Let Farmers National help with selling the farm

Is it time to sell the farm? Indications are that for some it might just be. Farmland sales finished strong in 2013 and continued strong into 2014, spurred by good farmer demand for additional land, according to Farmers National Company, the nation’s leading farm and ranch real estate company.

“While marginal land may have dropped off due to lower commodity prices, that has had no effect on good farmland,” said local Farmers National Company broker Bill Gaughan.

As a result many area farmers, who had been reluctant to consider selling while land values were escalating, may feel that prices have leveled off and perhaps now would be a good time to finally enjoy that retirement, or take steps to protect family assets for the next generation. But the decision to sell raises as many questions as it answers.

For example, is it best to auction the farm or utilize a traditional listing? Are there any companies that are experts in either method?

“It’s just those types of questions and issues that caused us to join the Farmers National Company earlier this year,” Gaughan said. “When we were just part of a traditional real estate brokerage, our ability to support a customer was obviously limited to real estate services. But since Farmers National Company is the world’s largest agricultural services company, we can address these and other questions with expertise far beyond what we could do just as a real estate broker.“

Farmers National Company offers powerful advantages to landowners who wish to buy or sell land that other companies cannot equal. As a national company, these advantages include more than 200 rural real estate agents across the country who work every day with buyers and sellers looking to buy or sell farmland; existing relationships with institutional buyers, banking and trust companies; and investors and landowners who wish to expand because Farmers National is already managing farms for them.

Sellers are already enjoying the advantages of working with Farmers National Company. For example coming up in December is a spectacular hunting and income producing farm just minutes from Kansas City near Holden, Mo. Trailridge farm represents the culmination of a lifetime of work as the seller who had previously built and designed several duck clubs finally built one for himself. For the discerning buyer who wants the most for his recreational and investment dollars, this 500-acre farm appeals to hunters, farmers or those who just enjoy the outdoors.

It has a 22-acre trophy bass lake, nine additional ponds, 5 miles of levees for hiking or horseback riding, 350 acres of productive farm ground of which 170 acres are diked creek bottom that can be flooded for waterfowl hunting, 110 acres in the CRP program for income and wildlife habitat, and spectacular views.

For comfort and convenience it includes newer outbuildings, a 2,400-square-foot modern apartment and much more. This property has to be seen to be appreciated and will be auctioned in four parcels or any combination thereof, on Dec. 12. The MLS number is 1908459.

It’s not just farms that can use Farmers National Companies services. When it comes to spectacular views it’s hard to beat the location of White Wind Farms winery, a 139-acre property sitting high over the busy intersection of U.S. 169 and Kansas 68 south of Olathe. With almost 16,000 cars traversing this intersection on a daily basis, this property in the process of being rezoned C2. It will represent an unusually good investment opportunity for almost any business wanting to locate in a growth area.

It is being auctioned in three parcels and there is a lot size that should be good for almost any business interested in expansion. For investors, the seller is willing to lease back part of the property. The auction is scheduled Nov. 14. The MLS number is 1882257.

Why do these and other sellers choose Farmers National Company to market their property? It’s because Farmers National has more than lived up to its reputation as a powerhouse when it comes to marketing rural property. For example, since words can’t describe the beauty of country property it’s best to visit the YouTube channel “Farmers National KC.”

You can also visit its three websites devoted to special types of rural property: RuralKC.com for country homes and home sites, KCHorse.com for horse properties, and FarmersNationalKC.com for farms and ranches.

Locally, Farmers National Company real estate can be reached at 913-837-4665 or by emailing info@FarmersNationalKC.com. For farm, ranch and hunting properties in the Kansas City market area, visit FarmersNational.com/KC.

Farmers National Company, an employee-owned company, is the nation’s leading agricultural farm and ranch management and rural real estate sales company. Additional services include auctions, appraisals, insurance, consultation services, oil and gas management, forest resource management, lake management, FNC Ag Stock and a national hunting lease service.

This story was originally published November 1, 2014 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Let Farmers National help with selling the farm."