MATT & DON
LOCAL LAND EXPERTS
CURRENT REAL ESTATE MARKET
When the Feds decided to start ramping up the current interest rates, there was a lot of speculation that the prices of homes and property would decrease by as much as 18-20%. This prediction is interesting given that homes and land values increased by that amount from 2021 through 2022. What has happened in the real estate market has been a little different than what was predicted. Many homeowners and landowners have simply decided to hold on to what they currently own because they were likely locked into a long-term lower interest rate, and they are reluctant to sell because they know they can’t buy another place without facing higher interest payments. This reluctance to sell has reduced the number of available homes and properties to buy, which, in turn, has kept the overall values very similar to what they were. I saw a report that homes have decreased in value by about 6%, but the overall number of sales has decreased by 16% compared to last year.
What this means for you as a property owner is that property values are still holding strong because of the reduced number of properties available to buyers. On recreational land, I have seen an increased number of “Cash” buyers as they are reluctant to pay the higher interest rates. In general, there are still a good number of buyers in the market looking to buy, just fewer available properties for them to look at.
In reality, the 8% interest rates are more of an inconvenience to buyers, but it is not stopping them from moving forward with a purchase. Agricultural values have seemed to soften a bit, but the 18-20% reduction that was predicted certainly is not an accurate number. Now is still a good time to sell, as the lack of available properties has kept the prices near steady compared to what they were a year ago.
CUTTING EDGE IMAGERY, NEXT LEVEL RESULTS
WRITTEN BY: DON WAGNER
In the dynamic world of real estate, where the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” holds undeniable truth, I’m on a mission—to stand out and leave a lasting impression on potential buyers. With three decades behind the lens and a solid 15-year run as a full-time real estate broker with LandGuys, my unique blend of expertise has earned me recognition as one of the top global real estate videographers for two consecutive years, a nod to my ability to showcase properties with finesse.
In a landscape oversaturated with information, the need for more than a conventional property listing has never been more apparent. I get it. At LandGuys, we work to transform the act of a listing into an art form, weaving visually stunning narratives for each property that go beyond the ordinary. With features in numerous magazines and TV commercials under my belt, my work in photography and videography transforms real estate listings into captivating tales of lifestyle and potential, creating a narrative that resonates with the aspirations of potential buyers.
The Art of Visual Storytelling
Securing a top spot among global real estate videographers reflects a commitment to innovation and recognizing the strategic importance of high-quality media in our visually driven world. In a landscape oversaturated with information, the need for more than a conventional property listing has never been more apparent. At LandGuys, we understand this imperative deeply and actively work to transform the act of listing into an art form.
In the competitive realm of real estate, visual storytelling stands as a cornerstone for effectively engaging potential buyers. It’s not just about showcasing properties; it’s about crafting narratives that transcend the ordinary. This approach acknowledges that a property is more than its physical attributes; it is an aspirational space waiting to be discovered.
Our dedication to visual storytelling is evident in the features we’ve secured in numerous magazines and TV commercials. Through our work in photography and videography, we elevate real estate listings into captivating tales of lifestyle and potential. It’s not about mere transactions; it’s about creating a narrative that resonates with the aspirations of potential buyers.
Visual storytelling goes beyond aesthetics; it is a powerful tool that evokes emotions and fosters a connection between properties and buyers. By curating visually stunning narratives, we aim to provide potential buyers with more than just information; we offer
an immersive experience that helps them envision a life within a property.
Transforming Your Property Together
My involvement with your property doesn’t stop at capturing its essence. It’s about enhancement. Understanding the profound impact of a property’s presentation, I collaborate closely with clients to improve its visual appeal before filming. This collaborative effort isn’t just about aesthetic improvements; it’s about creating an immersive experience for potential buyers. Whether it’s establishing inviting trails, strategic land clearing, or any measure that elevates the property from a listing to an aspirational experience, we’ll do it together.
