June 2018 Land News from Lands of America

There were over 2,000 properties listed as sold through the Lands of America Comparable Sales program in June 2018, totaling over $700 million of sold land and rural real estate across 44 states. This represents a 6 percent decrease in sales activity over May 2018.

The $35-million sale of Utah’s Eagle Ridge Ranch, recorded on June 18, 2018, was the month’s most expensive sale as well as the most expensive land deal recorded to date in 2018. First listed for sale in December 2016, Eagle Ridge represents a unique development opportunity at the southern end of Utah’s adventure-rich Wasatch Front. With a list price of $35 million, this mountain acreage was among the 20 most expensive properties to hit the market in 2016, behind such stunners as Sandow Lakes Ranch ($250 million), Georgia’s Callaway Woodland Estate ($42.5 million) and Lion Mountain Ranch in West Texas ($41.6 million).

The biggest sale by acreage (by a mere 463 acres!) was that 10,700-acre Flying M Ranch in Mono County, California, by Pete Nevin with Far West R&C Sales Management Company. The $3.25-million sale was recorded on June 6, 2018, through the Lands of America Comparable Sales program. Owned for the past 50 years by billionaire businessman Barron Hilton, this historic ranch property offers scenic high-mountain summer pasture combined with high-desert winter grazing range near Mono Lake. The property consists of 10,000 non-contiguous deeded acres interspersed in BLM grazing permits. Spread across a number of parcels of different acreages, the ranch’s various units range in elevation from around 7,000 feet to 9,500 feet.

Texas, Oklahoma and California saw the most land sales during the month, while the Texas counties of Henderson, Burnet, Walker and Washington, along with Hampshire County, West Virginia, recorded the most individual sales based on information submitted through the Lands of America Comparable Sales program.

Out of over 112,000 newly listed properties across the Land.com Network’s online marketplaces, below are some notable new listings on the market as of June.

Largest new land listing

This old reputation ranch, steeped in New Mexico history, is on the market for a buyer who wants the best of everything: scenery, hunting, grazing, infrastructure and water distribution. The ranch is the headwaters of the Alamogordo Creek, giving rise to the large caprocks on three sides of the ranch. It is comprised of approximately 30-percent top mesa country and 70-percent bottom valley area. Rimrock Ranch is your basic livestock ranch and has been operated in this fashion for many years.

Most expensive new land listing

Newly listed on June 28, this working cattle ranch of 19,493 deeded acres is bisected by the Colorado River, offering incredible water rights and options for irrigation. In addition to extraordinary elk/deer hunting on the ranch, there are over 50,000 acres of BLM/Forest Service grazing permits available in the adjoining Flattops Wilderness. The ranch is situated just over an hour from Vail and 45 minutes from the jet-accessible Eagle Airport.

Counties with most new land for sale

Below are the five counties with the most new land listed for sale in May 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.
Yavapai County, Arizona | Yavapai County regularly features among the top counties in the country with the most new land listings for sale on the Land.com Network. The county covers both the Prescott metro area and the western half of Sedona.
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.
Sullivan County, New York | Offering a mix of rural-residential properties and recreational land for hunting and other uses, Sullivan County is located amidst New York’s scenic Catskills Mountains.
Spartanburg County, South Carolina | It is rumored that Spartanburg County once produced more peaches than Georgia. Along with various farms and rural acreage, the county is also one of the state’s most populous, with development spurred by its proximity to the growing city of Greenville.

Most searched counties

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

Edwards County, Texas
Burnet County, Texas
Kerr County, Texas (+1)
Bandera County, Texas (-1)
Gillespie County, Texas (+1)
Parker County, Texas (-1)
Henderson County, Texas (+2)
Bosque County, Texas (+1)
Comal County, Texas (NEW)
Bell County, Texas

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

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!

June 7 – Broker of the Week: Historic Cattle Ranch Owned by Barron Hilton Sold in Eastern Sierras
June 14 – Broker of the Week: Whitney Land Company Sells 1,560-Acre Cattle Ranch in Northeast Oregon
June 21 – Broker of the Week: Premier Ranch Properties Sells Utah’s Eagle Ridge Ranch, Biggest Sale of 2018
June 28 – Broker of the Week: Dullnig Ranches Sells 4,571 Acres in South Texas

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.