I’m looking at several undeveloped lots on the county tax foreclosure list. Before I go off to the courthouse to dig up the plat maps, on each property record there is a field for “Property Type”. Will this description give me an idea of lot desirability, and does anyone know what the following descriptions mean?
Does A1 or S1 imply that the lot is good, and A2 or A3 imply the lot is less good? Should I completely avoid aything other than A1 or S1 lots? My plan is to buld small homes for resale on these lots.
Thats a great question, however let me caution you against trying to derive any meaningful information from these codes. While they do have some meaning, you may run across several issues:
they may not be used with uniformity across all counites
viewing the property is still give you the most information. I do not recommend buying tax sale lands in Texas without first viewing the property.
I have found in my own investments that relying on codes such as this can create confusion. For example, here are the state class codes according to the Harris County Appraisal District:
A1 Real, Residential, Single-Family
A2 Real, Residential, Mobile Homes
While we are talking about two different sets of codes…it can create confusion for investors…
But since you asked here is the general rule regarding these designations:
A1 - Frontage to a main highway, road, throughfare or a proposed highway, road, throughfare.
A2 - Not frontage lots
A3 - Residual - I don’t know (ask the county)
A4 - Primary Site - possibly higher value. It is land designated for a homesite in a residential subdivsion development.
The general rule is ASK the county…don’t ever assume anything.
I appreciate the response and the advice. Rest assured, I wont buy without seeing the property. These codes are confusing, so I think I’ll take your advice and visit with the county to see how they are using the codes, in particular A2 and A3. Thanks again.