My dad and I are looking to purchase around 20-50 acres to build two houses on and have a little room to set up a few stands on. We're currently looking in the Hunt/Collin/Grayson county areas primarily. Ideally the wooded portion of the land would be attached to a greater portion of forest so there are some travel lanes for animals.

Also looking for a land broker who specializes in that area (Hunt/Collin Counties) - we want someone who is willing to sit down with us and answer all of our first-time land buyer questions, be knowledgeable about potential home sites and utility access, and has some connections for unlisted properties.

Chances are we're paying cash unless we fall in love with something a little out of our budget and want to partially finance it.

Also I have a few questions for you land gurus:
What is the typical cost for dozing a heavily wooded area?
What other costs are associated with turning a wooded area into a suitable home build site?
How difficult/costly is it to split a property for resale to a second owner after it is purchased?

I can tell you that clearing a heavily wooded area isn't as costly as you might think. Look for a company with a hydro axe and they can turn anything up to medium sized trees into mulch in a hurry.

I called to get a quote on 200 yards long times 10 yards wide, and got, "Oh, that'd be a 1 day job falling under our minimum of $2000." They're used to cutting long easements I guess.

I got some good advice from a land clearing guy: Ask for a total bid rather than a price per day. If the guy on the dozer has a slow week scheduled, he'll take his sweet time about it and charge you more, and you'll never know the difference. Getting a total bid for a set amount of acreage makes everything up front and understood.

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