"Settlements" & Farms in Nebraska? (leasing, price)

[Golanus]

Originally Posted by kosnebbear

Hello is there any one at home there?

Here you go. It only took me about 20 seconds to find this for you using the web site link that I told you about. If you do your research like you say you do then you could have found this out just like I did.

Have a good time making your calls or mailing letters to Fairbury.

Aaron Schultis Real Estate
(402) 729-2435
222 W 14th St
Fairbury, NE 68352-1423

F. Gaston Real Estate
(402) 729-2211
528 E St
Fairbury, NE 68352-2324

G. Schultis & Son Inc Real Estate & Auction Service
(402) 729-2435
222 W 14th St
Fairbury, NE 68352-1423

Like I have told you get out of the major realtors in the Omaha and Lincoln area. Go to DEX ON LINE. IN ORDER TO FIND TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND ADDRESSES FOR REAL ESTATE AGENTS IN THE SMALLER COMMUNITIES.

I very much appreciate the generous help I have received from Kosnebbear, and do not wish to bite the hand that " feeds me", so to speak, but his tone is misplaced.
I immediately went to the site he suggested to see what I could find, did not have time to follow it up and made a mental note to go back later, which I did. The realtors in Fairbury are the one I've already been in touch with (2 of them since last year, thru my wifes family). I didn't know about the ones in Beatrice, & intend to follow them up when I have time, but not before Kosnebbear has responded.

[Golanus]

Thanks for all the helpful advice. I feel grateful for all the info, and feel I am on my own now. Special thanks to Kosnebbear who put in the most time & effort to point me in the right direction. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Its probably the way I write. I sometimes write too subtly, and when I take a sidetrip to clear up a misunderstanding, people now think its the main topic and it creates a new misunderstanding...

In any case, I won't be writing again because I have plenty to do. Any new comments, however are welcome & I will be watching, even if I don't respond...Thanks all!

[Golanus]

Hi, I originated this thread and would like to provide an update & a few comments for those interested.
First of all, those who live in NE know best and have long ago settled the questions about "towns & farms in NE". Thanks again! But as an outsider, I would like to provide a fresh viewpoint as to the conclusions of my research, and an overview of someone from New England.
I've done extensive research with realtors both online (I'm still checking daily) and in person. I took 3 weeks last fall driving across southern NE from the MO border to the CO border, talking to realtors & looking at houses along the way. The conclusion I've come to is YES! those small family farms do exist, also houses on small acreages that have been split off from a much larger tract.
The bad news is that ones that are for sale are rarer than's hen's teeth. However, I do have a few possibles that I intend to look at when I return later this year.

As for the overview, we here in New England seldom live on rectangular, regular size lots even in town. Between the hills and the fact that our road system was built on "cow paths & Indian trails" makes regular lots a rare commodity. Try finding your way up here without a map!
But the outlying habitations are even more irregular, being widely (relatively speaking) seperated, and each with its own well & septic system. Most of what was once farmland is now lost and gone to individual homesteads (at least in places where I have lived).
Anyway, all this is in sharp contrast to what Nebraskans undoubtedly consider normal (not to be presumptuous). So from my point of view, you can see why my impression of NE was that it is made up only of "farms" & "towns".
Still searching, thanks to all! Take care!

[Off Pavement]

Good luck with your search. We found our 5 acre place 3 miles outside of Cambridge, but you might consider looking for a windbreak with an abandoned house/barn in an area you like and try contacting the landowner. The farmer that owns land around here has a few building sites with abandoned buildings that could be easily replaced with a modular or on-site stick built house, and I'm certain he would be delighted to sell them as they are not good for farming, but would make a terrific building site with mature trees. I imagine well and septic would need to be new in many cases. While these property locations may not be listed by a real estate agent, you might get real lucky too.

[itsMeFred]

Originally Posted by Golanus

The bad news is that ones that are for sale are rarer than's hen's teeth. However, I do have a few possibles that I intend to look at when I return later this year.

We've been looking in our area for a couple of years now. I agree with you 100%

But the outlying habitations are even more irregular, being widely (relatively speaking) seperated, and each with its own well & septic system. Most of what was once farmland is now lost and gone to individual homesteads (at least in places where I have lived).
Anyway, all this is in sharp contrast to what Nebraskans undoubtedly consider normal (not to be presumptuous). So from my point of view, you can see why my impression of NE was that it is made up only of "farms" & "towns".

Well Nebraska is an agricultural state. For the most part we are made up of either farms and towns. (Which, of course, is why it can be so hard to find smaller acreages)

[mattpoulsen]

I think most people who want to purchase acreages and small farms in rural Nebraska build their own. Basically, buy some cheap land (which is pretty easy to do) and put a house on it. Obviously, its much harder to find an established farmstead when the overall number is relatively small.

[Gunluvver2]

One thing to remember in the country " Small farm" means different things in different parts of Nebraska. As an example a small acreage around Lincoln or Omaha will mean 5 to 20 acres. The prices you pay for that 5 to 20 acres will vary. More than likely in Lancaster, Cass, Douglas counties you will not be able to buy just 5 to ten acres without improvements and the price will be fairly high. . . when compared to Western Nebraska!

In Western Nebraska small means 160 acres and you will find it easier to buy 160 acres than you will to buy 20 acres or less. I am serious. There are two things that are really having an affect on land prices in Western Nebraska. With high grain prices the value of good farmland is increasing at all time high rates. Factor in the fact that oil/gas exploration is increasing and buying land with mineral rights included is really causing prices to go up. It is still possible to find pasture land with mineral rights in some Western counties for less than $700 per acre (160 acres or more) but you have to get lucky. Domestic water well permits in Nebraska are still easy to obtain the last I checked but if the long term drought continues that may change.

Whatever you do if you are considering buying land, take a week or two to visit the area and talk to people other than Real state agents. Insurance agents, bankers, local well drillers, business types and the folks you might encounter in the local coffee shops and bars can give you valuable information. Plus you will get an idea about how you will like the community before you invest a ton of money.

GL2

[itsMeFred]

While it is definatley easier to buy a quarter than anything smaller than 80 acres, I have to disagree about pasture being as high as $700. Around me, and in a lot of the Sandhills, "expensive" is still less than $400 an acre for a quarter or bigger.
We're currently in the midst of (almost done, hopefully!) negotiating a deal for 40 acres of bare ground that started at $650 and has been talked down from there...

You're right in that mineral rights are increasingly valued, though!

[Golanus]

I am happy to see all this great advice! And don't worry if I don't respond to all your posts, I am definitely reading & appreciating them. Even if I'm not participating much in the discussion, I still think its important that this info get out there for anybody else that might be looking for NE farmland.

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by itsMeFred

While it is definatley easier to buy a quarter than anything smaller than 80 acres, I have to disagree about pasture being as high as $700. Around me, and in a lot of the Sandhills, "expensive" is still less than $400 an acre for a quarter or bigger.
We're currently in the midst of (almost done, hopefully!) negotiating a deal for 40 acres of bare ground that started at $650 and has been talked down from there...

You're right in that mineral rights are increasingly valued, though!

************************************************** ****
Fred,
Did you get that 40 acres with Mineral Rights included?

GL2