Mike Browning

Tag: land sales

  • Why Brokers Aren’t Paid by the Hour

    Why Brokers Aren’t Paid by the Hour

    You benefit from all the effort I put in, even before we met.

    I check land sales every day.

    Not because I have to.
    Because that’s where the real information is.

    Recently, a nearby tract traded at a strong number. That alone wasn’t unusual.

    What caught my attention was the buyer.

    After a little digging, it became clear this wasn’t a one-off purchase. It was a well-capitalized group adding to an already significant land position.

    That changes the math.

    Large buyers assembling acreage are not looking for one property. They’re looking for adjacency. Scale. Strategic fit.

    When I saw who the buyer was, I immediately thought of someone I knew who owned land directly next to that assemblage.

    So I made two calls.

    First to the landowner, to get permission to run it up the flagpole.

    Then to the buyer’s side, to see if there was interest in expanding.

    There was.

    The rest is mechanics.

    From the outside, brokerage income can look disconnected from effort.

    A deal closes.
    A commission is paid.
    And it may appear disproportionate to the visible work.

    But the visible work isn’t the real work.

    You’re not paying for “two phone calls.”
    You’re paying for me being the person who knew to make them.

    The value isn’t in dialing the number.

    The value is in:

    • Watching the market closely enough to spot unusual activity.
    • Understanding how assemblages work.
    • Knowing which owners might be a strategic fit.
    • Having relationships strong enough to make the introduction.
    • Acting quickly, but professionally.

    That effort didn’t start the day you called me.

    It started years ago.

    Land doesn’t trade the way houses do. It often moves quietly. Through relationships. Through pattern recognition. Through people who are paying attention.

    That’s what I do.

    Not noise.
    Not buzzwords.
    Not flashy marketing.

    Positioning.
    Awareness.
    Timing.

    And when the moment comes, you benefit from all the work that was already in motion.

    PS – If you own land or acreage and want a clear, no-obligation opinion of value, I offer a concise analysis based on real comps, ownership patterns, tax data, and actual market activity.

    Land is different from residential. The leverage points are different.

    You’ll know where you realistically stand today and what strategic options may exist, even if you’re just thinking ahead.

    Get Started Here

    PPS – If this helped you see how land actually moves behind the scenes, feel free to forward it to someone who might benefit from it.

  • Almost Is a Dangerous Word

    Almost Is a Dangerous Word

    Once you’re convinced, you have to go all the way.

    In Acts 26, Paul is defending himself before King Agrippa.

    He tells the whole story. What he believed. What changed. What he saw. What it cost him.

    And Agrippa answers:

    “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”

    Depending on the translation, it sounds sarcastic. Curious. Half-serious.

    Almost.

    That word should bother you.

    Agrippa heard it straight.
    He wasn’t ignorant.
    He wasn’t hostile.
    He wasn’t confused.

    He was close.

    And close is not the same thing as in.

    I suspect Paul did convince him. Agrippa knew Paul wasn’t crazy. He knew there was weight there.

    But following that line all the way through would have blown up his life. Position. Alliances. Reputation. Everything shifts if that’s true.

    That’s usually where people stall.

    We think the danger is open rejection.

    It isn’t.

    The bigger danger is endless consideration.

    Interested.
    Thinking about it.
    Respectful.
    Open-minded.
    Almost persuaded.

    Almost obedient.
    Almost serious.
    Almost surrendered.

    Almost doesn’t move anything.

    There’s no credit for being near the line.

    You cross it or you don’t.

    And most people living in “almost” feel fine about it, because they aren’t far away.

    But one inch short and a thousand miles short are the same result.

    So the question this Sunday isn’t whether you’re hostile.

    It’s whether you’re decisive.

    Where are you almost?

    Because almost is comfortable.

    And comfortable is where decisions quietly die.

    P.S. I usually offer a MBR Land Reality Check to landowners here.

    But I also run another site called HisWordTogether.com.

    It’s simple. It helps people read through the Bible in a year. Every year.

    No commentary. No spin. No one telling you what to think. Just the readings, posted weekly every Sunday.

    You can sign up to get them by email, or just check the site when you want.

    There’s no need to wait until January. Start where we are and keep going.

    If you want to take a look:

    HisWordTogether.com

  • 4+ Acres Inside the City Limits

    4+ Acres Inside the City Limits

    Control the Timing. Control the Outcome.

    There are not many 4-acre tracts left inside city limits.

    Fewer still that offer flexibility.

    Most in-city acreage is either:

    • Already subdivided
    • Overpriced based on speculation
    • In an HOA or tied to rigid developer restrictions

    This one is different.

    It offers space.
    It offers location.
    And it offers flexibility for the right buyer.

    That matters more than most people realize.

    Land value is not just about price per acre, although this one is attractive from that standpoint as well.

    It’s about positioning.

    It’s about optionality.

    It’s about whether the property allows you to move when you are ready instead of being forced into someone else’s timeline.

    Inside the city, 4+ acres can mean different things depending on who you are:

    • A long-term hold
    • A family compound
    • A strategic acquisition
    • A future hedge

    The flexibility here makes those options real.

    Not theoretical.

    If you have been looking for acreage without having to move an hour outside town, you already know how rare that is.

    This one is also roughly 30 minutes from DFW Airport.

    Serious buyers understand that when something checks the right boxes, you do not wait for perfect conditions.

    You evaluate.

    You decide.

    And you move accordingly.

    For details, email me at Mike@BrowningRE.com.

    P.S. If you are evaluating land in this area and want a clear understanding of value before making a move, you can request a MBR Land Reality Check below. No cost. No obligation. Just clarity before decisions.

    Request the MBR Land Reality Check

    P.P.S. Not ready for a formal review? You can stay in the loop and receive future notes on land opportunities and market shifts.

    Sign up here.

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  • The Opposite of a Car Dealer

    The Opposite of a Car Dealer

    Upfront beats clever. Every time.

    A couple of years ago I bought my daughter a car. Used car prices were so inflated it actually made more sense to buy new. Not long after that, I bought my wife a car too.

    If you’ve done this recently, you already know what comes next.

    The advertised price pulls you in.
    You get interested.
    You drive over.

    And suddenly the price is $3,000 to $5,000 higher than you expected.

    Floor mats. Window tint. Paint protection. Nitrogen in the tires. Perfectly fine products, already installed, presented as non-negotiable. Sometimes you can get them removed or avoid the cost. Sometimes you can’t.

    I usually do fine in those situations. That is not the point.

    The aggravating part is not the add-ons.

    It’s the surprise.

    When I bought my wife’s car, I asked before I ever showed up:
    What add-ons are going on this vehicle?
    What do they cost?
    What is my out-the-door number?

    That is the number you need before you step foot on the lot.

    In real estate, I operate the opposite way.

    If you are selling through me, I prepare a Seller’s Estimated Net Proceeds sheet early in the process. It is an estimate. At that stage it cannot be exact. Some costs are negotiable. Some may shift depending on the structure of the deal.

    But on the first pass, I show everything as if it is being charged to you.

    Not because that is what I want to happen.

    Because I do not want you surprised.

    When an offer comes in, I prepare a new net sheet based on that specific offer as written, or based on how we are countering it. That version is not perfect either, but it is much closer to reality.

    You see the numbers before you sign anything.

    You know what you are walking away with.

    You stay in control.

    If you do not like the deal, you do not sign it. Even if someone offers exactly what you asked for, it is still your property. Circumstances change. You can change your mind.

    I might not love it. I will not be mad.

    What I will not do is lure you in with one number and quietly move the goalposts later.

    There are enough surprises in a transaction already.

    The pricing should not be one of them.

    P.S. You may not be ready to sell today, but does it hurt to know where you stand? Request a MBR Land Reality Check below.

    No cost. No obligation. Just clarity before decisions.

    Request It Here

    PPS – If you have ever felt the “add-on” effect in a big transaction, feel free to forward this to someone who might appreciate a different approach.

    Sign Up Here

  • Another Denton County Tract Closed (Quietly)

    Another Denton County Tract Closed (Quietly)

    This one’s not in MLS.

    My brokerage just closed a sale on approximately 72 acres on St. John Road in Denton County, north of Aubrey and south of Pilot Point.

    Details remain private, as they should.

    But there are a few observations worth sharing.

    Quality acreage in this corridor continues to draw serious attention, especially when pricing and expectations are grounded in reality.

