Here’s my read: you care less about the money than about what happens to the place after you.

That concern honors the land. A homestead presented as a house with acreage draws buyers shopping for a house with acreage. Presented for what it is, with its orchard, its water and its seasons written down, it draws the buyers who have been searching for exactly that, and they are often the ones who pay the most.

You can’t choose your successor, but you can make the land so well understood that the people who would cherish it are the ones who come to see it. Many owners leave a letter for the next steward, passed on at closing with the history of the place.

My complete guide for longtime owners and their families: What Your Land Is Worth, and What It Means. To talk it through, call or text me at (971) 303-2253. I make time for every question.