Mudhole Duck Club sells for $1.2 million at auction

When you have a specialized property to sell in a slow real estate market, broadening your market effort beyond the local area can dramatically improve your results.

That was the case when Albert Burney sold the Mudhole Duck Club in Orrick, Mo., for $1.2 million. This remarkable property had been developed for one specific purpose: to create the best possible environment for hunting ducks and geese.


The owner’s efforts had paid off. The property yielded a harvest of 927 ducks and 574 Canadian geese in 2007 and was featured by hunting legend Jeff Foiles in his new "Fallin' Skys V" video.

But from the outset, we knew we faced a challenge, because there are only so many duck hunters. And there are even fewer individuals in the market for their own duck club.

Fortunately, Albert Burney's auction process makes it possible to take the message to the buyers no matter where they are. In this case, we attracted bidders from 10 states -- Florida, Michigan, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Alabama.