Covering Every Angle
In an age dominated by technology, I ensure that my clients have access to the best tools available. My arsenal includes aerial 4K videos capturing the grandeur of expansive landscapes and underwater 4K videos showcasing the life within a lake. My commitment is to showcase each property’s unique charm through cutting-edge technology, recognizing that every property has its distinct story waiting to be told. By employing state-of-the-art technology, I bring out the nuances that make a property stand out, creating a visual feast for potential buyers.
The old saying “you only get one opportunity to make a first impression” holds true, especially in real estate. I live by this maxim. Understanding that the initial interaction sets the tone for the entire transaction, I ensure that the first impression isn’t merely good; it’s exceptional. Entrusting your property to me means seizing that singular opportunity with finesse and impact. My meticulous planning and execution ensure that your property makes a memorable entrance, leaving a lasting imprint on the minds of potential buyers.
Maximizing the Potential of Your Land
My belief in the timeless beauty of properties transcends the constraints of seasons. Whether it’s the vibrant colors of autumn foliage, the blossoms of spring, or the pristine snow-covered landscapes of winter, my lens captures the unique charm of your property in every season. This approach ensures that your property looks its best, regardless of the time of year, creating a year-round appeal for potential buyers.
For properties with hunting land, I go beyond the ordinary. Utilizing trail cameras, I not only capture the wildlife that graces the property but also provide potential buyers with a genuine glimpse of the natural wonders that come with the land. I bring expertise in increasing a property’s income through detailed timber evaluation and leveraging CommonGround.io for higher rental rates on tillable land. This integrated approach isn’t just about capturing images; it’s about imparting valuable insights to property owners on maximizing the potential of their land.
Adding a Personal Touch
In my hands, your property isn’t just another listing; it’s a visual journey that captivates and resonates. My unparalleled experience in photography, videography, and real estate brokerage creates a unique blend of skills that not only captures attention but holds it. In a market where first impressions are crucial, I ensure that your property’s introduction is not just remarkable; it’s extraordinary. Elevate your real estate experience with me, Don Wagner, and let’s create a story that speaks to potential buyers, leaving an indelible mark in the competitive landscape. My holistic approach doesn’t just sell properties; it crafts experiences that turn potential buyers into committed homeowners, making the real estate journey enjoyable for everyone involved. Let’s make your property shine!
MANAGING AG ACRES AND WILDLIFE
As a landowner, it is safe to say that you would want to optimize your income from your tillable land, and hopefully, part of that goal includes optimizing habitat for your wildlife. There are ways to do both. In many cases, the lowest yield of any tillable acreage is usually along the standing timber and in the “end-rows,” which are planted along the outside perimeter of the field. These yields are affected for multiple reasons, but wildlife depredation and a lack of nutrients to the crop due to shade and competition with tree roots are likely the two biggest limiting factors for your crops in these areas. If you want to see what I am talking about, jump in the combine with your tenant farmer and watch the yield monitor as you harvest the corn or beans along the timber edges.
In many cases, the first 30 feet of crops in the end rows perform much worse than the rest of the acreage in an agricultural field. Depending on the layout of your tillable acreage, this could account for a significant amount of acreage, and the tenant farmer will certainly keep that in mind when negotiating a suitable cash rent payment. The tenant farmer obviously needs his cash rent to reflect a profitable margin for him to operate within, and for the landowner, you are interested in generating the best possible return on investment. There may be a way to accommodate both in this scenario.
Conservation Reserve Programs (CRP) are a great way for the landowner to increase potential income and provide the tenant farmer an opportunity to focus on the more productive tillable acreage, which might be an incentive for them to pay a slightly better cash rent. There is a new program available through the USDA Farm Service Agency called State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE Program) now
offered to eligible landowners and eligible acreages. Unfortunately, there seems to be minimal information online regarding this program. Like most CRP programs, there are specific requirements for each property and landowners to meet. The overall initiative is to increase habitat for endangered species and species that have suffered major declines in population over the years (for example, Bobwhite Quail and Pheasants). The other focus is to help reduce erosion, which in return will help keep your tillable soils intact and more productive.
