In my travels this week, I have been from Castroville to Encino, down to Pearsall, back to Falfurrias, then out to D’hanis and of course to my small place south of Castroville. Key indicators I look for are native sunflower and croton. Overall conditions are very good and remain green although there are some dry […]
Back to Quail Nirvana
At a clients request, I drove to Aspermont to preview a ranch that has just come on the market. Although a long way from South Texas, I always enjoy the drive and seeing some really good country. This place is ideal for quail, composed entirely of Nobscot sand, key to quail numbers in that part […]
6,000 Acres of the Best Hunting in South Texas
I really love my job! Yesterday I had the pleasure of showing 6,000 acres of ideal quail habitat deep inside the King Ranch to a prospect. We drove for miles through great habitat that, after 30 inches of rain, has never looked better. In fact, this ranch needs only judicious grazing/burning/discing to make it the […]
An Old Farts Sojurn into Social Media
I had the pleasure of addressing a senior marketing class recently at St. Mary’s University. Subject of the class was how a “mature” businessman adjusts to social media and makes it effective in a small business. Lots of good questions from the class and suggestions for me to improve my public image. Best response of […]
Chapter 1-6. Actions before and After Closing
Once you have reached an agreement with the Seller and the contract has been receipted at a title company, there are several actions you need to monitor. First of all, ensure that a surveyor has been retained and has all the documentation possible to do his job. Even if the Seller is paying for the […]
Living With the Sleeping Giant
As a ranch broker with 30+ years’ experience in South Texas, and a Certified Wildlife Biologist specializing in the red sandy country, my business has been directly impacted by developments over the Eagle Ford Shale. I remember the last oil boom, the Austin Chalk. Although on a smaller scale, that boom occurred over much of […]
Chapter 5: Making the Deal
After an exhaustive search, you’ve found a ranch located in the area you want, priced no more than 20% above your purchase limit, and has the soils, vegetation, and improvements that you desire. More importantly, you “like” this ranch. It is time to buy the place and get on with enjoying it. The Farm and […]
Chapter 4, Choosing YOUR Ranch
Once you and your Broker have found several ranches that seem to fit your requirements, it is time to take a look, a “showing”. A showing is when you finally get to take a tour of the property. Usually on the first showing, both the Listing Broker and the Buyer’s Broker will be present. Follow-up […]
When It’s Time to Sell Your Ranch
After 25 years representing ranch buyers across Central and South Texas, I’ve heard any number of reasons the ranch is for sale. Sometimes the owners have accomplished all they set out to do, they have their trophies and have come to know all the deer on the place. Or, they may get too old to […]
Chapter 3, The Prospectus
Chapter 1-3. The Prospectus The prospectus, or “package”, is a valuable tool in looking for a ranch. When I started in the business back in the 80’s, packages were paper and consisted of a text description of the ranch, some deer pics, a location map, and a topo. Now, with advances in technology, a “package” […]
