On any given day there are acres and acres of hot, dusty land under the wide open Texas skies for sale. This kind of land is not for everybody. In fact some of it may not be for anybody but the rattlesnakes that live there but some hardy souls have in fact found some good deals in off the beaten path locations like Hudspeth, Brewster, Pecos and El Paso County where they have built eco friendly solar powered homes and are living as "desert rats". Near the old ghost town of Terlinula, near Big Bend National Park there are tracts of land up to 40 acres or more for some pretty cheap prices.

What you have to watch out for though is how far off of the paved road these tracts are and if there is any improved road leading to it.

If a parcel of land is far off of an improved road and will require thousands of dollars of dozer work just to get a passable road to it, it is not worth even a few dollars per acre.

Most of these tracts that you see in West Texas do not, nor will ever have water or electricity. For some though, the challenge of building an "earthship" type of home, that is off the grid is appealing.

There is ample solar power and if you can afford enough panels and batteries you will have all the electricity you will ever need, especially if you build a home with thick walls and an earthen roof.

You will have to haul some water though even if you put in a large rainwater collection system, since annual rainfall in the Big Bend area is less tan 20 inches per year.

Be sure there are no back taxes on the land you are bidding on and that you are not in fact bidding on the down payment. Read the fine print of the auction and check the location of the parcel on Google earth.

If you can contact a local in the area to ask about the land try and do so.

Many hardy individuals have found good deals on land on Ebay in West Texas. You must be careful though. Check the sellers feedback and comments.

Good Luck