This photo illustrates the yield difference in the first 12 rows of a corn field. Notice that the first six rows are not fully filled out. The photo illustrates that crops planted up against standing mature timber really affect the yield. What this photo does not illustrate is the amount of wildlife predation on the crop. There are likely many areas along the timber that are completely void of any ears at all.
state that extends to most counties in the Northern part of the state. There is also an Illinois Quail SAFE Initiative area that encompasses all Southern Illinois and then extends into the West Central and Western part of the state (see map for reference).
Your first step is to contact your local FSA (Farm Service Agency) and discuss your eligibility for the program. The SAFE program is a CRP contract that can be enrolled in 1015-year lease agreements. There are different enrollment types, all of which focus on establishing or restoring native grasses and forbs in critical areas. You will want to work directly with your tenant farmer to ensure that you are implementing these leases in the proper spots on your property. The lease payments seem to be aggressive based on some of the annual payment numbers I have heard. Often the CRP payment will be more than your tenant farmer would be willing to pay for those same acres. At the end of the day, this can be beneficial for the landowner, the farm operator, and the wildlife on your property.
It is my understanding that there are two different SAFE Initiative areas in the state of Illinois. The area that your property is located in will determine the programs you are eligible for and the types of grasses and forbs that will be planted in the CRP areas. There is an Illinois Pheasant SAFE Initiative area that is in the East Central part of the
I personally like the idea behind this program, and I think it really helps landowners, farmers, and wildlife on many different levels. To play devil’s advocate, there are a few things to consider prior to enrollment. These programs are designed for wildlife and erosion problems; they are not designed to be ATV access routes for you to drive around. For that reason, there are contractual restrictions on motorized vehicle use and similar activities. Some of the programs allow for turning equipment around on them, but they are not designed as road access for grain carts, combines, ATVs, or somewhere to store round bales. Driving on them, especially in the spring and fall, somewhat defeats the purpose of the program, which is to provide springtime nesting habitat and wintertime shelter for small upland game. This is a lease agreement that you will be held responsible for adhering to the agreement terms and restrictions.
All in all, I feel this is a program that can benefit many landowners. If you feel your farm could benefit from a program like this, give your local FSA office a call to discuss your eligibility and different options available to you.
BY: MATT COX
MANAGING HABITAT FOR QUAIL TO IMPROVE YOUR DEER HERD
WRITTEN BY: MATT COX
In some of the other articles, I have explained some of my daily routines, and I also highlighted CRP options to increase tillable land returns and habitat improvement options. Habitat management is one of my absolute passions. My job gives me an opportunity to walk on a lot of different farms and properties. It’s interesting to see how different each property can be and how each property is managed differently by different landowners. It is safe to say that most landowners in this area focus most of their management goals on the whitetail deer.
in North America by approximately 85% since 1966. Those numbers are very sobering for a guy like me, as I just love these little birds for various reasons. There are multiple guesses as to why the quail population has deteriorated; regardless of why, the decline is real and very sad. One contributing factor is undoubtedly the differences in farming practices and basic habitat for wildlife because of those changes in farming practice improvements. I’m certainly not advocating to change the technology and regress in how we are now farming, but I am advocating to
HARD EDGE: This photo depicts the common hard edge along a field. Notice the field edge butts up to hardwoods timber. There is no habitat in between the two.
SOFT EDGE: Photo credit to Mark Alessi former buyer client of Matt Cox This is the classic example of a feathered edge. We meet all classifications of timber growth. Grass and forbs blending into the shrub sapling stage of oak trees, just inside that is the pole stage, and the mature timber is hardly noticeable in the background do to the dense habitat created by the soft edge.
I bet it would shock many of the landowners out there to hear that they could grow bigger deer and a healthier deer herd if they would focus their management goals to benefit the Bobwhite Quail.
