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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Dream Comes True.January 1, 2012 -- Karen and Alan's dream has come true. After over a year of showing their home, a real estate market that was less than good, and only two days left on the current contract a buyer arrived and the old ranch was sold. Now it was between Thanksgiving and Christmas they had no place lined up to go to, no plans for the horses, geese and chickens and nothing packed. The buyer needed to move in only four days after closing and the weather was calling for rain. In a flurry of driving through the area looking at possible properties the hope of finding a place that would work was dwindling.
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alan@littlegemranch.net with questions or comments about this web site.
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Then
one of Alan's volunteer firefighter friends mentioned a place a few
"doors" down from his ranch. Now, out here in the east Texas country
three "doors" down is about a mile and it was fairly close to Interstate
20 so driving by was put off until one afternoon they were coming back
from shopping at Wal Mart. Once they saw it they had to call their
agent and ask to see the place. The day before the showing Lorie
(their agent) called to tell them that they could look at it, but it was
under contract. With that in mind Karen warned Alan as they
arrived to look at it "Don't like this place too much. It is under
contract and CAN'T be ours. We are looking at this simply as a
comparison." The viewing went very fast and the consensus was it
was perfect.
The new property hosts all of the horse facilities that Karen and Alan
wanted and many more. The home is a mid 1970's brick house with
2100 + square feet. It has room for Karen's work shop and a
computer room that isn't in the garage for Alan. It has wood
floors a beautiful fireplace, very nice decor and a good flow. A
concrete driveway from the asphalt county road means even the Harley can
enter and leave with no problems. The pipe fences surround the
house and most of the front pasture. There is an in ground salt
water pool in the back yard next to the detached garage. 
house, garage, pool, 65 foot round pen, pasture and 4000 square foot
barn with pipe stalls. In the barn there is a tack room and a
grain room/office. The breeze way is large enough that the horse
trailer can be parked in there and it is not in the way at all.
There is a 3 horse run in shed that is part of the barn yard area for
a foaling area. The barn has it's own electric and has water run to
it. 
The
middle section of the property, about 6 or 7 acres, is planted with
coastal hay. This means that Little Gem Ranch can cut and bail
their own hay rather than buying it from other sources. This will
be a large cost savings. There is a well on the property as well
as the water from the water main. The plan is to use the well to
irrigate the hay pasture so that the maximum yield from the area can be
achieved. 
The
third section is where the real bonuses were found. There is a
large tank (Texan for stock pond) for the geese, large mature oak trees,
with a dense wooded area at the fence line and a professional lighted
roping arena with water . The arena has pipe fencing with cable
runs, four large holding pens and an electric roping chute. This
opens up the possibility of having events right here at the Little Gem
Ranch. Karen is looking forward to being able to ride in the arena
at night this summer when it is not as hot.