    Larger tracts do not trade the same way small lots do.

    They require patience.
    Clear positioning.
    Buyers who understand the long game.

    In this case, alignment mattered more than noise.

    No hype.
    No auction theatrics.
    No artificial urgency.

    Just a disciplined process, realistic expectations, and a buyer who could execute.

    That is often how these transactions work best.

    Land is different than houses.

    It moves slower.
    It requires judgment.
    And when structured correctly, it rewards both sides.

    If you own acreage in North Texas, pay attention to what is actually closing, not just what is being advertised.

    That is where clarity begins.

    P.S. You may not be ready to sell today, but does it hurt to know where you stand?

    Request a MBR Land Reality Check below.

    No cost. No obligation. Just clarity before decisions.

    Request It Here

    P.P.S. Not ready for an audit yet? If you’d rather just stay in the loop and see how land is actually trading in North Texas, you can get these notes in your inbox.

    Sign Up Here

  • The Lot Isn’t Just Sitting There

    The Lot Isn’t Just Sitting There

    It’s Billing You.

    Yesterday I mentioned how higher carrying costs affect what someone is willing to pay for property.

    That matters more than most people think.

    I sell a lot of lots. And this is something I explain to sellers regularly.

    There’s a big difference between holding agricultural land way out of town and holding a $250,000 custom home lot in a subdivision.

    If farmland is under ag exemption, the annual taxes can be negligible. Sometimes under ten dollars a year.

    That is not the case with finished lots.

    On a $250,000 custom home lot, you might be paying $5,000 to $6,000 per year in property taxes. Add an HOA that could run $700 to $2,000 annually. Add mowing, maintenance, maybe insurance.

    And if you financed the purchase, don’t forget interest.

    It adds up fast.

    That’s real money leaving your account every year.

    People will say, “Well, it’s gone up $30,000.”

    Maybe it has. Over time, many do.

    But markets do not move in straight lines. And the property has to appreciate enough to cover your carry costs before you’re even breaking even.

    That’s the part that gets glossed over.

    If you hold a lot for ten years and spend $50,000 carrying it, not counting interest or opportunity cost, and it goes up $100,000, you technically made $50,000.

    That’s fine.

    But that $50,000 did not show up all at once. It dripped out of your pocket every year while you waited.

    That’s a different experience than the spreadsheet makes it look.

    For most people, custom home lots are not great “investments” unless they were bought well under market to begin with.

    If you’re a builder, that’s different.

    If you plan to build in five years and want to lock something down now so you’re not scrambling later, that can make sense.

    Just be clear-eyed about it.

    If you pay $200,000 today and hold it five years, you may effectively be in it for $225,000 or $230,000 by the time you break ground.

    I’ve sold plenty of lots where the original buyer fully intended to build.

    Then life changed.

    Plans shifted.

    Priorities moved.

    It happens more often than people admit.

    There’s nothing wrong with holding. There’s nothing wrong with selling.

    But there is something wrong with pretending the carrying costs don’t matter.

    They do.

    PS – If you own a lot or acreage and want a clear, no-obligation opinion of value, I’ll run a concise analysis based on real comps, tax data, carry costs, and actual market activity.

    Land is different from residential. The math works differently.

    You’ll know what you could realistically sell for today — and what it’s actually costing you to keep waiting.

    Start Here!

    PPS – If you know someone sitting on land “for someday,” feel free to forward this to them.

  • Check Both Tax Accounts

    Check Both Tax Accounts

    Experience reduces mistakes. It does not eliminate them.

    Yesterday I mentioned that even with experience, situations still show up that I have not seen in exactly that form before.

    You cannot coast.
    You cannot assume.
    You stay alert.

    This one worked out fine. Still, it bothered me.

    I am helping a client purchase property near the new Bois d’Arc Lake. We negotiated the deal, worked through issues, and negotiated a price reduction that required additional earnest money.

    Everything looked clean. Ready to go. I might have even started breaking my rule about assuming a closing, just a little.

    Then the closing statement came in.

    The property taxes were materially higher than expected.

    The understanding was that the property was under agricultural exemption. But according to the county, only part of it was.

    The property is in two separate tax accounts. A couple of years ago, the county had taken the ag exemption off one of the tracts.

    I had checked the ag status.
    What I failed to do was check both accounts.

