How would you spend it?
 

Say you had a financial decision to make that would include your future home and hunting options together. You have $500,000 as a max budget.......How would you allocate those funds?

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Most land.... A house can always be fixed up!!

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Modest house. $150K.
$20K stashed for trips.
$330K on land.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Well, I'm tired of living in this rinky dink apartment, so I'm saying best of both worlds. That kind of money, I can get a good house and good land.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I would buy a nice little comfortable house and put the rest into my land! I don't spend much time indoors!

RE: How would you spend it?
 

After the log cabin, boat for deep sea fishing and a nice big truck to transport equipment I'd live on about five overgrown acres around here.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

the land i want sold for 4 mill. so id try to invest my money so i could make more money to buy the land i wanted.....

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I would build a $200,000 house on a $200,000 piece of prime hunting property ........ Atlas, in Stueben County that would get me an awesome pieceof land..... prolly around 200 acres???? I would use the other $100,000 to build a 5 acre lake :D

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I'd buy a PRIME piece of land w/ all of it. It's an investment for sure. You can selectivly log sections in rotation and do the deer a lot of good,AND provide yourself and family with a place to hunt for a long time.
The logging will provide additional income to build a nice camp in short order.
Around here $500,00 will buy 200-250 acres of woods. You can do a lot with that.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I already know where I'm going to buy. 500K will easily do it. I say get as much land as you can, a good truck, some implements, and live in a mobile home there while you build your house by yourself.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I'd put the most of it toward the land. I don't need a castle to live in, as long as I can sleep comfortably and stay warm I'm good.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

For me? I'm at an age where the "investment" factor wouldn't come into play. I bought the house I'll die in when I bought this one. If the market goes up or down in the realestate market, here.....it won't affect me one bit. I really don't care.

If you think you may move again....you must think about the "investment" side of things. Which is the best investment in your area? Real property or real dwelling? It's not always cut and dried.....but I've seen house prices plummet a lot more than I've seen land prices do the same;).

If you're in a similar situation.....and you're looking for the last place you'll live.....then buy something that you can insulate yourself with........LAND.

It's an enviable position. Good luck with your decision.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

300K on a nice piece of land and the other 200K would buy up some of this expensive Atlanta property and in a few years I would hopefully double or triple up with the way land is around here. That would then buy a small house and as much land as I could get from selling the local land and the land I originally bought. That may be the last time anyone hears from me unless you hang around the taxidermist or the butcher.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

LAND!

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Assuming I had an empty nest, and didn't have to work anymore, and this was the house I was going to be at for the rest of my life and didn't have to consider cashing out in the future, I'd build a 3 bedrrom 1500-1800sq/ft cabin similar to Rob's place, and then buy at least 200 acres surrounding it, and then spend the rest of the $$$ on the equipment and a good wildlife biologist to start a solid QDMA program. The key here would be living on the land though.......I wouldn't do this in the northeast unless I could live right there. I'm fortunate to have the property I do in PA, but being 4 hours from it kills me, and limits my ability to patrol and manage it the way I really want to. 'm simply not there enough to do more than I do today, and even what I do now really is a large time and $$$ burden because of the travel.

If I couldn't live on the land, I'd buy a small modest patch (50ish acres) with a similar cabin, and then save the $$$ for leasing of land in the midwest, and travel to better places for most of my hunting with the small patch at home to keep me busy between trips.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

ditto

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Land, land and more land. However realistically I need a modest house as if the wife and family are happy and comfortable my life would be easier. I want my kids to have land though. I think they will benifit more from time outdoors building tree forts and getting into good old fashion trouble rather than sitting in a fancy great room with a playstation or x box.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I would say get the most land you can, and a modest house. I agree, you can fix up, or add on to your home later.

In fact, that is what I did a few years ago. I bought 41 acres, and built a nice one level home that I could afford. They aren't making any more land, and it ain't getting any cheaper. I wish I would have bought more....but hindsight is 20/20.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Invest it and use the money earned off of it to hunt all over the world.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Tony,

Sometimes I wish I was more selfish............I did hunt Steuben a couple times a few years ago and it was nice. I just couldn't go that far from our families.......may as well just move out of state.

I am thinking you are correct though...........what would be ideal is to find about 100 acres that is landlocked by some friendly farmers who don't mind letting the neighbor wander around.

