In case anybody was worried about land prices...

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Mar 16, 2021
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Western Iowa
Last week a 100 acre farm in NW Iowa sold for $2.6M. 96.33 tillable with 3.67 acre building site. As of 2021, the average price per acre for Plymouth County farm land was $12,416. This was a 31.4% increase over last year.

Statewide, farmland values are up an average of 29% over last year. Prices are likely to increase further this year as the war in Ukraine constricts global grain supplies, driving up farm revenues and the value of land.
 

Laramie

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Last week a 100 acre farm in NW Iowa sold for $2.6M. 96.33 tillable with 3.67 acre building site. As of 2021, the average price per acre for Plymouth County farm land was $12,416. This was a 31.4% increase over last year.

Statewide, farmland values are up an average of 29% over last year. Prices are likely to increase further this year as the war in Ukraine constricts global grain supplies, driving up farm revenues and the value of land.
There has to be something a little unique about that 100 acres. Land has increased significantly but strictly from a business standpoint that amount per acre is way out of the sustainable range.
 
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Kansas row cropland was up 14+% year over year last I checked, higher than any bordering state. It's crazy. My in-laws could die with millions in dirt but no cash.
 
Joined
Sep 13, 2016
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Idaho
Patiently waiting on the next crash.
I've been thinking that since 2017. Every month, I think how in the hell can we sustain this amount of appreciation. Every month it keeps going up. I know everyone has their experience, but here is mine :
We sold my grandfathers house in Emmett, ID in 2017. 1300 SF, on a half acre. Not much for updates since it was built in 1974. Appraised for 87k we were offered 150k cash. We were blew away, thought let's go before the wheels fall off this wagon. A few neighbors have sold their places, in the last year. All of them were pretty much in the same state of upkeep. They all went for 425K+. Crazy times indeed.
 

WRM

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Jan 15, 2015
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I've long since given up on any illusion of owning land other than the plot my house sits on. And, damn glad my grandparents built and paid for it! Mucho insanity here in Florida.
 
OP
jjohnsonElknewbie
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Mar 16, 2021
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Western Iowa
I just don't know how the big farmers, banks, and accountants make the numbers work anymore. As land prices go up input (seed, chemicals, fertilizer, machinery, etc..) costs go up and this year we have unprecedented increases in fuel, Round Up, Liberty, and nitrogen costs. How guys can pay $26k per acre when the income is a fraction of that I have no idea. Here is some quick math, and I'm pretty dumb with math, so please bear with me.
  • 100 acres * 200 bushels of corn per acre= 20,000 bushels.
  • As of May, corn was trading at $7.39 per bushel (20 year average is around $4). 20,000 * 7.39= $147,800 gross annual revenue.
  • Profit on that $147,800 is maybe $40,000?
  • $26M mortgage @ 3.92% interest over 30 years has a monthly payment of $122,932
If these guys paid cash for this ground, how in the world are the farm subsidies we all pay for to enable US farmer to compete justified?
 
Joined
Sep 13, 2016
Messages
2,097
Location
Idaho
I just don't know how the big farmers, banks, and accountants make the numbers work anymore. As land prices go up input (seed, chemicals, fertilizer, machinery, etc..) costs go up and this year we have unprecedented increases in fuel, Round Up, Liberty, and nitrogen costs. How guys can pay $26k per acre when the income is a fraction of that I have no idea. Here is some quick math, and I'm pretty dumb with math, so please bear with me.
  • 100 acres * 200 bushels of corn per acre= 20,000 bushels.
  • As of May, corn was trading at $7.39 per bushel (20 year average is around $4). 20,000 * 7.39= $147,800 gross annual revenue.
  • Profit on that $147,800 is maybe $40,000?
  • $26M mortgage @ 3.92% interest over 30 years has a monthly payment of $122,932
If these guys paid cash for this ground, how in the world are the farm subsidies we all pay for to enable US farmer to compete justified?
I don't know how y'all are doing it out there. In Idaho, they are strictly growing roof lines and valley gutters :(
 

WRM

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Jan 15, 2015
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968
If these guys paid cash for this ground, how in the world are the farm subsidies we all pay for to enable US farmer to compete justified?

They certainly aren't, particularly if the buyers are corporate "farmers". Wait'll you go to the grocery store after that pricing works into the market. You'll long for some $4 a loaf bread.
 

ID_Matt

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Joined
May 16, 2017
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Southern ID
I just don't know how the big farmers, banks, and accountants make the numbers work anymore. As land prices go up input (seed, chemicals, fertilizer, machinery, etc..) costs go up and this year we have unprecedented increases in fuel, Round Up, Liberty, and nitrogen costs. How guys can pay $26k per acre when the income is a fraction of that I have no idea. Here is some quick math, and I'm pretty dumb with math, so please bear with me.
  • 100 acres * 200 bushels of corn per acre= 20,000 bushels.
  • As of May, corn was trading at $7.39 per bushel (20 year average is around $4). 20,000 * 7.39= $147,800 gross annual revenue.
  • Profit on that $147,800 is maybe $40,000?
  • $26M mortgage @ 3.92% interest over 30 years has a monthly payment of $122,932
If these guys paid cash for this ground, how in the world are the farm subsidies we all pay for to enable US farmer to compete justified?
100 acres x $26,000 = $2.6M
 
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
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Weiser, ID
I don't know how y'all are doing it out there. In Idaho, they are strictly growing roof lines and valley gutters :(
This is exactly what is going on. All across Idaho developers are buying farm land and planting 5-6 houses per acre. By the time the homes are sold, the corporate developers are making $1.5-2 million per acre and they're completely booked.
 

Btaylor

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Joined
Jun 3, 2017
Messages
2,450
Location
Arkansas
I just don't know how the big farmers, banks, and accountants make the numbers work anymore. As land prices go up input (seed, chemicals, fertilizer, machinery, etc..) costs go up and this year we have unprecedented increases in fuel, Round Up, Liberty, and nitrogen costs. How guys can pay $26k per acre when the income is a fraction of that I have no idea. Here is some quick math, and I'm pretty dumb with math, so please bear with me.
  • 100 acres * 200 bushels of corn per acre= 20,000 bushels.
  • As of May, corn was trading at $7.39 per bushel (20 year average is around $4). 20,000 * 7.39= $147,800 gross annual revenue.
  • Profit on that $147,800 is maybe $40,000?
  • $26M mortgage @ 3.92% interest over 30 years has a monthly payment of $122,932
If these guys paid cash for this ground, how in the world are the farm subsidies we all pay for to enable US farmer to compete justified?
Prolly growing weed rather than corn. Better margins.
 
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