Nancy "Trey" Anderson

The buyer's specific needs dictate the search. How many horses you have determines the required acreage, and whether you have show horses, racehorses or pleasure horses determines the barn facilities you'll want — typically amenities like a wash rack, tack room and hay storage. Buyers almost always prioritize the horses' needs over the house itself.

Pleasure horses spend more time outside and may only need run-in sheds, but they require larger pastures. Professional sport horses need safe, secure paddocks with board fencing; those paddocks are usually smaller because the horses are turned out individually for limited times. Racehorse owners may need a property with a track for breaking and training, while dressage and barrel-racing horses require rings with proper footing.

As a former Thoroughbred trainer and breeder, I know suitability comes down to functional layout. I needed enough pasture to offer proper turnout for mares and foals, but also distinct, smaller paddocks for horses in training, along with a track or field suitable for legging up young horses. It's the arrangement and function of the land — not just the acreage — that makes a property work.

Ideally, the fields are mowed, the fences are intact and the barn is well maintained. I recently saw a barn that had to be burned as a result of termites invading — and it almost cost the sale. The condition of the working parts of the property matters just as much as the house.

Working with horse owners taught me how to deliver good and bad news to clients — diplomacy and tact are a must, but honesty and candor are my best assets.

Running a breeding and racing facility taught me all the nuances of multi-building properties. There is never just one thing to worry about, but for me it was always putting the horses first. With one glance at a barn, I can immediately assess its functionality and condition: Is there enough electricity? A bathroom in the barn? Where's the septic on that? I'm a horse-farm property detective.

Older and historic homes can have problems with old, uninsurable or deteriorating pipes, shifting soil, or rotting wood that can cause piers to sink or lean out of plumb. Damp conditions can compromise beams and joists, so a knowledgeable professional should inspect all of the home with particular attention to the foundation.

That said, older homes have incredible character. Coming from New England originally, I've lived in homes built as far back as 1789. In the McIntosh and Micanopy areas, homes can be up to 150 years old. Their beauty comes from old heart-pine floors, wavy glass in tall windows, and original heart-pine or bald-cypress clapboard siding that still holds up. The outdoor charm comes from the wraparound porches and established landscaping.

You may have to look outside the area, in other small towns, for comparable homes with similar size, age and unique qualities. It isn't an easy feat, so you want to use a Realtor with knowledge and experience of unique or rural homes. I can help you with that.

I always suggest having the septic emptied and any repairs to it or the drainfield corrected, with a dated invoice from your contractor to share with buyers. It's also important to conduct a preemptive home inspection to avoid surprises — especially a four-point inspection, which will help determine whether the roof, HVAC, plumbing and electrical will cause any issues for the new buyer's insurance.

It's best to correct those before listing, or have a plan to correct them before closing with an appropriate offer. With many rural homes, I'll also help you make sure there are no open permits for work that may have been done, so you're aware of possible issues ahead of time.

There are many, but the most common are roofs with no permits, foundation beams splitting, termites, and a lack of proper insulation — or none at all. These are exactly the kinds of things I watch for early.

The rural lifestyle is a major reason, as is its location equidistant from Ocala and Gainesville. That easy access to Gainesville from the south beats snarled traffic when traveling east to west in town. The downtown area has some of the best antique stores and cafés, and they host a wonderful festival every year.

Two of the absolute best food spots are right off 441 in Micanopy: Pearl Country Store & Barbeque is located at a gas station but cooks the best BBQ in North Central Florida, and the original Blue Highway Pizza is always a great lunch spot for their pizza and the local-favorite Micanopy Tossed Salad. Everyone is so friendly — and you have access to one of the best bass-fishing lakes in the country, Orange Lake.

McIntosh offers a community-oriented lifestyle, with a park, tennis courts and a community center right in town at Van Ness Park. It's a quaint, old Victorian-style town that values its trees and history, and it hosts a magnificent annual 1890s Festival. Orange Lake provides some of the best black crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish and largemouth bass fishing in the country.

The major differences are well and septic. In town you have city water, but in more rural areas you'll be on a well — so when you lose power during a storm, you won't have the convenience of city water. But it's a lifestyle of living on more land, with space to stretch out, explore and have more animals or farming ability. You get privacy, no HOA and a multitude of other advantages that often outweigh any disadvantages of convenience compared with living inside a city.

My community is LGBTQ, and they're important to me as I am to them. There's nothing more rewarding than finding that perfect home for folks who just want to house-hunt — not explain who they are and what they may need. Community is family, and that's how we treat each other.