Hunting Property Plan

After selling this hunting tract, the buyer asked me what I would do to improve the property. I put this plan together for him, the green areas will be future food plots. The biggest plot to the south will be the late season plot to help hold deer through the winter months. The other two will be early season staging plots to the larger food plot and to the major grain food source to the east. The largest food plot will be planted with brassicas this year and will have brassicas and soy beans next year when he has the growing period needed. The smaller staging plots will be planted with clover and chicory. The red areas marked on the map are where the new owner will go in and cut down some tree tops and add thick cover with old Christmas trees and other things to help make those prime bedding areas. Also, not shown he will add a small watering hole in the wash running through the middle of the property. The property already has great deer and turkey traffic for 20 acres but this should really help pull some big bucks to the property.

-Minnesota Land Specialist Lucas Mestad

Posted by admin on August 20, 2018

What Are Land Prices Doing?

Farmland prices for the month of July 2018 were strong for the few sales that took place, however they were very limited in volume. Trade talks in interest rates continue to be hot topics however A quality farms that have come up for sale have achieved very high prices. Tillable land in southeastern Minnesota currently ranges between $5000-$9000 per acre regularly and our buyers are split 50-50 between operators and investors. In Northeast Iowa we are seeing tillable land sell between $5500-$10,000 per acre depending on quality and location. Hunting land in both states has consistently risen with buildable opportunities and high timber prices putting our recreational ground between $3000-$5000 per acre regularly. If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a farm give one of our High Point land agents a call to answer your questions. They are a great resource to use to your advantage. Have a wonderful rest of your summer and we look forward to a prosperous third-quarter and a great, safe harvest season ahead.

-High Point

Posted by admin on August 6, 2018

What to Look for in a Timber Tract or Hunting Land

Are you looking to buy a timber tract or hunting land?

Timber tracts can be quite unique and vary from one to the next, especially in price. Right now we are seeing a range on timber/hunting tracts that go from $2250-$5000+ per acre depending on several things. The main factors that go into the price of the property are if there is a building site, the quality of timber on the property, other income, access (hunting and vehicle), neighborhood, improvements to the property, and proximity to paved roads.

The quality of timber on a property is important to look at when buying a tract. When walking a property look for cut stumps and logging roads to see if the property may have been previously logged. Good trees to look for will have a trunk of at least 24 inches that you cannot get your arms around, that have grown straight for at least the first 15-20 feet with very few branches and knots growing in those 15-20 feet. The species to look out for are Black Walnut, Oaks and Shagbark Hickory, Maple, and Cottonwood to name a few.

When buying a timber tract for hunting you also want to look at the neighborhood you are buying in and keep a few questions in mind. Do they practice QDMA? What deer have been harvested in the area in recent years?What do trail camera pictures show from the area? Is your neighbor 1-3 large land owners or 5-8 small land owners? These questions can help you find the right piece of ground and can also effect the hunting on the tract you are looking at. You also want to look at access to the property. Do you have top access? Do you access from the North or South? In our area we have a predominant North-North West wind so access from the South can help you access your stand locations without being winded by deer that are bedded. Is the access off black top, is it an owned or easement access, is it off gravel, is it gated?

Another factor to look at is if there is an existing approved well, septic or electric. Permanent blinds, ponds or established food plots to help improve the property. These can all add value to the property. There also may be income producing factors on the property like CRP or CREP, WRP, cell phone or radio towers, wind easements and subsurface rights that could produce income.

I hope this article helps you when looking at buying a timber tract, if you have any other questions or are interested in buying a timber tract to hesitate to call me at (507)696-6228 or email me at Lucas@hpraa.com.

-Minnesota Land Specialist Lucas Mestad

Posted by admin on April 16, 2018

246 Acre Iowa Land Auction

RECENTLY SOLD! Here is the highlight video from one of our most recent auctions in Iowa. The auction went extremely well and we had a great turn out. We would like to thank all the people coming out and the Rose family for this great opportunity.

Posted by admin on April 10, 2018

Recreational Property Improvement Update

This week I went down to our farm outside of Chatfield, MN. I wanted to walk the property during the spring thaw that we were in the middle of. I know that in late March or early April in MN that spring thaw can go at a moments notice. I went to the farm to plan my yearly activity of spring plantings. Each year I plant a number of trees and native bushes at the farm. I also plant a few food plots as well. What a great morning I had! The pond was almost thawed completely, my native grass stood tall for the winter and the wildlife was very active. I could hear the turkeys gobbling off in the distance, which is reassuring for my up and coming turkey season.

The river that runs through the property was flowing at a good pace, but not rushing this year like some years in the past. As I wondered around the farm I found a deer shed along the river and thought I can’t wait for this fall, I hope to get a chance to meet this big fella.

There are a few reasons I make a plan each year for the farm. I know that if I keep planting habitat the wildlife will continue to populate my farm.

I like to plant a number of different kinds of trees, some for heat units, some for grazing purposes after the nuts become available, and some for making the farm thick with cover. I also like to plant native grass because it grows fast and stands tall through winter nicely. Wildlife love tall grass because it gives plenty of cover and warmth. I cant tell you how many deer have “disappeared” in our tall grass during the fall hunting season, just to reappear an hour later. It has really become a great addition to our farm.

