Land seller resources

What is my land worth, and how can I find out myself?

Last reviewed October 15, 2026 by Daniel Michael Newland

Land has no single price. Start with your appraisal district record, then check flood, soil, access and zoning, then look for completed sales of similar parcels rather than asking prices. Adjust for constraints and compare offers by net proceeds. The county figure is a tax appraisal, not a sale price.

Where do I start? Find your parcel in the public record

Short answer: start with the appraisal district account for your parcel. It confirms the parcel identifier, the reported acreage, the owner of record and the values the district assigned.

In StraightAcre's Texas markets, each county runs its own search page. You can look up a parcel by owner name, address or account number:

Treat the record as a starting point. Harris CAD's own disclaimer says it is not an abstract company, does not decide who has the better title when public records conflict, and that its information is not intended to show the quality of title. Compare the acreage and legal description on the record with your deed. If they differ, note the difference now, because a buyer will find it later.

Write down the parcel identifier, the acreage, the tax year of each value, and any exemptions or special appraisal shown. For background on how an appraisal differs from an asking price and a cash offer, see how land is valued.

How do I check flood, soils, access and zoning?

Short answer: use the official federal maps for flood and soil, then confirm access and local rules with the people who administer them.

Flood. The FEMA Flood Map Service Center describes itself as the official public source for flood hazard information produced in support of the National Flood Insurance Program. You can enter an address or coordinates to find your effective map. FEMA notes that information you download or print may change or be superseded as maps are updated, so record the date you looked. If any part of the parcel is mapped as a flood hazard area, read selling land in a flood zone.

Soils. The USDA Web Soil Survey provides soil data and information from the National Cooperative Soil Survey. USDA says soil surveys can be used for general farm, local and wider area planning, and that onsite investigation is needed in some cases. Use it to understand the land, not to certify that it can be built on or farmed.

Access. Check whether the parcel touches a public road or relies on an easement, and whether that easement is recorded. A parcel with no clear legal access is valued very differently. See selling landlocked land.

Zoning and local rules. Whether zoning applies depends on where the parcel sits. Call the planning office for the city or county that covers it and ask what uses are allowed, and whether any overlay, utility district or deed restriction applies.

How do I find comparable sales instead of asking prices?

Short answer: a comparable is a completed sale of a similar parcel. An asking price shows what someone hopes to receive, not what a buyer paid.

Keep a simple two-column list. In one column, put completed sales. In the other, put current listings. Give the completed sales more weight, and use listings only to see what is competing for the same buyers.

Make each comparison fair. Look for parcels with a similar location, a similar acreage and a similar feasible use. Then adjust for the things that change what a buyer can do with the land:

Be careful with large adjustments. If you need to make several big ones to make a sale look similar, it is probably not a good comparable.

Sale prices can be hard to find, so expect gaps. A local licensed appraiser, a land-focused agent or a title company may be able to share what they know. Ask for the sale date and the parcel, not just a number.

What is different about land in Texas?

Short answer: two things matter most in Texas. The county value may be an agricultural-use value rather than a market value, and sale prices are not easy to look up.

Market value versus agricultural-use value. The Texas Comptroller explains that the Texas Constitution and Tax Code provide that certain farm and ranch land be appraised on its capacity to produce agricultural products, called productivity value, instead of at market value. The Comptroller says that productivity value is usually lower than market value. If your record shows special appraisal, the number on it is not a guide to what a buyer may pay. Selling can also change the land's use. Read agricultural exemption and selling land before you list or sign anything. The Comptroller's page on agricultural, timberland and wildlife management use special appraisal is the official starting point.

Sale prices. The Bastrop Central Appraisal District states that Texas is a non-sales-disclosure state, meaning real estate sales transactions are not given to the appraisal district, and that the district gathers sales information from realtors, brokers, sellers and buyers. It also says it may release sales information only for protest purposes, to the property owner or an appointed agent. That is one district's statement, but it is a reason not to assume the sale you want to see is on a public website. See the district's explanation, how do I get the sales information used to value my property.

The county value is a tax appraisal as of a set date. StraightAcre's written review identifies it that way, and does not use a fixed share of it to set an offer. You should not either.

Outside Texas, verify rather than transplant the rule

Short answer: the steps in this guide travel well, but the rules about assessed values and sale records do not.

Federal tools such as the FEMA map center and the USDA soil survey cover the whole country. Everything else is local. Before you rely on any point from the Texas section above, check these for your state and county:

StraightAcre reviews land in active markets in Texas (Travis, Collin and Harris counties), Florida, Illinois, Alabama, California, Georgia, Washington, Rhode Island and New York, and accepts inquiries from all 50 states. That does not mean it buys everywhere. In Illinois and Rhode Island it makes direct purchases only, unless a licensed broker is involved.

What should I ask a buyer, and how do I compare net proceeds?

Short answer: ask every buyer for an itemized written estimate of what you would actually receive, then compare those numbers side by side.

A headline price is not what lands in your account. Ask each buyer, in writing:

Then build one line per offer: price, less payoffs, less seller costs, equals net proceeds. Also add what it costs to keep the land while you wait, such as property taxes, insurance and upkeep. The guide to comparing cash land buyers has a fuller worksheet.

Ask the title company or an attorney to confirm the payoff figures and what the seller must sign. They can read the recorded documents, which an online map cannot.

What a buyer (including StraightAcre) will want to see

Gather these before you ask for a number. Missing items slow every buyer down, and some can change the value:

When you are ready, the free parcel review gives you a written, preliminary public-record summary of your parcel. It is not an appraisal, survey, title opinion or approval to build, and an inquiry is not a binding offer.

This guide is general education. It is not legal, tax or investment advice, and StraightAcre is not a licensed real estate brokerage.

Sources and further reading

Related guides

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