It'sa tough decision.........I really don't know what to do. Sometimes I think that I shouldn't worry about land because traveling a little bit to hunt is ok with me and if I work hard enough I can have access to lots of land for free.......bad part is that could always change and in a flash you could have no where to hunt. Other times I feel like a huge house is stupid and I would much rather just step out the door with bow in hand then wander around a big empty house. Still other times I feel like just getting a nice house and buying land and a cabin as a seperate getaway. Thankfully my wife wants the same thing (she doesn't hunt but loves the woods, privacy and land for our lab to run.

Still other days I feel like instead of spending $100,000-$150,000 on land I could just as easily lease some land in the corn belt.........hunt that every year and go on trips to other places for the next 30 years.


Maybe a bunch of us WNY's should all just get together and lease some land in SteubenCo andbe done with it ;)

RE: How would you spend it?
 

The land will go up in value over the course of time with no maintenance involved. The House is a personal issue, what kind of comfort is your family used to. I would see if I could figure that out first and then cut some money there and invest the rest into land. If you have the oppertunity to use the land for the timber and make some money back thats a plus.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Listen, I'm in if someone gets that all together ...... I am registered with Base Camp Leasing ..... Properties in this area are few and far between ..... or straight up

RE: How would you spend it?
 

LAND

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Buy land, they are not making anymore;)

RE: How would you spend it?
 

150K house, 200K land, 10K in the Bank, and 140K invested to keep making money.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

you would be surprised but it is cheaper to buy a house and remodel it then to buy or build a new house.

I would go with 350 to 400 k for land then 100 to 150 for the house if i bought land with a house on it

iif would need to build i would wont 200k for the house

and around here 300k for land would get you more then 150 acres or so

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Atlas - do you have a family? Kids? Boys or girls? I'd do whatever is in the best interest of them, not me.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I'd pay off my existing home and buy a ton of land somewhere cuz with 500k you still couldn't retire so you'd have to stay close to work... it'd be nice to have more hunting land though...

RE: How would you spend it?
 

150K is too low for the house.......we both want more then that and this may be the last house we ever live in. I already have money invested and my salary is there for as long as I want it so the future is secure.

I am being 100% serious in wondering whether or not it is worth it to swim upstream and work like a maniac trying to convert a piece of property intoa hunting sweet spot and creating all the headaches that come along for the ride like trespassing, poaching, caring for the land, and fighting with the neighbors over 100 different things.

I could set aside $100,000 and at $4,000/yr I could go on a trip every year for 25 years and be able to hunt top end game in some of the finest places in the world and have someone else take care of all the headaches for me........All I have to do is book the flight and get my tags.

The allure and charm of stepping off my back porch with bow in hand is strong indeed though................no matter what is waiting for me in the trees ahead.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Definitely land. It is much easier to add to a house than to add land.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Just me, the wife and our dogs.


That could change some day though............................we may get another dog ;)

RE: How would you spend it?
 

You probably needed respondants in the same family situation as you.. Sure, Single and Young Guys want the land..Those of us with Wives and Kids know that their needs need met also.



And since it's the off season in most spots ..I'll offer some free advice to the Young College-aged single-guys. A nice modest house will help the off season fly by ;)

RE: How would you spend it?
 

lol Good thinking Quik...I hadn't read your post whenI was typing mine..!

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I could buy 100 acres for around $250-300K and use the rest on a house with pole barn. Build a small pond and I would be set. A 100 acres around here is plenty of good huntable land with good potential if taken care of.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I have a home and some land now. So I'd put $200,000 in a fund for my son and spend $300,000 on LAND!
Which around here (which is where I would buy) I could get around 100 to 150 acres of land that is no good for nothing but hunting!!

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I have been there and went for the huge house with little land. I would rather have the land now. Selling the house at Lake Norman, boat dock and lift included. Jetski lifts inground pool, come on help me out.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I'm 36man.........my college days are over.......and I haven't been single for 8 years.


I do liketo remodel stuff.........to a degree.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

Hey Bro...GMMAT will probably buy it for a guest house/HNI party shack..send him some details! He's L_O_A_D_E_D!!

RE: How would you spend it?
 

I was VERY close to living in Lake Norman back in 2001.........had a great career opportunitybut family brought us back up the east coast. No regrets, but that is one sweetplace down there..........peaceful. Not sure about the hunting but the scenery ain't bad.

RE: How would you spend it?
 

...

OH I know Gramps ;) I was just trying to get a word out to our Younger Hunters :D