Watching your child catch his first fish, the peace of a cool country morning—these are the kind of moments made possible by a rural retreat. And with the way St. Louis is nestled in the fertile crossroads of two rivers, farmland is never too far away in any direction. Then there’s the current uptick in the real estate market, making a second property or farm even more attractive, says Janet McAfee realtor Andrew Bauer. “Land values are going up, and people are looking to capitalize on that,” he says.
For hunters, owning a piece of rural property can mean prime hunting ground, which is exactly what Jim Blair has achieved with his property in Missouri’s Lincoln and Pike counties, northwest of St. Louis. “Conservation and hunting tend to go hand-in-hand,” he says. “A fair amount of my time and passion go toward working with conservation departments’ private land specialists to maximize the wildlife habitat.”
Blair, whose family had land in St. Charles County when he was in college, has long been familiar with the joys of a country retreat; he even proposed to his wife on his father’s farm. “Taking my family hunting with me, catching a fish, throwing it on the grill and having vegetables from your garden—those are memorable moments,” he says. Location dictates price and, to some extent, usability, realtor Bauer notes. “As you get farther out, you will pay less,” he says. “But if distance is a big factor, it will cost more to stay in the St. Louis metro area.”
For David Dempsey and his family, which includes two young children, the 45-minute drive from their Ladue home to their country cabin is a major plus for both weekend trips and single-day getaways. Dempsey’s 80 acres just outside Augusta, one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the country, has plenty of historic charm. “It’s an 1840s original log cabin with an 1860s timber frame addition,” Dempsey says. “Our time there is all about fishing, swimming, hiking and barbecuing.”
Dempsey’s property also features a 5-acre lake. Whether purchasing property for financial or recreational purposes, having a water feature contributes to value, Bauer says. “Spring-fed bodies of water are most desirable because there’s a constant flow, but it’s always appealing anytime there’s live water, ponds or a lake,” he says. “If you can find a property with a live spring on it, that’s awesome for resale.”
But for most purchasers of a second home in the country, resale is not top-of-mind. “Many are not looking at it from a strictly investment standpoint,” Bauer says. “People are more apt to invest in land because it’s going to be a long-term retreat for family and friends.”
by Stephanie Zeilenga