To say 2020 has been unusual is an understatement. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning in March, many states began issuing “Safer at Home” orders. These orders encouraged people to stay at home, indoors, and to distance ourselves from other people.
For many people, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought things to the forefront of their minds that perhaps had been stuffed to the back. Everyone was suddenly confronted with decisions about distancing themselves from others, the security and availability of their food, and the definition of economic stability.
In the past few months, I have had many conversations with people who are seeking to exercise more control over the safety and security of their family by looking to purchase land for sale. Their motivations vary, but one common thread is that they have a vision for how they want their families to live, and the solution is finding a place to make that vision a reality.
Here are some of the main reasons that people tell me they are looking to purchase rural land:
- Peace and privacy, away from other people
- Room to grow and hunt your own food
- Land is a more stable investment
- Freedom to do what you want to do
- Helping connect your family to what is important in life
- Slower pace of life
- Satisfaction of improving and managing a piece of land
- Enjoyment of nature and God’s creation
In response to the orders and the response I have seen from it, I started this “Safer on YOUR Acres” initiative.
The COVID crisis is motivating healthy people to get outdoors and enjoy nature. In Alabama this spring, turkey harvest reports were up 53% over last year’s hunting season. States are reporting dramatic increases in hunting and fishing license sales. Firearm sales are near record-breaking each month. The public is turning their attention to getting out and enjoying nature.
This concept of “Safer on Your Acres” is not about scaring anyone into making a real estate purchase. The impetus is allowing you to achieve the vision for your life that brings you the most security and enjoyment. Many people agree that is best accomplished by having a safe place; and rural acreage is often the most desirable location.
Nothing allows you to live out your personal values like living out on acreage. Outside the confines of city streets, Home Owners Associations, and the view of your neighbors, you can be you. This is one of the reasons my family loves living way away from it all. The longer the COVID crisis continues, the more I believe that we continue to see a strong demand for rural land.
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This is such a great article for those selling rural land and those looking to buy it, thanks for the insight and clear writing on the benefits of owning land.
As a Planner for a rural small town and a county, I am seeing an increase in people seeking out acreage to reside on. However, a large majority of these people are not doing the research needed to make the move a successful one. The majority of them are not prepared for the types of extreme weather that occur in this area and are a bit shocked to find out that they will need a large piece of equipment to plow out to the road during the winter. The other thing they are not realizing is the time it takes to get some of the permits approved through the state before building can even begin.
I take the time to review the steps with each applicant, make recommendations, give them the information needed to thrive in this area and provide contact information for other agencies that they will also need to coordinate with during the site planning and building process. I wish I had the time to teach a class for people wanting to relocate to this area to make their relocation journey a more informed and streamlined one.
From speaking with other planners and realtors, I am hearing that buyers being uninformed about area specifics is common as buyers are impulse buying for a sense of security. In one area land prices aren’t particularly high; however, the average well depth is over 400 ft. and can go as deep as 1,000 ft.; which is a substantial investment in itself. Other areas allow renewable energy, but either won’t allow power to be pushed to the grid or won’t pay for the power that is pushed to the grid.