Buying land for investment

[Twoply 0]

Anyone ever look into buying a few acres in the middle of nowhere to plant some high dollar trees and harvest them when you retire?

[skyrider 0]

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Anyone ever look into buying a few acres in the middle of nowhere to plant some high dollar trees and harvest them when you retire?

Why do you ask? Are you a fed? Those plants grew there by themselves, I had nothing to do with them!

[Twoply 0]

LOL! No I mean like chestnut trees!

That other shit grows in all kinds of laces :D

[captain1976 0]

What are high dollar trees?

I heard there is a surplus of wood since the tree companies over the years rotate and have planted many times more than they harvest (that's why wood and paper is pretty cheap).

I own 80 acres in Northern Wisconsin and I have a wood company that comes in every few years and takes some and plants more. It pays the property tax but that's about it. I don't even know what kind of trees they are.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[Twoply 0]

I was thinking about Chestnut.

[skyjumpenfool 2]

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What are high dollar trees?

I own 80 acres in Northern Wisconsin and I have a wood company that comes in every few years and takes some and plants more. It pays the property tax but that's about it. I don't even know what kind of trees they are.

Probly pulp wood. Used for paper. The problem with High Buck trees like Chestnut or Walnut is they take about 75-100 years to grow. But Hell, go ahead and invest. Future woodworkers will love you for it.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

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What are high dollar trees?

I heard there is a surplus of wood since the tree companies over the years rotate and have planted many times more than they harvest (that's why wood and paper is pretty cheap).

I own 80 acres in Northern Wisconsin and I have a wood company that comes in every few years and takes some and plants more. It pays the property tax but that's about it. I don't even know what kind of trees they are.

High dollar would be like chestnut, black walnut, oak, ect. The stuff that costs an arm and a leg at the lumberyard. NOT the shitwood that they turn into paper pulp.

The problem would be the initial investment, and the taxes each year.

Do you have a buyer in mind already?

A lot of lumber mills don't pay a whole lot even for good wood if it's just "off the street".

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[Twoply 0]

At this point I'm still kicking the tires on the idea. I've found ads for lots for $1400 an acre or so. I'm thinking about a 5-10 acre slug of land and plant 100 trees and harvest them in 20 years. I'm thinking in my nind that the taxes would be too high, and little to no maintenance. Of course making sure that there's no large scale issue with the land. And if I can find on ewith a gas well on it, I'm sure that would help financially.

[Halfpastniner 0]

You should put a big antenna on the land as well, then lease it out to cell phone companies.

Then that land would pay for itself!

BASE 1384

[captain1976 0]

Quote

Quote

What are high dollar trees?

I heard there is a surplus of wood since the tree companies over the years rotate and have planted many times more than they harvest (that's why wood and paper is pretty cheap).

I own 80 acres in Northern Wisconsin and I have a wood company that comes in every few years and takes some and plants more. It pays the property tax but that's about it. I don't even know what kind of trees they are.

High dollar would be like chestnut, black walnut, oak, ect. The stuff that costs an arm and a leg at the lumberyard. NOT the shitwood that they turn into paper pulp.

The problem would be the initial investment, and the taxes each year.

Do you have a buyer in mind already?

A lot of lumber mills don't pay a whole lot even for good wood if it's just "off the street".

I was really just making a statement and I hadn't planned to sell it. But I do know a guy who had orange groves in Florida years ago. He said they didn't yield for 8 years or something like that. Sounds like a hell of a long time for a return.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[Twoply 0]

It's really for a long term thing. I'm not planning on harvest for 20 years. Hopefully 60% of the trees would live.

[captain1976 0]

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It's really for a long term thing. I'm not planning on harvest for 20 years. Hopefully 60% of the trees would live.

At my age I can no longer think 20 years ahead for anything, except maybe the kind of wheelchair I will use to get me to the jump plane.

You live more in the few minutes of skydiving than many people live in their lifetime

[skyrider 0]

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It's really for a long term thing. I'm not planning on harvest for 20 years. Hopefully 60% of the trees would live.

