Profit from Recreational Property?

One approach I’ve seen work in Europe, particularly on the French Riviera, is turning properties into lifestyle destinations that combine recreation with short-term rentals. For example, some owners in Provence or along the Cote d’Azur will maintain small ponds, hunting areas, or vineyards and rent out cottages or lodges seasonally. The combination of passive rental income plus occasional agricultural or hunting leases can make the property closer to self-sustaining. If you want to learn more about structuring properties like this, Living On The Cote d'Azur shares some insights on turning recreational land into profitable lifestyle investments.
 
Scott CWO said:
Obviously depends on the property and location. We bought 1100 acres of pasture and 190 acres of irrigated crop fields in an area I hunt mule deer several years ago because I didn’t want one of the other neighbors to buy it and close it off to our hunting. I worked out a deal with another neighbor to lease the pastures for grazing and the irrigated fields for corn and alfalfa. I gave him a break on the leasing price in exchange for hunting rights on his owned 5000+ acres. Last year, we sold our land to him for a decent profit but retained the hunting rights through a 20 year easement. Everyone is happy because he doesn’t hunt. I will use this model again!
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I did something similar in Tasmania . Bought a 10,000 acre grazing property with a 2750 acre forestry operation . My local partner wanted the land for highland ( summer ) grazing and I wanted the use of the 180 year old homestead and the shooting and fishing rights ( 17 kilometres of lake frontage ) . We were in this together for nearly 20 years and I never put a penny in - other than a substantial stake for my share . Got a dividend as timber was harvested and owned the best shooting and trout fishing in Australia . A handsome profit when I exited . And we are still friends . I think this is a very rare example .
 
We make about 35k a year on our property.
106 acres with about a 22 acre shooting range on it.
We bought the range and surrounding property. It was an established range, so the income was there, just not documented.
The range is not a public range, it is a competition range. We lease the areas to different shooting clubs.
We also have 50 RV spots.
 
Now is not the time to buy land. Unless it’s a piece you have waited on to come up for sale.

Wait for the next big economic slump. 2008 and 2020 type slumps. When you think it’s at the bottom and you’re nervous to buy anything.

That is the perfect time to buy.
 
I highly recommend purchasing land to hunt on if you can afford it, and the price is right. About 30 years ago I bought into a property with family, a nice chunk of semi-wild land up against public forest reserve with just enough hayfields on it for the renters to pay the taxes. It has appreciated in value more than any other investment I've made. Meanwhile we've taken more than 100 elk, dozens of deer, a bunch of moose and bears off our property. If an elk hunt is given an arbitrary cost of $10,000 I've returned $300,000 in "value" just by my own elk hunting experiences. And I haven't sold it.
 
You have a better chance of making money than someone I know who thought B&B would pay for their vacation house in Florida. The home insurance goes to $900+ per month if you do B&B. Seems like there is always someone coming along to scoop off the cream from anything that makes money--either the taxation people or the insurance people. I have no idea the repercussions on recreational hunting property but I would personally need to know all the ins and outs before I jumped into it.
I think Longwalker has realized the best kind of return!!
One thing about land--they aren't making any more of it.
 
just never buy land thinking you can make money off it. Do it for yourself. If you make enough money just to pay taxes feel blessed
 
Hooknbullet2 said:
I couldn’t have said it better.



I’d like to find a financial planner that can get 9%.
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Call Tarra Pfister @ TTG financial advisors in Billings MT. Tell her Jay referred you. She has been knocking it out of the park for me for years. No I am not related just a very satisfied client.
 
wildwilderness said:
Is there any good way to make passive income off of a recreational hunting property?

I always have a desire to own property for hunting and fishing. I have in the past- it’s just really hard to justify the large capital investment and time to make it work. Financially it has to make sense…


Say you had $1M USD and want a place with some fishing (at least a pond) and at least deer every year- Is there any way to get even a 5% annual return ($50,000) on that money through the property ? I know the hope is the land appreciates over time but you can’t cash that out til you sell.

I have financial investors that can essentially guarantee 10-15% return on cash so putting that into Land is technically a “loss” that’s why I sold my last property…. Big swing in cash flow from monthly expenses to net profit! I now pay a hunting lease for less than half of what my operating expenses were on the property, and make way more off of interest!


I know the secret to everything is Buy low or inherit :) but I’m sure there has to be a way to make a legit business out of a property that can at least pay for itself? Any novel ideas that you have done? Or know of? I know a grazing lease and a farm lease of tillable areas brings some money but really that’s pennies on the dollar-

I’m looking for something that can make $50k/ year off of a $1M investment (give or take) with minimal time on my part (not opposed to hiring employees to work if it’s profitable)
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You are missing the most important aspect of owning ag land. It is the tax advantages of having a farm. This is number 1 in the calculation and then you look toward income generation such as grazing and hunting leases. The down side is property taxes. The upside is appreciation which takes time.
 
wildwilderness said:
Is there any good way to make passive income off of a recreational hunting property?

