Your land story..

[earlthegoat2]

I’m curious how others found the land they own. Was it through a realtor, online, family?
.

Found mine on Landwatch also. I used realtor sites, Zillow, and a few others. The truth is, just like the best jobs, the best deals on property are the ones not posted on the internet. I don’t have those kinds of resources though.

I looked at 5-6 but found one that checked most of the right boxes. Contacted a realtor who specialized in recreational land to make my offer and seal the deal.

The wife and I decided Oct 2020 was the time. We closed in Feb 2021 after finding our place end of November.

 

[GeorgiaGlockMan]

I bought my farm 23ish years ago. 250 acres +/-. Added 30 acres +/- about 7 or 9 years ago.

Was my dream to live on a farm since I was a toddler.

Haven't realized that dream yet but I sure ain't dead yet.

I do get to spend a night or 2 a week there now as is to keep my sanity.

I am working on it.....

 

[RatherB]

The other Wilkes county property I bought in 2021 was another killer deal. I was in market for another piece of land but after a couple years of searching, nothing came up that I wanted, or it was too expensive.

There was a thread here on GON about buying land and someone suggested looking in the GA Market Bulletin classifieds. I took that advice and right then bought a subscription.

You’ll think I’m making this up but the first issue that I got I found the land I was looking for. Add said Wilkes county 300 acres $1,000 per acre. Once again I jumped on it, viewed the property and had a contract on it within a couple days of the issue.

The gentleman selling the property was a family friend of the owner. He had no real estate experience and had no clue of current market prices. His asking price was half of what the property appraised for. Because of the difference between sale price and appraised price, Ag GA Farm credit loaned me 100% of the price. I didn’t pay a penny down.

The market bulletin comes to me twice a month and I always rush to the real estate section and I’ve never found another deal.
It was just another miracle deal that fell in my lap.

 

[RatherB]

Found mine on Landwatch also. I used realtor sites, Zillow, and a few others. The truth is, just like the best jobs, the best deals on property are the ones not posted on the internet. I don’t have those kinds of resources though.

I looked at 5-6 but found one that checked most of the right boxes. Contacted a realtor who specialized in recreational land to make my offer and seal the deal.

The wife and I decided Oct 2020 was the time. We closed in Feb 2021 after finding our place end of November.

Congratulations! Tell us about the place and what you’ve done with it since you purchased.

 

[Lilly001]

The Wifey and I looked at sites on the web, local papers and leads from people we met at local diners.
We found ours on the first day it was listed on an online site. The agent was out of Macon so we couldn’t get with him to see it for a few days. But we drove by and liked what we could see from the road and walking a couple trails.
Before we found our place we looked at 20+ other parcels in a 40 mile radius over two weeks.
I was hesitant to buy, I don’t know why, but the Wifey put her foot down and we made an offer that was accepted after a little back and forth.
The timber company that was selling wanted to pay off the loan they had on the property and get some cash for new property that was ready for them to cut.

 

[ssramage]

Cool thread. I haven't gotten there yet but it's a lifelong goal. When I was growing up, I always envied the landowners. I viewed it as a status symbol and always thought I'd own land when I "made it". I've worked myself into an equity position at work that I hope will allow me to do that in the next 5-7 years.

I will say that I've made some mistakes not jumping into land that I regret deeply. It would have been hard at the times, but knowing now how I feel, I would have made it happen.

The first mistake came when I was just out of college. My wife's family had 100 acres in Sumter County that had been in the family for generations. It was passed on solely to her uncle (not to my father in law) with promises that it would be left to my wife and her sisters. Her uncle ended up selling it for about $1100/acre shortly after getting it. I was broke and young. I'd buy it in a heartbeat if given an opportunity today. My father in law, wife, and her sisters were devastated when it sold. Wish I could have made it happen.

The second piece was my great aunt and uncle's house and property (about 20 acres) in Lizella. They passed a little over a year ago and the family sold it. I could have bought it, but had no intentions of moving there. More than anything I miss sitting on that back porch. Now that some time has passed, I believe it would be worth any amount of money to do it again.

I strongly desire to buy a nice piece of dirt for my kids and future generations to have as their own. It's a legacy that my wife knows I want to leave behind. One day I'll get there. But if something happens to me before I can, I've also made sure my wife knows my wishes and will have the means to do so at that point.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Congratulations! Tell us about the place and what you’ve done with it since you purchased.

It’s 30 acres of pine land north of Wrightsville. Has a nice low spot that collects water in wetter months. A 2-3 acre clearing that is full of wild blackberries and there are blueberry bushes interspersed throughout.

I have built one tower blind and have another in process as we speak from some salvaged dock lumber. I have shot three deer since acquiring and no turkeys even though I saw a nice flock of them the first day I visited there before purchase.

I cut a driveway to get back there easier with my Jeep and truck. That was hard work because all I used was a weed eater with a two blade attachment. Well worth it though for bringing items with me into where I use the land the most.

Also built a 100 yd shooting range.

 

[RatherB]

It’s 30 acres of pine land north of Wrightsville. Has a nice low spot that collects water in wetter months. A 2-3 acre clearing that is full of wild blackberries and there are blueberry bushes interspersed throughout.

I have built one tower blind and have another in process as we speak from some salvaged dock lumber. I have shot three deer since acquiring and no turkeys even though I saw a nice flock of them the first day I visited there before purchase.

