Horse fencing can be the most attractive
features of a horse facility. But not all fence
is suitable for horses. Fencing is a
major capital investment that should
be carefully planned before construction.
A fence should keep horses on
the property and keep away nuisances
such as dogs and unwanted visitors.
Fences aid facility management by
allowing controlled grazing and segregating
groups of horses according
to sex, age, value, or use.
Well-constructed and maintained
fences enhance the aesthetics and
value of a stable facility, which in
turn complements marketing efforts.
Poorly planned, haphazard, unsafe,
or unmaintained fences will detract
from a facility’s value and reflect poor
management. Good fences can be
formal or informal in appearance, yet
all should be well built and carefully
planned. Many experienced horse
owners will relay stories about the
savings for cheaper, but unsafe, horse
fence (barbed wire, for example)
eventually being paid for in veterinary
bills to treat injured horses.
Often, more than one kind of
fence is used at a facility. Different
fences might be installed for grazing
pastures, exercise paddocks, riding
areas, or for securing property lines.
Land topography influences the look,
effectiveness, and installation of fencing.
Consider different horse groups.
Stallions, weanlings, mares, mares
with foals, and geldings all have different
fencing requirements.
Pasture use may range from exercise
paddocks (corrals) to grazing
or hay production. Paddock layout
should allow for ease of management,
including movement of horses,
removal of manure, and care of
the footing surface. Pasture design
should allow field equipment, such
as mowers, manure spreaders, and
baling equipment, to enter and maneuver
easily. This will reduce fence
damage by machinery and the time
needed to work in the field.
Next week I will talk about the importance of using the correct fense posts.
Until next week.......Happy Trails.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Outbuildings are always useful
Outbuildings are to country property as legs are to a centipede. Each functions better when all are in working order and you have some to spare.
Urban buyers usually focus on a property’s house, because that is what they know. Nothing wrong with that. Equal attention, however, should be paid to the supporting cast of improvements, without which the show may go on but not very well. Working farms, in particular, rely on a few star structures and many role players.
As a real-estate agent working with country properties, I would always include a discussion of the utility and value of outbuildings with both sellers and buyers.
Barns are the upper crust of outbuilding society. State-of-the-art barns are high-tech, factory-type environments built for a specific production function like dairying or poultry. They may or may not be readily adaptable to other purposes.New barns on working farms tend to be functional—long on quick-construction techniques and short on Old-MacDonald charm. They use dollars efficiently in getting a lot of square feet under roof.
If you want to use existing barn space for something else, there’s usually a market for second-hand equipment. The advantage of reconfiguring existing structures is that you generally start with a lot of dry floor space, big doors, electricity and water. A concrete floor is a bonus. Older production systems, milking for instance, need to be evaluated carefully for age, capacity, energy efficiency, productivity and condition. Part-time farmers don’t need cutting-edge systems and equipment, though IRS regs encourage such business expenditures.
Old barns are the lollipops of nostalgia. Timber-framed and wood-sided, they creak, they’re warm and they smell good. An old-timer in good condition is an aesthetic blessing, though it may be impractical for modern needs. In the worst case, a wreck of an old barn may have significant salvage-and-recycle value. A barn was the central, life-sustaining structure of the old-fashioned farm. It was more important to a farm family than their residence. Most were built with care and craft. The ones that weren’t are today’s falling-in wrecks.
Approach old barns whose condition is between good and bad with great caution. Don’t let their charm pick your pocket. Some old-barn repairs are cheap and easy, and others are hard, dangerous and hideously expensive. Foundations and roofs can be wallet gobblers. Old barns may be eligible for state and federal preservation tax credits. Old barns provide a lot of vertical volume, which old-barn farmers needed for storing and feeding hay by hand. These structures provide limited, inefficient storage for machine-stacked round bales and seasonal equipment. On the other hand, they’re great for swings and sneezing.
When enthusiastic city visitors came for a visit during haying season years ago, sly hosts acknowledged their superior executive talents by starting them right at the top of the organization…up in the mow stacking bales under a metal roof on a 95-degree afternoon. Farm life today offers fewer opportunities for cross-cultural education.
Horse barns are fish in a different kettle. I’ve seen horses stabled in structures ranging from lean-tos, which leaned too much, to palaces where someone like me should have removed his shoes before entering.
Older farms have many outbuildings that were built for a single function, such as smoking meat, cooping chickens, storing grain, cooling food and providing workspaces. Whenever these structures are described as “dependencies,” the asking price is set at least 10 percent higher. Old sheds are distant cousins to old barns, though some argue against direct kinship.
A shed might be well-constructed, but many were tossed up hurriedly with second-rate or second-hand materials.
Three-sided sheds often become mental institutions for vehicles that no long run, boats that no longer float and basketballs that have lost their bounce. They may also house workout equipment that is no longer working out.
Supplies also go into outbuildings. Supplies come in two kinds: consumables and possibles. Consumables are used right away. Possibles are items that you are no longer using and may never use again. Nonetheless, you know you will need them if you don’t have them.
I maintain our outbuildings on an “as needed” basis, which means that I’m not as needed fixing them up as I am reading, writing or sleeping.
My “as-needed” approach is a green alternative to constant scraping and painting. I favor carbon-neutral strategies for outbuilding upkeep, which, in my case, only generate windbag gasses.
Shops are a type of outbuilding in which we repair what we have broken as well as things that are not broken. Every country place needs at least one shop, preferably with a concrete floor, overhead hoist, woodstove and fire extinguisher. Many men, as they age, retreat into their shops.
Some, like Jimmy Carter, emerge better for their repairs. Outbuildings are an asset when they’re useable, and a liability when they’re not. The best have learned to take care of themselves.
Urban buyers usually focus on a property’s house, because that is what they know. Nothing wrong with that. Equal attention, however, should be paid to the supporting cast of improvements, without which the show may go on but not very well. Working farms, in particular, rely on a few star structures and many role players.
As a real-estate agent working with country properties, I would always include a discussion of the utility and value of outbuildings with both sellers and buyers.
Barns are the upper crust of outbuilding society. State-of-the-art barns are high-tech, factory-type environments built for a specific production function like dairying or poultry. They may or may not be readily adaptable to other purposes.New barns on working farms tend to be functional—long on quick-construction techniques and short on Old-MacDonald charm. They use dollars efficiently in getting a lot of square feet under roof.
