Looking at Ranches for Sale? What You Should Know Before Purchasing

Owning and managing a ranch is steadily becoming a popular alternative investment class. If you’re one of those people who’ve always dreamed of owning a piece of the American wilderness, then buying a ranch can be the realization of your dream. That is, unless you buy without knowing what you’re getting into. Here are some things to consider before you take the plunge into ranch living.

Finding the Right Property

There are many ranches for sale all over the country— in Colorado, Montana, Utah, Oregon, Wyoming, New Mexico, etc. Every property is different, and so are a ranch owner’s needs—every potential buyer will need different attributes and amenities from their ranch.  You need to identify your particular needs beforehand. Buyers often grossly underestimate/overestimate a property’s suitability for farming or ranching. Don’t make the same mistake.

How many animals can the property support?

Determine the number of animals that you can optimally keep in a property. Production potential of land is generally available at the Department of Agriculture’s local Natural Resources Conservation Service office. With info on soil type, vegetation, precipitation, and forage condition, a ranch management professional may be able to identify a land’s production potential.

Know Your Responsibilities

Grazing and running livestock are two important aspects of ranch ownership. For one thing, they’re necessary to maintain grazing rights on adjacent public land and agricultural tax status. If you think that you can simply forgo these responsibilities and let nature take its course, then you’re in for a big—and potentially costly—surprise.

Get Expert Help

The maintenance of a property often necessitates hiring a team of experts, which will likely include geologists, biologists, irrigation specialists, managers, marketers, accountants, and lawyers. In many cases, owners will hire ranch managers or management firms to handle some or all of the operations. That being said, you need to make sure that your property generates enough income to cover the cost of management and ensure profitability and sustainability.

To learn more on what you need to know about proper ranch land ownership and operations, consult trusted brokers of ranches for sale like Mirr Ranch Group.

Sources:

How to Buy a Ranch, Worth

Things to Know Before Buying a Ranch, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc.