What Is The Best Way To Find Land And Acreage Directly From Sellers?

Land and acreage isn’t only sold through conventional means. Sales happen every day where land is never advertised by realtors, yet someone managed to get the perfect parcel of land that you would have loved to own.

There is a lot of land for sale.

But, most people don’t know where to find the best land for their needs. There is also a major concern: price. When you can find land for sale by the actual seller, you’ll save a lot of money and won’t have to deal with pesky real estate agents trying to sell you on a different property.

Look Through Classified Ads

You can look through classified ads to find sellers. You know, those ads that everyone seemingly ignores in the newspapers? Those are the same ads where you’ll find people selling their own land to others.

Online classified ads are also ripe for the picking. A few outlets to consider are:

* Local papers

* County papers

* City websites (some have classified ads)

You’ll be surprised by how many people are actually selling land in your area.

Put Out Your Own Ads

You read that correctly. Sometimes, people remain on their empty plots of land because they don’t want to go through the hassle of advertising their land. And, a lot of people don’t want to deal with real estate agents that will take a hefty commission when selling.

And for you, it’s better to buy directly from a seller.

Why? The prices are lower and getting financing from a bank is difficult because there is no structure on the property. It’s a major risk for lenders when providing funding for land, so you must find other means of purchasing whether that be personal funding or seller financing.

It’s all about spreading the word that you’re on the lookout for land and want to buy something now. There are a few parameters that need to be listed to make your life a little easier:

* How big must the lot be for you to consider buying it?

* What towns, counties or states are you interested in buying land?

* What features must already exist on the land?

- Lakes or ponds
- Trees or cleared
- Utility connections

* Type of land:

- Residential
- Commercial
- Hunting

If you’re really brave, you can list the amount of money you’re willing to spend on a lot. The more details you provide, the more refined offers you’ll receive.

It’s important to advertise where people will see it. This includes:

* Newspapers

* Billboards

* Online classifieds

You want to get the word out that you’re looking to buy land. And, if enough people hear about a potential buyer, you’ll be surprised how many people are willing to sell their acreage to you. It’s the perfect scenario, but there are upfront expenditures involved to find the right property.

Land Sale Outlets and Property Portals

Unless you’re looking for them, you won’t know that there are many websites and companies that deal specifically with FSBO (for sale by owner) properties. These companies are niche companies that will act as an online classified site. Land Century however provides multiple FSBO land properties, and is a great mean of finding lots of acreage and land for buying. The good news is that sometimes the seller pays a fee to sell the land, and they may even offer seller financing.

As a buyer, you’ll be able to find a lot of great opportunities where land will be sold well below the market value from eager sellers that need the money for another venture. Also, you’ll find a slew of properties with many sellers willing to sell the land to you through a financing structure.

Contact Land Owners Directly

This is an option that only works where you know the area and want a specific parcel of land. Contacting owners directly can lead to an acquisition, but this must be done properly. A letter in the mail or a direct correspondence with the owner is the best option. Simply state that you’re interested in buying their land and are wondering if they’re interested in selling.

Buyers that have cash-in-hand are far more likely to have an owner sell their land than a person that doesn’t have the financing in place yet.

Government Land Sales

How do you feel about buying land from the government? The best part is that you’ll deal with an entity that doesn’t have tax liens or unlisted issues with the property. There are a few ways that you can go about buying land from the government:

* Surplus Sales: The government has a lot of land that it’s willing to sell. You’ll find land that has restrictions, such as properties in or near national forests, and land that has been forfeited to the government for various reasons.

* Auctions: The government, and many owners themselves, will have property that goes into auction. This occurs when the owner either doesn’t know what price they want for the property, or the previous owner’s land was repossessed by the government and is being sold off.

You’ll also find that the government sells estate items and several other items that may be perfect for your property.

Several government portals, such as GovSales.gov, exist and will have land for sale. If you want to go a step further, you can contact banks to find out if they have any properties for sale. Many banks will have borrowers that default on their loans and will sell the property for dirt cheap.

While banks are less likely to have pure acreage for sale, you may get lucky. Or, you may find a small structure or home on the property that has little value and the real value is tied into the land.

Buying land and acreage is a dream for a lot of Americans. Owning a parcel of land allows you to build your dream home, pass property down to your family, or simply have land for hunting or as an investment. With property prices rising across the country, many people are investing in land as a long-term investment. In the right cities, this can be a very lucrative undertaking.