Important Features in Land

I just got done looking at 850 acres in Coleman County. This spectacular ranch will be listed soon! It will be a neat one for sure... I had a great conversation with the seller and while driving, thinking, and enjoying the windshield time I have, I pulled over to pose this question to you. I am excited for each of your perspectives...

In your opinion, what are the three main drivers that create value in land?

Depends and is different based on your main purposes for the land. Since this is a hunting forum, I will speak from my primary focus which is hunting. First, I want a property that is target rich, meaning I want a place that will allow me the opportunity to see/and if fortunate shoot a "mature, trophy" whitetail seasonally. That said, I'd like the whitetail density to be reasonable in nature and if have hogs, turkey, dove, quail and varmint opportunities even better. Secondly, I would look, at overall topography of property and surrounding properties; the property and surrounding properties need to have optimal cover, tanks and some open spaces to see and shelter said animals; also, want to make sure surrounding properties are not a bunch of small ranches with elevated towers everywhere and on every fenceline. Finally and maybe most important, I want the prospective property to be reasonably priced and in reasonable distance to my house. My current property is two hours from home to front gate and that proves extremely helpful, especially with day hunts and what not.

For my hunting pleasure, major land improvements beyond driveable roads/lanes are not a necessity.

Location
Access
Water
--- --- --- ---
Usable land
Existing amenities / improvements / infrastructure / utilities ( including any imaginable deemed important by the prospective buyer)
Restrictions, covenants, encumbrances
Property defects
Recent survey ~ no encroachments.
Neighboring properties / what do you share fence lines with.

What a GREAT response! Being that you were the first, with a very accurate response, I am going to send you a new tumbler that I just had made. I will post a picture at the end of this post. I will send you a PM for your address.

Water, Topography, and Cover are huge! Every property has a highest and best use. I recently talked to a client about his desire to use a portion of his ranch for agriculture and hunting. He wanted to clear a lot of his cover but realized what how it was going to affect his goals moving forward. We all learn new things everyday.

Thanks for taking the time to give me your opinion.

water, location and surrounding properties (prefer very large neighbors) would be my top 3 and not necessarily in that order

Thanks Brandon, really generous gesture!

owned many properties in Texas as well as hunting many - answer to your question???????? WATER - without it forget it

These are just a few items I think about when helping a buyer or a seller. It is always beneficial to put it out there and encourage thinking. I have recently worked with absentee owners who inherited the property and knew nothing about land. We have to be there for one another.

Location - How far is your property from the major markets/populous?
Water - How much and what kind of water do you have?
Elevation change and diversity of the land?
Wildlife---What kind of documentation do you have that will help a potential Buyer rest assured that your property has what they are looking to pursue?
Roads - How accessible is your property from one corner to the next? Are they all weather?
Scarcity - How unique is your property from all the others that are currently on the market?
Income producing capability such as oil and gas production and future exploration?
Are there any features that are “one of a kind,” and cannot be duplicated?
What kind of improvements are there? Are they adequate? Are the improvements “over-built” or are they about right for the features and overall value of the property?

Have a great night y'all. Thank you for the participation. Look for another post in the near future. I guarantee you will not want to miss that discussion....

Brandon is good people! He knows my response to this question, but I didn’t see the post until too late anyway.

Look forward to seeing the next discussion

Water by far. Neighbors probably a pretty close second as unless you have several sections the neighbors are going to impact what ever your try to do

Interesting question. I think it will vary for each individual Buyer as well as by Location/Region.

Many people bring up water, which most people correlate as surface water. Most will agree that its a nice feature but a lot of folks could take it or leave it, as long as wildlife and stock have something to drink.

Others place a high value on Wildlife productivity while others focus more on Ag Productions, others still want a combination of both.

Many will put value both in shorter term recreational use but also longer term development/investment potential related to location/ease of access.


12 years of being in the Farm & Ranch real estate business has given me some interesting perspective on what people are looking for in property. There is a hat for every head.

I will add my first question when considering buying a piece of real estate is this "how long has it been on the market"

Good stuff - in reference to location, if buyer was to live on the land, then healthcare availability. Income producing would depend on soil, water and elevation, plus cost to improve pastures if needed. Just for me - water/elec, woods, all weather roads to access main home. Ag or Wildlife exemption.

I've always wondered why this is relevant to people?


I've sold some marginal pieces of property pretty dang quick. I've sold some fantastic properties that took a year or two before we got a contract on it

because it can give a buyer an idea if something may be wrong with the property (overpriced, issues, etc.) if it has been on the market for a long time. If it is new on the market then could indicate that the seller may not be willing to negotiate much. Not saying it is always a good indicator but more times than not it has been for me . Just my experience over 40 years of buying properties

great thread by the way - enjoy seeing some of these properties!

Cajuns...How many Cajuns are around on neighboring property.

The answer is yes....just yes

Location always #1, anything else depends on the buyer.

For me....location, utilities, terrain.

Ponds can be dug, roads can be cut, but location can't be changed and I don't want to drive more than 2 hours. If utilities aren't available that is a no-go for me. I like big trees and elevation changes so I prefer East Texas.

Location, electric, water and the amounts of crop and pasture acreage. Current property tax status. Are the neighbors actively farming or is it leased land.

Right after water, I would add tillable land. If I am ever lucky enough to purchase land for hunting...my first job would be to put in food plots. Closely related....I would also look very hard at elevation changes. My current hunting options include some good harvesting options....we have learned the deer movement...but no great views. Four stands for four major wind directions with feeders at 100-150 yards with limited views beyond the feeders themselves (limited on tree clearing or food plots). A intermittent creek with bluffs/ridges overlooking the bottom would be optimal. I also would be VERY interested in neighbors.

And finally....i would not want any amenities...a GREAT deal of the fun would be figuring out where to place stands, build roads, add ponds, and build cabin/outbuildings.

Right after water is Usable land, left vague on purpose.
' Useable ' as in what any given prospective buyer deems or defines usable for his intensions. Hunting, fishing, crops, grazing, mobile home park to piss off neighbors,,, whatever.