From the beginning, the M4 team has pushed to be the best informed, most responsive brokerage in the Mountain West, not the biggest. In fact, the sales force numbers just four, Dan Murphy, Seth Craft, Jake Murphy, and Dominic Serna. They are backed up by a team of eight professionals who ensure that everything flows seamlessly.
From the beginning, the M4 team has pushed to be the best informed, most responsive brokerage in the Mountain West, not the biggest. In fact, the sales force numbers just four—Dan Murphy, Seth Craft, Jake Murphy, and Dominic Serna. They are backed up by a team of eight professionals who ensure that everything flows seamlessly.
As I write this, I’m winging my way home from Denver where the Realtors Land Institute (RLI) National Conference just wrapped up. My production team members are all patting their feet waiting for me to commit some words to paper because our press deadline is looming large.
Unfortunately, I can’t write until inspiration strikes. Fortunately, RLI, as always, inspired me. Honestly, I can’t imagine that residential realtors are as excited, passionate and committed to their industry as we ranch brokers are to ours. There is a tie to land, whether it’s through rural childhoods, outdoor pursuits like hunting or just an appreciation for the majesty of nature, that sets our industry—and us—apart.
At gatherings like RLI that difference is palpable. Of course, we all come to get equipped with cutting-edge knowledge that helps us help our clients and grow our businesses. RLI did a stellar job of stretching perspectives with presentations ranging from “Positioning Your Land Brand for Success in a Post-Pandemic World” and “How to Make Money in a Down Market” to “Time Management for Leaders” and “A Look Inside the Beltway.”
Of course, what happens on the mainstage and in the breakout sessions is important, but from my perspective what happens at the trade show, cocktail parties and meals is absolutely essential. I think this year’s theme, Cross-Country Collaboration, Knowledge Sharing, and Deal Making, showcased the vital nature of human connection.
Because we work in different states—and America is a big, beautiful country—we don’t have the opportunity to get face-to-face nearly as often as I would like. Conferences like RLI put us all in a pile and allow us to reconnect with our peers and our friends.
As I look back over the past three days, I'm reminded that meaningful human connection happens on at least three planes: physical, mental and spiritual. Communication via text and email is fast, convenient and necessary, but the limits of technology prompt us to say things and make decisions based on limited information. The people who measure these sorts of things estimate (depending on which study you read) that effective communication is 55 percent to 91 percent nonverbal. There’s a reason the tech folks invented emojis. Video chats help, but the technology wall is real.
You know as well as I do that business is built on relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust is built through deep, honest communication which generally happens when we’re face-to-face.
My staff writer’s mantra is that everyone has a story—and my experience bears that out. I'm amazed at how fast these face-toface conversations transition from business to personal and then very often to matters of God and faith. After the imposed isolation of the pandemic, people need to share what is going on in their lives with an urgency unlike any time before. And it’s not just the shiny, social media-worthy, good stuff, but the heavy and hard stuff, too.
As humans, we’re built to get beyond physical walls, technological walls and even those mental walls that we build for ourselves. When our walls come down, connections are made, trust flourishes—and our friendships and businesses thrive.
Trust is built through deep, honest communication which generally happens when we’re face-to-face.
SALES
Publisher TOM ALEXANDER talexander@land.com
Travis Driscoll represents the owners and buyers of ranches and ag properties in New Mexico and Colorado. Travis’ unique marketing background combined with the knowledge and experience that comes with selling large hunting, cattle and recreational ranches in multiple states brings a lot to the table for his clients. Travis is an active member of the Realtor’s Land Institute and continues to work on education and professional development within the business of ranch and land real estate. In his free time Travis can be found on horseback at various Western sporting events or maybe riding the range of a New Mexico ranch. If he’s not on the back of a horse, he may be out casting a fly rod or stalking that next big bull. Find out more at BeaverheadOutdoors.com
Brayden Burns works as a geospatial analyst for Eagle Land Brokerage and Land Information Systems. Brayden earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern Nazarene University (Environmental Studies; Business Administration) and master’s from Arkansas State University (Environmental Science). While in Arkansas, his work focused on nitrogen fertilizer rates and remote sensing technology. Since returning to Colorado, he has applied his analytical skills to Colorado’s farm and ranch market, providing essential data and analysis. As a fifth generation member of the industry, Brayden has a deep appreciation for the land, people, and future of Western agriculture. When he is able to sneak away from his desk, Brayden enjoys God’s creation alongside his lovely wife, Christa. Find out more at EagleLand.com
Petra Capital Properties is a mission-focused investment management company, dedicated to serving the needs of its real estate investment clients. Its investor-centric approach endeavors to put the needs of its clients first by aligning critical investment objectives with personalized real estate solutions. The result is optimized portfolio construction that delivers on a two-fold mandate of preserving capital and protecting income. Our investors have worked a lifetime to accumulate wealth, and our goal is to preserve and enhance it. Find out more at PetraCapitalProperties.com
PRODUCTION
Writer & Communication Specialist LORIE A. WOODWARD lwoodward@land.com
Senior Account Manager & Editor JENNIFER SCHAEFER jschaefer@land.com
Creative Director & Production Manager KATIE GORDON kgordon@land.com
Designer & Copy Editor JEHAN GLAZE jglaze@land.com
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©Copyright 2023 CoStar Group. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. LAND Magazines are published by CoStar Group, 100 Congress Ave, Suite 1500, Austin, Texas 78701. Information provided to CoStar Group is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The publisher will not be responsible for any omissions, errors, typographical mistakes or misinformation within this publication. Measurements and figures are approximate. Properties are subject to errors, omissions, prior change or prior sale. The real estate advertised in this magazine is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and it’s amendments. This magazine will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Dwellings advertised in this magazine are available on an equal opportunity basis. Printed in the USA.
STORY BY LORIE A. WOODWARD PHOTOS BY M 4 RANCH GROUP
designation from the Realtors Land Institute (RLI), the industry’s highest accreditation.
While lifelong learning and its attendant application take time and dedication, the effort pays dividends. Over the past two years, the M4 team, with four agents working in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming, has closed north of 200 mountain properties totaling more than $400 million in sales, proving knowledge and a lot of hard work provide a competitive advantage.
According to Kaiser, Dan immediately saw how the system could help grow M4 and signed up on the spot.
“Our system gave them data, they didn’t have before,” Kaiser said. “Previously, the team was considering land through two or three lenses, with our tool they can consider it through five or six. It allows them to be the best educated on either the buying or selling side of the equation.”
t the time, the industry was managing wildlife for money instead of biology, so I realized we were part of the problem not part of the solution,” Dan said. “If wildlife was going to be sustainable and herds were going to be balanced, I recognized we had to focus on the foundations of what created healthy, robust herds and manage in a way that allowed them to thrive.”
Because the same understanding of broad ecological principles is essential to healthy, vigorous ranches, Dan’s epiphany has proven to be a foundational tenet for the M4 Ranch Group, and the team of professionals who work with and for M4 Ranch Group.
“The dynamics of a successful ranch lie in the nuanced interrelationship between land use, water use habitat management, wildlife management and energy,” Dan said. “When we created M4, part of our mission was to understand these fundamentals from the ground up instead of the sky down, so we could be in the best position to help our clients, whether they were legacy landowners or first-time buyers.”
From the beginning, the M4 team has pushed to be the best informed, most responsive brokerage in the Mountain West, not the biggest. In fact, the sales force numbers just four, Dan, Seth Craft, Jake Murphy, and Dominic Serna. They are backed up by a team of eight professionals who ensure that everything from graphic arts, video editing, research analysis, mapping and marketing to document preparation and closing flows seamlessly.
“We’re a group of land professionals that specializes in knowledge,” said Dan, noting that every one of the sales team has either obtained or are in the process of obtaining the ALC
On any given transaction, brokers and their clients will likely be contending with some combination of 1031 exchanges, conservation easements, zoning requirements, water rights, mineral rights, wildlife regulations ranging from hunting units and allowable harvests to the Endangered Species Act. In recent years, renewable energy has begun to merit serious consideration and the development of ecosystem services markets may soon add another level of complexity.
“It’s impossible to know everything,” Dan said. “That’s why we make it point to know the people who know.”
