We're ok here but it would be nice to have more land and a proper barn. I look up and down mls and now, maybe, I've found a nice 100 acre property. I drove by and, from a distance, the barn looks good and the land looks workable. I called the listing agent and set up an appointment to view. Here's the thing; negotiate it myself or get a buyer's agent?

One the one hand I don't know that much about farms, on the other, any agent is going to want to complete the sale, he or she, is not going to be unconflictedly on my side. The one agent we know in passing who has lots of farm experience is a paedophile, it doesn't seem right to go to him. Anyone know an experienced rural property person who wants to negotiate a deal for a flat fee?

Does that mean you'll throw in the towel on selling programs to uninformed Americans in favour of milking cows?

If you decide to do it yourself, take some time to research or figure out frequently used conditions of sale for rural properties. I have no idea what these might be but water tests, vacancy, emptied sceptic are important with a residential sale so there's probably a similar set for rural. For example soil tests, fence reliability and perhaps one about the removal of the big pile of horse shit, flies and dead mice from outside of the barn.

Would that be empty of belief?

No, no, no. Empty of doubt of belief.

You need to get a Realtor as YOUR Buyers Agent, but ONLY if they are experienced in Farms.

A residential or a commercial Realtor will be of little use to you if they have no Farm knowledge.

Phone your local Realtors Board and ask them for a list of experienced Realtors.

I repeat my comments about becoming a 'Gentleman farmer'

I thank you for the clarification.

LIFE

Lighten up, Iain. It is possible to be over-earnest, you know...

meh

what did I tell ya?

Good grief, no. Something has to generate revenue to write cows off against.

Grinding rural poverty has no gentlemanly aspect to it.

A buyer's agent still takes commission from the seller, so it doesn't actually cost you anything to use one! As long as, of course, you trust your realtor to get you the best price.