Big Sky

Sold on August 4, 2020
from 2:00 PM to 2:00 PM UTC

Location

Elmworth, AB

Sale Size

7 Parcels

Final

$150K - $445K

8 quarters of land, being sold in 7 separate parcels west, south-west of Grande Prairie, near Elmworth, Alberta. Close to urban amenities with plenty of opportunity to experience true outdoor recreation. Each quarter has its own special features. Cultivated land, pasture land or the fixer-upper where you can increase your investment with a bit of work - pick what meets your needs!

View Results • Completed

Available Parcels

Parcel Name Parcel 1	Parcel Size 146 ± Acres	Final $250,000	View Details & Offer
Parcel Name Parcel 2	Parcel Size 157 ± Acres	Final $320,000	View Details & Offer
Parcel Name Parcel 3	Parcel Size 160 ± Acres	Final $175,000	View Details & Offer
Parcel Name Parcel 4	Parcel Size 318 ± Acres	Final $445,000	View Details & Offer
Parcel Name Parcel 5	Parcel Size 150 ± Acres	Final $160,000	View Details & Offer
Parcel Name Parcel 6	Parcel Size 158 ± Acres	Final $170,000	View Details & Offer
Parcel Name Parcel 7	Parcel Size 158 ± Acres	Final $150,000	View Details & Offer

Sale Description

Situated thirty miles west, southwest of the City of Grande Prairie, Alberta, you find the community of Elmworth. Big farm and big ranch country, not unlike the majestic ten thousand foot peaks of the Rocky Mountains in clear view just fifty miles to the southwest. The owner of ‘Big Sky Mountain View’, Diamond Creek Acres Ltd., is consolidating its land base and selling select parcels as part of its ongoing strategic plan. A one-time opportunity that farmers, ranchers, outdoor enthusiasts and investors will all want to spend time checking out. Eight quarter sections that are each truly a 'Diamond in the Rough' will be offered for sale, selling in seven parcels. Wake up in the morning of a day off and, depending on the season, spend it on the Wapiti River just minutes to the south, hiking back in the Monkman pass just an hour drive away across the British Columbia border, or perhaps enjoy a day of sledding at Red Deer Creek.

[https://clhbidstorage.blob.core.windows.net/documents/Auctions/86b15fab-0ff6-4253-09dd-08d8116caac0/TinyMCEPictures/b7667d45-3ff3-47ee-ad44-a32ab24795e5.jpg]Parcel 1 is located just 10 miles southwest of Beaverlodge, Alberta on the pavement. If you’re looking for a quarter close to urban amenities, then this is it. Build your house and shop and don't worry about spring road bans. The 20-acre wood lot on the north-west corner makes for a perfect natural shelter belt for a new building site. The quarter is made up of over 145 acres and is currently seeded to a second-year fescue crop. One only has to look at the crop to appreciate the fertility of the soil. If you're looking for passive income, you may want to investigate the large dugout in the northeast corner, just off the pavement. Dugout water with excellent all-weather access is often in high demand. The Starting bid for this quarter is well below what other quarters have sold for nearby.

[https://clhbidstorage.blob.core.windows.net/documents/Auctions/86b15fab-0ff6-4253-09dd-08d8116caac0/TinyMCEPictures/920b3a7d-3b49-49ab-909a-204882c47c1b.jpg]Parcel 2 is a 157 acre quarter located on the westerly perimeter of the main Diamond Creek Acres farming operation only nine miles from the BC border. The Parcel offers up an excellent assemblage potential for closer farms and ranches. This quarter is signed up to make a large payment against its purchase price from the second year fescue crop that a buyer will be entitled to harvest in 2021. It doesn’t get any better than that at today's Creeping Red Fescue prices. The 2020 crop stays with the current owner on this and other parcels. The Elmworth area has seen record wet years in recent years, resulting in a current high water table. To alleviate this, the owner has recently undertaken ditching on the Parcel that will only enhance the productivity of this quarter for years to come.

[https://clhbidstorage.blob.core.windows.net/documents/Auctions/86b15fab-0ff6-4253-09dd-08d8116caac0/TinyMCEPictures/09a45c68-8897-422c-b5d1-bc1dbfe0fbc1.jpg]Parcel 3 is 159 acres in total and made up of an almost equal mix of pasture and sparse regrowth. This sparse regrowth on the northern part of the quarter is at risk of a Kello-Bilt or Wishek heavy-duty disc. A few days work, and it would be a game-changer. The southwest slope of this quarter makes it ideal for early pasture or calving on grass. The quarter has an existing dugout for livestock. If you are interested in buying low and receiving an immediate lift with a fixer-upper, this is the quarter for you. On the very westerly perimeter of the Diamond Creek Acres operation, this quarter has been begging for more attention. Still, there are only so many hours in the day at every large farm. This quarter will likely be eligible for the highest rate of gain per day after sale day.

