The South Texas Sand Sheet, What’s the Big Deal?
As a certified wildlife biologist representing ranch buyers, particularly those wanting to hunt Bobwhite quail, I am often tasked with finding something in the “sand sheet”. What is the sand sheet and why does it have the reputation of being the very best quail country in Texas, or the world for that matter? The […]
Childhood Dream Comes True
As a young boy I loved the outdoors and was blessed with “woods” just outside the back door. Perhaps a thousand acres of floodplain, the land could not be developed and thus was an island in the midst of San Antonio growth to the north. I walked every acre, fought off Indians and bad guys, […]
Flaming Hot Rural Land Market Slows as Buyers Pull Back
Research just out from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M by Dr. Charles Gilliland indicates that the recent buying frenzy is dying down and ranch buyers are becoming more selective. https://mailchi.mp/mays/reporttexas-rural-land-buying-frenzy-wanes What is the take away from this? It means buyers once again have the luxury to be more selective, taking their time to […]
A Ranch Contract Starts With 11 Pages of Fine Print; You Need Representation.
Ranch brokers in Texas are required to use contracts formulated by the Texas Real Estate Commission. The Farm and Ranch contract runs to 11 pages and with addendums and exhibits, can grow to 20 pages. Even at that, not every aspect of the land is addressed leaving a lot of questions. And, while calling in […]
Was Yesterday The Best Time To Buy A Ranch? Land Market Continues To Strengthen!
As a ranch buyer’s rep, I am frequently asked when the ranch market will soften or even crash with all the uncertainty in the world today. The answer is, “not yet”, and if 2008 is any indication, it won’t soften or crash. Long gone are the “mom and pop” ranches where the family had to […]
Tricks for Selling a Ranch in a Drought (or improving the one you keep)
As the drought continues, coupled with scorching heat, ranch sales continue. The uncertain stock market, record inflation, and the housing boom are all fueling ranch buyers with money to invest. If you are thinking of selling, water seems to be the biggest indicator of a “good” ranch. I recently represented the buyer on a ranch […]
Has Texas’ land rush run its course? Record year ends with quarterly sales decline
NEWS RELEASE FROM THE REAL ESTATE CENTER AT TEXAS A&M A year in which Texas rural land sales reached unprecedented highs ended with a surprising slowdown. Total land sales for 2021 surpassed 2020 by 17.8 percent. That was despite a fourth quarter with 953 fewer sales than the same period of 2020. “There were 9,055 […]
ADDENDUM TO A TYPICAL RANCH 1-D-1 APPLICATION FOCUSING ON QUAIL
This tract lies SE of Anywhere and has a history of intensive cattle stocking. The previous owner ran a cell system on this place and much of it had been cleared and planted to Kleingrass. Remnant clumps of Kleingrass can still be seen and they provide excellent nesting cover. There are is one high-fenced […]
ICED IN? BORED? READ MY FREE BOOK!
The next few days will be miserable outside, so what better time to sit by the fire with a good book? Finding, Buying and Developing a Ranch in South Texas is a quick read in two parts. Part 1 covers looking for a ranch, assessing it, and the buying process. Where do I want to […]
