When pondering Iowa fence law, my mind drifts back to a client and I busting through some thick nasty cover one sultry day a few July’s back, swatting flies as we walked, and checking out the fenceline on a 120-acre farm along the Des Moines river, in Iowa.
“This fence is pretty rough,” he said, as we paused at the top of a little ravine.
Your right this fence-line can barely be called a fence-line, that’s for sure. I answered back.
From the looks of things, no livestock had been on either side of that fence in a long, long, time.
And it appeared that neither landowner really cared about the condition of the fence anymore since neither seemed to have livestock to contain.
“What are my obligations for the fence,” my client asked. “Am I required to make the fence better or build a new fence if I buy the place”?
Perhaps…..
A look into The Iowa fence law code:
(The Iowa fence law code is very old and some of it dates back to the late 1800’s and earlier!)
If you are an Iowa landowner then you may already be familiar with Iowa fence law.
The law is rather out-dated and there are plenty of folks who disagree with some or all of it (especially those that don’t own livestock, it seems.)
The law states that existing border fences be maintained by both landowners and that the expense shared by both adjacent landowners.
Additionally, if there is no border fencing, and if one owner decides to have one, then that person can demand, by written request, the adjacent landowner to build a legal fence.
“Respective owners of adjoining tracts of land shall upon written request of either owner be compelled to erect and maintain partition fences, or contribute thereto, and keep the same in good repair throughout the year.” (a)
Who Pays for the Fence?
In determining how to apportion fence responsibilities under the statute, many landowners have traditionally applied the right-hand rule: two adjoining property owners, facing each other at the center of the fence along their shared property boundary, each agree to build the right half from the center of the property to the end of the property line. While this is an acceptable practice, it is not based in statutory or case law. Thus, it is not a required method of allocation. ( Iowa Fence Requirements: A Legal Review By Kristine A. Tidgreni July 27, 2016 )
Let’s go back to the question of my client.
Does he need to make that poor, below-code, fence-line better if he buys the land? Even though neither side owns or runs livestock?
He may need to make that border fence-line better – it all depends upon what the adjacent landowner desires.
For one thing, if the adjacent landowner requests a fence then it needs to be a legal fence. (If neither neighbor cares about having a fence then there is no statutory requirement to have one).
A legal fence means it must meet the minimum criteria the established by the Iowa code.
What if the adjacent landowner desires, an even better fence than the Iowa fence law code has established as the minimum allowance for a legal fence? The Iowa fence law provides that all partition fences may be made tight by the party desiring it, and when that party’s portion is so completed, the adjoining landowner must follow suit. ( Iowa Code § 359A.19.) A tight fence must be “securely fastened to good substantial posts, set firmly in the ground, not more than 20 feet apart.” (Iowa Code § 359A.20 )
359A.20 TIGHT FENCE:
All tight partition fences shall consist of:
1. Not less than twenty-six inches of substantial woven wire on
the bottom, with three strands of barbed wire with not less than
thirty-six barbs of at least two points to the rod, on top, the top
wire to be not less than forty-eight inches, nor more than fifty-four
inches high. 2. Good substantial woven wire not less than forty-eight inches
nor more than fifty-four inches high with one barbed wire of not less
than thirty-six barbs of two points to the rod, not more than four
inches above said woven wire. 3. Any other kind of fence which the fence viewers consider to be
equivalent to a tight partition fence or which meets standards
established by the department of agriculture and land stewardship by
rule as equivalent to a tight partition fence.
You may wonder if you have a duty to build and or to maintain a boundary partisan fence if you do not own livestock?
It would seem that the answer would be no.
But the real and legal answer, it seems, is yes.
In Iowa, landowners with livestock have a duty, by law, to fence their livestock in so that they don’t run at large. (lawful duty to fence livestock in)
However, adjacent landowners who do not own livestock are obligated by law to maintain their portion of any boundary partisan fence. (lawful obligation to keep livestock out)
This means that even if you do not own livestock and you do not maintain a sufficient and legal partition fence then you have little to no recourse for any possible damages that may be caused by livestock escaping onto your land.
The livestock owner would likely not be held responsible for damages if you do not maintain a legal partisan fence to keep his livestock out.
The law is pretty crazy in this regard if you ask me. But that is the way it is.
But that is the way it is.
It is sort of like saying, I’ve got this pit-bull here in my yard on this leash.
But he is big and mean and nasty and he may break that thing and dash off. If he comes into your yard and mauls you, I can’t be held responsible because you didn’t put up an appropriate barrier to stop him.
I realize that sounds like a silly and extreme example but it is based on the same logic as the Iowa fence code is using in regard to livestock.
