Why I Sold my Dream Farm - How to Sell Land | Dream Farm w/ Bill Winke

[@alexfrazier88]

Bill you are so unapologetically innocent and I love it. Don’t ever change your demeanor it’s so refreshing

[@bill-winke]

Thanks for the support Alex, I appreciate it. I am probably too old to change much now even if I wanted to. Have a great day.

[@rfb7117]

Bill, we purchased our first farm in 1990, and have since bought and sold hunting property and each time it continued to grow in value. We now have our dream house on a 150 acres (less than we had) and hunt 4 and 5 year old deer. It is located in an excellent area, good topography and good neighbors...and enough to properly maintain for quality deer at my age. In 1990 I never had a goal of 1,000 acres, but just a good hunting opportunity on a good piece of land. I would suggest Ethan set his sights on something smaller and more realistic and get in the game now with a 40 acre parcel in a good area. Once you get the first piece you can add to it or sell it and buy larger and better. Just saying from someone that has been in the game for over 30 yrs. Bob

[@JayN4GO]

☝️👆🏼

[@bill-winke]

Starting small is the key. You never can say where that will lead. Be careful to only buy high quality land and you should never fall too far even if the market does go down. Have a great day.

[@brob-zy8zi]

I agree. I have hunted private land once in the last 4 years. The last two years, I've killed nice bucks on a small corner of public land. It's surrounded by private but nobody hunts it during archery. When I say small, I mean there's approximately 350 acres on one side of the road and this piece is on the opposite side and makes up about 30 acres. It is just a perfect piece with a travel corridor, protected doe bedding, and extremely low pressure. The key is it becomes its best during late pre rut and peak rut because of the unpressured doe bedding. When I say nice bucks I have to give you perspective, I'm talking bucks in the 120s and 130s. This is the mountains of PA so they don't get "giant" very often like they do in Ohio or Iowa or Wisconsin or Kansas. But this year I did see one that was well into the 140s. My point is that if you find the right terrain and get things set you don't need a ton of land to kill respectable bucks. And then, you can work your way up to a larger chunk.

[@timzimmerman1310]

We have been in the land business since 1994. One thing we have done over the years is buy a large parcel and break it up into smaller chunks and sell part or all with owner financing which will make the payment on your hunting property. Get the bank to loan you the money interest only for the first year while you market the smaller lots. You can double/triple your money and enjoy the interest income. It’s work but worth it. Enjoy your content, Bill. Good luck Ethan! Dream big🎉

[@bill-winke]

Thanks for the input Tim. I appreciate it. Hope you have a great day.

[@housecat2005]

​@@bill-winkeg, cc

[@midwesternoutdoorsandnatur8272]

Love these Bill. Love your honesty, transparency, and how you give credit to God. As a landowner since 97 I have a love/hate relationship with land prices. I love the appreciation on our farm, but hate that I can’t afford more!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks for the support. I hear you on the upside and downside of land prices if you are an owner. I think if you are planning to leave the land to your family, or have at least five years until you would sell it, then land is probably still OK. It is pretty hard to know what the short-term (next couple of years) prices will be though. They could go down a bit. They really need to, for that matter. Have a great day.

[@mitchellgenz1373]

This has been a great series, I wish Ethan the best of luck getting his 1,000 acres.

[@ethan_stubbs]

Thanks for watching Mitchell! It won't be easy, but I'm up for the challenge!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Mitchell. Much appreciated.

[@natemihlbachler3511]

1000 acres...wow that's ambitious! I live in one of those areas in sc Illinois where land doesn't sell. We are up to 126 in one piece and I feel like it took divine intervention and 5 parcels to do that. 1000 would include so much tillable land it total would be astronomical and basically impossible to pay for.

[@ethan_stubbs]

Ambitious is an understatement! I'm going to take Bill's signature "Dream Big" literally! I would be happy with 1/10th of that amount, but I'm still going to shoot for the moon! Thanks for watching Nate, I appreciate the support!

[@bill-winke]

It is different everywhere. I am sure Ethan's dream farm would be in an area with limited tillable making it much cheaper to own and easier to put together. I know places in the Midwest and plains states where non-tillable "junk" land is still pretty cheap.

