LAKELAND, FL, March 5, 2021 – SVN | Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate reported the sale last week of two large Florida timberland tracts totaling 17,956 acres for $17,520,000. The property was co-listed and sold by Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM, Founder, Managing Director & Senior Advisor, Tony Wallace, CF, Senior Advisor, and Greg Driskell, Advisor. Rayonier Forest Resources purchased the properties on February 25.
The sale comprised two timberland tracts owned by Sleepy Creek Lands, LLC, located in Levy County, Florida. Although non-contiguous, these tracts are within one mile of each other and sold in the same transaction. Otter Creek Timberlands is 8,160 acres located on US-19/98, about five miles south of Chiefland. McGee Branch Timberlands is 9,796 acres located on SR-24, about six miles southwest of Bronson. Both tracts contain approximately 60% upland, plantable land. The properties feature a mixture of merchantable and pre-merchantable planted pines with an unusually high amount of plantable acreage in need of reforestation at the time of the sale.
The properties have extensive frontage on US-19/98 and SR-24 and a good network of internal graded roads for access. Potential pine productivity is fair to good, and nearly all of the lands capable of growing planted pines have been converted to that use by prior management. The properties are adjacent to wildlife conservation lands, and excellent game populations, including deer, turkey, and feral hogs, are present on both tracts. Both properties boast hunting leases at the top of the market rates. Neither property has any buildings or other similar improvements, but a cell tower is located on McGee Branch and produces annual lease revenues.
The buyer, Rayonier, is a global forest company dedicated to providing sustainable forest management, land management, timber products, and real estate services with more than 1.7 million acres of timberland in the southern United States. Rayonier negotiated the purchase of the two tracts as a single economic unit and closed in a single transaction.
About Saunders Real Estate
Saunders Real Estate is a leading land and commercial real estate brokerage serving buyers, sellers, investors, and landowners across the Southeastern United States for 30 years. With over 100 advisors and offices in major U.S. markets including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina, we specialize in large-acreage land transactions, commercial property sales and leasing, and property management.
To reflect our legacy and continued growth, Saunders Real Estate operates through two divisions – Saunders Land and Saunders Commercial. Our expertise spans agriculture, conservation, recreation, residential development, and commercial real estate, supported by specialized services such as forestry, land management, and investment acquisitions.
Today, Saunders Real Estate is recognized as a trusted authority in the region, delivering exceptional results through experienced leadership, innovative strategies, and a client-focused approach.