How to find land for sale by owner (that isn't on Zillow)
Most land never reaches a listing site. A farmer sells the back forty to a neighbor, heirs sell grandpa's lot to the first person who asks, a county auctions off tax-forfeited parcels to whoever shows up. If you only search Zillow, you see what is left after all of that.
Here is where by-owner land actually turns up, and how to find the land that is not for sale yet but would be if someone asked.
Where owners post land themselves
- Facebook Marketplace and local buy-sell groups. The biggest source of by-owner land in rural areas. Search Marketplace for "land", "acres" and "lot" in your area, and join the buy-sell-trade groups for each town you care about. Posts there are often one sentence and a blurry photo, which is exactly why good deals sit for days.
- Craigslist. Under real estate, filter to "by owner". Still used heavily by older sellers.
- Zillow and Realtor.com, filtered. Zillow lets you switch the listing type to "By owner & other" and the home type to "Lots/Land". Few owners use it, but the ones who do are serious.
- Land-specific sites. LandWatch, Lands of America and Land.com carry many by-owner listings alongside agent listings.
- Local papers and shoppers. The free weekly shopper in many rural counties still carries land classifieds that never appear online.
- Signs on the road. A hand-painted "Land for sale by owner" sign with a phone number is still common. Drive the back roads in the area you want.
Land sold by counties and the state
When property taxes go unpaid long enough, the county in many states takes the land and sells it, usually at a public auction or as a list of parcels for sale. Counties and state agencies also sell surplus land they no longer need. Check the county treasurer's or land department's page for "tax-forfeited land", "tax deed sale" or "surplus property", and ask to be put on the mailing list for the next sale.
Rules differ a lot by state: some states sell the land itself, others sell a lien on it. Read the county's terms before you bid.
The best land is not for sale yet
Plenty of owners would sell if someone asked: heirs who live three states away, someone who bought a lot decades ago for a house they never built, the owner of an old home site where the house burned down. They are not going to list it. You have to find them.
That is what county records are for. Parcel maps, owner names, mailing addresses and tax status are public in most counties, and they show you exactly which parcels fit those descriptions. Here is how to read them. Once you have a short list, a short, honest letter to each owner is the most reliable way to start a conversation. Here is how to write one, with a template.
Before you buy land without an agent
A by-owner sale skips the agent, not the homework. Before you hand over money:
- Confirm the seller owns it. The deed at the county register of deeds should name them. Heirs may need to finish probate before they can sell.
- Confirm legal access. Road frontage, or a recorded easement. A parcel you can only reach across a neighbor's field is worth much less.
- Check zoning. Minimum lot size, whether you can build a home, and setbacks from water and roads. The county or town zoning office will tell you.
- Check the soil if you need a septic system. A soil test (often called a perc test) tells you whether a septic system is possible, and what kind. Make your offer contingent on it.
- Look for wetlands and flood zones. The FEMA flood map and your state's wetland map are free online.
- Use a title company or a real estate attorney to close. They search for liens and back taxes, and title insurance protects you if they miss something. It costs little next to the land.