Incidence of absent landlords has little effect on ag real estate values, research shows

The role of absent landlords—who live long distances from the land they rent out to farm or ranch operators—has captured the interest of policymakers and academics seeking to understand their role in farmland management and other aspects of local economies and resource management. In response to a congressional request, USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS) researchers studied how longer distance-landlords affect the economic health of U.S. agricultural production. Looking into the association between landlord absenteeism and agricultural real estate markets, researchers found a greater prevalence of absent landlords in counties and states with lower rents and land values. At the same time, they found no association between absent landlords and recent changes in rents or land values. Read more at USDA Economic Research Service Amber Waves…