Pros and Cons of Selling to a Vermont Land Company

Selling land in Vermont comes with its own unique considerations compared to other states when it comes to everything from property values to closing processes. Understanding the pros and cons of working with local Vermont land buying companies can help Green Mountain property owners weigh options to make the best decision for their needs.

Vermont itself encompasses 9,616 square miles of the picturesque New England region in the northeastern United States. Known for rolling green mountains, quaint small towns, maple syrup production, winter sports, and an independent spirit, Vermont has a largely rural landscape with over 75% of land used for forest or agriculture. While Burlington serves as the most populated city, much of the state is pastoral.

For property owners who inherit or purchase vacant land parcels and eventually look to sell, there are a few different options on the table. Popular routes include selling the land themselves through their own marketing efforts, listing the property with real estate agents, auctioning the land, or working with local land buying companies that purchase properties directly from sellers for cash.

Pros of Working with Local Vermont Land Buying Companies

Selling land privately in Vermont can prove challenging, with the average vacant rural property taking 1-2 years to sell through traditional listings or auctions. For those interested in a quicker and simpler process, local land buying companies bring some attractive benefits:

Streamlined Sales Process

Reputable local land buyers completely streamline the sales journey for Vermont property owners. There is no need to set an appropriate asking price, make repairs or clear brush, stage your land parcel, market the property, vet buyers, facilitate showings, negotiate with potential buyers, arrange financing contingencies, or handle closing details. Land buying companies take care of the entire process start to finish - property owners simply review the fair cash offer amount, accept it, sign paperwork to transfer ownership, and collect their payout. The uncertainty and frustration is eliminated.

Swift Cash Closing Capabilities

Opting to work with cash land buyers also means having the capability to collect payment in full and close out a sale in just a few weeks in most cases. No need to worry about buyer financing falling through last minute or other closing delays. Reputable localized companies have their own capital on hand specifically to purchase Vermont properties outright for cash. This accelerated timeline allows property owners to access funds from their sale much more rapidly.

Condition of Land Not an Issue

Selling vacant plots, especially more rural land, generally requires some level of cleanup or maintenance to bring properties up to listing standards that will appeal to potential buyers. This could mean clearing fallen trees, removing trash or debris, spraying overgrown weed areas, grading access roads, drilling test water wells, and more. Land buying companies however specialize in purchasing all types of vacant land parcels in as-is condition, no matter how raw or unmanaged the property may be.

Lower Costs

Selling land on your own or via real estate agents often requires budgeting for various out-of-pocket expenses that creep up like home appraisal fees, inspection costs, Realtor commissions, closing fees, legal fees, transfer taxes, and more. Working with cash land buying companies cuts down on these extra costs significantly. Reputable land buyers make fair cash offers on properties with no closing costs or commissions baked in so the offer amount ends up being the net payout the seller collects.

Potential Cons of Working with Land Buying Companies

While the expedited process and convenience factors certainly make working with local land buyers enticing, there are also a few potential drawbacks Vermont property owners should be aware of:

Below Market Value Offers

The convenience and speed of land buying companies means they have to build in their buying margin when making cash offers in order to eventually resell properties at a profit. This means offers typically come in somewhere below full open market value. For those not in a big rush to close or in immediate need of funds, listing Vermont land parcels traditionally on the MLS or via auction may yield more money in some cases. Local land buying companies get their edge from securing discounted prices compared to open market value rates.

Little Room for Negotiation

There is often little leeway for negotiating offer amounts proposed by land buying companies. They leverage data and algorithms to make fair cash offers based on comparable sales and assessment details, but have less wiggle room than an emotional prospective buyer may have. For those set on getting every last bit of value out of a sale, an auction or traditional agent listing may provide more opportunity to allow buyer competition or bidding wars that drive up closing prices. With land buying companies, their first offer amount is generally the final number.

Additional Due Diligence Requirements

In order to mitigate risk on land transactions that close quickly without in-person showings, most reputable land buying companies have stringent due diligence stops in place before finalizing a purchase. This typically involves checking over title histories to confirm ownership lineage, validating no liens or encumbrances exist on the property, reviewing boundary lines and acreage surveys, completing aesthetic reviews using geographic imagery databases, and more. The goal is validating the property details and condition fully before closing and taking ownership of a site unseen. So, while not overly cumbersome, it does require some additional document gathering and patience from property sellers.