If you want to use existing barn space for something else, there’s usually a market for second-hand equipment. The advantage of reconfiguring existing structures is that you generally start with a lot of dry floor space, big doors, electricity and water. A concrete floor is a bonus. Older production systems, milking for instance, need to be evaluated carefully for age, capacity, energy efficiency, productivity and condition. Part-time farmers don’t need cutting-edge systems and equipment, though IRS regs encourage such business expenditures.
Old barns are the lollipops of nostalgia. Timber-framed and wood-sided, they creak, they’re warm and they smell good. An old-timer in good condition is an aesthetic blessing, though it may be impractical for modern needs. In the worst case, a wreck of an old barn may have significant salvage-and-recycle value. A barn was the central, life-sustaining structure of the old-fashioned farm. It was more important to a farm family than their residence. Most were built with care and craft. The ones that weren’t are today’s falling-in wrecks.
Approach old barns whose condition is between good and bad with great caution. Don’t let their charm pick your pocket. Some old-barn repairs are cheap and easy, and others are hard, dangerous and hideously expensive. Foundations and roofs can be wallet gobblers. Old barns may be eligible for state and federal preservation tax credits. Old barns provide a lot of vertical volume, which old-barn farmers needed for storing and feeding hay by hand. These structures provide limited, inefficient storage for machine-stacked round bales and seasonal equipment. On the other hand, they’re great for swings and sneezing.
When enthusiastic city visitors came for a visit during haying season years ago, sly hosts acknowledged their superior executive talents by starting them right at the top of the organization…up in the mow stacking bales under a metal roof on a 95-degree afternoon. Farm life today offers fewer opportunities for cross-cultural education.
Horse barns are fish in a different kettle. I’ve seen horses stabled in structures ranging from lean-tos, which leaned too much, to palaces where someone like me should have removed his shoes before entering.
Older farms have many outbuildings that were built for a single function, such as smoking meat, cooping chickens, storing grain, cooling food and providing workspaces. Whenever these structures are described as “dependencies,” the asking price is set at least 10 percent higher. Old sheds are distant cousins to old barns, though some argue against direct kinship.
A shed might be well-constructed, but many were tossed up hurriedly with second-rate or second-hand materials.
Three-sided sheds often become mental institutions for vehicles that no long run, boats that no longer float and basketballs that have lost their bounce. They may also house workout equipment that is no longer working out.
Supplies also go into outbuildings. Supplies come in two kinds: consumables and possibles. Consumables are used right away. Possibles are items that you are no longer using and may never use again. Nonetheless, you know you will need them if you don’t have them.
I maintain our outbuildings on an “as needed” basis, which means that I’m not as needed fixing them up as I am reading, writing or sleeping.
My “as-needed” approach is a green alternative to constant scraping and painting. I favor carbon-neutral strategies for outbuilding upkeep, which, in my case, only generate windbag gasses.
Shops are a type of outbuilding in which we repair what we have broken as well as things that are not broken. Every country place needs at least one shop, preferably with a concrete floor, overhead hoist, woodstove and fire extinguisher. Many men, as they age, retreat into their shops.
Some, like Jimmy Carter, emerge better for their repairs. Outbuildings are an asset when they’re useable, and a liability when they’re not. The best have learned to take care of themselves.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Dear John, PLEASE COME HOME
John Homebuyer! Where ya been?
I am writing this to all of the home buyers out there. I’m calling you John so if your name is Amy, Elijah, Toni, or Bob, don’t be offended. Your last name may be different but for today your last name is Homebuyer. So, this letter is for you, John Homebuyer.
Anyway, how have you been ? We’ve missed you a lot this year in the housing market, John. I know that we’ve had a heckuva party the first five years of the decade and frankly, it might have gotten a little too crazy for you. Sorry about that. You know how it is when that cheap money keeps flowing like a keg at a frat party; nobody ever knows when to say when. Some of us didn’t see you slip out the back door when that groovy band, The Speculators, came in and started selling homes to each other last year. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to tell you good bye and get your phone number. I really wanted to get together .
John, let me tell you the gossip. The Speculators really weren’t that good; they only knew one or two songs. A new guy named Ben Bernanke came and made all the mortgage brokers straighten up and fly right. He raised the price of money. Fortunately, it looks like he stopped. The sellers are all in a fog now. They don’t know how the price of their homes isn’t logical to someone like you BUT…they’re starting to get the message. The builders? Fuhgedaboutit.
I think we’re all in bit in a fog but we’ll be partying again soon. I know that you’re hearing all kinds of bad things from those dudes at the newspapers, and the TV, and on blogs on the internet but you have to remember that they are spectators not players. In the meantime, you have a pretty good chance to be first in line when the new band gets cranked up. They’ve got kind of gloomy sound but you might like them. They’re called “The Foreclosures”. I heard them back in the 90s and man they are even better than “The Speculators“. I hear they’re back for their “Together Again Tour”. I promise you that you won’t want to miss their show!
We’ve toned things down a lot since the last party. Mortgate brokers aren't letting the underage kids get into the party with those exotic loans anymore. Dude, that was nuts! Now they actually care if you can make the payments. We’ll get you pre-approved with some sane terms and find you a payment you can afford. We’ll introduce you to some really cool mortgage brokers who learned a few things from the last party too.
The Rural KC Team totally rocks! When “The Foreclosures” start playing, they’ll get you front row seats below face value. All they have to do is low-ball the sellers. Those sellers are in such a fog and are so scared of “ The Foreclosures: Together Again Tour” that they’ll bail and you’ll get a SWEET deal!
John, we really miss you. We’ll make sure to listen to you. You’ve been so good to us in the past and without you, there just isn’t any party! Call the Rural KC Team or just leave your number here. I’m looking forward to seeing you again!
Until next week.........Happy Trails
I am writing this to all of the home buyers out there. I’m calling you John so if your name is Amy, Elijah, Toni, or Bob, don’t be offended. Your last name may be different but for today your last name is Homebuyer. So, this letter is for you, John Homebuyer.
Anyway, how have you been ? We’ve missed you a lot this year in the housing market, John. I know that we’ve had a heckuva party the first five years of the decade and frankly, it might have gotten a little too crazy for you. Sorry about that. You know how it is when that cheap money keeps flowing like a keg at a frat party; nobody ever knows when to say when. Some of us didn’t see you slip out the back door when that groovy band, The Speculators, came in and started selling homes to each other last year. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to tell you good bye and get your phone number. I really wanted to get together .
