I've been thinking more and more lately that I would like to buy some hunting land either in Virginia or a bordering state. I'm interested in hearing opinions from others who have bought in the past or went through the process but decided against it. Although I do own land for hunting, it was handed down to me so I never actually went through the process (I did buy a house though). Any ideas or opinions will be appreciated. Anyone ever went in together with close friends/family. I am not looking for an investment, I specifically want it for hunting. Are there any programs out there(i.e. Farm Bureau, USDA, ownerfinancing etc, etc.) Thanks to all for any information advice.
VA
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Bow: Bear Truth 1 w/Slick Trick Magnums.
Muzzle Loader: Savage ML-10
Rifle: Remington 7mm
Shotgun: Remington 1100
Harness: Summit "Seat o' the Pants"
"You'll ride a black tornado, across the Western sky" CL
Buying land is such a personal decision and so many factors hard to go by others experience,
Small parcel/ large lot,
Close to home/ far from home,
Pay extra for quality?
Border state land or not,
Whatever you choose I would keep away from partnersn buy a smaller further lot if you must,
Also no matter how simple the transaction seems , even from a relative get a lawyer to do the paperwork/title search,
Never know if there's a lean, back taxes, a right of way you may not like, etc..
Few hundred for a lawyer to do the paperwork is money well spent
Buying land in this economy is better as land prices should be a lot less than they were just 5 years ago, if you can qualify for a loan. Farm Credit is one of the leading lenders, but it is tough to qualify. I would buy just what I wanted to pay for on my own. If there is a larger tract available and you have friends/family that want to invest then break the tract down and let them take on their parcels. Arrange for perpetual ingress/egress for the parcels if needed. Arrange for hunting permissions between the investors on a year to year basis. I guarantee if you try to get 3 or 5 or so investors in the same parcel of land there will be problems in the future that will get nasty and expensive to reconcile. There may be some money to help with wildlife on your land from the NRCS office in your area, although a lot of programs are being discontinued.
I bought land 6 years ago in southern Colorado. I live in central Vermont and the land is about 2,100 miles away. My only regret is that I didn't buy it sooner.
As they say, "they're not making it any more"! If you can afford it, go for it. As long as you pay a fair price, you will never lose money. My land has appreciated almost 50% since I purchased it. Like you, it wasn't an investment but for hunting and enjoyment. But the investment bump was an added benefit!
. . . Rob
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Come October, I'm Colorado bound
Like Terasec said, I would stay away from partnership if you could. As far as location I would look for something bordering a National Park in the Shenendoah Valley if you could.. WVA border not the best choice. There are some great places that have some really nice deer around Louden, Fauquier, Fairfax Counties but it's pricey. Also southern VA and around Fredericksburg. Good Luck.
Buying land?
