the national housing market.

[00:07:42]We're down to 80 grand and I've got two properties at the same price both with it 10 plus acres.

[00:07:49]One in Texas Panhandle and one in the Guadalupe Mountains region.

[00:07:54]Listing number six, the Panhandle Farmhouse.

[00:07:57]Friona is in Parmer County in the Texas Panhandle, one of the most agriculturally productive stretches of land in the entire United States.

[00:08:05]This is where American beef largely comes from. [music] The Panhandle's Caprock County is flat, open and honest about what it is, serious agricultural country where the land works for a living. The listing on 907 Woodland is a two-bed, one-bath home at 936 square feet sitting on 16 acres listed at $80,000. The agent at EXP Realty described it as a great investment property that needs some updates. Again, I really respect that kind of honesty more than the listings that describe a sagging [music] porch as having character. It needs updates, but it's 16 acres in [music] Texas for $80,000.

[00:08:42]If you were wondering what 16 acres gets you in Parmer County, let me paint you a little picture. Room for a serious livestock operation, horses, easily, large-scale gardening, multiple outbuildings, and the kind of open sky that people drive hours to experience.

[00:08:57]The Panhandle gets unfairly dismissed as just what the agricultural richness of this land is extraordinary and underappreciated in the real estate conversation. Water rights in this part of Texas over the Ogallala Aquifer have historically added real long-term value to land ownership here. Trust me, at 80,000 for 16 acres with an existing structure, this is one of the better raw value plays on the entire list. But, if it's not your thing, it's not your thing. So, let me take you to a completely different Texas. This one is at the base of the Guadalupe Mountains.

[00:09:30]Listing number seven, Guadalupe Mountains off-grid, Salt Flat, Texas. The name alone is doing a lot of work, and it's not wrong. This is the Hudspeth County in far West Texas, sitting in the wine valley between the Guadalupe Mountains to the northeast and the Sierra Diablo to the west. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which contains the highest peak in all of Texas at 8,751 ft, is practically in the property's backyard.

[00:09:56]Carlsbad Caverns [music] across New Mexico state lines is under an hour away. The night skies out here are internationally recognized as some of the darkest in all of North America. For 80 grand, this property gives you 20 acres, a 640 sq ft home built with, in listing agent's words, extreme care and attention to detail. It was built for off-grid living, solar panels with a Wi-Fi-controlled battery and inverters, propane gas, water tanks, the metal roof, and a mini split that heats and cools the space efficiently. The listing mentions a spacious additional structure beyond the main bedroom that I want to be clear. This is a genuine remote West Texas. Salt Flats is not near anything that can genuinely be called a city. The nearest real services are in Dell City or Van Horn, and even those are small towns. This is for someone who is serious about off-grid living, about land, about the specific kind of freedoms that come from owning 20 acres in one of the most scenically dramatic corners of the continental United States. All right now, I just showed you two properties at 80,000. The next one drops a hundred bucks to 79,900. I know, I know, the price has barely moved, but the scenery, it's absolutely unreal.

[00:11:04]Listing number eight, Big Bend Valley Cabin.

[00:11:08]Has anyone ever offered you 4 acres of land for 100 bucks? Well, I'm full of surprises today. Even though this next listing is only dropping by $100 in price, you're gaining four additional acres. Welcome to 20 acres in Big Bend Valley with views of Nine Point Mesa, Santiago Peaks, Black Peak, and most of the Christmas Mountain Ridge. There's a small solar-powered cabin on the property, One bed, one bath, 352 sq ft.

[00:11:34]The listing agent at Big Bend Realty calls it perfect for a vacation home, getaway, or retirement property. Hey, all three work for me. The cabin is small, yes, but that's not the point.

[00:11:44]Brewster County is the largest county in Texas, bigger than the entire state of Connecticut. Properties here with 20 plus acres in Big Bend territory regularly ask for 200,000 to 500,000.

[00:11:56]You're buying 20 acres in a market that is actively moving up, and you're only spending 79,900.

[00:12:04]The cabin means you don't have to sleep in your car when you visit your land, which is a bonus. If you thought 79,000 for 20 acres in Big Bend Valley was something, get ready. The next one is 65,000, and it's inside a 200,000 acre private community near a national park.

