- 777 Brickell Ave, Suite 500-99620, Miami, FL 33131
- offers@activeacres.com
- (754)-300-0612
October 30, 2025
It feels like a one-shot decision. Too high means crickets; too low feels like a loss you can’t undo.
Remedy: Think in a price range, not a single number. Pair very recent local comps with USDA land value trends to sanity-check your gut, then adjust after the first 10–14 days of real buyer feedback.
Data:
USDA NASS Land Values 2025 Summary
USDA NASS Land Values charts
Silence hurts. You start telling yourself the land is “bad” or the market is dead.
Remedy: Markets move in pockets. Look at land-specific demand, not house headlines – RLI/NAR’s survey gives a clean read on buyer use-cases (recreational, ag, residential). Tune photos, maps, and copy to that use.
Data:
REALTORS Land Market Survey 2024
RLI Land Market Survey page
A number far below your ask can feel like an insult, not a negotiation.
Remedy: Pre-decide your walk-away and your yes-if (e.g., price with short feasibility, higher EMD). Ask for proof of funds and clear timelines before you move a dollar.
Old liens, easements, missing heirs – you worry something scary is buried in the records.
Remedy: Order a pre-listing title check and know what an owner’s title policy protects. Put plain disclosures in your packet so buyers don’t spook late.
You fear a neighbor dispute or a lender saying “no” at the last minute.
Remedy: Get corners flagged and consider a boundary survey; use ALTA/NSPS standards only when the deal truly needs that depth. Include a simple boundary map in your info packet.
Data:
NSPS page on 2021 ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey standards
You imagine a buyer finding the map and bailing, or costly insurance surfacing at closing.
Remedy: Check your parcel in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and save a FIRMette PDF. If part of the land is in floodplain, show safe build areas on your map.
Data:
FEMA Flood Map Service Center
FEMA how to make a FIRMette
You worry the land won’t be usable the way buyers hope.
Remedy: Do a quick screen with USFWS National Wetlands Inventory / IPaC. If it flags something, note it early and guide buyers to a local consultant for next steps.
You picture failed tests and a dead deal.
Remedy: Book a soil/perc evaluation before listing if your buyer is a homesite buyer. Use EPA’s SepticSmart guide to set expectations on testing and timing.
Data:
EPA SepticSmart program
EPA New Homebuyer’s Septic Guide
You fear a health scare or a last-minute walk-away.
Remedy: Test once a year for coliform, nitrates, TDS, pH with a state-certified lab; share results in your packet. It signals safety and saves time.
Data:
CDC well water testing guidelines
EPA guidance for private wells
Numbers feel murky; you don’t want a surprise bill.
Remedy: Know the basics: capital gains = sale price minus adjusted basis; inherited land follows different basis rules. Get a quick CPA check early, not after closing.
Data:
IRS Topic 409 Capital Gains and Losses
IRS Publication 551 Basis of Assets
The 45/180-day clocks make the whole process feel risky.
Remedy: Decide before you list if the parcel is investment property and if you’ll 1031. Line up a Qualified Intermediary and calendar the deadlines (report on Form 8824).
Data:
IRS Like Kind Exchanges page
IRS Instructions for Form 8824
777 Brickell Ave, Suite 500-99620, Miami, FL 33131
You picture the buyer’s lender forcing a painful price cut.
Remedy: Prep the appraiser: give true like-kind land comps, access notes, soils/perc, flood maps, and any improvements. You can’t control the number, but you can control the file.
You fear weeks of work vanishing overnight.
Remedy: De-risk the offer up front: larger EMD, shorter feasibility, proof of funds, and a fast lender intro. Keep owner-finance as a plan B with terms you’re comfortable with.
Wire fraud or even seller impersonation headlines make you nervous.
Remedy: Use out-of-band verification (phone numbers you look up, not emailed). Ask the title company about their fraud checks and follow ALTA red-flags; know FBI IC3 is tracking huge losses, so vigilance is normal.
