How do we get water?

We have several Tracts with existing water wells and I’ll point these out to you as we drive through. These Tracts are scattered across Sierra La Rana so you will still have a choice of elevation and character of land. If you choose land without a well you drill your own with either Skinners Well Service or Arrowhead drilling…both have had successful wells at Sierra La Rana and have been relatively maintenance free. The drilling process usually takes one to two days. One of the things we can review in more detail if you choose land without a well is a map of existing wells to see their depth and gallons per minute in relative location to your property.

What do we do about septic?

A.G. Hayes will install your septic system. These systems use a simple holding tank that flows into your drain field. Your drain field will have a series of lateral lines that will distribute the waste water underground. Once your septic system in installed it will be inspected by one of the Brewster County Code inspectors so as to meet all requirements and protect you from problems down the road. A.G. is a licensed installer. My wife and I have always been on septic and we put in Rid-X once a month and it gave us trouble free use.

Can we fence our land?

Yes, you may fence all or part of your land. Fences must follow standards and specifications as set out by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture…basically wire net, barb wire, smooth wire, pipe or pipe and cable. We do ask that you complete an Architectural review form and have it approved before beginning any work of this type.

Can we have horses?

Absolutely, we have several current owners with horses and they are able to enjoy the trail area as well as just riding on their own land or on roads in the development. We do ask that animals be kept in reasonable numbers and you can’t start a horse business that would require customers to come on site.

Can we have chickens?

Chickens are allowed, in reasonable numbers. You can’t start an egg farm and have people coming in to the development to buy them. But if you have too many eggs, you can always take them to the farmers market held each Saturday morning in Alpine. The chickens would have to be penned in so as not to be a nuisance to your neighbors.

Is Solar power allowed?

Sierra La Rana does allow solar but it will have to be screened from public view. If you choose to use solar on either your home or well, we would include that in the Architectural review before you build.

What are building restrictions?

We ask that all homes be a minimum of 1,500 square feet of interior living space. Made of natural or approved material like stone, stucco, wood, log…materials such as that. We will review existing homes as we drive thru so you can get a feel for what the development is trying to accomplish…no mobile homes of course and… basically a home that fits…like…ranch, rural, Spanish style…homes along those lines keeping with the heritage and tradition of the Big bend area.

Where can we hike/ride horses?

There is a Hiking area that is leased on a year to year basis from CF Properties. This is about 3,000 acres and is open from Feb. 1st thru Oct. 14th each year. This is for hiking, mountain biking or horseback riding…just no motorized vehicles and is for owners and their guests only. The terrain in this area goes from mountains to valleys so you can decide just how much of a hike or ride you want to take. Along with this area you’ll see owners just enjoying walks on the 11 miles of road thru the development. The scenery is spectacular from the Trail area but also from any stretch of the roads so some owners choose just to enjoy what’s right at their front door.

What are the taxes?

Sierra La Rana is a working cattle ranch so your current taxes are ag exempt…this is $.50 per acre, per year…once you build, the one acre you develop will be taxed at Brewster County Tax rates which are about $17  per $1,000 of assessed value per year. If you fence your land this could affect your exemption.

How many homes are currently in the development and are they permanent residence?

We have 31 existing homes in Sierra La Rana with two under construction and several more in the planning stages. Out of these there are two families that only live here part of the year. For the rest, there are some that are employed in this area and we have a few that are retired. There are some families with children as well that attend Alpine Schools.

Do we owner finance?

We do not owner finance but if you would like to use an institution in this area to begin doing business locally, I will introduce you to people who have handled other Sierra La Rana loans…Doris Weatherman at West Texas National Bank or Ashley Wood at Capital Farm Credit…both have handled business for us before and done a great job

What about electricity?

The views are one of the main attractions of Sierra La Rana and we have gone to a lot of extra expense in the layout of this development to install underground electricity to each tract. This keeps the annoying electric poles from obstructing your views …and keeps them out of your photos when you take some amazing sunset shots from your land.

What are the HOA dues?

The HOA dues are a nominal $50 per acre per year. This goes for road maintenance, keeping the front and back gate maintained and for the wireless fee for our security cameras at the front and back gate.

Is wireless internet available?

High Speed internet is available thru Big Bend Telephone…and they can provide packages offering 3, 6 or 12 MB depending on your needs. They will work with you to help you decide which is best for your use.  Starlink Satellite Internet service is also available (https://www.starlink.com/).

How do we get our mail?

You have a choice on mail delivery. You can rent a PO Box at the post office in Alpine or we have boxes located at the back gate. These boxes will be assigned upon your request and you will simply tell Alpine Post Office your box number and that you live at Sierra La Rana…I have furnished them with updated information. If a package is too large you will get a key in your box that will open one of the larger boxes below.

How many tracts are sold and how many are available?

As of this time, we have 75 tracts that have been sold… and we have 34 tracts still available so we have just passed the 50% sold mark…the map provided to you at the beginning of the tour will show sold land and where the homes are located.

What about mineral rights?

You will be entitled to 1/2 of any mineral rights owned by Sierra La Rana and Sierra La Rana retains executorship.

Is this just a retirement community?

Sierra La Rana is not just a retirement community….we have a diverse cross section of owners. We have families that work in Alpine, Border Patrol Agents, Teachers from Sul Ross…a builder…a Doctor….families with children, families without children…and we do have some retired couples. The point is that what we have is a group of people that truly love what Sierra La Rana and the Big Bend area offers and that covers a wide range of ages.

Can we have a guest house?

A cabana, guest house or maids quarters are allowed…this structure would need to be built in the same style and structure as the main residence and cannot exceed 50% of the interior square footage of the main house and would need to be approved before construction.

Can we have a garden?

A small garden is allowed and we have owners that do this…one owner has a small garden beside their house and one owner has a small greenhouse. When you get ready to do this I will introduce you to them so you can find out what plants work and which ones don’t and which system you might want to go with.

What about trash pick up?

You have a choice…you can purchase a tag for your vehicle from the city and use any dumpster in Alpine, you can hire Texas Disposal Systems and they will pick up at the end of your driveway once a week or there are several owners that have pooled together to rent dumpsters at the back gate…I manage this account and it’s about $200.00 per year and we have about 8 residents using this system.

Does UPS/FedEx deliver to my home or just the gate?

Both UPS and FedEx deliver to your home, and I’ve been told they deliver well into the night at times….they have a special gate code that allows them entry.

Can we build a barn?

We have several owners with nice barns……and one owner is getting ready to build….your barn would need to be made from the same or similar materials as your main residence… and would need to be approved before construction begins.

Are we allowed to collect rainwater?

Rainwater collection from your roof is allowed…There are a couple of owners that collect rain water from their roof…and actually catch quite a bit and use it for watering plants and process it for additional house water…the storage tanks would need to be behind your home and shielded from public view. Since we are talking about water…stock tanks are allowed but must be approved before construction and cannot exceed 5% of the entire surface area of your land.

Can we build a riding arena?

We have several owners that have small arenas…these…like perimeter fences would need to be approved before building and would need to follow the standards and specifications for fencing by the US Dept. of Agriculture…but wow…what a place to ride.

Now that you’ve decided that Alpine, TX, is the best place for you to live, let us guide you to the best place to build your home in this small West Texas Town: Sierra La Rana!