Well, if it is any consultation, looks like lots more land will be on the market in the near future:
From Wallaces Farmer, January 2006
Land prices hit another high
The value of Iowa farmland broke another record in 2005, but the skyrocketing prices may be nearing a peak, according to Iowa State University’s annual survey. Average farmland price hit a record $2,914 an acre, rising almost 11% from 2004.
“2005 was the third straight year the state’s average farmland price has set a record,” says ISU economist Mike Duffy. Farmland prices have increased by almost 60% in the past five years. In comparison, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 4.5% from November 2000 to November 2005. The total value of the state’s 32.6 million acres is currently about $95 billion, making farmland Iowa’s most valuable resource.
Ownership is changing rapidly. Half the farmland in Iowa is expected to change owners in the next 10-15 years, as Iowa farmers get older and their heirs decide to sell. More nonfarm investors are buying farmland-a record 39% of the farmland that changed hands in 2005. Farmers bought 56% of the farmland sold in 2005, as opposed to 80% 15 years ago.
In 2004, Iowa farmland prices increased 15.6%, compared to 10.8% in 2005. More farms are coming on the market this winter, as land price increases appear to be slowing. Older farmers might be feeling that it is time to sell, says Duffy. A 2002 study of who owns Iowa farmland showed that almost half of the state’s land is owned by people 65 or older.