I had a really exciting day on Saturday, I went farm shopping. Well, it was actually farm window shopping, but still pretty exciting. We looked at four little farmlets around the Whatawhata area with a very trying real estate agent. Aside from having to try and ignore her steady stream of irrelevant chatter, a good time was had by all. It really opens your eyes to the possibilities when you start to look at properties and get a feel for the size of places and the potential for improvements or business opportunities.
My theory (probably coming form my training) is that you always start with the land and go from there. That means that you look at what you have got and make the most of the opportunities that it presents. Hilly? How about goats? Wet? Duck ponds and flax for weaving. You get the picture. So it is a bit of a chicken and egg situation, but I guess that is part of the fun.
The weekend has definitely presented a lot of food for thought. Family farm-buying syndicate? Good house on run down land, or run down house on good land? How much land? and for that matter, how much house? Lots of things to think over, and definitely a plan in the making. Because at the end of it, it all comes down to money - how much you can get, where its coming from, and how much you need to pay. Mortgages aren't cheap. They are saying its a buyers market. They are also saying house prices are likely to continue to drop. But what if they aren't? Should I just close my eyes, buy a lotto ticket, and hope for the best?
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