Have you ever been to a restaurant and couldn’t understand the menu enough to place the order? You can probably recall an experience of trying to buy a new car but the overwhelming number of options for each model made your head spin? We’ve all been there at some point and you just want someone to simplify the decision and help you find what you want. Buying real estate can be similar if you’re not thoroughly informed and assisted by the experts in your product.

Because of the massive size of Cordillera Ranch (8,700 acres) and varied neighborhoods within the community, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what your options are and help prioritize them for your real estate agent. This Developer’s Corner article will provide you an overview of some of the different options and areas in Cordillera Ranch and you can use this check list to help make your selection process as smooth as possible.

The first question to ask is do you want to build your own custom home or buy an existing home? With over 650 homes built over the past 17 years and many more under construction, there’s a wide variety of homes generally ranging from $500k up to $3MM+. There is also a wide variety of lots with different attributes. We often tell people coming to Cordillera Ranch for the first time to not think of this place as one subdivision or one community. It’s a master planned community with many different, unique neighborhoods – some of which are gated and distinctly defined, while other neighborhoods may be defined by the general area of the community or the looped street (such as Greystone Circle, Riverwood or Park Ridge). Whether you’re considering a lot or existing home, the following list of questions to consider may help you narrow down your priorities in selecting the property that fits you best:

Let’s start with the obvious: What size property do you want to purchase? (lots range from ¼ acre to 10+ acres and everything in between). It’s also important to consider how much usable land individual lots have when comparing multiple lots. In some cases a 1-acre lot may feel larger than a 2-acre lot if the 1-acre lot has more flat, usable land.

Decide whether you want to be on central water and central wastewater systems (as opposed to well and septic systems).

• Central water system source is Canyon Lake water provided by GBRA; this is the same as city water and, generally, is a more reliable long-term source than individual groundwater wells;

• Central wastewater system allows for less maintenance hassle because you don’t have to maintain your own septic system;

• It’s also worth noting when comparing a lot that would require a well and septic to a lot that’s on central water and wastewater systems that there will be an incremental cost of approximately $20k-$25k (on top of the lot price) for the well and septic installation costs when you build (this is over and above the installation cost for water/wastewater meter and grinder pump fees for the house on central systems). So a $150k lot on well and septic would ultimately cost the same to purchase as a $170-$175k lot on central water and wastewater.

How important is proximity to the Clubhouse and Nicklaus Signature Golf Course?

Is lock-and-leave convenience a priority? If you’re interested in smaller lots where the sub-association takes care of all of the exterior landscaping and maintenance then consider the Di Lusso Villas.

Rank the importance of certain property attributes such as large mature oaks, long views, orientation of the lot (i.e. do you prefer facing north, south, east or west), privacy and topography (flat versus gentle slope).

What location within the community is most important to you? There are 3 main entries / exits to the community, one on Highway 46 (the main gate), one on FM 3351 (the east gate) and one on Kreutzberg Road (the west gate). Depending on where you work or your kids go to school, you may prefer to be closer to one of these gates than the others.

Provide a budget range to your agent. With the wide array of options to choose from it’s important to give your agent some budget range to help make your buying process efficient and save you time.

These are just a few of the factors to consider to get your process started. Hopefully, this checklist of questions will help you categorize your thoughts and make the process of choosing your real estate in Cordillera Ranch easy and enjoyable. The best way to help clarify some of the answers to these questions is to spend a couple days exploring Cordillera Ranch on one of our Discovery Visit stays. During your Discovery Visit weekend you will have a relaxed environment to stay in the community, explore and learn more about what areas and amenities in Cordillera Ranch you prefer the most. To learn more about our Discovery Visit please call the Cordillera Ranch Visitor Center 888.66.RANCH or go to www.cordilleraranch.com/discover/discovery-weekend/. Also, the table below will provide some insight on lot sizes and attributes in various areas of Cordillera Ranch. A map showing these areas can be found on our website at www.cordilleraranch.com/ranch/masterplan.asp.

The following table highlights some attributes of the main sections of Cordillera Ranch