What Should I Expect to Pay for a Quality Ranch?

What you can expect to pay for quality ranch properties is as variable, if not more so, as buying a home.
 
Just like a residential property, the asking price for your ranch depends on considerations including size, location, improvements, curb appeal, and the strength of the real estate market.
 
Over many decades, ranch real estate has proven to be a safe harbor from many of the uncertainties and fluctuations found with other common investment vehicles, especially Wall Street. 

What Should I Expect to Pay for a Quality Ranch?

By Lem Lewis
The Ranch Broker

What you can expect to pay for quality ranch properties is as variable, if not more so, as buying a home.
 
Just like a residential property, the asking price for your ranch depends on considerations including size, location, improvements, curb appeal, and the strength of the real estate market.
 
Over many decades, ranch real estate has proven to be a safe harbor from many of the uncertainties and fluctuations found with other common investment vehicles, especially Wall Street. ​

What you don’t want to do, under any circumstance, is to overpay for your ranch, which is why it’s always advisable to work closely with a knowledgeable ranch broker who has extensive experience both buying and selling rural properties.

Features that heavily influence the price-per-acre of Texas ranches include direct access to state and county roads, availability of electricity and other utilities, what type of water is found on the property (rivers, springs, wells, waterfalls, etc.), wildlife, and scenic topography.
 
In Texas Hill Country, South Texas, and West Texas – where I have deep roots and focus my services – ranch prices typically begin as low as $1,500 an acre and rise steadily from there. In general, the larger the total ranch acreage, the lower the cost per acre.
 
Features that heavily influence the price-per-acre of Texas ranches include direct access to state and county roads, availability of electricity and other utilities, what type of water is found on the property (rivers, springs, wells, waterfalls, etc.), wildlife, and scenic topography.
 
Three examples of ranch properties that I currently list or have recently closed are:
 

• A 463-acre property featuring rare private water, county road frontage, views and fields, and excellent hunting in Leakey, Texas.  Asking price: $2,495,000.

 

• A 203-acre ranch with frontage on Highway 127 near Concan, Texas, where the Frio River runs through the middle of the entire property, offering the potential to kayak and even Jet Ski. The population of whitetail deer, exotics, axis, and turkeys is outstanding.  Asking Price: $6,500 per acre.

 

• A 5,000-acre ranch featuring rolling valleys, hilltops, and rough canyons located 90 miles west of San Antonio, Texas. With excellent hunting, three working water wells, scenic views, and a solid network of interior roads, this property has great investment potential.  Asking Price: $2,200 per acre.

 
While I specialize in representing buyers and sellers of properties in the $4 million to $12 million range, I aim to accommodate all buyers, regardless of their budget.
 
Ranching is not my business, after all. It’s my passion and my mission. I’m a proud 4th generation Texas rancher, and my children – the 5th generation – already share my love of the ranching lifestyle.
 
If you have questions about buying or selling a ranch, please don’t hesitate to contact me. The more you know, the greater your likelihood of acquiring the right property, at the right price.
 
I’ve designed a series of short videos, “Ask Lem,” that address common questions I hear from both ranch buyers and sellers. You’ll find them here [​http://www.theranchbroker.com/ask-lem-faq.html]
 
For detailed answers to your ranching questions, I’m always just a phone call away – 210-275-3551.
 
Photo: One of several residences on the ranch in Concan, TX