John, let me tell you the gossip. The Speculators really weren’t that good; they only knew one or two songs. A new guy named Ben Bernanke came and made all the mortgage brokers straighten up and fly right. He raised the price of money. Fortunately, it looks like he stopped. The sellers are all in a fog now. They don’t know how the price of their homes isn’t logical to someone like you BUT…they’re starting to get the message. The builders? Fuhgedaboutit.
I think we’re all in bit in a fog but we’ll be partying again soon. I know that you’re hearing all kinds of bad things from those dudes at the newspapers, and the TV, and on blogs on the internet but you have to remember that they are spectators not players. In the meantime, you have a pretty good chance to be first in line when the new band gets cranked up. They’ve got kind of gloomy sound but you might like them. They’re called “The Foreclosures”. I heard them back in the 90s and man they are even better than “The Speculators“. I hear they’re back for their “Together Again Tour”. I promise you that you won’t want to miss their show!
We’ve toned things down a lot since the last party. Mortgate brokers aren't letting the underage kids get into the party with those exotic loans anymore. Dude, that was nuts! Now they actually care if you can make the payments. We’ll get you pre-approved with some sane terms and find you a payment you can afford. We’ll introduce you to some really cool mortgage brokers who learned a few things from the last party too.
The Rural KC Team totally rocks! When “The Foreclosures” start playing, they’ll get you front row seats below face value. All they have to do is low-ball the sellers. Those sellers are in such a fog and are so scared of “ The Foreclosures: Together Again Tour” that they’ll bail and you’ll get a SWEET deal!
John, we really miss you. We’ll make sure to listen to you. You’ve been so good to us in the past and without you, there just isn’t any party! Call the Rural KC Team or just leave your number here. I’m looking forward to seeing you again!
Until next week.........Happy Trails
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Contingencies on Country Property
Contingencies on buying real estate are pretty well understood when it comes to buying residential property. Common contingencies include a getting approval for a loan, selling your currrent home to buy a new one, having various inspections completed etc. But contingencies when buying country property can be entirely different, but just as important.
- Contingencies are generally set up to either allow a buyer to investigate one or more features of a property or have the seller do something. The buyer usually pays for the costs of research contingencies.Here are some common issues in country real estate that I’ve seen as the subject of contingencies. This list is illustrative, not exhaustive:
Improvements
Residence. House inspection by certified inspector.
Inspection of condition and operation of barns and other out-buildings
Suitability of soil for new construction
Obtain estimates to build or remodel.
Infrastructure
Inspection of existing septic system. (Design and capacity will be on file with local agency that issued the construction permit.)
Percolation test. Contingency allows buyer to test soil for conventional septic-system site. Testing methods differ, but usually require a backhoe and a soil specialist. A conventional system is about 1/4th the cost of a “constructed” septic system.
Quality and quantity of household water. Quality is determined by taking a water sample and having it thoroughly tested for both organic and inorganic substances, not just bacteria.
Cost of installing new utilities to house or house site.
Boundary survey or having a surveyor perform some specific task that’s of concern. One common contingency is to have a surveyor confirm acreage and boundaries using a deed-mapper program. I recommend against buyers splitting the cost of a survey with sellers.
Clearing up a physical or legal access road issue.
Having the seller resolve a boundary encroachment with neighbor.
Condition of road or bridge
Environmental and natural resources
Test agricultural soils for productivity and qualities.
Examine fields and forests for condition, pests, blights, infestations, etc.
Have a consulting forester perform a walk-through or cruise to inventory the seller’s timber and determine its quality and condition.
Perform tests to determine extent of wind resources or subsurface minerals, such as oil, gas, coal or non-energy minerals
Test water for quality, quantity and reliability for agricultural applications
Look into risks from natural hazards, such as earthquake, flood, coastal flooding, tornados, hurricanes, landslides, lightning, fire, drought, etc.
Regulatory issues that would limit buyer’s use of the property, such as the presence of wetlands, endangered species or archeological resources
Tests for air, water or land pollutants
Wildlife/game inventory
Zoning and other administrative/legal actions.
Sale contingent on property being rezoned to allow division, different use or new agricultural activity. Seller gets rezoning; buyer pays costs.
Sale contingent on state highway department issuing new-entrance permit
Contingent on seller warranting that the property is free of unrecorded encumbrances and claims of adversity, along with a promise to defend the buyer against such claims and make the buyer whole if necessary
Contingent on getting Homeowner Association approval for something
Contingent on getting preliminary approval for a conservation easement, organic certification or land-use designation (which reduces property tax)
Contingent on getting acceptable answers from owners of minerals regarding their development plans
Contingent on obtaining an easement to cross a neighbor’s property, often used for access roads and utilities
Financial
Examination of farm tax returns, annual production records, timber records or mineral royalties
Preliminary approval or green light for participation in some federal program such as conservation cost-share or crop subsidy
Financing for purchase of property and operating capital
Purchase of some other property/asset the buyer needs to go with seller’s Property
While these arent' all of the potential contingencies it's a good place to start. To best protect yourself make sure your real estate agent is familiar with and has sold lots of country property. They can guilde you through the process and help you find the resources to make this a productive effort. For more information give us a call at the Rural KC Team, 913-837-4665, or email us at info@RuralKC.com
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Why A Buyer's Agent?
Why Use A Buyer's Agent
For a Real Estate purchase to occur there must be a buyer and a seller. A real estate agent or agents are involved in most purchases. Frequently, the agent(s) “representing” the Buyer is with the company “representing” the Seller. intObviously, the agent cannot represent the Buyer’s interests fully, while also representing the seller. Even when the agents are from different companies the agent working with the buyer may have listings which cause him/her to focus on selling property.
As a potential Buyer, if you really want your interests represented, an agent who will negotiate hard on your behalf, focuses on services that benefit you, and is knowledgeable about the things that are important to a Buyer, you need a Buyer’s Agent to work with and for you!
......................................................
What a Buyer’s Agent does for You:
A Buyer’s Agent pledges to work for the Buyer:
To seek property that best fits the Buyer’s needs
To review pricing policies and trends
To help the Buyer analyze and select neighborhoods, schools, driving distances, a closing attorney and so on
To negotiate on behalf of the Buyer
To provide assistance and guidance with mortgages, insurance, warranties, inspection,and repairs
All with the objective of making the purchase process beneficial to the Buyer.
In closing, if you are currently shopping for a new home or acreage, please obtain a buyer's agent.
Until next week.........happy trails.
For a Real Estate purchase to occur there must be a buyer and a seller. A real estate agent or agents are involved in most purchases. Frequently, the agent(s) “representing” the Buyer is with the company “representing” the Seller. intObviously, the agent cannot represent the Buyer’s interests fully, while also representing the seller. Even when the agents are from different companies the agent working with the buyer may have listings which cause him/her to focus on selling property.
