# buy working forests with a land contract



## MyWorkingForest (Aug 2, 2011)

i am looking for a way to buy a huge forest tracked with a land contract so i can do conservation forestry where logging money is used to buy and preserve more forestland. if you know a good organization or company that is willing to do so please let me know because i really want to save forests.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Could you explain a bit more? 
This does not make a lot of sense.

Thanks, Angie


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Would you be able to make it into a conservation area while still not owning it outright? Would you not have to wait till the land contract was paid in full?


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

How do you plan on saving them? Leaving them alone or using traditional forestry methods?

Will you be practicing ecological thinning, coppicing, Silviculture?

Where are you looking?


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## MyWorkingForest (Aug 2, 2011)

i would have ecological thinning done. and i would protect them with working forest conservation easements with a public recreational easement on it as well where the state controls recreation but i still own the land.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

You won't own the land until the contract is paid in full. Here you can't log until you actually own the property and doubt that you can give an easement without owning the land either.


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## InvalidID (Feb 18, 2011)

That's what I was going to say Molly.


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

Not to be rude and slightly off topic, Ive caught a good few of your posts so far MyWorkingForest.

I'm a little curious as to a couple things? if you don't mind you seem to be intelligent and have some good Ideas, but I wonder how old you are? the second and the first any have more bearing on this, whats your schooling level or even life experience? 

I only ask because of the questions you have posed on the various boards. 
by the way you should respond to a few of them,thinking you forgot or abandoned them? you can go into your profile by clicking your name in the upper right where it says welcome, click the statistics tab and click find all posts. I have to do that sometimes this is a busy place and threads get buried.

since your new the questions I asked may help others to give you a better advice based on where you are at in life now.

but the advice above is correct,for standard land contract. buying on a land contract and cutting the woods down. before it was bought outright would be the same as buy a house on contract and tearing it down. even if you had the intention to rebuild/replant it. 

Now though that's a standard contract, and all a contract is is a agreement that's legally binding.there are a few things that are required legally. but for the most part as long as both parties are privy to the details and in agreement, you could have it set up just so. IMO though it would hard a hard sell and possibly more so based on your experience or inexperience.

A land owner would want a guarantee that the value of their land would be preserved.
it it where me I would also require you to carry a pretty hefty insurance policy to cover any liability, you are talking about logging after all. you could maybe be bonded to cover potential damage/reimbursement for extracted vale to/from the property, of course its only damage if you default. but again hard sell.

your better bet is to organize a nonprofit, and a sound game plan. then seek funding from various agency's and programs. though the land wont be yours but the nonprofits and you could be removed as the head. though your goal of saving forests may very well be achieved.

I would not do any easements. easements give others control of your property. not good.

the other thing I'll point out is most Forrest in large tracts is normally select cut prior to selling. no real marketable timber 10-20 years. and they still want a pretty penny.

I would look for land I could lease for hunting, that's money that can cover tax's and perhaps acquire more land. that's something you could do on a land contract. Good hunting land commands a pretty penny from the right clientele. it does take a bit of work though.there are programs that would reduce your tax and maybe even pay and still allow you to do that. in the summer out of season you can do wood land management on a contractual basis for other land owners. and if you where really industrious you would mill your own lumber and create products from it, advertising that you not only are providing jobs but that the lumber was sustainably harvested. 

there's a lot of avenues you could take to get to where you want to go. these are a few things I could think of. but its all in what you want.what your willing to give and how much and when. some of these things might not click with you , they may get you to think in a different way too.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

Buy on land contract. Sell off all the timber. Let contract lapse and property revert to former owner. Not saying that's your intent, but you could certainly make a buck that way!


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

willow_girl said:


> Buy on land contract. Sell off all the timber. Let contract lapse and property revert to former owner. Not saying that's your intent, but you could certainly make a buck that way!


Yep, you could make a buck or two; could also get you 3 squares and a cot in the local (or even state) lock-up. [prophead]

Like others, I don't know what is the OP's real motive(s) is or what resources, as in experience, money, equipment, etc, are in play.


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

I am interested in seeing the reply to Downhomes post.


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