Using the Internet to Market Individual Listings by Jim Crawford
When an agent goes on a listing presentation, it is opportunity time in many different ways!
For one, it is a chance to display one's innovative marketing skills that sets the successful Internet savvy agent apart from the mediocre competition. Most agents belong to the second group; they just want to list a home. They are real happy if they can walk away from the listing with a signed agreement and a sign in the ground. It doesn't matter that the house may never sell. Their conquest was the signed listing. This is not the way it should be at all.
The listing presentation is a time when the moment can be seized to sell your abilities. It is a demonstration of worth based upon your experience and abilities. It is a display of talents, and that you deserve a normal or higher commission fee instead of wholesale or discount services. It is a statement that you are not into passive marketing that will not offer much in the way of hope in selling a home. You are making an announcement that you alone are the person to hire!
This listing presentation is the one chance at bat that will determine whether or not you can generate enough income in real estate to survive or leave the industry without ever making enough money to pay the bills. This is the moment that separates doers from dreamers. There is more to real estate than listing a home, placing a sign in the ground, and entering it into the MLS. Closure only comes when the home or property you listed successfully sells, everyone receives their money, and you obtain bragging rights! This is the moment that you differentiate yourself from licensed mediocre competition! This is an Internet moment.
The Internet offers the Internet savvy real estate agent, home seller, and avid home buyer a whole new world of possibilities. Internet home marketing displays more than just Sunday real estate classifieds online … it offers world wide exposure 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and global exposure.
It takes a real estate listing from the dark ages of black and white text ad that is almost impossible to read in blurry newsprint and allows full interior shots, and jumps off the virtual page with vibrant exterior color views of a home that invites and beckons new owners. It is an engraved invitation to become the new person on the block in a neighborhood you wish to live. Or its a virtual tour or video that moves you beyond the fantasy of owning to the reality of sensing what it would be like to own a particular home.
All in all, the internet is also a perfect fit for today's busy techno lifestyles. It is the right fit for the profile of the average home buyer in the mid 20's that has grown up with today's technologies. For today's buyers, it's second nature for them to find their needs fulfilled online, rather than by searching through inked up black and white pages of a newspaper or looking at a stale color homes magazine.
The Internet is a tool that allows a home buyer and seller the opportunity to exchange places in life. It allows a focused homebuyer to find and view focused real estate marketing. It is a meeting of the minds that only the techno savvy can really participate in, because they understand the fundamentals that are in play. The Internet is appreciated by all that have used it to buy or sell real estate online. Some in our real estate industry may view this as the future in real estate, while others have already seized the moment as an opportunity, and demonstrates that he/she has the skills, and tools in place right now to assist both buyer and sellers needs today … in real time.
GRI Graduate Realtor Institute
What is GRI
" Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) symbol is the mark of a real estate professional who has made a commitment to providing a superior level of professional services by earning the GRI designation. REALTORS® with the GRI designation are highly trained in many areas of real estate to better serve and protect their clients. "
I went to a GRI class in Montana, I got food poisening, they let rookie agents into all of the classes and so it was real estate 101 and in no way a Graduate Program or advanced training of any kind. And the evenings were focused on alcohol and dancing when people's spouses were at home. I know of at least one marriage lost that week. I suppose some folks get information out of the classes they can put to use. I did not. In a later post I will tell you some of the things we were taught at the class. I mean no disrespect I just want honor, honesty and integrity to walk among Realtors and I see no real public protection, I see codes of ethics but from my vantage point I don't see many Realtors Following these ethics or accountible to do so. I see an industry riddled with deceit and the kind of money Realtors make, I see no end in sight. sounds Synical, sorry - but True. I do not speak from lack of experience in being lied to, backstabbed, and walked right into horrible situations because of lies of other Realtors.
" Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) symbol is the mark of a real estate professional who has made a commitment to providing a superior level of professional services by earning the GRI designation. REALTORS® with the GRI designation are highly trained in many areas of real estate to better serve and protect their clients. "
I went to a GRI class in Montana, I got food poisening, they let rookie agents into all of the classes and so it was real estate 101 and in no way a Graduate Program or advanced training of any kind. And the evenings were focused on alcohol and dancing when people's spouses were at home. I know of at least one marriage lost that week. I suppose some folks get information out of the classes they can put to use. I did not. In a later post I will tell you some of the things we were taught at the class. I mean no disrespect I just want honor, honesty and integrity to walk among Realtors and I see no real public protection, I see codes of ethics but from my vantage point I don't see many Realtors Following these ethics or accountible to do so. I see an industry riddled with deceit and the kind of money Realtors make, I see no end in sight. sounds Synical, sorry - but True. I do not speak from lack of experience in being lied to, backstabbed, and walked right into horrible situations because of lies of other Realtors.
