Resources · Making lowball offers that actually close
Lowball offer on land: how much to offer on vacant land, with the math
Updated · by the LowBaller team
A lowball offer on land should be 15 to 50 percent under market value, and the right number depends on how much pressure the owner is under. LowBaller's model targets start bids 40 to 50 percent under value on hard distress like deep tax delinquency, and 15 to 30 percent under for tired absentee owners. Land is where those numbers hold up best. A parcel earns no rent, and the owner often inherited it in a state they no longer visit, paying a tax bill every year on something they never see.
Below: the offer math on a realistic example, the nine checks that kill land deals, the sellers most likely to say yes, and a letter you can mail. The best parcels come from county tax sale lists and delinquent property tax lists.
How much should you offer on land?
Price land from the situation, not from an asking price. Most motivated land owners have no asking price at all, because the parcel is not listed. You start from an estimate of market value, apply the discount the owner's pressure supports, then check that the number still covers whatever the seller has to pay off at closing.
Market value for land comes from recent sales of similar parcels nearby: same county, similar acreage, access and zoning. Land sales are thin and every parcel is different, so be conservative. A wrong value hurts more on land, because land is slower to resell. The deeper bands below only apply when the pressure is documented in public records.
| Seller situation | Typical signal | Offer posture | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax sale scheduled | Delinquent taxes, sale date set | Start 40 to 50% under value | A deadline: the owner sells or the county does |
| Deep tax delinquency, no sale yet | Two or more years unpaid | Start 40 to 50% under value | The balance grows with penalties and interest |
| Inherited, heirs far away | Deceased owner or probate filing | Start 30 to 40% under value | Several heirs, nobody wants to manage it |
| Out-of-state owner, taxes current | Tax bill mailed to another state | Start 15 to 30% under value | Convenience: they want it off their list |
| Long-held, free and clear | Owned 15+ years, no recorded loan | Start 15 to 30% under value | No debt to cover, so a fair number can close |
| Listed by an agent | On a land listing site | 5 to 20% under list | Retail buyers compete, so there is less room |
Why is vacant land the most lowball-friendly asset?
Three things make land different from a house. First, it has no carrying value for most owners: no rent, nobody living there, so holding it is pure cost. Second, the costs never stop: the tax bill every year, and in some areas owner association dues and brush abatement notices. Third, land owners are often far away and detached. Many inherited the parcel or bought it decades ago for a plan that never happened.
A homeowner selling below market loses a place to live. A land owner selling below market loses a line on a tax bill. That is why a number that would insult a homeowner can land as a relief for a land owner.
Land is also often owned free and clear, because lenders rarely finance raw land on easy terms. With no mortgage to clear, the equity cap that limits offers on houses rarely binds. The floor becomes whatever the seller owes in back taxes and liens, plus closing costs.
In the ranking model, a tax lien is worth 12 motivation points, an out-of-state owner 9, high equity 6 and 15-plus years of ownership 4. A parcel with all four scores 31 in motivation points alone, more than any single signal except a scheduled auction.
Motivation points for signals common on vacant land
Worked example: offer math on a tax-delinquent parcel
Example: a 5-acre rural parcel. Recent sales of similar parcels in the county suggest a market value of about $40,000. The owner of record lives two states away and has owned it for 22 years. The county shows three years of unpaid taxes totaling $3,600 with penalties, and the parcel is on the next tax sale list. There is no mortgage.
This is hard distress: a sale date, a growing balance and an owner who has stopped paying attention.
The seller still walks away with almost $20,000 and stops the tax sale. If the county sells it instead, the owner loses control of the price, and any surplus is handled under state rules. Your offer solves the problem and pays them.
| Line | Amount | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated market value | $40,000 | Recent sales of similar parcels nearby |
| Start bid (50% under) | $20,000 | Top of the hard-distress band |
| Likely close (40% under) | $24,000 | Where a counter settles in this example |
| Back taxes paid at closing | -$3,600 | Paid to the county from the seller's proceeds |
| Seller's share of closing costs | -$600 | Deed prep and recording, if the seller pays them |
| Seller's net at likely close | $19,800 | $24,000 minus $3,600 minus $600 |
| Your all-in at likely close | $25,000 | Price plus about $1,000 of title, survey and recording |
Pay the taxes through closing
Offer to have the title company pay the delinquent taxes from the sale proceeds before the sale date. The seller writes no check, the county is paid, and you get clean title.
