This is exactly what is happening throughout the west…. Happened in Colorado 40 years ago…. Sad really but money is a powerful tool.

Yep!! They would 5 to 10 times their money what they pay me an acre.

I've been getting a few calls a week. Maggot developers.

For a while, I was getting calls and texts to buy both of my dad's houses and my mom's house, a few times a day and occasionally my farm. It was annoying. I had to silence my phone for unknown numbers.

Keith

I’ve had a multitude of solar panel companies reach out about buying. Could easily x4 what I paid an acre, but would never consider it. Several developers reach out each year as well. It is nice knowing that if I were to ever truly get into a bind that I could pop off a couple of 5 acre lots and get my head above water. Hoping that there will never be an offer that is too good to pass up.

I get letters like that 1-2 times a year. Even had a guy knock on the door offering to buy the properties a couple months ago.

I get the same thing, I think they get your info from mortgage companies. We had an appraisal for a HELOC and started getting offers, they were absolutely insulting though. The last one was like $400k which was like 30% of the appraisal. What a joke.

thanks for not selling

it's one thing when it is the jerk that farms on 3 sides of you who stops buy every time there is a weather event and says " so you ready to sell" and pulls out his check book like he will write a check on the spot.

but these corporations , very likely private equity backed

they know what they are doing and even if they sat on it a few years they are going to make double what they are willing to pay you maybe triple or more.

honestly if we want to have any land left to hunt and trap sportsmen are going to need to start forming a land trust and getting Pitman-Robertson money to add to their own to buy up any parcel they can.

Sounds nice but sportsman cant even agree to aprove of other people legal hunting methods. Even on this sight just look at the threads about x bows for a prime example

You say that as though it's a bad thing? This is exactly the way a republic founded on capitalism is supposed to work. The "private equity backed" corporation made an offer for a piece of property they wanted because they indeed did assume it would be a profitable venture. The landowner declined to sell, which is his right. But if the landowner down the road chose to sell.... why would that be bad? Maybe he's tired of the MT cold and wants to move to NM. Or maybe MT isn't cold enough for him and he wants to move to AK. A landowner choosing to sell his land to a corporation isn't a crime, FCOL.

the republic was founded on ownership , if it was those peoples money it would be one thing but buying a company on debt then holding that debt against the company and not the people who took the loan in the first place is wrong , it is a way to buy the company on debt , gut all it's assets and file for bankruptcy defaulting on the loan and that is how private equity firms operate.

if he wants to sell great but it doesn't sound like he wants to sell and would rather preserve the land for his family.

Much of our farm was sub-divided into lots over 100 years ago in a get rich scheme for some developers. Lots were sold mail-order all over the country. When we bought the 67 acres in 1953 there were still at least 20 or so small 20X110' lots sprinkled throughout not owned by us. Over the years they would come up for sale by the county for tax foreclosure. Dad paid about $50 -$100 for most. You can't build on a single lot that size here.

The last two lots (side by side) we never did acquire but have farmed them all these years. Apparently the owners (Calfornians) who had kept the taxes up, recently sold to one of the companies like mentioned above. The land company offered us the lots for $30,000. They are not buildable (ag zoned) and most of the square footage of soil is in an ash swale that isn't even farmable. But the upper 30' or so is right into our blueberries. SO we could lose about 35-40 bushes.

We counter offered $8000 but they're not interested. (The idgits likely paid that or more for them). We'll see where it goes. It only really has nuisance value for us.

Maybe Vinke will buy it so he can graze on blueberries!

You are confused about how corporate debt and limited liability actually work...... You are attacking a version of private equity that doesn’t exist....

Like Gunnleg mentioned, around my neck of the woods these solar farms are suddenly popping up. One site in particular blows me away. Picture a nice neat home surrounded by open corn/'bean fields, creek running nearby in a semi rural part of the country. House is on a 5 acre lot and has been there for 30 years or so. Bam! A solar farm pops up and encompasses the land around the house and 5 acres. I mean it butts up to the property! Unbelievable! Basically, the home loses value and becomes unsellable. Owners are S.O.L!
It seems the solar farms pop up quickly say in about a 90-120 day window.

Another possibility. Folks refuse to sell it happens. 5 acres surrounded by a solar farm I've no doubt an offer was made. Moving stinks. If your upset by the loss of property value, ( lower evaluation is a boon at tax time) I guess the offer should have been accepted. Solar farms are not built in secret. Folks need to accept consequences of their choices.

FWIW I'm not a big fan of solar or wind either one. No one cares what we think. Make your best choice and live with it.

As long as they keep getting taxpayer funding, the number of solar and wind farms is just going to grow.

Agreed Danny, don't know the folks personally just watched it happen.
trapdog1, have you heard anything about the funding for these? One of my
farmer friends mentioned that there was a deadline for govt. funds to build
these? He mentioned that's why so many had popped up so quickly here.
I don't know the facts though....

I didn't get into ranching for money, I did it because I love the lifestyle and it's the only way I know how to raise good kids. Been a lot sacrificed to create my little ranch here in Central MN, and I could sell it and buy a lake house and new cars but ide regret that everyday.

Hope your children's children continue to love your place in Montana!