What do you think?
The Iowa fence law code does establish a nice base point at which boundary line disputes and rights of ownership can be corrected and maintained.
Disputes between neighbors regarding boundary fencing are resolved by fence viewers who are township trustees – either 3 or 5 registered voters of the township – that have been given special power to resolve fence-line controversies. They do not have the authority, however, to resolve legal boundary issues.
Property Ownership
There are ways in which property ownership rights can be established and transferred based simply upon where the partisan fence is located.
If a boundary fence exists and both sides don’t dispute it’s location for a period of at least 10 years, then that it becomes the legal boundary (boundary by Acquaintance). This is important because even though a boundary fence exists this does not mean it is on the real legal boundary or that it is on the exact location that a survey of the land would reveal. But after ten years, if neither landowner disputes the location of the partition fencing, then that becomes the legal border regardless (Iowa Code § 650.6)
This important for landowners to realize because often certain sections of border fencing is placed for convenience.
Fencing by convenience is not uncommon at all, and in fact, is done all the time, especially on rough and rugged terrain.
This is done to make it easier get around something when fencing off the border – perhaps the real line is close to the edge of a rock bluff or goes across a creek with big, steep hillside, for example.
In these cases, a landowner may place fencing just off to the edge of these places or slightly off and around the edge of these areas to more conveniently run the fence and, thus, dodge the obstacle.
If you are a landowner and have any questions regarding your land borders, I suggest going to the courthouse and looking at your plat-of-land. (county auditor).
Again, is not uncommon to have at least some portion of a fence-line, to be run by convenience, especially on large or “rugged” farms. If you find such to be the case on your farm, you should notify your neighbor right away, in writing, that you have knowledge of the real border in those areas and that the partition fence is not on it.
The are other ways ownership rights can be dictated and transferred by way of Iowa fence law code.
Something similar to Easement by Acquaintance is Easement by Prescription
With Easement By Prescription, both owners have knowledge that a border fence exists in the wrong area but they continue to use it as though it is placed correctly. If both sides continue to use the borders as the “real border” for a period of 10 years or more, then ownership rights can transer by means of easement by prescription. (When a landowner “uses another’s land under a claim of right or color of title, openly, notoriously, continuously, and hostilely for ten years or more” an easement by prescription is created. Iowa Code § 564.1.)
Adverse Possession:
Finally, misplaced fences could result in land acquired via “adverse possession.” Adverse possession is a similar doctrine to an easement by prescription, however adverse possession is obtained by occupying the land, not simply using it. (Iowa Code § 564.1.)
This covers some of the basics regarding Iowa fence law to get more details you should download
Iowa Fence Requirements: A Legal Review By Kristine A. Tidgreni July 27, 2016 (button at the bottom of this post)
Something fishy with Iowa fence law:
Sometimes a partisan fence runs right through the middle of a pond or lake.
In Iowa, landowners own the bottom of any lake or pond bed that sits on their land. In certain instances, the boundaries between adjacent landowners may run through a portion of a lake or pond.
Can a landowner put up a fence that runs through a lake or pond and on their property border, and fence other’s out?
Yes.
However, many owners choose to make different agreements that allow all owners of a shared lake to enjoy the whole water source. (b)
Credits: a: Gravert v. Nebergall, 539 N.W.2d 1184 (Iowa 1995). b: Fence Feuds: A Two-Sided Story posted by Shannon Holmberg | Jul 16, 2015
Did you know you there is a really good chance you can get LOADS of money for FREE?
Did you know that you can get cost-share dollars for some or all of your various Iowa wildlife projects?
That’s right – money for nothin’!
You may already know that cost-share money is available each year to Iowa landowners to various sorts of things.
Projects such as tree plantings, timber stand improvement, wetlands establishments, etc., are all eligible for significant cost-share money paid straight to the landowner. Typical cost-share percentages range from 50-75% of the total cost to establish the approved project.
Tree plantings provide valuable wildlife habitat as well as to help provide clean water and air for everyone. They can also become a valuable economic component for the landowner.
This can add up to some huge savings in cost, particularly when doing large projects — we are talking thousands of dollars of savings!
What are the cost-share programs in Iowa?
One cost-share program is called REAP.
This is an acronym for Resource Enhancement and Protection Program. REAP is great for funding timber stand improvement projects and tree plantings. Payment rates are very good: up to 75% of the projected project cost. (the district forester must examine the site to determine the suitability of the desired project for the site and provides the landowner a dollar number that the state would pay for the project on a per-acre basis)
Typical REAP requirements the project(s) is to be completed within a year.
