The Southeast: A Long History with a Deep Legacy

Owning land in the Southeastern U.S. is as much about the quality of experience and richness of history as it is about the foundation of a substantial, financially rewarding asset.

From Virginia to Louisiana and from Kentucky to Florida, the quality of terrain, natural resources, and ecosystems of the South is as unique as its heritage, its history, and the people who call it home.

The Southeast provides profitable, attractive opportunities for land investors, offering diverse and unique landscapes and habitats yielding income production and high-quality recreation. The beautiful rolling hills of thick, green pastureland dotted by cattle and horses complement the historic low-country plantations, clad with planted pine and Spanish-moss-drenched live oaks to complete an idyllic landscape. Rich, productive river­bottom Delta farmland bursting with massive corn and soybean crops is framed by thick stands in the plateaus and mountains of magnificent old hardwood trees. These unique elements are treasured by generations for peaceful, family country retreats, where hunting, fishing, and sporting pursuits are enjoyed in the Southern outdoors.

Because there truly is no place like it in the world, Fay Ranches has made a strong commitment to the region to better serve its clients, reaching even deeper into one of our nation’s cultural heartlands, the Southeast. This effort first began by establishing a presence through Dick Ludington of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, who provides over 37 years of experience in timberland, conservation, and recreational land transaction for public and private agencies. Dick’s current focus is on timberlands throughout the U.S. as well as Southeast farms, plantations, and waterfowl properties.

Fay Ranches further added skilled land broker George “Mac” E. McGee IV of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Raised in a family that was involved in rural real estate and as an avid sportsman and awarded angler, George brings extensive knowledge in wildlife habitat development for quail, waterfowl, turkey, dove, and deer. With his diversity of experience in identifying valuable farming and timber properties, George is a respected Principal Broker for the Fay Ranches Southeast office in Chattanooga.

These are exciting times in land investment in the Southeast. Many timber-holding groups are realizing maturity in acquisition funds generated prior to the collapse of’08 and are looking to dispose of valuable, attractive assets. Changes in conventional row-cropping agriculture continue to generate opportunity for substantial, productive properties in various markets. Tempered but steady growth in the cattle industry sustains interest in the expansion of operations and assets. And quality recreational properties are seeing renewed but the careful interest as buyers and sellers alike are realizing the importance of ancillary revenue generation.

With the land market currently seeing steady momentum, properties throughout the Southeast are experiencing a steady rate of appreciation with enthusiastic and savvy investor interest. It’s never been a more exciting time to consider land in this historical, agriculturally rich area of the country.

Those who have lived in the Southeast for generations, working and stewarding the land as history was made at every river port, gristmill, homestead, and train depot, have deep roots and a deep appreciation for the pieces of land they call their own. In honor of their dedication to preserving America’s agricultural history, Fay Ranches is committed to providing expert marketing and transactional advisory services to owners and prospective buyers of Southeastern properties, with Dick and George leading the charge. Their combined wealth of knowledge and experience in timber, agriculture, natural resources, conservation easements, and quality recreation makes them an invaluable part of Fay Ranches Southeast.