Best Chance of getting someone to sell some land
- Thread starter CTSNicholas
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oldpilgrim
Elite Member
See post #30.
and #32
quicksandfarmer
Veteran Member
Do some reading on basic salesmanship.
Because you're selling -- you're selling the idea of them selling you the land. And the key to selling is to find out what matters to the other person, what they want, need and fear. You've only talked about what you want. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that making a complete stranger happy isn't what matters to them. It might be -- some people live to make others happy -- but it's unlikely. So stop thinking about what you want and start finding out what they want. It probably isn't money.
Because you're selling -- you're selling the idea of them selling you the land. And the key to selling is to find out what matters to the other person, what they want, need and fear. You've only talked about what you want. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that making a complete stranger happy isn't what matters to them. It might be -- some people live to make others happy -- but it's unlikely. So stop thinking about what you want and start finding out what they want. It probably isn't money.
GGB
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In the era of modern farming equipment getting bigger and bigger, cutting out small parcels makes it more difficult to farm the remaining ground.
For example, my grandfathers both first farmed using horse and mule teams to pull one bottom plows. Today we use a 16 row planter, but that's not even close to being big! But most people who haven't ever been in the cab of a tractor or combine have little idea of how much room it takes to turn equipment around or work around small parcels cut out of a field.
So even if the ground the OP was looking at wasn't being farmed, it may have been in an area needed to turn equipment around more easily, or be where trucks are parked to load grain.
Most land owners I know aren't interested in selling off any small parcels. Perhaps the entire field, but only if there is a pressing need for money.
As another poster mentioned, zoning in many rural areas has gotten far more stringent in the last 10-20 years. The cost to survey land has also gotten more expensive, especially if it is in an area that has not been surveyed in several generations. Finding survey marks sometimes involves working from points several miles away-the farther, the more expensive.....ask me how I know!
For example, my grandfathers both first farmed using horse and mule teams to pull one bottom plows. Today we use a 16 row planter, but that's not even close to being big! But most people who haven't ever been in the cab of a tractor or combine have little idea of how much room it takes to turn equipment around or work around small parcels cut out of a field.
So even if the ground the OP was looking at wasn't being farmed, it may have been in an area needed to turn equipment around more easily, or be where trucks are parked to load grain.
Most land owners I know aren't interested in selling off any small parcels. Perhaps the entire field, but only if there is a pressing need for money.
As another poster mentioned, zoning in many rural areas has gotten far more stringent in the last 10-20 years. The cost to survey land has also gotten more expensive, especially if it is in an area that has not been surveyed in several generations. Finding survey marks sometimes involves working from points several miles away-the farther, the more expensive.....ask me how I know!
TomSeller
Super Member
Your brother is the one who should feel shame, not you. You tried to avoid selling, but he put you between a rock and a hard spot.
Deere Dude
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In 1989 I was in the buying a lot kick someplace to build a new house. I had the general area give or take 5-10 miles. I simply would look at a field or a prospective site and cold call the owner. From reading these posts you can surmise how that turned out. It wasn't pretty. Just trying to track down the owners was a nightmare and I went on many wild goose chases just trying to find them, and always getting the same answer.
After looking for months, one day I looked at a lot near a subdivision and tried locating the owner. l knocked on a door and she told me the hardware store owner in town owned it. I tracked him down and he said, "Nope not my land either." Another miss. but he said he has different couple acres he would sell me on the other side of town. He told me where it was and I took a drive to see it by myself.
It was a 5 acre plot on the highway 1/2 mile from town. I saw what he was selling. It was a 3 acre marshy front with a 2-3 acres slightly elevate field near the rear. I thought it could work so I came back and talked to the 85 YO owner and asked if he could come out and verify the lot lines for me.
Once there he said that wasn't the land he explained to me. So he took me next door to that lot and it was 7 acres with a marshy front with a stream going through it and the backdrop was a hill in a huge woods and a building site would be perfect for a walk out basement to the front of the house. I thought it would be perfect.
I asked him what he wanted for it and he said, "What would you give?" I told him I wold offer $5000 if he would pay for the survey. He took it and I was a happy camper. I priced the survey and was told it would cost about $1500 so I went back to him with the news and he said that is to much and to just forget the deal. I told him to be fair, because I thought it was nuts to, I would split it with him. He then agreed, the deal went through and I was happy. I never did get the survey because it was a corner of a big field that was divided by a highway,
The moral is, don't get caught up in just one piece of property because something better might be out there.
After looking for months, one day I looked at a lot near a subdivision and tried locating the owner. l knocked on a door and she told me the hardware store owner in town owned it. I tracked him down and he said, "Nope not my land either." Another miss. but he said he has different couple acres he would sell me on the other side of town. He told me where it was and I took a drive to see it by myself.
It was a 5 acre plot on the highway 1/2 mile from town. I saw what he was selling. It was a 3 acre marshy front with a 2-3 acres slightly elevate field near the rear. I thought it could work so I came back and talked to the 85 YO owner and asked if he could come out and verify the lot lines for me.
Once there he said that wasn't the land he explained to me. So he took me next door to that lot and it was 7 acres with a marshy front with a stream going through it and the backdrop was a hill in a huge woods and a building site would be perfect for a walk out basement to the front of the house. I thought it would be perfect.
I asked him what he wanted for it and he said, "What would you give?" I told him I wold offer $5000 if he would pay for the survey. He took it and I was a happy camper. I priced the survey and was told it would cost about $1500 so I went back to him with the news and he said that is to much and to just forget the deal. I told him to be fair, because I thought it was nuts to, I would split it with him. He then agreed, the deal went through and I was happy. I never did get the survey because it was a corner of a big field that was divided by a highway,
The moral is, don't get caught up in just one piece of property because something better might be out there.
CobyRupert
Super Member
:thumbsup:Everyone has a price. Obviously you couldn't get to hers.
:thumbsup:
dmccarty
Super Star Member
My comment is based on what Deere Dude said but aimed at people looking to buy land.
Right before we found our place, we were not having good luck finding places for sale where we wanted to live, at the right size and price. I started spending lots of time in the county offices, specifically the Deeds and GIS offices. I would look the GIS maps, which one can do easily from home now a days, to find parcels of the sizes we wanted in a location we wanted. I would then look up the owners and sometimes go look at the Deeds. Had some interesting conversations with county employees as well but that is another story.
Anyhow, I was making a list of properties and their owners. My priority was to find out of state owners because I figured they might be more willing to sell. The plan was to get together a list, check out thoughts no the FMV of the land, and then mail the owners asking if they wanted to sell.
Never had to mail a letter though because we found our place.
Today, I could have done all of this research from home. Having said that, county employees often know stuff that can be of interest, so poking around the court house can pay off too. :laughing::laughing::laughing:
Later,
Dan