Real Estate Construction Fraud
Recently I was affected by Faulty Construction in a million dollar home I purchased. After 6 months I was told to move out Because the sructure was unsafe and could collaps. In Montana we are fortunate enough to be subject to the Implied Warranty of Habitability Laws. (10 yrs.) I will keep you all posted on what happens next. In the mean time here is a recent news article on the subject.
Less than a year after moving into her new 2,100-square-foot house in Lenexa, Kans., Susan Sabin has strung up lemon lights in her front window.
The lemons, she says, go perfectly with the home's most prominent features: jammed doors, warped windows, bent pipes and cracked walls. "The house is essentially splitting in two," says Sabin.
At the peak of the recent housing boom, home buyers scooped up a million newly built homes every year while homeowners poured more than $200 billion into renovations. But now stories of shifting soil, leaky roofs, damaged stucco and other construction defects abound.
Though many builders have worked to improve the quality of their houses over the past decade, says Alan Mooney, president of Criterium Engineers, a national engineering firm, the building frenzy also opened the door for unskilled labor, unscrupulous contractors and untested products.
"When everyone is out there building as fast as they can, that does result in more defects," he says.
Contractor problems rank among the most common consumer complaints, according to the Better Business Bureau, and a recent Criterium Engineers study found that 17 percent of new residential construction projects inspected by the firm in 2006 had at least two significant problems.
If you've been gnashing your teeth over defects in your new or recently renovated home (and complaining to the builder hasn't solved them), it's probably cold comfort that you're not alone.
What do you do? A lawsuit is bound to be expensive and messy, if you can even get in front of a jury at all; many builder's contracts nowadays include a binding-arbitration clause that essentially waives your right to a jury trial.
Of course, your best bet is to catch the problem early, before you've paid for the work. But even after the job is long done, you still have a powerful tool on your side: the builder's need to protect his reputation.
Here's how to evaluate the likelihood that you'll be able to get your home repaired at minimal cost, and your plan of action.
Check your warranty
Your builder or remodeler likely gave you what's called an "express" warranty, which typically covers everything from cosmetic flaws to serious defects for a year (most common) to 10 years (pretty rare).
If the warranty names the defect you're complaining about, gather your documentation and ask your contractor to repair the damage at no additional charge. If your warranty has expired, you aren't necessarily out of luck.
Depending on the state you live in and the nature of the defect, your house may still be covered by a so-called implied warranty of habitability for another seven to 10 years. But it will be up to you to prove that the defects are so severe that they are a health or safety hazard.
Learn how to spot a real defect
Your next step is to figure out whether your problem is a bona fide defect under the terms of the warranty (or in the eyes of an arbitrator) or what home builders define as an acceptable imperfection.
"There is no such thing as a perfect house," says Mooney. "A lot of what people consider defects are really not defects."
According to the National Association of Home Builders' performance guidelines, small cracks in the interior concrete slab are normal; only those exceeding 3/16 of an inch should be repaired. Hammer marks or nail pops visible within six feet are acceptable, but marks you can see farther away are not.
You may not agree with these definitions, but it's tough to fight them. (You can order a copy of the NAHB's "Residential Construction Performance Guidelines" for $39.95 at BuilderBooks.com.)
Gather the evidence
Document problems with photos and detailed notes. Record everything from conversations with your builder or contractor to the exact time - and the weather conditions - on the day, say, your basement flooded.
"Make the assumption that this will end up in a significant dispute," says Mooney.
To bolster your case, you may need to pay for expert advice. An independent inspector or structural engineer will charge about $250 to $500 to give your house a full examination, along with a detailed report of the problems at the heart of your dispute.
After Ann and David Richardson's contractor put a two-story addition on their Kansas City house last year, it failed city inspections twice. The couple then hired an engineer who found that, among other problems, inadequate roof support was putting pressure on the walls and forcing them to bow.