At my age I can no longer think 20 years ahead for anything, except maybe the kind of wheelchair I will use to get me to the jump plane.

No shit....that 20 year plan, is out the window.,...My investments are for my son, I won;t be here to see them mature!

[jimmytavino 16]

we bought a 6 acre lot the week after we were married. 1981...

raw land 318 feet of road frontage, 835 feet deep... NOT out in the wilderness,,,, but in a decent part of our county...
Planted 2000 pine tree seedlings on it in 1988 and 1989...
A LOT of work involved... you just don't drop a seed on the ground, Like Johnny Appleseed.....

Attrition, drought, deer and rabbits, sometimes mowing.. took lots of them, but we currently have almost 400 nicely maturing Pine trees...
some pushing 20 and 25 feet tall....
NOT for Christmas trees, NOT for paper, Not for harvesting of any kind,,,
BUT for enhancing the appearance and value of the lot...
Got it approved as a building site,, a few years ago.. though we are happy where we are,, and WE aren't likely to build on it... The lots is approx 18 miles west of where we live...
Would consider selling it to someone who needs a nice place to build, say a post & beam home, or other outdoorsy type place...
The Norway spruces, white pines, austrian pines, and a few other species.. will make a great homestead someday..
LOTS of work keeping the trees alive and healthy,, for the first 4 or 5 years.. ( we drilled a well, soas to have H2O on site, to give them a drink, every few weeks..) Lots of work...even tougher IF you don't live nearby....
good luck...

jmy

[skydiver30960 0]

You know what they say: buy land, they're not making any more of it.

Elvisio "highest bidder" Rodriguez

[jonstark 8]

I've got 170 acres of timber. It is in all stages of maturity. I treat it like you would treat a flower garden with weeding, thinning, pruning. I'm talking about thinning trees of size here not saplings. It's a lot of hands-on. There is a limited and specialized market for wood right now so I am just removing what has to be taken down before it is lost to age, ice, wind, etc. Firewood has been very profitable but is tremendously labor intensive.

Planting for the future is a good plan if you have lots of time. It isn't simply a matter of putting in a few seedlings and hoping for the best. If you want a grove you have to spend time making sure the species that establishes a canopy is the one you planted in the first place. Chestnut is not a fast growing tree so would require attention to keep it the dominant species. Around here Locust is doing well market-wise. It is naturally like pressure treated lumber in its resistance to rot so is good for fence posts and boardwalks. Walnut is slow growing and requires pruning for saw log clarity. Pine is fast but cheap. Hemlock is fast too but even cheaper than pine. Hemlock is selling well right now due to all the highway repairs because it makes good strong planking and beams cheap for temporary staging.

I've got the big dogs coming in a couple weeks to clear 6-10 acres for pasture and wildlife habitat improvement. We're talking $3000-6000/acre depending on how much I have them do.

You have a good idea and with a little research you may get even more enthusiastic about it. Keep in mind that it won't be a get rich scheme by any stretch of the imagination but having some woods of your own is very satisfying. I spend hours per week in mine.

jon

[warpedskydiver 0]

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You know what they say: buy land, they're not making any more of it.

Elvisio "highest bidder" Rodriguez

Actually in Iceland and Hawaii they ARE making more land, well nature is anyways.

[gmanpilot 0]

If you have the right soil and climate, I would suggest planting Hazelnut saplings laced with the Perigord Truffle spore. In about 5 years, you can potentially start harvesting and selling the truffles for $1,000/lb.

_________________________________________
-There's always free cheese in a mouse trap.

[Sletzer 3]

I actually work for Forestry Consultants, Inc. in Alabama (also Eastern GA and South Eastern TN) a small Consulting company that works exclusively for private landowners.

I’m going to assume you want this property to generate income and not just for aesthetic reasons. I’ll just throw out some general info for you so here goes: (keep in mind this applies to my area, and might need to be adjusted accordingly for where you live). In the SE United States pine is THE timber of choice to plant on your land to be harvested for profit in later years. Hardwoods are mostly an incidental crop that grows up naturally. Hardwoods can be very valuable, but take a long time to grow into high dollar trees when starting from scratch. If you are looking to have harvestable trees in 20 years, chestnuts are out of the question. They take too long to mature.

