LandCo | Land Investing and Ownership podcast

3 Most Common Down Payment Strategies for Land Purchases

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As in nearly every industry, the entry-level conversation starts with a budget.  How much money have you earmarked for land investment? But that is usually the easy question.  Our clients know how much they have to spend.  Usually, it's a range, but clearly, most clients have gotten this far in the process when they get to us.  The more important initial conversation revolves around preferred investment strategy.  It involves risk tolerance, position in life, predicted income.  And most often, these elements first display themselves when we discuss down payment strategies. For this exercise, let's set aside the type of property someone wants...because 1) while that can reveal someone's risk tolerance, that isn’t always the case and 2) we typically see no difference in down payment strategies between buyers of tillable or recreational land.   In our experience, down payment strategies can be broken down into three main categories.  That doesn’t mean that each down payment falls 100% into one of these buckets.  In fact, most down payment scenarios are a hybrid approach.  But a confident approach comes from understanding each down payment strategy.   Paid in Full The easiest option to cover is a 100% down payment strategy. I am aware that this strategy is not an option for many land buyers.  And just because you can’t pay cash for a property, that doesn't mean you shouldn't get involved in land investing.  This strategy is most commonly used by individuals who are either in or close to retirement and individuals who have accumulated a significant amount of wealth early in life.  The thought process is simple...a land purchase using this strategy is no different than buying stock.  It is moving money from one investment to another. It diversified risk.  Typically, individuals who employ this strategy are educated on the historical performance of land values and see it as a way to decrease risk while enjoying some of their investments.  Monthly Payment Calculation This option typically incurs the biggest risk but also allows the investor to back into his or her exact comfort level in terms of the out-of-pocket expense.   It is the most common down payment strategy.  It is primarily used by buyers who are in the middle of their earning days.  The end numbers are different for everyone but the theory is the exact same.  The questions that you must ask yourself to begin this down payment are as follows.   How much money am I comfortable with putting down on a property? How much money am I comfortable with coming out a pocket annually to pay for the property? The answers to these questions reveal what kind and size of the property the individual can buy.  It doesn't back you into an exact answer, but it reveals a range of properties you can buy.   For example, let's say a buyer has $50,000 to put down on a potential property.  And the buyer is comfortable with coming out of pocket with $10,000 annually.  The formula for revealing potential property targets goes like this… Expenses - Income = Net Annual Payment Each farm has its own specific expenses and income but most commonly they are… Expenses Mortgage Payment Property Taxes Maintenance  Income Farm Rent CRP Payments Hunting/Fishing Leases The easiest way to get a range of potential property targets using this method is to run the formula on a property with zero income, and then again on one with 100% tillable.  Sure, you are going to have to apply some logic to your unique situation...if you are looking specifically for a deer hunting property, you may swap out that 100% tillable property with one that has the highest percentage of tillable that you are willing to consider.  For most deer hunters, that typically falls around 50%, but the exercise remains the same.  To start this exercise, it is easiest to make some ballpark assumptions...we can fine-tune these numbers when we start looking at specific farms but th...

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