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Selling Land for Conservation
Some owners want their land to stay wild, farmed or open after they let it go. Conservation groups, land trusts and public agencies do buy land, and conservation easements let owners protect land while keeping it. These paths can be rewarding, but they are slower and more selective than most people expect, and the tax side draws close attention from the IRS. Here is a plain overview.
- How conservation sales work
- Easement and tax basics
- No commission, no closing costs
- Written offer within 24 hours
- Close in as little as 14 to 30 days
- A simpler route if it’s not a fit
★★★★★ 4.9 from 14 verified Google reviews — read them · we buy with our own capital and pay all closing costs
Get a cash offer on your land
Written offer within 24 hours. No fee, no obligation, and we pay the closing costs.
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Owners who care what happens to their land
Who buys land for conservation
National groups such as The Nature Conservancy, regional and local land trusts, and state or federal agencies buy land that fits their conservation priorities: important wildlife habitat, rivers and wetlands, land next to existing preserves, working farms or forests in a target area, or places with scenic or historic value. Each organization has its own mission and focus area, so a tract that one group would never consider may be exactly what another is looking for.
These buyers are selective and often budget-limited. They may need appraisals, environmental reviews, board approval and grant money before they can close, which can take many months or longer. Contact your local land trust first; it usually knows which groups are active in your area.
Conservation easements in plain English
A conservation easement is a recorded agreement in which you give up certain rights, typically to subdivide or develop, while keeping ownership. A qualified land trust or agency holds the easement and monitors it forever. You can still live on, farm, hunt or sell the land, but every future owner is bound by the same restrictions.
Easements can be donated or sold. When donated to a qualified organization, the value given up may be deductible under federal tax rules if strict requirements are met, including a qualified appraisal. Some programs also pay owners to place easements on farmland or forest.
Bargain sales and the tax side
Some owners sell land to a conservation buyer below its appraised value, a so-called bargain sale, and treat the discount as a charitable contribution. Done properly, that can make a lower price work financially. Done carelessly, it can fail in an audit.
The IRS has scrutinized conservation easement deductions closely, especially syndicated deals where investors bought in to claim large write-offs based on inflated appraisals. Legitimate easements and bargain sales are still allowed, but documentation, appraisal standards and deed language have to be right. This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Talk with a CPA and a real-estate attorney, and with the land trust, before you sign anything.
If conservation isn’t the right fit
Many tracts will not match a conservation group’s priorities, and some owners simply cannot wait out the process. A direct sale is the other option. We buy land for cash, send a written offer within 24 hours, and can close in as little as 14 to 30 days, paying the closing costs ourselves.
To be clear, selling to us is a normal market sale. It does not create a charitable deduction or a conservation easement. If protection is your priority, talk with a land trust first; if speed and certainty matter more, we are glad to make an offer.
When owners choose a direct sale instead
Speed
Close in as little as 14 to 30 days.
Any tract
No habitat or priority-area test.
No board approvals
We decide with our own funds.
Plain terms
A simple market sale, no easement.
No commission
You keep the agreed price. We pay closing costs.
No obligation
Compare our offer with a land trust’s.
Selling direct, step by step
Three steps, no obligation at any point, and no cost to you at any stage.
One call or one form
Tell us the address or APN and the rough size. You do not need a survey, a plat or the tax bill in front of you — we look all of that up.
We value it properly
We research the parcel ourselves, at our cost, before we quote. We price it off recent sales of similar acreage and adjust for access, soil, flood mapping, timber and shape. No cost to you, no commitment.
Written offer, your decision
You have our number in writing within 24 hours. If you take it, a licensed title company closes it and we cover the standard closing costs — typically 14 to 30 days.