[00:12:20]Listing nine, Terlingua Ranch.

[00:12:24]I need to tell you what this place actually is because the name alone doesn't really do it justice. If you've ever heard of Terlingua, it's a ghost town with a second life. Home to the world-famous chili cook-off every November, some of the most dramatic landscapes in North America, the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend are visible from here, the Rio Grande canyons are nearby.

[00:12:43]This place has been written about in every major travel publication multiple times, and people keep coming back because there is genuinely nowhere else like it. The listing is in the Terlingua Ranch, which is a 200,000 acre private community in Brewster County, one of the largest private ranching communities in the United States. 200,000 acres. For context, that's larger than New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston combined.

[00:13:11]Within this community, landowners pay a POA fee of roughly $224 per year, and in return, they get access to the community landing strip, laundry facilities, pool, cafe, and maintain roadwork. The ranch lodge and its Bad Rabbit Cafe are on-site amenities. The community is approximately 30 minutes from Big Bend National Park, situated in the Christmas Mountains region with sweeping mountain views in every direction. International Dark Sky designation means the night skies here are genuinely otherworldly.

[00:13:42]The area gets bear sightings, mule deer, javelina, quail, and migrating raptors are regular resident. The specific property at 14,000 Terlingua Ranch Road is a 784 square foot structure built in 1990. Listed at 65 grand, you're getting a massive 10-acre lot with it. Listing near the addresses consistently describe access from paved county roads, proximity to the Ranch Lodge amenities, and the mountain views that define this stretch of the road. For $65,000 to own a property within a 200,000 acre community in Big Bend country with a structure already on it is a number I find genuinely hard to explain. This is not Brewster County median price. The county real estate trends show a sale price of 211,000 and a recent appreciation of 75%.

[00:14:31]You are buying significantly below trend here. Now, with just one listing left, we're about to hit the cheapest property on the list.

[00:14:39]Listing number 10, the cheapest little farm.

[00:14:42]$42,000 for 10 acres in Terlingua, Texas.

[00:14:48]I saved this one for last on purpose because I wanted you to have seen nine other properties before we got here. I wanted the number to be in your head. I wanted you to have a feel for what Texas land is doing right now. And then I wanted to show you this. This property on Martin Cut Across Road is a 10-acre with a 120 square foot cabin on it.

[00:15:07]Obviously, the cabin is very small.

[00:15:08]We're talking one room. But here's the thing I need you to understand about this listing. You're not buying a cabin.

[00:15:14]You're buying 10 acres of Terlingua, [music] Texas for $42,000.

[00:15:20]dollars. The cabin is just proof that someone was already out there. Keep your dog in there. I don't know. Make yourself the most beautiful farmhouse you can. You're getting the land plus a standing structure for less than the land alone should cost at current market pricing. The gap should not exist and it will not exist for long. Now, zoom out a little. Big Bend National Park gets over 500,000 visitors a year and that number has been climbing. Starlink completely changed the remote work equation for places like Terlingua where spotty cell service used to be the deal breaker for people who wanted to live out here but couldn't leave their jobs behind. That barrier is basically gone now. The 79830 zip code, which covers this area, posted over 75% year-over-year appreciation in sale price in recent data. 75% that is not a slow boring market. That is a market that is figuring out what it's actually worth. The people who bought land in Terlingua 5 years ago look very smart right now. Not because they had some genius investment thesis, just because they looked at what was in front of them and said yes before the prices adjusted to match the reality. The people who looked at this and passed are still thinking about it. I genuinely believe because this is the kind of place that starts with you. $42,000 for 10 acres in one of the most genuinely singular places in the American Southwest. No HOA, no neighbors in your sightline, mountains on the horizon, stars at night that look fake because you've never actually seen them any before, and land that is actively appreciating in a market that just woke up to what it has.

[00:16:51]A few one of things before you do anything with any of these properties, verify current prices and listing statuses before you act because of some [music] of these will have moved since filming. For off-grid properties, do your full homework on water access and [music] power before you commit. For the properties described as needing TLC or sold as is, get an inspector in there with eyes on the structure. And for the Terlingua Ranch properties, confirm [music] current PLATRI duties and road access with a listing agent directly.

[00:17:19]Every link is in the description. Go have a look and let me know in the comments which one sent you to the calculator.