[@TheWhitetailrancher]

I made my money in business, then retired at 38 years old. I'm 58 now and just finally bought my land to develop into my families hunting fishing paradise 2 years ago now. I didn't have to do it like you, which i think the way you did it is FAR better. I just busted my a$$ working a small company and got very lucky with my client list and was able to "get the money" that way. Even though I could afford the property I ended up buying now way back then I knew NOTHING about developing it for insane recreation for the family and friends I have. I finally got edumakated about the development aspects over the last 20 years or so. So, I have begun this spring into the development process. Wish YOU were here to help me and share your knowledge with me directly. as the videos are great and all, in fact wonderful, but it isn't the same as "over there, you might want to.....because of....." But I'll learn what I can watching what you do and try to pull off something kind of similar and sort of as successful here!

[@bill-winke]

It is a great pastime if you own the land and want to make it better. I love the land stuff more than the actual hunting now. Always looking for ways to make the farm better for wildlife and my family to enjoy. I do some on-site consulting work if you aren't too far away, but not much of it. Have a great day.

[@mdp4656]

This is a great series, and incredibly relevant for me. Good luck in your quest Ethan!

[@specag31]

Maybe Bill and Ethan can keep it going along with our participation.

[@ethan_stubbs]

We truly appreciate the support! Thanks for watching guys!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks. Much appreciated. Have a great day.

[@afeef745]

Would love to hear your thoughts on how to add value to rec land. Please do an episode on that.

[@bill-winke]

Most of the rest of the Dream Farm series will be about projects I will be doing on my farm and other projects that make hunting farms better. Most of those projects will add value to the property in the end, but I can a video specifically on the list of projects and how they impact hunting quality and land value. Have a great day.

[@danielcarroll5271]

Fantastic series Bill and Ethan. I would offer some simple advice to Ethan - don't let the pursuit consume you. Similar to Bill's recent episode on his 'darkest season.' You have a bright future that will include tons and tons of positive life experiences - that may not be directly associated with land. Searching for land, visiting properties, making offers, acquiring financing/using equity, trying to make it all work, etc. - can be an exhausting AND emotional process. Especially when you probably can't walk in and pay asking or above asking price (with cash) the day its listed. Hopefully those days are slowly becoming less common, but man - the last 2 years have been brutal. I'm established, with land and equity, and I still can't pay asking price in most cases in today's market. Also - and you know this, but don't get caught up in the total acres quest, even among friends. Its far better to have a 60-acre parcel in a good neighborhood that 'hunts good' than a 1,000 acre parcel that has very few huntable acres. More and more listings coming onto the market (finally) - which will help in your pursuit, and I wish you well. Keep on it.

[@specag31]

Daniel: well said! Priceless life advice. What I truly admire about Bill is his humility, your input resembles Bill’s persona.

[@ethan_stubbs]

Daniel, thanks for watching, that is great advice. There are many things in life that are far more important than land or a whitetail deer. As always, we appreciate the support!

[@bill-winke]

All good advice Daniel. I have talked to a lot of realtors lately and it seems that the consensus is that the market is cooling slowly. I think it pays to be selective and patient. If you don't have to buy now, I don't think I would. In other words, if you are an investor primarily and not a legacy end user, time should be on your side in the short-term (maybe one year, maybe two). No one really knows - who could predict the Covid effect - but it seems that times are getting easier if you are a buyer.

[@ajkelley20]

Great video. I talked to my dad and he agreed to sell me 160 acres, next to my 150. So blessed. I have good financing right now High 7s. We decided to go owner financing to lower the interest rate,and use a company that helps with that. It is an easy process your videos are great and helpful.

[@bill-winke]

That is great news. Congrats and good luck on the dream farm. I appreciate your support.

[@madisonraber6051]

Wish this series didn’t have to end!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Madison. We will keep producing land related episodes in the Dream Farm series and we will come back at various times to address some of the topics brought in the Journey mini-series, so it is not totally ended. I appreciate the support.

[@nickcannon1558]

Have to remember to always dream big! If Bill did it without being a trust fund baby then everyone can do it. Thanks Bill for the excellent content and this mini series was truly great. I always learn a tremendous amount from you when you speak on this subject. Thanks again and hope all is well for your family

[@williamcox7190]

Land prices were a lot cheaper back then. Land prices are much higher now with not much of an increase in wages. Still possible, but much more difficult.

