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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. LF Hits New Total $s High
2. For Sale: Small CA Town
3. Uh-oh, No H2O
4. Free Advertising Offers
5. Rates, Sales, Starts Down; Refi's, Apps Up
6. County Profile: Rio Grande, CO
7. Land And Farm Goes Out FOR Business
8. Next Month: House Plans, Staging
9. Recent Properties
LF Hits New Total $s High
Yep, we're having a land sale and you're invited: as of the new year, Land And Farm's aggregate dollar value of country property listed totals nearly $7.7 billion...and growing. So, if you haven't put all of your rural property online, you're missing the party. And, with that growing dollar value, our traffic is growing as well - more hits and more unique visitors, with every passing quarter.
Several properties are competing for most expensive on the site, in 1Q08: a $50,000,000-plus property in Wakulla County, FL; a 14,000-plus acre timber tract in Ware County, GA and the famous Twist Farm - rice, corn, cotton and soybeans - in the Mississippi River plain of Crittenden County, AR, now selling for $38 million. Largest properties include a 77,000-acre Medicine Bow Ranch, Laramie County, WY, the famed E.O. Bischoff Ranch in Big Horn County, WY and the well-known Q Ranch, near Medicine Hat, AB, Canada.
For Sale: Small CA Town
Another small lumber company town is up for grabs as its owner, Pacific Lumber Company, slogs through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a number of news sources are reporting. Scotia, CA. Because the Humboldt County town includes homes, as well as thousands of acres of forestland, a number of groups are consolidating recommendations to both protect, manage and utilize the timberland, while conserving some forestry jobs in logging, and at a sawmill, and waste-to-energy plant. The 'coalition' includes Bank of America, Atlas Holdings, The Nature Conservancy and other environmental and local groups.
The 209,000 acres of redwood and Douglas fir forest in Humboldt County, an operating sawmill and the town of Scotia are currently owned by Pacific Lumber Company, and its affiliates. In January of last year, the company declared bankruptcy and efforts are under way in a bankruptcy court to determine the future of the Scotia community; the 327 square miles of iconic forest and the vital local industries of the sawmill and waste-burning power plant. The coalition of industry and environmentalists are hoping to come up with the plan that will pass local muster. At issue is how much of the land surrounding the town - and indeed, the town itself - will be set aside, how much will sold off, and how much developed.
In other news, the White House has dropped its appeal of a 2007 court decision that had overturned new management rules for 191 million acres of national forests. Opponents to the rules had argued they weakened protection for wildlife and the environment to the benefit of the timber industry. Last March, a federal district court in California found that the U.S. Forest Service had bypassed required environmental reviews and provisions under the Endangered Species Act in its overhaul of the management rules, including changes in logging limits, for its national forests.
Uh-oh, No H2O
Water is forecast to be one of the biggest environmental and political stories of the 21st century - not just in developing countries, but in North America, as well. Already desalination plants are on the way in the Southwest, including in Southern California, while drought may force Southern nuclear power plants to scale back production, or shut down, throwing the energy grid into question, news sources report. Anyone buying rural property these days - indeed, any property - needs to know from where, and for how much money, if applicable, that property gets potable water.
Last summer, the U.S. District Court in Fresno, CA ordered freshwater diversions for agriculture and drinking water from the state's Delta stopped to protect the Delta Smelt; ongoing battles in OR to remove river dams that impede fish migration continue. Reservoirs serving Southern California are at 8-year lows, and cities are instituting voluntary water conservation measures, while in the Southeast, state-mandated restrictions in GA and other states continue. But no matter which side of these debates, you come up on, we say: know from where the water flows...and where it goes. Before you buy. Whether in a small town, or out in the sticks. It's especially important if you keep horses or livestock of any kind. Local governments can provide the information, if the seller cannot. More, as this story develops....
Free Advertising Offers
There are a lot of ways to get free advertising on LandandFarm.com. Yes, a free month of premium advertising can be yours. Here's two ways, one that takes luck and one that doesn't: first, if we pick your property to be featured in "History from the Ground Up," our wonderful monthly column about an historic or exotic property advertised on the site. The column is carried in our monthly opt-in email newsletter, which goes out usually between the 20th and end of each month, has featured everything from famous ranches, to retreats to properties going back to the American Revolution. Have a property you think should be featured? Write us at editor@landandfarm.com.
