Colonias, plats, and utility connections

Because Webb County is within 50 miles of the border, residential subdivisions outside city limits fall under the colonias-prevention rules in Local Government Code Chapter 232, Subchapter B, and lots of five acres or less are presumed residential. Under § 232.029, a utility generally may not connect water or sewer to subdivided land without a commissioners court certificate or a finding that the plat was approved, and may not connect electricity or gas until adequate water and sewer are in place. Older lots and long-occupied homes have narrow exceptions, each needing its own certificate.

The Webb County Planning Department handles platting, utility connection permits, and floodplain permits outside city limits. In practice, an unplatted lot or a house without a utility certificate is very hard to sell to anyone using a loan. We buy them as they are, and the platting and connection questions become part of our review rather than something you have to solve first.

Contracts for deed and executory contracts

Many Webb County families bought their lot or house on a contract for deed instead of a deed and mortgage. Texas regulates these as executory contracts in Property Code Chapter 5, Subchapter D, when the property is the buyer's residence. The seller must record the contract within 30 days of signing, and the buyer may convert it into recorded legal title at any time by paying the balance or signing a note and deed of trust.

Once the buyer has paid 40 percent of the amount due or the equivalent of 48 monthly payments, or the contract is recorded, the seller cannot simply declare a forfeiture. The seller must give notice of default, allow at least 60 days to cure, and sell through a trustee. Title gaps are common: a buyer paid in full but never received a deed, or the original seller died before signing one. We review the contract and payment history and tell you what a sale would take.

Older Laredo houses, the river, and owners who live away

Central Laredo has houses that grew over decades, with rooms added on, a second unit on the lot, or a carport enclosed, much of it never permitted. In the city, Code Enforcement issues warnings and then citations for weeds, nuisances, junked vehicles, and dumping, and a vacant house whose owner lives elsewhere picks up those cases quickly. Low ground near the Rio Grande and the creeks that drain into it carries flood exposure, so check the flood zone for the specific address.

Many Webb County owners live in Mexico or out of state. The title company can arrange for documents to be signed away from Laredo. If the seller is a foreign person for U.S. tax purposes, federal FIRPTA rules generally require 15 percent of the amount realized to be withheld at closing, which is something to plan for, not a barrier.

Webb County property we buy

  • Lots and houses in colonias and other subdivisions outside Laredo city limits
  • Unplatted lots, or lots with no water, sewer, or utility certificate
  • Property bought or sold on a contract for deed, recorded or not
  • Older central Laredo houses with additions that were never permitted
  • Lots with more than one dwelling or a mobile home beside the main house
  • Houses owned by family members living in Mexico or out of state
  • Vacant houses with open City of Laredo code cases
  • Inherited houses where the owner passed away and nothing was ever filed

Courts, records, and closing in Webb County

Laredo is the county seat. The Webb County Appraisal District sets appraised values, and the Webb County Tax Assessor-Collector bills and collects the county tax. Deeds, liens, and other instruments are recorded with the Webb County Clerk, which is also where a recorded executory contract will be found. Webb County has no statutory probate court. Probate cases are filed with the County Clerk and heard in the county courts at law in Laredo.

A title company closes the sale, and Texas has no transfer tax on the deed. Here, title review is usually the slowest step: an unrecorded contract, a missing deed, an unplatted lot, or heirs who never opened probate, which an affidavit of heirship or muniment of title often resolves. Send whatever paperwork you have, even if incomplete.

Frequently asked questions

Do you buy lots in colonias that have no water or sewer?

Yes. We buy unplatted and unserviced lots. Tell us what utilities the lot has and how it was bought, and we work through the platting and certificate questions with the title company.

I paid off my house on a contract for deed but never got a deed. Can I sell?

Usually, yes. The first step is getting a deed from the original seller, or from that seller's estate if they have died. We can review your contract and payment records and tell you what the title company will need.

Can I sell my Laredo house while I live in Mexico?

Yes. The title company can arrange for documents to be signed away from Laredo, so in most cases you do not need to come back for the closing.

Will tax be withheld from my sale proceeds?

Federal FIRPTA withholding applies if you are a foreign person for U.S. tax purposes. It generally requires 15 percent of the amount realized to be withheld at closing. A U.S. citizen living in Mexico is not a foreign person. Confirm your status with a tax advisor.

Do you buy older Laredo houses with additions that were never permitted?

Yes. Unpermitted rooms, enclosed carports, and second units do not have to be legalized before we close.

My parents' house in Laredo was never put through probate. Can you still buy it?

Often yes. Title has to be cleared first, through probate, a muniment of title, or an affidavit of heirship the title company accepts. Start that early, especially if some heirs live outside the country.

Webb County property and court resources

Sources