[@russelllangworthy8855]

@@williamcox7190That’s exactly right. Back in ‘99 I hunted on an old gentleman’s farm and he offered to sell me 300 acres of timber for $400 an acre. I beat myself up on a daily basis for not buying it.

[@williamcox7190]

@Russell Langworthy luckily I bought property just before COVID and the super low interest rates. I paid around $2800 an acre at the time. Now, similar properties are going for $5000 an acre. Not sure how many people can afford $5000 per acre hunting properties with wages being stagnant for so long. 40 acres costs you $200k, which is a pretty steep payment for the vast majority of people.

[@russelllangworthy8855]

@@williamcox7190 How many acres did you buy and what area?

[@nickcannon1558]

It may seem that way but in 1999 guys buying 400$ per acre farms were paying perhaps upwards of 5-10 times more than the previous farmer bought in the 1960s. I will say land is def overpriced for the buyer at the moment for sure so it is a little harder and taking into account inflation ect. But in the end people were making less so it most cases it’s all relative in the end. Just glad we have great Americans like bill to learn from and look up to. Thanks again bill!

[@grantnortman]

Bill, I met Art Helin and he said you were friends. Have you thought about having others on the channel like him? Keep up the good work!

[@bill-winke]

I think so. It is just hard to motivate people to do all the work of contributing if they aren't being compensated in some way and it is not a lucrative business where there is a lot of extra money floating around. I do need a couple more contributors for sure, but I want to be fair to everyone while growing slowly and carefully. It needs to work well for everyone involved or it is only a short-term deal. Good question.

[@homeinthewhiteoaks]

DId you ever wonder if it's better to have one big piece of land, or split the land into two farms so you can control pressure hunting only one at a time? I guess pressure is not that great with one guy on a thousand acres. But if you could own 200 acers would you want it all in one chunk or would splitting it up in two 100 acre plots a few miles apart help keep deer calm by letting one rest and still be able to hunt the other? It's sure easier to find small plots spread out in a county than wait a lifetime for the piece next to you to go up for sale.

[@bill-winke]

Home..., I think you do what you have to do to buy land in your preferred area, but if given a choice there are tradeoffs to both approaches. I answered this for another guy farther up the comments. He asked me to compare my approach to Mark Drury's (which is to own more tracts instead of one big one). Here is my reply: "I think that works if all the satellite farms are in good neighborhoods. I am sure Mark's are. I get what he is doing and it does make sense, but I still would rather have all my land in one block. I may not be quite as bent on shooting giants every year as Mark (he certainly does shoot them). I think my goals are the overall landownership experience and that feels best to me when all my land is in one place. I have more room to roam, more ridges to look over and all my management effort is in one place. No need to move the equipment around when all the effort is one farm. There are tradeoffs for sure so it comes down to goals in the end. Have a great day."

[@Paulannear]

I love the thought of having a big contiguous piece of land, but I really like Mark Drury's approach of owning a bunch of satellite farms all within an hour or so radius. He does that for EHD control and just to get into different neighborhoods. I'm sure you've talked with Mark about this Bill

[@bill-winke]

I think that works if all the satellite farms are in good neighborhoods. I am sure Mark's are. I get what he is doing and it does make sense, but I still would rather have all my land in one block. I may not be quite as bent on shooting giants every year as Mark (he certainly does shoot them). I think my goals are the overall landownership experience and that feels best to me when all my land is in one place. I have more room to roam, more ridges to look over and all my management effort is in one place. No need to move the equipment around when all the effort is one farm. There are tradeoffs for sure so it comes down to goals in the end. Have a great day.

[@paullaird4381]

Bill’s a cool guy. Solid advice.

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Paul. I appreciate it. Have a great day.

[@pattowle4434]

Very interesting series Bill. I do have one take away from this so far. In the realm of "dream farm" are you talking about a farm for raising livestock or consumption crops...or a "dream hunting farm"? I live in central Indiana and land here is selling, but not from one farmer to another. Most is being sold for the current owners 'retirement' fund and then turned into residential plots or commercial plots. And the sellers are getting BIG dollars. I seems the cost of tillable land here in Indiana and apparently in your area of Iowa is doing the thing the housing market has done in the last 3-4 years. Crazy high prices for not near the amount of house you could have purchased 5-10 years ago. But, we are starting to see housing costs level out some.

