How Retirees Can Buy Land Without Regretting It

Buying land for retirement is less about finding a pretty view and more about proving the property can support your plan. The smart move is to define the end goal first, then run a repeatable checklist that scores terrain, utilities, restrictions, and access before you ever fall in love with the place.

Around the Texas Hill Country, I see the same mistakes over and over in Dripping Springs, Wimberley, Blanco, and Fredericksburg. Buyers shop on Zillow, go under contract, and only later learn the build site needs expensive excavation, the driveway will be a long-term maintenance bill, the power company wants a five figure number to move or extend lines, or the soil will not support the septic solution they assumed would work. Add in deed restrictions, ETJ rules, plat notes, and floodplain considerations, and a “great deal” can turn into a land problem you have to disclose when you sell.

The fix is boring but effective. Start with purpose, then price the finished vision, not just the acreage. Verify legal access with recorded easements, get a fresh survey, confirm water and wastewater options, and treat infrastructure as a budget category, not a surprise.

If you want my land scorecard and a second set of eyes on a Hill Country tract, start at https://chrispesek.com, email chris@drippingspringshometeam.com, or call 512-736-1703. Chris Pesek is a Texas Hill Country Realtor specializing in land, acreage, and custom homes. 383+ sales. Top 2 Percent Producer. 63 five-star reviews. Dripping Springs, Wimberley, Blanco, Johnson City, Fredericksburg, Austin, Hays County, Blanco County, Gillespie County