Pre-Existing vs New Construction Homes: Which Is Right for You?

So if you've considered moving to the Texas Hill Country, here are the things that you're going to love and hate after moving here. Welcome back to the channel, guys. My name is Ryan Renton. Your favorite realtor right here in the Texas Hill Country. In today's video, we are talking about some of the pros and some of the cons of living here in the Texas Hill Country. Okay, so let's go ahead and kick this video off with a pro. And it's probably one of my favorite things about living here in Texas, but especially the Texas Hill Country. And that is the weather, especially our mild winters. Well, most of the time they're mild. So people primarily reach out to me about moving to Kerrville or Fredericksburg. So for this section of the video, we're going to focus on those two towns. But this information will give you an overall idea of what the weather's like for the entire Texas Hill Country area and region. Yes. You know, you'll definitely hear people talk about the crazy hot summers that we have here in the Hill Country and across Texas. But in my personal opinion, the very comfortable fall and spring seasons kind of make up for those hot summers. So according to climate data.com. The average high temperatures in January for Fredericksburg is 60°F, with an average low temperature of 34°F, and those numbers steadily increase until you hit the peak high average temperatures in August, which is 94°F and an average low of 69°F. Now, I do want to be clear. These numbers can change depending on the year and the weather cycles. And to give you a quick example of that, the average high temperatures for August in 2019 were 97.3 degrees, with an average low temperature of 72°F. So there can definitely be extremely hot summers. Back in 2011, we had like 30 consecutive days of over 100 degree weather. But as I mentioned, you know, that really just depends on the amount of rain we get during the summer time frame, but also that year and the weather cycles. So for the winter months, Fredericksburg has an average high temperature of right around 63°F and an average low temperature of 38 degrees. Now, those average temperatures look quite a bit different when you compare it to the winter time frame of 2020 1st February, I think it was. Yeah, it's definitely February, but we had a winter storm come through, which lasted about a week and the high temperatures were literally like 25 degrees. And it got as low as zero degrees here in Texas. I mean, people's pipes were bursting. We were losing power all across the Hill country. You know, the city pipes that distribute water to different neighborhoods, those where freezing, those are bursting. I mean, it was literally the craziest thing I think I've ever gone through. But a lot of people have gone through here in the whole country. But typically you don't have to worry about winter storms like that. You know, usually they're pretty mild. Yes, some winters will get some sleep, some winters will get an inch of snow. But for the most part, you don't have to worry about crazy winter storms like that. You know, a lot of people are actually saying that particular storm was like a one in a 500 year storm. And typically we just don't see things like that, you know, and we may not see it again in our lifetime. Knock on wood, Fredericksburg also has an average rainfall for right around 31.5in per year. And again, this can fluctuate by quite a bit, just like the rest of our weather cycles. You know, we're actually in a drought right now. We're way behind where we should be for the rainfall for the beginning of the year. So honestly, if you could pray for rain for us, that would be greatly appreciated. Okay, so now hopping over to Kerrville, Texas. And according to weather Wspa.com, the average high temperatures in August, the hottest month of the year, is 93 degrees with an average low temp of 71 degrees. Now, Fredricksburg and Kerr were only 25 miles apart, so for the most part, the temperatures are going to be pretty much in line with one another. Now for the winter months, Kerrville has an average high temperature of 64 degrees and an average low temperature of about 40 degrees. Now, these average temperatures really don't start getting too, too hot until we hit that June to July time frame typically. But last year we actually started seeing it get pretty hot around May weather. Wspa.com says that the average rainfall for Kerrville is 25in. But on the other hand, US climate data.com states that the average is right around 32in per year. So it's honestly kind of hard to say who has the most accurate information when it comes to rainfall between these two websites. I think the best thing to do is maybe just take the average of both of them, which is around 28in a year. Okay, so this brings us to the second thing I love most about living here in the Hill country and what most people consider a pro. And that's our beautiful rolling hills scenery. And the reason we call it the hill country. So the hill country takes up most of Central Texas area from Austin, out west past Rock Springs. And this region sits upon the Edwards Plateau, with a bedrock of limestone that has slowly eroded over millions