I'll get the particulars out of the way right quick for anyone not familiar with my place then we'll get right back to work. Bought my first piece of land, beyond the subdivided lot my home sits on, in 2007 when I was 32 years old. That 25 acre piece in east central Ohio was where I cut my teeth on habitat improvement. It was all I could afford but boy, you would have thought I hit the lottery. With two daughters, two college tuition savings and probably two weddings to pay for, I never thought I'd be able to afford to get anything bigger. But I was perfectly content with what I had and I made the most of that habitat.
Fast forward to 2011. Marcellus Shale fracking was booming in the area. I already spoke to the only company in that area that was drilling and I was told that my area was not one of the desirable spots for drilling. I began getting letters in the mail from all sorts of businesses and individuals in the gas and oil field. My ownership of the mineral rights put me in a position I didn't ever expect to be in. Unsolicited offers came in, double of what I paid for the property just four years earlier. I decided to put a listing out there with a pie in the sky asking price. Within hours, I had a cash offer that I just couldn't refuse. I talked it over with my wife, my father and my financial advisor. They all agreed that I better strike while the iron was hot. So I did, and I spent the next year and a half looking for another piece of property. Drilling never made it to that valley. I went by the place a year or two later and it had been completely clear cut, obviously in an attempt to salvage some of the initial investment. Pretty sad actually but I had moved on.
I wanted to stay in Ohio. I'm a bowhunter and their archery season runs from September to February with no breaks, including Sunday hunting, which you can't do in my home state of Pennsylvania. A far cry from the six week archery season in Pennsylvania, minus Sundays. Southern and central Ohio are known for big bucks but I wanted to stay in the 100 mile, under 2 hour range. It would be a little more expensive but after knowing a lot of guys who owned deer camps four plus hours away in northern PA my whole life, I didn't want that kind of inconvenience. Besides, most of Ohio's counties hold good deer numbers and have their share of trophy animals.
My old farm was in cattle country. I decided I wanted something in corn & bean country this time. Larger blocks of land and less people usually means fewer hunters and more habitat for deer to grow old on. After walking over a dozen properties, I was starting to get discouraged. By 2013, the bargain basement deals on properties for cash buyers were gone as the market had come back with a vengeance. While I did well on my initial investment, I was still on a budget.
After another disappointing walk of a property, I was tired and wanted to head back home. There was one 40 acre piece in ag country that I ear marked but it was out of the way and I didn't feel like having another disappointment. Something told me to go look at it anyway so I did. I pulled up to the property, surrounded by thousands of acres of farm fields and big woodlots. I thought boy this could be good but I didn't want to get my hopes up. As I walked the farm, it got better and better as I checked things off of my mental wish list. Afterwards I could definitely picture what I could do with the place. So after a little more research, an offer was made and accepted in the summer of 2013. Holy heck, I just bought my second farm and almost doubled the acreage! Not bad for a blue collar worker on a budget.
Sorry to ramble on, let's get back to work.