Ariel Steele, who works with the Tax Credit Connection, specializes in marketing the state income tax credits that Colorado landowners earn for enrolling their land in conservation easements.
Steele, who met Dan through RLI in 2015, works with the M4 team to educate the firm’s clients who are interested in conservation easements prior to a purchase. Then, if they choose to enroll their new property in a conservation easement, she markets the resulting tax credits.
“I’m probably one of at least 30 people affiliated with M4 who has a specific area of expertise,” said Steele, noting the network includes everyone from appraisers and water attorneys to wildlife biologists, construction specialists and land reclamation practitioners. “I’m honored to be someone M4 trusts with their clients because from the team’s perspective their clients are the most important piece of any transaction.”
According to Steele, M4 has an almost unprecedented commitment to conservation and keeping ranches, open and working. Landowners who don’t want to develop their properties can get somewhere between one-third to one-half of the cost back through tax benefits, she said.
Another way M4 increases its knowledge of properties and opportunities is by assessing and adopting new technology such as Landgate.
Craig Kaiser, Landgate’s Co-Founder and President introduced Dan and the M4 team to his company’s technology about a year ago.
“They simply want to stay at the tip of the spear and be industry leaders in all facets of their business,” Kaiser continued. “If they determine something like our system makes sense for them and their clients, they adopt it early and use it to their competitive advantage.”
The M4 team is also always on the lookout for potential solutions for client’s problems. For instance, in many long-time ranching families, the current generation of owners is reaching retirement age and their children have no interest in actively managing the land. If the family chooses to sell and have not planned for that moment, they face a huge tax bill because of capital gains.
Two years ago, the M4 team found a workable solution through Brad Watt and his team at Petra Capital Properties. For the past 35 years, Watt and his team have specialized in structuring tax efficient real estate investment programs, including 1031 exchange programs known as Delaware Statutory Trusts (DST).
DSTs are turn-key 1031 replacement property interests that allow individual owners to sell highly appreciated land or other rental property and reinvest sales proceeds into a portfolio of passive income and growth properties. Passive DST replacement property interests can be combined into highly customized and diversified real estate portfolios and tailored to meet each investor’s risk tolerance, cash flow requirements, and overall investment and estate planning goals. DSTs are offered as real estate securities and represent all major asset classes and diverse investment strategies.
“Our clients have worked a lifetime to accumulate wealth,” Watt said. “Now, they are in a season of life where they want to compound wealth through 1031 tax deferral and convert highly appreciated property into diversified streams of projected passive income.”
Additionally, if the land is sold prior to the parents’ passing, the children can inherit an income-producing portfolio. As real estate securities, DSTs may be easier to transfer than a ranch or a business.
Recently, Seth and Petra teamed up to help an 80-year-old widow in Colorado. She had been
In his previous career as the owner-operator of an outfitting business that spanned four western states, Dan Murphy got involved in wildlife policy issues. The experience prompted an epiphany.
running the family farm since her husband’s passing 20 years ago and was ready to retire. Her children did not want to continue its active management, so she trusted M4 to sell a portion of the property.
Upon closing, Petra’s team reinvested the sales proceeds into a portfolio of diversified DST properties, customized to match her risk tolerance and income needs. Because the properties are already identified and structured, the client’s money was reinvested within 10 days with projected cash distributions starting the following month.
Today, she continues to live in the house she shared with her husband and children. Once a month, she anticipates receiving a monthly check from her diversified DST property investments.
“Good deals are easy if you know what you’re doing, but good partnerships are rare,” Watt said. “Petra and M4 are good partners because we’re mission-focused and client-centered. Our core values align, so we’re equally yoked and pull in tandem for the benefit of our clients.”
Having access to the best knowledge, tools and technology, means nothing if they can’t be applied. At M4, the team puts their resources on the ground with the same commitment they put their boots on the ground. It works. The following samples are just a few from the vast collection of success stories they’ve amassed in recent years.
For Marv Peachey, an Iowa-based building materials entrepreneur, a disappointing elk hunt turned into an unanticipated opportunity.
In September 2021, Peachey, an avid hunter, was pursuing elk in Colorado. While the hunting was poor, his guide was stellar. Knowing that Peachey was interested in acquiring a hunting lease on private land for himself and his company’s team, the guide suggested he meet Seth. When the hunting hadn’t improved after several days, Peachey agreed to leave the field and the guide arranged a lunch with Seth.
While Seth didn’t know of any lease opportunities that would meet Peachey’s
If they recommend someone from their network of contractors and service providers to do a job, I can proceed with confidence because they only deal with the best.
—BRYAN MICK
needs, he did have a suitable 3,400-acre ranch in Guffey, Colorado that was for sale. Although Peachey wasn’t in the market to purchase a ranch, he ran the proposal past his CFO and his banker but told Seth it was a long shot at best.
Much to his surprise, his banker and CFO both gave the proposal a thumbs up in short order. Within a few days, they had a contract.
“The number one core value for our manufacturing company is positive energy and I sensed that from Seth and Dan,” Peachey said. “They are always upbeat and maintain the mindset that the next deal will be a good one. It’s a pleasure to do business with people who work hard because they are driven by a passion for what they’re doing instead of a feeling of obligation.”
He continued, “After all these years in business, my hypocrisy alarms are fine-tuned, but when I encountered M4 the alarms didn’t go off because folks were honest, sincere and transparent. If there were ever a mistake made, I honestly believe that they would lose money on a deal just to make it right instead of passing it on to me.”
Chris DeBow, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is a senior-level investment manager, has traveled to all 50 states. He’s hunted and fished in 28 states, so when he chose Colorado as the location for his hunting property it was an informed choice.
In 2019, M4 had listed a remote 923-acre seasonal ranch that was accessible only by snowmobile during the winter. When DeBow’s wife saw a nearby shared ranch property listed by M4, she was smitten. She wanted a “civilized place” in Colorado that she and their four children could enjoy before they acquired the hunting ranch.
The DeBows purchased the shared ranch estate. Once the family was settled, they purchased the hunting property. The transaction was completed pre-COVID and the ensuing market rise. Then, after the market had begun heating up, M4 helped attain some key missing pieces and the DeBows purchased an additional 350 adjoining acres.
With his eyes on the rising market and lack of supply, Dan suggested DeBow consider selling the property. DeBow wasn’t interested until last spring, when M4 brought an opportunity—a buyer in need of a 1031 exchange who offered DeBow about double what he had paid for the properties. DeBow refused but agreed to list it at $1 million over the offer just to test the market. The property sold for $100,000 less than listing and DeBow secured exceptional revenues while maintaining exclusive hunting rights for five years.
“A rural land deal is a complicated undertaking, and you need people who know what to expect, how to spot the pitfalls and where to find the answers and solutions,” DeBow said. “Dan and the M4 team know the region where they work like the back of their hands because they live it.”
While experience on the ground is invaluable, experience at the negotiating table can’t be overlooked. According to DeBow, the M4 team’s track record with transactions that regularly exceed $30 million benefited him.
“When negotiating big deals temperament is a factor,” DeBow said. “People who don’t have experience working with deals of that magnitude can lose their perspective and get flustered. Dan and his team are cool as cucumbers.”
Divide and Conquer
Bryan Mick, an attorney living in Cody, Wyoming whose Omaha, Nebraska-based firm specializes in due diligence on investments in real estate and other assets, has a couple side hustles.
“One strategy is buying large tracts and dividing them,” said Mick. Mick also manages three LLCs which originate sale/leaseback and “hard money” transactions. His entities have used Seth and the M4 team to liquidate assets, find undervalued buy -and-hold recreational ground, and complete IRS Code Section 1031 exchanges, in one case into an industrial flex condominium unit.
In his primary job, Mick represents brokerdealers and registered investment advisors from across the nation, analyzing syndicated real estate offerings involving development, Section 1031 DST programs, REITs and real estate debt funds. When it comes to his personal business, however, he relies exclusively on the M4 team for Colorado and New Mexico farm and ranch transactions.
In his estimation, the M4 team excels at assessing the embedded value of any property’s features, whether it’s the hunting opportunities or water rights. They have a collective, creative vision for different land configurations and improvements that allow the owner to achieve its highest and best use. According to him, the team also finds value where others miss it.