of years, creating a beautiful rolling hill and grassland terrain that we all see today. The Texas Hill Country is the fourth largest region in Texas at 31,000mi², with an average rainfall of 15 to 35in per year, according to Medium.com. And another beautiful aspect we have to the hill country scenery is the three large rivers that we have flowing throughout the region. You have the Guadalupe River, which runs right through the center. Kerrville and Kirk County, but you also have the Colorado and Oasis rivers. But we also have a little bonus river, which is 106 miles long, and it's a tributary river of the Colorado, but it runs south of Fredericksburg and into Blanco County, passing north of Johnson City. And then eventually it joins up with the Colorado River at Lake Travis near Austin. We also have one of the biggest attractions throughout the entire state of Texas, which borders Gillespie and Llano County, and that is a chanted rock located only 17 miles north of Fredericksburg, this beautiful granite rock, which has views that you can see for miles and miles and miles, has roughly 250,000 visitors each and every year. And it's the second largest hill made of bedrock in the United States, but not only are there incredible places to go visit, like enchanted Rock or rivers to go float like the Guadalupe River, but you can buy your very own piece of the Texas Hill Country with your own personal awesome views, and whether that be a 400 acre hunting ranch or a half acre lot within the city limits. The options are out there for you to get your own views. Okay, so sticking with this outdoor type of theme and another reason I absolutely love living in hill country and why a lot of people are buying ranches in our region is because we have fantastic hunting. So not only can you hunt native species like whitetail deer, turkey, quail and dove, but our is actually very well known to have exotic animals, a large population of exotic animals that come from all over the world. So the list of exotic species throughout our region is actually a pretty big list. But you'll primarily see things like feral hogs, all that sheep access deer, elk, sika deer, fallow deer, black buck antelope, and even the massive neoga antelope. But around Gillespie County, which is Fredricksburg, and Kerr County around Kerrville, which you'll primarily see roaming around the region, is access to deer, according to Land Association Board. Access to your have been roaming in Texas since 1932, when they were brought in as game species in South Texas. Over several decades, these deer were transported throughout Texas as other private ranchers wanted to include them on their property as a year round hunting option, and over the years, these access deer started to get out these high fence ranches quickly spreading all across the Texas Hill Country and one of the primary reasons the population of these deer has spread so quickly, has grown so quickly, is because they have a year round breeding cycle. Unlike our native deer, the whitetail, which only has a three month cycle. And it's also not uncommon for these deer to have two sets of fawns within a 12 month period. If you are someone looking for year round hunting, well, the Texas Hill Country may just be perfect for you. Okay, so that was some of the pros and reasons I love living in Hill country, but it's not all sunshine and rainbows. There are definitely some downsides, and one of the main reasons people do not like the hill country is the high property values. So Gillespie County, which is where Fredricksburg is located, had a median sales price in the fourth quarter of 2020 to a 527,000 the first quarter of this year. Those numbers are not out yet, but as soon as I get them, I'll make sure to update you guys. So let's go ahead and hop over to Nerd Whatcom and see what a 527,000 our house would cost you on a monthly basis. With a home price of 527,500, a down payment of 5% property taxes, around $500 a month, insurance at $183 a month, and an interest rate of 6.5%. You're looking at a monthly payment of right around $4,000 a month. Now, if you compare that median sales price to the rest of the state of Texas, which is 325,000, the median sales price in Gillespie County is 62% higher than the rest of the state, with the monthly payment being $1,500 more. But on a positive note, Coeur County had a median sales price of also 325,000, which was a 13% decrease from the height of the market, which was the second quarter of last year. I also get asked a lot about Burnie, which is in Kendall County, and they had a median sales price of 582,000 during the fourth quarter of last year. So they are seeing prices even higher than the home prices there in Fredricksburg. And then you have Blanco County, which is just to the east of Gillespie County and Fredericksburg. And they had a median sales price in the fourth quarter of 434,000, making them the third most expensive county, these four connecting counties. Okay, so this brings us to one of the things I hate most about living in Central Texas. And I would say it's a pretty big con for most people. And that is the four types of venomous snakes you have to keep your eyes out for, especially during the summer months. And