Completed projects are then approved by the state district forester or wildlife biologist for the particular region of your land within the state.
A Stewardship Plan for the landowner is typically required and is drafted by the area biologist or forester.
A management plan is also required.
These are typically also drafted by these professionals.
Or, should you decide to hire a private conservation improvement service or a forestry consultant, they may draft a plan for you (so long as their plan is approved by the state forester or biologist. The private consultant or service works in conjunction with the state-employed professionals to ensure the project is completed according to the approved site plan)
All of this may sound sort of confusing, at first, but it’s really NOT that bad! Believe me, if I can figure this stuff out, so can you!
Another cost-share program is EQIP.
This is an acronym forEnvironmental Quality Incentives Program. This program allows cost-share funding for various forestry and wildlife related projects as well.
The EQIP programs allows cost-share funding for many of the same types of projects as the REAP program does. One major difference is that the EQIP program has a continuous signup period. With priority given to the applications that come in first — first-come, first served.
For 2017, there is priority ranking to all applications received to Oct 21. There is a second priority cutoff of March 17.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t apply after these dates. You can apply at any time.
A second major difference between EQIP and the REAP programs is that EQUIP rates are typically lower than those through REAP.
Why would anyone choose to go with EQIP instead of REAP then, you ask?
For one reason, money is pretty much always available through EQIP.
REAP cost -share funding is granted on an annual basis to Iowa with counties getting funded, typically, in late summer. Many counties run out of REAP funding by early spring or earlier. So if your county is out of REAP funding when you like to do your project, then you can always sign up for EQUIP instead.
Both programs require management plans. These can be drafted by the project biologist, forester, or professional company hired to complete the project.
Still, other cost-share and income producing programs exist for Iowa landowners.
Most everyone has heard of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) .
Many people envision a vast sea of grasses sweeping across the landscape when thinking of a CRP field.
Most of these fields would be considered general signup projects.
This is where the United States Department of Agriculture pays landowners to plant approved fields to grassland habitat to protect those acres from erosion. These general sign-up periods happen from time to time and often seem to occur at the spur of the moment!
It’s a good idea to continually monitor the Iowa Farm Service Agency’s website or stay in-tune with your county FSA office for updates on the CRP program and any sign-up periods.
Field of Conservation Reserve Planting grasses
Landowners are generally allowed a percentage of the establishment cost to plant these fields — typically up to 50%
This saves the landowner thousands of dollars and helps him make his land way more valuable, too, from wildlife and recreational value perspective, as well! It’s a big win-win!
CRP programs pay the participant on an annual basis and contracts are either for 10 or for 15 years.
And, there is WAY more to CRP than just the continual sign-up program.
From bee pollinator grass and flower plantings, to food plots, wetland establishment and tree plantings. If you own land and desire to help your wildlife and the environment – and your recreational land value – then you need to investigate deeper into the various CRP practices that exist.
At last count, there were 42 different CRP practices that eligible Iowa landowners can sign up for on a continuous basis. That means, there is no sign-up period for these programs. You can go into your county FSA office and apply for these programs at any time.
There are various wetland conservation programs that are available to landowners as well. The various contracts and options of enrollments are numerous and somewhat complicated. You can dig into that information as desired.
Through the CSR landowner,s can acquire cost-share dollars to help with prescribed burning, upland wildlife management, wetland habitat improvements, crop tree management to increase mast (fruit and nut) production, tree plantings and more!
You can even use CSR to create wildlife movement corridors, for wildlife watering management and for help with leaving standing crops available to deer and other wildlife. You can even get cost-share funding to improve monarch butterfly habitat.
Of course, there are stipulations on using the CSR: you have to first qualify and be approved.
Just like all the other programs. With the CSR program, there are income limitations on individuals to qualify for cost-share dollars and there are other stipulations as well. But it is a program worth check out!
As an Iowa real estate broker, I get calls like it at least once a week.
“Do you think now is a good time to buy land“. Or, “why should I invest in land instead of the stock market“.
I also get statements.
“I sure wish I’d have invested in land 10 years ago when it was so cheap, I’d be retired today!”
Or, like this one. “If I just would have bought that farm a few years back when it was for sale — look at what it is worth now!“
Hind sight is always 20/20. What will we be saying 10 years from now when we all glance back to the present day? The same sorts of things?
You might be thinking that land prices have esculated so much over the past decade or so that it’s too expensive to buy now.
It’s true — land prices have gone up, in general, over the past decade. But that is a good thingnot a bad thing, as a land buyer. After all, if land prices trended downward each year than it wouldn’t be such a great investment. The fact the land prices generally trend upward over time is a reason to buy land not to back awary from land.