"He said the walls were life-threateningly out of plumb," says David. Faced with this assessment, the contractor agreed to do the repair (though he later declared bankruptcy before he finished).
Find greater strength in numbers
If your housing development was constructed by a single builder, see if your neighbors are having similar complaints. "You'll often find that their houses are having the same problems as you," says Nancy Seats, president of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings, a group that helps homeowners fight back against construction defects.
After Pam and Jeff Cobbs noticed that the windows on their new home in Bend, Ore. leaked during rain storms, they teamed up with other neighbors who were having similar problems.
As it turned out, the windows and siding on more than 20 houses on the block had been installed improperly, causing water damage and, in some cases, mold.
Just a few months after the group complained, the builder sent in crews to remove all of the siding and trim, reinstall the windows, wrap the houses, put on brand new siding and repaint everything.
Know your state rules
If you aren't bound by a binding-arbitration agreement and you think you might have a case for a lawsuit, be aware that in recent years, 30 states have adopted "notice and opportunity to repair" laws, which require homeowners to give builders a chance to assess and remedy the problem before they go to court.
Typically, you have to submit a written complaint to the builder or contractor, who then has a certain amount of time to inspect the property and make repairs - usually up to 90 days.
Unfortunately, these laws, designed to protect builders, says Janet Ahmad, president of Home Owners for Better Building, don't obligate the builder to fix your problem (after an inspection, they may tell you that the fault is unrelated to their construction).
But your builder may patch up your home to avoid a lawsuit. If not, you are probably free to sue. To find out about your local "fix it" laws, start by calling your state attorney general's office.
If all else fails, get creative
When the first cracks began appearing in Susan Sabin's home shortly after she moved in last June, she contacted Pulte Homes, which sent in engineers and contractors to repair minor problems. But Sabin still believes they're ignoring major defects.
"They keep fixing the symptoms," she says. "I want them to fix the source of the problem."
So Sabin has strung up lemons and opened her house to anyone who wants to see the cracks. Soon after, her story made the local news.
Pulte, which says the problems with the home are a result of soil expansion underneath, has so far not agreed to rebuild Sabin's home from scratch. But it certainly is not ignoring her complaints.
"Structurally her home is as sound as any other home we've built in the city," says Todd Lipschutz, Pulte's division president in Kansas City. "We will make the necessary repairs."
Dark side of the housing boom: Shoddy construction
Less than a year after moving into her new 2,100-square-foot house in Lenexa, Kans., Susan Sabin has strung up lemon lights in her front window.
The lemons, she says, go perfectly with the home's most prominent features: jammed doors, warped windows, bent pipes and cracked walls. "The house is essentially splitting in two," says Sabin.
At the peak of the recent housing boom, home buyers scooped up a million newly built homes every year while homeowners poured more than $200 billion into renovations. But now stories of shifting soil, leaky roofs, damaged stucco and other construction defects abound.
Though many builders have worked to improve the quality of their houses over the past decade, says Alan Mooney, president of Criterium Engineers, a national engineering firm, the building frenzy also opened the door for unskilled labor, unscrupulous contractors and untested products.
"When everyone is out there building as fast as they can, that does result in more defects," he says.
Contractor problems rank among the most common consumer complaints, according to the Better Business Bureau, and a recent Criterium Engineers study found that 17 percent of new residential construction projects inspected by the firm in 2006 had at least two significant problems.
If you've been gnashing your teeth over defects in your new or recently renovated home (and complaining to the builder hasn't solved them), it's probably cold comfort that you're not alone.
What do you do? A lawsuit is bound to be expensive and messy, if you can even get in front of a jury at all; many builder's contracts nowadays include a binding-arbitration clause that essentially waives your right to a jury trial.
Of course, your best bet is to catch the problem early, before you've paid for the work. But even after the job is long done, you still have a powerful tool on your side: the builder's need to protect his reputation.
Here's how to evaluate the likelihood that you'll be able to get your home repaired at minimal cost, and your plan of action.
Check your warranty
Your builder or remodeler likely gave you what's called an "express" warranty, which typically covers everything from cosmetic flaws to serious defects for a year (most common) to 10 years (pretty rare).
If the warranty names the defect you're complaining about, gather your documentation and ask your contractor to repair the damage at no additional charge. If your warranty has expired, you aren't necessarily out of luck.
