If you’ve ever caught yourself daydreaming about buying hunting land, your own piece of dirt to hunt, manage, and pass down, you’re not alone. I had that same dream sitting in the back of my mind for years before I finally made it real. When I first started thinking seriously about buying land, I didn’t know a single person in my family who had done it. I didn’t grow up running a tractor or building food plots. I didn’t have a mentor to walk me through the process. That lack of experience was intimidating, and I kept wondering if I was biting off more than I could handle.
Buying land is a lifestyle decision, a legacy investment, and, in many ways, a leap of faith. For years, I hunted timber leases, managed food plots I didn’t own, and followed club rules that didn’t always line up with what I believed in. All of this finally came to a head when we lost our lease of over two decades to a middle-of-the-night higher bidder, with no chance to counter. After all of this, I got to the point where I said, “This is going to happen. I’m going to own land, and we’re going to decide what we do, when we do it, and how we do it. And no one is going to be able to take that away from us. It’s time to go for it.”
It was the best investment I’ve ever made. Not just because of the timber value and the appreciation of the dirt, but equally because it changed (for the better) how I hunted, how I spent time with my family, and how I thought about the outdoors. If you’ve ever wanted to take that step, if you’ve ever felt that pull to own your own ground but didn’t know how to get started, you’re in the right place.
If your motivation is there, there still comes the question of how to pay for it. When it comes to financing rural property, there’s a lot more flexibility and opportunity out there than most people realize. To help walk us through those options, we sat down with Parker Godwin from Farm Credit of Northwest Florida. Parker is not just a lender. He’s also a fellow outdoorsman who understands the dream of land ownership and the very real hurdles that stand in the way.
Whether you’re thinking about your first 40 acres or already looking for something bigger, Parker helps break down what it takes to make land ownership possible.
Why This Topic Matters
Many people hesitate to take that first step toward land ownership, not because they don’t want it, but because they don’t understand what’s possible. “A lot of people think you have to be a farmer to work with us,” Parker said. “That’s just not the case. If you’ve got a dream of owning rural property, we want to help you get there.”
Farm Credit of Northwest Florida serves land buyers throughout the Florida Panhandle, but they can also work with Florida residents purchasing land in other states. This flexibility allows them to serve the many hunters and outdoor enthusiasts who live along the coast but head inland for their recreational needs.
What You Need to Know About Land Loans
Unlike conventional home loans, land financing comes with a few unique considerations. Parker explained, “We typically offer 15- and 20-year fixed-rate land loans. You’ll need a down payment of 15 to 25 percent depending on the length and terms of the loan.” That number might sound high to some, but there are ways to get creative.
“If you already own another piece of rural property, you can use the equity in that land toward the purchase of your next property. We can even go up to 100 percent financing in some cases,” Parker said.
One of the most attractive features of borrowing through Farm Credit is its note modification program. “If you lock in a rate today and interest rates go down in the future, you can adjust your rate without having to do a full refinance. It’s a simple one-page document and about a $350 fee. You can do it more than once, and it gives you a lot of flexibility.”
How to Get Started
There’s no minimum acreage required to finance a property with Farm Credit, and there’s no maximum either. “Whether it’s 10 acres or 1,500, as long as there’s legal, insurable access, we can take a look,” Parker said. That means whether you’re looking to pick up a small hunting camp or develop a multi-generational farm, you’ve got options.
Farm Credit can also roll in the cost of improvements such as barns, cabins, and food plots. Parker explained that this is often done with an “as-will-be” appraisal. “You give us your specs for the improvements, and the appraiser evaluates what the land will be worth after the work is done. That way, we can finance everything in one package.”
What to Expect After You Buy
Many first-time landowners invest heavily in improvements within their first year after buying hunting land. From installing gates to clearing roads and building food plots, that early work lays the foundation for long-term success. Parker noted that Farm Credit can continue to support landowners even after the initial purchase. “If you put a lot of cash into the land to improve it, we can do a working capital reimbursement to help you recover some of that investment,” he said.
It’s also common for borrowers to open a line of credit on their land. “Having equity gives you options. If your neighbor decides to sell or an emergency comes up, that line of credit is there when you need it,” Parker said.
Mistakes to Avoid
One of the biggest mistakes Parker sees is people waiting too long. “Most people come back later and say, ‘I wish I had done it sooner,’” he said. “Land is a sound investment, especially in places like the Panhandle where we’re seeing so much growth. The longer you wait, the more you miss out on appreciation, recreation, and memories.”
Another common error is trying to pay cash upfront. “People think they’re doing the smart thing, but they lose the opportunity to leverage their money and improve the property right away,” he explained.
Why Farm Credit Understands Outdoorsmen
Parker and many of his colleagues live the rural lifestyle themselves. “We’re hunters, we’re landowners, we’re outdoorsmen,” he said. “So when someone says they want to de-stump a field and put in a food plot, we don’t look at them sideways. We get it, and we’re here to help make that happen.”
That understanding goes a long way when it comes to finding the right financing for your goals. Whether you’re buying hunting land for the first time, picking up your first 40 acres, or expanding a family legacy, having a lender who speaks your language makes the process smoother and more rewarding.
Final Thoughts
If you’re dreaming about land ownership, stop waiting. “There’s never going to be a perfect time,” Parker said. “But when you own land, the memories you start building are priceless.”
Buying hunting land does not have to happen all at once. You can start small, trade up later, and build equity and confidence along the way. The important part is to take that first step toward a property you can hunt, manage, and one day pass down.
