Agricultural Land Investment

In these uncertain times, many of us are wondering where to put our money.  It used to be that we looked for a reasonable growth opportunity by way of financial instruments such as stocks and mutual funds. 

Today many investors are looking to various forms of real estate as an alternative investment. 

While rental properties and foreclosures represent potentially good investments with good returns, there are a lot of elements to consider with these types of investments.  The process involved in securing a successful property, finding a renter or buyer is time consuming and complex.  The expected rate of return on this type of investment should be in the 8-9% range.  Further, the competition for these properties is becoming intense and, as a result, will begin to drive the margins down. 

Finally, most investors don’t have the time to manage the operation of rental properties and the need for a property manager will further erode the margins.

Another alternative is agricultural income property. 

Agricultural property has historically been fairly stable with respect to prices, seeing some recent increases due to the past rise of commodity prices.  The commodity prices have recently had a reversal, however, and subsequently, there is expected be some downward trend in the in agricultural land prices.  These downward trends have not been extreme in the past and are not expected to drop with any significance.

A standard rule of thumb for these AG properties is to expect it to generate a 3-6% return.

Considerations when buying agricultural property:

• What crops can be grown on the property?
• What crops should be grown on the property for the best return?
• What are the water rights, and are they enough to support a successful AG property?
• What is the condition of the soil, pivot sprinklers, other equipment?
• Who can I get to operate this property?
• Do I want to just rent the property?

These are all important questions, the answers to which will determine your success or failure in an AG investment.

We at Beacon Mountain Farm & Ranch have the resources to assist you in securing a successful AG property.  We can provide you with a “turnkey” investment complete with the management component in place to insure that the property’s AG value is maximized.

Please contact us for consultation to determine if this type of investment meets your requirements.

Buying a Fishing Property

When looking for a ranch, most recreation oriented individuals want a property that has both fishing and hunting opportunities on it.   And while just about any mountain property of 35 acres or more will have some type of hunting, finding a property with fishing potential is a little more difficult, and usually more expensive.

While Colorado is home to 35 species of fish, both warm water and cold water, most recreational properties in the mountains with fishing will have trout.

The only native trout to Colorado is the Cutthroat.  There are three subspecies of the Cutthroat, found mostly in remote, high country streams.  Other species such as the Brown and Rainbow have found a home in Colorado and have become the predominate fish in most of the rivers, streams and lakes..

There are abundant fishing opportunities in the state with over 6,000 miles of streams. 168 miles of Gold Medal Water and over 2,000 lakes.

So how do you decide what is best for your personal requirements?

The first criteria will be money.  If you want private access to the “Big Water” such as the Colorado, Taylor, Arkansas, or North Platte rivers, you should expect to pay a significant premium for this property.  The demand is very high for these properties, and while they provide some incredible fishing, there are plenty of secondary stream and rivers that provide excellent fishing as well.

These secondary rivers and stream such as the Huerfano, Troublesome, and Muddy to name a few, when managed properly, hold some very large fish. The private properties that border these streams and rivers are much more reasonably priced.

These secondary waterways can provide excellent fishing, but the quality can vary significantly from property to property. Over the years, mining and livestock grazing have, in some cases altered the structure and flow is such a manner that they no longer provide the quality fishery that it once was. It is important to know how to identify the best properties with respect to the quality of the fishery.

This is where a skilled and knowledgeable ranch broker can really help you.

 We at Beacon Mountain Farm & Ranch know where these hidden gems are located and which ones are on the market and we have years of experience fishing many of these waters, Secondly, we can assist you in getting a professional assessment of the fishery.  Finally, if there is a need for a restoration project we have a network of affiliates that can provide that as well.

BUYING A RANCH

If you are in the market to purchase a Ranch for sale in Colorado or New Mexico, you’ve come to the right place. We would like to welcome you to review our website and think through the concepts we discuss throughout the site.  Once you’re ready to actively engage in either Buying or Selling a Ranch, please give us a call and let us show you what the definition of excellent customer service is.  