Depending on the state you live in and the nature of the defect, your house may still be covered by a so-called implied warranty of habitability for another seven to 10 years. But it will be up to you to prove that the defects are so severe that they are a health or safety hazard.
Learn how to spot a real defect
Your next step is to figure out whether your problem is a bona fide defect under the terms of the warranty (or in the eyes of an arbitrator) or what home builders define as an acceptable imperfection.
"There is no such thing as a perfect house," says Mooney. "A lot of what people consider defects are really not defects."
According to the National Association of Home Builders' performance guidelines, small cracks in the interior concrete slab are normal; only those exceeding 3/16 of an inch should be repaired. Hammer marks or nail pops visible within six feet are acceptable, but marks you can see farther away are not.
You may not agree with these definitions, but it's tough to fight them. (You can order a copy of the NAHB's "Residential Construction Performance Guidelines" for $39.95 at BuilderBooks.com.)
Gather the evidence
Document problems with photos and detailed notes. Record everything from conversations with your builder or contractor to the exact time - and the weather conditions - on the day, say, your basement flooded.
"Make the assumption that this will end up in a significant dispute," says Mooney.
To bolster your case, you may need to pay for expert advice. An independent inspector or structural engineer will charge about $250 to $500 to give your house a full examination, along with a detailed report of the problems at the heart of your dispute.
After Ann and David Richardson's contractor put a two-story addition on their Kansas City house last year, it failed city inspections twice. The couple then hired an engineer who found that, among other problems, inadequate roof support was putting pressure on the walls and forcing them to bow.
"He said the walls were life-threateningly out of plumb," says David. Faced with this assessment, the contractor agreed to do the repair (though he later declared bankruptcy before he finished).
Find greater strength in numbers
If your housing development was constructed by a single builder, see if your neighbors are having similar complaints. "You'll often find that their houses are having the same problems as you," says Nancy Seats, president of Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings, a group that helps homeowners fight back against construction defects.
After Pam and Jeff Cobbs noticed that the windows on their new home in Bend, Ore. leaked during rain storms, they teamed up with other neighbors who were having similar problems.
As it turned out, the windows and siding on more than 20 houses on the block had been installed improperly, causing water damage and, in some cases, mold.
Just a few months after the group complained, the builder sent in crews to remove all of the siding and trim, reinstall the windows, wrap the houses, put on brand new siding and repaint everything.
Know your state rules
If you aren't bound by a binding-arbitration agreement and you think you might have a case for a lawsuit, be aware that in recent years, 30 states have adopted "notice and opportunity to repair" laws, which require homeowners to give builders a chance to assess and remedy the problem before they go to court.
Typically, you have to submit a written complaint to the builder or contractor, who then has a certain amount of time to inspect the property and make repairs - usually up to 90 days.
Unfortunately, these laws, designed to protect builders, says Janet Ahmad, president of Home Owners for Better Building, don't obligate the builder to fix your problem (after an inspection, they may tell you that the fault is unrelated to their construction).
But your builder may patch up your home to avoid a lawsuit. If not, you are probably free to sue. To find out about your local "fix it" laws, start by calling your state attorney general's office.
If all else fails, get creative
When the first cracks began appearing in Susan Sabin's home shortly after she moved in last June, she contacted Pulte Homes, which sent in engineers and contractors to repair minor problems. But Sabin still believes they're ignoring major defects.
"They keep fixing the symptoms," she says. "I want them to fix the source of the problem."
So Sabin has strung up lemons and opened her house to anyone who wants to see the cracks. Soon after, her story made the local news.
Pulte, which says the problems with the home are a result of soil expansion underneath, has so far not agreed to rebuild Sabin's home from scratch. But it certainly is not ignoring her complaints.
"Structurally her home is as sound as any other home we've built in the city," says Todd Lipschutz, Pulte's division president in Kansas City. "We will make the necessary repairs."
Flathead Lake
Flathead Lake Montana
Montana's flathead Lake is seeing an influx of luxury condominiums,
housing development and real estate changing hands.
My hope is that this body of water is developed with
grace and dignity. Northwest Montana deserves respect.
speaking of Development, a Good friend
commented to me today " it seems that a
lot of people are concerned about the ranches and
open spaces being developed and build up and so many
people are coming in, but think about how the native
americans must have felt when the white man came
and started owning land and parceling up what they had
known as their home" I loved that comment
it is quite profound and though I whine about over developed
Montana, I can feel a small taste of what the Indians and Tribes
of Northwest Montana must have felt.
