Specializes in providing actionable insights into the commercial real estate space for investors, brokers, lessors, and lessees. He covers quarterly market data reports, investment strategies, how-to guides, and top-down perspectives on market movements.
If you study the history books long enough, it becomes immediately clear that Oregon has always represented opportunity, hope, and new beginnings.
It’s the end of the famous Oregon Trail, the place pioneers went to finally get a piece of the American Dream for themselves, if they managed to survive getting dysentery and cholera along the way.
Buying land in Oregon now is easier; there’s no need to hunt buffalo or take down bears, nor will anyone pull out a covered wagon and oxen anytime soon. Yet, Oregon land is still special and examining the trends around the land makes a lot of sense.
Research isn’t just to protect the new land buyer; it still holds lessons for buyers that find the whole land buying process a bit old hat.
The passing of the 2018 Farm Bill changed the game in terms of hemp production. Hemp and cannabis are the same plants but with different focuses; there’s nothing psychoactive about hemp. It does, however, have multiple benefits in manufacturing, paper products, and even building material.
Unfortunately, an ongoing surplus has made it difficult for farmers to make good money off hemp.
Yet, there is a silver lining: hemp prices are beginning to rise after a long slump. The key here is eliminating the surplus: now that farmers aren’t holding onto as much hemp, the price for the remaining crops is beginning to climb.
Hemp still has value in the marketplace, but land buyers looking for fast profits might find themselves disillusioned by the reality. It’s not enough to bank one’s land just on one crop alone anyway.
Think about all of the other agricultural products available for Oregon: wine grapes, onions, sweet corn, and more can be grown within Oregon’s easygoing climate.
Even if there’s no primary desire to work the land for agriculture, understanding agricultural production flows at a general level will help when it’s time to speak with farmers looking to rent land for their own farming needs.
The post-pandemic era has not erased the need for social distancing, which means that Americans have continued to explore the great outdoors. Anyone looking to buy land in Oregon would do well to look at the growing RV revolution.
Not only are there multiple online magazines dedicated to nomadic-style modern traveling, but there’s also even a government-run website to support RVing, camping, and other outdoor recreation.
You can build a campground or an RV park with minimal expense, and also list it on Recreation.gov to get more exposure.
Outdoor recreation is a major component of the US economy, regardless of state. In 2020, it represented $374.3 billion worth of the country’s GDP, and is only poised to climb from there.
The post-pandemic era continues to drive demand for outdoor recreation, as it still allows the American public to have fun while staying away from others.
Building the right outdoor recreation experience will depend on a few factors. One of the top things that when wreaking into the outdoor space is to get a better idea of your land.
A land that’s full of deep rolling hills has a different use than one that’s completely flat.
Is there a pond on the property? A pond often has fish, or can be stocked with fish without much trouble. Private fish ponds are regulated by the state, so make sure that you get up to speed with the rules before putting in a fish stocking order.
While the post pandemic era allows us to reflect on how much has changed, the silver lining in all of this is the need to celebrate hasn’t changed that much. Weddings, birthdays, hail and farewells, and anniversaries are all still going strong.
The change is moving from indoor to outdoor activities. Many people are ready to “get back to normal”, while being very aware that normal doesn’t exist anymore. With new variants on the horizon, outdoor spaces will become more and more in demand.
It’s also much easier to put together an outdoor event space than an indoor one.
Make sure of existing land by adding lights, awnings, pergolas, and other attractive elements to transform an outdoor space into an inviting place to hold weddings. People still want to celebrate new love, whether it’s their first marriage or their fifth.
A guide based on predictions and forecasts for Oregon’s land market shouldn’t go without mentioning the ongoing water crisis.
Indeed, a recent article in US News indicates that farmers that count on water from the Klamath River will get much less than they did in previous years thanks to drought conditions.
Even if agricultural efforts aren’t part of your business strategy, many are watching the battle over water play out right now along the California-Oregon border.
Leasing land to farmers requires knowing what their concerns are, and water rights have long been an ongoing issue across the state of Oregon.
Looking up water rights in Oregon directly from the government authority on the topic makes sense, even just to have a good working knowledge of what’s at stake. Crops can’t grow without water, and water needs have grown since those early Oregon Trail days.
Buying land in Oregon isn’t the easiest decision to make. Like anywhere else, it is a combination of pros, cons, and additional considerations to make.
For those that are newer to the land game, picking a smaller parcel is better than a larger one. Calculating the upkeep ahead of time as you go through free commercial listings is a good way to ensure that the budget stays within limits.
It’s quite possible to make land profitable in Oregon, and the rich growing season doesn’t hurt matters one bit.
Yet, go outside the box to think about all of the activities that are conducted on the land itself, including event space, farmers markets, agricultural pursuits, hunting ranges, and more.
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