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| Buyers today have many reasons for purchasing ranches in the western United States. Some buyers are looking for large cattle, sheep or crop production ranches; some are looking for hunting, fishing, timber, rivers, mountains and views; and others are just looking for an end-of-the-road place to escape their busy lifestyle. Therefore, before you can find that perfect ranch, it is important to make a list of what is really important to you, including price and geographic location. Then, number that list from 1 to 10 with 10 being your top priority and 1 being the lowest priority. |
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I have been working with buyers of ranches for over a decade, and, in reality, finding the perfect ranch depends on you. Remember, the perfect ranch is how you perceive it according to what is really important to you. Your numbered priority list will become an important tool in helping you determine what you can and cannot accept. But keep in mind, there is not a ranch that you will find that will include everything on your list. Some items on your list, however, may be developed over time to give you that perfect ranch. For example, if mountain peaks on your ranch is important to you, then you have to find a property that meets that criteria. However, if fishing is important to you but there are no ponds or lakes, then maybe you could develop those features over time if water sources are available. If having a nice barn is important but you find the ideal property only missing that barn, then you can build it exactly to your specifications.
There’s an old saying: “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water”. I have seen buyers find their dream ranch, missing only one or two items on their list that they could have developed over time. But instead of buying those ranches they passed them by, only to |
come back years later wishing they had purchased that ranch — which, by then, had been sold to someone else. In other words, be serious and be ready to purchase if you find a ranch that meets 85% or more of your list, where the remaining percent can be created or developed.
A few other tips:
1) If you are a new ranch buyer, do advance research as to in what state or what part of a state you want to own your ranch before you start looking. |
2) Be prepared to deal with some problems. Some ranches have old dump sites, poisonous and/or noxious weeds, leaking fuel tanks, old improvements in need of repair, fences that need to be fixed, and, in some cases, the neighbor that does not want any neighbors.
3) If you are considering a ranch with any kind of livestock operation, do your research. Understand the personal demands this kind of operation will require of you, or be prepared to hire a ranch manager who does. Many who entertain romantic ideas about ranch ownership are surprised by the amount of old-fashioned hard work required by this lifestyle.
The best way to deal with these issues is to learn
how to respect the “code of the West”. When you move |
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into the country or a rural community, you’re moving into a social and economic system that has been evolving for 150 years and an ecosystem hundreds of thousands of years older than that. There will be a learning curve on how to become a good neighbor, and to become a good steward of the land and its natural resources, which are entrusted to you as a land owner.
Ask questions and don’t be a know-it-all. Most folks living and working in the rural lifestyle don’t care about whether you are rich or poor; what they really care about is whether or not you will be a good neighbor and be willing to respect their beliefs. Be willing to learn and be open to new ideas. Seek the assistance of agencies like the CSU Cooperative Extension, The U.S. Forest Service, the BLM, State Board of Land Commissioners, Natural Resource Service organizations, county and local officials, and, of course, your new neighbors.
If you are willing to try these things then you can be assured of finding your “perfect” ranch. Good luck on your quest, and feel free to call me should you need any assistance.
Steve Fuller, President & CEO
Fuller Ranch & Land
303-573-0273 |
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