Don't think I'd sell- I think farm land is a better investment than whatever else you could do with the money. And as JDSeller said, the monetary system is going to blow up one fine day, and I think you'd be better off with tangible assets rather than $$$ invested when that happens.
But if you are going to sell, do it in 2012, because capital gains tax advantage will probably go away after the election.
It would be a good idea to split it now, though, especially if you're on better terms with your sister than you will be with her heirs after she passes (or vice versa). The problem with carrying the place on through the generations is two-fold- the longer it goes, the more owners there are, and the harder it will be to ever get a consensus on anything. When the house needs a new roof, you can bet somebody will object.
Get a trusted real estate person to give you a market analysis on the farmstead, and per-acre value on farmland and timberland. Then figure out a way to split it that will be equitable, maybe with some "boot" one way or the other, if that's necessary to equalize the values.
You could also sell just the timberland, if neither of you is interested in it and want to raise some cash.
I'm kind of a fan of selling on contract- but then, I'm a lawyer and the idea of forfeiting the contract doesn't scare me. You get better interest than you can any other way, and sure, bad things may happen, but more often, things go fine. Be sure a deed is escrowed somewhere, build sufficient safeguards into the contract, insist on insurance (including liability), and get enough down payment that buyer has skin in the game. Check on the property regularly to make sure he's not turning it into a meth lab.
Nobody ever went broke getting 20% down, and either collecting 5 or 6% interest, or getting the property back and reselling it.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Gettin My Old Tractor Home - by Clayton Sweeney. My name is Clayton Sweeney. I am from Southern Maryland in a small town called Lothian. I am 20 and my father and I are the proud owner of a 1954 Allis Chalmers WD-45. When I was 18, I dated a girl in the next county over. Her family are tobacco farmers. It was a cold Thanksgiving evening, and we were going up to her Grandparents house. As we passed one of their barns, I noticed something orange in the corner of my eye in this old shed. It was pretty dark and I asked what it was
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
1965 International Harvester McCormick Farmall cub tractor 2,500. Two owner tractor. My grandfather bought new in 1966, then we inherited it. Have all the paperwork original manual and all maintenance records. It starts and moves. Comes with underbelly mower, plough, and some other attachments.
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.