How long have you been a land broker, and how much experience do you have?

John is a full-time land broker with Southeastern Land Group. In 2003, John turned a successful entrepreneurial background into a pioneering real estate advising and marketing career. Since then, John’s sustained ambition has driven him to help clients acquire the greatest return on their real estate investments. John is a Co-Owner and Broker of Southeastern Land Group in Georgia and South Carolina and an Associate Broker in Alabama. John’s understanding of land investment opportunities and lifestyle properties, along with earnest respect for his clients’ purpose and privacy, have positioned John as a top-selling land agent and advisor. John is an Accredited Land Consultant (ALC), evaluating and trading properties throughout Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Do you sell just land or homes and land? Do you consider yourself a realtor or land broker?

John is a Realtor® that specializes in land. A real estate agent is someone who has a professional license to help people buy, sell, or rent all sorts of housing and real estate. To be licensed, John completed intensive education with exams related to selling real property, which includes houses, land, farms, etc. After several years in the real estate industry, John chose to specialize in land sales. 

Like real estate agent exams, each state sets its broker education and exam requirements. The extra coursework covers topics such as ethics, contracts, taxes, and insurance—at a more in-depth level. Next, to become a Realtor, an agent must be a National Association of Realtors® (NAR) member. As a member, an agent must comply with the standards of the Association and the Code of Ethics when working with individuals, corporations, and other agents. These agents are required to complete additional training related to standards and ethics. 

Additionally, John is a member of the Realtors Land Institute, and holds the highly specialized designation of Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) based on intensive study and documented land sales. Recognize that selling land is more than pricing a piece of property. Owners want the highest and best use of land to be marketed to optimize the value. This requires specialized industry knowledge. 

In summary, John is a Realtor® (NAR), licensed by individual states to sell real property. John specializes in land sales and is a member of the Realtors® Land Institute (RLI); John belongs to a team of committed, ethical, and educated professionals backed by a national organization. 

How many large acreage properties have you closed in the last two years?

Because SELG agents work together so closely, we monitor our overall sales. It is not uncommon for several agents to be involved in one sale, which would drastically skew this data point. Agents may be involved in a sale as a referring agent, a listing agent, a selling agent, or a combination of any of these. The extent of their involvement cannot be titled as a referring agent could be extensively involved or only involved at a particular point in the process. 

The following is a breakdown of our past 5 years of sales within SELG:

               2018 Sales: 42,146 Acres $108,000,000

               2019 Sales: 36,000 Acres $92,000,000

               2020 Sales: 33,545 Acres $140,000,000

               2021 Sales: 59,200 Acres $212,000,000

               2022 Sales: 49,485 Acres $358,000,000

Where can I borrow money to buy land?

Consult with your land agent, who will give you the names of several lenders in your region that understand rural land lending. Southeastern Land Group agents have multiple lenders that we can recommend for timber, farm, and hunting land loans.

How much money will a landowner receive for a first thinning on a pine plantation?

Depending on your location, the timber harvest will typically yield 35 tons/acre+/- at an average stumpage price of $9/ton. This totals $315/acre. The stumpage price for the timber will depend on the demand for pine pulpwood and the area of the state in which your land is located.

What is the word “stumpage” that I hear foresters referring to?

Stumpage is the amount of money that the landowner gets paid for their timber after harvesting. It is the landowner’s portion only.

How much does a typical water well cost?

The cost of a typical house well should be in the $7,500 to $12,500 range. It will also depend on the drilling conditions and the specific aquifer’s depth.

How do I know if I have any mineral rights, or how do I know if I am buying mineral rights?

A title company or an attorney specializing in mineral rights can determine through a specific title search who owns the mineral rights for a tract. Most tracts that are sold today have all or a portion of the mineral rights reserved.