Seacrow. I live in North Florida and I own seven tracts of 100 acres or more. I am constantly getting calls from real estate agents who want to buy my land holdings. Florida climate is changing and natural beauty is going down the tubes because of excessive land development, mainly slash and burn cluster home subdivisions. I know real estate agents could care less about the environmental impact of land development, they are in it for the money only. Is telemarketing a new tactic for these lowlifes? I get 4 calls a day, and one day I fear I may go postal.

 

Alright, Real Estate, I subject I truly love.

Rick99, you are right. I am guilty of it myself as a matter of fact. I am not an agent though. My sister lives in Milton, Fl just outside of Pensacola. I am researching some 100 acre tracts as we speak. I would like to buy, sit, and wait for a developer to buy me out for $30K plus per acre.

In the back of my mind I feel the same way you do about FL. I think a moratorium is the best answer to overbuilding and the BS water shortages we hear about, especially in the Sarasota area. Money rules the world unfortunately and it will not change. We are losing our natural resources to baby boomer retirees (no offense to any of our fine members that this applies to) and over-extended yuppy families. I feel that if it is gonna happen anyway then I should have at least a minute amount of say in the way it goes down. I would require any developments on my land to include resource saving measures such as bird sanctuaries, etc. If that is at all possible to do.

I love Fl. and I try to buy existing properties and improve them. I am very active in neighborhood improvement programs and anything that improves the areas my properties are in. Even if it is more work for me. I just signed contracts on 3 more duplexes today that I don't need or really want but I don't trust any other potential buyers and what that may mean to the surrounding properties I own.

I feel your pain. REal estate is making me a hell of a living but, in addition to that, I give a crap. Not many of us do including many of my colleagues. I would not sell to any real estate agent. It is generally unethical for agents to invove themselves that way. However, they may be calling on behalf of an investor. If you do sell it, tell them you will subdivide it and sell it for $70,000 an acre. That should keep them away. I hope you keep it for 20 years to prolong the development and it will sweeten up your retirement quite a lot as well.

I am selling my house "by owner" and I have had 30 plus calls over the past month or so. I tell them I want $XXXXX.00 and whatever you get above that you can keep, if you want the listing. They just hang up. LOL

 

this also explains why I need captains chairs so bad. I almost live in my truck on most days.

 

I feel your pain about development. I live about 25 miles or so north of Columbus, and that is just barely far enough away from being eaten by cookie cutter homes. I live on 10 acres, as well as all my neighbors on either side. We all back up to a private wooded section (100+acres) and across the road is 34,000 of rolling farm land. Now, three houses down along that road, is another township who didn't pass zoning and delevlopment ordinances. Since that last election, my god. Nothing but cheap ply wood palaces popping up 4 to an acre right on top of another. I feel sorry for the familys that own the ranches and farms or just nice property adjacent or near them. They're for sale now. I swear, the suburban SUV driving "I love living in the country, even though we're destroying it by building our tract home, but I'm to dumb to realize" yuppies are like locusts. The day I see one of those houses pop up by me is the day I start sitting on the porch, naked, drinking beer and cleaning my guns. "Welcome neighbor!" I'm far to senile for a 25 yr old.
Sorry, had to rant. This really touches a nerve with me.

MrScot

 

OH NO, now ya got me started. When I bought my house 15 years ago, all the houses were on an acre or more. People next to me split and sold their one acre in to four lots. Because they are on a corner, I now have people almost behind me. If I look out my back window, there they are, where a feild used to be. Guy on other side has 4 acres and wants all of his, guy across the street has at least 6 with the vacant part right in front of my house. Guy behind me has 4 acres with vacant part butting up to my property. ALL of us had been approached by the same realestate agent who wanted us to sell for a rediculously low price. He wanted the whole piece with house on it but said that because they would be tearing down the houses to put up a subdivison, that the best price we could get would be comparable to what vacant land was going for!! Oh yeah, and if I didn't sell to him, he said the city was going to run an easement down the middle of my property for him to have access to the guy behind me's property which he was buying also. So according to him, I wouldn't be able to ever sell my property. I told him off and he kept trying to talk to my husband about it. Funny I OWN it, not my husband. Even the law here in Mi only gives a spouse who isn't on the title 30% and if I devorced him tomorrow, he wouldn't even get that.
Jump to a year later and our city put a resevour the size of a small lake with landscaping all around it behind six houses accross the street. Remember these are all on at least an acre. So now they darn near have lake front property. And I have an unobscured view!! ...and it will stay that way because they also put in a park right in front of my house.
Mr realestate motives are now clear:
He wanted the guy across streets property so he would get what the city had to pay him for the property that the resviour and park took up, and naturally he would put up houses on tiny lots surounding it.
He wanted the guy behind and the guy next to me as well as my property so he could sell dozens of tiny 'Lake view' lots with park access. All bought for the price of vacant land.
As soon as we can, we're getting out of here where Nature has still some dignity left.
Then I will be on the porch with my Labatt polishing the ponies (colt .45) and greeting the realtors!

