If you’re looking to buy or sell an acreage or equine property, be sure the engage the services of an experienced REALTOR® who knows the complexities of purchasing an acreage or horse property. Seek an agent who can give you valuable information and personal knowledge of not only the real estate market, but acreage and equine needs. A REALTOR® without this experience and personal knowledge may not fully understand your needs.

It’s always a good idea to interview REALTORS® before selecting an agent to represent you. Ask about their experience and any professional designations they have and also about their personal experience, for example:

• how long have you been a REALTOR® in this area?
• what kind of services do you provide?
• how much experience do you have with acreage and equine (if applicable to you) sales, both buying and selling?
• how much knowledge do you have about the local acreage (and equine) real estate market?
• do you own animals or livestock?
• do you have a lender that deals with acreages and equine property?

I come from a sheep farming family in Scotland, grew up on a dairy farm near Forrest and have had horses for most of my life. I reside on an acreage, with small horse boarding facility located between Rapid City and Rivers and spend my spare time riding and showing hunter jumper horses with my daughters. I love living in the country, I wouldn’t change it for anything.

Here are some things to consider when you’re on the hunt for your next acreage or equine property:

Financing – have you considered that it can be more challenging to obtain financing for an acreage or equine property? It’s very important to have this discussion with your mortgage specialist before you go shopping for a new property!

Location – will you be commuting to work? How far are you willing to travel? How much gravel are you willing to drive on? Do you have a vehicle that can handle the roads in the winter? Ask me about being snowed in 🙂

Equipment – will you need a ride on lawn mower? How will you move snow? Do you need a quad or will you need a tractor?

Animal needs – what kinds of animals do you plan on having? If you plan to have horses, how many acres will you need?

Zoning – always, always be sure that you check with the RM planning district to ensure that you can have animals on your property if your dream is to do so. Just because it’s an acreage doesn’t necessarily mean you can have animals on your property.

Barn – do you need a barn? Or will a three-sided shelter suffice? If you need to build a barn have you looked into the cost? What about stalls? Will you have to buy them, or construct your own? Do you want a dirt floor or concrete, what about mats? If there is an existing barn is it structurally sound? What’s the ventilation like? Have you considered insurance cost for your barn?

Outbuildings – do you need additional buildings for hay storage or tractor and equipment storage

Fencing – does the property have fencing, or will you need to put it up? What kind of fencing do you need? Is there any old fencing on the property that needs cleaning up? That’s a nightmare to ask me about 😉

Arena – where are you going to ride? There’s nothing better than having your horses on your own property, except having a nice arena to ride them in! Is there an existing arena? What is the footing like? If you need to construct an arena, is there sufficient flat space, or will you need to prep the area? What kind of sand will you need… have you looked into the cost – believe you me, it’s not cheap!

Water – does the property have water? Sufficient good water? If not, is there municipal water nearby that you can hook to or will you need to haul? Where is the water in relation to the barn? How will you keep your horses water from freezing in the winter.

Sewer – does the property have a septic field or an ejector system? Do you know the difference and the requirements for purchasing a property with either of those?

Yard space – is there sufficient room in the yard to meet your needs? Can you easily turn around your truck and horse trailer? Is there a space, far enough from water and property lines for mature storage? Where will you store your hay?

When you’re ready to buy or sell, I’m ready to help!