In Iowa, the last few years, land prices have actually slipped from what they were just a few years back — because commodities like soybeans and corn have dropped in value. So make no mistake about it: investing in land is like investing in anything else, there is performance risk, it might not go up. There are no guarantees in land investing.
But if you believe in using history as a guide to the future, then you should believe that a land investment could be a good one.
Land prices rise and fall, for sure.
There is a finite supply of land. As the world populatinon continues to climb, competetion for this resource will go up. That means price will go up. Maybe not now, or tomorrow, or next month, but they will go up — and they will go down!
Make no mistake about it — investing in land, like any other investment, is often a roller-coaster ride. But if your in it for the long haul — as you should normally be with land — then things look good for the future.
Here are 10 reason why, I believe, land is a great investment:
1). They just aren’t making any more of it!
As we stated above, land is a finite resource. Based on the law of supply and demand, it just makes sense that as the number of people increases so too does the demand for available resources.
And, since they aren’t making any more land these days, prices should increase, over time.
Makes sense, right?
2). Land Doesn’t Break!
Lots of investors get into rental properties and housing, in general, to create wealth.
Housing is a great wealth builder. And so is land.
The nice part about land compared to housing, though, is that it doesn’t break. It’s a simple characteristic of land that makes it so appealing — land just sits there asking for no favors and requires little to no maintainance.
Nothing really happens to it.
That’s my kind of property!
3). Land is a “Hands Off” investment.
Since land doesn’t break, and for the most part, there is nothing to do. It just sits there. Quietly. Asking you for nothing.
That’s a great thing: land is not constantly falling apart, like housing does.
Land is sort of boring this way.
But boring is good. Because it frees up your time to do other things you would rather be doing like fishing.
Of course, there are things you may need to do with some types of land — such as putting up border fencing. But, in general, land is much more of a hands off or “laissez faire” investment than comparable options in the world of real estate such as housing.
4) Land values don’t normally swing wildly.
Ever own some shares of stock and find out a short time later that they dipped in value — I mean really dipped in value!
This is pretty common. Shares of individual company stock swing up and down, short term, like a paper airplane in the breeze. Land doesn’t do that on a normal basis.
On a normal, day-to-day basis, the value of any individual land parcel general stays pretty constant. (of course, things could happen to change the value of any individual piece of land quickly — like a notice of a new airport being discussed in the local paper, a notice for a new mall on the edge of town, or a hog confinement coming to the land near you.
Things happen and prices of anything can go up or down fast. But, in the grand scheme of investments, land prices generally stay pretty constant, compared to many others. And, in Iowa at least, land tends to progress upward over time. (Note: chart/diagram above)
5). Land is easy to finance – and you get the “power” of using other people’s money.
There is no doubt about it. Using other people’s money, albiet, from a friend, relative, bank or otherwise, carries risk and can create stress. You want to be careful any time you borrow money and be sure of your finances before you do. You want to be able to pay it back each month without undo stressing yourself or your loved ones.
But, as long as you are careful, financing real estate with other people’s money can be a real boon to your pocket book.
Assuming the land you purchase carries some sort of monthly return back to you — this could be income from crop ground rental, a hunting lease, government subsidy payment such as CRP, a timber sale, etc., — you come out ahead of other investment vehicles that don’t pay cash back to you each month.
And, any return you get back from any land income sources can be used to pay for the monthly/yearly interest on the loan and you may even make a return over and above that amount that allows you to pay down the principle too.
Using the power of borrowed money “leverages” returns in your favor over time, assuming a gradual increase in the value of the land. This enables you to buy more with less money out of your own pocket.
This allows you to use any excess cash toward other things like more land purchases, home maintaincence, family things, or a fishing trip. This is something that is often forgotten but shouldn’t be. By not having to pay “all cash” to buy land you get to keep more cash in your pocket for necessities, goodies, or other investments.
6). Tax Advantages
While land itself cannot be depreciated over time to help reduce your tax burden, improvements to the land can (such as fencing, driveways, tree shelters, and buildings). You’ll need to discuss this in detail with your tax manager or accountant. But land does have some potential advantages here over other investments (such as common stock).
Also, Iowa has the Forest Reserve Program. This enable owners of forestland to take the land off the tax roll! That’s correct: you pay zero real estate taxes!
7). Enjoyment of Use
The fact is, it’s hard to find much fun use out of a stock certificate.
With land, you can use it. You can enjoy it. It’s sitting there, quietly, waiting for you and your family to get some use out of it.
What can you do? You can hunt, fish, hike, bike, walk, run, ski, camp, build, etc. You can do wildlife photography.
