Selling land in Burke County starts with knowing what you own, choosing how to find a buyer and comparing offers. This guide helps you get ready, whether you use an agent, sell on your own or talk with a land buyer.
Tell us about your land. There’s no obligation to accept an offer.
You don’t need to know every answer today. These steps will help you move from thinking about selling to choosing an offer.
Start with a recent tax bill or deed. Write down the location, about how many acres you own and the names on the deed. Note how you reach the land and whether anyone else uses it.
Look at similar land that has sold nearby. Compare size, road access and what buyers can use it for. A large farm and a small wooded lot may draw different buyers. Asking prices can help you see the competition, but sold prices tell you more about what buyers paid.
You can list with a land agent, sell it yourself or ask a land buyer for a direct offer. Compare the price along with fees, timing and the buyer’s right to cancel. The highest price may not leave you with the most money.
Once you agree on the terms, the closing attorney checks ownership and prepares the signing papers. Closing is the final step when the land changes hands and you receive the money due to you. Ask what you need to bring and how you’ll be paid.
If you’d like to include a direct offer in your comparison, tell Reelvest about your land. There’s no obligation to accept.
Gather what you already have. These papers help you write a listing, answer buyer questions and get ready for closing.
Start with what you have. Before paying for a new survey or other work, ask your agent or closing attorney whether it’s needed for your sale.
Start with the details you already know. Write down the answers you know before listing it or speaking with buyers:
It’s okay if you don’t know every answer. Say what you know and what still needs checking. If a buyer asks whether they can build, share any records you have. Don’t promise that a home or other project will be approved.
Get these answers in writing:
For example, a $30,000 offer minus $2,000 in costs leaves $28,000 before any loan or tax balance. This is just an example. Ask for the numbers for your sale.
Use our offer worksheet if you’re comparing buyers. You can compare a direct offer with listing the land through an agent or selling it yourself.
If you’ve lost the tax bill, start with the Burke County Tax Commissioner’s website. It has a property-tax search and payment link. Save the land ID and a copy of the bill. For questions about what you owe, call 706-554-3223. Ask for the balance for the land you plan to sell, rather than guessing from last year’s bill.
For the land’s county record or acres, the same site links to the Burke County property records and lists the assessor’s number as 706-554-2607. The assessor keeps the county’s property information. The tax office handles bills and payments. Those are two different jobs.
For help finding a recorded deed, contact the Burke County Clerk of Court at 706-554-2279. Have the owner name and any old deed details handy. A deed is the paper that records a transfer of ownership. You don’t need to order every record before speaking with a buyer; ask the closing attorney which copies are needed.
Write a short, honest description of what you own. Say how a buyer reaches the land, roughly how much is open or wooded, and whether anyone uses it now. A field used by a farmer or woods used for hunting may come with an agreement. Save a copy and ask when that use ends. Don’t promise the buyer an empty property before checking.
Keep things on the land separate from things in the sale. For example, if you want to keep a gate or stored equipment, put that in writing before accepting an offer. If you have old timber-sale papers, share them with the closing attorney so the sale doesn’t promise trees or rights you no longer own. These are questions to check when they apply, not extra work every seller must do.
No. Start with a recent tax bill, the location and what you know. You can gather missing papers while deciding how to sell. Ask the person handling the closing which documents your sale needs.
Use the land’s identifying number from your tax bill and a map pin. Include the nearest road so buyers can find the right piece of land.
You may be able to, but first check whose name is on the deed and who has the right to sign. If you’re handling land after a loss, take it one step at a time. A closing attorney or an attorney who helps families settle estates can explain which papers are needed.
Ask for the current amounts owed. Before accepting an offer, find out how those balances will be paid and how much money you’ll keep.
Explain how you reach it now. If you use a neighbor’s land, look for any written agreement you have. Buyers will want to understand access, and limited access can affect the price.
Finding a buyer can take time. After you agree on an offer, the sale still needs ownership checks and signed papers. Ask for a clear timeline and find out what could delay it.
Yes. Tell us about your land to ask about a cash offer. There’s no obligation to accept. Compare the money you’ll keep, costs, timing and terms with your other options.
The Tax Commissioner handles property-tax bills and payments. Its site links to tax searches. For the county’s parcel record or acres, start with the assessor. For a missing recorded deed, ask the Clerk of Court.
For a longer list of papers, see our seller document checklist.