# Everything happens for a reason



## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

I had such an ironic thing happen yesterday that I just had to share!

After my Dad passed away, he had a tract of land that him, my. Mother, and 2 sisters used to live before I came along and they needed a larger house. He had rented the old house out for a while, and I don't think things worked out there, so it sat empty, people broke into it, and it eventually had a leaky roof and collapsed in. I ended up buying out my siblings share of it.

On the one corner of the property, was a 1/2 acre site that years before the previous owner had sold to the school board and they had a small school house. With consolidation into the larger schools, this small wooden school house was sold to an older couple who made it into a house.
They died and a local property owner had bought it.

Since this was once a piece of the original property, I had contacted them two years ago to see if they wanted to sell it. They would have, but for a slightly higher price than I wanted to pay, so I didn't do anything.

Recently, I had been thinking that I really needed to contact them again, and just pay the price. In fact, on Friday afternoon, I had called up the deeds and was looking at it on the county's deed website. I had got his address and was looking for this man's telephone number (they now live in a different town), but couldn't find it and I didn't keep it from the previous contact with them.

Imagine my surprise yesterday, when I received a letter from this man. I opened it up wondering if he was now interested in selling and sure enough he is! He is retiring, and him and wife are moving to a town closer to their children and they came across the deeds for the 1/2 acre property and another tract of land they had inherited from his parents.

They are selling both of them and had kept my previous letter to them, and had decided to give me first option on either (or both), otherwise they would list it with a realtor June 15. I was happy to see, I could now get this 1/2 acre, but was also amazed that the other tract also adjoined my 40 acre tract on part of one side, and I can't really pass up the prices.

After a quick discussion with my wife, it's a go, so I quickly called them (from the phone number in their letter) and told them I would like to buy both. It's a win for both of us. They don't have to list it with a realtor (and pay a commission) - and they have a sale for it NOW, and it's at a price we can afford, and it adjoins our other tract.

I am so excited!

I am so glad they had kept my letter from two years ago - so that's something to keep in mind - once you contact someone with a letter about a piece of property, while they may not be interested in selling at the time you contact them, (or possibly ask for more than you may want to pay), if they keep the letter, they may contact you down the road.

Will keep you up to date on how things progress.


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## dsmythe (Apr 21, 2013)

Thanks for sharing, I am looking forward to......The Rest of the Story! Dsmythe


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## Wolf mom (Mar 8, 2005)

Love win - win situations! And your's sure is.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

serendipity/synchronicity is some truly amazing stuff. congratulations!


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Great story.


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

The best for you all


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## tiffanysgallery (Jan 17, 2015)

How wonderful!, and thank-you for sharing with us.


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## CKelly78z (Jul 16, 2017)

Whenever possible, eliminate the realtor's 6% take, and buy/sell yourself.


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## ticndig (Sep 7, 2014)

wow its amazing you were both thinking about the property and each other at the same time .


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

Sounds awesome.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

CKelly78z said:


> Whenever possible, eliminate the realtor's 6% take, and buy/sell yourself.


Indeed, just be sure to do your homework. All of it!


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Last Wednesday June 12th, I met with the attorney. Gave him copies of the two deeds that are to be transferred, along with copies of other paperwork that pertains to the properties.

I forgot to mention in my initial post that there is a survey for the larger parcel of property - that was surveyed in 1987. So that is a plus - having a property with an actual survey with up to date (32 years ago) directions, dimensions, and actual survey posts. In 2006, there was a 3 acre tract sold off this property that had a house - and they had a survey done for the 3 acres that sold.

I'm happy to have a survey. (Most property around here - or at least a lot of it - has the same information in the deeds as it was from the early 1900's.). And a lot of them just have "general" deed information as in "bounded on the North by lands of so and so, starting at a red oak and heading in a South East direction 395' to a post, along the lands of so and so, heading 590' along the lands of so . . . . " So, I'm happy it actually has all of the current up to date information in it. 

I have been up to the courthouse several times, making sure there havn't been other tracts sold off of it or right of way's there may be on the property. (I've been a regular at the courthouse - so much so - the guard who watches the metal detector just passes me right through.)

The lawyer called me today to let me know they are working on the deeds and will email me copies of what they have once they have them written so if any changes need made, it can be done before the final deed is written and printed.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Progress since my last report!

