Abstract
Land transactions typically involve a substantial investment of time and money for parties involved in the sale. Because of the size of the investment and infrequency of purchases/sales, significant personal interaction between buyer and seller often results. In this study, farmland sales in 104 of 105 Kansas counties from 1986–2000 were examined to quantify the influence of personal relationships and changes over time. Transactions between related parties resulted in a 43% discount on the per acre sales price. Results indicated that social capital effects have increased over time, with the discount on sales between related parties growing 2% per year. (JEL Q12, Q14)