As a seller, Mick also appreciates M4’s realistic, unvarnished view of a property’s value in the marketplace. In his experience, some brokerages acquiesce to their clients’ pie-in-the-sky view of their property’s value, setting their expectations too high from the outset.
“They have the highest ethics I’ve encountered in the marketplace and they’re careful about who they associate with internally,” Mick said. “If they recommend someone from their network of contractors and service providers to do a job, I can proceed with confidence because they only deal with the best.”
WHETSTONEMOUNTAIN RANCH, ELK HUNTING AT ITS BEST IN THE COLORADO ROCKIES
A rural land deal is a complicated undertaking, and you need people who know what to expect, how to spot the pitfalls and where to find the answers and solutions.
—CHRIS DEBOW
Entrepreneur and avid bowhunter Andrew Richardson, who is based in Utah, wanted a ranch to diversify his multi-state pest control company’s holdings. He searched in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. During his search, he worked with different brokers and then he met Dan.
“Everybody else was nice, but Dan is a charismatic, captivating individual,” Richardson said. “His superpower was that he read my mind and knew exactly what I wanted. He took me to two and I bought one.”
Before he made his final decision, Dan talked him through the advantages and disadvantages of both properties. In the end, Dan recommended the property that cost less, but delivered the bigger bang for wildlife habitat and hunting.
“He knew how to present the property, so it connected the dots for me,” Richardson said. “For him, it was all about getting the right fit for me. Finding this property was like finding a needle in a haystack—and he found my needle.”
According to Richardson, Dan’s approach to helping him manage the land after the transaction concluded is not pushy, but thoughtful.
“He’s driven by a passion for conservation and wants to help me be the best land steward I can be.”
Along the way, Richardson has become close friends with Dan, Jake and Seth. From his perspective, it’s the team’s dedication to building lasting relationships that has elevated the entire experience.
“From the moment I first walked in, nothing has felt like customer service, instead it’s felt like friendship,” Richardson said. “From a business perspective, that’s the highest compliment I can give anyone.”
Bradford “Brad” Griffith operates his Lubbock, Texas-based construction and residential waste business from Dallas, but he relaxes in Colorado. He met Dan in 2004.
As the decades passed, they had multiple buy-and-holds. Each sale and new acquisition led Griffith closer to his western ranch dream. In 2021, he acquired his pinnacle property, Rough Hollow Ranch, nestled under three 13,000-foot peaks with a world-class trout stream, fields dotted with big game, a lake teeming with trout, waterfowl and birds of prey, and access to one of the west’s best little mountain towns, Lake City, Colorado.
“The M4 team listened and knew what I wanted,” Griffith said. “They know I like apex opportunities and, throughout the years, didn’t present me with anything that was not the absolute definition of that. Each transaction led to a favorable outcome for me and others.
“And to make it even better, what began as business transformed into deep, lasting friendships. The M4 team, like me, appreciates excellence in everything.” °
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And to make it even better, what began as business transformed into deep, lasting friendships. The M4 team, like me, appreciates excellence in everything.
—BRADFORD“BRAD”
GRIFFITH
PRESENTED BY TEXAS RANCH SALES, LLC
LS Ranch, a highly improved recreational, hunting, and working cattle ranch spans approximately 22,991± deeded acres. The ranch is for sale in Crook County, Oregon, just southeast of Prineville.
Framed by national forests with incredible mountain views, this ranch, with its dramatic elevation changes, is in a class by itself. The ranch terrain encompasses steep bluffs, hilltops, lush river valleys, wide open fields, thick forests and hidden meadows
The headquarters, situated on a hilltop overlook, consists of a custom main home that boasts incredible views and luxurious high-end finishes throughout. On the top floor, there are five bedrooms, each with their own private baths; this array includes a sumptuous master suite with his and her baths. In addition, the top floor includes three half-baths, a custom kitchen with granite countertops, spacious living room, family room, breakfast room, a walk-in freezer, theatre room and a large deck. The main home’s lower level features a full bar with 360-degree views, a game room and a sitting area.
Impeccable landscaping surrounds the home. There are two garages complete with heat and AC, as well as indoor dog kennels.
The 3,572± square-foot custom-built manager’s house features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and one half-bath. There is also a fourbedroom, 2,204± square-foot bunk house that sleeps 10. Additional houses
and cabins can accommodate overflow guests and employees.
The property, which conservatively supports 400 cow/calf pairs, features top-of-the-line equine and cattle infrastructure. There is a sizable eightstall barn and roping arena with a large, heated tack room, an alley and catch pen, a vet and grain room, enclosed hay storage and an outside wash rack. The enclosed and heated cattle working facility includes a wash out system, steel corrals, two silencer squeeze chutes as well as a complement of specialized pens. Additional improvements include all new fencing, a fuel station, a large hay barn, an angle shop, a tractor shed and an equipment and storage shop.
Thanks to miles of rivers and creeks, the LS Ranch is the pinnacle of livewater properties. Numerous mountain springs deliver crystal-clear water; several stock ponds are scattered throughout the landscape along with multiple solar-powered wells. The property features three storage lakes: 3± acre Cemetery, 4± acre Sarvis, and 15± acre Maury.
Hunting is unbelievable with landowner Rocky Mountain elk and mule deer tags from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Other wildlife includes pronghorn antelope, bobcat, mountain lion, coyote and eagles.
When it comes to premier hunting and recreational ranches in Central Oregon, LS Ranch is unparalleled. This is a rare opportunity to own a ranch that has it all—a turnkey cattle operation, tremendous hunting, breathtaking views, diverse topography and incredible water features. °
$35,000,000
Sheldon@TexasRanchSalesLLC.com TexasRanchSalesLLC.com
Fishing opportunities are at their finest with the Gunnison River within Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, designated as Gold Medal Water and Wild Trout Water.
With a hospitable environment and ample surface water, the ranch harbors some of Colorado's most elusive game species, Big Horn sheep in the adjacent canyons surrounding Morrow Point, and Shiras moose, along with more common deer, bear, turkey and elk.
Conservation
Love this land and see it remain as productive agricultural ground as well as wildlife habitat.
Stunning views and miles of national forest border will nourish the soul.
The elk and mule deer hunting is superb, with large herds of elk and solitary big bulls and bucks cruising the ranch.
The farm's multifaceted productivity provides exceptional cattle grazing along with superlative opportunities for hunting white-tailed deer and wild hogs in the hardwood timber draws that snake through the property.
With plentiful water from ponds, the river and a large oxbow lake, the potential for angling and waterfowl hunting is unsurpassed.
The magnificent worldclass equestrian facility encompasses 33,000± square feet including an indoor arena.
Walk down to the pond that was specifically constructed for fishing and let the kids be kids.
This property is simply a smooth-running wildlife machine. The number of bucks here, both mature and younger age classes, is the number one key feature.
There are numerous species of wild animals present on the ranch including mule deer, hogs, mountain lions, turkeys, coyotes and bobcats. Perhaps the most exciting game species on the ranch is a thriving population of California quail in huntable numbers. Ducks and geese also frequent the reservoirs.
The ranch has vast opportunities for ranchrelated recreation. The larger reservoirs on the ranch are well populated by bass and crappie.
There is significant frontage on Fall Creek as well as 2.25 miles of national forest, BLM, and state land adjacency.
With a connection to the guest house, the superlative, four-stall, timber-frame horse barn is an equine palace.
With 1,500 feet of shoreline on the Murfrees Fork of the South Harpeth River, you'll enjoy picnics and fishing for smallmouth bass, bluegill and black crappie on your own terms.
Second, Hurt had discovered that soon after closing most people asked him the same question: “Do you know somebody who can help us improve our ranch?” They were searching for someone to help them realize their dreams for the land whether it was restoring the land’s ecological productivity, building a house or creating other infrastructure.
“I remembered a case study that I’d read about McDonald’s and how the company had increased sales just by asking, ‘Do you want fries with that?’” Hurt said. “I started asking, ‘Do you want a house, a lake or some other improvement with your ranch?’ And I set about to put a team in place that could help people ‘doctor’ up their land.”
The team has determined that clients almost always want to change, improve, remove or build something.