You can just go “reflect”. The point is that you can enjoy it however you desire. It’s hard to enjoy using a stock certificate!
8). Government Programs
Land has all sorts of options in regard to programs that help you to not only pay for the land but to make it better.
Did you hear that right? The government will help you pay for your land through these programs and to make it better!
The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is another program that provides millions of dollars to landowners across the nation to protect sensitive tillable acres from massive erosion and to enhance the wildlife habitat in these areas.
There are LOADS of other programsavailable to landowner as well. Such programs can make the land more valuable to the landowner. These programs also enhance the wildlife habitat as well as create, protect, and promote vital wildlife ecosystems. These programs help the whole nation by enhancing soil and water quality for everyone to benefit from.
9). Land Can Create Multiple Streams of Income For You.
In the form of cash rent from farming, hunting leases, government program payments (CRP, REAP, EQUIP, etc.,).
These cash streams are like housing tenants that provide income to you each month. The only differnce is these “tenants” don’t break down your property!
Ring up another victory for land investing!
Wind turbines, cell towers, oil drilling, etc., are some other potential ways your land could literally be handing you cash on a regular basis.
Of course, the income any particular piece of land has the ability to produce depends on lots of factors. Every land parcel and location is different. You’ll just have to analyze the potential of each parcel of land you find.
10). Land Creates Wealth
There is no doubt about it.
By buying land at the right price, with good financing, and by creating cash flow with all the cash flow creation opportunities that we’ve already discussed (crop rental, various leases, gov. programs), it’s not hard to create solid long-term wealth through land investing.
I am not here to tell you that any land deal is a great land deal because it isn’t. You have to shop. You have to buy right.
You have to get to know the in’s and out, as you do when investing in anything. But I am hear to tell you, it’s not that hard and that you CAN do it. People have been investing, and profiting, and building wealth with land for ions…it’s nothing new.
But, still, so many people don’t do it. It’s amazing. So many people have just their family residence as their biggest investment. You can do better. You can gain more wealth. Wise land investing could be just what you have been looking for!
I wish only the best of luck to you and your endeavors!
It was one of those first-thing-out-of-bed and my hair-is-still-wet from the shower phone calls.
You know what I mean.
A still I’m very groggy and I-haven’t-had-a-cup-of-coffee yet phone call.
“I just came back from Iowa and I am really excited about finally being able to buy some land out there,” he quipped excitedly. He was calling from out of state – way, way, way – out of state. And had just come back from a successful Iowa deer hunt.
Sounds great, I said. I’m glad you had a great hunt. How much land are you looking for and in what part of the state?
“I’m looking for about 200 acres with a good mix of tillable and timber for hunting. I’m looking to spend up to $400,000 tops, and preferably, less.” he continued. “I need some good tillable to support my mortgage payment on the land; I need to get a really good rental rate of those acres to an area farmer.”
I really need to have something that brings in at least $20,000 per year in income,” Brad said. “I’m really excited about this and I’m ready to buy right away if I can find what I am looking for.”
“By the way,” Brad continued. What is this thing called CSR that a friend told me about the other day and what does it have to do with the value of land”?
We talked and talked for probably an hour-and-a-half and we covered a lot of bases in regard to his questions.
In the end, though, long story shorter, Brad did not end up buying any land at all – something in regard to a family situation popping up, I guess. But his call got me thinking of all the questions regarding Iowa’s CSR index — or corn suitability index — that I’ve had over the years.
The CSR index is unique to Iowa and I’ve found that many folks don’t really know what it is. So, I thought it was due time to shed some light on that.
Corn Suitability Rating examined:
The Corn Suitability Rating (CSR) was established in 1971 by Iowa State University as a means to rate the productivity of Iowa tillable soils.
With this system, soil are segregated in a meaningful way based on similar physical properties and are arranged into mapping units. Corn suitability rating (CSR) is based upon these different soil mapping units (smu’s), average weather conditions for the area, and upon the frequently of use of the soil for row crops.
Corn suitability rating’s range from 5-100. Five being soils that are severely limited in being able to be row cropped. And, with 100 being soils with few or with no physical limitations on being row cropped, having little or no slope, and that can be continuously row cropped.
As you can see, basically, the higher the CSR unit of the land the more valuable, from a production standpoint, it is to the farmer and to the landowner in general.
Something else to note about the CSR index is that it has gotten more accurate over time, as the overall knowledge base and classification of soils has become more refined.
The New Corn Suitability Rating:
In 2013, Iowa State University came out with a new version of CSR called the CSR2. You might deem this the new and improved CSR index.
Well, sort of.