As a potential Buyer, if you really want your interests represented, an agent who will negotiate hard on your behalf, focuses on services that benefit you, and is knowledgeable about the things that are important to a Buyer, you need a Buyer’s Agent to work with and for you!
......................................................
What a Buyer’s Agent does for You:
A Buyer’s Agent pledges to work for the Buyer:
To seek property that best fits the Buyer’s needs
To review pricing policies and trends
To help the Buyer analyze and select neighborhoods, schools, driving distances, a closing attorney and so on
To negotiate on behalf of the Buyer
To provide assistance and guidance with mortgages, insurance, warranties, inspection,and repairs
All with the objective of making the purchase process beneficial to the Buyer.
In closing, if you are currently shopping for a new home or acreage, please obtain a buyer's agent.
Until next week.........happy trails.
Monday, June 15, 2009
How to buy your retirement country home
Most Americans stay where they are in retirement. Of the 420,000 relocators who cross state lines each year, most look to small towns, small cities, milder climates and a lower cost of living.
The younger you are when you start planning retirement, the better. But those of the 77 million Baby Boomers who have not saved enough may not be out of luck.
If relocating to a small town or rural area might be in your plans, here are ways to approach it:
Buy your retirement place as soon as you can. This is often hard to do, because it requires that you start a long-term investment when you’re young and many considerations are unknowable or subject to change.Some make decision easier by starting it as a second home that can become their retirement place.About nine percent of America’s 111 million householders (owners plus renters) — roughly 10 million — own a second home, the rate being highest among those in their 50s, according to Professor Rachel Drew, coauthor of a November, 2007 study by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, “Projecting the Underlying Demand for New Housing Units: Inferences from the Past, Assumptions about the Future.”
The advantages of extending your second home into your retirement residence are many.
The second home can be used mostly as a rental unit with income helping to retire its mortgage and the owner getting many tax benefits along with some personal use. As equity builds and appreciation occurs, you have another asset to borrow against. You also can have local friends in place before retirement.
Buying a second home sooner allows you to buy a retirement place cheaper. The second home you bought for $100,000 30 years ago might easily cost $750,000 or more today as a retirement place. The tax-free profit you will get on the sale of your principal residence can now be used for retirement living rather than for the purchase of your next house.
Buy your retirement place with your IRA. A Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is the best retirement savings vehicle available. It allows an individual to contribute $4,000 annually (on which tax is paid), but all principal and all appreciation can be withdrawn tax-free in retirement. Most of us keep our IRAs in stocks, CDs and bonds.
You can also use IRA money to buy a retirement place in advance of your retirement. You cannot live there or use it until you retire. And you can’t use the retirement property to collateralize a loan, even its own.
You can use its rental income before your retirement to pay for maintenance and build your IRA account. Using IRA money to buy rural land is simpler than buying a rural residence, since land generally requires little maintenance or insurance, and taxes are usually low.
If you sell timber or lease the IRA land for crops, minerals or hunting, your net income after taxes and expenses is added to your IRA. Taxes on income earned from the IRA property has to be paid from IRA funds. The biggest benefit of IRA real estate is its appreciated value, which you can sell before retirement and put the net into your account.
The IRS has established rules for buying and managing real estate with IRA money: you must know what they are and follow them. See Title 26—Internal Revenue Code, Section 408A, Roth IRAs. As always you should consult your investment advisor and a good accountant, but don't let that stop you from making your retirement dreams come true.
Want more information about where and how to find retirement properties just call us at 913-837-4665 or email us at info@RuralKC.com
The younger you are when you start planning retirement, the better. But those of the 77 million Baby Boomers who have not saved enough may not be out of luck.
If relocating to a small town or rural area might be in your plans, here are ways to approach it:
Buy your retirement place as soon as you can. This is often hard to do, because it requires that you start a long-term investment when you’re young and many considerations are unknowable or subject to change.Some make decision easier by starting it as a second home that can become their retirement place.About nine percent of America’s 111 million householders (owners plus renters) — roughly 10 million — own a second home, the rate being highest among those in their 50s, according to Professor Rachel Drew, coauthor of a November, 2007 study by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, “Projecting the Underlying Demand for New Housing Units: Inferences from the Past, Assumptions about the Future.”
The advantages of extending your second home into your retirement residence are many.
The second home can be used mostly as a rental unit with income helping to retire its mortgage and the owner getting many tax benefits along with some personal use. As equity builds and appreciation occurs, you have another asset to borrow against. You also can have local friends in place before retirement.
Buying a second home sooner allows you to buy a retirement place cheaper. The second home you bought for $100,000 30 years ago might easily cost $750,000 or more today as a retirement place. The tax-free profit you will get on the sale of your principal residence can now be used for retirement living rather than for the purchase of your next house.
Buy your retirement place with your IRA. A Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is the best retirement savings vehicle available. It allows an individual to contribute $4,000 annually (on which tax is paid), but all principal and all appreciation can be withdrawn tax-free in retirement. Most of us keep our IRAs in stocks, CDs and bonds.
You can also use IRA money to buy a retirement place in advance of your retirement. You cannot live there or use it until you retire. And you can’t use the retirement property to collateralize a loan, even its own.
You can use its rental income before your retirement to pay for maintenance and build your IRA account. Using IRA money to buy rural land is simpler than buying a rural residence, since land generally requires little maintenance or insurance, and taxes are usually low.
If you sell timber or lease the IRA land for crops, minerals or hunting, your net income after taxes and expenses is added to your IRA. Taxes on income earned from the IRA property has to be paid from IRA funds. The biggest benefit of IRA real estate is its appreciated value, which you can sell before retirement and put the net into your account.
The IRS has established rules for buying and managing real estate with IRA money: you must know what they are and follow them. See Title 26—Internal Revenue Code, Section 408A, Roth IRAs. As always you should consult your investment advisor and a good accountant, but don't let that stop you from making your retirement dreams come true.
Want more information about where and how to find retirement properties just call us at 913-837-4665 or email us at info@RuralKC.com
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
To Have a Horse In Your Life
“To Have a Horse In Your Life”
To have a horse in your life is a gift. In the matter of a few short years, a horse can teach a young girl courage, if she chooses to grab mane and hang on for dear life. Even the smallest of ponies is mightier than the tallest of girls. To conquer the fear of falling off , having one’s toes crushed, or being publicly humiliated at a horse show is an admirable feat for any child. For that, we can be grateful.
