Preparing to Sell Your Land in 6 Steps

Upon making a decision to sell land, make sure you update and organize all pertinent property records and upgrade the property to avoid signs of deferred maintenance. Making smart improvements, and having information readily available to buyers, brokers and attorneys will make this process seamless. Here are a few steps you can take to make selling your ranch a breeze:

Step 1: Prepare Legal Documentation

TITLE

Whenever you are preparing to sell your ranch, it is prudent to obtain an updated title commitment to make sure you have clean title and there are no unknown exceptions that could impact the marketability of title. Read more here...

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12 Outstanding Fly-Fishing Properties on the Market Today

One of the most highly sought after features of a ranch or recreational property is water for fly-fishing. While some just want a small fishing hole, others are looking for high-end river frontage. Here is our round-up of top fly-fishing properties on the market today in the western US.

Under $5 Million

Elk Creek Ranch | Meeker, Colorado – Starting at $795,000

Elk Creek Ranch is a private sporting club known as one of the most elite and exclusive fly-fishing communities in the world. Tucked away in northwestern Colorado and along the banks of the legendary White River, Elk Creek Ranch is comprised of 2,850 total deeded acres and has access to more than 25 miles of pristine and private trout water. Only 67 members enjoy shared ownership and luxury amenities that create an experience that is truly second to none. Five ownership opportunities are currently available. Read more here...

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What to Look For in a Fly-Fishing Property

When searching for a western property with private fly-fishing, there are many considerations to keep in mind. Evaluating a truly premier fly-fishing ranch requires a comprehensive look not only at the attributes inside the boundaries of the property, but also an in depth assessment of the overall fishery resource and the circumstances surrounding it. Because this practice can be complex and multi-faceted, many sophisticated ranch buyers rely on us for our experience and expertise in orchestrating the process from property identification through due diligence to closing and ongoing work after the purchase. Here are just a few top-level considerations to keep in mind when assessing a fly-fishing property.

Stream Access Law

There are a myriad of ways that western states approach regulating public access to rivers and streams. Depending on the type of property and level of privacy you are looking for, this is an important factor to consider early in your quest and can restrict your search to certain states. For instance, all water and streambeds in the state of Montana are publicly accessible. This can be a benefit for landowners because they may literally have many miles of adjoining waterway access continuing directly off their property. Read more here...

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10 Impressive Ranches with Valuable Water Rights

As we have noted in the past, water rights can be one of the most valuable components of your ranch. Operating throughout the Rocky Mountain region, we run into water rights stemming from several different river basins. Here’s our round-up of impressive properties with valuable water rights across some of these key basins:

Colorado River Basin

The Colorado River system, including the Colorado River, its tributaries, and the lands that these waters drain, is called the Colorado River Basin. It drains an area of 637,000 square kilometers (246,000 square miles), including parts of seven western U.S. states (Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, California) and Mexico. The basin is a crucial resource supplying water to about 40 million people and irrigating close to 4 million acres of farm and ranch land each year. To address diminishing flows and greater demand for water from the Colorado River, agricultural producers in Colorado’s west slope are participating in a voluntary pilot program that compensates them for temporarily fallowing their crops and letting the water run down the river. Read more here...

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Late Season Turkey Hunting on Moonshine Ranch

Pat Lancaster and I visited Moonshine Ranch last week for a quick late season turkey hunt. Arriving after daylight, we spotted three gobblers strutting in one of the irrigated meadows from about a mile away. Using the contours of the land, we were able to sneak to within about 200 yards and set up. We watched the tom strut and gobble for about thirty minutes, but he refused to leave his hens. Patience finally paid off, as he eventually wandered over to us and we were able to get him.

I have been hunting turkeys for thirty years, and it seems I learn something new every time I go out.  A couple takeaways from this hunt:

1. Had I been in the timber and unable to see this bird, I likely would’ve given up and moved on after 30 minutes figuring he was not interested, as he never gobbled once he started coming towards us; and
2. This was undoubtedly the most stunning setting in which I’ve hunted turkeys. We heard turkeys gobbling all over the property, including one at 9,000+ feet in elevation. Watching this gobbler strut around in a lush hayfield against the backdrop of of Silver Mountain, Mount Mestas and Rough Mountain is an experience I’ll never forget. Read more here...

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Top 3 Considerations When Hiring a Ranch Broker

Whether you are buying or selling a ranch or sporting property, the sales process can be a complicated and lengthy affair, usually involving millions of dollars, multiple stakeholders (family, managers, public land and water rights officials), numerous legal and title issues, and also a functioning landscape with ongoing agricultural, livestock and wildlife concerns.

For owners of legacy ranches throughout the American West, ranches can make up a significant portion of their total net worth. Many times, legacy ranches have been passed down from one generation to the next, and selling the ranch creates one of the largest personal liquidity events of a lifetime, if not multiple generations. For buyers of these working and recreational landscapes, the acquisition of a ranch property can be one of their largest asset purchases, so it is crucial that they fully understand all issues associated with the ranch. Read more here...