“The relationship that we’ve developed with our clients through the acquisition helps us work together to effectively achieve the vision for their property,” Hurt said.
Finally, he knew first-hand about the land’s healing power. Hurt was a young teenager when his older sister died in a car accident. He used a “pack of hound dogs, a .22 rifle and a fishing pole” to cope with the grief.
“Land and nature can heal individuals and families,” Hurt said. “A farm or ranch gives them a quiet place to slow down and enjoy being with one another. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate that as the most important part of this whole deal.”
When Hurt claimed the name in 2015, he was a solo act with no listings. Today, the team of highly educated, boots-on-theground professionals numbers 10. Collectively, they’ve sold about 50,000 acres within the borders of the Sooner State.
“Oklahoma is mostly small farms and ranches,” he said. “We’ve amassed that total 300 acres at a time, which translates into a lot of transactions.”
For Hurt, bigger is not better. In his eyes, success is not the number of agents, the number of sales or a massive bottom line.
“The best accomplishment in this business is the acquisition of talent and lasting friendships,” Hurt said. “In our culture, it seems like people have bought into the idea that the person who leaves this world with the most material possessions wins. In my mind, the big winners are the people who lived a life doing the work they loved with people they enjoy.”
He recounted an experience with his young son. They were running trail cameras on one of the company’s listings. His son asked if they were working.
To which Hurt replied, “Yeah, this passes as work for us. Why would we ever want to stop living this way?”
Hurt, who previously worked as the Chief Environmental, Health and Safety Officer for the Chickasaw Nation’s Division of Commerce, recruited Ron Ward to join the firm upon his retirement from the tribe. During their respective tenures for the tribal government, they had worked together on numerous projects including constructing WinStar World Casino, the world’s largest casino.
“When I figured out that everyone wanted us to build something for them, I knew nobody could deliver better than Ron, so I asked him to join me,” Hurt said.
The rest of The Land Doctors came from the rank of colleagues or former clients. Each has roots firmly in farming, ranching, hunting or some other land-based pursuit and all bring real world experience and specialized knowledge. Their expertise ranges from advertising, video production and information systems management to construction, development and ranch management.
In the case of Steve Owen, he brings more than 40 years working as a landman for large independent oil and gas companies to the table for the Land Doctors’ clients. In 2021, he retired as Senior Vice President of the Land Department for Continental Resources, Inc., where he oversaw 117 people, negotiated complicated transactions and associated contracts with individuals and other energy companies, and reviewed title opinions often exceeding 200 pages. His career culminated in the closing of over $2.5 billion dollars of assets.
Hurt helped Owen and his wife find their dream property. By Owen’s own estimation, they were picky.
When Kelly Hurt was trying to settle on a name for the ranch brokerage he founded in Allen, Oklahoma in 2015, The Land Doctors fit the bill.
“It resonated on several levels,” he said. He earned a Ph.D. through a program that focused on cleaning up and restoring contaminated properties. Hurt is a trained Land Doctor.
“Kelly about drove himself crazy finding the property that was exactly right for us,” said Owen, who was reared on a corn and soybean farm in Illinois and educated in Kansas. “But in the process, we became fast friends. What I’ve learned is that is the expected norm with Kelly and happens more often than not.”
Owen never expected to return to the working world, but the opportunity to focus his attention on the land’s surface (and work with his best friend) struck a chord with him.
“I’ve spent the majority of my career working with subsurface estates,” Owen said. “Being part of The Land Doctors’ team gives me a chance to help folks buy where they want to live, work and play, while making them happy and establishing relationships that last.”
Unlike the corporate, bottom-line atmosphere, he encountered in the oil and gas industry, The Land Doctors operate as an “all for one, one for all” family. Owen told a story of visiting an old-time ranching couple who were considering selling and interviewing potential agents.
As he often does, Owen took his wife and son, who was home from college, with him to meet with the potential clients. Watching the family’s interaction was the reassurance the owners’ needed. They listed with Owen and The Land Doctors.
“The Land Doctors is a family enterprise,” Owen said. “The depth and breadth of Kelly’s knowledge constantly impresses me, but he’s the most humble-and-down to earth person you’ll ever meet. His moral compass doesn’t waver and his unpretentious leadership sets the tone for everything we do around here.”
Hurt, a member of the fifth-generation farming family from north Mississippi, had never considered going to college until the 1980s Farm Crisis.
“I’d have probably never left home without the Farm Crisis,” Hurt said. “But, after our family went through that, we all had to go get a job away from the farm.”
His stellar ACT scores earned scholarship offers from multiple universities. He decided to stay close to home and attend Mississippi State. His strong academic performance as an undergraduate in geology, prompted an offer of graduate school.
“College was a whole lot of fun and somebody paying me to keep going to school seemed like a good deal,” said Hurt, laughing.
His Ph.D. in environmental science was conferred through Mississippi State’s Department of Forestry. Post-doctoral work, sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences at the Kerr Laboratory, brought him to Oklahoma in 1997. Later, he served as Tyson Foods’ environmental manager for Oklahoma before embarking on his career with the Chickasaw Nation. As his
responsibilities grew for the tribal government, he began assessing their real estate purchases from an environmental standpoint. In 2008, he obtained his real estate license and began selling property part-time.
“Growing up, our family had dairy cows, beef cows, pigs, chickens, and horses, and in our spare time, we built houses and cut pulpwood,” Hurt said. “On Sunday mornings, we went to church, but the rest of the time, we worked, unless we could sneak off and go hunting or fishing.”
In 2010, real estate became his primary focus. All his education, life skills and hands-on professional experience informs the way he approaches the land industry. As a scientist, he is trained to find answers through careful analysis. Thorough evaluation coupled with the farm-bred self-reliance gives him the confidence to tackle just about anything.
For instance, when clients wanting to raise cattle commercially come to The Land Doctors searching for productive ranch land, Hurt and his team calculate the cost of a ton of forage per acre based on the various soil types across the ranches under consideration. Ranches that produce the most forage with the fewest inputs such as fertilizer or feed enhance the rancher’s chances of success.
“Cows don’t eat acres, they eat grass,” Hurt said. “So, we want to find the ranch that naturally produces the most forage for our clients so that they can increase their stocking rate and profitability.”
The forage calculations, which are derived by dividing the sales price by the number of tons of forage produced per year, allows clients to compare “apples to apples” and to make informed decisions. In one case, a client had narrowed the choices down to two ranches. One looked lush, while the other did not. The visual assessment told one story, but the numbers based on cost per ton of forage instead of cost per acre told something completely different.
On the lush ranch, Hurt’s cost per annual ton of forage metric showed that, although the ranch looked great, it was not very productive. “When we divided the price by the tons of annual forage, it drove the price up to $2600/annual ton of forage. The calculation for the ragged ranch yielded $543/annual ton of forage. It was ugly on the surface but had superior bones.” The client bought the property with the lowest cost of operation and within a year had transformed it into a lush oasis through improved grazing management.
“To succeed in this business, you have to look, listen and learn,” Hurt said. “It pays to be open-minded and curious. Everybody on our team is a lifelong learner and our clients benefit from that.”
Land and nature can heal individuals and families.
He continued, “Of course, none of the knowledge matters if you can’t get along with people. Somebody described our approach as ‘Mayberry meets NASA’— and it fits. As country kids who were raised right, we know how to get along well with others.”
According to Hurt, the key to success in the ranch real estate business is understanding clients’ motivation and helping them realize their expectations.
“If you think about it, people don’t buy land as much as they buy an expectation of what they’re going to do with it, so we work hard to understand the purpose behind the purchase,” Hurt said. “We ask the right questions and then shut up and listen.”
The interview is wide and deep. The team extracts as many details as the client has considered and then they ask questions to prompt the clients to consider other topics as well.
Once the team is completely clear about what the client wants, they turn their attention to finding it. Their goal is to identify one or two properties that seem like a perfect fit and show those to the clients instead of dragging them hither and yon in hopes that something is a match.
Sellers get the same intensive attention. The team listens to their stories about the land to best position it with buyers.
“They know more about the property than we ever will, so it makes sense to really listen to them,” said Hurt.
Then, the team uses their experience throughout Oklahoma to understand the property’s relative merit and value in the marketplace. The Land Doctors find satisfaction in communicating exactly what a property is and isn’t, so they avoid pointless showings and work with buyers who are
interested in that specific type of property.
