My ancestors came to the U.S. from Germany in the 1800s and eventually settled in Colorado, where they staked their claim under The Homestead Act of 1862.
That law granted 160 acres to anyone willing to live on the land, build a home, and farm it for five years. It was a chance for people who had nothing to build something of their own — to literally create a life from the ground up.
But it wasn’t easy. More than 60% of all Homestead Act claims were eventually abandoned. Settlers faced brutal isolation and extreme weather — tornadoes, droughts, floods — and pests that devoured entire crops. The work was backbreaking, and the risk constant.
Today, our family still owns seven sections of farmland. For those who don’t know, a “section” is a mile by a mile.
When I was an adult visiting my grandmother at what we called “The Homeplace,” her directions always made me laugh — and panic a little. She’d say, “Get off the highway and drive ten miles north on the odometer, then four miles east, then two miles west, etc.” And sure enough, after what felt like an eternity of endless prairie — flat, open, and empty as far as the eye could see — you’d find the house. You definitely didn’t want to get lost out there.
My grandfather was once featured on the cover of a magazine for having one of the first air-conditioned combines — a big deal at the time. The original adobe homestead — built by hand and added onto over generations — still stands and is still lived in by family.
Even though I grew up in La Jolla, I spent many summers on that farm during harvest — peeling what felt like a thousand pounds of potatoes for the hired hands and harvest dinners. There was a bunkhouse, barns, outbuildings, and even a hangar for my grandfather’s plane — complete with his own landing strip. That’s my grandfather in the picture. My mom and both my uncles were private pilots too. When you live in the middle of nowhere, flying meant freedom.
The Homestead Act remained in place for more than 120 years — until 1976 in the lower states and 1986 in Alaska. And while the days of staking claims are long gone, its spirit still lives on. Today, we have the homestead exemption, which protects homeowners and their equity — proof that “home” is still at the heart of the American dream.
President Lincoln said it best:
“The purpose of America’s government is to give everyone an unfettered start and a fair chance in the race of life.”
Whether it’s 160 acres of wheat or a condo in California — home is more than a place. It’s legacy, it’s safety, it’s freedom, and it’s hope for whatever comes next.
And in real estate, we have an honorable role in that — helping people find home.