Land Report January 2012 Newsletter

Here’s a great way to start your year: the January edition of The Land Report newsletter.

This issue is chock full of stories and links to essential resources, including the Winter 2011 issue of The Land Report and of course January’s Land Report Top Ten.

As you might imagine, December wrapped up with a slew of end-of-the-year closings, and several key ones are detailed in the January newsletter, including the sale of Montana’s Horse Ranch and the sealed-bid auction of the Robert Mondavi Estate in Napa.

For more up to the minute reports on listings, auctions, sales, and breaking news pertaining to land and landowners, be sure to follow The Magazine of the American Landowner on Facebook and Twitter.

P.S. Our award-winning quarterly magazine is available in a print version via subscription.

Vistas: Montana’s Broken O Ranch

Located just east of the stunning Rocky Mountain Front in Augusta, Montana, the Broken O Ranch is considered to be one of the Rocky Mountain West’s most grand and significant ranches.

At 123,000 acres, this ranch has been in the making for the past 20 years. With its expansive cattle and farming operation, this ranch currently carries 3,500 mother cows plus 800 replacement heifers and 200 range bulls. The Broken O Ranch also contains Montana’s largest block of irrigated land, approximately 13,000 acres, and has historically averaged 25,000 tons of alfalfa hay and 700,000 bushels of small grain crops annually.

The Broken O Ranch also features outstanding recreational opportunities, including exceptional brown and rainbow fishing plus antelope, whitetail and mule deer hunting.

According to broker Mike Swan of Bates Sanders Swan Land Company, “The Broken O Ranch is one of the Rocky Mountain West’s most significant holdings to come on the Western real estate market in decades.”

Broken O Ranch is listed with Bates Sanders Swan Land Company for $132,500,000. For more information, contact Mike Swan at (406) 522-7342 or mike@bateslandco.com.

Land Report Top 10: Dana Ranch

Encompassing almost the entire Hound Creek Valley, Dana Ranch in Cascade, Montana is considered by many to be the finest combination cattle and recreational ranch in the Rocky Mountain West.

At 59,000± acres, this ranch features an incredibly rich environment that includes strong grasses and an amazing diversity of terrain and habitats. Supporting approximately 3,000 head of cattle, this ranch is also home to huge elk herds and substantial populations of mule deer, whitetail deer and antelope. Additionally, with over 18 miles of “Blue Ribbon” quality fisheries, this property includes extensive upland bird, water fowl, and pheasant habitat.

With only two distinguished owners in nearly 100 years and an unmatched record of profitability, Dana Ranch is true “Legacy Ranch.” According to broker Dave Johnson with Hall and Hall, Dana Ranch “combines the very best features of an outstanding operating ranch with the aesthetic qualities, wildlife and fisheries resources of a more recreationally oriented ranch.”

Dana Ranch is listed with Hall and Hall. For more information, contact Dave Johnson at (406) 587-3090 or davej@hallandhall.com.

Click here to see the full list of Land Report’s Top Ten leading land listings.

Sold! Montana’s Historic Horse Ranch

Nestled in the rolling hills of Central Montana, the historic Horse Ranch sold in December 2011. According to listing broker Mike Swan of Bates Sanders Swan Land Company, the ranch is “a rare combination of privacy, beauty, and scale in a contiguous block of deeded acreage that is very difficult to find in today’s western land market.”

Ryan Flair of Fay Ranches represented the buyer. The initial owners, a prominent Fergus County family,  began assembling this magnificent property in the 1880s to supply remount horses for the U.S. Cavalry.  The new—and only the third—owner of the Horse Ranch looks forward to continuing the land stewardship of these two preceding Western pioneers.

Comprised of 25,323± acres, this ranch contains sufficient hay meadows and summer pasture to comfortably run 700 to 750 head of brood cows on a year-round basis plus a full complement of heifers and bulls. The deep timbered draws and grassy plateaus on this property also provide prime habitat for the resident elk herds, trophy mule deer, antelope, wild turkey and upland game birds, including sharp-tailed grouse, pheasant and sage grouse.

Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.

 

 

Land Report Top Ten: November 2011

From Hawaii to the Lone Star State, here are America’s priciest properties, led by $175 million Jackson Land and Cattle Ranch, pictured here, which is listed by Hall and Hall.

1. Jackson Land and Cattle: $175 million

These 1,750 acres are simply the most phenomenal property to come to the market in the Teton Valley in decades. Jackson Land and Cattle is one-of-a-kind in every respect: world-class improvements, including an equestrian center designed by Jonathan Foote, AIA; lack of any development restrictions; and don’t forget the stunning Teton views. Hall and Hall’s John Pierce has the listing.

2. Walton Ranch: $100 million

This 1,848-acre working cattle ranch was pieced together by the Walton family beginning in 1958. The family placed the ranch under conservation easement in 1983. Billy Long and Ron Morris of Ranch Marketing Associates have the listing.

