LandThink

We in Blue Grass are in the time of thistle, teasel and burdock. America, too, is stuck in the weeds. Wherever I turn, I see their hostile takeover. These are not your garden-variety louts like Lamb’s Quarters and Queen Anne’s Lace.

I know of two separate sellers, each of whom is marketing a tract of more than 5,000 acres. Each is priced at about $1,500/A. I think fair value for each is in the $700/A range. That’s not a low-ball number. It’s how I pencil out the assets. And maybe I’m being generous.

It’s a rainy, miserable Saturday afternoon. I’ve just spent several hours looking through some 1,200 timberland listings on www.landflip.com. I’ve also scanned other Internet sites.

A boom is happening in places with oil and gas reserves. Deep “plays” are now economically feasible where they weren’t two years ago when oil was a lot cheaper.

Readers might take a look at the two presidential campaign websites to see which candidate appears to understand land issues best (or if at all). Tax policy is often used by the government to discourage and encourage certain behaviors. How each of us defines the best interest of the country determines what our tax-policy preferences are.