It’s been a busy time here at the ranch. Not surprisingly, everyone who has been on the fence about buying land feels more motivated. I have clients who would love to come to their property and get away from the madness of the city, but they are locked down in Socal, and can’t leave. I believe that we’ll have a big uptick once the lockdown is lifted.

Some days, I feel a little depressed about it all. The anxiety of not knowing the future is disconcerting, and I feel a bit of unease in every waking moment.

Thankfully, I have our garden. Though it probably wouldn’t be enough to keep us from being a bit leaner later on, it’s relaxing, and I always leave the phone up at the house so as to have a brief moment of calm in the flurry. Having 40 acres means I don’t have to sit in the house, and that helps I think.

I’m also thankful of my career as a land broker. I have helped many people to move to this beautiful area. The solar off grid life is not the easiest, but there are many rewards that make the lack of convenience worth it.

Real estate sales are not easy. I’m reminded of the old adage that we in real estate just work half days, you know, 12 hours a day. It’s true!

For the buyers today, my job is just to know what’s best out there for the money. Stagecoach Trails being over 130,000 acres offers a variety of terrains and locations. Zeroing in on what the needs of the buyer are long term seems to be the most important thing.

Educating buyers on costs to do a well, septic, solar etc. may have prevented some financial mishaps (and cost a few sales.) Truth is that it really does cost more than you realize to get it all set up. If I can keep folks grounded in reality as to what it takes to live off grid, I feel it’s best for all of us in the long run.

For sellers the key is pricing. What one wants is not always what the market will bear. We’d all have loved to sold any stock investments in February, ah but it’s too late.

We have an abundance of inventory, but for the first time since the market started dropping in earnest in 2009, we are seeing some slight appreciation upward. There are fewer and fewer “bargains.” Buyers take note!

To all of you reading, please leave a comment or two. Thanks for stopping by! -Ben