out of the four venomous snakes that we do have, the Western diamondback is probably the one you're most likely going to see if you're out and about. You know, maybe I can rock hiking or just on a nature trail somewhere. So this rattlesnake is recognizable by its diamond shaped skin, but also the famous rattle noise it makes when you're getting to close. But you do need to be very careful, because they don't always rattle when you're getting too close. So you just got to keep your eyes peeled and pay attention to your surroundings. So the second venomous snake we have here in the hill country is called the water moccasin, also known as the cottonmouth. And according to the Texas Hill country.com, unlike other venomous snakes in the hill country, water moccasins, also known as cottonmouth, are extremely rare. Sometimes people out tubing or fishing on the river claim to see these snakes, but water moccasins have a very distinct thick, dark body with a white inside mouth, giving them their other name, Cottonmouth. Most reports of cottonmouth in the hill country are usually false reports, because a lot of people do get them confused with other water snakes that also may be dark in color. But again, water moccasins are very, very black. Luckily, the cottonmouth is more of a concern out East Texas, and not so much here in the Hill country. But nonetheless, if you're flooding the river in Fredericksburg, Kerrville, or anywhere in the Hill country and you see a black snake or dark snake in the river, it's probably best to go ahead and just stay away from it. And then there's the third that a mistake we have in the Hill country, which is called the Copperhead. And according to that same website, copperheads blend in very well with dried leaves for their favorite scrubland or woodland home. It's best to watch out in rocky areas or bush covered lots because these snakes are very difficult to see thanks to their natural camouflage. Of the three subtypes of copperhead, you're most likely to see the broad band copperhead in the hill country. These snakes are considered pit vipers, along with cottonmouth and rattlesnakes, distinguished by their triangular heads and pit between their nostrils and eyes. So it's going to be the same story at these guys. The best thing you can do is just keep your eyes peeled. Be aware of your surroundings. If you see a snake with a triangular head, just stay away from it. The fourth venomous snake that we have is called the cool snake, which is very distinguished for by its red, yellow, and black skin patterns. Coral snakes are the smallest of venomous snakes in Texas, measuring only 2.5ft, but these snakes are related to cobras and have a similarly acting venom. The good news is these tend to be found in East Texas rather than the Hill Country, and there's a simple rhyme to differentiate these snakes from their harmless relatives. Just remember red touch yellow kill a fellow red touch black friend of Jack. This means if you see red bands bordering yellow bands run for your life because that is a coral snake. Another thing you may hate about living in the hill country is the large amount of deer collisions that we have. I'd be willing to bet there's almost one every single day, especially during the winter months, October through December, because that's when white tailed deer are mating. So as you're traveling down our hill country roads, one thing you'll notice is warning signs. Big yellow warning signs with the picture of a deer jumping. And honestly, I would highly recommend that you don't just blow off those signs. And again, especially during the peak season, which is October through December when those white tailed deer are mating. But one of the things I've personally started to notice is the amount of dead access deer on the side of the road. So not only do we have to worry about white tailed deer during the peak collision seasons, but now we have to worry about access deer as well. You know, like I mentioned earlier, they actually have a mating season that lasts all year round. So what I would suggest, if you're about to have a deer jump out right in front of you, is not to swerve to try to miss it, because you can swerve right into oncoming traffic or even off the road, but just hit your brakes and come to a complete stop if possible. The last thing I can't stress it enough. The last thing you want to do is swerve. Because if you swerve right in oncoming traffic, that could be fatal. Or, or you could swerve off the road and hit a tree or something like that, you know, and there's been a lot of stories here in the Hill country of people who have died because they've swerved to miss a deer. So stay safe out there. Okay? So what did I miss? I know there are a lot of pros and cons to living here in the Texas Hill Country, and I want to hear from you guys. What did you find to be interesting, either pro or con. And if you already live here, what would you add to this list? And as always, if you're looking to buy or sell around the Texas Hill Country, I would love to be your realtor of choice. All my contact information is down below and make sure you watch my next video, which I think you're really going to enjoy. We'll see you in the next video.