Best Chance of getting someone to sell some land

[prichard]

Here it's 8ac minimum to build on ag land.

 

[CTSNicholas]

Lot of replies, and lot of good info. Thanks.

To clarify on a few things, this is land I am seeking out is not in the middle of some field. The field is a huge rectangle with a little tail maybe 1,200 feet wide of road front that then goes back about 400 feet before touching into the large rectangle. My idea is to emphasize that I would not interrupt any crop harvest or planting. I would essentially either make that little bumpout smaller or even non-existant if they wanted. I realize if this was geographically troubling, it would be much easier to say no way. But considering there is nothing that would be taken away, aside from the extra few acres of crops the next season. I'd even let them finish a full cycle of crops if desired while owning the land.

The area is not prime real-estate. It's agriculture with residential next to it because of the road frontage. Each house lot is 1 or 1.5 acres. It would not be desirable for most people to buy and stick a house or multiple houses on because the neighborhood is nothing near prime housing. The benefit is I grew up in the area and know it well along with having enough land to buffer from any neighbors. Minimum Ag classification for housing is 3 acres, which seems like a lot here but I guess better than most of you have it (The neighbor houses are all 1 acre tracts doing just fine and dandy. New regulations and setbacks cause the larger acreage requirement, but it can still be reduced with engineer drawings of where utilities go and still meet setbacks.)

If it makes any difference, they are an older couple. More than likely leasing or hiring someone to farm the land. I'd really hope selling land for more than they paid doesn't raise their land value that easily. It never has before, so not sure why that would work that way. Land is always assessed at a certain value per average price in the county for agriculture use. Not because the neighbor bought it for 4x face value.

 

[Deere Dude]

"But considering there is nothing that would be taken away, aside from the extra few acres of crops the next season. I'd even let them finish a full cycle of crops if desired while owning the land."

It sounds like it is good cropland. I can't really see him selling it, but you never know.


Keep working on him. It could take years to break them down, but be ready to pay a much higher price than it is worth. Tell him you will pay for the survey and any legal bills involved. Then maybe you will have a shot.

I have a BIL with 80 acres with 2 or three fields. On one end of a field was a useless marsh. His neighbor wanted that marsh in the darndest way so eventually after coaxing he bout it from my BIL for what good cropland was worth.

The same neighbor bought a house an an acre right next to a 20 acre field of his. They had a bad septic they said, and needed an extra acre so they could extend their seepage bed. The only way was to buy part of a cropland field for their seepage bed. After some grinding and whining he eventually sold them an acre in the corner of a field for their bed. Not he needs to drive around this acre with big combines and tractors. That was twenty years ago and he never did extend his seepage bed to this day.

Good luck.

 

[ovrszd]

Lot of replies, and lot of good info. Thanks.

To clarify on a few things, this is land I am seeking out is not in the middle of some field. The field is a huge rectangle with a little tail maybe 1,200 feet wide of road front that then goes back about 400 feet before touching into the large rectangle. My idea is to emphasize that I would not interrupt any crop harvest or planting. I would essentially either make that little bumpout smaller or even non-existant if they wanted. I realize if this was geographically troubling, it would be much easier to say no way. But considering there is nothing that would be taken away, aside from the extra few acres of crops the next season. I'd even let them finish a full cycle of crops if desired while owning the land.

The area is not prime real-estate. It's agriculture with residential next to it because of the road frontage. Each house lot is 1 or 1.5 acres. It would not be desirable for most people to buy and stick a house or multiple houses on because the neighborhood is nothing near prime housing. The benefit is I grew up in the area and know it well along with having enough land to buffer from any neighbors. Minimum Ag classification for housing is 3 acres, which seems like a lot here but I guess better than most of you have it (The neighbor houses are all 1 acre tracts doing just fine and dandy. New regulations and setbacks cause the larger acreage requirement, but it can still be reduced with engineer drawings of where utilities go and still meet setbacks.)

If it makes any difference, they are an older couple. More than likely leasing or hiring someone to farm the land. I'd really hope selling land for more than they paid doesn't raise their land value that easily. It never has before, so not sure why that would work that way. Land is always assessed at a certain value per average price in the county for agriculture use. Not because the neighbor bought it for 4x face value.

Welcome to TBN!!!!

You haven't mentioned what you are willing to pay? Are you expecting to buy this small parcel at the same price per acre as large tracts of farmland go for?

 

[CalG]

You will have to make some plan to present to the present owners that will show a greater good than just your pinning and unfounded desire. That just sounds pathetic.

 

[CTSNicholas]

I think I would probably be willing to maybe double their price paid per acre which would be an above normal rate for land in this area. 7.5k is pretty common, maybe 10k if a really good local. I'd probably be willing to bend over backwards for the sake of my dream. Even if it's pathetic. And I am already planning on mentioning I'd make it as simple as possible, contacting and paying for any surveys needed, etc. Really hoping I just don't get shut down before I can give my presentation.

 

[ovrszd]

I think I would probably be willing to maybe double their price paid per acre which would be an above normal rate for land in this area. 7.5k is pretty common, maybe 10k if a really good local. I'd probably be willing to bend over backwards for the sake of my dream. Even if it's pathetic. And I am already planning on mentioning I'd make it as simple as possible, contacting and paying for any surveys needed, etc. Really hoping I just don't get shut down before I can give my presentation.

What's in it for them? What is your "presentation" offering?

Of course you are going to pay closing costs (title search, abstract modification, Warranty Deed, etc.)

Is this your first land purchase?

 

[bigtiller]

I think I would probably be willing to maybe double their price paid per acre which would be an above normal rate for land in this area. 7.5k is pretty common, maybe 10k if a really good local. I'd probably be willing to bend over backwards for the sake of my dream. Even if it's pathetic. And I am already planning on mentioning I'd make it as simple as possible, contacting and paying for any surveys needed, etc. Really hoping I just don't get shut down before I can give my presentation.

I have never seen this land but I can almost guarantee that 10K for one acre will be turned down. You'll probably get him to agree to think about it for 40k. Anything under 30K he will probably just smile and say "I'll call you if we decide to sell".

Like 95xl said, farmers don't buy land so they can turn around sell it, they want to work it and they want their kids and grand kids to work it.

 

[oosik]

Perhaps you are in a situation where the owners simply do not want to sell. About 15 years ago I was offered a significant amount for my 80 acres. It was going to be purchased by a developer from California. I have no desire to ever sell - irrespective of any offer. The CA developer finally gave up when he found out that my land is zoned agricultural. Minimum lot size for ag land around here is 20 acres. BTW - his offer was $25K/acre.

If I had sold to the developer and he was able to split my land into small lots - I don't think my neighbors to the North & South would have be able to find me in central Mexico - where I would be hiding.

I've lived here 34 years and in that time three new houses have been built within an eight mile radius of my property.

 

[95XL883]

If you are not taking from the main field and maybe making dealing with a narrow patch easier, you might have a chance. I don't think I would mention specific money at all in the first contact. I almost bought one 10 acre tract when the old lady who owned it had a reputation of running people off her property, sometimes with a shotgun in hand. I wrote her a very nice letter, complementing her on the beautiful lot and saying my wife and I admired it so much that we would like to raise our family there should she ever want to sell it. I included my phone number and asked her to call me if she would like to show us the property and discuss it further. To my surprise she called. She was willing to sell to us, even after telling a couple of adjoining owners to go to H*** (They had been arrogant and were being PITA's). We eventually couldn't agree on a price but I got closer than they did. Of course, one difference is I was looking at buying the entire tract. Good luck.