It also often brings another urge: to go to the beach!  Whether for a vacation or a second home, springtime brings the urge to migrate.  If it’s put you into that migratory mode, here are some great waterfront properties to consider making your spring (and summer) destination hot spot!

Santa Cruz on the Monterey Bay
La Selva Beach, California
A 4 bedroom 3 bath main house that feels completely at home with itself. Redwood and stone. Rough open beam ceilings. Wood-shingled exterior. Rows of cypress. Windows and decks overlooking miles of beautiful beach, rolling hills, fertile farms and acreage. Organic. Fully enveloped in soulful ambiance. Seamlessly integrated into the natural surroundings. Horses feed peacefully in the pasture, hawks circle overhead and schools of dolphins splash in and out of the waves just yards off shore. Caretakers unit. Existing hay barn. Perfect spot to design your own arena or build your own stall barn. Immediate access to trail riding on the beach. Short trailer ride to show grounds, boarding stables, lessons and a huge variety of area trails. Other adjoining parcels to enhance your experience are also available for purchase.

Cape Fear Trail
Southport, North Carolina
Riverfront Sunsets Custom Built 5 Bedrooms 6 Bath Home, Gourmet Kitchen, Granite counters, Stainless Steel Appliances – 48″ Sub-Zero Refrigerator, Bosch Dishwasher, wine cooler, ice maker, Wolf Gas Stove, Double Ovens, Warming Drawer, Mahogany Custom Cabinets, Mahogany Top Work Island with sink, Maple Hardwood Floors, Elevator, Master Suite with two Bedrooms on the first level each with tiled bath, 4th Bedroom, Office, & Loft, Master Suite Crofter with Shower & Tub, Screen Porch off Dining Room, Decking/Covered porches.

Coquina Trail
Bald Head Island, North Carolina
“Footprints in the Sand” is the perfect getaway! It is a beautifully decorated oceanfront four bedroom home with striking views from practically every room. It is surrounded by a wrapround deck and screened porch. There is also a private walkway, which is steps away from the beach! A Sports membership to the BHI and Shoals Club are available for a separate purchase.

To start, make sure you find a good realtor.  Also, keep in mind that you cannot highball your price like pre-2008.  There are plenty of options out there for buyers, so you, with your realtor’s guidance, will need to find a price point that draws bites (and that, unfortunately, may be lower than you hope) and ultimately a sell.  Leave the hard stuff to your realtor, but here are some tips that you can do to maximize your property’s appeal and better your odds of finding a buyer:

Curb Appeal
Your exterior is a buyer’s first impression, and it is very important it be a good one.  At a minimum, clean up your yard, trim shrubs, and put everything unsightly away in storage or in your garage.  Better yet, make any repairs and improvements you can, such as new paint, fixing an old gate, etc.

Make Repairs
If there are little things broken all over your house – old screens, leaky faucets, chipped paint – they add up big in a buyer’s mind.  Take care of all these little fixes and the end result will be impressive.  As for bigger repairs, such as a leaky roof, you will need to weigh the cost-benefit of making the repair.

De-personalize
You might love your bright red dining room, but most buyers won’t.  It is important to make your house generic, especially in terms of getting rid of any crazy colors on the walls or floors.  Also, pack away any personal clutter – portraits, pictures, knickknacks – so that a buyer can envision a life in your home.

Clean & Organized
This one should be obvious, but it needs to be said.  Keep your home cleaned and organized.  Keep any children’s toys as packed away in cupboards as possible.  Dishes should be put away, laundry out of site.  You get the picture.

Environment
Keep your home’s climate amenable to showing – you don’t want to heat or freeze your potential buyers out the door!  Also, let in light – open curtains during the day, turn on all the lights if it’s night.

Keep the above in mind and have patience. The right buyer will come along!

The Oaks of Lake City: 2 acres, $58,900, Lake City, FL.
One and 2-acre home sites are available for nature enthusiasts who desire country living without the fuss. These residents have no commitment to annual homeowner dues but may choose to pay a small annual fee to use the trail system and non-equestrian common areas. Residents of the 4 to 6.4-acre equestrian lots have equity ownership in the equestrian facilities for a monthly fee. They have the option to board their horses at the barn or keep them on their property. All equestrian home sites have direct access to the trail system and all of the top-of-the-line equestrian amenities within the community. These residents may also take advantage of the concierge service to care for their horses on a regular basis or when they are out of town.