There is a wide range of Ranch buying opportunities in the “Ranch market”.  If you peruse various websites, you will find Working Ranches for Sale in Colorado, Ag. Investment Property,  Luxury Ranches, Gentleman’s Ranches, Hunting Ranches, Fishing Properties and Horse Ranches for sale.  While this wide selection may seem overwhelming to the prospective Buyer, we assure you that our experience will help you sort though and understand the language of buying a Ranch.  Key elements underlie each and every Ranch investment.   We’ve created a Ranch buying scenario that illustrates how it all works.

Let’s call this Case Study 1. – In our example, the prospective client sets the following criteria:  “I would like to own a Ranch that’s at least 1,000 acres that I can use to retreat from the city.   The Ranch must have live water with good fishing and hunting potential.   I plan to trailer our horses up to the Ranch and therefore would like to have good riding terrain.  It would be wonderful if we bordered BLM Land so that we could have even more acreage to ride.   Ideally, we would like to be within 1 hour of a major ski area and relatively close to a large body of water so that we could jet-ski, boat and fish in the summer.  We want to have plenty of entertainment nearby for the family.  While we will consider building a new home, we would prefer to move into or remodel an existing Ranch home of about 5,000 - 6,000 square feet.  The barn is a key issue for us.  We would like to have a heated barn that has a good sized tack room, a minimum of 4 stalls with automatic, heated waterers and good turnouts.  It would be ideal to have plenty of hay storage, a round pen and a roping pen as well.  An indoor arena is on our wish list but it will not be a deal killer if the property doesn’t have one.  Finally, we would like the barn or one of the out buildings to have room to store our boat, trailer and at least one vehicle.”

Many of the same issues that are important for the aforementioned client in Case Study 1 are important for virtually anyone looking to invest in a Ranch.  Let’s analyze the major issues.

Water rights:  Water is a precious resource in the West.  Our climate is semi-arid and absolutely wonderful.  There are no hurricanes, few if any tornadoes (especially in the high country), little flooding and minimal humidity. We don’t have to deal with these powerful forces of nature but we do have to deal with clearly understanding and defining our water rights.  For each Ranch sale we will carefully and thoroughly investigate the existing water rights.  Our Buyer in Case Study 1 might find that the water rights on his prospective Ranch have been adjudicated which is not unusual.  So that there are no surprises, we would find out precisely what his water rights are to insure that there is ample water to operate the Ranch and protect his investment in the future.  To complete the information gathering process, we will research well permits and quantify available water and any potential use restrictions.  Water is a key investment criterion.

Live water:  Live water is characterized by “running water” as in a river, stream or creek. Steams in the west can flow year around or intermittently.”  Depending on the snowfall the previous winter, your live water can be roiling in the Spring and barely trickling in the late Fall.   If year around flow and fishing habitat is important to you, we can find a Ranch that fits your criteria.  We will also refer “stream management” professionals to you that will help you turn a stream thick with willows and tangled with deadfall into a pristine fishing habitat with deep pools, riffles and structure that will support and hold your trophy trout.  Live water is something most buyers want and families grow to enjoy.  We look forward to fishing it with you!

Equestrian considerations: Our buyer in Case Study 1 needs a property that meets the entire family’s equestrian requirements.  Given his criteria, we would spend time looking for the subtleties that make an equestrian property special.  Are the turnouts large enough?  Are there automatic waterers? Is there ample hay and feed storage? Is the tack room adequate?  What are the ceiling heights?  Is the barn heated by electricity or natural gas?   How is the drainage around the exterior of the barn?  Are the corrals wood or steel pipe?  Is there a good process in place to manage the manure?  Is the lighting bright enough?  These and many other relevant issues would be investigated in order to find the perfect equestrian environment.

