Receiving Helpdesk

how do i find out how much my land is worth

by Hadley Rolfson Published 4 years ago Updated 3 years ago

  • Method 1 Method 1 of 3: Obtaining an Appraisal. Find a qualified appraiser. Look online or in the phone book. ...
  • Method 2 Method 2 of 3: Estimating the Value of the Land. Find other lots for sale. ...
  • Method 3 Method 3 of 3: Asking Real Estate Agents. Find two or three agents. You want to talk to people that you can trust. ...

How can I determine the land value of a property?

Method 2 Method 2 of 3: Estimating the Value of the Land

  1. Find other lots for sale. Search websites such as Zillow or Redfin and see what other lots are currently for sale or have sold in the past 6 months, ...
  2. Look for comparable lots. You can estimate the value of the lot by finding what others have paid for comparable lots (called “comps”).
  3. Find out how much comparable land has sold for. ...

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How can I find out who owns land?

There Are Several Ways to Find Out Who Owns A Property?

  1. Property tax records. Cities and counties typically have a tax assessor's office that maintains property tax records. ...
  2. County clerk's office. The county clerk's office holds other documents that would have a property owner's information on it, such as the deed, leases, bills of sale, mortgages, or ...
  3. Title company. ...
  4. Real estate agents. ...

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How to estimate land value?

How furniture is placed, the size and quantity can shore up the value of the property. Security is very essential for every property, be it land or building. You under estimate that at your own peril. The issue of security improvements on a property can be ...

How do I find out how much land has sold for?

How to Find Recent Land Sale Prices

  1. Visit your local county Register of Deeds office to research recent land prices. When you arrive, ask to do a search for recent land sale prices.
  2. Use the Zillow website to research recent land sale prices. ...
  3. Refine your search results by filtering it to only show land. ...

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Comparable Land Sales

One of the easiest ways to estimate the value of your land is by looking at comparable sales in your area. Using online search engines can usually provide a rough idea of past land sales in your area and how long listings have been on the market.

Where to find comparable land values

If performing a general online search isn’t getting the results you expected, you may need to research specific sites. There are many real estate websites, but two of the most popular are listed below.

What factors change raw or vacant land values?

Suppose you’re considering listing your land for sale and have a general idea about its value from searching comparable listings. In that case, there are other things to consider which could increase the estimate. Read on to learn more about why your land may be worth more than you thought.

Hiring a Real Estate Appraiser

If you’ve done the research and spoken with agents and are still finding it difficult to estimate the value of your raw or vacant land, then it might be time to hire a real estate appraiser. Not all appraisers are created equal, though, and you should make sure they are knowledgeable about vacant land and not just appraising homes.

How many valuation methods are there for land?

However, there are 3 valuation methods most commonly used to calculate the value of a piece of land.

What is an insurance company known for?

Insurers are well known to be meticulous in financial planning.

How do banks make money?

They make their money by lending our money or giving credit to borrowers with assets like property as collateral.

What is replacement cost?

The replacement cost refers to how much it will costs to replace a house with a new one should an event happen that effectively condemns the whole house.

Do lenders order appraisals?

This is why lenders will certainly order an appraisal conducted by a qualified appraiser, or appraise the property themselves internally.

Is insurance for real estate a business?

Insurance for real estate is a big and booming business. There are countless types of policies that cater to landlords, investors, and homeowners. When calculating the premium required for a policy, insurers will have to calculate the replacement cost for a house. Otherwise there’s little point underwriting anything.

Do you have to schedule replacement for land?

Do note that from the insurers’ point of view, there is no need to schedule replacement for land as it still retains it’s value if the property sitting on it is totally destroyed.

Gather Information

To start, you might want to gather some of the documents and other details about your property. These include:

Methods Appraisers Use to Find Land Value

Most people will tell you to start with an appraisal to help you determine value. There are two primary methods that appraisers use to calculate the worth of a piece of property or land. Let’s take a look at these three different methods to give you a sense of how a professional goes about it.

Hire A Professional Appraiser To Estimate Land Worth

One easy way to nail down the value of your land is to obtain an appraisal report. You can find an appraiser by either looking online or in your local phone book. A realtor might also be able to point you in the right direction in finding a professional appraiser.