Selling to us vs. listing it
Both are legitimate. Listing can bring a higher gross price if you have time, the tract is easy to finance and you can carry the taxes while it sits. Here is the honest comparison.
| Selling to Dreamify | Listing with an agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you are dealing with | A direct cash buyer — we are the ones purchasing | An agent marketing it to someone else |
| Commission | None | Typically 6–10% on land |
| Closing costs | We cover them | Usually split or seller-paid |
| Repairs, survey, clean-up | Not your problem | Often requested by retail buyers |
| Financing risk | None — cash | Land loans fall through often |
| Timeline | As little as 14 to 30 days once title work is back | Land can sit on the market for months |
Land we buy
Land we buy
- Vacant, raw and bare land
- Inherited and heir property, including multiple owners
- Land with back taxes or a delinquent tax bill
- Out-of-state and absentee-owned parcels
- Farm, timber and hunting acreage
- Small residential lots and infill parcels
- Landlocked tracts and parcels with access questions
- Land that failed a perc test
- Tracts tied up in an estate or probate
- Property you inherited and have never seen
- Mobile home parks and RV parks
- Self-storage facilities — considered case by case
What we don’t buy
- Houses and other residential buildings
- Land you do not have the authority to sell
- Parcels where a co-owner has not agreed to sell
- Property already under contract with someone else
If we are not the right buyer for your parcel we will say so on the first call rather than waste your time.
We buy with our own money — here is what we have closed
We are a principal buyer using our own capital, not a lead broker collecting details to sell on. A sample of tracts we have bought and closed:
| Tract | Where we closed it |
|---|---|
| 10.7 acres | Morgan County, Georgia |
| 6.24 acres | Jasper County, Georgia |
| 8.5 acres | Pike County, Mississippi |
| 5.05 acres | Dawson County, Georgia |
| 32.3 acres | Perquimans County, North Carolina |
| 72 acres | Pike County, Mississippi |
A sample of tracts we have bought and closed ourselves. We are a principal buyer, not a broker — every one of these was purchased with our own funds through a licensed closing agent.
What sellers say
Every quote below is a real, verified Google review of Dreamify Properties — 4.9 stars across 14 reviews.
“I had a great experience working with John and Dreamify on the marketing and sale of land in Georgia. John was reasonable, fair, and thorough throughout the transaction, and was very pleasant to work with.”
“John and his team are top notch investors who know what they are doing, put a plan of action in place and execute. One of the most honest people I have met… an absolute honor and pleasure working with these folks.”
Questions we get asked
Can I sell my land to The Nature Conservancy?
Possibly, if it fits their priorities in your area. Contact them or a local land trust to ask.
What is a conservation easement?
A recorded agreement limiting development, held by a land trust or agency; you keep ownership.
Do conservation easements give a tax deduction?
Donated easements can, if strict IRS rules are met. Get advice from a CPA and attorney.
Does selling to a cash buyer give a tax deduction?
No. A sale to us is an ordinary market sale with no charitable component.
How fast can you close?
We give a written offer within 24 hours and can close in as little as 14 to 30 days. If your timeline is longer, we close on the date that suits you.
What does it cost me to sell to you?
Nothing. No commission, no closing costs, no document fees. We buy with our own capital and pay the closing costs ourselves.
Other situations we buy in
Sell land with wetlandsSell farmland for cash
Sell timberland
Where we buy
Sell land in North CarolinaSell land in South Carolina
Sell land in Virginia
Find out what your land is worth to a cash buyer
Send the parcel details and we’ll research the property, answer your questions, and put a clear no-obligation offer in writing within 24 hours.
Life changes — more guides for sellers
Divorce, a move, a loss in the family, care costs, retirement or a parcel that turned into a headache. Whatever is behind the decision to sell, here is how we handle it.
- Divorce
- Relocating
- Loss of a spouse
- Paying off debt
- Bankruptcy
- Bought sight unseen
- Squatters or dumping
- Code violations
- Land that won't sell
- Buyer backed out
- Co-owner
- Owned by an LLC
- Nursing home costs
- Medical bills
- Job loss
- Retirement
- Storm damage
- Never built on
- Old mobile home on it
- Down payment on a house
- Sell or leave to kids
- Power of attorney
- Paying for college
- Farm or hunting lease
- Selling to a data center
- Selling or leasing for solar
- Capital gains tax on a land sale
- Selling to a developer
- Selling part of your land
- Owner financing
- Documents needed to sell land
- Who pays closing costs
- How long it takes to sell land
- Sell or keep your land
- Selling to a family member
- Selling land on Zillow
- Selling on Facebook Marketplace
- Selling timber off your land
- Selling without mineral rights
- Pipeline easement on your land
- Property taxes on vacant land
- Selling land at auction
- Land prices per acre