Lake Wales Home:  1 acre, $79,500, Lake Wales, FL.
This two bedroom, one bath (plumbing for 1/2 bath in place) home sits on one acre of fenced in land that has large oaks and pine trees. Originally a block house, with wood frame addition added. Fireplace, Loft, Well Water, lot with majestic oak tree, 200 Pine Trees, Orange and Grapefruit trees. Attached two car garage and small pen area for animals. Quiet country setting with plenty of room for farm animals. Outside of city limits, Lake Wales Historical Town, Bass fisherman’s paradise, Bok Tower Gardens and Chalet Suzette Historical Attractions.

Naples, FL lots:
5 acres, $24,900

2.27 acres, $18,000

We all know that, in real estate, Now-Is-A-Great-Time-to-Buy.  And yes, if you’ve been thinking about buying a second/vacation home, now would definitely be a time to give it serious consideration.  That said, you still need to evaluate your own financial situation to be sure that you can make the adjustment to buying and owning a second home.

Keep the following things in mind when deciding on a vacation home:  Do I have disposable income?  And do I want to invest that income in vacation property?  How much am I willing to devote to this property?  Set a clear budget so that you will not regret anything later.  Include the obvious – your mortgage payment, taxes – but also the less obvious: maintenance and repairs.  One great way to offset any or even all of these costs is to consider renting out this property, if applicable.

But let’s say you are ready to make the step and look for a second home.  Be sure to factor in and evaluate the following in your search:

1. Establish your goals parameters – and stick to them. Where do you want your vacation home? What is your budget?  Do I have any financing restrictions?

2.  Shop for a mortgage. Do this before you fall in love with the property of your dreams.

3.  Research market values. Determine market values and speak with a realtor in the location(s) you are looking.

4.  Make an offer. Never offer full value in today’s market (though always speak with a realtor; certain situations may dictate otherwise). Go in with a fair offer, and you may be surprised.

5.  Closing. If you make it this far, get ready to celebrate!  But bear in mind a few things: try to avoid busier times, like the end of the month and, especially, the end of the year. Also be sure to have any needed cash for closing costs and set a move-in date with the seller.

A vacation home can be extremely rewarding: a home away from home and a relatively safe investment.  Just remember to plan so that you can enjoy that property for years to come!

Are you looking for vacation or investment property?  You might check out our database and see our featured properties on Facebook.

In today’s relatively volatile real estate market, why would you want to invest in it?  It is smart to be wary, indeed, but there is an exception: land.

Historically, investing in land – property without structures, maintenance, etc. – has been a safe, stable investment. Investing in land means investing in a physical asset, unlike stocks that can potentially diminish completely. Moreover, unlike other real estate investments like rentals, or even a second home, there are no maintenance costs or tenant issues.

But there’s more than that.  Other benefits of investing in land include:

• Supply & demand will always put upward price pressure on land,
• The cost of land is relatively more affordable than properties with structures,
• Property taxes, due to the lower cost of land properties, are generally lower,
• A variety of choices, from price, to lot sizes, to locations,
• The option to build if needed,
• Versatility for resale; property may be purposed for residential, commercial, agriculture, etc.

Interested?  Be sure to check out our website, landfarmandranch.com, the largest land and rural property website in the U.S.

You can also find us on Facebook:

Read more: http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/11/want-it-fresh-try-a-coffee-csa/#ixzz1RSU0PCX0

 Huffpost Green, July 7, 2011

Out on the Kansas prairie, where the wind is steady and strong, clouds of dust and grain chaff swirl near colossal combines that comb fields of corn and wheat. A constant breeze cuts through the stifling summer heat.

But the refreshing winds can be deadly when forces of nature collide. Mike Estes knows. He’s seen the catastrophic effects of an EF-5 tornado four years ago, a monster 200 mile-an-hour cyclone that cut a 1.7 mile swath through Greensburg and demolished his family’s John Deere sales and support facility. Mammoth tractors and combines were strewn about the wrecked showroom like Tonka toys left out in a rainstorm. It was utter devastation.

What Mother Nature took away, she also gave back in the form of a new business idea. After the town’s massive rebuilding effort took hold, Mike and his brother Kelly decided to sell more than just tractors and farm equipment. They saw an opportunity to make money off the same destructive force that leveled their business: the wind.

Read the rest of this article here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rocky-kistner/on-the-prairie-pioneers-h_b_892449.html

By Mamta Badkar

It may seem a radical investment made by those who believe the end times are coming, but with food prices soaring, farmland could be on the brink of a serious bull market.

It’s not just investors like Jim Rogers in the market, but countries too seeking to secure their food future. 

Of course farmland investment comes with its own challenges. It requires a long-term commitment. Weather volatility and political instability could slam your investment in the short-term.

But if you have the patience, and the money, farm land could be of huge use to you.

Read the rest of this article here: http://www.businessinsider.com/invest-in-farmland-2011-2