Bigger than New York City and Los Angeles combined, Waggoner Ranch in Texas spans half-a-million acres, boasts more than 100 properties within its boundaries and oil reserves.
The
ultimate equestrian estate is yours -- for $725 million. But be quick
-- any potential buyers have until October 20 to raise the funds and
submit an offer.
Bernard Uechtritz,
an Australian realtor living in Texas, has been tasked with the sale of
the equestrian estate that has stayed in one family for its entire
165-year existence. He's getting used to turning down the advances of
some of the world's richest people in the sale.
"I
can tell you it's not often you can dismiss out of hand an offer for
several hundred million dollars -- you're not even getting on the dance
floor with several hundred million dollars," he told CNN.
Uechtritz,
of Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty, has a history of
selling unusual properties. He was in charge of the sale of Jose and Kitty Menendez's Beverly Hills mansion after the couple were killed by their two sons
in 1989, and evaluated both OJ Simpson's Brentwood mansion and his
ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson's apartment in Santa Monica where she was
killed with her friend Ronald Goldman
"I've
done this for 30 years and I've been involved in some interesting and
hairy deals, and I've seen money arrive in suitcases at the court
house," he said.
Waggoner Ranch,
though, is different and is by no means a hard sell. Although Uechtritz
has invested nearly two years of his life in the project, there have
been 600 inquiries and he stands to make millions himself if the asking
price is met.
The cowboy hat-wearing
Uechtritz is no stranger to the hard sell but is adamant that it's not
been required with this Texas property.
"It
stands head and shoulders above everything else as it is head and
shoulders above everything else," he said. "It's truly a one of a kind.
"Where
can you go with half-a-million acres under one fence with oil, cattle,
natural resources and intellectual property. Nowhere, it's just not out
there."
Located near Vernon in northwest Texas, Waggoner is America's largest ranch within a single fence spanning six counties in all.
It
has enough water in one lake on the property to source the whole of the
105,000-strong population of nearby Wichita Falls and boasts 14,000
cows, 500 horses and 30,000 acres of arable land.
To view even a modicum of its vast borders requires a helicopter ride and a lot of time.
"If
I take buyers on a viewing it takes about an hour and 45 minutes in a
helicopter to get the rough overview," said Uechtritz. "I can then show
you the highlights in one or two days but a more intensive tour takes
three or four days.
"But it's worth it. It's just so beautiful, as I said, one of a kind. This is going to make ranching history."
As
the realtor for the property, he has got to know the 120 staff that
work across its boundaries and the families that rely on a smooth
purchase for their own futures.
That, argues Uechtritz, brings with it a big responsibility.
"I'm
driven by the scenario whereby it's win-win where the buyer of this
ranch that has never been sold in 165 years continues the legacy and
protects his or her purchase for another 165 years.
"It's
a very important part of cowboy culture and the greatest equestrian of
all is the cowboy, it's from that that all other equestrians are born.
"But
there is a tremendous amount of responsibility to the 120 families and
cowboys that are the heart of this remarkable ranch. They're relying on
me to put this in the right hands. I think the prospects for the new
owner are great. We've already got some good quality buyers in our
buying pool."
The reality is that only a limited number of people on the planet have the funds to purchase such a ranch.
Jim Taylor, of Denver-based rural estate firm Hall & Hall, estimated in an interview with Bloomberg that tying down potential purchasers "you're looking for people with a net worth of $7 or $8 billion."
Said to be a favorite of the former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, the estate has a remarkable history.
There have been quirky family members from Electra Waggoner who during the 1920s spent $90,000
-- around $1.2m in today's money -- on a facelift of her Dallas mansion
to house her wide range of fashion accessories, to her older brother
Guy who was famous for marrying eight times.
Uechtritz
admits there will an element of sadness when the day of sale comes as
"it's been part of my life for a couple of years and you grow attached."
He
admits to sometimes shaking his head how an Australian born in Papua
New Guinea came to oversee the "the sale of the century."
"I
know this equestrian world so well," he says. "I feel like it's in my
DNA. I remember being on a horse from the age of five but am told I was
on one even earlier. I'm an equestrian, a rancher, a polo and polocrosse
player."
For anyone rich enough to
have the funds there is just one catch to the sale -- 25% of the mineral
rights will remain in the possession of the current owners. To date
around one tenth of the ranch's land has been explored for oil.






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