Why Land Is Hard to Sell Traditionally
Vacant land sits on the MLS for an average of 12-24 months in Southern Indiana — far longer than houses. The fundamental problem: most buyers need financing, and banks don't like lending on raw land. Even when a buyer appears, the deal often falls apart during due diligence.
- No conventional financing — most banks won't write a traditional mortgage on vacant land. Buyers need land loans with 20-50% down payments and higher interest rates
- No income while waiting — unlike rental properties, vacant land generates zero income while you pay taxes and maintain it
- Tiny buyer pool — land buyers are a fraction of home buyers, especially in rural Southern Indiana
- Survey and boundary issues — unclear boundaries, missing surveys, and encroachments create title problems
- Environmental concerns — wetlands, floodplains, and contamination can make land unbuildable or restrict use
- Zoning restrictions — agricultural zoning, minimum lot sizes, and setback requirements limit development potential
Types of Land We Buy
Indiana Land Sale Laws
Indiana's residential disclosure law (IC 32-21-5) applies to the sale of residential real property — including vacant residential lots intended for building. However, agricultural land and commercial parcels are generally exempt. Sellers must disclose known material defects including environmental contamination, easements, flood zone status, and boundary disputes on residential-zoned land.
Key Indiana land sale considerations:
- Tax sale risk — under IC 6-1.1-24, Indiana counties sell tax-delinquent land at annual tax sales. After purchase, the original owner has a 120-day redemption period. If you're behind on taxes, selling before the tax sale protects your equity.
- Agricultural assessment — land classified as agricultural under IC 6-1.1-4-13 is assessed at use value rather than market value, dramatically reducing taxes. Changing use can trigger a tax reassessment.
- Mineral rights — Indiana is a mineral-rights state. Surface rights and mineral rights can be severed. Verify mineral rights status before selling — if previously severed, you may not own what's underground.
- Easements — utility easements, drainage easements, and access easements affect land value and buildability. Clark and Floyd County parcels commonly have unrecorded access easements.
- Wetlands — Army Corps of Engineers regulates wetlands under the Clean Water Act. Wetland areas on your property may be undevelopable without expensive permits.
Clark and Floyd Counties conduct annual tax sales for delinquent properties. Once your parcel goes to tax sale, a buyer can purchase the tax lien. After the 120-day redemption period, if you haven't paid the delinquent taxes plus penalties, the buyer can petition for a tax deed — transferring ownership of your land. Selling to a cash buyer before the tax sale preserves your equity rather than losing the property for the cost of back taxes.
Common Reasons to Sell Land Fast
- Inherited land you don't want — inherited a parcel from parents or grandparents but don't plan to build or farm it
- Tax burden — paying property taxes every year on land you're not using
- Can't build — zoning restrictions, setback requirements, or environmental issues prevent development
- Landlocked — no legal road access makes the parcel nearly impossible to sell traditionally
- Multiple heirs disagree — inherited by several siblings who can't agree on what to do
- Divorce settlement — land needs to be sold and proceeds divided
- Relocation — you moved away and maintaining distant land is impractical
- Failed development plans — bought land to build but plans changed
Areas We Buy Land
- New Albany, Jeffersonville, Clarksville
- Charlestown, Scottsburg, Salem
- Corydon, Madison, Seymour
- Clark County, Floyd County, Harrison County, Scott County, Washington County
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. We buy tax-delinquent land and handle the back taxes at closing. If your property is approaching a tax sale, selling to us quickly can preserve your equity rather than losing the land for the cost of delinquent taxes.
We buy landlocked parcels. Indiana law provides for easements by necessity in some cases, and we have experience resolving access issues. A landlocked parcel that's nearly impossible to sell traditionally still has value to us.
Yes — tillable cropland, pasture, wooded land, and mixed-use agricultural parcels. We buy farmland regardless of whether it's currently being farmed, enrolled in CRP (Conservation Reserve Program), or sitting idle.
We work with all heirs — or their attorneys — to purchase inherited land. If heirs disagree about what to do, a cash sale often resolves the dispute by converting the land to cash that can be divided. See our multiple heirs guide for details on Indiana partition law.