Start with recent sales of land a buyer could use in the same way as yours. Compare size, access and usable ground. Keep house sales, bundled tracts and repeated listings out of your main estimate unless you can sort out what each price covers.
Start With Your Land, Not a County Average
Find a recent tax bill and write down the parcel number and acres. Keep your deed and any survey nearby. A deed records a land transfer. A survey shows measured property lines.
The Franklin County property assessment page explains how the county sets values for taxes. General reassessments are done every four years. That tax value is one piece of information; it is not a current offer for your land.
Check the acres and what is included before using any number. A tax account, listing and deed can cover different land if a tract was split or several parcels were sold together. If a record looks wrong, ask the county office or your closing team for help.
Choose Sales That Fit Your Land
A small homesite, a steep wooded tract and an open field are different things to a buyer. Start with similar land in the same part of the county. Then compare:
- Size: Compare small lots with small lots and larger acreage with similar tracts.
- Access: Is there a usable entrance from a public road? If the route crosses someone else’s land, is there a written access agreement?
- Ground: How much is level or easy to use? Note woods, slopes and wet areas.
- What came with the sale: Was it bare land, or did the price include a house, barn or other parcel?
- Known services: Was water, power or septic already in place? A line nearby does not prove a connection is ready.
If a listing describes lake access or waterfront, check exactly what was included before comparing it with inland acreage. A view, access right and land touching the water are not the same feature. Don’t carry a higher price over to your land without a useful match.
Count Each Sale Once
Make a short sheet with the parcel number or address, date, acres, verified price and source for each completed sale. Note any buildings or extra parcels.
The same land may appear on several websites. A listing may also change its address or tract name. Compare the parcel and sale details so you do not count one deal twice.
If you cannot confirm what sold or what the buyer paid, leave that entry out of the main estimate. Mark it unknown. A very low reported price may reflect a different kind of transfer; it is not automatically a bargain land sale.
Ask a local land agent for the completed sales behind a price opinion. Ask why each one fits your parcel. Keep active listings separate. They show what sellers want, not what buyers have agreed to pay.
For similar larger tracts, divide a verified price by acres sold for a rough price per acre. Compare total prices for small lots too. You do not need a made-up dollar adjustment for every slope or tree. Use a range when the evidence is limited.
Compare the Money You Would Keep
You can list with an agent, handle the sale yourself or compare a direct offer. An agent helps market the land and handle offers. Selling it yourself means taking calls and arranging visits. A direct buyer gives you another written deal to consider. Reelvest is one option if you want an offer.
Ask who pays each cost, what the buyer still needs to check and when closing could happen. Compare the money left after fees, loan payoffs and unpaid taxes.
Before signing, check the right parcel, price and target date. If you are selling only part of your land, ask who handles any survey or split and what happens if it cannot be completed. Get a plain explanation of anything unclear.
Questions About Franklin County Land Value
Is the county tax value a good asking price?
Use it as background, then look at current completed sales that fit your land. The county explains that general reassessments are done every four years. Your parcel’s details and the evidence behind a price opinion still matter.
Why do nearby listings have such different prices?
Size, access, buildings, usable ground and other features can change the comparison. Some prices are asking prices. Check what sold and what was included before using the number.
Should I clear woods before selling?
You can explore a sale first. Ask whether the work would help the kind of buyer you want to reach, and compare its cost with the likely benefit. Do not spend money just to ask for a price opinion or offer.
What if the same sale appears twice?
Use the parcel identity, sale date and land covered to check whether it is one transaction. Count it once. Leave unclear entries out of your main estimate.
What if we are handling a loved one’s estate?
Start with the papers you have when your family feels ready. Ask the closing team which ownership records are needed and who can sign. You do not need every answer before asking about selling.
Local source links reviewed October 3, 2026.