Another way is to purchase the Showcase ad on the cover of Land And Farm Bulletin for three or more months. Each three-month purchase will earn you a free month of premium advertising. The Bulletin, our print monthly magazine going out to all of our advertisers, subscribers and select Borders Books and Music Stores around the country. It's a wonderful way to feature that special property. It's tactile, and folks love to carry it around as a guide. Contact us about either of these opportunities to reap a free month of premium advertising at customer-service@landandfarm.com.
Rates, Sales, Starts Down; Refi's, Apps Up
While the Federal Reserve decreased the discount rate over the MLK Holiday, Mortgage applications were headed slightly upward and home-starts plunged with builders hunkering down, and waiting for improvement.
The central bank reduced the discount rate by 75 basis points, putting the benchmark rate under 4%, on continued weakness in the economy and a concern about the danger of recession. Critics say the bank's actions will push the dollar lower and inflation higher, while keeping more troubled homeowners out of danger. Meanwhile, refinancing increased substantially over 4Q07, and applications for loans did as well, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.
Meanwhile, home sales across the board dropped in December from a year earlier by 12-plus percent, although 2007 was the fifth highest year for total sales, the National Association of Realtors said.
County Profile: Rio Grande, CO
It's a mile and half up, but folks in Rio Grande County, CO have learned to love life in the high-elevation San Luis Valley, surrounded by the San Juan range of the Rocky Mountains. It's a mix of ranches, farms, mountain cabins, in-town bungalows and a large planned development, South Fork, all spread out of nearly 950 square miles. With just 12,000 people, Rio Grande is low-density and high on space. The famed Rio Grande spills down from the mountains through the county, and past the county seat of Del Norte. The Monte Vista and Alamosa National Wildlife Refuges partially located in the county; the Monte Vista portion is near the eponymous town, which is also the county's most populous municipality. Nearby airports include those at Pueblo, Telluride and Colorado Springs, although these are all two-plus hours away by road. Camping opportunities are found in the adjacent Rio Grande National Forest. Both Del Norte and Monte Vista offer restaurants and shopping, with many 'old-western' facades.
Land And Farm Goes Out FOR Business
While it's no secret LandAndFarm.com is the best place to find buyers or sellers for, well, lands and farms...we would be kidding ourselves if we didn't notice that lots of other kinds of country and rural property is often listed. Like, small-town businesses of all kinds: alpaca farms, bed and breakfasts, taverns, country stores and even wedding complexes. Of course, they all have some things in common: these properties are out in the country, or in tiny rural hamlets. We still want your lands and your farms. And, if you do have a country business to list - or you're looking for one - you may well list it or find it in one of our 25 land-use categories, from dairy farms to vineyards...and everything in between! Don't forget: LandandFarm.com will go out of the way to get your business...and your rural business listings! Please email or call us with questions about pricing. We love your questions.
Next Month: House Plans, Staging
Next month, in Land And Farm News: we're going to be focusing on house plans and plan resources on the web, as building season approaches. And, it's all the rage: how to stage. Country-property sales tips and tricks. Plus, anyone can grow herbs, now matter the size of your property or your water-flow...More next-month.
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 | | | | | | Private Retreat (hunting property) 78 acres.
Tignall, Georgia
Presale Home (residential land)
Woodland Park, Colorado
14.25 Acres With New Home (residential land) 14 acres.
Westminster, South Carolina
Holland (residential land) 6 acres.
Massachusetts
32.24 acres Jefferson County, Georgia (forest - natural) 32 acres.
Louisville, Georgia
40 Acres Of Peace and Quiet (recreational property) 40 acres.
Pottersville, Missouri
A South Carolina Bargain (forest - planted) 829 acres.
Williston, South Carolina
Country Living At Its Best (waterfront) 12 acres.
Arnoldsburg, West Virginia
695 Ac (undeveloped land) 695 acres.
Cleveland, Texas
719+- acres, Burke County, Georgia (row crops) 719 acres.
Waynesboro, Georgia
16+- acres on 20+- acre lake, Georgia (residential land) 16 acres.
