April 2018 Land News from Lands of America

There were over 1,800 properties listed as sold through the Lands of America Comparable Sales Program in April 2018, totaling $591 million and over 144,000 acres of sold land and rural real estate across 43 states. This represents a 15 percent decrease in sales activity over March 2018.

The largest recorded sale for the month was that of South Brady Creek Ranch in central Texas. The 12,106-acre spread, set up as a working cattle ranch as well as property for hunting and recreational enjoyment, was listed as sold for $16.3 million on April 3. The sale was brokered by Frosty Miller of Llano-based Frosty Miller Ranch Realty.

Texas, California and Iowa saw the most land sales during the month. The Texas counties of Henderson, Fayette and Leon recorded the most individual sales based on information submitted through the Lands of America Comparable Sales Program.

New land listed for sale across the Land.com Network in March represents acreage in 94 percent of all U.S. counties. Out of over 100,000 newly listed properties on the Land.com Network’s online marketplaces, below are some notable new listings on the market as of April.

Largest new land listing

The 54,438-acre Rainy Mesa Ranch in western New Mexico’s Gila National Forest was the month’s largest new land listing. Listed on the Land.com Network by Nancy Belt of Stockmen’s Realty on April 24, the ranch is being offered turnkey with 300-head of cattle. In addition to use as a cattle ranch, this property would make an excellent hunting/outfitters ranch, or for private recreational use. Although it totals 54,438 acres, the forest inholdings that comprise the ranch’s 350+/- deeded acres are located in the middle of the allotment, framed by mountain meadows, mesas, canyons and seasonal creeks.

In terms of overall deeded acres, Lonetree Ranch amidst the productive grasslands of northeast Wyoming is the biggest new land listing to hit the market recently. The legacy ranch comprises 31,551 deeded acres along with its mix of State, Forest Service and BLM land lease acres. Along with being a well-watered offering with excellent grasses for grazing herds of cattle, the ranch boasts some of the best trophy elk hunting in the area along with exceptional mule deer, antelope and upland game bird hunting. Lonetree Ranch was listed for sale on April 25 by Cory Clark of Clark & Associates Land Brokers.

Most expensive new land listing

In use for ranching and farming for many decades, Alico East Ranch is over 25,000 acres in Hendry County, Florida. his south central Florida ranch is comprised of a mix of improved, semi-improved and native pastures for cattle ranching or leases, hunting leases or agricultural use. The surrounding area is predominately used for ranching, vegetable farming, sugarcane and citrus production. The ranch is easily divisible and is currently offered as a whole or in six separate tracts ranging from 1,265 acres to 8,586 acres. The listing broker, Dean Saunders of Lakeland, Florida-based Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders Real Estate, brought the property to market on April 11, 2018.

Counties with most new land for sale

Below are the five counties with the most new land listed for sale in April 2018:

Maricopa County, Arizona | Comprising the booming Phoenix metropolitan area, Maricopa County is the fastest growing county in the country in terms of population growth.
Benton County, Arkansas | Perhaps best known as the birthplace of mega-retailer Wal-Mart, the eastern edge of the county is framed by 28,220-acre Beaver Lake, among the largest reservoirs in the state and a popular spot for weekend vacation homes.
Los Angeles County, California | As you’d expect of the country’s second-most populous city, land for sale in Los Angeles County largely comprises acreage for commercial and residential development.
Cherokee County, Oklahoma | Cherokee County comprises Oklahoma’s Cherokee Nation, which is centered around its capital of Tahlequah. Along with various cultural and historical attractions relating to what is the largest tribal nation in the United States, the land here includes a number of outdoor highlights including float trips along the Class II Illinois River.
Yavapai County, Arizona | Comprising both the Prescott metro area and the western half of Sedona, Yavapai County regularly features among the top counties in the country with the most new land listings for sale on the Land.com Network. With land here being relatively cheap and plentiful, the county is a popular spot for land buyers looking for recreational and residential real estate in the Sun Belt, not to mention land for future property development.

Most searched counties

Below are the ten most searched counties on Lands of America in April 2018:

Edwards County, Texas
Burnet County, Texas (+1)
Kerr County, Texas (-1)
Gillespie County, Texas (+1)
Bandera County, Texas (-1)
Parker County, Texas
Comal County, Texas (+3)
Blanco County, Texas
Williamson County, Texas
Bell County, Texas (NEW)

Below are the ten most searched non-Texas counties on Lands of America in April 2018:

Marion County, Florida
Cochise County, Arizona
Klamath County, Oregon
Apache County, Arizona
Latimer County, Oklahoma
Pushmataha County, Oklahoma
Park County, Colorado
Yavapai County, Arizona
Le Flore County, Oklahoma
Elko County, Nevada

Top-performing land brokers

Based on brokers participating in the Lands of America Comparable Sales Program, below are our Brokers of the Week for land sales completed during the month. Congratulations to these individuals!

Land buyers can access our comprehensive database of historic sales information by purchasing a LandInsights account ($199/year), while platinum and basic sellers receive complimentary access through the Lands of America Property Control Center.