“We only work in Oklahoma— and we see a lot of ranches,” Hurt said. “We know when something is exceptional, and we know how to make a good ranch better.”
Hurt estimates his team collectively has 50 years of experience with mineral sales and leases, 75 years of experience with ranch sales, more than 100 years of experience in all phases of construction and 150 years of farm experience. Hurt, with his geology background, excels at all aspects of surface water and groundwater.
They pride themselves on being creative and tenacious. Hurt recalled a property that was divided by a deep, impassable creek. To get from one side of the property to the other required a circuitous, five mile trip. When the prospective buyer noted he was really interested in the property, but didn’t want to contend with the inconvenient drive, Hurt asked if he’d buy the property if there was a bridge. The buyer agreed. Hurt and his team built a bridge.
“We’d never built a bridge before, but we did it because it needed to be done,” Hurt said. “The property sold, and the client was happy. Now, he exclusively uses us for his real estate transactions.”
And that level of attention doesn’t end at the closing because the clients are then part of The Land Doctors’ family. As new opportunities such as carbon contracts, a great opportunity to buy or sell minerals or other things that might be beneficial pop up on the radar, the team will reach out to their clients.
“We don’t always make money by doing that, but we think it’s helpful—and we are always looking for an opportunity to help our folks out,” Hurt said. “From the beginning to the end, we’re partners in making our clients’ dreams come true.”°
STORY BY PETRA CAPITAL PROPERTIES
As 77 million Baby Boomers brace for retirement, the road to financial security is paved with uncertainty. For most active landlords and property owners, the question looms large of how to reposition highly-appreciated real estate into sustainable streams of passive monthly income. Most investment real estate owners have worked a lifetime for return on investment. However, at this stage of life, the goal is to transform self-managed property into versatile lifestyle income that can be used for “living or giving.” We call this “Return on Life.”
According to the USDA Farms and Land Summary Report dated February 2022, there are more than 2,000 private farms and ranches in the U.S. representing over 1 billion acres and an estimated value of nearly $3 trillion. In light of changing business models and aging demographics, we believe that property owners are focused on profitable exit strategies. In making a hold versus sell decision, one fact remains the same. You’ve worked a lifetime to accumulate wealth, now the goal is to keep it. Simply stated, the objective of most investors is to preserve capital and protect cash flow.
Under IRS 1031 exchange rules, investment property sellers can defer capital gain taxes provided they reinvest proceeds into another investment property or properties. For most investors, a 1031 exchange starts with tax deferral. After all, taxes represent a permanent loss of capital as well as reduced earning power. However, as financial history demonstrates, we believe it is far more important to focus on investment fundamentals than tax advantages.
All real estate is not created equal. Investors should remember that a 1031 exchange is an investment strategy first—and a tax strategy second.
One of the fastest growing segments of the broader 1031 exchange market is the alternative Delaware Statutory Trust or “DST” for short (WealthManagement.com, “The DST Industry’s Growth is Fueled by 1031 Investors”, March 22, 2021.). The DST is a real estate trust that allows individual property investors to acquire beneficial ownership in one or more highquality, income-producing properties, with professional third-party management. Much like “Legos,” individual DST property interests can be combined to create highly diversified and
personalized income and growth portfolios that match each investor’s specific risk tolerance and investment objectives.
DSTs can be offered as either all-cash investments, or partially leveraged investments with no personal recourse debt. Existing and available properties represent most major asset classes and diverse investment strategies, including: Class “A” multifamily residential communities, industrial properties, diversified healthcare assets, self-storage facilities, and demand driven essential properties backed by long term leases, credit-worthy tenants, and proven business formats. Depending on investment amount and personal preference, Petra can allocate to each of these asset classes for customized portfolio construction and optimized risk management.
While there is always risk to real estate investing, DSTs are offered as securitized real estate that must pass through multiple levels of due diligence and underwriting before being offered to qualified investors. If you are interested in learning how to transform your hard-earned wealth into a diversified portfolio of passive income DST properties, please give us a call. °
Investment results and distributions are not guaranteed. 1031/DST transactions are speculative investments and are suitable only for investors with high risk tolerance that understand the risks, including: loss of entire investment, illiquidity, lack of marketability, long-term investment horizons, risks associated with real estate investment, and general market risks.
PETRACAPITALPROPERTIES.COM
In the words of Yogi Berra. . . “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll get there every time.”
IN MEMORIAM
On March 3, 2023, the ranch real estate industry lost one of its pioneering, visionary leaders, John “Leo” Hayden. In 1975, a winter storm that decimated his family’s 500-head cattle herd prompted him to find a career outside of production agriculture. He founded the Property Exchange in Hays, Kansas. Over time that one-man operation grew into Hayden Outdoors Real Estate, an expansive network that currently includes more than 200 brokers and agents across 30 states.
We, at the Land.com Network, celebrate the meaningful life of a “tough, honest, kind man with the heart of a coach who brought out the best in those around him.” Excerpts from his obituary below provide a glimpse of the man he was and his lasting impact on the world.
John Leo Hayden, 78, died Friday, March 3, 2023, in the presence of his loving family and friends. He demonstrated both strength and a fighting spirit from the very beginning. As a young man of just 100 pounds “soaking wet,” his dad Leo Bailey Hayden taught him how to box. He was so proficient at boxing, that it was also his dad who made him quit! Effort was also something Leo didn’t lack. At a very early age, he demonstrated outstanding, natural athletic ability and strove to “outwork the competition.”
While setting several records playing football at Fort Hays State University, Leo found the love of his life in Judy Marcotte Hayden. He pursued his wife with the same determination that he approached all areas of his life. Leo would say, “Judy, I’m watching you walk!”
Upon graduation from college, she finally succumbed to his efforts, and they got married on August 31, 1968, and the rest reads like a fairytale. He loved her with all he was and the two of them shared that love with their three children and eight grandchildren.
Leo was always coaching. He coached his own kids and everyone else’s too. He certainly wasn’t shy, always demanding their best; helping them build the character, friendship, and bonds that would last a lifetime.
Whether it was winning the State Championship in baseball with a team that “didn’t even know they were good,” to mentoring young men and women in their real estate careers, he was always able to help people to be their best and to achieve more than they might have dreamed. After all, that was who he was, and he wanted others to approach life the same way.
Building a real estate company with his family also gave Leo great pleasure. Mostly, he liked people and found his work “easy” as he was good at his craft, and he loved what he did. Still coaching, he helped many people and their families understand that “work is work, but family is what is most important.” His company, Hayden Outdoors, is a family within itself with deep roots and traditions that will surely continue to cherish their founder and build upon his legacy.
Leo’s relationship with God grew daily. Alongside his wife, who was his best teacher, he led his family down the “right path.” The prayers he led at hunting camps, work functions, and family occasions will no doubt be famous for a long time and will never be duplicated. He was proof that faith can and does make life better. °
He helped many people and their families understand that ‘work is work, but family is what is most important.’
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Throughout the vast landscapes of New Mexico, you will find big game hunts for trophy bull elk, mule deer, pronghorn and more exotic species including ibex, oryx and Barbary sheep. Elk hunting here is considered world-class with many bull elk harvested each year in the upper 300-inch and lower 400-inch classes.
The diversity of game combined with breathtaking landscapes and friendly cost of ownership make owning a hunting ranch in New Mexico exceptionally attractive to savvy hunters and landowners.
In this article, I am focusing on how the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) regulates elk hunting and private-land elk authorizations (or “permits) for landowners in the state. Private-land permits for other large game species are often related to the elk permit system’s guidelines but there are units within the state where rules for mule deer, antelope and other big game regulations are more independent.
The Elk Private Lands Use System, better known as EPLUS, is the system NMDGF uses. The EPLUS program was created to help compensate landowners for the stresses and damage that elk can inflict on infrastructure and native feeds. The system leverages the important benefits that private lands contribute to elk populations and hunting opportunities in New Mexico. The program gives hunters and landowners a way to work together to effectively manage and hunt elk on private lands.
According to NMDGF, “Through EPLUS the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish distributes a portion of the State’s elk hunting opportunity to qualifying private landowners. Landowners receive private-land elk authorizations from the Department which can be used by hunters to buy private-land elk licenses.”
