The Hall and Hall Blog offers news, information and unique perspectives about ranch property and investment-quality rural real estate. The recognized leader in ranches for sale, Hall and Hall offers a wide variety of unique rural real estate throughout the world.
Because we share a deep attachment to the land, we promote careful stewardship, responsible lending practices, a stable, non-speculative real estate market and a long-term land ethic. Thanks for visiting.
By: Jim Taylor
Tim Murphy and Trent Jones joined me in New York for a week of calling on friends and clients, which surrounded a Wednesday evening “Event” at the venerable Holland and Holland New York Gun Room co-hosted by our friends at Holland and Holland and David Light, editor in chief of Open Fences Magazine, which has increasingly become the venue of choice for providing the highest quality access to legitimate buyers of ranches and other rural property.
The event was a lively panel discussion that was touched off by short talks by yours truly, briefly outlining the last year in the market for investment-quality rural real estate. This was followed by an inspirational talk by Jael Kampfe, a fourth generation Montana rancher, about what ranching and ranch ownership really means to her. She also spoke briefly about her current project, which will unite like-minded investors in a unique ranch ownership strategy.
This was the third consecutive year that we joined our co-hosts at the Holland and Holland Gun Room to invite friends and clients to share an evening of fine wine and enlightened conversation. Perhaps it is simply that the third time is the charm, but I can only say that when I wrote out the names of the 40 or so attendees for the eagerly awaited drawing (a weekend at Cabin Bluff), I was taken by the quality of the group attending.
We were honored to have a number of existing friends and clients who came to see and support us, but the group was overwhelmingly made up of people who were genuinely interested in the ownership and management of rural property, from Chile to Canada and all points in between. We think the new format that included 3 Hall and Hall partners sharing the stage and opening the evening up as quickly as possible to questions and discussion was well received and many stayed on to pigeon hole one of us with detailed and thoughtful queries.
[caption id="attachment_1724" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Hall and Hall partners Tim Murphy, Jim Taylor and Trent Jones present to a group at the Holland and Holland New York Gun Room."][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_1729" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="David Light of Open Fences and guests enjoy a laugh and a few glasses of wine."][/caption]
From Hall and Hall Partner Stoney Burke:
My first trip to British Columbia was in the summer of 1973, flying in a light private plane to a remote location on the Central Coast to fish for steelhead. I was in awe at the size of the Province, so beautiful and so wild. Since that early trip, I have returned many times to recreate and work on ranch listings; I continue to explore new places aided by float planes and helicopters.
To grasp what B.C. represents consider it size: equal to Washington, Oregon and California combined with a population of 4,250,000 people, the vast majority living within 50 miles of the U.S. Border. The people who live there are as great and diverse as their Province: hardworking, independent & respectful. I have truly enjoyed my time there over the last 40 years.
From Hall and Hall Partner Bill McDavid:
The Royal Antler Ranch sits at the headwaters of the Columbia River and is nestled in the Purcell Range looking across to the east at the Canadian Rockies. Morning coffee on the porch is a memorable event as the view is indescribably beautiful. No photograph could ever do it justice. There is a non-contiguous unit of the ranch that has extensive frontage on Whitetail Lake, a trophy trout fishery. The 1,286 acre Royal Antler Ranch represents arguably the finest mountain ranch retreat in North America. Virtually surrounded by Crown Lands with significant lake and river frontage, it enjoys an exceptionally private setting with absolutely mind-blowing views in every direction and a pleasing mix of timber and open meadows. The 8,500 square foot lodge, owner’s home, guest cabins and outbuildings are exquisite in every detail. There is truly something special about the Royal Antler.
Other British Columbia ranches for sale for sale include: Bulkley Canyon Farm and Hudson Bay Ranch.
Video: Camp Cooley
It’s hard to believe that it has been 9 months since one of the largest ranch auctions of 2011 occurred, when Hall and Hall Auctions sold Camp Cooley Ranch to Circle X Land and Cattle Company for $28.5 million . The Land Report magazine recently lauded the Camp Cooley Ranch auction as the “deal of the year” and many in the industry consider it to be one of the trophy auctions of the last decade. Check out the video above to learn more about this ranch auction.
Review upcoming Hall and Hall ranch, land and farm auctions.
Hall and Hall partners Jim Taylor, Trent Jones and Tim Murphy will be panelists at a May 9th gathering at the Holland and Holland Gunroom in New York City.
Panel discussions will include the factors that contributed to a record-setting farm and ranch real estate market in 2011 and what investors should expect going forward, as well as the emergence of ranchland as a recognized investment asset class.
The Wine Cellarage will be on hand to share some very special vintages with the crowd, and Cabin Bluff of Woodbine, GA has donated a 2–day wild boar hunt, which will be raffled off at the end of the evening. The event was arranged by David Light of Open Fences magazine.
