Tag Archives: press-releases
Farmland Prices Show Strength In Auction Of Benton County Farmland
OXFORD, Ind., Aug. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Demand for midwestern farmland continued to show signs of good health Tuesday when 345 acres of Indiana land sold for $3,612,840, with Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company managing the sale. Thirty-four registered bidders gathered at the Benton Central High School Cafeteria for the auction offering of six tracts, which resulted in prices as high as $10,640 per acre on tillable land. “If there’s weakness in farmland prices, we certainly haven’t seen any sign of it in Benton County, and in truth, we’re continuing to see strong competition and prices,” said R.D. Schrader, president of the auction company. “These prices were very good for the soil types, with most of the tillable land selling in two groups of tracts. Approximately 162 acres went for $10,640 per acre, and another 180 acres sold for $10,149 per acre,” he said. “We continue to be in a market where the supply of farmland is tight relative to the demand. That’s due in part to the usual seasonal variation, with crops in the field, but the longer term reality is that owners of farmland still don’t see a lot of alternative investments that offer the stability and long term returns farmland has provided. As long as that continues to be the case, we’ll continue to see good prices for farmland,” he said. Most of the Benton County land was located near U.S. 52 with frontage on CR 500 E. Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company, based in Columbia City, Ind., is a leading auctioneer of farmland throughout the United States. Individuals seeking additional information about the firm and its auctions may visit www.schraderauction.com or call 800-451-2709. For more information: Carl Carter, 205-823-3273 SOURCE Schrader Real Estate and Auction Company RELATED LINKS http://www.schraderauction.com Continue reading
Grain Futures Mixed Ahead Of USDA Supply Report
Aug 12, 2013 Investing.com Investing.com – U.S. grain futures were mixed to lower on Monday, as traders looked ahead to a closely-watched monthly U.S. supply and demand report due later in the session, which is expected to show record production prospects for U.S. corn and soybeans this season. Market players also continued to monitor weather conditions across grain-growing regions in the U.S. Midwest and in the Great Plains. On the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, corn futures for September delivery traded at USD4.6363 a bushel, down 0.4%. September corn futures hit a session low of USD4.6188 a bushel earlier in the day, the weakest level since October 4, 2010. The September corn contract settled down 1.65% at USD4.6560 a bushel on Friday as improving U.S. weather and crop prospects in the U.S. Midwest and Great Plains-region drove prices lower. Weather forecasting models continued to point to near-perfect temperatures across most parts of the U.S. Midwest during the next few days, easing concerns over potential U.S. crop damage. The USDA said nearly 64% of the U.S. corn crop was rated in ‘good’ to ‘excellent’ condition as of last week, significantly higher than the 23% recorded in the same week a year earlier. Nearly 11% of the corn crop was in ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ condition, compared to 50% recorded in the same week a year earlier. Meanwhile, wheat for September delivery traded at USD6.3200 a bushel, down 0.2%. Prices of the grain hit a daily low of USD6.3063 a bushel earlier in the session, the weakest level since June 18, 2012. The September contract settled down 1.2% at USD6.3340 a bushel on Friday. The USDA said that nearly 87% of the winter-wheat crop was harvested as of last week, up from 81% a week earlier and above the five-year average of 86% for this time of year. Elsewhere on the CBOT, soybeans futures for September delivery traded at USD12.2775 a bushel, up 0.8%. The September contract settled down 0.75% at USD12.1840 a bushel on Friday. Prices of the oilseed remained supported amid indications of strong demand for U.S. supplies from China. China is the world’s largest soybean consumer, accounting for nearly 60% of global trade of the grain. Prices of the oilseed fell to USD11.8687 a bushel on August 5, the weakest level since January 31, 2012 amid improving U.S. weather and crop prospects in the U.S. Midwest and Great Plains-region. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, approximately 79% of the U.S. soy crop bloomed as of last week, up from 65% in the preceding week. The report also showed that nearly 64% of the soy crop was in ‘good’ to ‘excellent’ condition as of last week, significantly higher than the 29% recorded in the same week a year earlier. Corn is the biggest U.S. crop, followed by soybeans, government figures show. Wheat was fourth, behind hay. Continue reading
Property Investors Had 2,200pc Return Potential Says Savills
London was the best performer for 11 years out of that 18-year stretch. By Emma Rowley 9:30PM BST 11 Aug 2013 Someone who had bought and then sold in the best performing local housing market for each of the last 18 years would have enjoyed a near 2,200pc return on their initial outlay, according to data from estate agency Savills. Taking a less specific view of the UK housing market, by picking the best region each year, the return would have been 549pc, or £5.5m, researchers said. Those figures compare to a headline 158pc average return on the value of housing across England and Wales as a whole for the same period. The research was based on Land Registry data tracking the market from 1995 to the end of 2012. In terms of region, London was the best performer for 11 years out of that 18-year stretch. The worst performances were more evenly spread across the country, although the North East appeared the most on that list, seven times during the period. However, despite the progress in the capital’s market in recent years, the numbers show that the best returns would have been achieved by moving about. Lucian Cook, director of residential research at Savills, said it was a question of “picking the leading and lagging regions over the course of a housing market cycle”. To have followed the strongest regional performances, “would have meant focusing heavily on London in the early years of the recovery – skipping investment in the South East of England – and moving onto the markets of the East of England and subsequently the East Midlands and North East.” Looking at the market on a more local basis, the expensive London neighbourhood of Kensington and Chelsea appeared most frequently. But it was Blaenau Gwent in South Wales that saw the biggest yearly increase, with a 43pc rise in house prices in 2004. That same area also performed badly enough in 2000 to be the worst performer that year, with a fall of 4pc. While Savills acknowledged that no one will have played the property market with that level of acumen, the figures point to the returns that could have been made – and also to the losses. By picking the worst performing local area over the 18 years, the hypothetical investor would have made a 68pc loss on a £1m starter pot, left with a property worth just £324,000. The pain in terms of worst regions is not so dramatic: here, the investor would have made 5pc gain over the period, or £54,718. However, the figures for potential returns have not been adjusted for inflation, which means that would have been a “real” term loss. Looking ahead, Mr Cook said that London’s outperformance looked likely to continue for a few more years. In collating the data, Savills stripped out particularly volatile areas, which tend to be the smaller markets. Continue reading
