Looking at buying some land....

[Deleted member 18333]

My solution 15 years ago to the same question you face today was to buy a smaller, more attractive piece of land that bordered public land in gen units of Wyo. Living in Wyo changes the equation some but, by doing this, I was able to afford a piece of land that had the scenic qualities I wanted but not big enough to hunt on, but the public that bordered it gave me more land that I could recreate on just by walking out my door. I to enjoy sitting on my front porch looking for deer and elk, its just that they are on the bordering public when I go hunt them. I also looked at the purchase as an investment, if things ever changed or I decided to buy a different location I would certainly have made money on the purchase. This assumption has proven to be very correct. This land is one of my best investments to date in term of ROI. Its without a doubt my best investment in terms of enjoyment and getting my head in the right place.

 

[npaden]

It seems like a fantastic price and that makes me wonder why. I would call a title company (not one reccomend by the realtor) and get a preliminary title report. A couple hundred bucks will shed some light on the property's history.

$75 for 1,000 gallons of water delivered? I doubt that. Sorry.

HOA? Get a copy of the CCR's. What restrictions or requirements involve the property?

Get a prelim. It will be money well spent.

My .02.

That price is pretty much in line with the property in that general area. I've done some sleuthing on sales history at the appraisal district and nothing jumps out of line from a sales perspective.

The water didn't seem out of line, I even if it was double that price I doubt we would use more than a couple thousand gallons a year unless we were living there.

I do need to get a copy of the HOA agreements. The realtor said they were not restrictive at all, mainly just for easement and road clearing/maintenance type setup.

 

[npaden]

My solution 15 years ago to the same question you face today was to buy a smaller, more attractive piece of land that bordered public land in gen units of Wyo. Living in Wyo changes the equation some but, by doing this, I was able to afford a piece of land that had the scenic qualities I wanted but not big enough to hunt on, but the public that bordered it gave me more land that I could recreate on just by walking out my door. I to enjoy sitting on my front porch looking for deer and elk, its just that they are on the bordering public when I go hunt them. I also looked at the purchase as an investment, if things ever changed or I decided to buy a different location I would certainly have made money on the purchase. This assumption has proven to be very correct. This land is one of my best investments to date in term of ROI. Its without a doubt my best investment in terms of enjoyment and getting my head in the right place.

I am thinking very much like you on that as well, I'm just being a bit greedy and am thinking I could end up with a place like that in Wyoming for retirement and becoming a resident and having some property in another state as well. What is selling me on this place I'm looking at right now is that it is only a 6 hour drive.

Some of those landlocked private 40 or 160 acre tracts of land inside National Forest Boundaries would be awesome if you were a resident and could get a tag.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

I am thinking very much like you on that as well, I'm just being a bit greedy and am thinking I could end up with a place like that in Wyoming for retirement and becoming a resident and having some property in another state as well. What is selling me on this place I'm looking at right now is that it is only a 6 hour drive.

Some of those landlocked private 40 or 160 acre tracts of land inside National Forest Boundaries would be awesome if you were a resident and could get a tag.

I hear ya. Interesting that we always seem to want something we don't have, even if what we have is really pretty damn awesome. I often look for 100-200 ac in NE or SD as a place to hunt whiteys, ducks and pheasants. No need for it, given the opportunities that exist without owning land but it doesn't stop me from looking and wondering.

 

[Mountain Man]

I have invested hundreds of hours thinking about purchasing land so can very much relate to this thread. I am 39 years old and have so far always felt I “couldn’t afford” properties every time I seriously considered them. The prices have continually outpaced my earnings and available capital so I am now no closer compared to when I was 22 graduating college.

I should have purchased that 200 acres in Kansas back in 2007 when I had the chance. I’ve also passed on different opportunities in Colorado for 150 acres or less and now the prices are significantly higher. If you can afford the property and holding cost, I think it is a worthwhile endeavor.

I still day dream about owning a sizable parcel of land that has good hunting and a homesite, but I think it is likely I will end up with a nice enough house on a small property and hunt public land. I wish you luck in your quest!