The major difference between the old CSR and the new CSR2 has to do with rainfall. That being, the CSR2 value does not include a rainfall correction factor, built in, as did the old corn suitability rating.
It seems that, over time, rainfall rates have generally increased across Iowa so that having the correction factor was not needed.
Interestingly, that, in general, at least, CSR2 values tend to be higher in north-central and in northwest Iowa, than CSR values. For the rest of the state, the two indicators are very similar.
Keep in mind that with both indexes these assumptions exist: soil management units are adequately managed, are artificially drained when required and that there is no land leveling or terracing.
(Note: part of the above was taken adapted from Sassman, Buras and Miller – “A Comparison of Iowa’s Original CSR index to the new CSR 2 index. Dept. of Agronomy, Iowa State University).
Will the new CSR2 index affect my real estate taxes?
In general “NO”.
Here’s how the county assessor deals with CSR in relation to establishing real estate taxes.
As you may imagine, from our discussion so far, CSR values are directly tied to land values. In fact, The two are generally directly related. I say generally because this is not always so clearly defined as we’ll discuss in a second.
Iowa farmland prices in relation to CSR. (Sometimes CSR in relation to land prices is discussed as dollars-per-CSR point in relation to price per acre. For example a price of $100 per CSR point on X number of acres that have a CSR value of 60: Equals 60 points x $100 per point == $6,000 per acre)
Segmentation of Acres impacts production and valuation using just CSR Index:
When a farm is segmented, as so many recreational tracts are, the relationship between CSR value, as may be examined as CSR points-per-acre becomes less clear.
Example: A
A large crop field with easy access means it’s easy for the farmer to get in and out of to plant and to harvest. Lots of acres in one place also means the farmer does not have to relocate his equipment to a different location to do the same things. This saves him time and money.
Example: B
Suppose we have the same amount of acres as in example A. That is, the same amount of acres but they are broken up or segmented into several smaller fields. Separated, perhaps, by a creek crossing, parcels of timber, or a few miles distance between the fields. These things mean the farmer will need more time to plantandmore time to harvest the same amount of acres as in example A.
It also means more expense because of the travel between fields with big equipment. Segmented fields also have more edge. This is great for wildlife, especially deer. But it does mean that these fields will receive more browsing pressure and predation from animals.
Smaller fields, in Iowa, tend to get heavily browsed by deer.
And, also, turkeys eat lots of planted seeds. Animals like raccoons, squirrels and, even beaver, eat seed and damage crops too. These things all play against the market and production value of smaller individual fields vs bigger fields with identical CSR values and the same amount of acres.
As can be seen in this comparison, two farms, each having identical acres and identical CSR indexes, can have very different real values to the farmer and, hence, to the landowner. In the market place, these acres would also havedifferent market values.
So, using CSR values as a direct pricing mechanism when buying and selling can be a bit tricky and subjective.
Basing the value of acres using just the CSR index alone is not really enough.
One also needs to take into account these other factors such as field size, ease of access, animal browsing potential, edge component, and total recreational potential (This is not discussed here but we’ll hit this topic in a future blog post. Do note that the recreational market value potential goes up with field segmentation, in general.Just the opposite of valuation using of such fields using just the CSR index).
Looking at a Soils map: The Letters mean Slope
Something else you will see on soils maps are letters after the soils designated classification number. You see something like 13B. The number refers to how the soils is classified by mapping unit and the letter refers to the slope of the land.
B == 2-5% slopes
C== 5-9% slopes
D==9-14% slopes
E==14-18% slopes
(no letter designates little to no effective land slope)
As you might imagine, CSR and land the slope of the land have an opposing relationship. That is, the more the land slopes the lower is the CSR value.
And, therefore, usually, too, the lower is the value of the land, from a pure crop production valuation standpoint. (Not necessarily from a recreational value standpoint).
Stay tuned to our blog, as I’m sure we’ll discuss market valuation from a recreational value perspective – instead of just an income perspective — as it relates to CSR indexes of tillable acres.
Lastly, you might check out this video on soils and soil properties.
Maybe it’s a solid 100, 150, or even 200 acres. Maybe it’s just 5 acres. Maybe you have a farm with sections of timber scattered about. (as is, most commonly the case).
Are you tired of paying real estate taxes on land? (Dumb question right?)
We’ll you don’t have to pay taxes on Iowa forestland acres!
Really?
Yes, you heard me correct.
If you do own some Iowa forestland and don’t want to pay taxes then, of course, you can’t just stop paying your real estate taxes.
But, in general, the rules are minimal and to many Iowa landowners the benefit of not having to pay real estate taxes on their forestland acres far outweigh the rules and stipulations that must be followed to reap the tax saving’s benefit.
