Are you ready? Hang up your hat with that big city living in exchange for some small town living. I'm talking really small town living. Harper, Texas just may be the place for you. Today's video. We are talking about the pros and the cons of live here in Harper, Texas. Ryan rented Rented Realty Group, your favorite realtor right here in the Texas Hill Country. I'm excited to go over these pros and cons of living here in a little video. Harper, Texas. And just to put it in perspective of how small this town really is, back in 2020, the total population was just under 2000 people. Can you guess how many stoplights are in this town? Well, believe it or not, there are only two traffic lights in all of Harper, and they don't even have green and red lights. So literally just blinking caution light. So before we go any further in this video, if you are the type of person who likes a lot of lights, stop lights, and stop signs in your life, you may want to go ahead and move on to one of my other videos. But if that fits your lifestyle, let's go ahead and get started with these pros and cons. So I asked this pros and cons questions on a local Facebook page for Harper to see what some of the pluses and negatives were from people who live in Harper. So let's go ahead and kick this video off with one of their pros. Okay, so pro number one and probably one of the most common pros is, is the peace and quiet that you have while living there. It's a little small towns like Harper often offer a serene and peaceful atmosphere away from the noise and congestion of large cities. If you enjoy a slower paced lifestyle and value tranquility, Harper may be appealing to you. And don't just take it for me. Let's see what some of these locals have to say about it. Mikayla says I love Harper. I love sitting in my backyard and watching the deer eat the corn. I threw out to them, and just listening to the birds and working in the yard. And then Terri said her pros are living in the country, the peace and quiet most of the time, friendly, helpful neighbors and community. It's they build great small school system and great caring teachers. And I would actually have to agree with their comments. I grew up in Harper from kindergarten through seventh grade on 52 acres, and the peace and quiet is probably one of the things I miss most about living out there. And this brings us to our first con, which is employment opportunities. So this is really no secret. Smaller towns like Harper won't have the same job opportunities that you'll find in a city or towns like Kerrville or Fredricksburg, especially in specific industries. So finding a job that aligns with your skills and qualifications is going to be a little challenging. So you may have to commute to Kerrville, Fredricksburg, or maybe even San Antonio. The biggest employer in Harper is going to be the school district. And from my understanding, there's not really a whole lot of job opportunities that open up within the district, at least for teachers and principals, because most of the teachers and principals like working there so much that they end up staying for a very long time. Now, I'm not saying that there is never job opportunities at the district. I'm just letting you know that they are harder to come by, and I just want you to be aware of that. Another common comment I saw on my Facebook post, and it kind of relates to job opportunities, is the lack of EMS with paramedics. If there is a major emergency, EMS comes all the way from either Fredericksburg or Kerrville, depending on what side of Harper the emergency is on. But most of the time they are coming from Fredericksburg, and if you're driving the speed limit, it takes you 25 minutes to get there. So depending on the situation and those are very, very precious minutes okay. So this brings us to pro number two which is Harper is a very tight knit community. Chris and Holly said that God, family and community are a priority here. Close knit communities are a characteristic in small towns like Harper, especially here in Texas. People tend to literally know all of their neighbors, but also are very engaged in community events and activities. And of course, this leads to a strong sense of belonging and supportive network. And then Cheryl said her pros are literally everything the people, the countryside, the quiet, the community, and she prays she never has to leave. I know theme that you see in regards to the community being tight knit is common interest but also shared experiences. It really seems like most of the people in Harper have a shared interest, values and experiences that really bring the people together and since a lot of these people have similar backgrounds and experiences, it has seemed to create a sense of unity and shared identity within the community. Okay, so car number two is the drive. If you're the type of person that likes to be at the grocery store within five minutes of leaving your house, well, Harper may not be the place for you. It will take you 26 minutes to get to the Hill Country Memorial Hospital in Fredericksburg and 32 minutes to get to, said Peterson in Kerrville. Now, of course, this all depends on where you live at in Harper. If you're on the South side, maybe on Ranch Road for 79 or 7083, it might be best to run to Kerrville. And one of these emergency situations. But if you live on the east side of Harper on Highway 290, well, it might be best to go to Fredericksburg in that situation. From Harper, you're also looking at about an hour to hour and 15 minutes plus or minus drive to the San Antonio Airport in about two hours to the Austin International Airport, and then going back to what Cheryl had to say. She stated that she moved from San Antonio to Burney and then Burney to Harper. She said that I can't think of any cons unless I have a medical emergency, and have to wait for an air flight to get me to the hospital faster than 20 minutes. I don't mind driving 20 minutes to get to shopping. It seems like, for the most part, people that moved to Harper or have been living there for quite some time knew what they're getting themselves into and and realize that they're going to have a 20 plus minute drive to get anywhere. But they all seem to be okay with it. Okay, so number three on the list, which I've actually discussed quite a bit on my channel in previous videos, is the hunting and fishing opportunities here. And one of the reasons why there is such great hunting opportunity in Harper is because you can get land for a pretty reasonable price comparison to other parts of the hill country. So if you're wanting your very own ten acre tract of land, or maybe even a 500 