Good morning to you!

I know…. it’s April and this is probably the first time you’ve received a newsletter from us since January! We do call this the “occasional” newsletter for a reason!

Well…. what’s been going on? Briefly – a lot.

This year has started off the busiest in the last five years for us. So, locally at least, the economy is really moving along well. It’s of course very noticeable by anyone by simply driving around and counting the amount of cranes (Texas’ state bird :)) or the number of roads being worked on or simply the number of tracts being prepared for development.

Also, the landlords we are working with are filling up their vacancies in industrial, office & retail.

The story I want to tell you this month though is one that I’m really excited about as it is something pretty much anyone can identify with. It’s a story about land.

1. Early Memories.

My first memories are of growing up on my father’s tobacco farm which bordered the White River and was located opposite Numbi Gate of the Kruger National Game Park. The major product of that farm was tobacco but we also had other crops…. corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots and maybe a few other things.

We also had some dams that were stocked with Tilapia.

The employees were mostly Zulus. It was a grand adventure – we pretty much lived outdoors – making our own catapults from forked sticks cut from trees and “hunting” whatever we could find. There was always something to do.

We sold that farm but a number of years my father purchased another small farm, in a small town called Gonubie, outside East London. Again we had river frontage. This time we had cattle, pigs, chickens in addition to some crops. I was about 13 at this time and able to do more…. we milked the cows, we brought up and fed our own pigs and then later sold them. Many adventures up and down the river.

It didn’t last – we eventually moved to Cape Town and a more suburban lifestyle. But, the land we lived on and those memories of all the fun we had will be with me forever.

2. Under all is the land.

“Under all is the land” – so starts the preamble to the National Association of Realtors.

It goes on to say: “Upon its wise utilization and widely allocated ownership depend the survival and growth of free institutions and of our civilization. REALTORS® should recognize that the interests of the nation and its citizens require the highest and best use of the land and the widest distribution of land ownership. They require the creation of adequate housing, the building of functioning cities, the development of productive industries and farms, and the preservation of a healthful environment.”

That’s really where it all starts – with a piece of land. And, everywhere you look, under it you have land. Somebody found it, purchased it, worked it and developed it to have what you’re living in, working in or simply enjoying.

3. ALC

So…. I never originally planned this but somehow I guess it was always going to happen – I am working on obtaining the ALC designation. The ALC is designation for land specialists. It stands for “Accredited Land Consultant”. It is provided by the Realtor’s Land Institute – www.rliland.com.

Besides having to complete a number of courses in various categories, it also has a volume requirement (i.e. a certain number of completed land only transactions) and a final examination that has to be passed.

I have the volume requirement met and by June of this year I will be completing the final course in Chicago and then will have to pass the final exam and should then have the ALC designation.

4. The Land & Ranch Professionals

This is all leading to the creation of another “Professionals” brand…. The Land & Ranch Professionals.

This particular part of our company will focus on large tracts of farm land, ranching land, recreational ranches. Land with river frontage, land with cattle, land with crops. Land.

Our website designer is currently working on putting together a website that will be used for marketing these types of properties, we hope to have it up and running within a month or so.

So… if you know someone that owns a large tract of land that they are thinking of selling, please let them know about us and our love of the land!

Regards,

Lance

Our team: Amanda Wisner, Nick Lyras, Harry Chrysanthou