Welch Motte Ranch

Description

Location: Welch Motte Ranch is approximately 90 miles east of Dallas in a highly desirable area of Smith County between Van, TX and Mineola, TX. The pine tree lined FM road and gated entrance is on the east side of FM 1253, approximately 4 miles south of Hwy 80.

Directions: From Downtown Dallas: Take I-30 east and drive ~6.5 miles to the exit for Hwy 80. Take the Hwy 80 exit east and travel ~19 miles to Spur 557 east. Travel ~4 miles on Spur 557 to I-20. Travel East on I-20 ~37 miles to FM 314 North exit in Van, TX. Turn north on FM 314 and drive ~1.2 miles to the intersection of FM 16. Turn east on FM 316 for ~.3 miles to Hwy 110. Turn north on Hwy 110 and drive ~1.3 miles to FM 1805. Turn east on FM 1805 and meander (numerous turns) northeast for ~5.5 miles to the junction of FM 1805 and FM 1253. Travel north on FM 1253 for ~2 miles to the ranch's pine tree lined gated entrance, on the east side of FM 1253. There is an electric gate with key pad and entry road is lined with live oak trees.

Overview: Welch Motte Ranch is an exceptional multi-use ranch in a desirable area of East Texas. Rarely does a ranch come to the market that genuinely offers exceptional cattle grazing, a spring-fed private lake, great hunting and an updated modern ranch home. Welch Motte Ranch capitalizes on all of these ranch requirements; remarkably, the setting combines rolling elevation changes, towering pine trees, heavy tree cover, live water springs and lush improved pastures.

RanchHome: The recently renovated and well-built ranch home is approximately 4,400 SF under roof and features a better floor plan with modern updates. The interior of the home consists of approximately 2500 square feet. This one-story brick home with a metal roof has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, a large living room with a large fireplace, a spacious modern kitchen with a connected sunroom and a detached two car garage with a covered walkway. Textures, trims and fixtures fit the house and the setting perfect. Large wrap-around porches allow for scenic views from every direction.

Other Improvements: Removed from the main home are two guest cottages located near the ranch's 4.5 acre fishing lake. This private setting is in an area with mature pine trees where undergrowth was recently mulched. Each home features two bedrooms and one bathroom and both are perfect for entertaining guests. Near the main home is fully functional hay barn and set of steel working pens.

Cattle and Pastures: The pastures are highly improved coastal Bermuda grass that is over seeded with ryegrass as the winter range grass. Currently, the owner's cow calf programs supports approximately 75 animal units on roughly 140 acres of pastures. Improved pastureland is fertilized and weed sprayed each year. Fenced with five strand barbed wire fencing, the pasture plan and layout allows for easy rotational grazing and efficiently transitions cattle from pasture to the ranch's modern working pens with gentle handling in mind.

Spring-fed Lake and Source Spring: Welch Motte's Ranch's primary fishery is a spring-fed 4.5+/- acre fishing lake. This constant level lake maintains full capacity year-round due to the source spring located uphill and on the ranch. With nearly 6/10ths of a mile of shoreline, the lake feels large, ideal for a small fishing boat and an afternoon of relaxation. This fishery has been stocked recently with Florida bass, bluegill, red ear bream and other baitfish. The area around the lake is park-like, with planted Cypress Trees, lush grasses and a gazebo/ boat dock for entertaining. The owners report excellent fishing in this memorable setting.

The source spring for the ranch's fishing lake is located on the ranch and is fenced off from the other pastures. The owner has developed the spring's water flow by constructing a short earthen filtration dam with a culvert that allows the perennial spring to run cleanly and predictably into the fishing lake below.

Wildlife: The ranch has a strong population of whitetail deer, with hunting limited solely to family members. A portion of the riparian area near Village Creek at the back of the property can have strong numbers of ducks in the winter. There may be future development potential to create an outstanding waterfowl hunting area. There are also squirrels, varmint, songbirds and many other wildlife resources.

Utilities: A rural co-op water well is located at a remote corner of the ranch, providing free water to the home. There is also a newly drilled private water well providing an additional source of water. Electricity is provided by Wood County Electric Co-op. The main ranch home and two cabins use conventional septic systems.

Taxes: Property taxes are Ag-Exempt and are estimated to be $10,054.37 for 2017.

Minerals: The owners have an interest in the mineral estate. Currently, there are no active leases or wells on the ranch.

Price: $1,675,000

Contact:

Blake Hortenstine, 214-616-1305 mobile

Wright Monning, 214-794-1475 mobile