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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