Any habitat improvement done to benefit the Bobwhite will ultimately have a positive benefit for all other wildlife on your property. To manage a property for quail, you need to see things from their perspective, which is quite literally at ground level. The average adult quail will only get to be six to seven inches tall. The average life expectancy of a quail is 6 months, so these fragile little birds are at a major disadvantage from the start. Quail really need a lot of diversity in their habitat.
I’ve read multiple articles that estimate that the Bobwhite Quail population has declined
change our mindsets and thoughts about how we work around those improved farming practices to create better habitat for wildlife.
Hard Edges vs Soft Edges
With all the properties I have walked in the past, I am surprised to say that I do not see much emphasis on people managing their edge habitats. It is no secret that most walks of wildlife flourish on edge habitat, where one type of habitat adjoins another. I look at these edges as a buffer and a great spot to focus some of your management goals. In one of the other articles, I talk about a CRP program called SAFE. It stands for State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement, and it is a great way to take an otherwise “Hard Edge” around field edges and create a more wildlife-friendly “soft edge.” The idea of “Edge Feathering” is not a new concept for wildlife managers; the idea behind it is to create a buffer from bare
MEET MATT COX & DON WAGNER
Exclusively Representing Central Illinois
Don Wagner and Matt Cox have forged an exceptional partnership, uniting their individual strengths to establish a formidable team in the realm of rural land and outdoor pursuits. Don, with his extensive background, emerges as a linchpin of knowledge, particularly in the intricate world of trophy deer, property acquisition, and a wealth of photography expertise spanning over three decades. His profound insights make him an invaluable resource, providing clients with a unique blend of seasoned experience and an artist’s eye for capturing the essence of rural landscapes.
Complementing this wealth of knowledge, Matt brings to the table a reputation built on integrity and a comprehensive understanding of diverse property types. From cozy homes to expansive recreational properties, thriving farms, and coveted waterfowl habitats, Matt’s expertise transcends boundaries. His commitment to excellence and deep-seated proficiency in navigating the intricacies of various property landscapes position him as a trusted advisor for clients seeking rural real estate opportunities.
Illinois has two SAFE Initiative zones. This map highlights the areas by county to which program you could qualify for. The major difference in these two zones is the types of seed blends you will be eligible to plant. The pheasant SAFE zones call for a tall grass blend (Big Blue Stem, Indian Grass, Switch Grass, and a variety of forbs). The quail SAFE zones call for a short grass blend (Little Blue Stem, June Grass, Love Grass, and a variety of forbs such as Side Oats Grama and Partridge Pea). Make sure your seed blends are compliant with the FSA requirements.
ground and slowly transition it to the mature timber with a variety of successional habitat between the two. The idea is to stack the 4 stages of timber succession between the field and the Mature timber, and usually, this development is approximately a 150-foot strip between the two. Those succession stages are grass and forbs stage, shrub and sapling stage, pole stage, and mature forest stage.
By feathering the habitat between the crop ground and the mature timber, you are essentially benefiting wildlife in ways that many other properties cannot. For quail, you can create the proper habitat for them to survive year-round. This soft edge can also increase your recreational activities on the property by minimizing how much you disturb your deer and other wildlife. The proper soft edge should create optimum escape cover for deer and other wildlife. If you want to take a walk on your farm and you spook some deer, the properly feathered edge will offer somewhere for a spooked deer to bound off 50 yards and then they will just stop and let you pass by. They won’t have to flee to the neighbor’s property to escape your presence.
Matt and Don’s collaborative approach ensures that clients not only benefit from individual expertise but also from a synergistic combination that maximizes the potential for success in every real estate endeavor.
For those looking to explore and invest in rural properties, reaching out to Don and Matt is an opportunity to tap into a wealth of knowledge, experience, and a shared passion for the great outdoors. Their dedication to client success, coupled with a deep understanding of the nuances within the rural real estate market, makes them the go-to team for anyone aiming to leverage the full potential of their investment in this captivating domain.