I always have a desire to own property for hunting and fishing. I have in the past- it’s just really hard to justify the large capital investment and time to make it work. Financially it has to make sense…


Say you had $1M USD and want a place with some fishing (at least a pond) and at least deer every year- Is there any way to get even a 5% annual return ($50,000) on that money through the property ? I know the hope is the land appreciates over time but you can’t cash that out til you sell.

I have financial investors that can essentially guarantee 10-15% return on cash so putting that into Land is technically a “loss” that’s why I sold my last property…. Big swing in cash flow from monthly expenses to net profit! I now pay a hunting lease for less than half of what my operating expenses were on the property, and make way more off of interest!


I know the secret to everything is Buy low or inherit :) but I’m sure there has to be a way to make a legit business out of a property that can at least pay for itself? Any novel ideas that you have done? Or know of? I know a grazing lease and a farm lease of tillable areas brings some money but really that’s pennies on the dollar-

I’m looking for something that can make $50k/ year off of a $1M investment (give or take) with minimal time on my part (not opposed to hiring employees to work if it’s profitable)
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Well it depends on how much land you want to buy. Timberland can make a return but to have it do it every year requires thousands of acres. Think and average southern yellow pine rotation is 27 years and an average clearcut is 80-200 acres and you will start to get in the ballpark with that route. So 2100 to 5400 to make an annual return business in the timber production direction.

I know it’s a big block but I used to work in commercial forestry where this was considered small. Forestry ownership out there is wild
 
Philip Glass said:
You are missing the most important aspect of owning ag land. It is the tax advantages of having a farm. This is number 1 in the calculation and then you look toward income generation such as grazing and hunting leases. The down side is property taxes. The upside is appreciation which takes time.
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You are going to have to fill me in on the tax advantages. I must be missing something.
 
wildwilderness said:
Is there any good way to make passive income off of a recreational hunting property?

I always have a desire to own property for hunting and fishing. I have in the past- it’s just really hard to justify the large capital investment and time to make it work. Financially it has to make sense…


Say you had $1M USD and want a place with some fishing (at least a pond) and at least deer every year- Is there any way to get even a 5% annual return ($50,000) on that money through the property ? I know the hope is the land appreciates over time but you can’t cash that out til you sell.

I have financial investors that can essentially guarantee 10-15% return on cash so putting that into Land is technically a “loss” that’s why I sold my last property…. Big swing in cash flow from monthly expenses to net profit! I now pay a hunting lease for less than half of what my operating expenses were on the property, and make way more off of interest!


I know the secret to everything is Buy low or inherit :) but I’m sure there has to be a way to make a legit business out of a property that can at least pay for itself? Any novel ideas that you have done? Or know of? I know a grazing lease and a farm lease of tillable areas brings some money but really that’s pennies on the dollar-

I’m looking for something that can make $50k/ year off of a $1M investment (give or take) with minimal time on my part (not opposed to hiring employees to work if it’s profitable)
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what's the fee on 10% to 15% return via what sounds like unsecured debt?
 
wildwilderness said:
Is there any good way to make passive income off of a recreational hunting property?

I always have a desire to own property for hunting and fishing. I have in the past- it’s just really hard to justify the large capital investment and time to make it work. Financially it has to make sense…


Say you had $1M USD and want a place with some fishing (at least a pond) and at least deer every year- Is there any way to get even a 5% annual return ($50,000) on that money through the property ? I know the hope is the land appreciates over time but you can’t cash that out til you sell.

I have financial investors that can essentially guarantee 10-15% return on cash so putting that into Land is technically a “loss” that’s why I sold my last property…. Big swing in cash flow from monthly expenses to net profit! I now pay a hunting lease for less than half of what my operating expenses were on the property, and make way more off of interest!


I know the secret to everything is Buy low or inherit :) but I’m sure there has to be a way to make a legit business out of a property that can at least pay for itself? Any novel ideas that you have done? Or know of? I know a grazing lease and a farm lease of tillable areas brings some money but really that’s pennies on the dollar-

I’m looking for something that can make $50k/ year off of a $1M investment (give or take) with minimal time on my part (not opposed to hiring employees to work if it’s profitable)
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Unlikely. Down here by me if your buying pine there are a few counties that you can still find 2000-
4000 acre timber tracts but your buying north of 500acres to get that price. And unless you pay cash that timber will run a negative until it’s payed off. The most profitable for those tracts is if you can run pine straw you would hit your 50k mark if you have enough land but that would make a bad hunting area and you would still have to carry the loan because the straw and timber won’t cover it until full maturity of the timber and loan being payed off.

Beautiful hunting land is never profitable if you want it to yourself that’s just the reality atleast it is for me. If you buy crop land you won’t get enough with 1million to get 50k in rent or in crp
 
wildwilderness said:
Is there any good way to make passive income off of a recreational hunting property?

I always have a desire to own property for hunting and fishing. I have in the past- it’s just really hard to justify the large capital investment and time to make it work. Financially it has to make sense…


Say you had $1M USD and want a place with some fishing (at least a pond) and at least deer every year- Is there any way to get even a 5% annual return ($50,000) on that money through the property ? I know the hope is the land appreciates over time but you can’t cash that out til you sell.