[@bill-winke]

Pat, my dream farm is always a hunting farm in a very rural area where the prices are reasonable and not affected by development. I would hate to try to buy much land near a city. That would not be for me. Good luck.

[@alexpinnow6509]

Great end to the series Bill! What are your thoughts on a contiguous tract vs smaller farms located closely?

[@bill-winke]

Alex, I answered this for another guy farther up the comments. He asked me to compare my approach to Mark Drury's (which is to own more tracts instead of one big one). Here is my reply: "I think that works if all the satellite farms are in good neighborhoods. I am sure Mark's are. I get what he is doing and it does make sense, but I still would rather have all my land in one block. I may not be quite as bent on shooting giants every year as Mark (he certainly does shoot them). I think my goals are the overall landownership experience and that feels best to me when all my land is in one place. I have more room to roam, more ridges to look over and all my management effort is in one place. No need to move the equipment around when all the effort is one farm. There are tradeoffs for sure so it comes down to goals in the end. Have a great day."

[@alexpinnow6509]

@@bill-winke appreciate the (re)reply Bill, I should have done a better job looking at the comments. Have a good weekend!

[@independentredneck2555]

Hello Bill, I asked you a question last episode could 40 acres more or less be a dream farm you answered. I really appreciate the answer. Now I don't fully disagree or agree with the answer you gave.. I was wondering if you make that forty acres have the right habitat and can draw big bucks all the time why can't it be a dream farm? Maybe that's small parcel is better than the 600 acres next to it? Maybe the deer hang out on the forty acres next to it.I remember you saying you shot most of your deer out of a certain field in a certain parcel of land and it wasn't the whole 975 acres it was just that hot part of the property that was the best hunting as in your new episodes I saw you hunting the same spots small parcels to a normal person. I guess I just don't see the difference? Thanks for the series learned a lot. 🇺🇲

[@wcgamer9379]

I’m short yes it can be. A lot Depends on the neighbors. As someone mentioned, be ready to sell anytime bad neighbors show up. Own 40 acres that join large parcels. Not small individual homesites where everyone likes to shoot deer.

[@bill-winke]

But keep in mind that while I shot those bucks from my favorite stand, they were protected on the rest on my land and somewhat protected on my neighbors. So in order for that small area to be productive, it had to be attached to a very big sanctuary. If everyone around you has their own dream 40, you won't grow many mature bucks unless all those people are on the same page as relates to letting younger bucks walk. Very hard to do that, but it can be done with a lot of patience and a lifetime of encouraging your neighbors. Think about the numbers, biologists say that the typical distribution of decent antlered mature bucks is roughly 1 per 200 acres in good areas. In some areas (great areas) it will be higher and in some areas (most areas) it will be lower. But in the end, lets assume that the biologist's number holds. That means that with 40 acres you have to be content (on average) to shoot one of those kind of bucks every five years, and so do your neighbors. Is that realistic? I don't see it happening. Unless you are attached to a sanctuary of some kind, or lower your standards considerably, 40 acres is not going to consistently produce mature bucks. Not to say it can't still be a dream farm for plenty of other reasons, but don't expect to shoot many big antlered bucks unless the overall area has plenty of sanctuary. Good luck.

[@independentredneck2555]

@@bill-winke Thank you for your outlook and your point of view. If you could ever do a segment or a series on making smaller parcels better that would be awesome and I sure it would connect with a lot of people. A lot of us just own smaller parcels and you could explain to people to work together maybe.🇺🇲

[@bill-winke]

@@independentredneck2555 I think that is a great idea. We will get on that right away.

[@independentredneck2555]

@@bill-winke Awesome! I truly think this is going to be a huge hit and help a lot of guys like me that do shoot mature bucks on smaller parcels. Truly looking forward to it. 🇺🇲

[@Drivingtacks]

Bill, speaking of the improvements on your old property. In the past, you made a video about how exceptional the buck to doe ratio was on that property. Could you make a video or series specifically on what you think lead to that and how you might try to achieve that on your new property? Whether it was luck of the draw or things you did specifically.

