European land buyers

[countryguy]

Does anyone have experience with Europeans buying land here in Canada?What things do they look for in a farm?Will they buy small parcels or do they look for large farms shutting down?Do they look to expand in an area?Will they buy bare land with no house,buildings,or facilities and build everything they need or do they like turnkey operations?Has the BSE scare stopped them from coming over?Any info MUCH MUCH apreciated!

[cowman]

Countryguy: In my neck of the woods there have been a lot of foreign buyers. Most aren't interested in large farms...usually they want about 320-480 acres. They usually prefer bare land so they can build a modern dairy/hog set-up! They stress water in a big way.
Now I'll get myself in some trouble by stating what I have observed. This is only my own opinion and based on a limited number of observations.
The Dutch farmers are not only excellent farmers but excellent people and neighbors. Very friendly, very willing to fit in, don't pretend to know it all. The Germans are also very good farmers but quite a bit more stand offish.All work and no play! The Swiss are scoundrels and very full of themselves. If you have to deal with them keep a hand on your wallet!

[ianben]

From my experience looking at farms in Canada there are all types of buyers looking to buy land and farms from all over Europe.
We come with preconsieved ideas of what we want which change when we see the reallity of the praries.
For me location became the no1 as although I wanted to live with fewer people on my doorstep I had not realised they provided the services I had become used too. I could not imagine the remoteness of some of your farms and soon learnt to ask how far for a loaf of bread? school?etc.

I decided I was only interested if within one hr of a city and 10/15 mins from a loaf.

There is also the immigration issue which states that the business you buy must be capable of suporting you and your family or you must have adaquate savings or funding.

We are all different though and one mans hell can be anothers dream. I met lots of Brits living in places I would never have considered, perfectly happy and a German in one of my dream farms so homesick he was unable to work or play. Just wanted to go back home!!! Crying while he showed us round very sad.

It is hard to get all the things in place to make such a big move. If you do sell to a European be a bit more understanding than the guy who backed out on my deal.

[countryguy]

Thanks guys.I'm not looking to sell land.Instead I'm trying to find a way to prevent land that I was supposed to be buying,land that my granfather cleared with his bare hands,from being sold to foreigners.Not that I have anything against them,I just don't want anyone else to have these particular pieces.My problem is that it is in the hands of a greedy relative who would probably sell his own kids for the right price!This land is in amongst other land we farm and right around our homes.That's all I need is some foreigner coming in and setting up a massive hog barn in the middle of us!And to top it off if he sells for an outrageous price all the land around here will suddenly have that asking price and my farming days will be done!I am not a happy farmer right now!!!!

[ianben]

Countryguy
Any dispute, divorce familly wars etc.always put me off. Difficult enough when both parties agree. Hassle I am sure will be big deterent make waves and buyers I am sure will look elsewhere. Has BSE made more farms available? I always found plenty of farms for sale so why buy one with a problem neighbour.

[countryguy]

Thanks Ianben

I am thinking(hoping) all will be well in the end.My guess is that he is using the foreign buyer land prices against me to try to get more money out of me.I am sure this happens alot with these deals and that's why alot of these deals end up with the seller backing out.
As for the BSE thing as for now I don't think anymore land than usual is for sale but if things don't change soon I imagine there could be alot of cattle ranches for sale.
If I remember correctly when you were in Canada you were looking for a place in Manitoba.Are you ever thinking of coming again someday?Let me know and I could keep an eye out for your "perfect farm" for you.

[cowman]

Europeans do not want to live in the sticks. They are used to having all the amenities close at hand and it is pretty hard to give that up. They are usually coming here with some major bucks in their jeans and can well afford to buy land near larger cities. In Holland the going rate is 100,000/acre! So what is $3000/acre to them?
Where the problem arises is when they buy this high priced land and want to build an intensive livestock operation on it. The neighbors may not be to keen on having a big dairy or pig barn in the neighborhood. After all it lowers their land prices if they were hoping to cash in on the urban buyer. The place for pig and dairy barns should be out in the sticks where no one wants to live anyway!
Countryguy: You have to ask yourself how much do you want this piece of land? Is it so wrong that your relative wants fair market value for it? If the situation was reversed and you owned it would you take a lower price than what was being offered?
Obviously this land has some sentimental value to you. Your relative might just view it as an asset that he wants to cash in and get the maximum value. Neither of you are wrong,just looking at it from different perspectives?

[ianben]

Thanks Countryguy
Canada is not an option at moment as childrens schooling must come first. My sons are 16 and 18 now not the time to be moving school. Perhaps the time will never be right again. Getting whole family to agree was difficult. I became a grandfather last month. Do I want to come to Canada enough to leave my daughter and granddaughter behind even though they now live in Ireland. Only a couple of hours away and not too expensive so that visits are fairly regular.

[cowman]

Ianben:How are things in England? How were your crops? How are the prices?
What do you think of Tony Blairs government and the great Iraq adventure?