"Investing" in a Christmas Tree

Wisconsin has many Christmas Tree Farms, and our home grown evergreens make it all across the country to bring Christmas cheer.

If you are looking for a real tree, grab the family and head out to cut your own.  The Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association has links to Christmas Tree Farms across Wisconsin.  Find your tree close to home or make a weekend of family fun.  See tree farm list here Wisconsin Christmas Trees: Cut Your Own Tree

Check out wooded properties on BuyWisconsinLand.com, and next year get a Christmas Tree from your own property!

Thanksgiving Will Be A Little Cheaper

Good news Wisconsinites!  Your Thanksgiving Meal will be about 50 cents cheaper than last year, according to the Wisconsin Farm Bureau. At $48.40 for a meal for 10 people, it is also less than the national average.

Check out this article from the Fond du Lac Reporter Wis. shoppers will pay less for Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at BuyWisconsinLand.com

Your Financial Future

You can make land a part of your financial future. Investing in vacant property can be a great addition to your portfolio if you take the proper steps before you buy.

Here is a article from the Real Estate Resources Blog with tips on increasing your wealth with real estate.

Anybody who offers actually built all kinds of wealth could possibly say that there are couple of methods to do so with out some type of investment. These days the word ‘invest’ can be a scary one, indeed. Along with the method the economy continues to be heading in the previous several years this can end up being difficult to put money into anything with some guarantee which you will get this back let alone see any kind of profit from it.

There’s no revenue without the potential risk; after all, that’s the nature of opportunities. Whilst there are certain types of opportunities which are a bit much less sure-footed than others, land investments stay one of the more profitable investment opportunities available. Why? It has so much potential and purchasers are not secured into something from all-you incorporated. In the event that you are interested in starting out in the world of opportunities, why not use land investment as a method to obtain your feet in the door to improving your financial future?

Full Story How to Use Land Investment to Improve Your Financial Future – Tips to Get You Started

Hunting season is here - find great hunting and recreational property on BuyWisconsinLand.com
 

LocalThatsAll.com

Looking for real estate in Wisconsin? 

LocalThatsAll.com has homes, condos, land and business listings available across Wisconsin.  Search buy property type, county or city, and/or by price. See what you want and find the property you are looking for here LocalThatsAll.com

Have questions or need us to help you with your search email us info@localthatsall.com

Thinking About Vacant Land

Whether for investment, recreation, or a lot for a home, buying and owning land is part of the American Dream. But the key to being happy with your real estate purchase depends on knowing the area, the law and restrictions governing property, as well as potential income are important factors to learn before you buy. This article by Rebecca Guerrero from eHow.com highlights these key areas of focus when considering a vacant land purchase.

Vacant land speaks to the American psyche. It touches that part of the American spirit that desires the freedom to design and build a home that is as unique as the individual who wants it. However, there are other reasons for purchasing vacant land: an opportunity to make money through investment, a place to build a retirement or a second home, or a space for recreation. Alongside the dream, though, comes the reality: there are some factors that must be studied before any money is spent.

Full Story About Vacant Land

Happy Halloween from BuyWisconsinLand.com

Monthly Newsletter

At BuyWisconsinLand.com we have more than just great listings of wooded acreage and recreational property.  Need a link to a County Government or tourism site?  Want the latest news from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources?  How about if you need a mortgage calculator or loan rate news?  We've got that and much more.

Our newest feature is a Monthly Newsletter.  Each month we bring you news about land and recreation in our state. You can see October's newsletter here.

BuyWisconsinLand.com has listings from 15 to 1000+ acres, showcasing incredible recreational acreage great for hunting, ATVing, hiking, or as an investment. We use the latest technology to get you the information you need to make an informed choice when purchasing your dream property.  Give us a call at 877-339-6535 or email property@buywisconsinland.com We look forward to working with you.

Land Conservation Leadership Award

Gathering Waters Conservancy, a group dedicated to preserving and maintaining Wisconsin's nature, is hosting their annual Land Conservation Leadership Awards Celebration Thursday September 26th at Monona Terrace.

