Jonathan Goode- Land for Sale in West Alabama

In this market, exposing your piece of property to all potential buyers is essential to selling your rural land.

Are prospective buyers aware that your land is for sale, and if so, are they informed about the great features your property offers?

When interviewing a real estate agent to list your rural land, ask the question one of my sellers asked me: "What are you going to do to market my property to buyers?"

I love that question, because I have every intention of marketing my listings; that is one of the ways I earn my money. I have a multi-pronged plan to market rural properties here in west Alabama.

1. Online marketing- Your land absolutely must be advertised online! The days of buyers jumping in the car and riding around to see every rural property on the market are all but over. Some statistics say that 85% of buyers are searching for properties online before they head out to look. Is your land listing advertised where buyers are looking? Your tract needs to be available from the front page of Google for search terms relevant to your land.

2. Custom signs- You pay your agent a fair commission to help you sell your land. It is fair to expect your agent to invest some money in marketing your property. Almost every real estate company uses signs to identify an available property. We believe the sign should be about your land, and not just our company. We have 4'x4' custom signs made to highlight the features of every tract we list. That way people driving by can see important information about your property and call or go online for more details. I got a call from one of my signs this afternoon.

3. Print Media- Print media is very expensive, as you may know if you tried to sell your land "by owner".  It can be an effective means of selling rural land if used correctly. One reason that classifieds can be successful for selling land is that some of the buyers are older and more accustomed to the paper and not so comfortable with the internet. These buyers often have plenty of money, but are not always tech savvy. Reaching these prospects in a medium they use is crucial.

4. Network of Buyers- Having an agent with a database or network of prospective buyers and investors is imperative. One unique feature about AlaLandCo is that our agents work together to inform our combined sets of contacts about our rural properties.

There are a few other things we do to help Alabama Landowners sell their rural properties. When you are looking for a real estate agent in Alabama who specializes in selling hunting land, recreational tracts, farmland, or timber investments please contact AlaLandCo. If you are looking for a land agent to assist you in selling your land in west Alabama, please contact me. Every real estate company is not the same; every agent cannot help you market your rural land effectively. Choose a company and an agent that is dedicated to selling rural land. In the field and online, trust Jonathan Goode to help you sell your land in west Alabama.

The fishing is good in Perry County, Alabama. This is a picture of my 3-year-old daughter's first fish this past week. She was eager to touch this little bluegill and is asking when we're going to go fishing again.

Perry County, Alabama is home to some great fishing spots. Donavan Lakes Fishing Club (pictured here), Bar D Lakes, the Webb Watershed, and Lakeland Farms are all outstanding private fishing clubs. Floating and fishing the pristine Cahaba River for spotted bass is a treat for every angler. 

People who are in the market to buy rural land here in west Alabama are often looking for a property that has an existing lake or a good site to build a private lake. I have several pieces of land for sale that already have small lakes or that have river frontage and others with good potential lake sites.

If you find the perfect tract, but it doesn't have an existing lake, I have a network of people that can help you craft the perfect fishing experience. From excavators, to biologists, to crawfish suppliers, I can connect you with the people who can help you make the most of your private fishing lake.

In Perry County here are a few of my contacts that can help you create your ideal fishing experience:

Pond Builders/ Earth Movers

• Foothills Contracting
• Summit Earth Construction

Biologist/ Pond Management

• Southeastern Pond Management
• Dr. Thomas Wilson
• Alabama Extension Service- Pond Management Resources

If you are in the market for a piece of rural land in west Alabama, and having a place to go fishing is one of your goals, please contact me to see if I can help. Most of my listings are within 75 miles or 90 minutes of Birmingham, so you can get away and still be close to home. I look forward to helping you find your piece of Alabama.

Invest in rural land: the memories that follow are some of the most valuable returns you will ever receive.

This past weekend I was able to take my five-year-old son camping for the first time on our family land here in Perry County, Alabama. We spent a whole week planning this one night.