Additionally, the NMDGF website states, “Landowners wishing to participate in the EPLUS program must fill out the correct application and adhere to any related application deadlines. Properties which qualify for the EPLUS program and receive private-land elk authorizations may use, sell, barter or trade the elk authorizations to hunters. An elk authorization is then used by the hunter to purchase a private-land elk license.”
NMDGF, through years of study and data collection, has created three different management zones for elk within the state: primary zones, secondary zones and special management zones.
Primary Zones
In these zones, elk management is highly focused. Private-land elk permits are issued to landowners through an acreage-based scoring formula, taking in consideration the quality of the local herd and the feed, cover and water available to the elk on that property.
NMDGF issues private-land elk authorizations to eligible landowners in the primary and special management zones through the EPLUS program. These authorizations can be bartered, sold or traded to hunters. An authorization code is then used by hunters to buy a private-land elk license. These authorizations can be set as ranch-only (valid only on private land) or unit-wide (providing hunting access to public lands within the unit). Unit-wide authorizations are not available in GMUs 4 and 5A; ranches in these units may only receive ranchonly authorizations. If landowners choose to apply for unit-wide authorizations, then they are obligated to let the public hunt their private lands in exchange.
The total number and type of authorizations available to landowners that are within the boundaries of a Primary Management Zone is determined by the percentage of public land to private land.
Once the number of authorizations available to private lands in a unit is determined, ranches will receive individual authorizations based on the percentage of the private land that ranch has within the unit. For example, if a ranch comprises 10% of the private land in the unit, it will receive approximately 10% of the authorizations available. Ranches able to receive at least one whole authorization through this formula are considered Base Ranches.
When a property within a Primary Zone is not large enough to receive at least one whole authorization through the formula, it is considered a Small Contributing Ranch (SCR). SCRs compete for authorizations in a random draw weighted on the ranches’ ranch score.
The number of authorizations available to landowners in these zones is subject to change. Landowners cannot be guaranteed a specific number of authorizations per year. The acreage-based formula used to issue authorizations is described in detail in the EPLUS rule (19.30.5 NMAC).
STORY BY TRAVIS DRISCOLL, BEAVERHEAD RANCH GROUP
ELK PRIVATE LANDS USE SYSTEM
In these zones, NMDGF has not set specific elk management goals and unlimited licenses are available “over the counter” for private land. Private-land elk licenses in these zones are available through a Ranch Code received from a landowner who is registered through the EPLUS program. These authorizations can be bartered, sold or traded to hunters. Secondary Zone authorizations are Ranch-Only permits.
In these zones, private-land elk authorizations are issued to private landowners by NMDGF on a ranch-by-ranch basis. The landowners can request the number of permits they feel the property can support and negotiate final authorization numbers with NMDGF.
In Special Management Zones, the authorizations are Ranch-Only, meaning that the animals can only be hunted on the private land or with permission of another landowner on another private property. Landowner authorizations in these zones cannot be used as Unit-Wide tags for hunting on public lands.
When a buyer purchases an EPLUS-eligible property in New Mexico, it is simple to register for the system. Since the state is divided into three elk management zones, the application and qualifications will differ for landowners depending on which management zone their ranch is located. The first step in the process is identifying which zone your property is located in. An interactive map of the management zones can be found at www.wildlife.state.nm.us/hunting/maps/eplus Step two is completing and submitting the appropriate application for your property based on its zone location.
The Primary Zone application period runs from September through January 5 each year. If NMDGF determines that a property does not qualify to participate in the program, the landowner will be notified. Non-qualifying landowners have the right to request a review of the NMDGF’s decision. Qualifying ranches will be included in the authorization allocation process for the license year in which they applied. Authorizations in the Primary Zone are typically issued in late May.
Most properties we see within a Primary Zone have already been enrolled in EPLUS if they are eligible. If you are interested in a property for hunting, it is important to know and verify what designation and how many authorizations a property has received from EPLUS historically.
While NMDGF does not guarantee the new landowner will receive the same number of permits as the previous owner, in our experience the number of authorizations provided after the transition generally has been consistent with what had been issued previously.
If you are considering a property for hunting within a Primary Zone and it is not currently in EPLUS, we strongly urge you to perform thorough due diligence before purchasing the land. For buyers working with Beaverhead Ranch Group, this is a process in which we can assist.
Secondary Zone
Landowners in a Secondary Zone can enter the EPLUS system any time. There is no set application period or deadline to submit applications.
The first step is creating a customer account through the NMDGF’s Online Licensing System and obtaining a Customer Identification Number (CIN). The CIN is required in the application and allows the NMDGF to link your ranch to your online account where your Secondary Management Zone Ranch Code can be accessed. The second step, once you have your CIN, is completing the Secondary Management Zone Ranch Code Application. After department approval, a Ranch Code will be assigned to the ranch in the Online Licensing System.
Special Management Zone
Although there is no set deadline to submit applications for the Special Zone, applications received after June are not guaranteed to be processed before the start of the elk season. The NMDGF begins processing Special Zone applications in June in the order they are received.
The Special Zone includes all of GMUs 46 and 55A, and GMU 54 west of State Road 199. Accepted ranches will need to contact the NMDGF’s Raton Office to negotiate the number and type of authorizations for the ranch.
New Mexico’s EPLUS system has been recognized as one of the best game management programs in the country and has created a balance between private landowners and public hunters. The system has been credited with improving the overall genetics and abundance of trophy elk in the state. Because elk move freely between private and public lands, the effort benefits both private land and public land hunters.
For those looking to buy recreational property in New Mexico for large game hunting, consider working closely with knowledgeable and qualified land brokers from the area. They can help ensure that your expectations will be met and the return on your investment is maximized. °
New Mexico’s EPLUS system has created a balance between private landowners and public hunters.
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Since the latter days of the 20 th century, the global economy has changed monumentally. Economic dominance is now driven by the collection, storage and interpretation of information instead of mechanization. Agriculture is no exception; the Ford Model F tractor may have pulled U.S. agriculture into the 20 th century, but Microsoft opened the door for the 21 st. The fruits of this technological labor include precision-ag, advanced hybrids and remote sensing technology.
The ranching industry has undergone a similar transformation. Breeding programs, livestock nutrition and animal husbandry have all become calculated and increasingly precise.
In short, frontier-defining technology in the ranching industry has moved from barbed wire and lassos to satellite technologies and computers.
This is particularly true in the ranch sales/ management side of the industry. In many instances, western ranches have evolved from family enterprises to dynastic chess pieces, operated for the benefit of a complex financial portfolio. Unlike other portfolio pieces, ranches are, by definition, a geospatial asset. Therefore, geospatial databasing has become the spear’s tip in ranch management, sales and expertise.
You cannot manage what you do not know. To that end, no question is more foundational than “Where?” Where are the headgates? Where are the wells? Where are the springs? Where are the powerlines? Where is the irrigation infrastructure? Where are the boundaries of the grazing permits? Without this basic information, transitioning management is all but impossible.
The data summary becomes critical when each passing minute is crucial. Taking a few days to find a headgate for spring irrigation is frustrating, but not fatal. In the face of a raging wildfire, the opposite is true. During a wildfire, the ability to quickly display roads, firebreaks, water sources and prioritized infrastructure has major financial and safety ramifications.
As climate and weather patterns shift, the ability to supply emergency services with accurate and readable data becomes increasingly critical in the fire-prone West. Just last year, we provided data as mentioned above to emergency services as a devastating wildfire tore through public and private land near our office.
Advanced mapping techniques reach far beyond day-to-day or emergency management. Without technology, planning capital improvements becomes arduous at best. Communicating complex improvement/ easement plans (buildings, irrigation systems, vegetation management, water management, subdivision, conservation easements, etc.) to multiple people, ranging from attorneys to equipment operators, can become fraught with miscommunication. Again, success hinges on the ability to build, adjust and distribute plans to everyone involved in the process.
The same databases necessary to effectively manage and improve a ranch provide a distinct advantage when it comes time to list a property. If ranch attributes cannot be efficiently communicated among the original parties, how can they be quickly communicated to a buyer? Full returns on investment will only be achieved when the dream, progress and potential of a property can be efficiently transferred to an interested party. Investment-grade ranch properties require
investment-grade data, and investment-grade data requires geospatial databasing.
