You can start selling with a tax bill, the land’s location and a few notes about what comes with it. Gather what you have, compare prices and decide whether to use an agent, sell yourself or ask for a direct offer. You don’t need every answer on day one.
Tell us about your land. There’s no obligation to accept an offer.
Start with what you know. These steps will help you get ready and choose the way to sell that fits you.
Find a tax bill, deed or old survey. Write down the parcel number, acres if known and township. A parcel number is the county’s number for a piece of land. The mailing address on a tax bill may be where an owner lives, rather than the land’s location.
List each piece you want to sell. Say which land or items you want to keep. A cabin, shed, well or several lots can change what an offer covers.
Think about your goals. Do you want help finding buyers, less work or more time to compare offers? You can begin without every paper or a firm price.
Start with a land number from your papers, the township and nearest road. Don’t borrow a neighbor’s address for an empty lot.
The county’s Equalization office page links to its parcel map and information. Equalization is the county office that helps with property tax records. The same page has an Assessor List by Township, which can help you find the right local contact.
For help locating a record, call 231-258-3340. Have your papers handy. The county lists 605 North Birch Street in Kalkaska. Its page lists in-person office days as Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, with virtual service on Tuesday and Friday. Call before making a trip.
Use the record to help identify the right piece. A map is a general guide, not a survey or proof of a right to use a shared road. If the map and your deed disagree, ask the office and the person helping with closing.
Gather the deed, tax bills, survey and loan details you have. Add any lease or written road agreement. A survey is a measured drawing of the boundaries. You can make a missing-paper list without buying every possible record first.
The Kalkaska County Register of Deeds links homeowners to online records from May 20, 1992 to the present. If your purchase was earlier, an empty online result does not mean there is no deed.
Call 231-258-3315 for help with a deed copy or older records. Have the names, approximate purchase year and any book and page or document number ready. Ask which copy you need, how to get it and what it costs. The office lists 605 North Birch Street in Kalkaska.
A deed copy is different from a full check of ownership and loans. If you’re handling inherited land or helping settle a loved one’s estate, start with the papers you have. Ask a title company or real estate attorney who needs to sign and what else is needed.
Keep private family and loan papers out of your public listing. Our land seller document checklist can help you sort what is handy and what is missing.
Write a few notes about the land, then add dated photos you already have. Stick to things you know. Mark questions that still need an answer.
For wooded acreage, explain the entrance and route farther in. Note a locked gate, shared drive or rough stretch. If you know the route is hard to use at certain times of year, say so.
For a lot with a cabin, list the cabin and other included items separately. Tell the buyer which water or power connections work now. A nearby line is different from a connection serving the land.
If your land touches water, describe what you know about the shore and how you reach it. Don’t promise a dock, building site or use you haven’t checked. If it doesn’t touch water, don’t let a nearby lake name make the ad unclear.
You do not need to design a buyer’s home before selling. A clear description of the land, papers and unanswered questions is a useful start.
Ask a local land agent or appraiser for recent completed sales a buyer might compare with your land. Ask how the final prices were checked and what help costs.
Compare acreage, road access, ground and buildings. A cabin lot and empty wooded acreage need different matches. If land has water frontage, compare the actual frontage and access, not just a nearby place name.
Keep each full price, date, acres and included items together. A sale of several pieces is one whole deal. Don’t use its entire price as the value of one lot.
An ad shows an asking price. A tax record shows a value used for taxes. Neither is proof of a completed sale price. If good matches are scarce, ask for a range and why the examples differ. Our land value guide has more pricing tips.
List with an agent: An agent can help with the price, ad, visits and offers. Ask about the fee, listing length and experience with land like yours.
Sell yourself: You manage the listing, calls, visits and offers. Decide who will help with the agreement and final papers.
Ask for a direct offer: You can compare a buyer’s offer with your other choices. Read the terms and money you keep, then decide whether it fits. You’re free to decline.
If you live far away, ask who will arrange visits and unlock any gate. Explain the permitted route onto the land before someone goes. Start with papers and photos at home if a trip is difficult.
Get each offer in writing. Make sure it covers the right land and included items. Ask who pays closing costs, any agent fee and other charges. Ask how a loan or unpaid taxes would be handled.
Have the person handling closing estimate the money you would keep. A higher offer with more costs may leave you with less money. Our land offer worksheet helps you compare the details.
Read the target closing date and what allows the buyer to cancel or ask for a lower price. Ask who holds the deposit and what happens to it. Don’t sign a term you don’t understand.
If you want another offer to compare, tell Reelvest about your land. Start with what you know. You decide whether an offer works for you.
Ask who will handle closing, the final steps of the sale. Have the office explain which owners must sign, the land description, costs and money you would receive.
Ask about any missing records early. An old name on a deed or unclear shared road may need help before the sale can finish. You can compare selling choices while those questions are being answered.
Confirm payment instructions with the closing office using a number you already trust. Keep the signed agreement and final papers. For more general steps, read our Michigan land seller guide.
No. Begin with the location, papers and photos you have. Make a missing-paper list while comparing selling choices.
Use a parcel number from a tax bill or deed, the township and nearest road. Ask the county Equalization office for help locating the right record.
Call Equalization at 231-258-3340. Its county page also links to a parcel map and Assessor List by Township.
The Register of Deeds links to online records from May 20, 1992 onward. Call 231-258-3315 for help with older records or a missing copy.
No. Describe whether the land actually touches water and how it is reached. Don’t let a nearby place name stand in for the land’s features.
Gather the papers you have. Ask the title company or real estate attorney who needs to sign and what is missing.
No. Use the steps with an agent, your own buyer or a direct offer. If you want a Reelvest offer to compare, tell us about your land.
Local source links reviewed October 7, 2026.