The four questions that set land value

Buyers who have done this before ask these four questions first. If you do not know the answers, that is fine — it is part of what we look into.

  • Access: is there legal, recorded access to a public road, or only a driveway across a neighbour's land? A landlocked parcel with no recorded easement is a serious defect.
  • Utilities: are water, sewer, electricity, and gas at the property line, or thousands of dollars away? An extension can cost more than the lot.
  • Zoning and permitted use: what can actually be built, how many units, and what setbacks, minimum lot size, and overlay rules apply?
  • Septic feasibility: with no sewer, the site needs to pass a soil evaluation. A failed perc test can make a lot unbuildable.

Land we buy

  • Single infill lots in established neighbourhoods
  • Acreage and rural parcels, wooded or cleared
  • Landlocked parcels and lots with access problems
  • Tax-delinquent lots, including ones facing a tax sale
  • Lots inherited years ago and never used
  • Land bought as an investment that never got built on
  • Parcels in floodplains, wetlands, or with environmental constraints
  • Teardown lots with a derelict structure still standing

Title is where land deals go wrong

Land carries more title risk than improved property, because nobody has been living on it to notice problems. Old unreleased liens, boundary discrepancies, encroachments, unrecorded easements, mineral estate severance, and heirship gaps from a death decades ago are all common.

A survey and a title search resolve most of it. Where a parcel has been in a family for generations without probate, clearing title is usually the longest step and worth starting before you look for a buyer.

Delinquent taxes on land

Vacant land is the property type most often lost to tax sales, because there is no mortgage servicer escrowing the taxes and no occupant noticing the mail. Delinquent taxes do not prevent a sale — they are identified in the title search and paid from the closing proceeds.

If a tax sale or tax foreclosure has already been scheduled, the timeline is the constraint. Send us the date and the county.

Frequently asked questions

Do you buy land with no road access?

Yes, though it affects value significantly. Tell us what access exists and whether any easement is recorded.

Will you buy a lot with delinquent taxes?

Yes. The amount owed is paid from the closing proceeds.

Do I need a survey first?

Not to talk to us. A survey is often needed to close, and we can work through that.

Do you buy land in a floodplain or wetland?

Yes. Constraints affect the number rather than our willingness.

My family has owned this land for generations and nothing was ever probated. Can I sell?

Possibly, but title has to be cleared first. Start there — it is usually the longest part.