Buyers are scoping out private islands and ranches in the middle of nowhere

The Covid-19 pandemic has a lot of people thinking about buying properties that by their nature induce isolation, according to the Wall Street Journal. Agents across the country are receiving more inquiries than usual about rural properties.

“Suddenly it’s hip to be private, spacious and quiet,” said Connecticut-based Berkshire Hathaway agent John Downs, who said he noticed an uptick in calls about remote properties from people who live in urban areas.

The people who already own isolated properties — whether that’s a beach house in Fiji or a spread in rural Wyoming — are thanking their past selves for making the move to a more solitary life. For them, things haven’t changed much since the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe.

For those who are looking to return to a more social life, it’s not a bad time to sell. Wyoming resident Holland Dutton listed her 18-acre property last August. Her agent, Tate Jarry of Live Water Properties, said that downloads of brochures for her property and others like it are up 20 percent in recent weeks.

But Jarry said he doesn’t know whether the spike in interest will be just that — a trend that will pass once life in urban areas begin to return to normal.

“We’ve had a spike in interest because everybody’s quarantined at home—they’re dreaming from their couches,” he said. “Will that translate into a sale? I don’t know.” [WSJ] – Dennis Lynch