Estates West
Excerpts from: Reign of the Ranch
Summer 2006
SPACIOUS SKIES, AMBER WAVES OF GRAIN, PURPLE MOUNTAINS MAJESTY AND THE FRUITED PLAIN: THERE'S A REASON WHY THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES' BEST FEATURES ARE NOTED IN "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL." BETWEEN SEA AND SHINING SEA, THERE'S A VAST AMOUNT OF RANCHLAND BECKONING TO SPORTSMEN, SPACE SEEKERS AND WANNABE WRANGLERS. HERE'S A LOOK AT WHY RANCHES ARE A PRIVATE, PEACEFUL AND EVEN PROFITABLE ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL REAL ESTATE.
ACCORDING TO THE history books, the West was "won" a long time ago. In the 1860's, a number of homesteaders staked claims in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains, yet still more continued westward in search of gold. In a nutshell, practically everyone (save for a few cowboys) ended up in California, and the nation was left with a continental divide that became America’s ranchland. Now, as the daily grind has begun to wreak havoc on the sanity of city dwellers and suburbanites, a nationwide clamor for spacious ranch properties has West Coast residents backtracking to the Rockies. Apparently, there’s still more of the Western landscape to be conquered.
Ron Morris, a broker and founding partner of Ranch Marketing Associates (RMA), says that, in addition to the investment potential, buyers are drawn to ranches for their natural amenities: Majestic mountains provide vertical extremes for skiing and biking, expansive meadows lend well to hunting and hiking, and plentiful rivers and springs afford blue-ribbon fishing. Still more buyers are scooping up ranchland for a bit of privacy, something there’s certainly no lack of in the Rocky Mountain states: Wyoming, the nation’s least-populated state, boasts a mere 5.1 people per square mile. All of that elbow room, coupled with the area’s simply stunning views, makes for some of the most tranquil property offerings in the country. Besides peace of mind, ranch ownership can also bring harmony to one’s pocketbook. With the ever-growing value of ranchland ( Morris says ranches typically double in value every 10 years), many investors are trading their Wall Street wingtips for a pair of cowboy boots—even financial institutions like J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America are pushing ranches as alternative investments.
John Stratman, a broker with Mason & Morse Ranch Company, says that while most of his clients buy ranches for recreational purposes, the accompanying financial perks come as a pleasant surprise. Landowners receive tax breaks for creating conservation easements—acreage for which the owners forfeit development rights—possibly yielding income tax savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Plus, ranch holders can reap additional profits by leasing out grazing land, crop fields and existing agribusiness.
Of course, buying a property in one of the West's hot spots will add wanted weight to your wallet, too. Stratman says COLORADO is a consistent favorite among ranch buyers because "that's where the most beautiful scenery is and the bigger mountain areas are." Colorado's prime skiing opportunities and proximity to the Rocky Mountains' only metropolitan area (Denver) doesn't hurt either.
Estates West had this to say about the Maytag Mountain Ranch:
A shared ranch model is also in place at the 2,953-acre MAYTAG MOUNTAIN RANCH in Hillside, where 27 100-acre homesteads coexist with a herd of Red Angus cattle and Maytag's beef operation. Ownership of the 16 remaining homesteads (from $895,000 to $1.5 million) affords the use of the ranch's trail and pond systems, extensive equestrian facilities, permaculture gardens and a community lodge, plus the option to participate in ranch work like cow punching and fence fixing. Residents even receive an annual portion of the ranch’s grass-fed beef.
