Where Do My Trees Go When They Are Cut?

I am a Registered Forester and Land Broker. I sell all different types of land including timberland. Many times the landowner will have some trees harvested and they want to know “where do my trees go?”  It is an interesting topic and the forest industries employees thousands of folks in Georgia and contributes millions of dollars to our economy.

Trees are harvested and delivered to different market depending on the species and size. For our discussion here, we will focus on pine trees. Pines are planted for commercial purposes. Following is a list of the predominant forest products (this is not an exhaustive list):

Pulpwood – These are the smallest trees in the forest usually measuring from 5 - 9" diameter at breast height. The trees are used for making paper

Chip-N-Saw - trees that measure between 8 and 14 inches diameter at breast height. The process chips off the rounded outer layer of a log before sawing the remaining cant or rectangular inside section into lumber i.e. the slabs are chipped away and the chips are used by paper mills for the production of paper. Chip-n-saw mills provide a market for trees larger than pulpwood and smaller than saw timber.

Chip-N-Saw Head

Sawtimber – trees that are processed at a sawmill into lumber. Usually measuring  > 12” diameter at breast height

Sawmill Tour

Plywood Logs - These are the large trees in the forest. Plywood is a wood product manufactured out of many sheets of veneers, or plies, pressed together and glued, with their grains going in opposite directions. It tends to be extremely strong, though not very attractive, and is treated in many different ways depending upon its intended application.

Plywood Veneers

Poles and Pilings -  trees that are fairly straight with limited amount of taper. Used for pilings when constructing in wet or swampy soils, utility poles, piers, docks etc.

Treated Poles

The important thing to remember is.....put your land to work for you. Land ownership can be expensive so you need the land producing income for you. This can be done by periodically thinning/harvesting timber or leasing the property for hunting rights. There are many ways to create income.

If you are interested in buying or selling land, please contact G. Kent Morris, RF, ALC 

at 706.457.0090

The Art of Real Estate

Well after 28 years in the forestry business, I changed careers. When my brother found out I was transitioning into the real estate business, he said “Boy are you in for a surprise”  Boy was he right!  My job went from managing people and resources to a position of marketing, contract negotiations and brokering deals. There are some similarities in these task, they are negotiating and people skills. I must say I came into the career quite unaware and in some ways unprepared. It has been 8 years of learning on the job. This is a people business and I believe the career breaks down into 2 categories:

1) People Skills – Let’s start with a definition -   understanding ourselves and moderating our responses, talking effectively and empathizing accurately, building relationships of trust, respect and productive interactions. Generally people want to be treated fairly and feel like they are important. In many instances we are working with a buyer and a seller so both have to be treated with respect while keeping the goal in focus…consummation of the real estate transaction. I really believe in the Golden Rule, treat others like I would like to be treated. It works every time!

 2) The Art of Negotiating – Negotiating is defines as  a dialogue between two or more people or parties, intended to reach an understanding, resolve point of difference, or gain advantage in outcome of dialogue, to produce an agreement upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, to craft outcomes to satisfy various interests of two people/parties involved in negotiation process. Negotiation is a process where each party involved in negotiating tries to gain an advantage for themselves by the end of the process. Negotiation is intended to aim at compromise.  

5 Things That Will Help You Negotiate Better

1. Listen - Listening is a fairly underrated skill in today’s world. It’s so easy to assume what others are saying OR  finish what others are saying for them. Listening entails making sure what you’ve heard is actually correct.

2. Seek An Outcome That Satisfies All Parties - How many times are you so focused on getting what you want in a negotiation, you don’t even think about the other person? Some times referred to as “Win-Win”, look for commonalities. A win-win outcome really is the best way to approach negotiations. When you can share a common interest or find a common ground with another person, they'll have a harder time being confrontational with you. Show real interest in the property they have for sell.

3. Broaden The Scope - Sometimes when we're in negotiation we get so centered on the one thing—we forget there might be other possibilities. For instance, if the seller won’t reduce the price, they might consider paying some of the closing cost or perhaps pay for the survey. Don’t get backed into a corner. Recognize that people often ask for more than they expect to get!

4. The Person With The Most Information Usually Wins - This is a particularly important negotiation tactic for sales people. Ask your prospect  questions about their motivation to buy or sell.  Learn what is important to them as well as their needs and wants. Plain and simple, be an expert in your market. I am a ‘Land Broker’ and I keep detailed sales data in the counties I work. Taking a listing that is 30% over the market is a waste of time and besides, if an uninformed buyer comes along, it will not appraise and the deal will fall apart anyway.

5. Maintain Your Walk Away Power – As a seller or real estate broker it is better to walk away from a sale rather than make too large a concession or discount your services. I recently had the opportunity to list a large tract of land. The owner offered ½ the normal commission and I walked away. Later I was able to negotiate a fair commission. 

Well in simple terms to be successful as a realtor (or most anything in life), 3 things will go a long way:

•        Be honest with people
•       Treat others like you like to be treated
•       Work hard, that means going the extra mile, returning phone calls, be early to meetings

If you will do these things, YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL

For Information on Buying or Selling  LAND,  Call G. Kent Morris, RF, ALC

at (706) 457-0090

Tools for the Land Broker Professional

I was getting ready to leave this morning to preview a small tract of land in Harris County, GA. I was gathering up some gear and decided this would be a fun and helpful blog post and for those considering the career, it might give you some insight. Probably one of the most important skills needed is map reading. Most property I list and sale is owned by an absentee landowner. The owner may live out of state and many times they are not familiar with the property so you are on you own! This means not only do you have to find the property, but you might have to locate some property lines and corners.

Aerial Photograph

It is always a good idea to have an aerial photograph and a survey plat. Many times the property may join a field, timber stand, fence or some other feature that will help you identify a property line. These are probably visible on an aerial photo or satellite image.

Survey Plat

A survey plat will show the bearing and distance from one property corner to the next. With a compass and hip-chain, many times you can locate the next corner. I LOVE a hip-chain. The hip-chain feeds out a thin, high tensile strength string. The instrument reads out the distance in feet and is accurate to about 2%. I have found hundreds of corners with this method.

Compass

Hip-Chain

A compass simply allows to determine the bearing as indicated on a survey plat. For instance you might have to go  N 13  37’  28” W from one corner to the next. You simply dial in that bearing and walk the property line going in that direction (or bearing).

A GPS is a vital tool as well. The GPS can be used for two task: Navigate to a corner or feature using the Latitude - Longitude coordinates OR taking a waypoint in the field to locate a corner or feature on a map or aerial!

Garmin 60 GPS

Example of a map I constructed using a GPS waypoint

taking in the field.

I also used several mapping and navigation software programs that allow me to drive through a property and track my progress. These maps/programs allow you look for property lines as you approach the boundary. Great tool for showing property!

Topo Map with GPS location services!

Satellite Image with tract boundaries and location services!

Last but not least... the land professional is often driving a 4 X 4 truck and many have a small all terrain vehicle when there is only a path or trail. I have an old Honda 4 wheeler that has saved many a foot step on a large tract of land. You might not need this off road assistance when looking at 20 acres, but it sure comes in handy when looking at 200 acres and larger.

For information on buying or selling land, contact G. Kent Morris, ALC, RF  @ 706.457.0090