[https://clhbidstorage.blob.core.windows.net/documents/Auctions/86b15fab-0ff6-4253-09dd-08d8116caac0/TinyMCEPictures/b13ec00e-274f-483f-9b6e-546e3f1e3eac.jpg]Parcel 4 is a half section located three miles southwest of Elmworth, one mile off the pavement. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder for this Parcel. The southerly portion of the half is made up of prime farmland and currently seeded to first-year fescue. Walking the southerly sloping south quarter, you will immediately notice the outstanding catch that Diamond Creek Acres obtained from direct seeding in 2019. Best plug in your calculator to do the math on the expected revenue from the 2021 second year crop that goes to the new owner. This quarter also has Surface Lease Revenue. The owner is keeping approximately 3.5 acres in the SW corner and 2.5 acres in the SE corner of this quarter (SE-1).

The divide of the quarters is made up of regrowth from prior logging. Big timber doesn't grow in lowlands. This area is begging to see a dozer or mulcher at freeze up. Expect to be seeding it down the following year. If interested in this half section, you need to walk the area of regrowth to realize the potential of this area. The north portion of the half is currently in clover and, with some work removing unnatural drainage restrictions, the future potential of this quarter will only be enhanced. Ranchers will want to consider cross fencing this half section, knowing the area is known as grass capital of the County of Grande Prairie.

[https://clhbidstorage.blob.core.windows.net/documents/Auctions/86b15fab-0ff6-4253-09dd-08d8116caac0/TinyMCEPictures/f1b1b92e-067c-4f73-afa7-9e067ca7fd0e.jpg]Parcel 5 is 150 acres in total. Do the math on the Starting Bid vis-a-vis the second year fescue crop that the high bidder will cash in on for 2021 and even your banker will break a smile. With an excellent existing fence on the north, just fence the remaining perimeter and you have the perfect mix of hay and pasture land. Just one mile off the pavement, this quarter offers the opportunity for more arable acres to be opened up.

[https://clhbidstorage.blob.core.windows.net/documents/Auctions/86b15fab-0ff6-4253-09dd-08d8116caac0/TinyMCEPictures/526d1c5c-252e-4516-bfb3-cd79f64224f7.jpg]Parcel 6 is over 158 acres in total. This is a quarter that needs boots on the ground to be appreciated. It may not look like it from the road, but the quarter has over 100 arable acres with the northern portion currently seeded to a second to none first-year fescue crop. As you head to the back easterly secluded part of the quarter, you will appreciate that the cow elk also like the seclusion in mid-afternoon as well. Just one-half mile off the pavement, this quarter offers unlimited investment potential. Again, a massive dugout offers significant passive income potential given the location of the quarter and this quarter also has Surface Lease Revenue. If mortgaging this purchase, best insure you can pay down the principal without penalty in the first year given the pending fescue crop and full dugout.

[https://clhbidstorage.blob.core.windows.net/documents/Auctions/86b15fab-0ff6-4253-09dd-08d8116caac0/TinyMCEPictures/b9eed876-deeb-4abb-9257-53fdaefb430a.jpg]Parcel 7 gives credence to saving the best for last. This quarter has 158 acres in total, with 70 acres under cultivation currently. Don't be caught up with the curb appeal of this quarter. Take the time to get to know it, and it will pay in spades. It does have it all with water, a view and south slope for optimum cropping. The only thing that has prevented it from realizing its potential is its location within a busy farm operation. Whether it be a mulcher, tiller or cut blade, this quarter needs one meeting with the agriculture groomer to be a real showcase. If however, your dream is a recreation quarter with total seclusion, you will want to build your cabin on the back side and stay for a bit.

Please review the Purchase Agreement in the Parcel Details section to see the specifics of the offer.

‘Big Sky Mountain View’ is being offered for sale by CLHbid.com by way of online electronic tender. Check the website for updates from time to time.

SLR Details: Parcel 4 Parcel 6

Big Sky is being offered for sale via online escalating tender by CLHbid.com. Check the website for updates from time to time. The property may be viewed by interested registered bidders. Please contact us by email at info@clhbid.com for an appointment. As a law firm, CLHbid never discloses bidder's names to any party, including the Seller. Only the successful buyer's name is ever disclosed to the Seller as part of the closing process.

Proven Results

from satisfied buyers

Frequently Asked Questions

There are existing auction platforms out there such as the ‘Iowa Auction’ that stop bidding after all individual parcels have received high bids. Then for round #2 of the auction they allow past as well as new bidders to ‘up the ante’ by bidding on the entire farm or ranch with a reserve bid set at the aggregate price just bid on all individual parcels in round #1.

