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Buying a farm
August 17, 2022
9:39 am
AllanB
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Pitfalls? Easy or expensive to maintain 50-100acres?

For someone who just wants a hedge against inflation no hassles what's the best kind to get raw land low taxes cut the grass for hay a few times a year?

Hobby farms conservation/EP land?

Liability insurance what could go wrong?

Where would you buy in Southern Ontario? Where to find an informed agent or consult?

August 17, 2022
10:44 am
Bruford
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Good relief (land slope) , water source included, include some woodland (hardwood preferably), no floodplain. Tile drained is a bonus.

August 17, 2022
11:17 am
mordko
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Whether its easy or not to maintain rather depends on the land. If its meant purely as an investment then personally I would consider finding a farmer who wants to lease your land rather than “cut hay a few times a year” yourself.

Liability insurance may or may not be required, depending on what you do with the land and if you have employees/visitors.

If you have conservation zones, it could lower your local taxes.

Doubt there is a huge selection of farmland available for purchase in S Ontario so “where” rather depends on what’s available. I like Wellington County which has small acreage like this but wouldn’t limit to that.

A local countryside realtor could help you. I know a couple.

August 17, 2022
12:57 pm
AllanB
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Bruford said
Good relief (land slope) , water source included, include some woodland (hardwood preferably), no floodplain. Tile drained is a bonus.  

How much slope? Must it be if it's used for housing development in future.

Water source example?

What causes floodplain?

Tile drained is man made drainage up and down the land?

If the land was cattle farmed I heard is not necessarily bad

mordko said
Doubt there is a huge selection of farmland available for purchase in S Ontario

A local countryside realtor could help you. I know a couple.  

A lot of farms for sale hard to decide on and agent who can you trust?

Around 1.5-2mill seems to be average ask for 50acres

August 17, 2022
2:03 pm
Loonie
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Very occasionally on this forum, I am rendered speechless. This is one of those times.

The kindest thing I can say to you is, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING A FARM.

August 17, 2022
2:19 pm
JohnnyCash
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Loonie said
Very occasionally on this forum, I am rendered speechless. This is one of those times.

The kindest thing I can say to you is, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT BUYING A FARM.  

Lol, you must be a farmer to give that kind of advice.

August 17, 2022
4:05 pm
Bill
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Our family's non-urban properties give us a sense of food, wood, etc security for when the supply chains cease to function and the city-folk very quickly get starved out. But I agree with those who encourage others to not have country property, stay just where you are. Please!

August 17, 2022
4:40 pm
Dean
Valhalla Mountains, British Columbia
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Bill said

Our family's non-urban properties give us a sense of food, wood, etc security for when the supply chains cease to function and the city-folk very quickly get starved out. But I agree with those who encourage others to not have country property, stay just where you are. Please!  

Like my GrandDaddy used to say . . .

    "Keep Yer *&^%@# City Outa My Country!"

Dean sf-cool

P.S.
I wonder if Peter has given any thought
to creating a Farming forum? sf-wink

sf-cool " Live Long, Healthy ... And Prosper! " sf-cool

August 17, 2022
4:51 pm
AllanB
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Rural is frozen mostly to down 25-30% falling commodity prices as well

I would offer 50% below asking if they reject you got a floor to bid.

Any comments on these two what's the first one worth

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/24344245/3249-2nd-line-innisfil-rural-innisfil

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/24568861/188-valentia-rd-kawartha-lakes-little-britain

Post ones you think are worthwhile

August 17, 2022
5:19 pm
rpotter28
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AllanB said
Any comments on these two what's the first one worth

Move to Kingston, and I could help you out. Those prices (especially the first one) are crazy in my world. There better be big potential for development in that one.

August 17, 2022
8:11 pm
mordko
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mordko said
Doubt there is a huge selection of farmland available for purchase in S Ontario

A local countryside realtor could help you. I know a couple.  

A lot of farms for sale hard to decide on and agent who can you trust?

Around 1.5-2mill seems to be average ask for 50acres  

Fair enough. In our area good properties do come up for sale lately but they sell very fast . And more often then not the land goes to the farmer who rented it (separate from the house). Location is important with farms too.

Realtors are marketing people, so yes - its hard to pick. Good ones know the law, the area and a bit about farming. Many (most?) don’t.

August 18, 2022
12:06 pm
Bruford
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AllanB said

How much slope? Must it be if it's used for housing development in future.

Water source example?

What causes floodplain?

Tile drained is man made drainage up and down the land?

If the land was cattle farmed I heard is not necessarily bad

mordko said
Doubt there is a huge selection of farmland available for purchase in S Ontario

A local countryside realtor could help you. I know a couple.  

A lot of farms for sale hard to decide on and agent who can you trust?