We did it right with the campfire to cook hot dogs and S'mores. The citronella candles kept the insects away. The weather could not have been any better. Everything came together to make our first night together in the tent perfect. My hope is that this is the first of scores of camping trips we share together.

Camping is just one way for you to make valuable memories with the people you love while you are outdoors enjoying your time on a rural property. The time invested hunting, fishing, working together, hiking, canoeing, shooting, riding, or watching the wildlife is priceless. If you are looking for your perfect piece of rural land in Alabama, please contact me to see how I can help you. Most of my listings of rural land for sale are within 75 miles or 90 minutes of Tuscaloosa and Birmingham.

I know how fun it is to be out on the land with the ones you love; I am blessed to live it every day. Let me help you find your piece of Alabama. Let's close the deal so you can start making those priceless memories!

Marion, Alabama is celebrating the Muckle's Ridge Festival this weekend, April 23-24.

Live music, tasty food, an arts and craft show, and hot air balloon rides are yours to enjoy this weekend in Marion, Alabama.

Muckle's Ridge, which is now known as the city of Marion, was one of the first towns settled in the area.

The celebration is hosted by a partnership including, the Perry County Chamber of Commerce, Alabama Bureau of Tourism, City of Marion, Marion Military Institute, and the Perry County Commission.

Friday evening's activities will be held at MMI's Parade field on Washington Street. A free concert with Ruins Restored and night (tethered) balloon rides (for a fee) will be from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Food and drinks will be available from local o. At 7:30, Chevy 6 will perform during the crawfish boil at the Gateway Inn. Later in he evening, County Road 4 is in concert in the lounge at the Gateway Inn. The cost for both concerts will be $5 per person.

Please visit the Perry County Chamber of Commerce website for more details on the festival this weekend. If you're in the area, I hope to see you there.

The World's Smartest Tree Lives in Perry County, Alabama. 

I have no way to prove that this tree is intelligent, and no real way to measure the cognitive ability of a plant in the first place. I do know this tree caught my eye as having landed in an ideal spot.

If understanding real estate is all about location, location, location, then this tree has a corner on the market. This tree sprouted in this well/ watering hole and grew to maturity in the only safe place in the surrounding pasture. Landing in a location guarded by a fortified wall protected it from cows and hay cutters, and the moisture in the well assured it would have the water it needs to thrive.

I would encourage you to take a cue from this tree and find your ideal piece of land in Perry County, Alabama. If you love the outdoors, Perry County offers landowners the opportunity to hunt, fish, canoe, farm, camp, and enjoy all aspects of nature.

If you are interested in buying or selling rural land in Perry County, Alabama or anywhere in west Alabama's historic Black Belt Region, please contact me today.

19th Annual Alabama Crawfish Festival in Faunsdale, Alabama. 

"Ca-John" John Broussard and the staff from the Faunsdale Bar and Grill has done an outstanding job again this year readying the small town of Faunsdale for the throng of hungry travelers.

Folks from all over the Southeast make their annual April pilgrimage to the tiny town of Faunsdale to eat these tasty, cajun crustaceans. The festival has drawn over 20,000 visitors in years past, and this one looks to be a huge hit as well.

The Crawfish Festival coincides with the Faunsdale Bike Rally. Don't be surprised to see hundreds of bikers rolling up and down the main drag as you pull the tails or sample some authentic etouffee.

The Festival provides lots of live music, activities for the kids, dancing, drinking, and lots of ways to have fun with friends. If you're in the area on April 15-16, 2010, stop by and check it out.

Earlier this month I attended my first absolute auction of rural land which was held in Perry County, Alabama. Target Auction Company, of Birmingham, auctioned over 240 acres of hunting land that had 1/4 mile of frontage on the pristine Cahaba River.

Target Auctions did a great job advertising this property: posting signs, distributing fliers, running ads in the paper, and marketing it online. I had seen this property advertised for weeks before the big day. When the day did arrive, it was rainy and dreary; it was the type of day when you wonder if you will be the only person to show up at an auction.

