United Country Real Estate has been an innovator in marketing lifestyle real estate since 1925. Check out our latest video!

There is no doubt about it … rural real estate is hot.  According to United Country Real Estate, the nation’s largest broker and auctioneer of non-urban real estate, sales experienced a dramatic rise in 2012, resulting in a 27.6-percent increase in annual sales volumes versus 2011.

“While we are pleased by a solid performance for the 2012 calendar year, we are especially excited about our December performance,” said Dan Duffy, chief executive officer of United Country Real Estate. “United Country’s December sales grew an amazing 169 percent over the prior year December sales in part due to record growth in closed sales of ‘investment grade’ farm, ranch, sporting and timberland properties with sale values ranging from $10 million to $50 million and a resurgence in sales of residential homes in the markets we serve.”

According to Jason Cole, chief financial officer of United Country Real Estate, farmland showed the most substantial growth in the land category.

“We achieved a roughly 100-percent increase in both volume and farm acres sold system-wide year-over-year,” Cole said. “We also saw large gains in residential auction sales, which were 41 percent better than 2011. United Country also delivered record farm sale prices for their selling clients in their auction services division throughout Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Iowa.”

The rise in land sales and prices is great news for many sellers, who have taken advantage of the high demand for prime land by bringing their properties to the market using both conventional and auction sales. Through United Country’s website, www.unitedcountry.com, buyers are able to search tens of thousands of listings for both traditional land for sale and land auctions across the nation based on specific property details as well as desired location and price.

While children have spent the past few weeks scouring the pages of toy catalogs and websites to prepare their Christmas wish lists, grownups have had their eyes on dream properties in United Country’s catalogs and at UnitedCountry.com. United Country features more than 35,000 incredible properties from across the nation at UnitedCountry.com, including vacation homes, mountain escapes, beach homes, lake homes, waterfront properties, log homes, country homes, small and mid-size city homes, recreational land, ranches, farms and commercial properties of every type imaginable. Here’s a sampling of some of the most viewed United Country listings of the last month.

Historic Turner House – Greer, S.C.

Listing Number:  39032-05720
Price:  $1,395,000.00

The R. Perry Turner house was constructed in 1937 in Greer, S.C., by  renowned architect William R. (Willie) Ward. This magnificently restored home is constructed of handmade brick, topped by a slate roof and finished off with copper gutters. The front entry, with a two-story covered front porch and a hanging second floor balcony, leads to a grand foyer punctuated by a sweeping semi-circular grand stairway. The balance of the first floor is comprised of a large music room/parlor, formal living room, formal dining room with built-in corner cabinets, butler’s pantry/breakfast room, wood paneled library, kitchen, utility room and the first floor bedroom suite discreetly tucked away to the rear of the house. At the top of the grand staircase, the focal second floor grand hall mirrors the foyer and provides access to four bedroom suites plus the back hallway that leads, in turn, to a sewing room/nursery, sleeping porch (or sixth bedroom), and the back staircase that reaches the attic, from the basement, in three flights. The tree-canopied grounds are completed by a lighted formal English garden, fishpond, slate roofed two-car garage and interconnected front and rear driveways accessing both bordering streets.

Ages Past Country Inn Bed & Breakfast – Cashton, Wis.

Listing Number:  48102-06650
Price:  $430,000.00

Imagine owning this unique, beautiful and established turn-key business that has a high occupancy rate, many returning customers, verbal agreements with at least three area businesses to host clients and business associates, a history that includes providing lodging and fine dining to movie stars and professional musicians, and comes with an offer from the current owners to provide 30 to 60 days of free consultation to a new owner? Ages Past Country Inn has been an established Bed and Breakfast since May of 1997. Built in 1898 by John Cremer for his lovely bride, this 111-year-old Victorian home was purchased by the Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in 1918 to be used as a rectory for its resident priests. In 1996 the current owners purchased and restored this 7,500 square foot home. Guests can choose from seven different rooms (including three suites), each with a private bathroom. Throughout the property you will find king-size mahogany beds from Indonesia, oak furniture from Europe, a turn-of-the-century armoire and side table from Belgium, fireplaces, beautiful stain glass windows, authentic signed carpets from the Middle East (one of which is 120 years old), a Chinese sculpted carpet, and chandeliers from Belgium dating back the 1800s. The majority of the personal property and furnishings will be sold with this Bed & Breakfast business. Other features of this home include lounges, foyers, a kitchen, a reception room, and two laundry areas. There is also a full apartment in the basement level. This turn-key business comes with a computer system including a full-access website and online reservation program.

