Finding the perfect equestrian property
Buying a prime piece of equestrian property is a big investment and big decision. It pays to think carefully about your specific needs when considering such an investment so you don’t make avoidable and expensive blunders in your choice of locations.
Some equestrian property owners are familiar with horses only through their children’s passions. If you are in that category, it is even more important to take a personal interest in the features you’ll need in a horse property since some of the information may not be second nature to you.
Factors to consider when selecting horse property
Do the current owners have a horse?
It should be reassuring to you as a prospective buyer if the current owner keeps horses on the property, because they have probably built the structures and features you will need. If there is no horse currently kept on the land, there is a good chance you will run across things you’ll need to build or buy later.
What type of riding will you be doing?
If you are a show rider, you’ll have different needs than if you are a pleasure rider, breeder, or trainer. Understand the type of facilities you need and you can save a significant amount of money by not over-spending on unnecessary amenities.
Does the property already have an arena for training and exercise?
This is an obvious question, but important to ask early on in your investigation. Real estate agents familiar with horses may think to put that information in their listing, but if the seller’s agent doesn’t happen to list that info on the MLS, you won’t know until you ask.
Does the property have a barn?
This is likely to be information listed in the MLS, but you should also ask details about the barn. How much is the square footage? How many horse pens does it currently have? Is there room for more horse pens? Is there room on the property to add onto the barn if necessary?
Does the property have access to public land?
This is important to a lot of riders, because it means they don’t have to hook a trailer up and drive to go riding in a natural environment. If you consider yourself a trail rider, it’s wise to find a property with BLM access (Bureau of Land Management).
Is there a homeowners association?
Many upscale equestrian neighborhoods have a homeowners association to make sure rules get followed and property values aren’t damaged by negligent property owners. You have to decide if this is the right type of property for you. If you do not have an association, you will have more freedom to do as you wish, but your neighbors will as well.
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