Getting Away from It All: Large Recreational Ranch Buying Tips

Recreational ranches have grown in popularity over the years, attracting families, friends, schools, and corporate groups. They can be used for a wide variety of purposes and provide people with the perfect escape from the busy life of the cities.

Buying a ranch can be a complicated process and involves gathering a lot of data. With that in mind, we have prepared some large recreational ranch buying tips to help you during the initial planning stage.

Have a Clear Vision

Is the property going to be a getaway for you and your family, or are you planning to turn it into a sports club? Different properties have unique attributes which are well-suited to particular activities such as big game hunting, farming, fly fishing, and horseback riding. For example, having a property with big game hunting tags will attract big-spending hunters from all over the United States.

What Can You Do

Once you have an idea about the use of the ranch property, you need to search for sites where you will be able to do these things. Understanding zoning regulations will be vitally important if you are planning to build lodgings or barns, as well as if you are planning to change the original purpose of the land. You also need to be aware of any rules regarding conservation and water rights, as some parts of the property might be exempt from development.

Having landowner tags is also a very lucrative commodity if you are planning to operate a hunting lodge, but the specific rules vary from state to state.

Location, Location, Location

No matter whether you are planning to use the ranch as a private or commercial retreat location will be vitally important and affect the buying price. More remote sites are likely to be cheaper, but they will be harder to get to. Therefore, try to be realistic about how much you and your potential guests are prepared to travel, and how cut off you are willing to be from civilization.

Look at how far the nearest townships and airports are from your front door, as well as the quality of the local road infrastructure. Also, search for local amenities and attractions for days off the ranch, such as ski resorts and national parks. All of these things can add value to the property and attract more guests.

Type of Property

When drawing up a potential list of properties, you have to consider whether the property is turnkey or not. A turnkey property will already have existing lodging and on-site facilities, so you will be able to hit the ground running. However, former farming ranches or sites that haven’t been fully developed may require a considerable outlay in addition to the purchasing price. The type of property will have an impact on price, so which property will be ideal for you will depend on your vision for the property.

These are just a few of the things to consider, so it is well worth speaking to an experienced broker about your requirements before wasting unnecessary time and effort.