Good time to consider investing in rural land

As 2015 draws to a close, many investors are considering new ways to invest their monetary assets. If they are looking for an investment that offers more stability than the stock market, has a history of appreciating over time and can provide income, they may want to consider buying farmland, advised Teresa Dunn and Jim Holland, who comprise the Dunn & Holland Team of Crown Realty.

This team, which specializes in rural real estate, can help investors find property that is a good investment. They have listings for rural land, ranches, horse properties and land for development in Kansas and Missouri. They’ve recently added several commercial properties to their marketing repertoire, another opportunity for investors.

Their listings range from as small as 1 acre for someone who might want to build a home in a serene setting or start small with agricultural land to as large as 1,000 acres for ranch and cropland that can provide a steady income. They also have listings for land that is perfect for hunting for those looking for a recreational retreat.

Dunn and Holland are veteran Realtors with more than 30 years of experience. Holland, who lives on the same farm in south Johnson County where he grew up, is well known in the rural community. Their listings cover areas all over Kansas and Missouri.

Holland has years of experience as a Johnson County businessman and working with political entities from the local to the national level. He is past president and CEO of Holland Corporation, a major Kansas City-based Midwestern contractor and site developer. He feels his decades-long business experience translates well into helping his clients sell or buy property.

Dunn and Holland’s main focus is providing the best customer service possible and they enjoy making their clients’ rural real estate dreams a realty. Because they are affiliated with Crown Realty, an independent real estate agency with a 73-year history, they can assure clients that real estate decisions can be made quickly.

“We are problem solvers for difficult real estate challenges,” Dunn said. “We take pride in finding a legal way to work out a challenge that is gratifying to everyone.”

Not only do Dunn and Holland want to provide the best service possible for their clients and help them fulfill their real estate and investment dreams, they also give back to the community by contributing part of their proceeds to New Horizon Ranch Therapeutic Riding Center in Rantoul, Kan., which offers therapeutic horse riding programs to individuals of all ages with physical, cognitive, social, emotional and learning disabilities.

The ability of the Dunn & Holland Team to successfully work with clients and their commitment to giving back to the community through charitable endeavors is perhaps best reflected in them being chosen by the trustees of the Ron D. Deffenbaugh Foundation to market RDD Ranch. It is a $14 million property that was Ron Deffenbaugh’s home before his death at age 73 in 2014 attributed to complications of a 2007 accident that left him a quadriplegic. This Foundation makes grants to charitable organizations and the proceeds from the sale of RDD Ranch will go to the foundation.

Buying property is a complex process, especially one of this magnitude, and the Dunn & Holland Team works hard to ensure the process will be problem free.

RDD Ranch includes more than 100 acres of prime land on Johnson Drive in western Shawnee, along with a custom-built 13,000-square-foot mansion, a 40,000-square-foot outbuilding and a 7,000-square foot barn with eight stalls, all surrounded by a custom high-security wrought-iron fence. The listing price of $14 million for this single-family residential property exceeds any ever listed in the Kansas City area but Dunn said it would cost more than $19 million to reproduce it.

Deffenbaugh built his home five years ago. It was specifically designed to accommodate his disabilities and house his attending staff. But those design features are well hidden and don’t detract from the mansion’s splendor. The 21-room house includes five bedrooms, five full bathrooms and four half-bathrooms, as well as five fireplaces.

The main floor has an open design and includes a great room, living room, library, master suite and two other bedrooms. An elevator descends to the lower level that includes a home theater, indoor/outdoor pool, hidden tornado room, second kitchen, bedroom, bathrooms and more.

The manicured grounds surrounding the home include waterfalls and fountains, providing a restful ambiance.

Dunn and Holland believe selling the Deffenbaugh estate is just one more way for them to serve others, which is the foundation of their careers. They want to find the right buyer for a particular piece of land and then help that buyer in finding the best use for the land.

Those interested in working with Dunn and Holland to find their perfect rural estate or ranch, or to list one to sell, may call Teresa Dunn at 913-271-0352 or send her an email at teresadunn@crownrealty.com. Jim Holland can be reached at 816-509-2242 or jimholland@crownrealty.com.

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 8:02 AM with the headline "Good time to consider investing in rural land."