Start with recent sales of land a buyer would compare with yours. Check the size, location, access and what was included. Hennepin County’s property records and Minnesota’s sale records can help you build a price range without relying on one broad average.
1. Find Your Property ID and Record
Open Hennepin County’s Property Information Search page. It links to searches by address, property ID, addition name and map. An addition name is a name in the land’s legal description—the wording used to identify it in the deed.
The property ID, also called PID, is on a tax or assessment statement. Save it with the acreage and a map. If you own several parcels, keep a separate line for each one. Make sure the land you’re pricing is the same land shown in the record.
The county search includes tax, value and sales information. If you need help finding the record, call 612-348-3011. Have the PID or your old papers handy.
You don’t need every document to start. Gather the tax bill, deed, any old survey and any agreements you already have.
2. Look for Completed Sales of Similar Land
Minnesota’s public real estate sale search is called eCRV. That means Electronic Certificate of Real Estate Value. It is a state sale-record tool.
The search offers county, city or other local area, dates and property-use choices. Choose Hennepin County and a recent date range. The form separates Preliminary from Completed records. Start with Completed when looking for comparison evidence.
It also offers “Only include qualified sales, as recommended by the county.” That can help narrow the results. You still need to check that the land fits yours. A qualified sale of a house isn’t a good vacant-land comparison.
Save each likely sale’s parcel ID, date, amount and included property. If a record is unclear, ask a local land agent or appraiser to review it before using the number.
3. Get Missing Deed Details Without Buying a Subscription
A deed can help show whether a transfer covered one lot or several. The county’s Land Title Records Access page says property owners can request a free electronic copy of their deed and certificate of title. It lists recordsrequest@hennepin.us for that request.
The same page explains recent recording history in the property search. It shows limited recording information from the last five years. That list may be incomplete, so ask the Recorder at 612-348-5139 if you need more help.
RecordEASE has separate public-index and paid-document options. You don’t have to start with a paid subscription just to ask for your own deed. For a full ownership review or a question about who can sign, ask a title company or attorney.
4. Keep Different Kinds of Property Separate
Start with sales in an area buyers would also consider. A small home lot, a larger open tract and a site intended for a business may have very different prices. Don’t use the whole county as one market.
- What sold: Was it vacant land, land with a building, or several parcels together?
- Size and shape: Would a buyer be able to use the lots in much the same way?
- Road access: Can both be legally reached? Share any written access papers you have.
- Services: Are water, sewer or power connected, nearby, or still unknown?
- Usable ground: Does one lot have wet or low areas that change the comparison?
For example, a sale with a house includes more than the land. Dividing that total price by the acres gives a misleading vacant-land price. Likewise, a package price for three lots doesn’t tell you the price of one.
Count a sale once. Check parcel IDs and recorded details before treating different address formats as different properties.
5. Make a Simple Price Sheet
Give each useful sale one line: parcel ID, date, total price, acres and a short note about what was included. Add one similarity and one important difference. Keep current asking prices on a separate sheet.
Price per acre is total price divided by acres. In a made-up example, four vacant acres sold for $160,000. That’s $40,000 per acre. It doesn’t prove a nearby half-acre lot is worth $20,000. Smaller lots and different uses can change what buyers pay.
Use the strongest matches to build a range. If there are too few, ask a land agent or independent appraiser to help. Don’t fill the gaps with unrelated house sales.
The county’s Assessment page says values are set as of January 2 each year. That yearly estimate isn’t a guaranteed offer today. Check whether it includes buildings and which year it describes. Your price discussion should also reflect the land’s current features and relevant completed sales.
6. Choose a Selling Plan and Compare Offers
You can list with a land agent, handle a sale yourself or compare a direct buyer’s offer. Ask an agent for the sales behind their suggested price, a marketing plan and fees. If you sell yourself, plan for calls, visits and help with the contract and closing.
For a direct offer, ask what costs the buyer covers and what could change after their review. For any offer, get the price, conditions, fees and closing date in writing. Compare the money you’d keep after your costs and any balances paid from the sale.
Start with papers and clear photos before spending on clearing or other work. Ask what improvements would matter to likely buyers. You don’t need to solve every question before asking for advice.
If you’re helping settle a loved one’s estate, gather the papers you have and ask the closing professional who needs to sign. Our Hennepin County land selling guide covers more sale steps. If you’d like a direct offer to compare, tell Reelvest about your land. You decide whether it fits.
Questions About Hennepin County Land Value
Is my tax value the right asking price?
It’s useful background, but not a guaranteed sale price. Check the year and whether buildings are included. Then compare recent sales of similar land and the features buyers would get.
What is a PID?
PID means property identification number. It is the county’s ID for your parcel. Find it on a tax or assessment statement and save it with your map and deed.
Can I get my deed without paying for RecordEASE?
The county says property owners can request a free electronic copy of their deed and certificate of title by emailing recordsrequest@hennepin.us. Check its Land Title Records Access page for the current request details.
Why use Completed rather than Preliminary sale records?
The state tool separates the two. Start with Completed for comparison research, then still check what sold and whether it is similar to your land. A record alone doesn’t establish a fair asking price.
Local source links reviewed October 5, 2026.