Horses teach us responsibility. Unlike a bicycle or a computer, a horse needs regular care and most of it requires that you get dirty and smelly and up off the couch. Choosing to leave your cozy kitchen to break the crust of ice off the water buckets is to choose responsibility. When our horses dip their noses and drink heartily; we know we’ve made the right choice.
Learning to care for a horse is both an art and a science. Some are easy keepers, requiring litt le more than regular turn-out, a flake of hay, and a trough of clean water. Others will test you - you’ll struggle to keep them from being too fat or too thin. You’ll have their feet shod regularly only to find shoes gone missing. Some are so accident-prone you’ll swear they’re intentionally
finding new ways to injure themselves.
If you weren’t raised with horses, you can’t know that they have unique personaliti es. You’d expect this from dogs, but horses? Indeed, there are clever horses, grumpy horses, and even horses with a sense of humor. Those prone to humor will test you by finding new ways to escape from the barn when you least expect it.
Horses can be timid or brave, lazy or athletic, obstinate or willing. You will hit it off with some horses and others will elude you altogether. There are as many “types” of horses as there are people - which makes the whole partnership thing all the more interesting.
If you’ve never ridden a horse, you probably assume it’s a simple thing you can learn in a weekend. You can, in fact, learn the basics on a Sunday, but to truly ride well takes a lifetime. Working with a living being is far more complex than turning a key in the ignition and putting the car or tractor in “drive.”
In addition to listening to your instructor, your horse will have a few things to say to you as well. On a good day, he’ll be happy to go along with the program and tolerate your mistakes; on a bad day, you’ll swear he’s trying to kill you. Perhaps he’s naughty or perhaps he’ fed up with how slowly you’re learning his language.
Regardless, the horse will have an opinion. He may choose to challenge you (which can ultimately make you a better rider) or he may carefully carry you over fences - if it suits him. It all depends on the partnership - and partnership is what it’s all about.
If you face your fears, swallow your pride, and are willing to work at it, you’ll learn lessons in courage, commitment, and compassion in addition to basic survival skills. You’ll discover just how hard you’re willing to work toward a goal, how little you know, and how much you have to learn. And, while some people think the horse “does all the work”, you’ll be challenged physically as well as mentally. Your horse may humble you completely. Or, you may find that sitting on his back is the closest you’ll get to heaven. You can choose to intimidate your horse, but do you really want to? The results may come more quickly, but will your work ever be as graceful as that gained through trust? The best partners choose to listen, as well as to tell. When
it works, we experience a sweet sense of accomplishment brought about by smarts, hard work, and mutual understanding between horse and rider. These are the days when you know with absolute certainty that your horse is enjoying his work.
If we make it to adulthood with horses sti ll in our lives, most of us have to squeeze riding into our oversaturated schedules; balancing our need for things equine with those of our households and employers. There is never enough time to ride, or to ride as well as we’d like. Hours in the barn are stolen pleasures. If it is in your blood to love horses, you share your life with them. Our horses know our secrets; we braid our tears into their manes and whisper our hopes into their ears. A barn is a sanctuary in an unsettled world, a sheltered place where life’s true priorities are clear: a warm place to sleep, someone who loves us, and the luxury of regular meals. Some of us need these reminders.
When you step back, it’s not just about horses - it’s about love, life, and learning. On any given day, a friend is celebrati ng the birth of a foal, a blue ribbon, or recovery from an illness. That same day, there is also loss: a broken limb, a case of colic, a decision to sustain a life or end it gently. As horse people, we share the accelerated life cycle of horses: the hurried rush of life, love, loss, and death that caring for these animals brings us.
When our partners pass, it is more than a moment of sorrow.
We mark our loss with words of grati tude for the ways our lives have been blessed.. Our memories are of joy, awe, and wonder. Absolute union. We honor our horses for their brave hearts, courage, and willingness to give. To those outside our circle, it must seem strange. To see us in our muddy boots, who would guess such poetry lives in our hearts? We celebrate our companions with praise worthy of heroes. Indeed, horses have the hearts of warriors and often carry us into and out of fields of battle.
Listen to stories of that once-in-a-lifetime horse; of journeys made and challenges met. The best of horses rise to the challenges we set before them, asking litt le in return. Those who know them understand how fully a horse can hold a human heart. Together, we share the pain of sudden loss and the lingering taste of long-term illness. We shoulder the burden of deciding when or whether to end the life of a true companion.
In the end, we’re not certain if God entrusts us to our horses--or our horses to us. Does it matter? We’re grateful God loaned us the horse in the fi rst place.
--Author Unknown
To have a horse in your life is a gift. In the matter of a few short years, a horse can teach a young girl courage, if she chooses to grab mane and hang on for dear life. Even the smallest of ponies is mightier than the tallest of girls. To conquer the fear of falling off , having one’s toes crushed, or being publicly humiliated at a horse show is an admirable feat for any child. For that, we can be grateful.
Horses teach us responsibility. Unlike a bicycle or a computer, a horse needs regular care and most of it requires that you get dirty and smelly and up off the couch. Choosing to leave your cozy kitchen to break the crust of ice off the water buckets is to choose responsibility. When our horses dip their noses and drink heartily; we know we’ve made the right choice.
Learning to care for a horse is both an art and a science. Some are easy keepers, requiring litt le more than regular turn-out, a flake of hay, and a trough of clean water. Others will test you - you’ll struggle to keep them from being too fat or too thin. You’ll have their feet shod regularly only to find shoes gone missing. Some are so accident-prone you’ll swear they’re intentionally
finding new ways to injure themselves.
If you weren’t raised with horses, you can’t know that they have unique personaliti es. You’d expect this from dogs, but horses? Indeed, there are clever horses, grumpy horses, and even horses with a sense of humor. Those prone to humor will test you by finding new ways to escape from the barn when you least expect it.
Horses can be timid or brave, lazy or athletic, obstinate or willing. You will hit it off with some horses and others will elude you altogether. There are as many “types” of horses as there are people - which makes the whole partnership thing all the more interesting.
If you’ve never ridden a horse, you probably assume it’s a simple thing you can learn in a weekend. You can, in fact, learn the basics on a Sunday, but to truly ride well takes a lifetime. Working with a living being is far more complex than turning a key in the ignition and putting the car or tractor in “drive.”
