Gadsden Hills

Featuring 100’ elevation drops from its highest point to three tributaries that feed the Little River a short distance away, the 532-acre Gadsden Hills tract comes by its name honestly. Located in the renowned Red Hills region of North Florida / South Georgia and only a 15-minute drive west of Tallahassee, this property will appeal to those want to acquire a tract that combines timber, recreational, and potential development attributes.

Adjacent to the east of the property lies an unbroken expanse of over 6,000 acres of woodlands including the picturesque 4,500-acre Little River Plantation. These owners are dedicated to preserving and enhancing the unique natural beauty and wildlife habitat of this region through comprehensive, long-term land management practices. They are great neighbors to have and their efforts provide significant benefits to Gadsden Hills where deer and turkey, in particular, thrive.

From a timber perspective, Gadsden Hills sets up nicely for an extended run of revenues. Timber prices are currently high and many industry experts project continued elevated prices for the next 20 years. This is due to a supply and demand imbalance brought on in part by Hurricane Michael which destroyed an estimated 500 million trees. In 2015, 321 acres of loblolly pines were planted at a high density of 725 trees per acre. A new owner can anticipate receiving generous revenues around 2030 from a first thinning.

From a development perspective, Gadsden Hills is enticing to consider particularly given that D.R. Horton, a Fortune 500 company and America’s largest homebuilder, is building homes in the adjacent Magnolia Forest subdivision. Approximately 404 acres of Gadsden Hills have a Rural Residential (RR) land use designation with the remaining 128 acres in the Agriculture 3 (AG-3) category. With no central water and sewer available at present, the allowed density within RR is one dwelling unit per net acre, excluding non-developable areas. The lands within AG-3 have a density of one dwelling unit per 20 acres yet their adjacency to RR makes them a prime candidate to receive approval to merge the two land uses through a comprehensive plan amendment.