The Scoop
The Press Room
What’s Selling and Why
In the Lake Oconee area, near Madison, Georgia, an increasing number of the larger properties in the area are being divided into smaller tracts of 50 to 100 acres. Many buyers from urban markets like Atlanta are seeking a different quality of life in the country. We see many families come to this region and build a cabin or a small home where they can bring their families and escape city life. These properties will begin to compete with lake and beach houses for people’s interest and money.
Question: Let’s discuss the wildlife component for a minute. Let’s say we have two pieces of property that are very similar in size and accessibility. On Property A, there are a few deer and turkeys, but the land has never been managed for wildlife. Property A has no green fields, and there isn’t a very-good road system. On Property B, the land has been managed for wildlife, and it has five to eight green fields, a well-balanced deer herd, good number of turkeys and a few quail. Also, the records kept on wildlife harvests on Property B show that bucks in the 130 to 140 class have been taken yearly for the last 2 or 3 years. What’s the difference in price between the two properties, if the dirt and the timber values are the same?
Teston: The wildlife value of Property B would cause the price of the land to be $500 to $1,000 per acre higher than Property A. Of course, the buyer can take Property A and invest money and time (several years at least) to increase the wildlife value on the property. In today’s society, increasing numbers of investors consider time the most-precious resource they have. These investors often want turkey properties they can enjoy immediately. They want to close on the properties one weekend and be hunting on the properties the next weekend.
For more information on land in Augusta, Georgia, call Kevin Teston at (706) 854-0056, or email him at kteston@mossyoakproperties.com.
Tomorrow: The Demand for Bigger Tracts of Land
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