For property owners in Vermont trying to decide if utilizing local cash land buying companies makes the most sense for their needs or particular parcel, running through the key steps in the standard sales process can prove useful:

Initial Property and Value Assessment

Local Vermont land buyers like will first verify all pertinent details on the property to confirm it meets their buying criteria - total acreage, classification and zoning, ownership history quality allowing for clean title transfers, etc. They also examine recent sales of comparable land parcels in the area along with assessment values to estimate the overall potential fair market value and make a competitive cash offer amount to the seller.

Cash Offer Presentation and Acceptance

With the property specifics verified and a fair cash offer number formulated using data and analysis, reputable buyers present this competitive offer alongside a straightforward purchase agreement for the seller to review. If the offer amount reaches or exceeds the seller’s threshold, they simply sign the paperwork and kick off the sales process in motion.

Streamlined Due Diligence and Closing

The buyer then conducts some final due diligence by verifying surveys, title histories, tax histories, liens checks, aerial photo reviews, and more prior to closing. They work to collaborate with the seller to gather any other required documents efficiently. Once the property and offer have one final stamp of approval, closing commences swiftly with no financing or appraisal concerns. Final purchase paperwork gets signed by the seller, officially transferring over ownership. Within 1-3 weeks, the cash payout gets distributed securely to the seller.

At the end of the day, weighing different options for selling your Vermont property comes down to unique needs and priorities for every property owner. While listing land parcels traditionally or at auction allows you to leverage open market demand, it comes with uncertainty and time investments. For some looking to simplify the process and secure a fair cash return quickly, utilizing reliable local land buying companies brings big benefits as well. The quicker close timeline, flexibility for properties in as-is condition, and lower costs are advantages these cash buyers offer Vermont property owners exploring land sale alternatives.

Final Thoughts

When looking to sell vacant land in Vermont, property owners have a few different sales avenues to explore beyond just traditional real estate listings. While listing Vermont land parcels on MLS or via auction can provide opportunity to drive up the final closing valuation through competitive bidding, this open market approach also comes with uncertainties and longer time investments. For some property owners motivated by simplicity and speed, selling directly to reliable local land buying companies for fair cash offers allows them to offload land hassle-free within weeks in most cases. Though the offers typically come in a bit under maximum market value, the defined offer amount along with greater flexibility on property condition and lower sales costs prove enticing for many Green Mountain property sellers. Weighing priorities around desired sales timelines, need for liquidity from the transaction, condition of the land, and appetite for complexity can help Vermont landowners choose the best path forward when the time comes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What types of land do Vermont land buying companies purchase? 

Most land buying companies in Vermont purchase vacant rural land - including undeveloped land, woodlots, former farmland, properties with campgrounds/hunting cabins, land with water access or mountain views, etc. Parcels should have clean title histories and fall between 5 and 500 acres typically.

How long does the sales process take through a land buying company?

One of the biggest perks of selling to a local Vermont land buyer is the expedited sales process, usually ranging from 4-8 weeks total from offer to closing. There is no need to prep land for listing or wait for a buyer’s financing. Companies have funds readily available.

How are offer amounts calculated by land buyers in Vermont? 

Reputable local land buying companies carefully assess the fair market value of properties based on recent comparable land sales in the area, current assessment valuations, demand, their proprietary analysis, and then make competitive cash offers accordingly. Offers account for their need to profit off eventual resale.

Will a land buying company purchase land in any condition in Vermont? 

Yes, most land buying companies actually specialize in buying rural raw land in as-is condition. There is no need prep land, clear debris, bush hog weedy areas, improve road access, secure water rights, get land surveys, or make other fixes before selling since buyers expect unmanaged vacant land.

What costs am I responsible for if selling my Vermont land to a land buyer? 

One benefit of selling via a land buying company is limited out-of-pocket costs for the seller outside of basic due diligence document gathering like providing plat maps and title histories. Land buyers make all-cash offers with no closing fees so there are zero agent commissions or extra settlement costs deducted. The offer amount ends up being the net sales number paid.

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