In addition to listening to your instructor, your horse will have a few things to say to you as well. On a good day, he’ll be happy to go along with the program and tolerate your mistakes; on a bad day, you’ll swear he’s trying to kill you. Perhaps he’s naughty or perhaps he’ fed up with how slowly you’re learning his language.
Regardless, the horse will have an opinion. He may choose to challenge you (which can ultimately make you a better rider) or he may carefully carry you over fences - if it suits him. It all depends on the partnership - and partnership is what it’s all about.
If you face your fears, swallow your pride, and are willing to work at it, you’ll learn lessons in courage, commitment, and compassion in addition to basic survival skills. You’ll discover just how hard you’re willing to work toward a goal, how little you know, and how much you have to learn. And, while some people think the horse “does all the work”, you’ll be challenged physically as well as mentally. Your horse may humble you completely. Or, you may find that sitting on his back is the closest you’ll get to heaven. You can choose to intimidate your horse, but do you really want to? The results may come more quickly, but will your work ever be as graceful as that gained through trust? The best partners choose to listen, as well as to tell. When
it works, we experience a sweet sense of accomplishment brought about by smarts, hard work, and mutual understanding between horse and rider. These are the days when you know with absolute certainty that your horse is enjoying his work.
If we make it to adulthood with horses sti ll in our lives, most of us have to squeeze riding into our oversaturated schedules; balancing our need for things equine with those of our households and employers. There is never enough time to ride, or to ride as well as we’d like. Hours in the barn are stolen pleasures. If it is in your blood to love horses, you share your life with them. Our horses know our secrets; we braid our tears into their manes and whisper our hopes into their ears. A barn is a sanctuary in an unsettled world, a sheltered place where life’s true priorities are clear: a warm place to sleep, someone who loves us, and the luxury of regular meals. Some of us need these reminders.
When you step back, it’s not just about horses - it’s about love, life, and learning. On any given day, a friend is celebrati ng the birth of a foal, a blue ribbon, or recovery from an illness. That same day, there is also loss: a broken limb, a case of colic, a decision to sustain a life or end it gently. As horse people, we share the accelerated life cycle of horses: the hurried rush of life, love, loss, and death that caring for these animals brings us.
When our partners pass, it is more than a moment of sorrow.
We mark our loss with words of grati tude for the ways our lives have been blessed.. Our memories are of joy, awe, and wonder. Absolute union. We honor our horses for their brave hearts, courage, and willingness to give. To those outside our circle, it must seem strange. To see us in our muddy boots, who would guess such poetry lives in our hearts? We celebrate our companions with praise worthy of heroes. Indeed, horses have the hearts of warriors and often carry us into and out of fields of battle.
Listen to stories of that once-in-a-lifetime horse; of journeys made and challenges met. The best of horses rise to the challenges we set before them, asking litt le in return. Those who know them understand how fully a horse can hold a human heart. Together, we share the pain of sudden loss and the lingering taste of long-term illness. We shoulder the burden of deciding when or whether to end the life of a true companion.
In the end, we’re not certain if God entrusts us to our horses--or our horses to us. Does it matter? We’re grateful God loaned us the horse in the fi rst place.
--Author Unknown
Monday, June 8, 2009
I got DUPED by a spam email
This is a little off topic topic but if you've never been foolish enough to fall prey to a spam email let me tell you it ain't no fun. It all started with something that seemed innocent enough to me but that rapidly began a descent into email hell.
I got an innocent looking email that said an acquaintance of mine wanted me to see some pictures she had posted on something called TAGGED. Well it look sort of like one of those things you get when someone sends you an album of pictures and you have to click on a link to open the albums. It was late on Sunday night I was taking one last look at my email before I went to bed after a great but exhausting weekend of playing host to my two granddaughters ages 5 and 3. I was beat and not thinking clearly. Plus the thumbnail pictures being shown were of horses and this acquaintance of mine is a horse owner. So I bit on it.
Now the obvious signs of this being a scam were there, why I didn't see any of them I don't know, but I took the next stupid step. First there was a comment that said my acquaintance would be upset with me if I didn't sign up to see the pictures. Then, and this is the one I really cant forgive myself for, it asked for my email password and I entered it. I know, I know, I know, I am a dumbkoff, but enter it I did. I knew right away that I had screwed up because there were no pictures.
So now I went into panic mode. I updated my virus scan and did a full system scan. This took about 30 minutes, long after I had wanted to be in bed. The good news was that this thing does not install a virus on your system, in fact it doesn't hurt your system at all. So I did think to change the password on my email system and thought that would be that. So I fell asleep waiting for me virus scan to be completed. About 12:30 I woke up again and went to check my computer to see how the scan turned out and to turn my computer off. I was glad to see the scan showed no virus', but there was the first email, "Bill did you send me this email about pictures on TAGGED." RATS the dang thing was spamming my email contacts list. What do I do now?
Now I went into panic mode number 2 which consisted of tossing and turning while trying to sleep and not think about what I had done. Finally at 5 AM I couldn't stand it anymore and got up and blearily went to my computer to figure how I could solve this problem.
It took me about an hour to figure out how to get to my email accounts list of "contacts" and how to send a large number of those people a notice that. "I DID NOT SEND YOU THE EMAIL ABOUT THE PICTURES, SO DON'T OPEN IT." I sent that to the some of the 738 contacts I had in my email system.
Then I got the email from an East Coast friend that said they looked this thing up on snopes and that it was just an annoying way to get people to sign up to this social networking system, but that it did no harm to anyone beyond that, here is the link to snopes http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/tagged.asp.
Well I was somewhat relieved to know I wasn't part of a plot to install virus' on peoples computers, and now made the mistake of overcompensating. I wanted people to know I was not a bad guy, and I wanted to make sure they didn't put me on their spam list. So I decided to send out a second email. This one would go EVERYONE on my contacts list, (I had learned a lot about my contacts list, and was feeling confident at this point). So I composed a new message.
I wanted to assure people that there was nothing dangerous about the original spam message they might have gotten from me. So I entitled this one, "If you got an email message from Bill Gaughan about pictures, it is not harmful". Well it never occurred to me that if I were going to send out a harmful message THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I WOULD TITLE IT. Plus as I was sending these out in batches of 99 I got a message from my email provider, that I had exceeded the maximum number of messages I could send in a day, and MY ABILITY TO SEND EMAIL WOULD BE CUT OFF FOR 24 HOURS.
So now I started getting more emails, "Bill did you send this?", but of course I can't respond for 24 hours. I imagine I will be reported as a spammer and all the people I need to correspond with will no longer get any email at all from me.