Montana's flathead Lake is seeing an influx of luxury condominiums,housing development and real estate changing hands.
My hope is that this body of water is developed with
grace and dignity. Northwest Montana deserves respect.
speaking of Development, a Good friend
commented to me today " it seems that a
lot of people are concerned about the ranches and
open spaces being developed and build up and so many
people are coming in, but think about how the native
americans must have felt when the white man came
and started owning land and parceling up what they had
known as their home" I loved that comment
it is quite profound and though I whine about over developed
Montana, I can feel a small taste of what the Indians and Tribes
of Northwest Montana must have felt.
I honor you, Humbly.
Eureka Montana
Eureka Montana is seeing major changes, Industry has
changed here, real estate prices are all over the map
and we really could use some good restaurants.
Montana Nature Hike
Montana Critters
get Out into the woods
witness the WOW
get Out into the woodswitness the WOW
of the Life that is absolutely everywhere.
Montana Ranch Land Conservation Easement
Conservation Easements can be a great way to save
habitat for grizzley, elk, moose, and other magnificant
montana. Montana Conservation Easements on ranches
can also give you a great tax break. Montana Real Estate
is changing fast and development is taking over. If you are
reading this and have an opportunity to keep your ranch
whole Please DO IT. if you need money, you may get
payed for the easement. some Realtors may lead you
to believe that there is more money in developing the land.
This may not be TRUE, its more money for them, not you.
The property, leased by cattle operators Mark and Joy Hitchcock, is a 8 miles miles north of the Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area and close to other conservation-easement protected private properties, including the Boone and Crockett Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch.
The voluntary conservation easement, which paid the owners the development value of the land, resolves a complex estate issue for the family. With the proceeds from the easement, the Swanson side of the family was able to buy out the Field family members who had little interest in continued ownership of the ranch. The whole family wanted to see the property stay in ranching and not be subdivided, said Scott Swanson, an attorney in Pendroy, Montana. His parents, Marjorie and J.A. Swanson, now own the property after buying it from J.A.’s sister’s children, the Fields.
"My grandfather was proud to have put this property together and he once said to me ‘don’t let go of this place. It’s one of the most beautiful there is,’" said Scott Swanson.
Steve Akre, a Great Falls physician and husband of Sharman Field Akre, said the agreement took a lot of effort, but it is a "wonderful" resolution for both sides of the family.
"This is exactly what a conservation easement should do. I’m glad that Sharman and her siblings (Christie Rogers, Rachel Field and Carl Field) made the decision to deal with such wonderful land in this way," he said.
The property includes native grassland and rich wetlands straddling Dupuyer Creek, an area used extensively by grizzly and black bear, mountain lions, white tail deer and other wildlife. The creek bottoms are full of cottonwood, river birch and willows, including Autumn willow, a rare species in Montana – all offering security for the bruins and other wildllife.
"I’ve sat on the banks above the creek and seen up to five grizzlies all at one time," said Mike Madel, grizzly bear biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "This is an amazing property and was the last best unprotected segment of Dupuyer Creek." A female grizzly bear accidentally shot by a big game hunter a few years ago spent a lot of time on this property with her three cubs, said Madel.
Akre and Swanson said they have, over the years, seen extensive grizzly sign when visiting the ranch. Both mentioned "Kathy," the wounded sow grizzly who frequented the ranch with her cubs. Madel said the this female recuperated from her wound and has re-established her territory ranging from the ranch south to the Blackleaf area. "We’re no longer able to monitor her," he said, "because she dropped her radio collar." About a year after the accident, Madel said he saw this female with one yearling along the mountain front, but he believes another was the victim of a larger bear. He’s not seen the third cub.
"We were delighted that we could work with the Swanson-Field family to resolve an important issue for them, keep the land in ranching and protect it from future development," said Dave Carr, the Conservancy’s Rocky Mountain Front program director who negotiated the easement.
"I think people are starting to understand how conservation easements might benefit them, because landowner demand for them is very high right now," he said.