[caption id="attachment_1689" align="aligncenter" width="451" caption="Jim Taylor spoke about investment quality rural real estate at the NYC Gunroom in 2011."][/caption]
Some years ago a client who prefers to go unnamed said to me something to the effect of “I really would love to buy a beautiful ranch in the American West, but you know, Jim, it really must wash its own face.” At that time he and his wife represented a relatively rare breed in the marketplace for Rocky Mountain ranches. The average ranch buyer in those days was typified by people like Ted Turner who was tearing out interior fences and restoring the landscape for use by indigenous species such as elk and bison. Others were focused on improving trout streams as private fisheries for themselves and their guests and for that reason preferred to limit cow numbers - and thereby income - to protect riparian habitat.
For those unfamiliar with the term, “washing its own face” refers to the ability of a particular holding to produce enough cash flow to cover its own expenses. In practice, many owners, who use their ranches extensively for their own personal pleasure, do tend to segregate those personal expenses and do not require the ranch operation to cover them.
We believe that the recession we have just come through has not only created a “new reality” in terms of land prices but it has also created a new reality in terms of buyer motivation. Much of our sales volume in the last couple of years has been comprised of operating ranches and farms that in many cases will do more than just wash their own face. Increasingly, this has become an expressed requirement – particularly as investment-quality rural real estate has become a legitimate investment class.
[caption id="attachment_1677" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="A perfect example of a ranch that "washes its own face" is the 60k acre Dana Ranch, arguably the finest combination cattle and recreational ranch for sale in Montana."][/caption]
This change in orientation is most obvious with Ted Turner’s ranch operations where both elk and bison, once considered a vital part of the scenery, have been converted to major cash generating crops. While Turner’s operating numbers are not public, it would seem he is now running a very successful business. Other examples of people who bought beautiful ranches and insisted that they wash their own face are individuals like Craig Barrett, former CEO of Intel, who has turned Triple Creek Ranch into what is perennially ranked as one of the most popular resorts in the world. Jim Manley, founder of Atlantic-Pacific Capital, has made his Ranch at Rock Creek into a wildly popular ranch resort operation in an amazingly short time frame.
[caption id="attachment_1673" align="aligncenter" width="601" caption="With over 600 acres of wooded hillside and open meadows bordered by the Bitterroot National Forest in three directions, Triple Creek Ranch was rated the #1 U.S. inn and #2 worldwide hotel in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards."][/caption]
Whether it’s cows, bison or human guests, we feel that “washing its own face” is a trend that is here to stay. It goes without saying however, that there will continue to be an active “private retreat” market where the cows and bison are few, the scenery and wildlife are sensational, and the “two-legged” guests are by invitation only.
James H. Taylor, Director
Real Estate Partner
Billings, MT
Raised on a remote cattle ranch on the Crow Indian Reservation in south central Montana, Jim began his education in a one-room schoolhouse. He later went east to boarding school at St. Paul’s School and then graduated from Yale University in 1967 with a B.A. in Latin American History. After a brief stint on Wall Street and an exploratory year in South America, Jim came to Hall and Hall in 1972 as one of only two ranch partners.
For many years, Hall and Hall partner Bill McDavid has been perfecting his photography skills. His photos have graced the cover of The Land Report , Open Fences, and several others top-tier publications. Recently, his work was featured in Centro y Sur as part of a story about the decimation of the Brazilian Cerrado.
McDavid had the pleasure of visiting this part of South America a few years back when Hall and Hall was representing an amazing Brazilian ranch for sale, Fazenda Santo Antonio do Paraiso, a 255,371 acre property that encompasses some of the most beautiful and unspoiled land in the world.
"When I was growing up in Alabama my grandmother was certain that I suffered from a mental disability because I seemed oblivious to the world around me," he said. "The truth is that I was often so consumed by what I saw, I tuned everything else out. I am still consumed by what I see, which is one of the reasons I was drawn to live in Montana, one of the most visually stunning places on earth."
McDavid is also consumed by what he hears. He holds an undergraduate degree in music from the University of Miami and plays multiple stringed instruments in a variety of musical idioms. But lately, his photography has been on the front burner. Check out his website - Bill McDavid Photography
"There is not a day that passes that I do not look up at the sky, the top of a mountain or the ground beneath me and see something worth staring at... and release the shutter," he said.
William C. McDavid
Real Estate Partner
Missoula, MT
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[caption id="attachment_1729" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="David Light of Open Fences and guests enjoy a laugh and a few glasses of wine."]
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McDavid had the pleasure of visiting this part of South America a few years back when Hall and Hall was representing an amazing Brazilian ranch for sale, 