One of the honorees is Dan Lemke, Senior Land Manager for Plum Creek, who will receive the Rod Nilsestuen Award for Working Lands Preservation for his work in preserving 60,000 wooded acres in Wisconsin. See this blog entry at the wisconsinlandtrusts.org about Mr. Lemke's efforts to protect Wisconsin's woodlands Sustaining the Lifeblood of Our Great State: A Thank You to Dan Lemke

Learn more about the Gathering Waters Conservancy and see all of this years award winners at their website Gathering Waters Conservancy

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Care of Your Wooded Property

Once you find your wooded acreage, you'll need to manage the trees to keep maximum value. 

Here is an article from the UW Extension Learning Store with details about managing forest land and harvesting trees, why it's a good idea and ways to do it.  Wisconsin Woodlands - Harvesting and Forest Management

Looking for wooded acreage?  Check out listings from 15 to 1000+ acres on BuyWisconsinLand.com

Tax Deductions

The items you can deduct on your taxes when you own vacant land versus improved properties are can be different and sometimes fewer. Check out this article by Solomon Portesky at eHow to be sure you find all the deductions you can use when you own raw land as an investment property.

With all of the discussion of the benefits of home ownership, it becomes easy to forget that these benefits apply, in one form or another, to just about any type of real estate ownership. This can include the ownership of raw land. Whether held for investment or residential purposes, a parcel of land comes with a number of tax deductions built-in.

Full Story Land Property Tax Deductions

Check out our large wooded acreages BuyWisconsinLand.com

Zoning

In Wisconsin Zoning is the job of local communities. Here is a short article from the UW-Madison Land Information and Computer Graphics Facility website describing Wisconsin Zoning.

In Wisconsin, zoning power is granted to counties, towns, cities, and villages. Each of these units has geographic boundaries. In some cases, zoning power is exercised over part of the lands within a community’s boundaries. In other cases, all the lands within the jurisdiction are zoned. In still other cases, zoning power is exercised over areas outside the local jurisdiction's boundaries. This latter activity is called "extraterritorial zoning."  

There are some distinctions between who is authorized to do general zoning and who is authorized to do special purpose zoning. General zoning addresses a variety of public purposes and objectives. Special purpose zoning addresses specialized concerns or special geographic areas such as lands around airports and lands along rivers or lakes. In Wisconsin, the principal forms of special purpose zoning are agricultural preservation zoning, shoreland zoning, and floodplain zoning.

See Full Story 1.1  Zoning Powers and Responsibilities:  Wisconsin Counties, Towns, Cities and Villages

For Local Zoning information, visit our Local Travel and Government page on BuyWisconsinLand.com

Statewide Shoreland Zoning Standard Hearings

New minimum standards for shoreland zoning are being proposed, and the public is invited to comment. Public hearings have been scheduled in August and comments will also be accepted by email and mail until September 5th.  See this article from the Wisconsin DNR for more details.

MADISON – Proposed changes to minimum statewide shoreland zoning standards aimed at providing more flexibility for property owners and making the standards easier for counties to implement are the topic of public hearings in August. People also may file comments electronically or by U.S. mail through Sept. 5.

Since Wisconsin revised the minimum statewide shoreland zoning standards in 2009, some counties expressed concerns that the revisions would be administratively difficult to implement and enforce, according to Russ Rasmussen, deputy administrator for the Department of Natural Resources Water Division.

Full Story Public hearings set on changes to statewide shoreland zoning standards

Find waterfront properties here BuyWisconsinLand.com

Mortgage Rates on the Rise

After all time lows, it seems mortgage rates are once again rising, reaching a two year high this week. Check out the story by Les Christie at CNN Money.

Rates climbed 0.22 percentage points to 4.51% for a 30-year, fixed-rate loan this week, the highest it has been since July 2011. Meanwhile, the average rate for a 15-year loan hit 3.53%, up 0.14 percentage points.

Full Story Mortgage rates reach highest level in 2 years

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Wisconsin's Lands

If you are interested in land conservation or recreational land in Wisconsin, this book is for you.  Written in 2006, the Wisconsin Land Legacy Report details places and needs of Wisconsin to keep our natural heritage safe for generations to come.

Visit the Wisconsin DNR website for more information about the report or find where you can get a copy for yourself. Wisconsin Land Legacy Report

Happy 4th of July from all of us at BuyWisconsinLand.com

Wisconsin Land Damaged by Wildfire Already Recovering

May 14th and 15th several thousand acres of forest in Douglas County were destroyed by wildfires. However nature is already at work, and plants are beginning to grow and trees will be sprouting later this summer.

