We're still kicking around the idea of building a multi. (6? 8? 12? units to start with, with future expansion possible.) Not in our town, which wouldn't justify the expense, but elsewhere that has access to a better economic base. However, when looking at their zoning map, anything more than a duplex is very restricted.

All the good, flat land is being used for running cattle, growing wheat and cotton, and so on. However, I'm eyeballing a few acres coming up for tax sale. It's in a small unincorporated subdivision mostly populated by mesquite and crummy mobile homes, but there are a few mini-ranches in the area that are pretty nice.

The downside, of course, apart from being surrounded by mesquite and crummy mobile homes, is that it's only accessible by a pair of steep dirt/gravel roads. A smart person would have gone with more of a switchback design to help with the grade/incline, but they didn't. After you get to the hilltop, it's still dirt/gravel. There's not enough people living in the area for the county to really spend a whole lot of money on improving things beyond that, so I'm sure it's a whole lot of fun to drive when it's rainy or icy...

So, all that being said, although it's less than five minutes outside the city limits, and there's electric and water available, there's a bunch of negatives working against trying to develop anything there. So I was trying to think of a couple of perks that would be economical to build and low-maintenance to maintain, but would be attractive to people. "Yeah, it's annoying to get to and from work, but this place is actually pretty cool to live in" kind of a thing.

Everything I'm thinking of, though, is either more expensive than I'd expect (the average cost of a basic tennis court is $65k) or finicky to maintain (the average cost of a 32x16 inground swimming pool is $22k to build, plus $3-$5k/year to maintain). Normally, a playground would be pretty cool-- except we're considering studio apartments, so it wouldn't be the most family-friendly place at this stage.

Should I just focus on things like including satellite tv and super-fast internet with my hypothetical development? Or do other people have ideas about how to make a less-than-ideal location a little more desirable on a budget? :)

First, WHY would someone want to live in a rural place down a dirt road, and then choose a multi family? Is there shopping, work, schools, etc., nearby?

As for perks, stock tank jacuzzi? Covered picnic area with an outdoor kitchen type grill?

Maybe cater to one demographic?

It's five minutes from the county seat, so there's jobs, schools, and everything else within 3 miles. Normally, it's about 15-20-30 minutes' commute from one town to the next.

Over and over, I get people from this area who work here, but can't afford to live there. Because the salaries are nowhere-Texas, but the rents are more in line with DFW prices than mine are. I want to get a toehold in the area and take advantage of the better economic base-- but it's slow going one sfh at a time, and the zoning in-town is restrictive. In my teeny town, we have 300+ units of government apartments already, and I have no desire to try and compete with that here.

That's why I was thinking about doing a bunch of little cabin studio apartments-- it would be built more cheaply than trying to build something for families; I wouldn't have to worry about small children and wildlife encounters; and single guys are less likely to be picky about their surroundings. But DH is worried that between the demographic and the location, it would turn into a drug haven, sigh...

Close to work and shopping is a huge perk.

Does anyone play tennis any more? The tennis courts at local parks and at my HOA are always sitting empty.

How hard is it to rent with a dog in that area? Do all hard flooring, give each unit a tiny fenced yard with a dog door option. Fence a large dog exercise area. Rent to pet owners.

A pool is a nice perk but too much liability and a big problem with trailer trash neighbors sneaking in to use the pool. Just don't do it.

Every tenant wants a garage. Can you design the building so each unit gets a one car enclosed lockable garage? Then you would also need carport parking and guest parking.

Tennis was just the first thing that came to mind, because there aren't any tennis courts in my town. :P I figured it was just a concrete pad and a net, right? With some painted lines? Kind of like shooting hoops?

I was wrong! :P

Right now, I'm kind of leaning towards the idea of a shady pavilion with a barbecue grill and a picnic table.

Got DH up there to go take a look at it over lunch. It's the fourth time I've driven on the crummy roads, and I've gotten much more used to them... they don't bother me as much as the first time I drove them.

It's so nice up there, DH is seriously tempted to just keep it undeveloped for ourselves, if we're fortunate enough to get it! Now I've got to find a new place to build on, haha! :P But we might do the shady pavilion and outdoor grill just for us... in two years... presuming it doesn't get redeemed. If it does get redeemed, well, we'll make 25% on our money.

But it would be cooler to have a little pocket of land at the top of a hill... We'll see how things go.