Purchasing recreational land is a wonderful way to make an investment in your outdoor passions, but there are a lot of choices to make before you settle on a final property. Keep these considerations in mind while you’re scoping out acreage for sale so that you can make the right decision.
- What Do You Really Want?
There will be obvious differences between someone who is looking for lakefront fishing land and someone buying hunting land. Over 38 million Americans participate in hunting and fishing activities, and special pieces of land can easily accommodate both sports. But if you’re focused on one, you want to make sure that the acreage for sale has exactly what you need to support your pursuits.You’ll want more timber coverage for hunting white-tailed deer, and plenty of lakeside access for fly-fishing. Likewise, if you want your recreational land to serve as an investment, there are additional concerns to keep in mind besides finding the perfect fishing hole. Set your priorities and choose a property accordingly.
- Location
You may want recreational land as a means to get away from it all, but no matter where you go and no matter how large property gets, there will always be neighbors to contend with. Before making a final purchase, talk with the prospective neighbors to get a sense of how they care for their property. Are they interested in conservation? Careful stewardship from farmers has decreased wind and water erosion by 50% since 1982, which is important for the outdoor enthusiast. A community that doesn’t take care of its land is unlikely to make for good recreational property.
- Access
- How much time will you be spending on your new property — and how will you get there? These are important notes to take when looking at prospective acreage for sale. Land accessible only by dirt roads is often more affordable than main access areas, but it’s only worth the savings if you have a reliable means of getting there. Americans combined spend 282 million days per year hunting, or an average 21 days per hunter. How often you want to get to and from your recreational land may influence your access options.
Additionally, you’ll want to find out whether other people have any legal access to your land.
Recreational property investments are increasingly becoming a way for Americans to reconnect with nature, pursue their passions, and give back to the land itself. Talk with a broker today about how you can turn your dreams into a reality.