When I arrived at the auction tent, some of the nice people from Target introduced themselves. The time came for the bidding to begin. Bids started slowly, and the auctioneers worked hard to drum up movement from the bidders. Within a few minutes the whole thing was over, and the land was sold to the highest bidder.

The tract sold for within $50/acre of where I expected it to, so I was pleasantly surprised. Dewey Jacobs, Executive Vice President at Target Auctions, and I agreed that they garnered a fair price for the property. We chatted a little more about auctions and how they benefit landowners who want to sell their land.

I asked Dewey to share with us a little about Target Auction Company, and how auctions offer a landowner a good alternative to a traditional marketing campaign.

1. What are you seeing in the realm of land auctions in 2010?  We are seeing more landowners going to auction this year than in 2009, because the land market is more stable. Recreational land is the most highly demanded property we can offer because there are buyers out in the marketplace that want to invest in a tract of land and play on it for a while and then sell it in a few years.

2. What types of landowners would benefit from working with Target Auction Company as opposed to a traditional listing company? We know that every property or owner is not going to be a good candidate for an auction, but an auction is a good alternative to traditional sales because it forces buyers to a point of action. Sellers take control and tell buyers how, when, and where they will buy. The terms of the sale are set by the seller. Our method puts the seller in control and has a definite end date associated with it.                                                                                            

3. Who is buying at auctions right now: investors, end users, adjoining owners? We are attracting several different types of buyers right now. Our program will bring buyers back to the table that have seen these tracts in the past. It will also make buyers that are considering the property act now, and buyers that are just thinking about getting into the market will get involved as well.

4. What are some misconceptions the public has about buying rural land at an auction? One big misconception about our actions is that the landowners are in distress. Our sellers just want something to happen on their property, get a fair market price for it, and close this chapter in their lives.

5. As an auctioneer, how would you advise a landowner to decide between an auction with a reserve and an absolute auction? Some auctions are "absolute" which means they sell regardless of price. Some auctions will sell at a minimum price or with a "reserve" in which the seller has the right to accept or reject the final price.

Every auction is designed around our seller's plans and goals for their property. Typically absolute auctions generate more buyers and therefor a higher selling price. Some sellers need to set a reserve because their are certain restrictions on a property, such as a mortgage. We try to educate the seller on the advantages of each method, and the decision ultimately rests with the seller.

Dewey Jacobs and the Target Auction team would love to work with landowners throughout the nation to help you sell your property. If you are in Alabama and would like to discuss a more traditional listing arrangement, please feel free to contact me.

Jonathan Goode is a licensed Realtor and professional land agent with AlaLandCo, that specializes in serving people who buy and sell hunting land, farmland, and recreational land in the historic Black Belt of west Alabama.

Are you sitting at home bored, and need something constructive to fill up your time? Buy a piece of rural land and there will never be a shortage of things to do again!

Just this morning I was thinking about what needs to be done on the acreage where I live. Here are a few things we have done in the past 6 weeks or so and more that needs to be done:

Yard- mow the grass, trim the walk, poison the fireants, pick up limbs and put on the burn pile, pick up toys and balls laying in the yard, find shoes the dog dragged off, bush hog the fields

Trees- prune the young trees, prune the fruit trees, fertilize fruit trees and berry bushes, prescibed burn on stands of pine trees, trim up low hanging limbs along the fence lines and in the pasture, plant some new fruit trees, spray the privet

Roads- clear the roads of fallen trees, cut new roads along the perimeter of the property, build bridges to cross the creeks, cut drainage ditches in wet areas along the road, disc the roads and firelanes, fill in holes the varmints have dug

Fences- identify where the cows are getting through the fence and repair it, mend all broken places and let the neighbor know about his cows trespassing

Pond- fetilize the lake, stock with crawfish and baitfish, go fishing, trim the banks and cut back brush.