Speak with a Real Estate Agent

Another way to work to find the value of your land is to ask a real estate agent or a land broker how much your land is worth. You can do a search for “land agents near me” or “land real estate agents near me.” You don’t necessarily have to sign on with a real estate agent in order to benefit from some of their expertise.

Check Their Credentials

Before you have an agent come out, make sure that they are well-versed in the market of undeveloped or vacant land. If you don’t do your due diligence, you might end up wasting your time with someone who doesn’t have any more of a clue how much your land is worth than you do.

Land Value Calculator

You can also find land value calculators online. However, you probably only want to use these to give you an idea of a ballpark figure rather than assuming it is giving you an exact figure for your land’s worth. They might not factor in a number of important considerations.

How Much Is My Land Worth To A Ready and Willing Buyer?

When it comes to land, there are no easy answers. As any real estate appraiser will tell you – Valuing an unimproved piece of property can be nearly impossible. And at the end of the day – an appraisal is just that. Its an estimate of what your property is worth. Not the price a willing buyer is going to pay for your property today.

What should an appraiser do?

The appraiser should also have experience appraising property land and not simply homes. Appraising land is quite different from appraising a house. If you contact an appraiser and they can’t do the job, ask them to refer you to someone. Briefly describe the land you want valued.

How to check if an appraiser is licensed?

Confirm that the appraiser is licensed with your state by asking for their license number. You can then call your state’s Department of Real Estate (or equivalent office) to check that the license is active. It is usually possible to check the status of their license online through your local licensing office. ...

How to determine the value of land?

You want to sell or buy land, but you have no idea what is a reasonable price. Unfortunately, the only sure-fire way to determine the land’s value is to sell it on the marketplace. Nevertheless, you can still estimate its value by hiring an experienced appraiser. Alternately, you can try to estimate the value by looking at comparable properties or by asking a real estate agent.

What to do if you don't like the price quoted?

If you don’t like the price quoted, shop around until you find a more affordable option. However, make sure the appraiser has sufficient experience.

How to find a qualified appraiser?

Find a qualified appraiser. Look online or in the phone book. You can also get a referral from a bank or real estate agent. Check to see if the appraiser has a credential from one of the recognized professional societies, e.g., the MAI designation.

What makes a lot worth less?

Topography. Lots that are on a steep slope or have poor soil are worth less since you can’t build on them.

How to make an appraiser's job easier?

Gather helpful documents. You can make the appraiser’s job easier by gathering information ahead of time and sharing it with the appraiser. Check if any of the following are available:

What Drives Land Value?

Unfortunately, there is no “magic bullet” when it comes to valuing land. As any real estate appraiser can tell you, it’s virtually impossible to reach the point of 100% certainty about any property’s market value, and that’s especially true for unimproved land.

What does zoning mean for vacant lots?

This means if a vacant lot was zoned for residential housing and it could be split into four buildable lots, that might carry much more weight than a lot that isn’t buildable at all (for whatever reason). On the other hand, if zoning would only permit a property for industrial use, it’s worth considering whether that use can be fully realized in the current market. In other words, is it a good market to improve an industrial lot?

What are the biggest obstacles to land investment?

One of the biggest obstacles every land investor has to wrestle with is how to find the “market value” of vacant land.

What is a price boss?

Price Boss allows you to copy and paste the raw data in any market from websites like Zillow, LandWatch, and Craigslist and ultimately, come up with a much more data-driven decision.

What are the implications of properties next door?

The properties next door can have some major implications for the value and “sale-ability” of a parcel of land (e.g. – Think about it, would you rather live/work next to Glacier National Park or a Meth Lab ?).

How to find out if a property is in a flood zone?

To get an idea for whether a property is situated within a flood zone, check out the FEMA website or FloodTools.com and do a property search to see if your property is situated within or nearby a flood zone.

Why is inventory important?

The amount of inventory (of similar properties) on the market: This is important because when there is more inventory in a market, it tends to water down the price (due to the increased competition). This is basic economics. When there is more supply than demand, prices will inevitably come down.

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