Let me know if you have any questions about my “plan” for the spring planting season.

– Broker Kevin Hart

Posted by admin on April 10, 2018

Land Auction vs Listing?

There are many factors to consider when deciding if a land auction or traditional listing is the best choice to sell your real estate. The questions we start with before we get into the pros and cons of each sales process are;
1) Is this property going to be sought after by more than one person?
2) Does it currently have an established value? and
3) Does the seller have time to wait?
“A real estate auction can be a very lucrative sales process when executed properly”; says Jacob Hart, Land Auctioneer with High Point Realty and Auction in Decorah, IA. “We often sell property at a much higher price at auction than we would ever traditionally list it at”, says Hart.
The auction process starts with the property being marketed with the seller’s terms established so buyers can set the price based on those terms. Many times, this is easier and favored by buyers due to the level playing field and ease of a take it or leave it transaction without complicating things. When the auction marketing starts the date and location are set for the sale, terms published, and all interested buyers are sent a very nice package of pertinent information. The auction may be a sealed bid, private or public sale depending on what process is best suited for the property and seller’s intentions. When auction day arrives, we start at the opening bid and go up from there.
On traditional listings sellers start with an asking price set at the market value and typically sell there or offers come in below. Land real estate is a very in-depth market and the farms we sell often times have not been sold for many generations. Attempting to put a listing price tag on something that has not been available most times in any buyer or sellers lifetime is a hard thing to do.
An auction also allows the seller to have a definite date when they will have the property sold to move on. An average sale is scheduled 45-60 days out and closes 30 days after the auction. This gives sellers a schedule for planning their next move and may save them taxes, interest, and maintenance at the same time verse waiting 6 plus months to sell their property.
A land auction verse traditional land listing has many benefits for the right property or owner’s situation. If you have questions about a land auction as a sales method for your property. Give one of our offices or land agents a call. They would be happy to give you their honest knowledge about which sales process may be the best to sell your property.

Posted by admin on April 5, 2018

Uses for a 1031 Exchange in Real Estate

Did you know an IRS Code 1031 Exchange can be used to purchase land?

Land is an income producing piece of real estate in most cases. If you have an apartment complex, rental property, or commercial property that has increased in value it may be a great opportunity to sell and exchange tax deferred into a hunting farm or tillable land investment. The exchange between commercial income producing property and land can be the same, as they can both be viewed as “income producing, non homestead, Real Estate.” Well what about land that doesn’t have any income through buildings, CRP or tillable acres you might ask. Land that doesn’t have any income today may very well have long term income opportunities in timber or other sources and the property doesn’t have to necessarily be income producing at the time to be exchangeable. The 1031 Exchange has long been one of the best opportunities to buy and sell Real Estate tax deferred and the real estate that you own can be enjoyed in many different ways, whether you get enjoyment from fixing a broken pipe or having to hang that darn deer stand is a choice you will have to make for yourself!

– Broker Jacob Hart

Posted by admin on March 27, 2018

Excellent Tillable Ground in Mower County, Minnesota

Great tillable farm with CPI’s in the high 90’s! Awesome investment opportunity and addition to existing farming operations.

114+/- Acres Mower County, MN

Posted by admin on June 12, 2017

May Showers??

May showers? I thought it was April showers bring May flowers? We all know it’s been wet. The corn is yellow, the tile lines are pumping and there are still flood warning for much of the area. The good news is planting is almost complete, so we look to be in good shape for not having any acres not planted due to wetness.

The Land market is very strong for high quality farms and has actually risen statistically over the past month. The money is coming from the same places. 80% investors getting out of more volatile markets and efficient operators needing more feed, ground for manure, or have a big operation and want to continue to grow.

High quality tillable in Minnesota is in the $6500-$7500 per tillable acre range with some going into the 8’s and 9’s. B and C quality will drop you down about $1,000 per acre for each step. Iowa land prices in our area are also very strong adding about 20%+ to Minnesota numbers mainly due to more investors and lower property taxes.

Timber ground is also holding strong for the right hunting tracts. Timber values (White Oak and Walnut) are up bringing the ground with them. Timberland is in the $3000-$4000 per acre range on a regular basis with many factors affecting prices like logging history, CRP, access, neighborhood, road type, build able, easements, deer history, food plot establishment, and neighbors.

Recreational ground is still very sought after.

If you are interested in buying more land or selling and relocating a tract you have give one of our agents a call to find out what your land is worth today. We would be happy to help in any way we can!

Posted by admin on May 30, 2017

Archives

Hunting Property Plan

What Are Land Prices Doing?

What to Look for in a Timber Tract or Hunting Land

Are you looking to buy a timber tract or hunting land?

246 Acre Iowa Land Auction

Recreational Property Improvement Update

Land Auction vs Listing?

Land Auction vs Listing?

Uses for a 1031 Exchange in Real Estate

Did you know an IRS Code 1031 Exchange can be used to purchase land?

Excellent Tillable Ground in Mower County, Minnesota

May Showers??

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