Case Study - Vacant Land
5 acres with no utilities, 2 years on market - sold for $85,000 cash.
Thomas purchased 5 acres of raw land in western Brevard County in 2016 for $65,000. His plan was to build a custom home and small hobby farm. Life changed - he relocated to Georgia for work and the building plan was indefinitely shelved. The land sat vacant for years.
The parcel was zoned agricultural, located on a dirt road approximately 4 miles from the nearest paved road. There were no utilities on site - no water, no sewer, no electric. Well and septic would be required for any development. The county had no plans to extend utilities to the area.
Thomas listed the land with a local agent for $120,000. After two years, he had received one lowball offer of $45,000 which he rejected. Vacant land is notoriously difficult to sell through traditional channels. There is no MLS category that gets strong buyer traffic for raw acreage. Most retail buyers want move-in ready homes, not land that requires $40,000 to $60,000 in site development before a single wall goes up.
Meanwhile, Thomas was paying $4,200 per year in property taxes on land generating zero income. Over the two years on market, he had spent $8,400 in taxes alone, plus the agent's marketing costs. He was also paying $600 per year for liability insurance on the vacant parcel. The land was becoming a financial drain with no end in sight.
Thomas considered letting the taxes lapse and allowing a tax deed sale, but his accountant warned that the tax sale would likely generate less than his basis and create a complicated tax situation.
We purchase vacant land across Florida, including parcels without utilities. Our team evaluated the property based on comparable land sales, development potential, road access, zoning, and proximity to growth corridors. Brevard County's western expansion made this parcel more attractive than its current listing history suggested.
We presented Thomas with a cash offer of $85,000. While below his original asking price, the offer represented a $20,000 gain over his purchase price and immediately eliminated the annual tax and insurance burden. We also covered all closing costs.
Thomas accepted. Because land transactions have simpler title requirements than improved property, we closed in 16 days.
Thomas eliminated the ongoing financial drain, realized a profit on his original investment, and freed up mental bandwidth to focus on his career in Georgia. The land had been an anchor for years - selling it for cash gave him closure.
"Two years with an agent and one terrible offer. OneCashOffer made a fair offer in 24 hours and closed in 16 days. I should have started there." - Thomas