So far this is eaten up about 6 total hours of my time. I'm operating on little to no sleep, but I suppose the good news is my total email traffic will now drop off to almost nothing because everyone THINKS I'M A SPAMMER!!!!.
I love technology.
I got an innocent looking email that said an acquaintance of mine wanted me to see some pictures she had posted on something called TAGGED. Well it look sort of like one of those things you get when someone sends you an album of pictures and you have to click on a link to open the albums. It was late on Sunday night I was taking one last look at my email before I went to bed after a great but exhausting weekend of playing host to my two granddaughters ages 5 and 3. I was beat and not thinking clearly. Plus the thumbnail pictures being shown were of horses and this acquaintance of mine is a horse owner. So I bit on it.
Now the obvious signs of this being a scam were there, why I didn't see any of them I don't know, but I took the next stupid step. First there was a comment that said my acquaintance would be upset with me if I didn't sign up to see the pictures. Then, and this is the one I really cant forgive myself for, it asked for my email password and I entered it. I know, I know, I know, I am a dumbkoff, but enter it I did. I knew right away that I had screwed up because there were no pictures.
So now I went into panic mode. I updated my virus scan and did a full system scan. This took about 30 minutes, long after I had wanted to be in bed. The good news was that this thing does not install a virus on your system, in fact it doesn't hurt your system at all. So I did think to change the password on my email system and thought that would be that. So I fell asleep waiting for me virus scan to be completed. About 12:30 I woke up again and went to check my computer to see how the scan turned out and to turn my computer off. I was glad to see the scan showed no virus', but there was the first email, "Bill did you send me this email about pictures on TAGGED." RATS the dang thing was spamming my email contacts list. What do I do now?
Now I went into panic mode number 2 which consisted of tossing and turning while trying to sleep and not think about what I had done. Finally at 5 AM I couldn't stand it anymore and got up and blearily went to my computer to figure how I could solve this problem.
It took me about an hour to figure out how to get to my email accounts list of "contacts" and how to send a large number of those people a notice that. "I DID NOT SEND YOU THE EMAIL ABOUT THE PICTURES, SO DON'T OPEN IT." I sent that to the some of the 738 contacts I had in my email system.
Then I got the email from an East Coast friend that said they looked this thing up on snopes and that it was just an annoying way to get people to sign up to this social networking system, but that it did no harm to anyone beyond that, here is the link to snopes http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/tagged.asp.
Well I was somewhat relieved to know I wasn't part of a plot to install virus' on peoples computers, and now made the mistake of overcompensating. I wanted people to know I was not a bad guy, and I wanted to make sure they didn't put me on their spam list. So I decided to send out a second email. This one would go EVERYONE on my contacts list, (I had learned a lot about my contacts list, and was feeling confident at this point). So I composed a new message.
I wanted to assure people that there was nothing dangerous about the original spam message they might have gotten from me. So I entitled this one, "If you got an email message from Bill Gaughan about pictures, it is not harmful". Well it never occurred to me that if I were going to send out a harmful message THIS IS EXACTLY HOW I WOULD TITLE IT. Plus as I was sending these out in batches of 99 I got a message from my email provider, that I had exceeded the maximum number of messages I could send in a day, and MY ABILITY TO SEND EMAIL WOULD BE CUT OFF FOR 24 HOURS.
So now I started getting more emails, "Bill did you send this?", but of course I can't respond for 24 hours. I imagine I will be reported as a spammer and all the people I need to correspond with will no longer get any email at all from me.
So far this is eaten up about 6 total hours of my time. I'm operating on little to no sleep, but I suppose the good news is my total email traffic will now drop off to almost nothing because everyone THINKS I'M A SPAMMER!!!!.
I love technology.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Is Your Real Estate Agent An Equestrian Specialist?
Is your Real Estate Agent an equestrian specialist?
Your real estate agent may know houses - but what do they know about horses and farms?
A real estate agent that does primarily residential homes will most likely NOT know all the ins-and-outs when it comes to dealing with horse farms.
There are literally HUNDREDS of questions that an equestrian specialist should know to provide guidance for their clients. [And it goes well beyond knowing which end of the horse you give the hay to.]
Here are just a few questions to ask your prospective real estate agent:
How many acres do you need per horse?
Answer: Do you intend to provide full care with stalls, feed, & supplements? Or are you going to provide solely field care, with only a run-in shed for shelter?
For Kansas and Missouri, its fairly accepted that to sustain a horse, its 2.4 acres per horse with constant turn out and no grain supplementation. If you provide feed and rotate pastures, it can go as low as 1 acre in some areas - but this minimum is becoming restricted out by many government zoning regulations.
Ask your real estate agent for guidance.
Have the fields been seeded/planted with any type of pasture mix grasses suitable for horses?
Answer: Hay/grass suitable for cows is usually NOT high enough quality for horses. And if you have pregnant mares - you better check if the property has any Tall Fescue. Mares can abort their foals if they feed on this grass. Fescue is a common grass for grazing because its easily established, tolerates close grazing, survives drought conditions that can wither other grasses, and it stands up to heavy traffic. It is also resistant to disease, insects, and weed competition. But, this “wonder grass”, can also carry a toxin that is associated with an endophyte fungus. The fungus lives within the plant and cannot be detected visually; however, you can test the fescue for the level of endophyte infection. So you need to know, particularly if you have mares: is there any Tall Fescue on the property? Please note that there are some endophyte free varieties of fescue available - most of these are called short fescue.
What type of fencing is appropriate for horses?
Answer: Fencing for other livestock is probably not what you should use for horses. Remember the old term “horse play”. Theres a reason why that term exists. Horses are active, large animals that when they get going, they can get themselves into trouble in a hurry if you don’t provide them a safe environment within which to roam.
There are LOTS of choices available: diamond mesh, no climb, PVC, HTP, etc, etc.
However, one important thing to note: installing fence for maximum safety is different than installation for aesthetics.
Installation for aesthetics has the boards placed on the outside of where the horses will be. It is visually more appealing - but if a horse builds up a good head of steam and runs into the fence, instead of having to break the boards, all they have to do is push the nails out - and the boards with the nails still in them, will be laying on the ground while your horse is roaming free.
Installation for safety has the boards placed on the inside where the horses will be. That way, if a horse runs into the fence, they actually have to break the boards to get through. Common way of finding out if the fence is installed this way, is asking a non-horse person: “does the fence look like it was put in backwards?” If they say yes, then you know its probably installed with safety taking a priority over aesthetics.
