ranch roundup
3 Texas-sized ranches near Houston hit the market in time for rodeo season
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo may be giving you the itch to lasso your own ranch. The folks at the Compass residential real estate firm have rustled up listings for three ranches in the Houston area that just might appeal to your inner cowboy or cowgirl.
The Compass roundup, shared exclusively with CultureMap, features:
- A nearly $16 million ranch in Fort Bend County.
- A nearly $5.8 million ranch in Washington County.
- An almost $1 million ranch in Austin County.
“Because 2021 brought a high demand in land sales, our market has seen an overall increase in value in a very short time, leading to country property being the type of real estate to purchase right now,” Cari Goeke, a Compass agent in Brenham, tells CultureMap.
“With such close proximity to Houston, we have seen an abundance of second-home buyers coming out this way looking for that country oasis they can escape to from the big city,” she adds. “There has been no slowdown in sight; we expect this trend to continue for years to come. Land is a luxury!”
The Fort Bend County ranch, at 12955 Gubbels Rd. near the tiny town of Thompsons, is listed at $15.95 million. It sits just east of Smithers Lake.
The listing from Compass agents Lucas Marcelli and Kristina Houston describes the property as an “impeccably maintained recreation ranch” near George Ranch Historical Park and less than an hour from downtown Houston.
The ranch’s four parcels, totaling 405 acres, include a main residence, two small guesthouses, an office, and a barn. The residences offer three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and one half-bathroom.
The listing notes that the 184-mile Grand Parkway road project is supposed to slice through the property.
Roughly 90 miles northwest of the Gubbels Road ranch sits a 228-acre ranch at 9950 Palestine Rd., northeast of Brenham. While the Fort Bend County ranch is minimalistic, this Washington County ranch is designed for folks who like to throw large parties and live large. The property is priced at $5.75 million.
The listing from Compass agents Diane Kiecke and Jenny Becker boasts that Diamond L Ranch “was carefully curated” to supply recreational, commercial, wedding venue, and corporate retreat opportunities. The amenities are seemingly endless:
- 4,000 square feet of indoor dining and entertaining space.
- 3,000 square feet of game room space.
- 3,000 square feet of commercial kitchen space.
- Massive dining room.
- Three bars.
- One saloon.
- Two exercise rooms.
- Indoor pool.
- Three-acre pond.
To top that off, this Architectural Digest-worthy ranch offers 11 bedrooms, 15 full bathrooms, and eight half-bathrooms. This includes a 3,000-square-foot primary retreat, a 1,700-square-foot bunk room, and a mother-in-law suite.
Not part of the ranch listing but available for sale are 60 acres of land, a 32,000-square-foot feed store, a 14,000-square-foot shop, an 18-stall horse barn, and cattle pens.
Rounding out the trio of ranches is a more modest 14.6-acre property at 5485 U.S. Route 36 northwest of Bellville. This Austin County ranch is available for $999,900.
The fully remodeled three-bedroom, two-bathroom main house anchors the ranch. The redo blends farmhouse and modern décor. The 720-square-foot guesthouse, comprising one bedroom, one bathroom, and a kitchenette, could welcome overnight visitors or Airbnb guests.
The ranch’s 1,040-square-foot pool house includes a full kitchen, a bathroom, and space for entertainment, retail, or commercial uses.
“With an abundance of wildlife, trails, treehouse, vineyard, lavender crops, equipment shed, workshop, and the most beautiful cypress-lined, spring-fed pond that is stocked, this property is a recreational oasis!” says the listing, being handled by Goeke and fellow Compass agent Tiffany Shannon.