[@bill-winke]

Flipping that buck to doe ratio took a ton of work by a lot of people: myself, my friends that hunted my farm and my neighbors. We all got on board with the program and shot tons of does and very few bucks. Over about three to four years, that led to a buck to doe ratio what was heavily skewed toward bucks (more bucks than does). I learned a lot about deer behavior through it all and the result was some pretty fabulous hunting. That all ended in 2012, unfortunately, when we got hit hard with EHD that wiped out a lot of my bucks. I shot some big deer after that, but the farm was never quite as good again as it was in 2011, the year before the EHD.

[@specag31]

A Dream Farm can stop being a dream in one day. The day the obnoxious no account neighbors move in. You are better off not thinking you can control what makes a dream farm. Always be ready to sell, fast.

[@bill-winke]

Good point. You never want to say never when it comes to land. It is still, in the end, an investment and that means it can always be sold. Good luck.

[@mattdoxtater2073]

Great info. Bill, could you recommend a logger or mill to work with in southern Iowa?

[@bill-winke]

I answered this earlier for someone else. Here is the answer I gave them: I never felt really good about working with anyone except River City Hardwoods in Muscatine. But that was many years ago. I am not sure how they are operating now. It would be a starting point, but likely you will need to work with a consulting forester to get a good program set up for your timber. They can handle the sale for you and make sure it is fair and competitive. Good luck.

[@JayN4GO]

Man so much left out of this process. It’s alot ! No way would I go in with my sister and brother in law. But I don’t trust them either. 😂 a dream farm to me is 200 acres that I somehow have or know to have successful growth potential. Access topo is a big deal also. Of course I’d want to live on the farm and establish a relationship with neighboring property. It’s a full time job keeping trespassers out around here. Tnx for the videos Bill and we’ll hope Ethan hits the powerball in a few years.

[@bill-winke]

Ethan has been hitting the lottery hard these past few weeks. JK. He is a hard worker and good smart young man. I would definitely bet on him having something pretty nice in a few years. Thanks for the support. Have a great day.

[@c.connor7319]

Any regrets selling g first then finding ground and pro and cons . We have ground but want to get ground closer to home but not sure if we want to sell first then find ground or wait and try to work out a deal to sell and buy

[@bill-winke]

Ideally, you would find what you want first and then sell. I was out of the land market for two years during the Covid years, and you know what happened then - prices shot way up while I was sitting on the sideline. If you have land and want to do a tax exchange, I think I would find the replacement before selling. If I had it to do again, that is likely what I would do. I just thought it would be a lot easier to find a replacement. I had a long time to try since the buyer of my other farm gave an extra six months on the closing just so I had more time to find the replacement - didn't work. Have a great day.

[@SecrawOutdoors]

NE Iowa has the #2 and #3 B&C Counties as well, pretty good area regardless.

[@bill-winke]

That is a bit misleading because they are huge geographically. I am certain that if you look at trophies per square mile a number of other countries will jump ahead.

[@connorjacoby8434]

Really Enjoyed the series Bill. I do have a somewhat lengthy question/thought exercise. Have you ever calculated your rate of return when flipping your way up through "investment" properties in order to get to your dream farm? One day my goal is to have a dream farm but I'm torn on the best route to get there. I see this series and listen to other podcasts where people recommend starting small and getting bigger over time. I've been wondering if this is the best approach, with the alternative being to invest in other assets and then buy the dream farm with cash or a large down payment once you have enough saved through alternative investments. The main benefits to this would be: no interest payment to the bank, no yearly property taxes, land is typically cheaper when purchasing more acres (vs starting with smaller parcels), no loan fees when exchanging properties, don't have as large of capital gains (because of multiple 1031's) if you needed to ever sell the dream farm. You could do this by either investing in the stock market or through cash flow positive real estate. From what I can tell these should both have higher return on investments unless I am underestimating the return on investment when a farm is improved and marketed properly. The only downside to the alternative method would be not owning land and enjoying it throughout the process.... Long question so no hard feelings if I don't get a response, it's just been on my mind lately haha

[@Jay-hu1pc]

Good points you made. Things were different back when he was doing this. Land was slowly appreciating in value and was also very cheap. You used to be able to buy land and almost pay for it with timber value. Then fix it up some for hunting and access and turn around and make your money back and more when you sold it. I would imagine you could have made some pretty good money doing so as the price of timber was about the same or even higher at times than it is now days.