    One showed ag.
    The other did not.

    It made no logical sense that one tract would qualify and the other would not, especially since the same farmer was working both. But logic and county records do not always move together.

    When I saw it, I felt it.

    I take pride in being thorough. And while I did verify the exemption, I did not verify it completely.

    That difference represented roughly a $10,000 per year swing in carrying cost.

    That changes value.
    That changes what a buyer can reasonably pay.
    That matters.

    I addressed it directly. No hiding it. No hoping it would slide through.

    Turned out it was a mistake on the county’s end. They reinstated the ag exemption, and we should be good to go. Assuming nothing else happens.

    From now on, every account gets checked. Every line item gets confirmed. Even when it “should” match.

    That is how you get better.

    And that is also why you use a professional.

    Not because professionals never miss anything.

    But because when something surfaces, it gets caught, addressed, and handled before it becomes permanent.

    Until a deal is closed and funded, it is still alive. And live deals require attention.

    Experience is not about perfection.

    It is about knowing where problems hide, and being willing to own them when they show up.

    PS – If you own land or acreage and want a clear, no-obligation opinion of value, I offer a free analysis based on real comps, tax data, utility access, and actual market experience.

    Land is different from residential. The details matter.

    You will know where you stand today and what realistic options actually look like.

    Start Here

    PPS – If this gave you a better sense of how deals really work behind the scenes, feel free to forward it to someone who might benefit from it.

  • Under Contract Is Not the Same as Sold

    Under Contract Is Not the Same as Sold

    Progress feels good. It just isn’t the finish line.

    One of the most dangerous moments in a real estate deal is the day it goes under contract.

    Not because something is wrong.

    But because it feels finished.

    The ink dries.
    The congratulations start.
    Mentally, the money is already spent.

    That is where trouble creeps in.

    Under contract is not closed.
    It is not funded.
    It is not in your account.

    It is simply an agreement to try.

    Between contract and closing, things surface.

    Title issues.
    Survey discrepancies.
    Access questions.
    Financing delays.
    Buyer nerves.

    None of that means the deal is dead.

    It just means it is still a deal.

    The problem starts when sellers emotionally cash the check before it clears.

    They start allocating proceeds.
    Paying off something in their mind.
    Buying something else in their imagination.
    Telling friends what they are “about to” do.

    Now every normal bump feels like sabotage.

    Every repair request feels offensive.
    Every delay feels intentional.
    Every renegotiation feels like theft.

    Leverage is almost impossible to exercise once you have already spent the money in your head.

    Calm sellers negotiate better.
    Detached sellers think clearly.
    Sellers who have not mentally committed the proceeds make stronger decisions.

    The rule is simple:

    Do not spend the money in your imagination.

    Celebrate when it records.
    Not when it signs.

    On Saturday I wrote about not letting emotion control you.

    That becomes a lot easier when you have not built a financial plan around money that does not yet exist.

    Maybe the issue that comes up is minor.
    Maybe it costs something to fix.
    Maybe it makes sense to move forward.
    Maybe it does not.

    But you will evaluate it rationally if you are looking at the facts instead of protecting a future you already pictured.

    Once you envision the cash in your account, objectivity disappears.

    Under contract is movement.

    Funded is success.

    Everything in between requires discipline.

    PS – If you own land or acreage and want a clear, no-obligation opinion of value, I offer a free analysis based on real comps and actual market experience.

    No algorithms. No guesswork. No pressure.

    You will know where you stand today and what realistic options actually look like, without being rushed into anything.

    Start Here!

    PPS – If this helped you think differently about leverage and emotion, feel free to forward it to someone who might need it.

  • The Part Nobody Sees Is the Part That Matters

    The Part Nobody Sees Is the Part That Matters

    We’re Better at Following Instructions Than Actually Following God

    A couple of weeks ago I was reading in Exodus as part of the yearly Bible reading plan at HisWordTogether.com, and I noticed something I hadn’t before.

    Whenever God gave the Israelites very specific, technical instructions, they nailed it.

    Build the tabernacle this way.
    Use these materials.
    These measurements.
    These colors.
    These garments for Aaron.
    This order.
    This process.

    And they did it. Immediately. Precisely. No drama.