Hunting, fishing and recreational Ranches:  In the last several years, there has been a growing trend for Buyers to specifically request Hunting, Fishing and Recreational properties for sale in Colorado.  Some have grown weary of leasing a Hunting or Fishing property as they find that their “lease” experience has diminished over the years.  Frequently, Owners sell too many memberships in such leases, neglect improving the hunting or fishing habitat or simply cash in and sell their Ranches.   This has become such an active part of Ranch Marketing that I’ve put together a summary of guidelines in a document titled, “That dog can hunt!” You’ll find it on the Beacon Mountain Farm & Ranch website Homepage and also under “Resources – White Papers.”  As an avid outdoorsman, I take great pleasure in finding quality Hunting and Fishing properties for my clients.   As part of our evaluation process we will spend time hunting and fishing the property.  Additionally, we will walk the property and take note of the existing wildlife habitat.  Finally, it’s a good idea to engage outside contractors to help you plan how to create world class wildlife habitat in the future.  Surprisingly, even life long hunters can sometimes underestimate the factors that are vitally important in buying a productive Hunting and Fishing property.  We encourage Buyers of this type of property to speak with Wildlife biologists, Game wardens, local hunters and neighbors.  Finding and developing good wildlife habitat is as much art as it is science.  We will help you connect the dots to insure your property becomes a premier recreational property.

Nearby Amenities and Services:  As is the case with many Buyers, our friends in Case Study 1 are seeking certain amenities that are compatible with their lifestyle.  In their case, they would like to be near a major Lake that allows them to fish, ski and boat.  Just as importantly, they are interested in skiing in the Winter, so it is absolutely mandatory that their Ranch be located approximately one hour from a major Ski area.  To further refine our search criteria, we would drill down deeper and understand subtleties such as the size of their boat, the type of boating they prefer, the specific type of fishing they engage in.  Likewise, there is a wide range of terrain and night life offered by ski areas.  Does our Buyer like to ski moguls or do they prefer steep adventure skiing?   By clearly listening to our clients needs, we will help them find the Ranch dreams are made of.  Other nearby amenities and services that are frequently requested are Schools, Churches, shopping, Banking, fine dining, grocery stores and gas stations.   At Beacon Mountain Farm & Ranch we have developed an excellent resource guide titled “Buyers Guide to Ranch Real Estate” that is packed with questions you should ask yourself as well as ideas that help you develop a sound buying strategy while avoiding common pitfalls.

While our Buyer in Case Study 1 didn’t specifically ask for the following, they are issues that need to be reviewed and analyzed.

Important Ranch considerations include:

Mineral rights:  Defined as “Rights to subsurface land and profits.  Normally, when real property is conveyed, the grantee receives all rights and title to the land including everything above and below the surface, unless excepted by the grantor.” These rights include oil, gas, metals, etc.  Many Buyers are surprised to find that on occasion, the Seller doesn’t have full Mineral rights or isn’t willing to part with those they have.  The State of Colorado requires that Mineral rights are disclosed in each contract.  With Beacon Mountain Farm & Ranch as your Exclusive Buyers Agent, you can rest assured that you will clearly understand the Mineral rights associated with your chosen Ranch so that you are not surprised as closing nears. 

Fencing/Cross fencing:  In the West, fencing is used to keep livestock on your property, keep the land, crops and livestock robust through rotation and finally to delineate property lines.  If you’re planning to have livestock, you need to insure that your fencing is in excellent condition.  There is nothing worse than finding that 50 head of your cattle are two miles down the road from your property line.

Depending on how you intend to operate your ranch, cross fencing can be a valuable enhancement to a Ranch and its operation.  Good cross fencing insures that you can efficiently move your livestock from one pasture to another so that you do not overgraze.  On large working ranches, fencing is sometimes the official property line on a recorded deed.  While not always perfectly accurate, fencing makes an acceptable property line as long as you and your neighboring Rancher agrees with its placement.  Surveying a major Ranch can be costly but we recommend that new owners take that step to insure they have truly accurate property lines.  As we tour Ranches that make our Buyers “interested” list, we will ride, walk and potentially fly over the property.  As part of our “maintenance” and “deferred maintenance” analysis, you will know exactly what condition the fencing is in on your selected Ranch.