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7 Compelling Turnkey Ranches in the American West

All too often, new landowners find upgrades and renovations are needed on their recently purchased working ranch or sporting property. Whether the necessary improvements pertain to the home, working facilities, fisheries, wildlife habitat, or access, this can be hampering for the anxious ranch buyer. Fear not! Turnkey ranches are out there. We define a turnkey ranch as a ranch that is ready to go on day one. All elements – from the soil to the river to the hunting lodge – are in tip-top shape, so you can focus on the reason you bought the property in the first place.

Sundance Bench Ranch | Cameron, Montana – $2,450,000

Sundance Bench Ranch offers an enticing opportunity for the buyer that is ready to jump right into enjoying the quintessential Montana retreat this summer. With private fly-fishing access to a wade-only stretch of the Madison River, the property is offered “lock stock and barrel” with all new furnishings throughout the home and existing equipment available to an incoming new owner. Read more here...

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5 Valuable Features of Ranches & Sporting Properties

We all want to make wise investments when it comes to buying a ranch property. When you are ready to start your search, here are five of the most valuable features of land to consider in your selection.

1. Water & Mineral Rights

When looking at buying ranch or farm land, water rights are increasingly one of the most crucial factors if not the most important factor in the purchase. Kelly Bennett of B3 explains it in greater detail – “Water is a critical component to ranch operations, whether it provides value through agriculture or recreation. As a result, it is incredibly important to understand both the water rights that trade with ranch properties and other water rights that share a common source. Especially in the West, nearly all water has been claimed for use, so while you may see a stream meandering through a property, you are not necessarily legally permitted to use the water in it, even for watering stock. An understanding of basic characteristics of water rights, like where they are diverted and used, how they have historically been used, and how old they are is therefore absolutely essential when purchasing a ranch property.” Water rights in many states can be sold, leased and encumbered separately, and they are not always owned by the person owning the land. “First in time first in right” applies, meaning the older the water right, the more valuable and reliable the right. After doing your due diligence, the water rights can therefore be one of the most valuable assets of your ranch. Read more here...

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9 Intriguing Agricultural Properties in the Western US

Our nation was built on the backs of those who worked the land to feed the hungry masses. Between breeding and raising livestock and cultivating crops, farmers, ranchers, and producers are the reason you have food on the table. Here is our list of intriguing agricultural properties on the market today in the Rocky Mountain region.

Strawberry Creek Ranch | Meeker, Colorado – $4,800,000

This ranch is a value play for a hay production ranch in western Colorado with great water rights, as it’s rare to find one under $5 million in this pricey region. Plus there is terrific hunting on this parcel too! This ranch has historically been a well-known cattle/hay operation, with the current owner more recently leasing the hay production and grazing to a local producer. Most of the valley floor portion of the ranch is irrigated meadow, with hay production occurring on approximately 400 acres with the 9.2 shares of Niblock Ditch water the ranch controls (over 22 cfs). Approximately 800 tons of hay is produced annually on this ranch in most years. Read more here...

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4 Essential Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Ranch

We receive the call daily. On the other end of the line is a hopeful ranch buyer wanting to get started on his ranch search. He’s been thinking about buying a ranch for a long time as owning land is a quintessential American dream, especially in the American West.  There are a myriad of motivations from living in a vast landscape, to stalking big game or trout, to sharing the values of good stewardship and preservation with family or friends, or to just explore. Now that you are ready, here are the four foremost questions we will ask to get started on this new venture of buying a ranch!

Where do you want to be?

As with any piece of real estate, considering the location of your property is a major first step. Do you want majestic mountain views, lush open meadows, or red rock sandstone country? What kind of climate and elevation are important to you and your plans? The intermountain west is famous for 300+ days of sunshine a year, but higher elevations can lead to longer winters. Perhaps you want warmer year-round temps or precipitation is important to your intended use of the property.  Our buyer clients usually have thoughts on where the ranch is in proximity to town, an airport, and world-class destinations resorts. Some want complete solitude and adjacency to National Forest, while others want to be able to reach a grocery store (or even skiing) in 20 minutes. Location is a key decision to make before starting your ranch search. Read more here...

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7 Smart Investment Properties on the Market Today

Investing in land has always been a wise investment strategy since the creation of property ownership. As the great John D. Rockefeller once said, “The major fortunes in America have been made in land.” Owner/Broker at Mirr Ranch Group, Ken Mirr, agrees. According to Ken, “2017 saw pent up demand especially for prime well-located recreational ranches following a slower 2016, caused in part by election year jitters and falling farmland prices. This demand combined with a strong economy really boosted ranch sales across the board. Despite rising interest rates and persistently low commodity prices in 2018, farm/ranch values are remaining strong right now. With population growth, land degradation/conversion and water demands with climate change, well managed large-scale holdings with security of tenure and diversified ecological systems shall remain popular with forward thinking high net-worth investors.” Make a wise investment in land. Here are some of our top smart investment properties.

Stream View at Elk Creek Ranch  |  Meeker, Colorado – $795,000

Stream View at Elk Creek Ranch is aggressively priced and an attractive opportunity for membership and ownership at the coveted Elk Creek Ranch, one of the country’s finest private fly-fishing ranches. The asking price of Stream View is less than twice as much as the most recent sale and below the lowest historic sale price at Elk Creek Ranch over the last 10 years, creating a very compelling value proposition. To learn more about this unique market and sale trend check out this blog about the strengthening market in this area. Read more here...

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