Around 1.5-2mill seems to be average ask for 50acres  

How much slope? - Just for better drainage and if u want to build a house on the higher part.

Water source example? Creek or river running through it.

What causes floodplain? Floodplain is if river floods habitually extend onto some of the property. You will be limited what you can do in a floodplain area.

Tile drained is man made drainage up and down the land? Yes, better for farm drainage.

August 18, 2022
12:53 pm
AR
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I have a question for the community.

If a hazard, say fire, whether by lightening or man made, spreads from one property to another, who is liable? This could also apply to floods and who knows what else.

Ie., In the case of vehicles it is usually whoever is behind you and still moving is responsible all the way to where it started. Anyone?

August 18, 2022
1:01 pm
mordko
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If you caused that fire, eg by being negligent then you/your insurance could be liable. Otherwise - no. In the case of lightning you are not liable. If your fire pit caused a fire which spread then you could be… But I am not a lawyer.

August 18, 2022
7:46 pm
AllanB
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What's this property worth and what would the seller accept. 50acres 8 zoned agricultural the rest conservation/EP. Nobody likes it what's it worth. Stones throw from Hwy400 Tanger outlet mall Cookstown Innisfil. Neighbours include higher end mobile home park and golf course. Old cottage has Hydro And Water.

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/24344245/3249-2nd-line-innisfil-rural-innisfil

August 18, 2022
11:25 pm
Loonie
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It's worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
Have you even seen this property or do you plan to just buy "from the catalogue"?

"A fool and his money are soon parted." - 16thC proverb.

August 19, 2022
3:37 am
Nirvana7734
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JohnnyCash said

Lol, you must be a farmer to give that kind of advice.  

Haha, sorry, I clicked on this thread PRECISELY because I grew up on a farm and thought, "My father would think you're RIDICULOUS for WANTING to buy a farm." 😉

Best of luck to you, though. I've always felt that growing up on a farm was fortunate for me to have that experience in life because, as an adult, I am so mechanically DISINCLINED and hate commuting/traveling long distances for groceries, seeing the doctor, etc., that I would never have lived on one by choice. 🙂

August 19, 2022
7:51 am
AllanB
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Nirvana7734 said

Haha, sorry, I clicked on this thread PRECISELY because I grew up on a farm and thought, "My father would think you're RIDICULOUS for WANTING to buy a farm." 😉

Best of luck to you, though. I've always felt that growing up on a farm was fortunate for me to have that experience in life because, as an adult, I am so mechanically DISINCLINED and hate commuting/traveling long distances for groceries, seeing the doctor, etc., that I would never have lived on one by choice. 🙂  

You're right, trying to figure out if I could manage it. Other city buyers lease them back to farmers is that sustainable, are there farms no farmer would lease. If cost to buy, tax is reasonable why lease could I just sit on the land for long term capital gains while having someone cut it a few times a year for "hay"?

August 19, 2022
11:25 am
maGIC
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Jeremy Clarkson, a tv personality from England retired from his show Top Gear and bought a 1000 acre farm in England. He made a Netflix show “Clarkson’s Farm”. If you haven’t already seen it, I recommend it as a light hearted evening of entertainment. He had no previous farming experience. It is over the top for what you are thinking, but there is more to letting hay grow than meets the eye. Great for a few laughs and interesting to see what is involved. Jeremy has the advantage of making money from Netflix to do the show over and above his “profit” from farming. Netflix purported to have paid around 250 million.

August 19, 2022
11:58 am
RetirEd
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Here in BC, hundreds of opportunist investors buy land - often agricultural-protected land - and wait for a chance to develop it, making them rich for a lifetime. Small-town elected officials are busted from time to time for arranging to get land reclassified. In one case I remember, an investor bought reserved land and convinced regulators to let him put a golf course on it because it would still be "green space," then ran it into the ground for TEN YEARS. Then he was allowed to develop because the golf venture just didn't seem viable.

The owner's now set for life and maybe beyond. His long-term bet paid off. Maybe he is the guy who can afford to get frozen when he dies and wake up rich with all his investments swollen by time?

If you want to live on a farm and know what you're getting into, think about it. If you can buy protected quota (dairy, chicken, some grains and the like) on a farm and you know what you're getting into, think about it. Otherwise, your best bet is probably hoping to find land a big agribusiness will want to add to their holdings.

I know one couple in the BC interior who slaved to pick apples and take them to sell at the local farmer's market in hopes of tax breaks and cheap gas. After years of sweat and bears and deer stealing their apples, they got a letter saying they were just a hobby and demanding lots of taxes. Not my idea of a party.

But then, I'm a city kid. I don't like dirt and the smell of manure, and I like reliable services and health care, and lots of new people to get to know.
RetirEd

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