For example, our office was tasked with bringing a 3,526-acre ranch to market. The enterprise had been operated over five generations by a single family. The ranch is spectacular, well located and incredibly complex.
The property’s 885 irrigated acres are gravity fed from a 1,200-acre-foot reservoir. Across a 1,000-foot elevation differential, irrigation water is transported through a spiderweb of supply lines that service over 200 big-gun sprinklers, four center pivots and 37 automatic stock waters.
Generational knowledge concerning the system had been, and was being, lost. Lack of information made the water system, the listing’s crown gem, an enigma. No public data existed. The ranch’s patriarch had passed. Potential buyers needed confidence in their purchase. Ultimately, providing answers is our job and technology is the answer. (See Porter Ranch - Eagleland.com)
Like the general economy, ranch management and sales have entered the Information Age. As
with the Industrial Revolution, the ability to effectively participate in the current economic medium will determine a venture’s success or failure.
Increasingly, ranch sales are happening offmarket instead of through a multiple listing service. Without databasing capabilities, these comparable sales will be overlooked by unspecialized brokerages, even when they are necessary to estimate a reasonable market value. From comparable transactions to ranch defining features, the ability to process information is critical.
From geo-referenced title exceptions to sprinklers, information is the undeniable force behind the ranch industry. Marketing may draw buyers in, but the confidence required to close comes from data; data sells ranches.
On this basis, Eagle Land Brokerage provides “ranch services from an owner’s perspective. ” Successful ownership requires one thing— honest, concise and accurate data. We provide that data. Buy land! °
Like the general economy, ranch management and sales have entered the Information Age.
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Over 120 listings available at CaliforniaOutdoorProperties.com Property Videos
Property ID: 15706314 | $15,595,000
You dream of a ranch with extreme privacy, abundant water, fertile farm ground, irrigated pasture and a self-sustaining cattle operation. Top it off with a stunning custom home and breathtaking views, then realize it’s a dream come true! Encompassing 3,068 acres in three counties. The headquarters is nestled in the beautiful Fall River Valley, with irrigated farm ground and pasture land, three homes, including a 7,700 square-foot masterpiece and multiple barns. The large lake is used for irrigation as well as fishing and boating. The remainder of the ranch is located in Lassen and Modoc counties, used for spring grazing and winter feeding.
Listing agents: Denny Prins 530-410-5755 | Donna Utterback 530-604-0700
Property ID: 16495431 | $5,950,000
Amidst the picturesque rural setting of the Petaluma countryside lies the 112-acre Cerro Pampa Ranch & Polo Club. The ranch is located just 10 minutes away from the historic downtown of Petaluma. What once was used as a dairy farm back in the day is now a successful income-generating operation. Currently, the property is used as a polo club, a VRBO/Airbnb, and a horse boarding facility. There is great potential for a vineyard, olive orchard, family compound, or development. If polo is not an interest, the fields can be converted into vineyards, orchards, or other uses. There are five homes, two Polo fields, three ponds, two wells, and a caretaker in place. The property offers an excellent opportunity for the continuation of any of the income-generating businesses or the pursuit of expanding into new ventures.
Listing Agents: Todd Renfrew 707-455-4444
748± Acres in Shasta County, California
Property ID: 16577942 | $3,800,000
2,100± Acres in Lassen County, California
Property ID: 16157361 | $5,500,000
5,956.06± Acres in Tehama County, California
Property ID: 16548151 | $4,750,000
587.33± Acres in San Luis Obispo County, California
Property ID: 16312144 | $3,500,000
64± Acres in Yolo County, California
Property ID: 16330991 | $2,750,000
West Gustine Gun Club
316± Acres in Merced County, California
Property ID: 16046253 | $1,699,000
acres
run over
operation with a capacity of around 400 head, Los Robles Ranch boasts numerous springs
water. Property ID: 16495434
$5,250,000
948± acres
Humboldt County
The beautiful Santa Rosa Meadows Ranch rests in the shadow of the mountains and boasts magnificent views. Positioned outside of historic Paradise Valley, Nevada, Santa Rosa Meadows Ranch, comprising 948± acres, is a true oasis. Benefiting from more than six wells, Santa Rosa Meadows Ranch enjoys generous water rights and is presently utilized as a cattle ranch, supporting 300-500 head of cattle. Furthermore, there are 521± acres irrigated (flood and pivot) planted to pasture grass. Property ID: 1322394 8
$9,995,000
8,525± acres
Shandon, California
San Luis Obispo & Kern Counties
Escape to the historic Pritchard Sumner Ranch in the great wide-open space of Bitterwater Canyon and Yeguas Mountains! First homesteaded in the 1860s, the 8,525± acre Pritchard Sumner Ranch is rich with history and now available for purchase for the first time in over 150 years. Ideal for hunting/recreational compound and/or cattle ranch and improved with a freshly remodeled ranch-style home, barns, historic buildings, juniper trees and a variety of wildlife. Property ID: 7285240
1,429± Deeded Acres in San Miguel County, Colorado
The Yalgo Ranch represents one of the few remaining intact larger holdings in the immediate Telluride area. The ranch sits upon the coveted Specie Mesa with majestic views of the San Juan Mountain Range. The property is a combination of flat-top mesas, large aspen groves, ponderosa pines, high mountain meadows, springs, seeps, and creek drainage. There is approximately a quarter mile of Fall Creek frontage and 2.25 miles of National Forest, BLM, and State Land adjacency. The ranch has incredible panoramic mountain views, unlimited recreational opportunities, and unrivaled privacy. Contact Mike McGarry.
$28,000,000
Property ID: 16192102
1,137± Deeded Acres in Elbert County, Colorado
Just an hour outside Denver sits a rare Front Range offering with tree-lined creek frontage, a large reservoir, ponds, and incredible habit for birds and wildlife. The Blue Agate Ranch adjoins the agricultural town of Agate, just minutes from I-70. It is situated along two miles of East Bijou Creek that oxbows its way through the ranch with large cottonwood trees and a wetland habitat. The wildlife ranges from mule and white deer populations to migratory birds that arrive annually on the property. In addition, the property attracts over 200 bird species and other games. Contact Ken Mirr.
$2,500,000
Property ID: 15882278
200± Deeded Acres in Utah County, Utah
Thistle Creek Ranch, minutes from the heart of Utah County, is an ideal weekend escape from the hustle and bustle of the Wasatch Front. The private mountain setting provides endless opportunities for an owner and guests to enjoy numerous recreational opportunities. The main residence is surrounded by lush, irrigated lawns and boasts a spectacular backyard compound that includes a rock water feature, a large gathering area, and a huge outdoor fireplace. Views abound from every corner of the property, and the ease of access and endless potential make Thistle Creek a compelling legacy purchase. Contact Chris Corroon.
$4,950,000
Property ID: 15882279
24,778± Acres in Pueblo County, Colorado
A spectacularly-sited expanse of shortgrass prairie located east of Pueblo, Colorado, the 26,018-acre BX Ranch is one of the great land conservation and regenerative agricultural success stories in the country. Over the past five years the current landowners have made significant capital improvements, installing state-of-the-art holistic short-rotation grazing infrastructure, including miles of new permanent electric interior paddock fencing and extensive waterlines servicing new stock tanks and ponds to set the stage for marked improvements in range production. Contact Woody Beardsley.
$8,100,000
Property ID: 7618861
835± Deeded Acres in Larimer County, Colorado
Redstone Reserve at Horsetooth can be your private “backyard” within fifteen minutes of northern Front Range communities. Largely surrounded by perpetually-protected Larimer County open space lands, the ranch is sheltered behind a dramatically-crowned mesa that separates the property from development in the nearby metro area, providing the ranch with a remote feel but with immediate proximity to Horsetooth Reservoir. Contact Tommy Latousek.
