If you are thinking about investing in farmland, one of the significant considerations is determining how long you should be prepared to hold the farm. Generally speaking, investments in real estate, whether commercial, residential or farmland, are illiquid. Real estate investors should frequently be prepared to hold their investments for as many as 5 to 10 years. Optimally, one would want to plan to hold an investment long enough to be in a position to recoup their acquisition price, operating costs (e.g., property taxes, insurance, repair and maintenance) and estimated exit costs (such as commissions, legal, accounting, title and other closing costs) through property cash flows and to benefit from appreciation in the value of the property over the hold period.