Flexibility is Key to a Successful Property Search

It’s a familiar story if you sell recreational property: Potential buyers often call you with a specific idea of the tract they want, down to the exact size and location. But by the time the buyer finds the property that works, it’s often completely different from what he or she first imagined.

So as a buyer, as you look for that perfect piece of recreational property, you may find that your wish list will change a bit along the way.

And that’s okay, because the key to a successful property search is being open to looking at a variety of properties until you find what looks and feels right.

Many buyers are dead-set at the beginning of their search that they have to have certain things, such as specific water sources, mature trees or flat topography. But often, all those wishes don’t fit into someone’s budget. So that’s the point in the buying process where flexibility needs to come into play.

Making adjustments to your land search can be quite simple if you approach the process with an open mind and keep these three things in mind:

• Think about what adjoining or nearby properties offer for recreation. Definitely consider recreational opportunities on the specific property you are looking at – is there a lake, are there trails, do the food plots need work? Perhaps your budget doesn’t allow for direct access to water, for example, but there may be public access just down the road. That could be a great Plan B.
• Think for the long term. For example, you may have started your search with a focus on properties with mature trees, but it might make more financial sense for you to buy a property with younger trees, knowing that the trees will look at lot different in a few years.
• Prioritize all the things on your wish list. Decide what’s most important, because you often may have to narrow list of “must haves” to find a property that will work for you and your needs.

It’s a fact of life that buyers don’t have unlimited budgets. But at the same time, you want to buy a property that you and your friends and family will be excited about using.

So keep your attention on what’s most important to you. If deer hunting is your top priority, it may not matter as much that the property lacks mature trees. But if your focus is on timber, the opposite could be true.

And it’s important to work with a real estate professional who knows the area where you’re looking, and is experienced in selling recreational property. This real estate pro will know the area well, and will know how properties will work for you, whether it’s for hunting, fishing, hiking, riding ATVs, or simply as a place to get away from it all and relax.

Written by Rick Musick, a Realtor with United Country Musick & Sons Auction and Real Estate Services in Grangeville, Idaho, part of the Potlatch Preferred Broker network.