# Is it possible for somebody without deep pockets to buy land



## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

I'm sure we've all thought about it? Most people are concerned about terrorists, but what keeps me up at night is, will I have a place to hunt in the future? I'm lucky now, with lot's of opportunities, but I'm concerned it won't be the same for my son. I've looked into it a little...And a 1/4 section of land in the S.E. can run up to 100,000 grand...And we all know a 1/4 section is hardly enough to hunt all day. Not to mention, prices are going up every year! Add in property taxes, and all the other stuff, I just don't know how you could do it, unless you were very well off financialy! Even if you were forced to "pay hunt" exclusivly in the future...I hunt pheasants a lot for somebody who lives away from the pheasant belt...On average about 20 days a year...Even if I had to pay $200 dollars a day...That's $4,000 a year...Not, that I can afford that either...Still probably cheaper than buying land with less hassels and more opportunity. I know, you can go in on it with someone or a group, but you better have the right people...Or that could be a bad deal too! Anybody have any thoughts?


----------



## IAHunter (Sep 1, 2003)

It is hard and you do need deep pockets or smaller goals. From personal experience, buying land for rec use only is even more expensive than buying farm land that will be actually farmed. I had to go with a loan term under 15 years and pay a higher interest rate. If you do go with a group, make sure you have a lawyer make a contract that very explicitly describes what happens if someone is to drop out. And make sure everyone is finacially stable. Put all the cards on the table so that there aren't any suprises 3-5 years down the road.

IaHunter


----------



## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

12


----------



## Rick Acker (Sep 26, 2002)

G/O...It was only a hypothetical number($200)...This post was not about pay hunting...It was about buying land...Something you and I have talked about before...So why are you jumping my ship?


----------



## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

12


----------



## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

> There are many things that go along with land ownership but your a young man and I feel land is a good investment (they don't make it anymore) but personally I feel now is a poor time to buy prices are at an all time high. Buy low sell high


What?? You mean to tell me that land prices in Nodak will depreciate? The way things are going land prices will only get worse! If your serious about buying land in Nodak on a budget, my advice would be look outside the box. In my opinion, low priced land is not going to be found from a realtor or advertised. Your going to have to do some networking. Make some rural connections and I think reasonable land can be found.


----------



## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Dblkluk is right...very rarely do you see the value of a parcel DROP over a timespan. Land values only go down when something negative impacts them. Toxic waste dump, nearby lagoon, etc., etc. Those cases are pretty rare when it comes to hunting land.


----------



## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

12


----------



## jdpete75 (Dec 16, 2003)

If your trying to buy land cheap, just for hunting, pray to god I dont catch it or Ill bid it up far out of your reach


----------



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

g/o's right. Land prices will cycle. Always have. Right now real estate is the darling of the day.


----------



## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

I understand things do change. Prices go up and prices go down, but with the way things are going in North Dakota, I don't see major price drops anytime soon. Everyone is becoming more concerned with hunting access and many are buying their "piece of the pie". Simple supply and demand economics, demand is high, the supply is limited. Do the math. Real estate is the one thing that apppreciates. In a way I hope I'm incorrect, but without major changes, land prices will continue to rise!


----------



## IAHunter (Sep 1, 2003)

I can forsee land prices coming down in 5-10 years. The federal budget needs to be cut and one of the pieces of the pie is going to be farm subsidies. There are realators in IA who are suggesting to younger farmers to sell off some, not all, of their land and then buy back in a few years. I have also been told by a friend in reality to hold off buying anything additional for several years. Is it a gamble? Of course, it is an investment, and there are always gambles. Want to buy land cheap? Go to ALOT of auctions and you might get lucky. I did, and my land value has over doubled in the last 2 1/2 years.

IaHunter


----------



## g/o (Jul 13, 2004)

12


----------



## The Norseman (Jan 8, 2005)

Good Morning,

Great experience here, all great comments, I agree.

I too, 'm making other investments for the best return now and waitin for 
the cycle. I have several sections that I am watching.

Thank you for sharing the thoughts.

:wink:


----------



## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

One of the big drivers has been the subsidy of Fedral Crop Insurance with crop price guarentee. It appears that subsidy is going to be severely curtailed in the '07 farm bill. Possibly program participation will depend on carrying crop insurance. Lots up in the air yet because of budget short falls. If the crop insurance portion is unusable, many farmers will not get operating loans and or be at risk on profit levels. (not to mention CRP contracts taking a dunk). A side note, just my opinion, is that even though a person buys a piece of habitat for pheasants, unless there are large tracts of neighboring habitat, you won't get pheasants. It takes a lot of space.


----------



## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

The time to buy land for hunting/conservation reminds me of the joke "what's the best kind of trees to plant in ND? - Answer - whatever you planted 25 years ago!" Crappy poor for farming, good for hunting land was dirt cheap 20 - 25 years ago, but not any more. Good farmland will cycle, but generally good farm land is not what you want for hunting, anyway. Ironically, crappy farmland will probably just keep going up independent of actual farmland prices. Was in getting hearing aids tuned up the other day and the audiologist mentioned a farmer was in from SW of Mandan and told him the locals out there all know that "farmland" was going for 2 - 300 and acre, but the crappy sh---y land was bringing $800 an acre on up. The farmer's words, not mine. That stuff probably won't cycle or go down - no one is making any more crappy for farming but good for hunting land and more people are scraping together their "descretionary income" and looking for land. Most of these guys aren't RICH GUYS either! Supply and demand. 
As Iowahunter pointed out, one way to do it is to get several people together to pool their resources, but have a lawyer draw it up. And remember, a partnership is like a marriage - give and take. Otherwise it can't work. Remember a good friend of mine's rule of thumb."If you get more than 4 guys together in a room at least one of them will be a as---le!"


----------

