Tyler Davis sits down with land advisor and career forester Mike Matre to discuss a complex Georgia land transaction he brokered earlier this year. The conversation centers on the California Woods property in Stewart County, 1,443 acres of rugged, remote terrain featuring dramatic vistas, strong hunting opportunity, and landscapes influenced by past timber activity and long-term ownership. Mike walks listeners through the full arc of the sale, from the property’s unique topography and off-grid nature to how those characteristics required a very targeted approach to the market.

The episode explores how an early offer from a neighboring TIMO (Timberland Investment Management Organization) led to a strategic pivot, ultimately dividing the remaining acreage into four smaller parcels and significantly increasing demand. Mike shares lessons on on-the-ground due diligence, effective marketing for rural properties, pricing strategy, and navigating today’s Georgia timber market, including the impact of recent mill closures and continued demand for recreational land.

Learn more at SaundersRealEstate.com.

This episode features recorded sessions from the 2025 Lay of the Land® Conference, held in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The discussions bring together experts in agriculture, forestry, and land investment to examine the trends shaping Arkansas’s land economy today.

Topics included challenges facing farm and cropland producers amid rising input costs and tighter lending conditions, the outlook for timber markets and forest management, and implications from the Farm Bill. Each panel offers practical insight into how landowners and investors can adapt in a changing environment. Speakers also share perspectives on long-term land value, sustainable practices, and verified real estate sales data from across the state.

Chapters
(00:00:20) Current Trends and Challenges in Arkansas Agriculture
(01:01:27) Arkansas’s Forestry Outlook
(01:53:39) Kyle Cunningham, State Forester
(02:36:47) Lay of the Land Market Update

Recorded live in Thomasville, this special episode features a collection of panel discussions from the 2025 Lay of the Land® Georgia Conference. This annual event focuses on empowering landowners, investors, and industry professionals with clear, data-backed insight into the state's evolving land market.

This year's Georgia land conference hosted a lineup of experts discussing timber pricing trends, recreational and transitional land activity, agricultural challenges, conservation strategies, and tax policy updates. In this episode, you’ll hear key takeaways from each panel, including verified land sales data drawn from the Lay of the Land® Market Report and firsthand insights from the very advisors tracking deals and trends across the state. From estate planning strategies to seedling selection in forestry, this episode offers a comprehensive, boots-on-the-ground view of the forces shaping land values and investment potential across Georgia.

Request an invite for next year's conference at LayOfTheLandConference.com.

Chapters
(00:02:26) Managing Timber for Recreational Value & A Changing Pulpwood Market
(00:53:53) Tax Reform & Estate Planning • Opportunities & Strategies
(01:28:09) Georgia Agriculture • Trends, Challenges, and the Road Ahead
(02:17:18) Lay of the Land Market Update