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About Sterling Land Company

SLC List with Us

At your request we would do an onsite inspection of your property. Then we would gather data from several sources including-Soil Maps, Aerial Photos, FSA data, Property Tax data, recent sales of comparable land And an inventory of other similar property that may be for sale in the area. We would make recommendations to you as to pricing and method of sale.

Upon receiving your authorization we would hire our FAA approved Aerial Photography service For drone video footage with professional voice-over. And of course add this to our marketing brochures.

SLC Buy from US

We are happy to act as your buyers agent. We do our best to stay current with farm Properties that may be for sale in your targeted area. With over 44 years in the Business we have developed a tremendous network of Real Estate Land Brokers, Agricultural Lenders, Attorneys and most importantly farmers and investors.

1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

1999

Forming Sterling Land Company

Brokers Monte Van Kooten and James Anderson formed Sterling Land Company as a real estate firm to be devoted exclusively to Illinois Farmland Sales. First sale ever was 92 acres in Carroll County-Sold for a grand total of $1,844/Acre. We sold a total of 26 farms that first year including 5 farms in Champaign County and 7 in Carroll County. Back in those days you could buy some of the best Illinois farmland for $3,000 to $3,500 per Acre.

2000

Strong Year for Land Sales

Another strong year for SLC farm sales. 30 farms totaling 4,500 acres were sold in 2000. Highest priced farm-120 acres in Lee County sold for $4,193/Acre.

2001

32 Farms Sold

32 farms sold -over 4,100 acres. Notable sales included 520 acres near Mt. Carroll. We were also hired by University of Illinois Foundation to sell 2 farms in Lee County.

2002

Whiteside County Farm Land Sale

-Sold the “Bowles” farm in Carroll County-497 acres for $3,569/Acre. Almost the exact same price Van Kooten sold this farm for back in 1981. Within 10 years this farm would likely have brought up to or even more than $12,000/Acre.

Also sold the “Wilder” farm in Whiteside County-1,450 total acres sold for $2,750/Acre. Seller was real estate mogul Maurice Wilder who amassed some 100,000 total acres in several states.

2003

37 Farms Sold in Multiple Counties

37 farms sold for nearly $20,000,000-13 in Lee County, 9 in Bureau County, 8 in Whiteside. And a Class A 856 acre farm in McDonough for $3,811/Acre.

2004

26 Farms in 6 Different Counties

When I was 49 it was a very good year for Illinois farmland sales. We sold some 26 farms in 6 different counties. The best farmland in the world could still be found for well under $5,000/Acre.

2005

647 Acre Farm Sold!

Sold an excellent 647 acre farm in Christian/Macon Counties for $4,174. Most likely worth up to $12,000/Acre by now. Also sold the “Wilder” farm for the 2nd time in 3 years. 1,450 acres sold for $4,250/Acre after bringing $2,750 just 3 years prior.

2006

Beautiful Farm land in Carrol County

Sold the “Behr” farm in Carroll County-994 acres @$3,320/Acre. Also an excellent 430 acre farm (Productivity Index-140) in Bureau County that came in at $5,291/Acre..

2007

Beautiful Farm land in Carrol County

Sold the “Behr” farm in Carroll County-994 acres @$3,320/Acre. Also an excellent 430 acre farm (Productivity Index-140) in Bureau County that came in at $5,291/Acre..

2008

18 Illinois Farms Sold

18 Illinois farms sold in 6 separate counties. About 2,900 acres total.

2009

Largest Land Sale in Winnebago County

One of the largest land sales ever in Winnebago County, we sold the “Wecker” farm consisting of 1,427 total acres.

2010

22 Farms Sold

22 farms sold. Illinois farmland hits $7,000 plus per acre.

2011

Our First Ever Land Report

September 22, 2011-We sent out our first ever “Sterling Land Company Land Report” to some 75 recipients. Now in its 7th year we have never missed a month and it is read by over 1,400 online readers in the agricultural industry, including farmers, investors, attorneys and bankers.

2012

Resounding Success

Farmers National Bank as Trustee hired us to sell our first ever farm at public auction. To say it was a resounding success would actually be an understatement. December 3, 2012-The “Oetzel” farm-660 acres sold in 6 parcels for an average of $13,565/Acre.

2013

Exclusive Agent for 841 Acres

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois selected Sterling Land Company to be their exclusive agent for the sale of 841 acres the Foundation had received through a bequest given by Dr. Louis and Violet Rubin. Average price for the 4 farms was just under $12,500/Acre.

2014

Large Class A Farm Sold in Dekalb County

Notable Sales for the year included 332 acres in DeKalb County near Genoa sold for $12,500/Acre and a 205 acre tract in Piatt County that sold for $11,500/Acre.

2015

16 Successful Years

Co-Owner and Co-Founder of Sterling Land Company James Anderson decided to start his own firm-Anderson Land Company-after 16 highly successful years with SLC.

