Per acre land price in your area?

[sstterry]

We have some programs here referred to as conservation easements. Basically you agree to having deed restrictions placed on your property permanently prohibiting any development for residential or industrial use. In return, you get a big chunk of money. One of the programs here is run by an environmentalist group that raises private money for fairly remote woodlands, land along rivers and lakes and such.

My neighbor sold a conservation easement to a private group here a couple of years ago. They came in and spent millions on remediating creek banks and then fenced it all off to protect it for waterfowl ect.

I was glad to see it myself. About 10 years ago the local Chamber of Commerce targeted our area for an industrial "Mega Site". I fought it for about a year and finally, they went away thanks to a 90-year-old very wealthy widow lady whose farm was the main target because of rail access. She told them that she would not do that to her neighbors. They were still persisting until our local Trustee ( a good friend of mine) asked the Industrial Board if they had ever looked at the flood maps on one of the farms. They spent 10's of thousands of dollars on land purchase options and not even bothered to see that one of the farms is in a yearly flood zone. The conservation easement and a change to the annexation laws has taken care of all of that now.

 

[greybeard]

SStterry, I never had to worry about that crap.

 

[faster horses]

I figure pasture is worth the price of three good cows for every number of acres that can support a cow. For easy arithmetic, if cows are $1000 and you can find a place that grows enough grass to support one cow per acre, it's worth $3,000 per acre. If it will only support a cow on six acres it's worth $500 an acre.

If course the next question is what you would pay... or get... for a good cow.

What if it takes 25 acres to run a cow?

 

[50/50Farms]

What if it takes 25 acres to run a cow?

Then it takes 25 acres to run a cow and you buy a good rifle and enjoy Wyoming.

 

[greybeard]

Then it takes 25 acres to run a cow and you buy a good rifle and enjoy ..

Mentone, Loving County Tx.

 

[50/50Farms]

Mentone, Loving County Tx.

Then you buy a good rifle and enjoy Texas. I'm packing a rifle right now on a ranch in Texas.

 

[ClintM]

I drove home to dads place today to weld on his dozer. Most of the big tracts are subdivided or for sale. Saw 30 acres of pasture ridge and hillside for sale used to be the Cull farm was 240ish acres, now its busted up. That 30 acre tract is listed for 499,000. This is a piece of ground that is old cattle pasture had a bunch of santigertrudis cows on it when I was a younger man (im only 35). That's $16,630 an acre, makes me sick. What's land going for around your area per acre? What did that land cost 25 years ago? Where are you located? Dad bought our home place in 1995 for $1,000 an acre in central ky 80 acre tract of a subdivided 500 acres tract.

East of Dallas in to deep east Texas has gotten ridiculous. Out of state folks are buying places sight unseen. Places that were selling 4 yrs ago for $2,700 ac, selling for $7,500 acre. Had a young couple call a few months ago offered $10k acre for 40 of mine.

 

[rocfarm]

East of Dallas in to deep east Texas has gotten ridiculous. Out of state folks are buying places sight unseen. Places that were selling 4 yrs ago for $2,700 ac, selling for $7,500 acre. Had a young couple call a few months ago offered $10k acre for 40 of mine.

When I went to the tax office to argue about the 54% increase they gave me on my land taxes this year, they weren't hearing anything I had to say. When, in a bit of exasperation I asked the lady, "Well, what do you think my land is valued at on the market?" She said, "$10800 per acre." In central Texas in the northern hill country in a county with a population less than 14000 people? With interest rates this high? I felt like they were messing with me. Went home and found a place on Zillow that sold for 4500/acre south of me about two miles. My place is nicer in terms of soil and cover, but more than double?

Starting to wonder if there just some kind of conspiracy to raise our taxes.

There was a nice place for sale for the past two years in my county that they were asking 3.2 million for. Ended up selling for 1.7. I wouldn't believe all the hype. And everyone loves to talk about the high-selling calves at auction. But there is an average, and most of us are selling around there.

 

[Travlr]

In central Texas in the northern hill country in a county with a population less than 14000 people? With interest rates this high? I felt like they were messing with me.

Starting to wonder if there just some kind of conspiracy to raise our taxes.

I visited our county office today for the same reason... and with the same outcome. And there are three different offices involved, the assessor, the treasurer, and the clerk's office... AND they only take complaints at certain types of year which is BEFORE the notifications of increases comes out. Each office said another office was responsible and then couldn't explain anything.

 

[rocfarm]

I visited our county office today for the same reason... and with the same outcome. And there are three different offices involved, the assessor, the treasurer, and the clerk's office... AND they only take complaints at certain types of year which is BEFORE the notifications of increases comes out. Each office said another office was responsible and then couldn't explain anything.

Yup. And when one goes to Texas A&M's rural land prices website and looks up the average price per acre in your area, what they say doesn't pan out.

What seems to have really happened is that, used to, they'd value your tax and house at below market value. Then, the pandemic situation allowed them to convince everyone that they are now rich. "Do you want to be rich and pay more taxes or do you want your land to be worth less?" type of thinking. Then the next come back is that you are paying taxes on what you could get for it, you just lost that under-market value tax appraisal we used to give you.

I'd prefer to find a way to have a sustainable, strong community model myself. I spent north of 30,000 on hunting and my farm maintenance costs , most of it in the community in the five years since I bought the place. But that didn't seem to make any difference as well.

Hopefully things will calm down and I won't be paranoid about being fleeced. 54% in one year? I've got some new FTX coins I'll sell you…

And I wonder, if house prices tank by 30% because interest rates are at 6%, are they then going to lower my taxes?

