Rural and fresh air living can be appealing to anyone who detests living in the city. Buying New Mexico land for sale is a profitable, rewarding, and thrilling experience. But, you have to note that buying a ranch is not the same as buying normal real estate.
First-time ranch buyers will need to overcome tons of hurdles before realizing their dreams. Knowing what to avoid and what to look out for will ensure the entire process doesn’t become a nightmare.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Ranch
1. What’s Your Definition of a Ranch?
We all have different definitions of what a ranch is, including how big the land should call it a ranch. Ask yourself what you consider to be a ranch. Is it:
- At least 25 acres of land where you can go to relax over the weekends?
- A place where you can house horses for the kids and grandkids to ride?
- A working ranch that’s about 3,0000 acres and which you can use for fishing and hunting expeditions?
Make sure you have a clear picture in your mind of what a ranch ought to entail. While at it, determine the amount of land you think is enough and the activities you intend to undertake. If you have a partner, ensure they are on board with your ideas.
Simplify the communication process by ensuring you have clear goals in your mind. It will make it easier to achieve your objectives.
2. How Many Animals Do You Want to Support On the Property?
First-time land buyers tend to overestimate the land’s carrying capacity. Also, you can’t trust sellers to provide accurate historical information. Try to get separate data on the number of animals the ranch has supported in the past.
The solution is to visit the nearby Natural Resources Conversation Service offices. It’s the best source of information on the production potential of each ranch within the county. A professional can predict the production potential based on several factors, e.g., forage condition, soil type, vegetation condition and precipitation.
3. Location
Location is an essential consideration in all matters to do with real estate. It becomes even more important when buying a hunting or farming ranch. Such transactions need the buyer to consider the topography, weather, and elevation of the farmland.
Properties situation in the mountains provides abundant wildlife, trout fisheries, and alpine vistas. The lands are closer to many river sources, which come in handy when irrigating the farmland. On the downside, their growing seasons are much shorter.
Ranches closer to the front range have an extended growing season. They are also more relative to large patches of public land, e.g., wilderness areas, national forests, state land, and Bureau of Land Management.
These are factors that have a significant impact on the use and value of the ranch. In the long run, location will affect appreciation and income generation.
4. Environment
Not all properties situated on public or private land contain the ideal environmental conditions. Toxic dumps and air pollution can cause unnecessary damage to ranch sites and farmlands.
A poor environment may lead to diseased cattle or plants, translating to deaths, reduced output, and expensive animal care. The best ranch sites need to be secure to help keep cattle thieves at bay.
5. How Much of Your Time Will the Ranch Need?
Don’t assume that things will take care of themselves once you have purchased the ranch. Animals require significant care, which can’t be avoided. Some ranchers buy small swaths of land only to discover later that they aren’t as small as they appear.
Just because a ranch is small doesn’t mean it doesn’t require continued management. Consider the amount of time it will take you to commute to and from the farm. And this is in addition to the work you will be performing.
A small ranch will need more than twenty hours of labor every week. You have no option but to hire a caretaker if you can’t afford to devote this number of hours. Hiring a caretaker will increase your expenses and reduce your annual profits.
Planning will allow you to overcome such challenges. Determine the amount of time that will go towards maintaining the ranch and caring for the animals. Be sure to also factor in how countryside living will impact your everyday life.
The length of time required to buy a property depends on the amount of due diligence to be undertaken. It’s a process that can take between 30-90 days or even more. Use the above factors to assist you in locating a viable ranch.
You may want to hire a professional to help with the search. You don’t have to do all this alone. There are ranch management companies and professionals who can do this for you!