I've sold several of my investments and now have cash sitting in the bank waiting for the closing.

The attorney emailed a copy of the deed, and the sellers and I have approved it.

The seller has been notified of the appointment that has now been made with our attorney for the closing to be next Tuesday morning. We will meet at the attorney's office for the payment of the check to be made and the signing of the deed and my wife and I will own even more land. Part of this land I've been hoping to get for several years that adjoins our land! But I never imagined we would be buying as much as we are.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

The closing is tomorrow!

But to be honest, it's kind of scary. Cashing out the investments wasn't too bad - I just had to decide what funds to sell and what to keep. The checks arrived and those got deposited. I guess last Friday - seeing the copy of the future deed with my name and my wife's on it - really hit home. It's like - "Wow! We are really going to do this!"

Today I went up to the bank go move some money out of savings and into checking for the lawyer fee, recording of the deed, etc. I then needed to get a certified check for the seller. As the teller was making the check out - I'm thinking - "Am I doing the right thing? This is the most money I have ever spent for land." The check was printed, the teller signed it and handed it over to me.

This transaction is all around a good deal for us. Not only do we get a small parcel of property that we surrounded - and that is really what I wanted - but we are getting land that is more than doubling what we have now - that adjoins on the one side of our original piece

It's certainly exciting!


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Ok, the transaction is complete, so I can now release some of the details.

My parent's owned a 40 acre parcel of land with a house that they bought in the 1960's. With the birth of me - making kid # 3, the house was no longer big enough, so they bought a new house and land elsewhere and rented out for a while the house on the 40 acres. The rental really didn't work out, so eventually they quit that, the house was kept locked - but people broke into it to steal anything of value. Eventually it fell into disrepair and fell in on it itself. After my parent's death's, I bought the siblings out of their share of the 40 acre tract. I don't live there, but live nearby - just didn't want to get rid of it. 

Within this 40 acre tract on the one side, a 1/2 acre of so was sold to build a one room school house - long before my parents owned it. The school was consolidated - with someone buying the land, and converting it into a house. The couple got old, and sold it.

After I obtained the 40 acre tract, I have been after this 1/2 acre or so for a while as I owned on 3 sides of it. I was in contact with the people that owned it several years ago. They gave me a price, I felt it was too much, so nothing was done. Earlier this year, I was thinking of contacting them again - as I decided I just needed to suck it up and buy it.

That is when I got the letter from them last month, offering me first chance. But not only were they selling this small parcel, they were also selling an adjoining 49.41 acres! This parcel they had inherited from their parents and had now decided to sell it. So, I could buy the 1/2 acre parcel for $1000.00, I could buy the 49.41 acres for $50,000.00, I could buy both for $51,000, or I could just let it go.

I figured I could not pass up an almost 50 acre tract of land for $51,000.00 - so that is what was transacted today. (Especially when it adjoins the one side of my 40 acres.) So, along with the 40 acre tract, I now own an additional 49.91 acres bringing my total to 89.91 acres.

The majority of the 49.41 acres is wooded - meaning in a few years, I can do some timbering. In addition to that, I figured I can lease out the 49.41 acres for hunting. (That is already what I do for the 40 acres - which brings in enough that easily covers the yearly property tax.)

I also got the survey for the 49.41 acres that was done 30 years ago. This shows the one side of my 40 acres where the boundary is. My Dad never had it surveyed, so I was never really sure of the property line. Since the 49.41 acre was surveyed, and has survey pins, I will need to hunt them up and get it marked out.

It sure has been an exciting month!


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Michael W. Smith said:


> Ok, the transaction is complete, so I can now release some of the details.
> 
> My parent's owned a 40 acre parcel of land with a house that they bought in the 1960's. With the birth of me - making kid # 3, the house was no longer big enough, so they bought a new house and land elsewhere and rented out for a while the house on the 40 acres. The rental really didn't work out, so eventually they quit that, the house was kept locked - but people broke into it to steal anything of value. Eventually it fell into disrepair and fell in on it itself. After my parent's death's, I bought the siblings out of their share of the 40 acre tract. I don't live there, but live nearby - just didn't want to get rid of it.
> 
> ...


I love it when things work out.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Well done!


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Always good to hear about parcels growing back together rather than getting chopped up.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

Congratulations!!