Also wondering how my kids are going to fare in our new California house prices market. None of their kids out there seem to even want to get married, much less have kids.

Seems like we need to put a bit more thought in the management of our government. They seem to be using the same feast or famine model that out so many ranches out of business over the years.

 

[BFE]

200 acres (85 tillable) I farmed sold here last year. Divided into 9 lots anywhere from 2 1/2 acres with a house up to a 51 acre parcel. Roughest ground in the county.

Bare ground price on 20+ acre lots from 35-9400 per acre.

I bought a forty from my cousin after this sale for $4000 per acre. Half tillable in pasture currently, half with good white oak and hickory timber, electric, water and three grain bins. I'm happy at that price. Who knows what it would've brought at auction.

 

[Travlr]

And I wonder, if house prices tank by 30% because interest rates are at 6%, are they then going to lower my taxes?

Seems like we need to put a bit more thought in the management of our government. They seem to be using the same feast or famine model that out so many ranches out of business over the years.

I asked them about that... what happens when the bubble pops and values go down... and they laughed and said, "Well taxes won't go down."

Putting a bit more thought in the management of government? For the love of Gawd, let's START with choosing our own candidates instead of allowing career political experience or celebrity define the criteria for electability.

 

[rocfarm]

I asked them about that... what happens when the bubble pops and values go down... and they laughed and said, "Well taxes won't go down."

Putting a bit more thought in the management of government? For the love of Gawd, let's START with choosing our own candidates instead of allowing career political experience or celebrity define the criteria for electability.

Well gonna have to adjust my thinking, I guess. Maybe vote different. Maybe try a different tack. Still willing to hope for a better environment. Still can't figure out how a government office can raise your land taxes 54% in one year … Did bull prices even go up that much?

 

[crossbreed]

We have some programs here referred to as conservation easements. Basically you agree to having deed restrictions placed on your property permanently prohibiting any development for residential or industrial use. In return, you get a big chunk of money. One of the programs here is run by an environmentalist group that raises private money for fairly remote woodlands, land along rivers and lakes and such. But there is a government USDA program that several local farmers have participated in that pays a pretty significant amount for agreement to not develop the land. The land owner grants the conservation easement to the county Soil and Water Conservation District. There have been several properties purchased locally and then entered into this program with the program covering a majority of the purchase price. Do you guys in other areas have these programs?

Here is information on one property in that program. 121 acres entered that program in December, 2010. Owner was paid $289,480 for granting the easement. Property must not be converted to non-agricultural use. No new construction with some exceptions for agricultural purposes. Existing structures (old barn) may be repaired or replaced in current locations. All structures, improvements, paved or gravel roads, and parking areas cannot total more than 2.43 acres. No new house ever allowed. The owner's house and 1 acre were not part of the agreement. Property cannot ever be subdivided.

A few years later, the owner decides to sell the property minus his house. With the house restriction, a buyer can't live on the property. A buyer can't build chicken houses on the property or other ag operations that require significant buildings. That reduced the interest in the property. The land sold to an adjacent property owner/farmer that just added a gate in the fence between his pasture and the property. That buyer has several hundred acres and I think most of it is in this program. Buyer's brother had purchased the 200 acres behind me and the 200 acres across the road from me and those went into this program as well.

Are these programs common across the country?

One older cattle man around here has retired and leased his entire farm for $85 per acre. Man leasing it has some govt grant paying to basically leave the land alone for 5 years. Got to be making some money off that

 

[smartin0022]

One older cattle man around here has retired and leased his entire farm for $85 per acre. Man leasing it has some govt grant paying to basically leave the land alone for 5 years. Got to be making some money off that

$85 per acre for cattle ground???? Shew 5 years to leave it alone that must be some sorta deal.

 

[Travlr]

One older cattle man around here has retired and leased his entire farm for $85 per acre. Man leasing it has some govt grant paying to basically leave the land alone for 5 years. Got to be making some money off that

$85 per acre for cattle ground???? Shew 5 years to leave it alone that must be some sorta deal.

I looked at a place in Idaho a few decades ago, tied up in one of those government programs to let the land be fallow for a number of years. The govt. money would have made the payments but at the time I was hot to raise cattle and I passed on it. It may have been a bad decision. It was good ground and I think by the time the program had ended the place would have been worth more.

 

[crossbreed]

I looked at a place in Idaho a few decades ago, tied up in one of those government programs to let the land be fallow for a number of years. The govt. money would have made the payments but at the time I was hot to raise cattle and I passed on it. It may have been a bad decision. It was good ground and I think by the time the program had ended the place would have been worth more.

That's our tax dollars for you. Weeds growing and no cattle

 

[BFE]

That's our tax dollars for you. Weeds growing and no cattle

Yes but it creates the feel goods in people to think they're conserving something, even if it's nothing.

Meanwhile around here, thousands of river bottom acres are being levied up by private individuals with an outside money source, apparently without repercussion. This will push flood waters to who knows where. Gov't won't help when you need them, but gets in the way when you don't.

 

[blackladies]

Is that a misprint? Or $3300 per acre?

Sorry $3300 per acre

 

[u4411clb]

Bought 36 acres 7 years ago for approximately 5,000 an acre. Have had several people stop buy while I am out in the field offering up to 35,000 an acre now. Dad bought 42 acres approximately 15 years ago farther from the city about 3,000 an acre and he sold last year for 25,000 an acre. Land in Madison County is nearly impossible to buy now adays. Definitely not for farming. Still have home place that will kill me to see it go eventually.