What to verify before you offer on land
Land hides more deal killers than houses because nothing built on it proves it is usable. Check these nine items before you send a number, or make your offer contingent on them.
| What to check | Where to look | Deal killer if |
|---|---|---|
| Legal access | County GIS map, recorded easements, title search | No road frontage and no recorded easement |
| Zoning and permitted use | County or city planning department | Your intended use is not allowed or needs a variance |
| Power | Utility service maps, nearest pole | Running a line costs more than the parcel is worth |
| Water and septic | Health department, well and perc test records | No well is possible or the soil fails a perc test |
| Back taxes | County treasurer or tax collector | Taxes owed approach or exceed your offer |
| Liens and judgments | Title search, county recorder | Liens exceed the seller's net and will not be released |
| Flood zone and wetlands | FEMA flood map, state wetland maps | Most of the parcel is floodway or protected wetland |
| Survey and boundaries | Recorded plat, prior survey | Acreage or boundaries do not match the tax record |
| Deed restrictions and dues | Recorded covenants, owner association | Restrictions ban your use or unpaid dues are large |
Landlocked is not a bargain
A parcel with no legal access is cheap for a reason. Unless a neighbor will grant a recorded easement, a landlocked lot can be nearly impossible to build on or resell. Price it as if access may never come, or pass.
Where do you find motivated land owners?
The best land leads come from the county itself. Every county tracks who owes property taxes, and most publish the parcels headed to a tax sale. Start with the upcoming tax sales by state and county, then work the county delinquent tax lists for parcels that are behind but not yet scheduled. Whether the county sells a lien or the deed changes your timeline, so check whether you are in a tax lien or tax deed state.
Then filter for owners likely to answer: a mailing address out of state, 15 or more years of ownership, no mortgage on record, and an individual or estate as owner.
To see how many motivated owners sit around a ZIP, run the free LowBaller market scan. It reads public county records across 160M+ US properties and ranks owners by how likely they are to accept a low offer.
How to make a lowball offer on land, step by step
- 1
Pull the list
Start from the county tax sale list or delinquent list and keep parcels with an out-of-state or long-tenure owner and no recorded mortgage.
- 2
Value it from land sales
Find three to five recent sales of similar parcels in the same county. Adjust down for poor access, no utilities or steep terrain.
- 3
Run the due diligence table
Check access, zoning, utilities, taxes, liens, flood zone, survey and restrictions. Drop any parcel with a deal killer you cannot price.
- 4
Compute the offer
Apply the discount the situation supports, then confirm the seller's net is positive after back taxes, liens and closing costs.
- 5
Mail a short offer letter
Mail is always fine. Send one page with your price, a closing date and a phone number.
- 6
Call only when you can do it legally
If you have a number, call manually, only numbers that pass Do-Not-Call filtering, between 8am and 9pm in the owner's time zone. Never send a cold text.
- 7
Close through a title company
Open escrow with a local title company or attorney, pay the back taxes from proceeds, and buy title insurance.
What to say in a lowball offer letter for land
Land owners respond to clarity: the number, how fast it closes, and what they will not have to do.
Example letter: 'Hi [Name], I would like to buy your parcel, number [parcel ID], in [County]. I can pay $20,000 cash and close in 30 days through [Title Company]. I will pay the closing costs, and the unpaid property taxes can be paid from the sale so you never write a check. If the price or timing does not work, call me at [number] and tell me what would.'
Leave the discount math out of the letter. If they call back with a higher figure, that is a negotiation, not a rejection, and your counter range is the likely close from your worked example. More wording options are in the lowball offer letter templates.
Frequently asked questions
Is it rude to lowball on land?
No, not when the number fits the situation. Land produces no income and costs taxes every year, so many owners, especially out-of-state heirs and tax-delinquent owners, welcome a clean cash offer. Keep the letter respectful, state a firm closing date, and offer to pay closing costs and have back taxes paid from the proceeds.
How much below asking price should I offer on land?
On listed land, a reasonable opening is 5 to 20 percent under the asking price, deeper if the parcel has sat for many months or has access or utility problems. Off-market land owned by a tax-delinquent or out-of-state owner supports much deeper offers, because there is no asking price and usually no competing buyer.
How do you find out who owns a piece of land?
Look up the parcel on the county assessor or GIS website, which shows the owner of record and a tax mailing address. The county recorder has the deed. If the owner is an LLC, the state business registry lists a registered agent. If the owner has died, check the county probate court records for an estate.
Can you negotiate back taxes when buying land?
Usually not with the county, which generally expects the full amount with penalties and interest, though rules vary by state. What you negotiate is who pays. Most land deals pay delinquent taxes from the seller's proceeds at closing, so your offer has to be high enough that the seller still nets money after the county is paid.
Is buying land at a tax sale cheaper than buying from the owner?
Sometimes, but it carries more risk. Tax sale buyers may get limited title, can face redemption periods, and usually cannot inspect closely. Buying from the owner before the sale gives you a deed, title insurance and a negotiated price. Rules differ between lien and deed states, so confirm with the county and a local real estate attorney.
Put this to work in your market.
Scan any US ZIP and see every motivated seller near you, ranked hardest-first.
Find motivated sellersKeep reading
- Lowball offer on a vacant house: how to find the owner and price the offer
- Tax-delinquent property lists explained
- How to buy a house with back taxes owed: before the tax sale or at it
- Lowball offer letter: 7 copy-paste templates by seller situation
- Lowball offer on an inherited house: how to buy below market, fairly