Other investment criterion that we will discuss includes but are not limited to the following:  Condition of the Ranch home, ideal building sites for a new home, 1031 exchanges, Conservation easements, Ranch equipment, irrigation, pivot sprinklers, animal units (carrying capacity), Ranch revenue generation (many options here), hazardous waste issues, deed restrictions, zoning issues, Ranch Management, National Forest proximity and much, much more.

If you’re ready to let us help you navigate the incredibly interesting waters of Ranch Real estate, please visit “Contact Us” on the Beacon Mountain Farm & Ranch Home page.  We look forward to working with you to find that once in a lifetime Ranch!

“THAT DOG CAN HUNT”

BUYING YOUR OWN HUNTING PROPERTY

Why own?

“As we became more involved with our families, we had less time to maintain contacts with landowners.”

“With our own place, there’s no one to ask.  If I get an afternoon off, I can go hunting.”

“I get real satisfaction out of bringing someone to my place and putting them onto my birds.”

“To drive to Western Kansas, stay at a motel, get landowners permission and eat out every meal takes a lot of time, planning and money.”  It’s also harder to bring my son on this kind of trip” 

Owning a hunting property can make financial sense in some cases returning as much as 4 to 5 percent a year, and historically the price of good land will often increase over time.  Also, the federal government provides financial incentives for ownership:  In many cases, U.S. Department of Agriculture land conservation programs will pay you to convert farmland into wildlife habitat. 

Buyer’s checklist:

Ø  Determine the partners you wish to invest with and draw up an official partnership agreement.  Two or three partners are optimal, but a well organized group of eight or ten investors has tremendous buying power.

Ø  Hunt the property before you buy it.  There are many Hunting Properties for Sale in Colorado spanning a wide price range with varied hunting habitat.

Ø  Get a clear title description of the property.

Ø  Call the game warden.

Ø  Meet the neighbors and local wildlife biologists to understand the habitat.

Ø  Talk to local hunters.

Ø  Check into conservation programs.

Ø  Depending on the size of the property, consider hiring a farm manager.

Ø  Is a conservation easement of value in this investment?

Ø  During the due diligence period look for flaws, problems, or unwanted surprises.  Hire outside consultants if necessary such as stream consultants, wildlife biologists, etc.

Ø  Hire Beacon Mountain Farm & Ranch to find the best Hunting properties for sale in Colorado and New Mexico. 

Initial costs

Down payment (20%) 

Closing costs

Title Insurance, Escrow closing Agents fee, Brokerage fee 

Improvements/Equipment

Enlarge stream, ponds or warm water slough, Build duck blinds, Build goose pit, Fencing/Gates, Small cabin,

Drill Well, Tractor, ATV 

Annual Costs

Mortgage payment, Taxes, Fence maintenance, Blind and shed maintenance, Ranch manager 

Annual Income

Hay, Crops, CRP, Livestock 

Conservation programs:

Check with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. 

Ø  The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) targets erodible farmland.  Qualifying owners receive payments to keep arable land idle.

Ø  The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) provides technical and financial support to help restore wetlands.

Ø  The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) offer up to 50 to 100 percent cost-share incentives for the establishment of a variety of land management practices.

Ø  The U.S. Forest Service Land Enhancement Program (FLEP) provides technical and financial assistance (including 50 to 70 percent cost sharing) to owners of 1,000 acres or less who implement sound forestry practices. 

If this type of property is of interest to you, please visit “Contact Us” on the Beacon Mountain Farm & Ranch Home page.  We look forward to working with you to find that once in a lifetime Fishing or Hunting Property.