I have financial investors that can essentially guarantee 10-15% return on cash so putting that into Land is technically a “loss” that’s why I sold my last property…. Big swing in cash flow from monthly expenses to net profit! I now pay a hunting lease for less than half of what my operating expenses were on the property, and make way more off of interest!


I know the secret to everything is Buy low or inherit :) but I’m sure there has to be a way to make a legit business out of a property that can at least pay for itself? Any novel ideas that you have done? Or know of? I know a grazing lease and a farm lease of tillable areas brings some money but really that’s pennies on the dollar-

I’m looking for something that can make $50k/ year off of a $1M investment (give or take) with minimal time on my part (not opposed to hiring employees to work if it’s profitable)
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I’m young as shit is what most would probably say on here, my friends are all old as shit.
They tell me everytime buy more land when you find a deal they aren’t making anymore.
All my lots have gone through the roof and that was not my intention, I bought a cabin for $50k on land just to get the land and wanted to burn the cabin.
Instead I put $50k into the cabin and it’s a brand new full time rental that pays me 10% AFTER I cover the taxes every year. Finding good renters is the risky part but if your selective it can work out

And when I say cabin I mean a cabin, 940 sq feet and privacy.
Not these “cabins” I work on that are million dollar getaways that I spend more time at doing change orders than the owner does in a year
 
45-70guy said:
I’m young as shit is what most would probably say on here, my friends are all old as shit.
They tell me everytime buy more land when you find a deal they aren’t making anymore.
All my lots have gone through the roof and that was not my intention, I bought a cabin for $50k on land just to get the land and wanted to burn the cabin.
Instead I put $50k into the cabin and it’s a brand new full time rental that pays me 10% AFTER I cover the taxes every year. Finding good renters is the risky part but if your selective it can work out

And when I say cabin I mean a cabin, 940 sq feet and privacy.
Not these “cabins” I work on that are million dollar getaways that I spend more time at doing change orders than the owner does in a year
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That’s good income for sure- what state/area are you in?

Seems a predictable option is find a property with a house on it, fence off the house and rent it out with only a small lot.


Does anyone know about developing land for housing? I have thought about buying a few hundred acres, then building houses to sell or rent on a small portion like 10-20 acres…. But then I know nothing about development or construction :)
 
It's an investment that pays off when you sell it (as said above.) We have some family properties that have appreciated 2-3x in recent years. The bills (taxes, utilities, etc.) can easily be paid via firewood, timber, nat. gas rights, hay, fishing access etc. Also little cabins/campsites, RV parking/storage can easily be set up.. With the ag exemptions, the taxes aren't bad at all. As said above, it's an investment guaranteed to appreciate over time. Things employers don't inform employees of: With a Self-Directed IRA you can buy land with your retirement fund (no loans). There are some rules (bills must be paid out of the account, any income made must be put into the account, trustee appointed, etc.) Being a fly on the wall on neighbors' hunting lease properties in the past, I will probably never do that, but maybe to a few good men, for a good price down the pike. Insurance is highly recommended in that case, but some states have existing laws protecting landowners (TX is a good one that comes to mind. There are disclaimer signs on ranch fences...."Agrotourism is a potentially hazardous pursuit...Landowner NOT Liable" etc..
 
wildwilderness said:
That’s good income for sure- what state/area are you in?

Seems a predictable option is find a property with a house on it, fence off the house and rent it out with only a small lot.


Does anyone know about developing land for housing? I have thought about buying a few hundred acres, then building houses to sell or rent on a small portion like 10-20 acres…. But then I know nothing about development or construction :)
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Most deals like that are word of mouth. My father’s friend lives in Kentucky and has bought a bunch of properties for practically nothing over the years and renovated and rented or sold but most of those deals were between 09-2015 when everything was cheap. My wife’s grandma (Paula dean type lady great cook and business lady) she loves land but that because her and her brother own several thousand acres of timber and gas have never sold any of that but she used to subdivide land she bought over the years and sell the lots. Same thing though she bought land that was good but cheap before everyone that thinks they had money decided they wanted to live there to. (Buy low or inherit lol) She always says they ain’t making more. I always joke imagine buying Detroit in 1950’s when it was some of the best real estate in america lol ( now they give it away).

Just make sure if you buy with the intent of subdividing you know what your doing and even more important know what your buying and why you think a premium will be paid once you subdivide
 
Killingtime said:
Most deals like that are word of mouth. My father’s friend lives in Kentucky and has bought a bunch of properties for practically nothing over the years and renovated and rented or sold but most of those deals were between 09-2015 when everything was cheap. My wife’s grandma (Paula dean type lady great cook and business lady) she loves land but that because her and her brother own several thousand acres of timber and gas have never sold any of that but she used to subdivide land she bought over the years and sell the lots. Same thing though she bought land that was good but cheap before everyone that thinks they had money decided they wanted to live there to. (Buy low or inherit lol) She always says they ain’t making more. I always joke imagine buying Detroit in 1950’s when it was some of the best real estate in america lol ( now they give it away).

Just make sure if you buy with the intent of subdividing you know what your doing and even more important know what your buying and why you think a premium will be paid once you subdivide
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And that it can pass perk test
 
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