AUTHOR: GREG FAY, FOUNDER | BROKER | LICENSED IN MT
My career in selling land began in 1986, and I founded Fay Ranches in 1992. Over the years, I’ve been involved in some of the most significant land transactions in several states, including farms, ranches, timber, and plantations. I’ve seen and learned a few things over the years. This article will hopefully help you understand the process of offering your land for sale and how to best prepare for this significant event.
There are generally two types of landowners: the multi-generational landowner, who uses the farm or ranch as their primary income source. The land is where they work and live and love. It is where they grew up, where their children grew up, and often their grandchildren. There is a history to the land. They sweat and bleed into it, and the land has become a part of them and their family.
The second type of land ownership is the land investor, whose primary income is from a source other than the land, and their motivation for purchase is as an investment and often as a place to relax and gather their family and friends. Their land is a place they go to escape from day-to-day life, learn new skills (like fly fishing, hunting, and horseback riding), gather family and friends, and strengthen relationships through shared adventure. The land is their happy place, where they sleep more soundly and connect more deeply.