Waynesboro, Georgia
2493 Ac Trinity River Ranch (residential land) 2,493 acres.
Trinity, Texas
Cheap Timber Land (forest - planted) 195 acres.
Barnwell, South Carolina
Bring Your Horses (horse farm) 20 acres.
Mountain Grove, Missouri
Sliker Hill Bluffs Farm (horse farm) 75 acres.
Conesus, New York
Wolf Creek Ranch (hunting property) 219 acres.
Plato, Missouri
Hunting And Recreational Land (hunting property) 60 acres.
Princeton, Kentucky
Treemendous Setting (hunting property) 5 acres.
Missouri
Peaceful ''n Cozy (residential land) 5 acres.
Missouri
Perfect Starter Farm (recreational property) 16 acres.
Gandeeville, West Virginia
Sunset Views Await (residential land) 31 acres.
Kalkaska, Michigan
Log Cabin Broad River 153 Ac (waterfront) 153 acres.
Comer, Georgia
Sabine Timberlands (undeveloped land) 6,412 acres.
Jasper, Texas
154 Acres (hunting property) 154 acres.
Summersville, West Virginia
Beautiful Valley Farm (horse farm) 142 acres.
REEDY, West Virginia
Magnificent Ocean Front Estate (waterfront) 1 acre.
Corolla, North Carolina
Beautiful Middle Tenn. Acres (forest - natural) 228 acres.
Linden, Tennessee
6 Acres Lookout Mnt (residential land) 6 acres.
near Sand Rock, Alabama
Home 130 Beautiful Acres (horse farm) 130 acres.
Olive Hill, Tennessee
Thriving Convenience Store /Deli/Gas
Walton, West Virginia
Georgia Hunting Land Timber (hunting property) 112 acres.
McRae, Georgia
Country Charm On 6 Acres (residential land) 6 acres.
Campbellsville, Kentucky
Private Game Preserve (recreational property) 268 acres.
NEWARK VALLEY, New York
Hunting crop Land (row crops) 160 acres.
Sterling, Kansas
340 Acres Meticulously Managed (hunting property) 340 acres.
Missouri
Wayne County 155 (recreational property) 155 acres.
Corydon, Iowa
Ralls County Home102 Acres (hunting property) 102 acres.
Hannibal, Missouri
38.5 Acres Crp Wooded Hunt (recreational property) 39 acres.
Illinois
Williamstown Huntingtrophies (hunting property) 177 acres.
Missouri
Huntingfarmcattle (row crops) 496 acres.
Attica, Kansas
Creeks And Waterfall View (forest - natural) 40 acres.
Gruetli-Laager , Tennessee
58 Acr Marketable Timber (hunting property) 58 acres.
Spencer, West Virginia
438 AC FARM W/ LOG HM,6 CAR GAR & MORE (residential land) 438 acres.
COOKEVILLE, Tennessee
Sulpher Creek Ranch (waterfront) 20 acres.
Lampasas, Texas
Farm and B&B, Asheville NC (row crops) 7 acres.
Asheville west/Candler, North Carolina
Middle Georgia Custom Home (residential land)
Sandersville, Georgia
Horse Lover's Dream Property (horse farm) 69 acres.
Niles, New York
Charming Cafe Business
Spencer, West Virginia
Private Rural Living
Orma, West Virginia
Pinway Plantation 723 Ac (recreational property) 723 acres.
Wrens, Georgia
For more information visit http://www.LandAndFarm.com.
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| How About Free Energy with Your Historic Farm? by LandAndFarm.com Staff
Can you have your Amish Funnel Cake, and eat it too? Maybe so. This farm complex in the rolling hills of the Buckeye State offers an authentic history within the Amish community going back more than a century...and it comes with free natural gas to heat all the buildings durimg those long Midwestern winters.
This historic Waterford, OH farm - and, yes, tourist attraction - offered traditional Amish families home, hearth and comfort for three generations, from the late nineteenth century onward, before Doug Johnston and his wife bought the place. What they found was an historic farm - possibly granted to a returning Civil War soldier by a grateful, albeit, poor federal government or given to homesteaders as part of the Ohio Land Co.'s giveaway of the early 19th century - without any modern amenities: no running water, no electricity or gas lines. And, no toilet. [...click here to continue]
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