Start with completed sales of land like yours. Check the acres, access and what each price included. A lot in Allentown, an open field and wooded land can have different buyers. Here's how to use Lehigh County records and a short comparison sheet to work toward a price you can explain.
Find your land record first
Find the parcel number on your tax bill. Lehigh County calls it a PIN, short for Parcel Identification Number. It is the label for land in the county’s records. If you have several lots, list each number so your price covers the land you mean to sell.
The county’s Assessment Office page links to Search Records. The search offers address, PIN and document or instrument number choices. An instrument number is a reference for a recorded document.
The search page says to enter at least four characters. For a PIN search, its instructions allow the PIN alone or the PIN and PAR number with a space between them. Copy these numbers from your papers rather than guessing. The page also has a code to type from an image.
If you’re stuck or the land has no street address, call the Assessment Office at 610-782-3038. Ask how to locate the right record using what you have. Save the record, then compare its size and location with your deed and any old survey.
Check what the sale record actually means
Use the county record to identify land, not to skip checking the deal. The record you find may include a building, several lots or a past sale that needs more context.
For any sale you plan to use, write down the PIN, document reference, date and price. Then ask what changed hands. Was it bare land? Did the price include a house? Were two or more lots sold together?
An agent who handles land can help find completed sales and explain which ones fit. Ask, “Which land sales would you use for mine, and what makes them good matches?” You don’t need a large database to begin. A few clear comparisons can be more useful than a long list you can’t check.
If the price or land included is unclear, leave that sale out of your main group until you can check it. Count one deal once, even if it appears under several parcel numbers or in more than one source.
Pick sales that really fit your land
Start near your land with a similar size and use. Then look at the details a buyer would care about:
- Is it a town lot, open field or wooded tract?
- Does it reach a public road, or use a shared drive?
- Is the ground level, sloped or partly wet?
- Are water, sewer, power or a septic system already in place?
- Did the price include buildings, farm use or other items?
- What use has actually been checked or approved?
A house price in Allentown is not a bare-land price. A small lot with services may be a poor match for a larger field. A wooded hillside can raise different questions from level open ground.
Being close by does not make two properties equal. If a buyer wants to build, share existing approvals and let them check the remaining questions. A nearby home does not prove another home is allowed on your land.
For farmland, keep any lease or land-use agreement with your price notes. If you know the property is in a preservation or tax program, share the papers. A buyer needs to understand what is included and what stays in place.
Keep tax value and asking price in their place
Lehigh County’s Assessment Office says its assessments use a 2013 base year. That is the date used for the county’s last full reassessment. The number helps set property taxes; it is not a fresh offer for your land.
The same page explains Clean and Green, a program that bases taxes on how land is used. If your land is in that program, a lower tax value does not by itself mean a lower selling price. Ask the office and the person handling closing what should be checked before a sale or change in use.
Check whether the value you see covers land alone or includes buildings. Keep the date and purpose of the number beside it. Don’t treat a tax-record update as proof that someone just estimated a selling price.
Asking prices are another kind of number. They show what sellers hope to receive, not what buyers paid. Use completed sales as your main comparison and tax values and listings as extra context.
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 Lehigh 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 Lehigh 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 Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Land Value
Why is my Lehigh County tax value different from a selling price?
The county says assessments use a 2013 base year and serve property-tax purposes. A selling range should also consider recent completed sales of similar land and what each sale included.
How can I find my county land record?
Start with the Assessment Office page and its Search Records link. The search has address, parcel identification and document-number choices. If you need help, ask the office how to locate your land using the papers you have.
Can I use a house sale to price an empty lot?
Not as a direct land comparison. The house and other improvements are part of that price. Look for completed land sales with a similar size, access and use.
Does Clean and Green tell me what my land will sell for?
No. It is a tax assessment program based on land use. Share any program papers and ask what should be checked for your sale. Use similar completed sales to discuss a selling range.
What if one sale includes several lots?
Record the lots and the deed reference together. Do not put the full sale price against each lot and count it as several separate deals. Check what the buyer received before using the price.
Local source links reviewed October 4, 2026.