2016

Aerial Video Footage for Marketing Farm Land

Bit of an off year for us, just 5 farms sold-including the “Long Lane” farm in Putnam County-330 acres. We did manage to go on a 10 day hiking trip to Machu Picchu though. We also engaged the services of Drew Wilkens with Uneek Perspective, Inc. for the first time to utilize his Drone/Aerial technology for marketing purposes.

2017

Leaf River Ranch SOLD!

Sterling Land Company once again in collaboration with Auctioneer Gordon Stade managed a highly successful public auction. June 20, 2017- The “Leaf River Ranch” 1,412 total acres-Ogle County-sold for $7,539,000 well above Pre-Auction estimates.

LAND BROKER ILLINOIS

Monte Van Kooten

Monte Van Kooten

Managing Broker

815-718-2244
agent5841@gmail.com

Monte Van Kooten, owner of Sterling Land Company, has served as the company’s managing broker since its inception in 1999. Starting his career in real estate in 1980, Mr. Van Kooten has developed an excellent reputation as a fair­-minded business associate who provides straight and honest answers.

In addition to his work as a managing broker, Monte shares his expertise and knowledge by writing and publishing the Sterling Land Company Land Report, a popular semi­-monthly report that provides readers with insights on the latest land sales and real estate trends in Illinois.

As a member of the Realtors Land Institute-a global network of land professionals and The Chicago Farmers, a non­-profit organization dedicated to providing “a forum for education and an exchange of information between member and others allied in agribusiness,” Monte has the unique ability to understand and overcome the challenges that buyers and sellers of land in Illinois face.

When not actively engaging in land deals, you can find Monte, who is also an Instrument Rated Pilot flying over picturesque, Illinois farm properties or enjoying a few rounds of golf during the summer months.

Monte currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Chapter
of the Realtors Land Institute as well as the Board of Directors for
the Whiteside County Airport.

Dan Cribben

Dan Cribben

Broker and Appraiser

815-786-3311
dgcribben@yahoo.com

Dan has been with Sterling Land Company since 2002. He has held an Illinois Real Estate license since 1989.
Dan also does extensive farm real estate work throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. He is an accredited member of the American and Illinois Society of Farm Managers and Appraisers.

Dan also serves on the DeKalb County Board and Tax Assessment Board of Review.

Some of his recent appraisal clients include-
John Hancock Life Insurance Company
Natural Land Institute
Monsanto
Castle Bank
The University of Illinois
Premier Farm Properties
American National Bank of DeKalb County

Dan lives outside of Somonauk and runs his own small cattle farm in DeKalb County.

Jon Windstrup

Jon Windstrup

Broker

815-440-2679
jonhwind@yahoo.com

At a young age, Jon would travel to small towns throughout the state to help with the family race car. Visiting the tracks in towns like: La Salle, Morris, Farmer City, Fairbury, Macon, Kankakee, Sycamore, Canton and others, would involve cruising through some of the best farmland in the world. A desire to live on a farm grew from observations made on these trips.

A member of the Sterling Land Company Sales team since 2002, Jon was first a client before becoming an employee. After purchasing land listed with Sterling Land Company, Jon became intrigued with the land market and secured his real estate license to become part of the team.

Although family obligations called him back to the suburbs of Chicago, Jon takes every opportunity to head out to farm country and breath that fresh country air. A unique perspective comes from having personally lived in both the suburbs and out on the farm. This life experience is especially helpful when dealing with fellow suburbanites who have the same dream of owning or living on a farm.

Christian Groenewold

Christian Groenewold

Broker

815-990-1398
groenewold.christian357@gmail.com

Growing up in rural northwest Illinois, Christian was surrounded by farmland and quickly came to appreciate its importance as an asset to both create and preserve generational wealth. Christian comes from an agricultural background and holds a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is attending the University of Wisconsin’s law school.

Christian has worked on engineering projects across Illinois as well as in Philadelphia and New York City. He also has experience in mitigation banking, helping to implement one of the largest environmental restoration projects in the state. Christian understands the technical aspects of Midwest agriculture and what makes a good farmland property.

When not studying or working, Christian enjoys hunting whitetail deer in the winter and playing golf in the summer.

Ian Legner

Ian Legner

Broker

815-503-4271
legner.sterlinglandcompany@gmail.com

Ian’s passion for agriculture started as a young kid growing up on his grandparents farm outside of Princeton, IL. To this day, most of his weekends are spent working, hunting, and fishing there. Since then, he has earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in Agricultural and Consumer Economics.

Along with real estate brokerage, Ian has his Series 7, Series 66, and is a financial advisor in Princeton. He understands the value land adds and the necessity to diversify one’s assets. It is Ian’s mission to understand each client’s unique story and help them strive towards their personal goals.

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