See this article from the Superior Telegram with more details.

Department of Natural Resources officials say the ecological recovery for 7,442 acres burned in last month’s wildfire is already underway.

The area could recover in as few as five years. Brule forestry supervisor Jay Gallagher says that fire — although this one was manmade — is a natural process.

“Fire is a recurring thing. We’ve just controlled it since our presence here,” he said. “We don’t see near the frequency of fire, but it’s a natural component of the ecology of that landscape.”

Full Story Land damaged by wildfire on path to recovery

If you'd like to help those who lost homes or help with tree replanting see the Northern WI Wildfire Fund Facebook Page

Happy Father's Day from all of us at BuyWisconsinLand.com
 

BuyWisconsinLand.com

My name is Roy Burlingame, and I am the Broker at BuyWisconsinLand.com.

I've successfully sold real estate for years by providing my clients with comprehensive market information and VIP service. And now, the latest technologies, many involving the Internet, are enabling me to do everything I've always done – but much more efficiently.

So when you decide that the time is right to buy your dream recreational property, hunting land or investment acreage, please don't hesitate to call 877-339-6535 or email property@buywisconsinland.com.

Also, please keep in mind that all my work to represent your best interests throughout the property search and purchase process doesn't cost you anything, and I’m sure to save you time, money and hassle.

Check out the latest listings across Wisconsin BuyWisconsinLand.com

Questions About Purchasing Property

When purchasing land for recreation or investment, we at BuyWisconsinLand.com recommend you start by answering these questions:

First – what kind of property are you looking for?
An existing home or cabin? A building lot? Small acreage parcel? Large acreage property? Water frontage?

Second – what will be using the property for?
A vacation cabin for weekend getaways? A future retirement home? Your own hunting ground or ATV area? An investment property?

Third – where do you want to be?
Is there a city you would like to be near? Is there an activity you want to be able to do on and around your property? Is there a distance from a city that you don’t want to travel far from?

Fourth – what do you want to spend?
Know your budget - then research property values. This will give you a better picture of what type of property you should look for and what areas to look in.
Too often customers believe that because a property isn’t near a major city land values are very low, or that there is no zoning and they can use the land however they wish. This is rarely the case; even though a parcel may be deep in the countryside, other factors such as water frontage, proximity to public lands or local attractions, or even road frontage, all have an affect on the price. And all Counties have zoning regulations and in some cases Townships have even more laws regarding property use.

Before heading out and looking for any type of property – take time to research the areas you are interested in. Know what you would like to use your property for and set yourself a budget.

Do you have more questions? Drop us a line at property@buywisconsinland.com and one of our Associates will get you the information you need to make an informed purchase. And check out our listings of wooded properties at BuyWisconsinLand.com We also have County Government and Tourism Links, ATV Trail Information, Hunting and Fishing Season Dates as well as Land Purchase Information.

(questions reposted from Wisconsin Fun Facts blog June 24, 2009)

Why Buy Land?

Mark Twain said "Buy land, they're not making it anymore".  But is that why you should invest in land?

In this article by Gregory Akerman at BiggerPockets.com there is some good information on why buying land is a good investment, especially when the economy isn't so great.

The world's economies are experiencing tremendous falls. In the media through television, radio and newspaper people are constantly talking about economic crises, recession and credit crunch. The trembling terror of bank crisis and financial bailout forces the brainy investors to change prospect from shares, forex, commodities to one of the most assured investments 'land'.

Why to invest in land?

Full Story Why Invest In Land During Economic Downturns

Find great Wisconsin properties - for recreation and investment - at BuyWisconsinLand.com

How Realtors Get Paid

Most folks know Realtors® gets paid a commission when a property is sold.  But exactly how does that work? Does the Seller pay or the Buyer? And how is the commission split between the Agents?

Check out our Wisconsin Fun Facts blog from January 15, 2010 with a link to a great article that explains real estate commissions.

Find us on Facebook-BuyWisconsinLand.com

Visit Us In Madison This Weekend

BuyWisconsinLand.com is on the road.  We will be at the Alliant Center in Madison April 5th-7th for the Deer and Turkey Expo, Booth 630.  Stop by and we'll be happy to answer you questions and show you great hunting and investment properties.