acre tract land where you can do a little hunting, do a little target shooting, well, I can guarantee you we can find it for you. But not only can you hunt native species like quail, dove, turkey or whitetail, the hill country is actually home to a lot of exotic animals that have been brought to our region from all over the world back in the early 1900s, but around Harper and Gillespie County, Kern County, the primary exotic that you'll see roaming the area is access deer access to your have actually been roaming Texas since 1932, when they were brought in as game species to South Texas and really have been spreading like wildfire ever since. Now for all you anglers, the Hill Country regions is known for the scenic rivers, lakes and streams that provide habitats for a diverse range of fish species. You can find anything between bass, trout, catfish, carp and sunfish, also commonly known as perch. Now there are several great places to go fishing within an hour distance of Harper, but just to name a few, you have the South Llano River, which is located approximately 20 miles southeast of Harper. This river is known for its clear waters and is popular for fly fishing. It offers opportunities to catch bass, sunfish, catfish, and the Rio Grande chitlins. You also have the Peter Niles River, which most locals say now is forever, but that's located to the east of Harper. This river provides opportunities for both bake, fishing and wadding. Anglers can find various species such as bass, catfish, and sunfish. And then you have the Guadalupe River, which is going through Kerr County, which is south of Harper. And it has all kinds of access points along the river where you can try your luck at catching bass, catfish and also sunfish. Okay, so another common con I saw on that Facebook page was the amount of rocks that Harper has. Cheryl from earlier made the comment that the ever growing rocks are an issue. If you want to plant anything or walk around without falling. And after doing a little research, there are a few reasons why that is the case. So let me go ahead and educate you on it. The abundance of rocks in Harper can be attributed to several geological factors. Harper is situated in the Llano Uplift, a geologic region characterized by ancient granite and metamorphic rocks. The uplift resulted from geological forces that uplifted and exposed these rocks over millions of years. The granite and metamorphic rocks such as the nice and schist are known for their hardness and durability, making them a prominent feature in the landscape. And the second reason is the erosion and weathering. So over a very, very long time, the forces of erosion and weathering have played a significant role in shaping the landscape of Harper. Things such as water, wind, and other natural processes gradually wear down softer sedimentary rocks, leaving behind a more resistant granite and metamorphic rock. This ongoing erosion and weathering process have exposed and concentrated the rocks in the area, and in the third reason is the lack of soil covering the rocky terrain in Harper is often accompanied by a limited amount of topsoil. The rocks hinder the development of thick soil layers, making it challenging for vegetation to grow in certain areas. This characteristic of shallow soil and exposed rocks is a defining feature of the Texas Hill Country, and specifically Harper okay, so this brings us to pro number four, which is a strong sense of patriotism. Bobby on Facebook stated that the city people don't know what it feels like to drive down highway 290 and see our beautiful flags waving in the wind and everyone in town paying their respects. And one of the reasons for this is we have a large military veteran community, me being one of them in our area, but especially here in Harper, and because of our large military veteran community, we have strong traditions and respects for our nation's flag. And of course, this creates a culture of respect and gratitude towards service members and country, which leads to a heightened sense of patriot Tism within the community. Okay, it's number four, and one of the biggest cons, in my opinion, is the amount of oak quilt in the area. So oak is a very destructive disease that affects all the oak trees within our region. So if you're actually driving out to Harper from Fredricksburg or Kerrville, one thing you'll notice pretty quickly is the amount of dead trees along the roads and on people's properties. Here are just a couple reasons why oak was so bad for Harper, but really, just a Texas hill country in general. Number one, Oak Hill poses a significant threat to oak tree population here in Harper in the Hill country, leading to a decline and loss of these valuable trees as the disease spreads. It has a negative impact on local environment, wildlife habitat and overall biodiversity. The second reason it has a very significant esthetic impact. Oak trees are often cherish for their beauty and provide shade and visual appeal. And as oak wilt takes hold and causes tree mortality, it can significantly alter the landscape and esthetic appeal. Dead or dying oak trees can also affect your property values. Well then the third reason is the distribution of ecosystem services. Oak trees provide numerous ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, oxygen production, and wildlife habitat. The loss of these oak trees due to oak will can disrupt these essential ecosystem functions, affecting the local ecology, wildlife populations, and overall ecological balance. Then the fourth reason is the spread to neighboring areas is highly contagious and can also spread very rapidly, and if left uncontrolled, the disease can spread to other neighboring areas. So the best way to mitigate the negative effects of oak quilt is proper tree care, early detection and appropriate management practices, including tree removal and prevention strategies. And then you should consider collaborating with your neighbors, but also meeting with an arbitrary and other local authorities to see what you can do to combat this disease. Okay, so what did I miss? I know there probably is some pros and cons that I definitely missed. I want to hear from you guys. Let me know down in the comments below. What did you find to be maybe interesting or concerning? I want to hear from you guys. And as always, if you're thinking about buying or selling anywhere around the Texas Hill Country, I would love to be your realtor of choice. All my contact information is above, but also down in the description. But make sure you watch my next video, which is the pros and Cons of living in Kerrville. We'll see you in the next video.