After seeking input from many farmers and ranchers, most told us they didn’t feel a platform such as this was fair to bidders on individual parcels who in many cases have went to a lot of work to get pre-approved for financing etc. Farmers and ranchers also indicated they didn’t think it is fair for a large player to ‘lay in the weeds’ and not bid until after the initial round of bidding. They also told us that it would not be fair to allow a larger player to acquire the entire farm or ranch for only a few dollars more than the aggregate of the prior individual bids. Hence the rationale for the ‘premium bid’ amount for the ‘en bloc’ parcel at the conclusion of the auction.

At CLHbid.com, you as bidder only need to be high on a certain number (generally less than 50%) of parcels in order to have a chance to acquire the entire farm or ranch, whereas at national Auction firms you generally have to be high on 100% of the parcels in order acquire the entire ranch or farm.

Bidders have no knowledge of the identity of other bidders. Likewise, the Seller during the sale is not privy to who may be bidding or how many parcels someone may be ‘high on’. At CLHbid.com we set out to create a platform for the selling or leasing of agricultural land that was honest, fully transparent and offered no opportunity for bids to be shopped by the Seller. This is especially important wherein the Seller has final approval.

At CLHbid.com we have put safeguards in place in our CLHbid.com contract with our Seller to ensure the Seller deals only with the high bidder at the conclusion of bidding. During the timed auction itself, all back-end information is locked down including who is bidding or who is registered to bid. At the conclusion of the bidding, the Seller is privy only to the name of the high bidder on each parcel.

The minimum increment for bidding is set prior to each specific sale in consultation with the Seller. The increments are set having regard to the FMV of the parcel being sold with more expensive parcels generally having larger increments.

We have all been to live auctions where a quarter of land worth $500,000.00 starts at $100,000.00. The parcel is then bid up in large increments initially with the increments gradually decreasing in size as the bidding approaches the end. At CLHbid.com, given our predetermined minimum increments, we try and speed up the process by starting the bidding at what we see as a reasonable number to start serious bidding at, yet a number still below FMV.

In addition, given the ‘en bloc’ final parcel bidding option offered at CLHbid.com, we require a floor number for each individual parcel in the unlikely event a specific parcel doesn’t receive a bid, yet at the conclusion an eligible bidder wishes to bid on the entire farm or ranch. In such a case, the Starting Bid becomes the value to be used for that Parcel not receiving a bid when determining aggregate bids. It is important to note the Starting Bid is not a Reserve Bid.

PLEASE NOTE: Not all CLHbid.com sales have an ‘en bloc’. Please review the particulars of each sale for clarity.

No. The Seller waives their right to approve the sale if there is a bid on the ‘en bloc’.

This is really no different than in the tendering process wherein Tenders stipulate “any and all tenders will not necessarily be accepted”. One issue with tendering is the cost to put a tender in the paper is nominal and there is always a risk of the Seller perhaps just feeling out the market or wanting to know the names of the parties interested.

At CLHbid.com one of the paramount reasons for allowing the Seller final say is to alleviate the need for an expensive Guarantee to the auction house – expensive and seldom called upon yet often required by the Sellers bank. The Seller’s bank doesn’t require the Seller to purchase a Guarantee when using the CLHbid.com platform wherein the sale is at the Seller’s discretion.

CLHbid.com incurs significant marketing costs in the event the Seller fails to accept the high bid(s). The Seller is under contract with CLHbid.com and the contract references trigger values indicating when the right of the Seller to refuse a sale is taken away.

At CLHbid.com, our Sellers are fully invested in the process meaning the likelihood of a high bid not being accepted is extremely remote.

No. At CLHbid.com there is no advantage to waiting to bid. Our platform has a ‘refresh’ function on the clock such that any bid placed near the expiration of the timed sale will automatically re-set the clock adding additional minutes to the clock giving all parties (including the bidder that was just outbid) another opportunity to bid.

At CLHbid.com we take the human element out of the process. During the bidding process if you are high, you will receive an online notice saying you are High Bid. If you get outbid you will receive an online notice saying you were Outbid. Immediately upon expiration of the timed sale, the high bidder will receive an email indicating they were the HIGHEST BIDDER.

All emails are auto generated. The question cannot arise as to whether you were high or not or “was it shopped to someone they liked better” such as when tendering land.

No. The Starting Bid is just that. The first bid required for a Parcel is the Starting Bid and not some number above it. If you are the initial bidder and just bid the basic minimum increment your Current Bid will be the Starting Bid number.

CLHbid.com doesn’t publish the name of the high bidder. We do, however, disclose the name of the high bidder to the Seller as they are then in a contractual agreement to buy and sell. We leave it up to the high bidder and Seller to tell whomever they wish.

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The absolute transparency of this innovative format is a huge benefit to all parties involved. Bidders bid from the privacy of their own home on a set day.

The sale starts and finishes in a matter of hours and the time will extend if bids are placed in the last two minutes of the sale. As confidentiality and honesty are paramount to us, bidders names are never released.

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