To sign up, go to the county assessor’s office in the county in which you own the land. Take a map of your property with you and circle all the areas you would like to enroll in the Iowa Forest Reserve Program.
Here are some of the basic criteria:
Must be at least 2 contiguous acres.
Must be at least 200 trees per acre (forestland), or 70 trees per acre (fruit trees).
must keep livestock out of the area.
There are some other minor stipulations as well regarding the Iowa Forest Reserve Program be sure to check those out on the link page above. (from the Iowa DNR)
It’s Prime Time for Habitat Work with your Chainsaw!
Okay, well, let’s just say that it will be in a few days when the Iowa late-muzzleloader season is over. So we are getting close.
And, I know, I know, some folks will want to wait until the deer drop their antlers to barge into the timber and start cutting. I often do this too. But, you know, the truth is, guys and girls in the timber doing chainsaw work doesn’t really bother deer.
Deer know how to sense danger. And deer know that a chainsaw is not normally associated with danger.
In fact, to a whitetail, the loud moaning of a chainsaw is often a calling card. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve downed trees in the snow and come back the next day to find the place littered with fresh deer sign. And I can’t tell you how many times, on big multi-day management projects for clients, that we’ve found fresh deer antlers shed on the very slopes that we’ve just spent hours cutting on.
So, that’s right…now is THE time to hit the woods with a saw in your hand!
Of course, you probably know some of the reasons why wintertime is often the best time to hit the woods — saw in hand.
It’s cold outside and that means no pesky bugs or stinging nettles and way less chance to make contact with poison ivy too. I can tell you what – those are three pretty good reasons right there!
In fact, those are great reasons to get out there right now with your saw. And there are more.
It’s also much more comfortable to be out there horsing and man or woman handling that saw around those trees. It’s not easy work lugging a heavy saw through the woods from tree to tree and from area to area, that’s for sure. So it’s easy to work up a sweat – even when it 15 or 20 degrees out! (don’t forget you are usually lugging a small gas can, bar oil, and maybe a few tools and some lunch around as well).
And I can tell you what, doing all of that horsing and saw lugging around when it’s mid-July and in the 90’s is not as much fun as when icicles are dangling from the trees!
Now is the time.
It’s also the best time to prevent any diseases to be spread from tree to tree via the saw blade (oak wilt).
Of course, before doing any cutting you must first identify what sort of work needs to be done.
Timber stand improvement (TSI) is one such goal.
Under this heading falls the subheadings for TSI: crop tree release, understory release/management and cull tree removal.
Lots of people talk about doing TSI to help make things thicker so that the land can hold more and bigger deer. This is generally true and is a side product of the actual process.
The main goal of doing TSI, though, usually and from a forestry perspective, is to enhance the forestry component – that is, to make certain trees grow faster and produce more mast (studies have shown that properly done crop tree release tsi can make the desired “crop” trees grow 2x as fast and with up to 10x more mast production!)
The side benefit of doing TSI is the resulting thicker habitat created because more light can hit the forest floor (so more woody vegetation/and or grasses can grow).
The more light that hits the forest floor, generally, the thicker, and more diverse, the habitat on the forest floor becomes. This creates bedding, sanctuary and thermal cover for deer and also nesting and escape cover for turkeys. It also produces better habitat for lots of non-game species like songbirds.
If you want to do TSI, it is first recommended to hire a consulting forester to come out to your property and meet with you to discuss your goals. Every property is different and each timber has it’s own “prescription” for the proper TSI “recipe” that needs to be created to reach those goals.
You can also call the district forester that works the county that your property is in. She or he will help you.
You should know, too, that lots of cost-share dollars are often available to do TSI – funding for up to 75% of the estimated project cost may be available!
Please be aware: do not start doing any TSI project before your project is approved (if you are getting cost-share help from the government).
You are not allowed to start a project until the funding comes in and your project is approved or your funding may be taken away.
Okay – maybe your are not doing TSI but just want to get out there and create some better habitat with your saw – what to do?
Where to start?
First, again, be sure to think about your long-term goals. Do you want it to be thicker in that little half-acre spot behind the pond? Or, maybe there is a south-facing hillside that you’d like to create better bedding and thermal cover? Or, perhaps, you want to help some of those red cedar and honey locust trees in your sanctuary area – you can use your chainsaw to “release” their canopies from surrounding dead-beat trees (trees with little to no wildlife value).
Lucas County, Iowa 51 Acres m/l (Approx. 18 mi S. of Knoxville and 45 miles from Des Moines)
You say you always wanted to have that home in the country overlooking your own private lake? Well….Your wish has come true!