 

[LuketheDog]

I have some good friends that have been realtors for years and it is ridiculous how little they know if it is not on one of their templates. We are working through some water rights stuff right now and you would think realtors that handle rural Idaho properties would have some general knowledge or at least know who to talk too.

might as well swap out realtor for satan, the meaning is the same. Don't trust anything they say. 1/3 of my time is trying to help people solve water right issues due to realtor lies.

Oh stop, if you have a bad real estate broker it's mostly your own fault for not shopping around for a good one. That being said, having worked as a licensed broker I can attest to the fact that many of them are idiots who are good at marketing themselves to get you into a listing or buyer agreement, and literally nothing else.

 

[Mudranger1]

This year we went down this road. not to your scale but ended with 35 acres south of Trinidad. The water stuff seems to be the real draw back basically anywhere south of Walsenburg. Man I had anxiety from looking so much. we had a max budget of 200k and realistically couldn't find anything that had any water on it. If its just recreational I would say go for it( I don't see land prices going down anytime soon in Colorado) They way I finally decided our place was when I took a trip to see it and the elk smell was so pungent I didn't really care anymore. Beautiful view of Fishers Peak with the possibility of killing something on it and a good price...sold! Most of the properties with POAs we looked were very lax mainly building sizes and a couple other little things but they are always good to know. It's been fun to see the animals come thru the place and weekend camping.

called this bull in during archery season (not hunting) and another nice 6x I have video of


I've got pictures of elk, deer, bear, turkey, mountain lion, fox, coyote and other UFO blurs where I can't say to what it is lol. It's only 2 hours from here so pretty close for us. Could be a retirement place or just a place to recreate on til we decide what we are going to do.

 

[npaden]

This year we went down this road. not to your scale but ended with 35 acres south of Trinidad. The water stuff seems to be the real draw back basically anywhere south of Walsenburg. Man I had anxiety from looking so much. we had a max budget of 200k and realistically couldn't find anything that had any water on it. If its just recreational I would say go for it( I don't see land prices going down anytime soon in Colorado) They way I finally decided our place was when I took a trip to see it and the elk smell was so pungent I didn't really care anymore. Beautiful view of Fishers Peak with the possibility of killing something on it and a good price...sold! Most of the properties with POAs we looked were very lax mainly building sizes and a couple other little things but they are always good to know. It's been fun to see the animals come thru the place and weekend camping.
View attachment 202162
called this bull in during archery season (not hunting) and another nice 6x I have video of
View attachment 202163

I've got pictures of elk, deer, bear, turkey, mountain lion, fox, coyote and other UFO blurs where I can't say to what it is lol. It's only 2 hours from here so pretty close for us. Could be a retirement place or just a place to recreate on til we decide what we are going to do.

Nice bull! That is quite the list of critters for 35 acres! Looks like some good mature trees too.

 

[Mudranger1]

Nice bull! That is quite the list of critters for 35 acres! Looks like some good mature trees too.

Man this area (including the property you are looking at) is loaded with game its just mainly all private property so I don't think it gets a lot of attention. From what I've seen in the area I would find it hard to believe that property doesn't hold a fair amount of deer too but who knows. It's not picturesque mountain views we dream of while thinking of elk in Colorado (at least not me) but the game is there and there are some places with views to be had.

 

[hank4elk]

Take road trips. Investigate. Online,on the phone,in person.
I did 12 years ago. Used up my sick & vaca time. Looked at 64 properties in a month.A few in AZ,CO and all over NM. Trinidad & Cortez were 2.
Trade offs. Long game. Guess's. Gambles.

I gave up a cabin in the Sierras that was the original retirement plan .Sustainability came in.CA would be too expensive to retire in and it turned into Mollywood.
Where could I live? On a small pension etc....NM was always a destination in my life. It had everything but the fishing I wanted.

Never dreamed I would own 40 let alone 140 acres, really. 10 ac & nearby public hunting was a priority at 1st. That & water. That is what got me on this place,the water. I now have 2 wells,domestic & livestock.
Don't have my custom wood home, nor big pines. No lake down the way nor stream. The few deer that were here have gone.
But I have no debt. Elk & antelope in my yard. And an endless million dollar view.
Oh,& Rio.

Sounds like you have more options. But don't spread yourself out in your options.
Some remain options. But you never know.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

If I were buying it mainly for the hunting I would want to first be there during hunting season. Just because it's private doesn't mean it wont be hunted by neighbors and other trespassers. Could be a nightmare trying to keep others out. There also may be a requirement of making x amount of farm income to keep it in that zoning. It's OTC now but for how long? Just some things to consider.

