Start with recent sales of land like yours, then check what each sale included. A wooded lot, a lot near the beach and land with water access can appeal to different buyers. Here's how to use New Hanover County records to build a price range you can explain.

A sandy lane through a grassy coastal North Carolina clearing with pine trees

Find your land record first

Take the parcel number from your tax bill. A parcel is one piece of land in the county's records. If you're selling several lots, write down each number. Your price needs to cover the same land you plan to sell.

Start with the county's Tax Department page and its Property Search link. The portal says you can search by owner name, address or parcel ID through Property Records. An owner or parcel search can help when empty land has no street address.

Save the record and check the location, land size and any buildings listed. Compare it with your deed and any old survey you have. The portal's maps help locate land, but they aren't a survey of your boundaries.

If a number or size doesn't match, ask the Tax Department for help. Its page lists 910-798-7300. You can say, “I'm getting ready to sell this lot. Can you help me check the land record?”

New Hanover County has more than one way to look at sale records. Start with the tool that fits the question.

  • Property records: Use the Tax Department's Property Search to locate a lot and check its details.
  • Sales files: The Database Download page has annual sales files in Excel and text files for different areas. Read the coverage date shown on the page before treating a file as current.
  • Home comparisons: The separate Comparable Sales Search is limited to single-family homes and townhomes. It isn't a vacant-land price guide.

If a file is hard to use, ask a land agent to help you find a few matching sales. You don't need to learn a large spreadsheet just to start a price discussion.

For each sale, check the date, parcel and what was included. A file with a recent year in its name may still stop months before today. A broad list may include houses, several lots sold together or deals that don't fit your land.

Pick sales that really fit your land

Start near your land and look for a similar size and use. Then check the features buyers would care about:

  • How do you reach the lot?
  • Is it an inland lot, near the beach or beside the water?
  • Is any water access included in the sale, or is the land simply nearby?
  • What do the records say about water, sewer or septic?
  • Is the ground mostly open, wooded or wet?
  • Did the price include a home, other buildings or several lots?

Distance alone doesn't make a good match. A nearby lot with services and a confirmed building plan may appeal to a different buyer from a lot whose use hasn't been checked. Share existing plans, but don't promise a buyer can build a certain home just because a neighbor has one.

Keep the parcel ID and deed reference beside each price. Two records may describe the same sale; count that deal once. If one price covers several lots, don't assign the full price to each lot.

Leave a sale out of your main group if you can't tell what the buyer received. A few clear matches are more useful than many uncertain ones.

Keep tax value and asking price in their place

The value in the tax record can help you understand the property, but it isn't a promise of today's sale price. Check the date beside the value and whether it includes buildings. An ownership update doesn't mean the value was freshly estimated for a sale.

Asking prices show what other sellers hope to get. They help you see the competition, but they don't show the final price a buyer paid. A listing that stays unsold doesn't prove buyers will pay that amount.

Use completed sales as your main comparison. Treat asking prices and tax values as extra context. If the numbers point in different directions, check the details before choosing a price.

Make a simple price comparison

Write one line for each useful sale. Include the parcel ID, sale date, price, land size, access and a short note about what was included. Mark anything you still need to check.

For acreage, divide the sale price by the acres. For example, a made-up sale of 2 acres for $100,000 works out to $50,000 per acre. These are example numbers, not a New Hanover County sale or estimate.

The math helps compare sizes, but it doesn't make unlike land equal. A small lot with services can cost more per acre than a large tract. Don't multiply one small lot's rate by a much larger property's size and assume that is its value.

Use your closest matches to choose a range you can explain. Note why your land might sit near the low or high end. If the differences are too large, ask an agent who sells vacant land or an appraiser for help.

Bring your tax bill, deed, photos and comparison notes. That gives the person helping you a useful starting point without asking you to buy a new survey or clear the land first.

Compare the money you'll keep

Once you have a price range, think about how you want to sell. An agent can help price and market the lot. Selling it yourself puts the ad, calls and buyer questions in your hands. A direct buyer gives you another offer to compare.

Ask for each offer's price, costs you pay, planned checks and target closing date in writing. Allow for any loan payoff, unpaid taxes and agreed fees. The highest offer isn't always the one that leaves you with the most money.

Also compare the work and uncertainty involved. What must you do before closing? When can the buyer end the deal? Ask for unclear terms to be explained before you sign.

If you'd like a Reelvest offer to compare, tell us about your land. You decide whether it fits your needs. For more preparation help, see our New Hanover County selling guide.

For a useful start today, find your parcel number, save your property record and list the two or three details that make your land different from nearby lots.

Questions About New Hanover County, North Carolina Land Value

Is there one price per acre for New Hanover County land?

No single rate fits every lot. Size, access, services, location and what the buyer received can change the comparison. Start with completed sales that share your land's main features.

Can I use the county Comparable Sales Search for vacant land?

That separate tool is limited to single-family homes and townhomes. Use the county's property records and broader sales files as a starting point for land comparisons. Check what each sale included.

What if I cannot find good land-sale matches?

Try a wider date range or nearby areas while keeping the same kind of land. Don't use a house sale just to fill the list. Ask a land agent or appraiser for help if useful matches remain scarce.

Does a new ownership record mean the tax value is current?

Not necessarily. Check the date of the value itself and whether it includes buildings. Use recent completed sales of similar land to discuss a selling range.

Local source links reviewed October 4, 2026.