3. Ranch Dos Pueblos: $84 million

This oceanfront parcel is on the market for the first time in three decades. Spanning 2,175 acres just west of Santa Barbara, it’s one of the largest remaining ranches along the breathtaking Gaviota Coast. Kerry Mormann & Associates has the listing.

4. Tranquility Estate: $75 million

These 210 acres on Lake Tahoe are crowned by a 20,000 square-foot mansion. Owned by Tommy Hilfiger co-founder Joel Horowitz, it was originally priced at $100 million in 2006. Listed by Shari Chase and Sue Lowe of Chase International.

5. Aspen Valley Ranch: $59 million

Billed as the largest ranch near Aspen in the Roaring Fork Valley, this ranch boasts senior water rights as well as over 800 acres and is located just 10 minutes from the Aspen airport. Joshua Saslove of Joshua & Co. has the listing.

6. Robert Taylor Ranch: $56 million

112 acres in Los Angeles’s tony Brentwood enclave. The roomy ranch house, which was designed by Robert Byrd, features 17 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms. Joyce Rey of Coldwell Banker Previews International has the listing.

7. Hana Ranch: $55 million
This 4,500-acre working ranch on eastern Maui surrounds the town of Hana. The property boasts two miles of Pacific oceanfront and rises over 2,200 feet up the slopes of Haleakala. Dan Omer of Island Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing.

8. Rockpile Ranch: $54 million

For only the third time in over a century, this 55,374-acre cattle ranch in the Davis Mountains of Far West Texas is on the market. Since 1992, the Rockpile has been owned by McCoy Remme Ranches (No. 41 on the 2011 Land Report 100). James King of King Land and Water is the listing agent.

9. Dana Ranch: $45 million

With only two distinguished owners in nearly 100 years and an unmatched record of profitability, the Dana is considered by many to be the finest operating and recreational ranch in the Rocky Mountain West. Supporting 3,000 animal units on 59,000± acres, it boasts over 13 miles of superb fisheries and an incredible diversity of wildlife resources from elk to waterfowl to upland birds. Listed by Dave Johnson with Hall and Hall.

10. Flying Dog Ranch: $40 million

This 245-acre Aspen landmark features nearly a mile of Collins Creek and Woody Creek and borders the White River National Forest. Morris & Fyrwald Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing.

Click here to download a copy of the November 2011 newsletter.

Landmark Sale of 310,000 Acres Completed

In one of the largest conservation purchases to date, Plum Creek (PCL) completed the sale of a huge swath of Western Montana to the U.S. Forest Service and Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department. Swiss philanthropist Hansjorg Wyss jump-started the deal with a $25 million donation that he subsequently upped to $35 million. Other funding sources included the State of Montana, which contributed $65 million, and the Department of Agriculture, whose $250 million expenditure was arranged by Sen. Max Baucus.

For Sale: Montana’s Sun Ranch

The jury is still out on my definition of dream property, but I’ll tell you this: Montana’s Sun Ranch is definitely in the running.

Nestled on 18,000 acres just outside of Yellowstone National Park in the Madison Valley, the Sun Ranch ranges from 5,700 feet to over 10,000 and is a sterling example of what a true steward of the land can do with a spectacular piece of property. Almost 100 percent of the ranch is protected by conservation easements.

Three creeks – Sun, Moose, and Wolf – nurture more than a mile of the Madison River, which weaves its way through the property. Needless to say the fishing is out of this world. Elk, deer, bear, antelope, and sheep cross this country going to and from Yellowstone. Throw in a beautiful main residence, and this prime parcel is for sale at $55 million. Fay Ranches has the listing.

According to New West,the owner, Roger Lang, is looking to unload the ranch and free up capital for other conservation projects. According to the article, it looks like he has in mind a development similar to what Russ Maytag has done in Colorado at Maytag Mountain Ranch.

16 – Robert Earl Holding – 400,000 acres

Salt Lake City resident Robert Earl Holding, 81, owner of Sinclair Oil, 2,600 filling stations, the Sun Valley ski resort, and a number of hotels and other resorts, reportedly owns 400,000 acres of ranchland in Wyoming and Montana. Holding ranked 77th on the 2008 Forbes 400 list with a fortune estimated at $4.6 billion.

34 – Tim Blixseth – 213,895 acres

Blixseth made his fortune in timber, but recently shifted focus to the luxury resort business. In the 1990s, he and his wife, Edra, developed the country’s only private golf and ski resort, the Yellowstone Club, on 13,400 acres in Big Sky, Montana. In November 2008, the posh retreat, whose membership roster includes Bill Gates and Dan Quayle, filed for bankruptcy. The timber tycoon also owns 180,000 acres of former Boise Cascade land in Idaho.

55 – Scott Family – 150,000 acres

Homer Scott started the Padlock Ranch in 1943 with 300 cows on 3,000 acres. Today the family’s holdings stretch from Hardin, Montana, to Sheridan, Wyoming. The ranch, which is headquartered at the foot of Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains, now raises and markets more than 12,000 calves a year.

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