 

[Brad]

The idea of owning a big enough piece of land to hunt on is a pretty typical sentiment from folks not from here. You don't need to own it, you just need a place to hang your hat. The state is your oyster. Public ground abounds. Personally, I'd get pretty bored hunting the same acreage all the time. Find a place/community you want to be near, stretch and buy less in the right location, knowing your needs and priorities in life will change as you age. And remember the wisdom of the old Japanese proverb - "better to borrow a view than buy a view."

 

[npaden]

If I were buying it mainly for the hunting I would want to first be there during hunting season. Just because it's private doesn't mean it wont be hunted by neighbors and other trespassers. Could be a nightmare trying to keep others out. There also may be a requirement of making x amount of farm income to keep it in that zoning. It's OTC now but for how long? Just some things to consider.

All valid points. I think with the gated access just to get down the road it should limit trespassing.

Based on the day time trail camera pictures of animals during hunting season I don’t think it would seem to be an issue.

The ag use exemption is a tricky one. I know on my property here it isn’t really an income requirement but more of an intent. I would for sure need to document some plans on timber harvest or something.

 

[npaden]

The idea of owning a big enough piece of land to hunt on is a pretty typical sentiment from folks not from here. You don't need to own it, you just need a place to hang your hat. The state is your oyster. Public ground abounds. Personally, I'd get pretty bored hunting the same acreage all the time. Find a place/community you want to be near, stretch and buy less in the right location, knowing your needs and priorities in life will change as you age. And remember the wisdom of the old Japanese proverb - "better to borrow a view than buy a view."

Having owned land for a while now I get a lot of satisfaction out of it. Improving the habitat for wildlife and seeing them thrive on it.

I grew up in Montana and spend a lot of time in the west hunting public land so I agree with you but there is for sure a benefit to having property in some states just from the perspective of being guaranteed a tag. Right now the tags are OTC but if they went to the draw generally Colorado has a separate draw for landowners on elk.

If I end up picking a small place it most likely will be in Wyoming for the resident hunting opportunities there but I’m probably 9 years away from that.

 

[BuzzH]

Hunting opportunity for both r and nr hunters may not be the same in 9 years.... something to keep in mind.

 

[BillDoe708]

My brain goes $800k over 30 years of hunting means $26k a year for trips. I could have some epic times with that.

But I also get the having your own spot.

 

[JAG]

The idea of owning a big enough piece of land to hunt on is a pretty typical sentiment from folks not from here. You don't need to own it, you just need a place to hang your hat. The state is your oyster. Public ground abounds. Personally, I'd get pretty bored hunting the same acreage all the time. Find a place/community you want to be near, stretch and buy less in the right location, knowing your needs and priorities in life will change as you age. And remember the wisdom of the old Japanese proverb - "better to borrow a view than buy a view."

That's more along my line of thinking. I prefer exploring different places, appreciating different views, and focusing on elk.

If your goal is to increase hunting opportunities for a certain species that's not in your state, I would want to know what state drastically improves my odds by becoming a resident. It would seem that Wyoming does that with better draw odds and DWA land that's often used as an elk sanctuary and capitalized on by residents and outfitters.

Using this edge would free up retirement funds for greater flexibility in view selection.

little land = little problems; lots of land = lots of problems; no land = no problem.

I don't know enough about Montana, but it makes me wonder if BigFin moved there from Missouri because of similar considerations weighed on this thread.

 

[npaden]

My brain goes $800k over 30 years of hunting means $26k a year for trips. I could have some epic times with that.

But I also get the having your own spot.

But in 30 years that land will be worth 3 or 4 times what it is selling for now.

Hunt it for 9 years and sell it for $1 mil. Quite a bit cheaper than $26k per year.

 

[mtmuley]

Takes a lot of ground to be a viable hunting property. Don't take long to hunt 500 acres. Myself and two friends had two sections we hunted bordering FS. It was actually crowded. mtmuley

 

[Mudranger1]

Just because you x amount of property doesn't mean you have to hunt it all the time or only hunt the property. You can still do all the exploring you want.