It wasn’t long ago that a desire to move to the city outpaced the desire to get out of town. Rural living was no doubt tougher than it is now, and the same could be said 50 years before that.
The general trend behind it is simple. Life has gotten easier. Thanks to modern advancements ranging from mechanization to connectivity, most of us are better off than our parents and grandparents were.
Driving to town before the advent of reliable automobiles and cellphones often was risky business. There are countless stories of people losing their lives on trips of only 10 miles.
You may have experienced this yourself at some point. Hit a ditch, and if you aren’t prepared with a full tank and adequate clothing or food, it could quickly turn into a life-or-death situation during bad weather conditions.
Today, forecasts and the widespread access to them keep people home during inclement weather. When travel is necessary, vehicles break down far less frequently than they once did.
Almost everyone with a driver’s license carries a lifeline in their pocket in the form of a cellphone. Help is usually on the way, and at worst, you are likely out of the ditch within a few hours.
More turn to country living
So, what has this done for the value of rural farmsteads and land?
In my 13-year career in the auction business, I have seen a steady increase in demand for farm acreages, ranches, farmsteads or whatever they are commonly called in your area. I believe that our constant connectivity, along with the ability to contact someone at any moment, has made rural living more appealing. Some of that desire also may come from what is happening in cities themselves.
A large number of people who live in town dream of 15 acres with space for animals or a large garden. Some probably have an idealized view of what that lifestyle looks like, and it is a lot of work.
Still, the trend is real. Life in these settings is easier than it once was, largely because of the advancements mentioned above.
From a land perspective, people want to touch and feel what they buy — whether they are investors or farmers.
The ability to drive with relatively low risk makes this possible. You can plug in coordinates, and your pickup — with the help of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay — takes you directly to the farm.
If you are stateside, you can pull up on the vehicle’s screen an interactive plat map using tools like OnX Maps. The days of fumbling around a plat book and looking at road signs wondering if you are standing in the right field are mostly behind us.
All of this has made rural America more appealing — both from a farmstead and farmland perspective.