[@bill-winke]

Connor, if you are good enough at investing, I agree, but I still think that if I had to, I could beat the stock market pretty handily even in a bull market in stocks. I was never good enough with the stock market to feel comfortable. One year I lost a ton of money when the market tanked and I was deep into some tech stocks a friend of my wife's family (a successful broker) had recommended - the companies basically went away. I didn't even know what they made. I vowed then that I would never buy stocks again. I understand land so I just stick with that. I do think the rate of return when re-selling land quickly is way higher than anything I could get in the stock market because I am making money with the bank's money when buying land. In simple terms, just forgetting about interest payments for now, if you put 20% down (that's what my bank accepted) on a property that is a good value (for any number of reasons) and then sell it the next year for 20% more than you bought it for, you have effectively doubled your money in one year. Again, remember you are making money on the bank's money. It is very similar to buying stocks on margin, but way, way, way less risky (in my opinion). The longer you own a property that you buy at a good price to resell, the closer the rate of return approaches the long-term average of roughly 7%. At least that has been the historical average. Times are strange now, but the rate of return will soon enough come back to that trend line. Realizing the upside in value and moving it quickly is the key to really getting a high return. That is why you have to buy right and move them quickly. It is not for everyone, and it is harder to do now than in the 2000s, but that is how I put mine together and how I would do it again if I had to start with nothing. Good luck.

[@connorjacoby8434]

@Bill Winke thanks Bill I appreciate the informative comment. Leveraging the banks money for higher returns makes a lot of sense. Your approach reminds me of the approach many guys have used to have success with real estate.

[@loganhartley7718]

Just finished watching the dream farm series. I'm 20 years old in college still and learned a great amount from you. However, how do you justify buying land when you don't even have a house yet? Would you buy land that has a house on it? Obviously, land with a house is even more expensive. Purchase 40 acres with a house instead of 80 without a house? Rent an apartment and just own land?

[@bill-winke]

Who says you have to have a house before you can buy land? Lots of people do it that way. Many of them eventually build on their land.

[@travissmith-wz5nc]

I feel like a 1k acres anywhere in whitetail country u can kill big animals. I would say kentucky, tenn, Ohio even Michigan where land is still under 2k a acres in spots is areas u can build easier.

[@bill-winke]

With 1,000 acres, believe it or not, you still need help from your neighbors to produce older age class bucks. I would love to see something like that in Michigan. I have hunted that state and think it would be really cool to see some good co-ops spring up where landowners formed into a group with the goal of producing mature bucks. Once you get past the firs couple of years, there would be great hunting for everyone. Good luck.

[@johnezell1366]

So how far do you live from your 2.0 farm?

[@bill-winke]

It is about 2 1/2 hours.

[@wduncan4231]

Bill, how did selling Midwest Whitetails play into selling your dream farm? Any if at all? Mike

[@bill-winke]

Mike, it did factor in slightly. Once I finally got away from Midwest Whitetail completely I didn't have to have the farm to create content for the show that definitely freed us up to sell it if we so chose. That is not why we sold, for sure, but had I still be involved in creating content for the show, I probably would have felt that I needed to keep it. The plan all along was to replace it with land near my parents. That just took a lot longer than expected. Have a great day.

[@wduncan4231]

@@bill-winke Thanks Bill. I enjoyed all the content that was produced by the team at Midwest Whitetail. You must be proud of the spinoffs from there (THP)etc. Through them that I found your sites but did follow you on Monster Bucks videos (I believe). Thanks again and I'll keep following and spreading the word. Mike

[@bill-winke]

@@wduncan4231 Thanks Mike. Much appreciated.

[@3rd4thgenFbody]

Seems like just saving money isn't the way to get it done.. a 40 in WI of prime land is 200-300k for good land even more if it has a house how do you buy if the payments are just to high for your income.. I have realized that waiting and saving has just got me further behind

[@bill-winke]

I agree. It does suck right now. Not sure where it goes from here. Likely will stay high but not increase anywhere near as fast as it has the last few years. But it still leaves you behind (and me). The key is to own some kind of land that you can buy at a good price (you will have to be selective on what you buy to be sure it is a good value). Then you can fix it up, maybe even build on it one day, or just fix and sell and move on to something bigger or better. That is the formula that has worked for me. You have to find a good value at each turn or you will get bogged down. So, before you start, be sure to study an area very hard for a few months to understand price, trends and value before you even start to think about buying. Also, it is best to start buying in an area that is not already highly sought after. For example, $200k (most borrowed) could buy you 50 acres in an area where land is at $4k per acre or 20 acres where it is $10k per acre. If you buy a good value, you can add 25% to $4k per acre land much easier than you can to $10k per acre land. At least in my experience. Again, you have to start somewhere. As you state, at least right now, you can't keep up with land prices my just savings alone. Good luck.