Not heading to Madison this week? Visit BuyWisconsinLand.com and see recreational property across Wisconsin. Or email us at property@buywisconsinland.com and we'll search the MLS for you and help you find your dream property.

Large Acreage Properties

Looking for a large wooded acreage property in Wisconsin? Check out these listings.

Your own woods with trails close to Lake Petenwell, Wisconsin's second largest lake, 240 acres in Adams County $488,500 ADAMS 1355

Spread out on this 280 acre wooded parcel, close to Wisconsin Rapids, Rainbow Casino and the Wisconsin River in Wood County. $415,000 WOOD 1653

Looking for larger property?  Give us a call at 877-339-6535 or email property@buywisconsinland.com and we'll help you find your ideal recreation or investment property.

Liens on Property

A question that sometimes arises during the sale of a property is "does this property have any liens on it?". A great question, since when you make a purchase you don't want to take on anyone else's old problems.

However this problem can be quickly answered by checking the records at the courthouse, which is usually done by the Title Insurance Company prior to closing.  In Wisconsin, once you have a signed and accepted Offer to Purchase, your Real Estate Agent or bank will order the closing paperwork which will include Title Insurance. The Title Insurance Company will review the property records and report back on any liens or encumbrances it finds.  Then it's the Seller's job to take care of these issues before the closing date.

If you have questions about buying real estate, contact us anytime at property@buywisconsinland.com

How's the Market in 2013

Is 2013 the year the economy and real estate markets begin to rise? Stephen Malpezzi, a Professor at the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate Wisconsin School of Business, gives his thoughts in this article published in Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine.

As I write the Graaskamp Center’s annual note to our friends at the WRA, news junkies like myself are toggling between compelling stories of human tragedy, including the December 14 massacre at Sandy Hook, and what AT the moment seems A less compelling-than-usual story of the economy. Mark Twain gave good advice when he said “write what you know”; so I’ll simply note the pain we’re all feeling, then focus on the economy. Once we return our attention there, there’s a lot to focus on!

In last year’s outlook, “Déjà vu All Over Again,” I noted:
“… we’re back to prices at or near fundamentals; employment is growing, albeit slowly; … I see another year of flat-to-modest growth in housing prices, with some downside risk if a big chunk of the “foreclosure glut” hits the market, though this will be less of a problem here than in the ‘sand states.’ If we did see further declines, these would, in the main, be temporary overshooting until we work through the foreclosures and other distressed sales.”

Full Story A Healing Market, Some Risks Remain

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Invest In Your Area

We've all heard the expression "go with what you know". This common sense knowledge can be applied to investing in real estate.

In this article by Mark Podolsky at biggerpockets.com see how this advice can be applied to investing in land.

It's become a cliché, but it really applies to land investing. Invest in what you know or buy in your backyard.  

Basically, if you live in Texas don't start your first land purchase in California. Look first in your own neighborhood.

Full Story Buy What You Know  

Check out all the great wooded acreages available across Wisconsin BuyWisconsinLand.com

Questions for a Realtor®

If you are looking for property, nothing is worse that a Realtor® that can't meet your needs. At BuyWisconsinLand.com we strive to get you the information you need to make an informed real estate choice.

Here is an blog article by Sheila Moran, a Realtor® in Texas, with five questions you should ask when choosing a Realtor® ~Breaking up is hard to do~ 5 questions to ask your REALTOR®

If you have questions let us know property@buywisconsinland.com

1031 Exchanges Save Taxes

If you plan to sell property in 2013, you may want to consider a 1031 Exchange to avoid Capital Gains taxes. Check out this article by Kyle Koller on biggerpockets.com which explains why a 1031 Exchange can be good for you.

Most real estate investors understand the general concept of a 1031 exchange or, at the very least, have heard of it. Few, however, understand exactly what takes place within one of these exchanges and how powerful a tool it truly is. So let’s explore a subject that is close to everyone’s heart: not paying taxes on hard-earned money!

Full Story Don’t Pay Taxes on Your Capital Gains: 1031 Exchanges

For more information you can also visit the IRS website Like-Kind Exchanges Under IRC Code Section 1031

At BuyWisconsinLand.com, we will be happy to help with your search for property, and we can assist with a 1031 Exchange.  If you have questions just email us at property@buywisconsinland.com