    The pattern repeats throughout Exodus. When the instructions are detailed, external, and easy to verify, compliance is almost perfect.

    But when God gives instructions that are internal, harder to measure, and impossible to check off, that’s where things start to break down.

    Worship Me only.
    Trust Me.
    Do not turn to other gods.
    Do not harden your heart.

    Those commands come with no measurements.
    No checklist.
    No visible progress bar.
    No way to prove you are done.

    And before God is even finished speaking, they are melting gold and building a calf.

    It is tempting to read that and think, how could they be so dense?

    But we do the same thing.

    We love rules that are clear, concrete, and external.
    Tell me exactly what to do and how to do it, and I am in.
    Give me something I can complete, track, and point to, and I will work hard at it.

    But tell me to examine my motives.
    To surrender control.
    To trust instead of hedge.
    To obey when it costs something internally.

    That is where resistance shows up.

    Because those things cannot be tallied.
    You cannot fake them for long.
    And you cannot outsource them.

    It is easier to build something impressive for God than it is to quietly submit to Him.
    Easier to perform obedience than to actually live it.

    And the uncomfortable truth is this: we often prefer visible faithfulness over real faithfulness.

    One can be admired.
    The other often cannot be seen at all.

    That was true in Exodus.
    It is true now.
    And it is something worth sitting with.

    Not fixing.
    Not resolving.
    Just noticing.

    Because the parts of faith we struggle with most are usually the parts that matter most.

    PS –I mentioned HisWordTogether.com above. It’s a site I run that helps you read through the Bible in a year, spending about twenty minutes a day or less.

    It’s completely free. There’s no commentary, no spin, and no one telling you what to think. Just the readings, posted weekly every Sunday. You can sign up to have them emailed to you, or just check the site when you want.

    There’s no need to wait until January. Just start where we are and keep going.

    For a long time, I heard people confidently telling others what the Bible “says” about this or that. Until I started reading it myself, I had no real way to know whether they were right. Even when it sounded fishy.

    Turns out, a lot of the time they either do not know what they are talking about, or they are not being honest.

    Is it a crazy idea to want to know what the most famous book of all time actually says?

    You can check it out here.

  • Why Speed Is Overrated (And Control Isn’t)

    Why Speed Is Overrated (And Control Isn’t)

    Fast deals feel good. Controlled deals close better.

    Everyone says they want things to move quickly.

    Fast offers.
    Fast closings.
    Fast decisions.
    “No drama.”

    Speed feels like progress. It feels decisive. It feels professional.

    And sometimes it is.

    But speed, by itself, is not a virtue. Control is.

    I see sellers rush sometimes, not because it benefits them, but because they are uncomfortable sitting in uncertainty. Silence feels like failure. Waiting feels risky. So they push.

    “Let’s just get this done.”
    “I don’t want this dragging on.”
    “I don’t want to lose the buyer.”

    That mindset almost always gives away leverage.

    Markets do not reward urgency. They punish it.

    The buyer who senses haste slows down.
    The buyer who sees flexibility presses harder.
    The buyer who believes you need resolution waits for concessions.

    Ironically, the fastest closings I see usually come from sellers who are in control, not in a hurry.

    They are clear on price.
    They are calm about timing.
    They are willing to let silence do its job.

    That confidence compresses timelines naturally. Buyers move faster when they believe the seller does not need them.

    Speed without control is reaction.
    Control creates speed when it matters.

    This is especially true with land and non-residential property, where deals are rarely emotional and almost always strategic. Rushing those transactions rarely improves outcomes. It just transfers value.

    The goal is not to be slow.
    The goal is to be unpressured.

    When you are not rushing, you make better decisions.
    When you are not rushing, you negotiate from strength.
    When you are not rushing, you avoid mistakes that cost real money.

    Good agents do not confuse momentum with haste.
    They manage tempo, not panic.

    There is a difference between moving efficiently and moving nervously. Buyers can tell which one you are doing.

    And so can the market.

    PS – If you own land or acreage and want a clear, no-obligation opinion of value, I offer a free analysis based on real comps and actual market experience.

    No algorithms. No guesswork. No pressure.

    You will know where you stand today and what realistic options actually look like, without being rushed into anything.

    You can get started here

    PPS – If this helped reframe how you think about timing and leverage, feel free to forward it to someone who might need it.