[@ajkelley20]

I know of 80 acres in Northern Arkansas. Land is still reasonable and it's in a good neighborhood. I would be your neighbor.

[@bill-winke]

Ethan, start your truck and head south!

[@dakotaboy]

Make these videos longer!

[@bill-winke]

I will do a few more on these topics in the future. Have a great day and thanks for the support.

[@jimpowers2047]

needs to buy into a deer co-op.....1000 acres probably doesn't exist......try for 120 to 240 in a co-op

[@bill-winke]

Jim, depends on the area. In most areas, an available 1,000 doesn't exist, but it can be assembled over a lifetime starting as young as Ethan. If he wants to get to the dream in a shorter time, then you are absolutely right, he needs to think smaller and focus on a great neighborhood. But a big part of the fun in anything worthwhile is the quest (the journey) and not the destination. Same as deer hunting. Once they are dead, they are way less interesting! Have a great day.

[@brianrobinson7972]

Lol another awesome video

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Brian. Much appreciated.

[@WesternNyBigfoot]

What banker

[@whitetailsup760]

Bill looks like that young man would make a great son in law just saying

[@bill-winke]

I am not touching those kind of comments with a ten food pole. Ethan will be a good catch for some young woman.

[@stevenschmidt5712]

Thank all those pesky 200 inch bucks running around and all the guru TV hunters who own thousands of acres growing them for ever increasing Iowa recreational land prices. Well, there are other reasons but they certainly have added fuel to the fire. Good problem to have though if you are an obsessed whitetail hunter! My $5 is in the mail Ethan 😅

[@ethan_stubbs]

Thanks for watching Steven! I appreciate the support. Your 5 dollars will go straight to my "Dream Farm Fund!"

[@bill-winke]

Don't send that kid any money. He will just blow it on cigarettes and beer. Have a great day Steven.

[@davidfleer5307]

Ethan get you a truck and a 20’-30’ trailer a portable sawmill, several chainsaw. Buy you some land cut the timber in your spare time and find a very rich farm girl to marry many of your problems solved 👍✌🏻🇺🇸

[@ethan_stubbs]

Haha no kidding! Thanks for watching David!

[@bill-winke]

The rich farm girl is the key! Good advice!

[@fergystuff]

Mr. Ethan be very selective with any women that you bring into your life, the wrong one and Poof instead of a dream you'll be in your worst nightmare when she wants "her share"....prenup it!

[@ethan_stubbs]

Haha, thanks for watching Fergystuff, we appreciate the support!

[@fergystuff]

@@ethan_stubbs best of luck, no better feeling than owning your very own dirt!

[@donwaldroopoutdoors3665]

My least favorite expression from realtor , yeah it’s high , but God ain’t making no more

[@wcgamer9379]

Highly overused but couldnt be more true.

[@Jay-hu1pc]

Yea these realtors love this market because there making more money with these high dollar sales on land. They also really seem to push the idea of buying and selling to make money and build up to your dream farm. Makes them alot more money with that concept

[@wcgamer9379]

@@Jay-hu1pc well the prices are starting to come down and interest rates are up causing a pullback. So, I hope they saved up some dough from the high dollar run.

[@bill-winke]

It is true though and I see that very fact as the one thing that makes me more comfortable with land as my core investment than anything else that I could otherwise be in. Good word.

[@phillipthewise7758]

Your Farm is for sale again. 588 acres for $3.25mil

[@Jay-hu1pc]

Where you see that

[@joshmiller6498]

It's been under contract for a few weeks I believe.

[@SuburbanStandouts]

yup split it into two parcels

[@jrwstl02]

7000/ac is not too bad for great deer hunting ground, especially with some tillable and crp income

[@bill-winke]

Yes, I saw that. A bit heart-breaking, but I understand the reason the guy sold it, which I won't offer to the public. Have a great day.