Plot - Unique reasons land would be valuable?

EMD · Jul 14, 2009

I need the land my MC has just inherited to be valuable, but i'm having trouble coming up with an original reason why. It's slightly rural, along a river, so it being wanted for development of hotels or condos doesn't make sense. I don't want anything cliche or cheesy like gold being in the river or the land having oil in it. I recently read a novel where the land was wanted because rare, wild ginseng could be harvested there. Anyone have any unique, interesting ideas like this? I'm thinking southern US if that helps at all.

Thanks in advance.

JoNightshade · Jul 14, 2009

You could make it some sort of historical landmark. I'm thinking if there's some kind of cabin on it that belonged to a famous actor/artist/writer, where he/she liked to hang out or retreat. That would certainly make it valuable to both fans and historical societies or whatever. If you wanted it to be even more valuable you could say that there were rumors that this person had hidden something in the cabin. Like if it's a writer, the "lost manuscript" is somewhere inside.

Puma · Jul 14, 2009

On the development line - a golf course is also a possibility.

On the rural line - the land might have a stand of mature desirable trees (black walnuts as an example). Or it might have unusual habitat for an endangered species.

On the historical line - there might be an old cemetery on it or a handed down story that someone buried something of value. Or - it might have an historic house on it - my sister and hubby currently have the large stagecoach inn they've lived in for twenty-five years on the market (built in 1767).

With the river there's a possibility the state wants to build a new bridge and the land will be needed for it.

Hope those give you some ideas. Puma

MattW · Jul 14, 2009

JoNightshade said:
You could make it some sort of historical landmark. I'm thinking if there's some kind of cabin on it that belonged to a famous actor/artist/writer, where he/she liked to hang out or retreat. That would certainly make it valuable to both fans and historical societies or whatever. If you wanted it to be even more valuable you could say that there were rumors that this person had hidden something in the cabin. Like if it's a writer, the "lost manuscript" is somewhere inside.

To build on that, maybe the land was actually used as the setting for the famous writer's masterpiece (Walden Pond, etc) or as the location for a famous scene in a fictional movie?

Site of notorious murder?

Site of abandoned orchard that grows a unique variety of apple?

Christmas tree farm that supplies trees to White House / Rockefeller Center?

Williebee · Jul 14, 2009

Could be about what's under the land. Examples:

One of the biggest things coming down the road is water rights. Google T Boone Pickens and water.

Recently they started drilling for gas under DFW airport.

I can't remember what the mineral is, blue topaz maybe? But one of the largest known supplies of the stuff is also purported to be under DFW airport.

How about this, a government/industrial interest. There's an area in West Virginia that is becoming "priceless", for having a quantity of "nothing". The United States Radio Quiet Zone.

wannawrite · Jul 14, 2009

How much does the land need to be worth? Where I'm at, it goes for about $1500 an acre, but in Iowa, farmland...unimproved, mind you...goes for $10,000 an acre. Which is why I live in Kansas, LOL!

But, seriously, if you are wanting to keep it simple, just have the acreage be about 20 miles outside a large, urban area...Atlanta, etc. That would certainly make the inheritance valuable.

Oh, and putting improvements on the land helps. Water, sheds, electric, septic, drive-ways, fencing, etc. My sister recently bid on 4 improved acres, locally, here in Kansas, for $20,000, and it is a steal. It isn't hard to make the land itself be the valuable commodity, not when a hundred acres, unimproved, barely tillable, would go for AT LEAST $150,000...minimum. And a hundred acres ain't much, either. Add the improvements listed above, and there is your value.

EMD · Jul 14, 2009

Thank you guys so much! These are really wonderful and I can definitely pursue a couple of them.

dgiharris · Jul 15, 2009

I know that there are some crops that only grow well in certain climates/soil types.

Also, if the land was the site of an ancient indian village or an ancient archealogical find could increase its value.

You may be able to get away with a legal quirk enabling something on that land that is usually considered illegal. For instance, there are many Indian Reservations that are set in states where gambling is illegal, yet it is legal on the reservation.

Perhaps your land is just outside of a dry county (there are many in Texas) and thus its the only place where someone can legally set up a bar.

Or it could be just outside of a very strict country and it is the only place where you can legally set up a strip club, or even a brothel

Mel...

Cyia · Jul 15, 2009

There are rare substances like ~~plutonium~~ uranium (not sure how close that's usually found to water, though).

The water itself could be polluted from run-off if there's a chemical source nearby and the company wants to make sure no one realized they've poisoned the water table.

Perhaps the land was owned by someone who literally buried their massive fortune somewhere among those acres.

It could have significance as something like a native burial ground.

Maybe the land used to be part of the river and they're looking for something that was lost in the river, suspecting that it's now underground in what used to be the riverbed (certain lakes and rivers in the northern US were sacred sites, and the "sacrifice" involved tossing what we'd consider valuable materials into the water to honor whichever deity it was dedicated to.)

DeleyanLee · Jul 15, 2009

Old family feud between the character's family and whoever wants it. Dates back for ages, the char can not be aware of it 'cause their folks thought it was stupid and wanted to get beyond it and have lives. But whoever wants it doesn't play by those rules.

Williebee · Jul 15, 2009

valuable to everybody, or just to somebody?

example: If that's where I hid the bodies? It's pretty valuable to me.

waylander · Jul 15, 2009

Cyia said:
There are rare substances like plutonium (not sure how close that's usually found to water, though).