And there are 2 main types of wood used for this type of fence: Oak and Poplar. Oak is harder and as a result, horses don’t chew on it as much - but it can be prone to splitting, cracking, and warping. Poplar is a softer wood that generally stays straighter, and is less prone to split, crack, or warp - BUT horses like to chew on it. A lot of persons go with an oak board for the top rail, and poplar for the others. This allows the horses to chew on the hard oak (which they don’t like usually), while having the benefit of straighter boards on the bottom rails - where horses are less likely to chew regularly.
The 2nd type of fence is a new product that is gaining acceptance within the horse community called Electrobraid. It looks essentially like a yachting rope, that has wire woven into it. Since its rope, its flexible - with no hard edges or sharp points. And unlike board fence that you may end up replacing every 5-7 years - it comes with a 25 year warranty.
Again, ask your real estate agent for guidance on what may be best suited for your needs.
These are just a few of the MANY, MANY questions (and answers) that your real estate agent should be able to provide if they are a proficient horse farm real estate professional.
Other questions include:
Riding Arena construction: Most arenas are constructed incorrectly. Did they remove the top soil and get down to clay to begin construction? If they had to place fill, what compaction % should the sub-base be rated at? what grade should the arena be? what base should you use: gravel? dense grade? stone dust? what about top coat choices - did they use regular sand, or angulated sand? or did they go with one of the composite materials? or perhaps a blend? did they use a french drain?
Barn design: how large of an aisle do you need? what about ceiling height? how large do the stalls need to be? how much hay storage do you need per horse?
ETC.
ETC.
The list goes on and on and on.
Hundreds of items that your real estate agent should know. Do they?
Make sure your real estate agent is knowledgeable - and that they are able to provide for you in your search for your horse farm. A real estate agent that is an equestrian real estate specialist can provide very valuable tips, advice, and guidance to ensure your needs are addressed in your horse farms purchase.
Until next week, Happy Trails!
Your real estate agent may know houses - but what do they know about horses and farms?
A real estate agent that does primarily residential homes will most likely NOT know all the ins-and-outs when it comes to dealing with horse farms.
There are literally HUNDREDS of questions that an equestrian specialist should know to provide guidance for their clients. [And it goes well beyond knowing which end of the horse you give the hay to.]
Here are just a few questions to ask your prospective real estate agent:
How many acres do you need per horse?
Answer: Do you intend to provide full care with stalls, feed, & supplements? Or are you going to provide solely field care, with only a run-in shed for shelter?
For Kansas and Missouri, its fairly accepted that to sustain a horse, its 2.4 acres per horse with constant turn out and no grain supplementation. If you provide feed and rotate pastures, it can go as low as 1 acre in some areas - but this minimum is becoming restricted out by many government zoning regulations.
Ask your real estate agent for guidance.
Have the fields been seeded/planted with any type of pasture mix grasses suitable for horses?
Answer: Hay/grass suitable for cows is usually NOT high enough quality for horses. And if you have pregnant mares - you better check if the property has any Tall Fescue. Mares can abort their foals if they feed on this grass. Fescue is a common grass for grazing because its easily established, tolerates close grazing, survives drought conditions that can wither other grasses, and it stands up to heavy traffic. It is also resistant to disease, insects, and weed competition. But, this “wonder grass”, can also carry a toxin that is associated with an endophyte fungus. The fungus lives within the plant and cannot be detected visually; however, you can test the fescue for the level of endophyte infection. So you need to know, particularly if you have mares: is there any Tall Fescue on the property? Please note that there are some endophyte free varieties of fescue available - most of these are called short fescue.
What type of fencing is appropriate for horses?
Answer: Fencing for other livestock is probably not what you should use for horses. Remember the old term “horse play”. Theres a reason why that term exists. Horses are active, large animals that when they get going, they can get themselves into trouble in a hurry if you don’t provide them a safe environment within which to roam.
There are LOTS of choices available: diamond mesh, no climb, PVC, HTP, etc, etc.
However, one important thing to note: installing fence for maximum safety is different than installation for aesthetics.
Installation for aesthetics has the boards placed on the outside of where the horses will be. It is visually more appealing - but if a horse builds up a good head of steam and runs into the fence, instead of having to break the boards, all they have to do is push the nails out - and the boards with the nails still in them, will be laying on the ground while your horse is roaming free.
Installation for safety has the boards placed on the inside where the horses will be. That way, if a horse runs into the fence, they actually have to break the boards to get through. Common way of finding out if the fence is installed this way, is asking a non-horse person: “does the fence look like it was put in backwards?” If they say yes, then you know its probably installed with safety taking a priority over aesthetics.
And there are 2 main types of wood used for this type of fence: Oak and Poplar. Oak is harder and as a result, horses don’t chew on it as much - but it can be prone to splitting, cracking, and warping. Poplar is a softer wood that generally stays straighter, and is less prone to split, crack, or warp - BUT horses like to chew on it. A lot of persons go with an oak board for the top rail, and poplar for the others. This allows the horses to chew on the hard oak (which they don’t like usually), while having the benefit of straighter boards on the bottom rails - where horses are less likely to chew regularly.
The 2nd type of fence is a new product that is gaining acceptance within the horse community called Electrobraid. It looks essentially like a yachting rope, that has wire woven into it. Since its rope, its flexible - with no hard edges or sharp points. And unlike board fence that you may end up replacing every 5-7 years - it comes with a 25 year warranty.
Again, ask your real estate agent for guidance on what may be best suited for your needs.
These are just a few of the MANY, MANY questions (and answers) that your real estate agent should be able to provide if they are a proficient horse farm real estate professional.
Other questions include:
Riding Arena construction: Most arenas are constructed incorrectly. Did they remove the top soil and get down to clay to begin construction? If they had to place fill, what compaction % should the sub-base be rated at? what grade should the arena be? what base should you use: gravel? dense grade? stone dust? what about top coat choices - did they use regular sand, or angulated sand? or did they go with one of the composite materials? or perhaps a blend? did they use a french drain?
Barn design: how large of an aisle do you need? what about ceiling height? how large do the stalls need to be? how much hay storage do you need per horse?
ETC.
ETC.
The list goes on and on and on.
Hundreds of items that your real estate agent should know. Do they?
Make sure your real estate agent is knowledgeable - and that they are able to provide for you in your search for your horse farm. A real estate agent that is an equestrian real estate specialist can provide very valuable tips, advice, and guidance to ensure your needs are addressed in your horse farms purchase.
Until next week, Happy Trails!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