 

I was born in a small town. Economics of the time (1930's) had us move to a BIG city. At marrige - purchased 1st home at far edge of city - city grew to encompass us. Moved to small town - town grew & grew - moved futher out, to smaller town, town grew, - moved way out to country - 2 acres - everyone came out " to enjoy the scenery" - moved way - way out of town - they still came.
Moved to an Island in the Pacific Ocean, way, way, way out of town. - They still came.
Stayed on Island, but moved to a CLOSED, SMALL, small, subdivision, on First Nations land. _ NO MORE CAN COME !!!
100 yds. from ocean, surrounded by trees, beautiful area & neighbours.
When we travel south for "winter", say to Pheonix/Mesa - WOW - now I know how you Fla. people feel. Went to Walt's World 2 years ago, last trip before - abt 20 yrs ago !!!
WOW seacrow - I know what yer sayin.
So - What's the answer?

 

What started my raving, other than the phone calls, was a trip to Orlando 3 days ago. Where the once were wetlands, cypress trees and a spring we used to swim in when I was 8 years old is now a 500 acre lot completely cleared and an almost dried up spring in the middle of it all. My wife and I visited that area because I proposed to her at the spring 30 years ago .The destruction of the natural areas is causing major climate changes. Up until 12 years ago central Florida got 1 hour of downpours every day about 2-4:00 pm. Now we get rain 2-3 times a week if at all. I own 758 acres in 7 tracts and I will never sell it. When I will it to my children I'll set it up so it can not be sold to anyone but the State for preservation purposes only. If I sold my land I would be a millionaire, but my conscience wouldn't allow it. My sister's husband works for a land developer and I have disowned them all, haven't talked to them for 10 years. Governor Jeb Bush is a real ***** and he'll just speed up the process. In 20 years nothing will be left but major traffic problems, major water shortages, and nothing but $200,000 homes. I am a born and raised Florida Cracker. I blame everybody, after all who originally sold the land to the investment companies, NATIVES!!!

 

Oh yes, and how about this lovely drought. I have never known it not to rain for more than two weeks max and that was usually in Jan or Feb. I am sure everyone heard of the wildfires in Sarasota County. It was on CNN. I also remember the daily summer downpours when I was a kid. Every day without fail, you could set your watch to them. Doesn't happen anymore. We are only allowed to water lawns once a week and NO car washing due to preserving water. Manatee County just approved the building of a 876 unit condo development on Perico Island very close to the mouth of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. So we are running out of water, let's build more and more homes. I used to camp and "park" there when I was in high school. AGain, it's all about the money.

 

Unfortunately, what we need is a good recession to cool the spending. I wish, oh how I wish that the trend famous in the "Wall Street" 80's of urban living would come back. Back when everyone wanted to live in lofts or condos downtown. But, they traded their hand blenders and BMW sedans for Land's End flannel shirts and BMW SUV's and moved to the country. I about sh*t myself the other day when one of the new scum bags down the street had the nerve to complain about my chickens and their cawing. "My wife and I and our friends are trying to have a pieceful afternoon sipping Fresca, and all I hear are these beasts." The same new people complain about the smell from my neighbors cows and horses. Makes my head want to split open. So, now I have a "**** on SUVs" sticker on the truck and give them the finger EVERY time I drive by. Must stop sprawl.This is my jihad.