Plutonium is an artificial element not found in nature

Could be there are fishing rights on river and some particularly good stretches with nice deep pools where the big fish lurk accessible from the land

Click to expand...

Cyia · Jul 15, 2009

waylander said:
Cyia said:

There are rare substances like plutonium (not sure how close that's usually found to water, though).

Plutonium is an artificial element not found in nature

Could be there are fishing rights on river and some particularly good stretches with nice deep pools where the big fish lurk accessible from the land

Click to expand...

I cannot believe I wrote "plutonium". I meant uranium!

Click to expand...

DavidZahir · Jul 15, 2009

Perhaps the land contains something unique like an all-but-extinct species of tree? Or almost certainly contains the rest of a valuable fossil...somewhere (fossils are not neatly packed together).

Then again, the land could be intensely valuable for deeply private reasons.

Canotila · Jul 15, 2009

Just so you know, having endangered or near extinct species does the opposite of adding value. It makes your land practically worthless as:

1. the endangered species adds no resale value whatsoever

2. You can do absolutely nothing with it as far as building, mining, logging, etc.

3. Neither can anyone else you sell it to.

There are huge problems with this, as it's not unheard of for developers to quietly rip out stands of endangered plants they discover on their land, with nobody being the wiser. There is a lot of hostility directed toward the spotted owl among lumber folks, as its presence made a lot of their land "useless".

Unless your character is a member of the nature conservancy, or Audubon society the fact that they have endangered species on their land is only going to be of a non material benefit, if they happen to love plants and animals.

Dommo · Jul 15, 2009

It could have mature hardwoods on the land.

Land that's full of 100 year old oak and maple is worth an ASSLOAD. Just logging off the trees on a few hundred acres could make a person a millionaire.

MattW · Jul 15, 2009

Unique geography that puts fossils very near the surface? Other local finds point to this piece of property as the mother-load?

Linda Adams · Jul 15, 2009

JoNightshade said:
You could make it some sort of historical landmark. I'm thinking if there's some kind of cabin on it that belonged to a famous actor/artist/writer, where he/she liked to hang out or retreat. That would certainly make it valuable to both fans and historical societies or whatever. If you wanted it to be even more valuable you could say that there were rumors that this person had hidden something in the cabin. Like if it's a writer, the "lost manuscript" is somewhere inside.

Not necessarily. Having historical value doesn't necessarily translate to valuable. We recently had a car dealership people were trying to get on the historical register. It was torn down because the land was more valuable than the historical value. Or if there are lots of similar places in the town, then such a place might lose value or just simply not be as valuable.

If a celebrity is involved with it, the guy probably has to have a pretty big scandal associated with him to draw in the crowds. Few people are going to care that Bob Hope stayed in X hotel in his travels, but places like the site where Marilyn Monroe died are on every tour list.

EMD · Jul 15, 2009

Wow, you guys are so great! Thank you so much for helping out a newbie.

bagels · Jul 15, 2009

DeleyanLee said:
Old family feud between the character's family and whoever wants it. Dates back for ages, the char can not be aware of it 'cause their folks thought it was stupid and wanted to get beyond it and have lives. But whoever wants it doesn't play by those rules.

Williebee said:
valuable to everybody, or just to somebody?

example: If that's where I hid the bodies? It's pretty valuable to me.

These are both really good points. If it's to a specific person or group, you have many more options. Both of the reason above in additional to some sentimental explanation could work.

Environmental and historical reasons can really muck with land value. And as far as the government getting it, that's not going to be top dollar.

Synonym · Jul 15, 2009

If it was near a large enough river and someone wanted access to the river, that could make it valuable. In other words, the neighboring property owner really wanted it so he could have access to the shoreline.

Some people pay ridiculous amounts for land in the midwest that would allow hunting or fishing opportunities.

Smiling Ted · Jul 15, 2009

A new Stucky's is moving in next door.

Synonym · Jul 15, 2009

Wouldn't that fall under the "miracle" category? Then they could charge for parking.

ideagirl · Jul 15, 2009

Cyia said:
It could have significance as something like a native burial ground.

That idea, and the ones about other kinds of historical value (place where a writer wrote something famous etc.) and environmental value (habitat of endangered species...) are interesting and are reasons the land might be important, but that's not the same thing as being worth a lot of money. In fact, they're likely to make it LESS "valuable" (in quotes because I'm just talking about value in the financial sense) rather than more.

But it could be worth money as a resort if the location is particularly beautiful, esp. if it's fairly convenient (say, within 2 hours' drive) to an airport or large city.

cbenoi1 · Jul 15, 2009

> It's slightly rural, along a river, so it being wanted for development of hotels or
> condos doesn't make sense.

Hollywood is planning a remake of 'The Little House on the Paririe' and the original lot has been fully developped ever since and this location happens to look *exactly* like the old TV series.

Global warming has made the river flooding more severe with time. The lot is the only place in town high enough over the river and sitting on hard rock that it never overflows there and never risk falling into the raging river.

The lot is defined by the river contours, but a dam project needs the river moved by half a mile, thus enlarging significantly the lot size.

Some billionaire is moving next door, raising the value of all properties in the area.

The lot is on the safe side of a simmering volcano...

It's the only place in town with an artesian well deep enough to tap into a deep phreatic groundwater, a plus when the city water system gets polluted by a spill (or when the river pollution level exceeds the city's water system filtering capacity, your choice).

-cb

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