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

For that price I would have mortgaged everything to the hilt and sold all that wasn't necessary to purchase that parcel. I am thrilled for you and glad you got a great deal. I can't blame you for wanting to keep quiet about it until it was a done deal. 

Do you have any plans for treasure hunting around the old school house? That would be lots of fun.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Danaus29 said:


> Do you have any plans for treasure hunting around the old school house? That would be lots of fun.


Well, the older couple that I told you about that had turned the school into a house, was a garbage man. He had a truck and had a garbage route. In addition to the garbage business, he also did scrap. Across the road from the house (former school) was a field that had old cars, an old milk truck, and other steel and metals.

(I fondly remember as a kid going there and I would take my sister across the road, pass down through the "stuff" to the milk truck. We would then take turns "driving" the milk truck and "making milk deliveries".

I think there used to be quite a bit of "stuff" right around the house (former school), so using a metal detector would most likely find lots of stuff - just not valuable stuff.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I understand the junk part. I've found all kinds of junk here, the few modern pennies have not been worth the effort. But there was a pair of vise grips that the Craftsman name was still visible on that hubby had replaced. I haven't done any hunting in a long time because of the junk and lack of time.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Bonus with the property.

My wife & I stopped by to take a look at the property. According to aerial views of the property, I kept seeing what looked like a roof. This was an old farm - so I thought perhaps it was an old barn. But when I went to the courthouse before buying it, I asked if there were any buildings on the property. Tax Assessor had looked and said "No, there are no buildings."

I didn't stop by to walk on the property before I bought it, as I knew I was getting wooded property. From the aerial view, it looked like a patch of property was cleared land, but it was hard to tell. So yesterday we stop, and while my wife waited in the car because we had the small dog - I decided to go up the farm road to see what was at the end. 

I go up to the end of the farm road, make a right onto a path, and I can see a roof. As I get closer, I notice that it isn't a small roof, it's rather large. I get up to the structure to discover it is a pavilion!! The pavilion is approximately 22' wide X 40' long. On both sides of the longer side, are two heavy duty tables and benches. And I'm talking HEAVY DUTY!! The tables are held up by 3" or 4" steel pipe along with the benches being held by 3" steel pipe. Each table goes down from the front of the pavilion to probably 15' towards the back. In the back, there is a large table probably 6' X 15' that must be the "serving table". The end of the pavilion is closed in.

Apparently this was a built as a "get together place" for everybody. Not sure it if was just family, or perhaps parties were held there. It had lights, breaker boxes, and fuse boxes, but the wires were cut long ago. (I am assuming the electric wires came all the way from the house, and once it wasn't used anymore, the wires were cut down.). The sides of the pavilion are easily 9' high, with the peak of the roof being probably 18' high. While the shingled roof has a bit of moss on it, the roof does NOT have holes in it - nor is is it in need of replacement.

This is an unexpected bonus! Not sure yet what I am going to do with this property, but I'm thinking the pavilion will make a great addition, to anyone wanting to lease the property to hunt on.

While the field is starting to get grown up, it wouldn't take much to cut the small shrubs with a chain saw to get it cleared. I'm thinking it would be a great place to fence in, and perhaps raise a few beef cattle - although there is no water area right there.

It's an interesting find!


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Sounds like with a couple of walls it would also be a great equipment building.


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

my uncle acquired 40 acres of landlocked hunting woods.
after he died, my aunt wanted to sell it to my brother and me. we took a gps and went looking for the survey stakes. as it turned out, we found the government concrete stakes and markers. the 40 was north of what my uncle believed to be his 40. it was 100% bog. we walked on the moss and could hear water running beneath us.Not a tree on the property.
the deer did not even have trails through it.
when we told our aunt this, she accused us of trying to get the price down by lying.. I told her, you couldn't give me that land, free..
the point is , use a gps to find the stakes..


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

stachoviak, I plan on meeting with one of the relatives (that owns adjoining it on one end) to show me the boundary stakes in their corners. Once I get those, it shouldn't take much to measure off the distance and be able to find the other two corner stakes.

As for the 3.09 acres that was sold off of it, it was surveyed before being sold and has about 6 line stakes. (I noticed one while there on Sunday - so again, by measuring, it shouldn't take too long to find the remaining ones.)


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