Sixty-one heavily wooded acres bisected by Rocky Branch Creek feeding into Lake Aquilla. Fully renovated cottage overlooking a neighboring hay field just off the gravel road hidden from neighbors. The road frontage on three sides provides an upside for potential subdividing if desired. The property is supported by a co-op water line and bordered by privately accessible core land to the south adjoining Lake Aquilla. The seller believes to own 100 percent of the minerals and will convey them with negotiated terms acceptable to the seller. The core land adjoins the property directly and can be privately accessed from the property providing use of and access to the shoreline of Lake Aquilla and surrounding government land. The core land is not accessible to the public through the property and there are no easements or access points of any kind that encroach the property. Convenient to Lake Aquilla, Lake Whitney, Hillsboro, and Waco Proper, this property makes for a sound investment and appealing retreat in the country.
Sixty-one heavily wooded acres are bisected by Rocky Branch Creek, which is a tributary feeding into Lake Aquilla. The improvements include a cottage farmhouse that has been gutted to the studs and remodeled. Surrounded by towering oaks and other native hardwoods overlooking a neighboring hay field just off the gravel road hidden from neighbors. The road frontage on three sides provides an upside for potential subdividing if desired, supported by a co-op water line around the perimeter and bordered by privately accessible core land to the south adjoining Lake Aquilla. The seller believes to own 100 percent of the minerals and will convey them with negotiated terms acceptable to the seller. The core land adjoins the property directly and can be privately accessed from the property providing use of and access to the shoreline of Lake Aquilla and surrounding acres. The core land is not accessible to the public through the property and there are no easements or access points of any kind that encroach on the property. Convenient to Lake Aquilla, Lake Whitney, Hillsboro, and Waco Proper.
This region of Central Texas, in Hill County, is rural and in the heart of rolling sandy loam and black farmland, with rich and fertile hardwood bottoms. It is in close proximity to Dallas-Fort Worth and Waco, with a wildly different atmosphere and pace. A smaller acreage property adjoining government land with no other contiguous neighbors ensures the integrity of the neighboring property and its future surroundings. A buyer will be hard-pressed to find this size property with the amount of frontage, access to utilities, proximity to the metroplex and DFW International Airport, potential to subdivide, dense cover for wildlife, and a well-maintained functional homestead. The amount of road frontage on the county road and the possibility of owning minerals with the purchase of the property makes a sound investment and a place in the country to enjoy in the meantime.
Hill County has been a longtime farming county topping the charts for cotton and corn production. It is primarily an ag-centered county and holds mostly small communities and towns, with the largest county seat being Hillsboro, Texas. Roughly 30 miles north of the county line lies Tarrant and Dallas County. Tarrant and Dallas Counties are home to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, which is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States. A widely diverse metropolitan area encompassing Fort Worth and Dallas, home to over 7,000,000 people and 23 Fortune 500 companies. Hill County is more rural relief than its neighboring counties to the north but in proximity enjoying the conveniences that large metro areas and international airports provide. Rocky Branch Cottage is located just west of Interstate 35 and west of the town of Hillsboro near the banks of Lake Aquilla. Hillsboro provides all the basic needs, including state public schools, gas stations, auto parts, a hardware store, large retailers such as Walmart and Tractor Supply, local and chain grocery stores, a feed store, and local and chain restaurants. Neighboring properties are comprised of similar size or larger tracts, primarily rural homesites and small hobby farms sustaining a pastoral and peaceful setting. Less than 10 miles to the east is a popular and growing area around Lake Whitney, one of the larger public lakes in Texas fed by the Brazos River, an attraction for year-round recreation and tourism to the area.
An annual average rainfall of 38 inches makes conservation of surface water feasible and a plentiful resource. With snowfall not always being a yearly occurrence, Hill County does average one to three inches of snowfall per year. Averaging 231 days of sunshine per year and maintaining a modest southern climate with average high temperatures in the mid-90s and lows generally reached in January and February in the mid-30s.
The property maintains an old-time feeling of history and the character of living on what once was a farm and homestead. Surrounded by a mature variety of oak, persimmon, redbud, wild plum, hickory, and towering pecan trees, there is a sense of privacy and connection to a simpler pace of living.
All 61± acres are deeded and conveyed in the sale. The adjoining core land is not leased but is privately accessible from the property.
The home has been completely remodeled to the studs. It is a classic turn-of-the-century farmhouse recently modernized and maintaining the feel of a charming southern homestead. Two bedrooms, two baths, a living room, a kitchen, and formal dining are all on the downstairs floor, with an office, a third bedroom, and a full bathroom located on the second floor. The home was remodeled over the last two years, updating it with new plumbing from the street to the septic, electric, insulation, sheetrock, and flooring. A new roof, meter base, and an entirely new septic system have also been installed. The house is equipped with cameras and a security system. Gas and electric appliances were updated in the course of the remodel as well. The rest of the improvements include several turn-of-the-century outbuildings that are charming and, with a little work, could be functional but currently add little to no value.
Surface water includes Rocky Branch Creek, one pond, a co-op water line with a meter in place, all of which are adjacent to Lake Aquilla.
The seller believes to own all water and wind rights to the property and will convey whatever rights seller currently owns.
Conveyance of owned mineral rights is negotiable with an acceptable offer to the seller.
There are no agriculture or other exemptions currently in place. Annual property taxes are approximately $10,000 based upon past years.
Fishing on Lake Aquilla provides primarily black bass, crappie, catfish, carp, and drum. Lake Whitney is also in close proximity and is a much larger lake that is known for striper fishing as well as bass, catfish, crappie, and other game fish.
A combination of whitetail deer, Rio Grande turkey, and migratory waterfowl are frequent to the property. Plenty of natural browse along the creek bottom, heavily wooded large timber, and abundant surface water create a great habitat for wildlife. The ranch is in the “central flyway” along Interstate 35, so duck and goose hunting is a given resource in the area as well as the adjoining core land.
Hunting and fishing are a given for this property, with access to the adjoining core land, and is heavily wooded from boundary to boundary. With only two public boat ramps to Lake Aquilla, it remains a quiet lake visited primarily by anglers, kayaks, and canoes.
The property is currently being used as a recreational and hunting retreat.