This is a dream property for sure! Here’s what you get:
1248 square foot ranch-style home that sits on a gentle slope with gorgeous sunset views to the west looking over the lake.
large yard that looks like a huge garden-of-eden with all sorts of flowers and various plantings. Don’t be surprised to wake up in the morning to a large bunch of
deer or turkey walking through the back yard along the lakeshore!
The home is a very solid home on a concrete foundation built in 1974. It has 3 full bedrooms and 1 full bathroom and a full basement. Also a beautiful porch area on which to sip your cup of coffee on in the morning!
The home does have an attached garage and there is also a small detached garage building on the premises.
The land offers incredible hunting opportunities for a smaller parcel.
Gorgeous and very rare oak/savanna ecosystem with native prairie all around.
The tall grasses and thick cover offer outstanding deer sanctuary areas for living in day to day and for security cover.
The land offers various successional habitats from early to late stage (large oaks) which offers the ultimate in deer attractiveness!
Edge habitat is very abundant and the early successional habitats offer lots of natural, native browse.
Lots of tree stand and set-up options, especially for a smaller parcels.
There are at least 3 major areas that one could establish food plots in.
Abandoned roadway along east side of property allows easy entrance and exit into various stand setups – going into the wind to get to your stand!
The lake measures right at 6 acres and up to 7 acres (during really wet years). Here is one pond that is totally justifiable to be called a lake! (such a lake can easily cost $70,000-$100,000 or more to construct!)
The lake has abundant crappie with reports from the previous owner of numerous crappie up to and over 16 inches! Those are huge crappies regardless of where you are fishing in the U.S.! Right in the back yard!
Bass too—and some giant largemouth possible here!
In 2015 the owner stocked forage fish – golden shiners and fathead minnows at 10X the normal rate! What this will do is create a huge buffet of food to resident fish and should make them grow super fast and to potentially huge sizes! Big fish and I do mean really big fish could easily come from this lake at any given time – could be a 10 lb largemouth bass or a 3 –4 lb. crappie – how great would that be? Iowa DNR records show that ponds in southern Iowa consistently produce the most and biggest game fish of any bodies of water in the state!
Bluegill and catfish also present and could easily get to huge sizes here as well.
Here is a fantastic opportunity to purchase a great piece of Iowa hunting land along with a nice home and your own stocked lake – all in post-card setting? What in the world are you waiting for? We don’t expect this one to last very long!
Call me now if you like to make this one your personal piece of paradise! Rich 641-919-9026.
Rich Waite is a registered and licensed real estate Broker in Iowa with Midwest Property Sales. Midwest Property Sales is an Iowa-based real estate agency. Iowa Wildlife Habitat Services, LLC is a web-based marketing platform that showcases properties for sale, or auction, by licensed real estate agents and/or licensed auctioneers, where applicable — both with Midwest Property Sales and with partnering companies through statutory legal agreements. Rich Waite as owner of Iowa Wildlife Habitat Services, LLC makes no claims that Iowa Wildlife Habitat Services, LLC is an independent real estate company.
The information provided on these pages is deemed accurate, but is subject to errors, omissions, price changes, prior sale, or listing withdrawal. Iowa Wildlife Habitat Services LLC, and Rich Waite, as owner of, do not guarantee or are not in any way responsible for the accuracy or completeness of given information, and provide given information without warranty of any kind. Individuals should verify questions themselves and/or with appropriate agent of given listing.
Rich Waite is a licensed Iowa real estate broker and owner of Midwest Property Sales located in Eldon, Iowa. He is a member of the Southeast Iowa Board Of Realtors, The Iowa Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors.
Important note: Iowa hunting land for sale and other properties with an * or ** next to the listing header indicate an IWHS owned and managed property. Rich Waite and IWHS make no claim to be an independent seller of any Iowa hunting land for sale or any other property so indicated with the # symbol. **Adjacent listing header denotes FREE IWHS wildlife habitat and hunt consulting plan comes with parcel. These so indicated parcels are owned and managed by IWHS. * Adjacent listing header denotes a Midwest Property Sales — Broker Owned — Property.Note: Timber cruise estimates of marketable timber value are generally quite accurate– but are estimates only. Actual inventory numbers are the most accurate for indicating marketable timber value. Total inventory of all marketable tree species within the next 10 years on tracts soon to come. Information on this site deemed reliable and accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, we are not responsible for inaccuracies and prospective buyers should verify property details first-hand. All estimates of timber value are estimates only. Actual board foot showing quantity (quantity) requires a more thorough analysis.
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