Harmony Hills Ranch – Arlington, S.D.

Listing Number:  40019-00018
Price:  $1,652,000.00

Escape to Harmony Hills Ranch, the Midwestern getaway of your dreams. Characterized by gently rolling green landscapes in the famous prairie pothole region of the central flyway zone, this ideal recreational ranch is an eastern South Dakota treasure. Over the past 70 years, this contiguous 560-acre ranch has won many conservation awards including: Top Ten in the Nation of Farming in the Flyways by Ducks Unlimited Inc. (long-time United Country strategic parter), Outstanding American Conservationist Award by Pheasants Forever, Conservation Tree Care Award, Wildlife Habitat Conservation Award, and Land & Wildlife Stewardship Award. Harmony Hills Ranch harbors a variety of wildlife habitat, including 12 abundant wetlands, thousands of trees ranging from nine to 90 years old, including Ash, Oak, Cedar, Pine, Spruce, Russian Olive, Box Elder, Apple and Lilac trees. Hunting and recreational opportunities include a wealth of waterfowl, trophy white tail deer, wild turkey, pheasants and other upland game birds, and an abundance of fishing. An established bison herd of 130 bison currently roam the 400-acre grasslands surrounding the ranch. The wetlands, trees and four home sites make up the remaining 160 acres. Located only two miles south of the 2,000 acre Lake Sinai, which is one of the deepest and best walleye lakes in South Dakota, this area naturally attracts thousands of ducks and geese flocking in season.

As a landowner interested in conservation, you want to get the full potential from your land. But how?

Ducks Unlimited just might have the answer.

DU’s Conservation Easements Program ─ one of the most effective methods we use to protect North America’s valuable natural resources ─ is a partnership between DU and landowners that benefits conservation while giving you the chance to leave a legacy with your property.

So how exactly do easements work? Easements are voluntary legal agreements made between DU and property owners restricting, but not eliminating, the type and amount of development that may take place on the property. Since close to 75 percent of America’s wetlands are on private lands, this partnership plays a critical role in DU’s conservation mission.

The benefits of easements for conservation might seem clear, but those benefits extend significantly to you as well. As part of the partnership established with the Ducks Unlimited Wetlands America Trust through easements, landowners receive:

• Guidance from DU in land management practices to ensure the continued use of the property is consistent with and protects its conservation values
• Potential tax benefits, including the possibility of a federal income tax deduction for the value of the easement up to 30 percent of adjusted gross income
• Assurance that DU will assume a perpetual obligation to monitor the property and enforce the terms of the easement

Perhaps most importantly, easements provide you with a unique opportunity to leave a legacy. With the land protection that DU provides through easements, you can be sure that large acreages of wetlands, riparian habitats and important uplands will be preserved for the benefits of waterfowl and other wildlife and the enjoyment of future generations.

DU has earned the reputation as the world’s leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation, and its conservation easements program, a valuable partnership between DU and landowners, helps ensure its ability to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.

United Country is a proud sponsor of Ducks Unlimited and is committed to land stewardship while helping landowners find their freedom.

Ducks Unlimited has selected United Country Auction Services as the official auction company for their 73rd Annual National Convention.

DU is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats, and its convention will be held May 26-30 in Gaylord, Texas.

United Country will conduct the organization’s annual live and online benefit auction during the convention’s reception and banquet, and auction proceeds will benefit DU conservation projects.

In 2007, we partnered nationally with DU, focusing on educating real estate professionals, auctioneers and land buyers and sellers about land conservation, habitat protection through conservation easements, opportunities to volunteer and charitable giving.

Through this partnership, United Country Auction Services and our affiliated auctioneers and real estate professionals across the nation have helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit DU’s mission.

Most recently, we raised another $35,000 for the organization at the United Country Annual Benefit Auction held during the company’s national convention in New Orleans in February.

“United Country is in a unique position to not only raise funds to support DU’s vision, but also to promote responsible and long-range land stewardship issues across the United States. We’re honored to be partnered with this organization and are committed to supporting their mission,” said Mike Jones, president of United Country Auction Services.

Information about the Ducks Unlimited mission as well as donation and membership options can be found at www.Ducks.org.