I cut a driveway to get back there easier with my Jeep and truck. That was hard work because all I used was a weed eater with a two blade attachment. Well worth it though for bringing items with me into where I use the land the most.

Also built a 100 yd shooting range.

That’s awesome! I like the idea of setting up a shooting range!

 

[RatherB]

Cool thread. I haven't gotten there yet but it's a lifelong goal. When I was growing up, I always envied the landowners. I viewed it as a status symbol and always thought I'd own land when I "made it". I've worked myself into an equity position at work that I hope will allow me to do that in the next 5-7 years.

I will say that I've made some mistakes not jumping into land that I regret deeply. It would have been hard at the times, but knowing now how I feel, I would have made it happen.

The first mistake came when I was just out of college. My wife's family had 100 acres in Sumter County that had been in the family for generations. It was passed on solely to her uncle (not to my father in law) with promises that it would be left to my wife and her sisters. Her uncle ended up selling it for about $1100/acre shortly after getting it. I was broke and young. I'd buy it in a heartbeat if given an opportunity today. My father in law, wife, and her sisters were devastated when it sold. Wish I could have made it happen.

The second piece was my great aunt and uncle's house and property (about 20 acres) in Lizella. They passed a little over a year ago and the family sold it. I could have bought it, but had no intentions of moving there. More than anything I miss sitting on that back porch. Now that some time has passed, I believe it would be worth any amount of money to do it again.

I strongly desire to buy a nice piece of dirt for my kids and future generations to have as their own. It's a legacy that my wife knows I want to leave behind. One day I'll get there. But if something happens to me before I can, I've also made sure my wife knows my wishes and will have the means to do so at that point.

I know the feeling of missing opportunities too. Be patient and prepared for the next opportunity that comes along. It’ll happen

 

[earlthegoat2]

That’s awesome! I like the idea of setting up a shooting range!

It was nice to be able to cut the cord with the shooting range I was a member at for 5 yrs. It was really expensive and the dues kept going up year after year and they were going in a direction I didn’t like but it was the only place to shoot nearby.

The range was my first priority and takes a close second to hunting as the reason I wanted land the most.

 

[RatherB]

Here’s a few of the bucks I’ve taken over the years off our place in Tignall. Nothing huge but I’m not picky.

 

[RatherB]

Here is a few taken by my wife and kids last few years.

 

[RatherB]

Just some general deer hunting pics. Good times!

 

[RatherB]

But here is my best buck! Last November from my new property. Well.. actually he was on the WMA about 100 yards behind my property. The guys in club were all getting pictures of him but I was in right place at right time. There is some great hunting in there.

 

[RatherB]

That’s one of the great parts about owning land that borders public. You feel like you own a whole lot more. Can go deep and hunt different deer.

I equally enjoy planting food plots and improving my land to bring deer over to my side as much as possible.

 

[ChidJ]

@RatherB I think we are neighbors of sorts. You can see your hunting camp from the highway, right? My place is a little to the east of there.

My land story, if you could even call it that, is really just started. After I got out of the Army, I had the idea to start a shooting range and a store. I was in Texas at the time and had the intention of getting a place down near San Antonio. I got a job here in Georgia and I kept telling myself, "just save a bit more and we can head back to Texas".

Well 8 years of saving and Covid hits. Prices everywhere are spiking but especially in Texas. It was appreciating faster than I could ever save. I did some soul searching and came to the conclusion that Georgia had been good to me and that I think I could build my forever home here.

So after 5 months of searching, surveying, wheeling, deliberation and dealing, we finally found a place that checked enough boxes. I've been here for almost a year now and it just gets better all the time. Attached is a picture I took with the drone the other day. Georgia is beautiful.

 

[RatherB]

ChildJ.. are you before or after river? That camp, I think you are referring to is the club camp. I lease to those guys. I will be making a camp on that property for myself soon but it will be at back of property on WMA line.

 

[ChidJ]

If you just follow the WMA from your place east, you'd eventually hit my place. I've driven past that camp a bunch. You see that old ORV park for sale up the road?.... that would be a piece of land you could write a story on

One of you GON members should snatch it up haha

 

[Jimmypop]

Our little plot (88 ac.) was bought at a public auction on the courthouse steps. The owners were getting divorced and the wife was a Mexican and was going back home. ( county legals are a good source of info ). It is in Catoosa co. and lies in the Chatt. Nat. Forest. We lived there 43 years until health issues made living in a townhouse 4 miles away much easier for the past 10 years. I still go to the property every day and piddle around. And garden, deer hunt,and mow. It was a jungle when we moved in. Here are a few shots from now.

 

[RatherB]

Our little plot (88 ac.) was bought at a public auction on the courthouse steps. The owners were getting divorced and the wife was a Mexican and was going back home. ( county legals are a good source of info ). It is in Catoosa co. and lies in the Chatt. Nat. Forest. We lived there 43 years until health issues made living in a townhouse 4 miles away much easier for the past 10 years. I still go to the property every day and piddle around. And garden, deer hunt,and mow. It was a jungle when we moved in. Here are a few shots from now.

I’ve always wondered about how to buy raw land at courthouse auction.
Do you care to explain the process in more detail?
Beautiful place!