With all species, you have the big initial expense of preparing the land and putting the trees in the ground. If the land is already cleared, you just have to pay for the seedlings, and hire a crew to plant them for you. If you are feeling brave, you can do it yourself. Another option is to let the trees naturally seed themselves in, but that significantly increases the amount of time until your timber is ready to harvest, and is dependant on seed trees already being in the area. Either way, the next step is to…..…….. do nothing! With Pine species in my area, they grow just fine on their own. (If you want to make sure the investment continues to grow, get a check up from a Forester (tree specialist) a year after the planting, and every few years afterwords should keep you on top of the trees' growth, as well as any potential problems that may arrise. This can come in the form of a private forester, or state paid foresters that are generally less trained, but are also less expensive.)

Of course with land ownership there are the usual expenses such as property tax, boundary maintenance, occasional inspection to check the forest's health, and the occasional prescribed fire to keep everything tidy. The pine trees are cut periodically to make room for the best trees to mature which provides residual income typically starting around year 14 and are harvested approximately every fifth year that follows, with a final high dollar harvest somewhere between 28-35 years. Of course this all depends greatly on the soil quality.

Most hardwoods are not considered to be worthwhile to plant and grow in order to turn a profit (in MY area). There is always the chance that this is not true in your area. Which leads me to my next point:

Try contacting your State Forestry Commission or State Extension office for info on what species could meet your criteria. Both of those offices should provide you with that information absolutely free of charge.


BTW, a great source of supplemental income many of our landowners use to cover their property taxes each year is to lease your property to a hunting club. Of course some are a big hassle to deal with, but many actually add value to your property by maintaining the road system and developing green fields in certain locations. In our area, hunting leases typically generate $8-$15 dollars per acre per year. You can usually find someone to handle the hunting leases for you for an annual fee of 5-15%, depending on the size of your property. So a typical 100 acre property that leases for $10 per acre that is handled by a forester at 10% will net you $900 per year. That’s not a fortune, but every bit can help.

Wowser, I just rambled on for a bit. Hope some of that info helps.

I will be kissing hands and shaking babies all afternoon. Thanks for all your support! *bows*

SCS #8251

[warpedskydiver 0]

Hunting leases in Illinois go for up to 10K a year or more.

Depending on the county and the species hunted on that land.

Of course these have trailers as well for the hunters.

Some of the larger leases are for Outfitters and the sums are quite large.

These hunters spend enormous sums in order to harvest a record deer or hunt turkeys and waterfowl.

In the fields they hunt upland game, that adds to the overall income.

Keeping an area in crops really helps to lower your taxes as does cooperating with the DNR on habitat restoration.

[Sletzer 3]

All good points. Land is plentiful here so hunting leases are cheap. If you are located in the right place and have the right property, you can make much, much more.

I will be kissing hands and shaking babies all afternoon. Thanks for all your support! *bows*

SCS #8251

[warpedskydiver 0]

The deer near you might no be as large but they are certainly plentiful

Aaron Orland used to teach chemistry at Auburn, he said he was getting his deer limit every day after teaching, he would bring his gear and rifle and go right after getting out of the parking lot.

[Gene03 0]

The ones I saw while driving south on 82 after it split from 231 southeast of Montgomery seemed fairly good sized...

Dammit, major thread drift.

“The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.

Stanislaw Jerzy Lec quotes (Polish writer, poet and satirist 1906-1966)

[warpedskydiver 0]

I told you we should have mounted those skewers on the front of your car.

That and a Mercedes emblem to act as an aiming device.

[mouth 0]

I'd check with the Farm Service Agency near you as well to see if there is anything like the CRP program that pays 90% of planting for previously farmed properties. I have some in 40 y/o pines, some in 10 y/o pines, some in 2 y/o CRP longleaf slow growing pines, and the rest was just planted in loblolly pines.

The CRP program pays enough to cover the taxes every year so it may be something to look into if it is available in your area.

--
Hot Mama
At least you know where you stand even if it is in a pile of shit.