$5,950,000
Property ID: 15212513
1,463± Deeded Acres in Dawes County, Nebraska
The Belmont Ranch, located in a recreational mecca of Nebraska, is a haven for wildlife with big elk and breathtaking views. This property is picturesque and scenic in every direction. The big game habitat is prime, with a number of deer, elk, and turkeys located on the property. The timber is thick and healthy, and three deep ravines with intermittent streams traverse the length of the property from west to east, draining into the cultivated cropland below and providing not only excellent travel corridors for game but critical bedding habitat and scenery for the property. Contact Jared Souza.
$2,175,000
Property ID: 15212508
330± Acres in Huerfano County, Colorado
The owners of Ute Ranch are offering the opportunity to purchase one of two building sites on the stunning property. The acquisition would include exclusive access to two acres of personal property and shared access rights to the balance of the 330-acre ranch. Just two-and-half miles south of the scenic town of La Veta, Colorado, the ranch includes—125 acres of lush irrigated hay ground, private access to 1.25 miles of the Cucharas River, which boasts excellent fishing for brown and rainbow trout, and a pleasant mix of grasslands, scrub oak, irrigated meadows, and riparian woodlands. Contact Woody Beardsley.
$1,250,000
Property ID: 15882276
22+ ACRES IN ROLLINS, MONTANA
22246 US HIGHWAY 93
$7,500,000
Exceptionally scenic property (ten parcels) with layered views of bays, islands, the open lake and the high Mission Mountains. 171 feet of calm water Flathead Lake frontage includes a dock protected from large waves and an exquisite beach swimming spot. This profitable orchard enjoys three water rights for irrigation from Flathead Lake. There’s also an existing home and multiple building sites with fantastic views for your own masterpiece from which to enjoy the lake and relax in your private Eden.
12+ ACRES IN KALISPELL, MONTANA
140 GRANITE HILL ROAD
$2,990,000
ID: UNDER CONTRACT
Angie View All Properties: Land.com/member/ 2737769
$24,470,750 #220112156
23,455 ACRES
PRINEVILLE, OREGON | The headwaters of the Crooked River. A year-round cattle ranch with exceptional water rights, recreational opportunities and quality livestock production. Headquarters includes homes, barns, shop, corrals and scales. The ranch includes 3,682± acres water rights for hay fields and meadow crops, 103,000± acres BLM grazing allotments, high desert, lakes, creeks, canyons and springs. SouthGIRanch-PrinevilleOregon.com
$2,790,000 #220150754
94 ACRES
POWELL BUTTE, OREGON | 79 Acres Central Oregon Irrigation Water Rights | Cascade Mountain views custom country home is a 3,187-square-foot single level, open floorplan, three beds, two-and-a-half baths. 2,880-square-foot shop with a studio, hay/equipment barn, and hay barn with feed bunk—fields planted in grass hay crop with new GPS pivots. 12512Cornett-PowellButteOR.com
$1,900,000 #220151653
640 ACRES
PRINEVILLE, OREGON | 165 acres water rights Recreational Retreat Ochoco Creek runs through buildable acreage bordering the Ochoco National Forest. Beautiful setting with views of the creek, mountains and valley. Varied topography, forest, and meadows with seasonal water rights from Coyle Creek. Property qualifies for LOP Hunting tags and is fenced for livestock. One of a kind opportunity in Central Oregon.
Located two miles northwest of California Hot Springs. Access to the ranch is by Deer Creek and Old Control Road, which are county-maintained gravel and dirt roads—utilized as a cattle ranch. The entire ranch is perimeter fenced and cross-fenced in 11 main pastures and 13 smaller gathering fields. Vegetation consists of native annual grasses, oak, pine, sycamore and brush. Multiple springs and creeks are located throughout the property—year-round: Deer Creek, Rube Creek, Tyler Creek, and Cold Springs Creek. Seasonal Creeks: Gordon Creek, Gibbons Creek, Cain Springs Creek, Moton Flat Creek, Column Creek, and Cattle Creek. There are two homes on the property; a 3,024± square-foot six-bedroom, twobathroom main home built in the 1920s and a 1,040± square-foot two-bedroom, one-bathroom employee home. The property also has a 336± square-foot tack room, a storage shed, a 3,000± square-foot barn, and five working corrals.
$10,000,000
Nestled in the Cuchara Valley of Southern Colorado, Rio de la Vida is nothing short of a recreational paradise combined with luxury lifestyle living. The Southwest-inspired main home includes the highest quality of construction, design, and furnishing, along with a pristine three-hole golf course. The lake lodge is ideal for entertaining, with screened porches, ample room for guests, fire pits, and retractable glass doors to let in the cool mountain air. The gem of the property is the 3.43-acre private lake with five species of trout, with the largest fish exceeding 30 inches. Exceptional views, along with approximately one mile of the enhanced Cucharas River create an unparalleled setting. Find your mountain retreat at the Rio de la Vida.
• Two Homes
• Three± Acre Lake
• One+ Mile of River
• Three Hole Golf Course
RUSSELL HICKEY, ALC - Owner/Broker Associate
(719) 337-3234
Co-Listed by JAMES WETZEL All Seasons Real Estate
• Captivating Views
• Paved Access
222 S Main Street, La Veta, Colorado Branch locations in Cuchara, Walsenburg, and Trinidad
ThreeTRealty.com
200± Acres in Weld County, Colorado • $5,250,000
Four shares of Platte Valley Irrigation Company adequately irrigate this central Weld County farm. The property consists of three parcels, two pivot sprinklers, two feedlots and outbuildings. The seven-tower pivot irrigates over 100 acres of alfalfa and the six-tower pivot irrigates 40± acres. A newer feedlot constructed with pipe and continuous fence has over 1,300 feet of concrete bunk line feeder and two livestock wells. Outbuildings include a four-bay, 60x40-foot commodity shed and a 25x105-foot open-faced shed with a vet room. Shops include a three bay 150x20-foot shed, a 60x25-foot Quonset with 12-foot sliding doors and a 20x25-foot shed. Platte Valley Irrigation Company water is pumped to the pivots and two storage ponds. The same infrastructure can be utilized for water from the FRICO ditch.
PROPERTY ID: 16203691
2,608± Acres in Weld County, Colorado • $4,314,000
Northern Colorado ranch features two homes and CRP income! The ranch is cross-fenced for rotational grazing and watered by a windmill and wells. CRP income on 1,062 acres is $21,900. Headquarters include the 3,500 squarefoot home, detached garage, newer 32x40-foot shop, working pens with a 30x90-foot open-faced shed and other outbuildings. The tree-lined dam has provided for excellent hunting.
PROPERTY ID: 16336961
7.78± Acres in Weld County, Colorado • $1,150,000
Pride of ownership shows at this custom-built, 4,360± square foot home. Energy efficient features include a geothermal system, owned solar panels and a backup generator. Interior finishes include wood cabinets, floors and windows, natural wood trim and doors, stainless appliances and granite counters. Three bay garage is 30x48-foot with 10-foot overhead doors and a 42x60-foot shop has two 14-foot overhead doors. Arena and pasture have a pipe and cable fence.
PROPERTY ID: 16366434
Hachita, New Mexico.
$2,900,000
345 AYL plus five horses located in the Cedar Mountains of Hachita, New Mexico. 39.60± sections total and/or 25,347± acres total, 1,278± acres of deeded land, 3,152± acres of state land, 20,917 acres of BLM, 3,960± acres of the allotment is within WSA, owned by the same family for over 100 years, four miles of newer fence, over 55,000 gallons of water storage, 17± miles of pipeline less than 20 years old, three wells plus one domestic well, (One well produces over 175 GPM). Four pastures plus two traps, seven dirt tanks, house, barns, corrals, semi load and livestock scale.
WWW. BROWNFIELDRANCHANDFARMPROPERTIES.COM
594.38± Deeded Acres in Colfax County, New Mexico
$3,800,000 | Property ID 13761189
Views of fishing at “Eagle Nest Lake State Park,” Slopes of “Angel Fire Ski Resort.” Highway frontage off “Enchanted Circle,” Elk Tags. County road runs along the back of the property, allowing excellent building opportunities for a custom home in the trees. Existing headquarters include a historic 1920s-era log barn and home.
Nice headquarters with three wells
520± Deeded Acres
Union County, New Mexico
$898,000 | Property ID 15116137
Private headquarters, three wells, one is an irrigation well, open clean pasture, some rock formations, sub-irrigated drainage.
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