Data:
ALTA seller impersonation fraud tip sheet
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
You worry the contract lets them assign it and waste your time.
Remedy: Use no-assignment language unless you intend it, require real EMD, and ask for bank-verified proof of funds. Short windows keep everyone honest.
You fear signing something you can’t undo.
Remedy: Ask title to summarize which rights convey (mineral, water, timber) and write it plainly in the contract. If complex, have a real-estate attorney review before you sign.
You imagine months of delays or a denied permit.
Remedy: Call the planning desk once and write a one-page summary: zoning, uses, minimum lot size, setbacks, subdivision path, and planner contact. Put it in your packet.
Disclosure worries make you want to go quiet.
Remedy: Over-disclose, simply. Share what you know and attach documents (maps, tests, surveys). Buyers fear surprises more than problems; honesty builds trust.
You dread conflict more than the sale itself.
Remedy: Agree on the goal (speed, price, tax timing) and the rules (who signs, who speaks). A neutral pro – agent, attorney, or mediator – keeps emotions from steering the deal.
You worry you’ll sell just before prices rise – or after demand cools.
Remedy: Time the listing readiness, not the macro cycle. When your packet is tight (access, title, soils, maps) and photos are strong, go live and let real buyer traffic guide price tweaks. Use current land trend snapshots as a backdrop.
Decision fatigue makes you stall.
Remedy: Keep a one-page checklist: boundaries flagged, access recorded, title pre-check, flood/wetlands screen, soils/well test, photos/maps, pricing range, fraud-safe wiring. Work it top to bottom; that’s 80% of the win.
Data:
CDC well water testing checklist items
FEMA Flood Map Service Center
USFWS IPaC screening
777 Brickell Ave, Suite 500-99620, Miami, FL 33131
Buyers fear hidden rules on RVs, trees, sheds, or short-term rentals.
Remedy: Request the CCRs/resale certificate early and summarize what’s actually allowed in one page. Clear rules = fewer surprises.
Data:
Nolo primer on CC and Rs
CAI policy on resale disclosures
No one wants to inherit a fight over grading, snow, or gates.
Remedy: Locate or draft a simple road maintenance agreement (how costs are split, who calls work). Put the PDF in your packet.
Data:
Nolo easements basics
Example state guidance on road maintenance agreements
Grazing, crops, or hunting leases make buyers worry about access and timing.
Remedy: Gather each lease (term, renewal, termination rights). Explain what transfers, what gets prorated, and by when.
Western buyers care if paper water follows the land.
Remedy: Verify rights/shares and the ditch/irrigation company contact. State plainly how they transfer and any annual fees.
Headlines make buyers think they can’t even get a policy.
Remedy: Call two local agents for bindability and a ballpark premium. Show simple risk steps (defensible space, build-site above flood area).
Data:
Insurance Information Institute on insurance availability
Waterfront is exciting – until setbacks and permits show up.
Remedy: Map the ordinary high-water mark and setbacks. Note the permit path and timeline so buyers see a way forward.
People picture “nothing can be built anywhere.”
Remedy: Put the easement on a clear map with typical setback widths and allowed uses (roads, fences, landscaping). Price to reality, not rumor.
Data:
PHMSA Landowner’s Guide to Pipelines
PHMSA overview of pipeline rights of way
Family signatures and court steps feel endless.
Remedy: Do a title pre-check, start probate early (or small-estate options where allowed), and agree with siblings on goal, price range, and one spokesperson.
Data:
Nolo probate basics
You worry about defaults, paperwork, or servicing headaches.
Remedy: Keep terms simple (down, rate, short term, balloon). Use a loan-servicing company and local attorney so payments and notices stay clean.
Vacant land can attract the wrong kind of visitors.
Remedy: Post showing rules, use a gate/lock, and escort serious buyers. Keep a simple log; remove signs once under contract.