Hunting- prepare soil and plant summer food plots for deer, Take down lock-on stands, build new shooting houses for fall, clear shooting lanes in food plots, fertilize food plots

Equipment- service riding mowers, change oil in the four-wheelers, sharpen chainsaw blade, replace chainsaw blade after you bend it, fix flat tires

To some people this sounds like too much work and they want no part of it. To the ones of us who live on the land and love it, this is what makes life fun. The fact that I get to do this with my children and family is icing on the cake. This is not your "job", this is what you do to unwind and stay sane. Working on the land keeps us connected to something innate in us, a need that God put in man from the start.

If you love land, or need to fill up some free time, contact me and I will help you find the right place to get started.

We have all heard that "good fences make good neighbors." I submit to you that good forests make great neighbors.

"Why are forests such good neighbors?", you ask. Consider some of the following reasons you might want to own property that borders the National Forest lands.

1. Property Lines are Clearly Marked. The Forest Service does a phenomenal job of surveying and marking the property boundaries of their lands. Not only do they paint the trees on the boundaries, but they place Forest boundary signs at close intervals so everyone knows where the Forest stops and private lands begin.

2. Owning land adjoining the Forest allows you to use your land and the Forest too. Much of the National Forest is open to the public for hunting, hiking, and other recreational use. This allows you to own a small property and have access to a much larger tract of land. (I currently have a 40 acre parcel for sale near Sprott that borders over 700 acres of National Forest.) This is particularly true of large sections of the Forest that are land-locked by private individuals. If there is no public access into the Forest, then public use in that area is generally very limited.

3. The National Forest is usually well-managed. The Forestry Service does a good job of managing the forests for wildlife and and sustainable habitat. They conduct prescribed burns or thin trees as needed. The Forest roads can be rough, but are generally well-maintained. Forest officials can offer suggestions on your land, and in my experience are willing to be as helpful as possible with tips for you to improve the quality of your forest or habitat.

4. Game Wardens patrol the National Forest Lands. These patrols cut down on trespassing and poaching on private and public lands. Officers routinely engage hunters to check for licenses and bag limits, and this is well-known by those who would seek to circumvent the law. Owning land near the Forest gives the added element or feeling of security on your property.

Perry County, Alabama contains about 745 square miles of land, and according to the U.S. Forestry Service about 32,661 acres (51 square miles or 6%) is owned by the Talladega National Forest. I currently have 6 or 7 good tracts of hunting land for sale bordering the Talladega National Forest. You can visit my website to learn more about these quality properties.

Perry County is a great place to buy hunting land, and with so much National Forest in our area, you can really pick a good neighbor. Please contact me today to let me help you find the right piece of land for sale in Perry County, Alabama.

Springtime is a great time to preview rural land for sale in Perry County, Alabama.

You never know what you are going to see when you are out looking at land. I was riding through a pasture near Uniontown and came across this family of red fox living in a hay barn.  A mother and 8 or 9 kits called this barn home for several weeks, and it was fun to watch the young ones play and learn to thrive. 

This is just one reason why I enjoy showing people rural tracts of land. Springtime brings the world back to life, and plants and animals are astir and busy with the tasks of survival.

These pine trees are actively spreading their pollen. I had never seen clouds of pollen like the ones I saw today in Marion.

Springtime is great for previewing rural land because the trees are not in full foliage yet to obstruct your views and the temperature is cool enough to be pleasant as you are walking a property.

Many sellers have had their land on the market for a while and are ready to negotiate more on the prices. Buyers have been watching available properties and know a good deal when they see it.

Perry County, Alabama offers some of the best hunting land anywhere at some of the best prices in the state. Alabama has the lowest property taxes in the nation, so investing in land in West Alabama makes fiscal sense.

If you are considering purchasing farmland, hunting land, recreational tracts, or an investment tract, please come to Perry County while the weather is cool and let's go find your piece of west Alabama.