A new federal law provides extensive tax breaks for landowners who donate conservation easements. For full-time ranchers and farmers, the deduction is 100 percent and can be used over 16 years. To receive these benefits, the easement must be completed by the end of 2007. "Every situation is different and we’re glad to work with landowners and their advisors on the best option for them," said Carr.
habitat for grizzley, elk, moose, and other magnificant
montana. Montana Conservation Easements on ranches
can also give you a great tax break. Montana Real Estate
is changing fast and development is taking over. If you are
reading this and have an opportunity to keep your ranch
whole Please DO IT. if you need money, you may get
payed for the easement. some Realtors may lead you
to believe that there is more money in developing the land.
This may not be TRUE, its more money for them, not you.
Wildlife-rich ranch protected on the Front
Conservation easement resolves complex family estate issue
DUPUYER, MONTANA — 02-02-2007 — A working ranch with some of the best grizzly bear grizzly bear habitat on the Rocky Mountain Front has now been protected from future development by a Nature Conservancy conservation easement.
The agreement covers the 4,354-acre Hager Ranch west of Dupuyer, Montana. With the transaction, the owners of the property – the Swanson and Field families – were able to work out an ownership arrangement agreeable to all.
Conservation easement resolves complex family estate issue
DUPUYER, MONTANA — 02-02-2007 — A working ranch with some of the best grizzly bear grizzly bear habitat on the Rocky Mountain Front has now been protected from future development by a Nature Conservancy conservation easement.
The agreement covers the 4,354-acre Hager Ranch west of Dupuyer, Montana. With the transaction, the owners of the property – the Swanson and Field families – were able to work out an ownership arrangement agreeable to all.
The property, leased by cattle operators Mark and Joy Hitchcock, is a 8 miles miles north of the Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area and close to other conservation-easement protected private properties, including the Boone and Crockett Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch.
The voluntary conservation easement, which paid the owners the development value of the land, resolves a complex estate issue for the family. With the proceeds from the easement, the Swanson side of the family was able to buy out the Field family members who had little interest in continued ownership of the ranch. The whole family wanted to see the property stay in ranching and not be subdivided, said Scott Swanson, an attorney in Pendroy, Montana. His parents, Marjorie and J.A. Swanson, now own the property after buying it from J.A.’s sister’s children, the Fields.
"My grandfather was proud to have put this property together and he once said to me ‘don’t let go of this place. It’s one of the most beautiful there is,’" said Scott Swanson.
Steve Akre, a Great Falls physician and husband of Sharman Field Akre, said the agreement took a lot of effort, but it is a "wonderful" resolution for both sides of the family.
"This is exactly what a conservation easement should do. I’m glad that Sharman and her siblings (Christie Rogers, Rachel Field and Carl Field) made the decision to deal with such wonderful land in this way," he said.
The property includes native grassland and rich wetlands straddling Dupuyer Creek, an area used extensively by grizzly and black bear, mountain lions, white tail deer and other wildlife. The creek bottoms are full of cottonwood, river birch and willows, including Autumn willow, a rare species in Montana – all offering security for the bruins and other wildllife.
"I’ve sat on the banks above the creek and seen up to five grizzlies all at one time," said Mike Madel, grizzly bear biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "This is an amazing property and was the last best unprotected segment of Dupuyer Creek." A female grizzly bear accidentally shot by a big game hunter a few years ago spent a lot of time on this property with her three cubs, said Madel.
Akre and Swanson said they have, over the years, seen extensive grizzly sign when visiting the ranch. Both mentioned "Kathy," the wounded sow grizzly who frequented the ranch with her cubs. Madel said the this female recuperated from her wound and has re-established her territory ranging from the ranch south to the Blackleaf area. "We’re no longer able to monitor her," he said, "because she dropped her radio collar." About a year after the accident, Madel said he saw this female with one yearling along the mountain front, but he believes another was the victim of a larger bear. He’s not seen the third cub.
"We were delighted that we could work with the Swanson-Field family to resolve an important issue for them, keep the land in ranching and protect it from future development," said Dave Carr, the Conservancy’s Rocky Mountain Front program director who negotiated the easement.
"I think people are starting to understand how conservation easements might benefit them, because landowner demand for them is very high right now," he said.
A new federal law provides extensive tax breaks for landowners who donate conservation easements. For full-time ranchers and farmers, the deduction is 100 percent and can be used over 16 years. To receive these benefits, the easement must be completed by the end of 2007. "Every situation is different and we’re glad to work with landowners and their advisors on the best option for them," said Carr.
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