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Vacant Land Purchase Agreement: What Sellers Should Know
A land purchase agreement is the contract that turns a handshake into a sale. It sets the price, gives the buyer time to investigate the property, says who pays which costs, and spells out what happens if either side backs out. Most are only a few pages, but a few clauses decide whether you actually get paid. This is a plain-English tour of those clauses from the seller’s side. It is general information, not legal advice, and the rules vary by state, so have a real estate attorney or title company review any contract before you sign.
- Every key clause, in plain English
- What to watch as a seller
- No commission, no closing costs
- Written offer within 24 hours
- Close in as little as 14 to 30 days
- Not legal advice: ask an attorney
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Sellers reviewing a land contract
Parties, property and price
The contract should name every seller on the deed and the buyer, exactly as they will appear on closing documents. If a co-owner or an estate is involved, everyone with authority to sign needs to be listed. The property is usually identified by parcel number, address if any, and the legal description from the deed.
The price section states the purchase price and how it will be paid: cash at closing, a loan, or seller financing. If the buyer needs a loan, the contract should say so, because that is a contingency. A price per acre subject to survey is sometimes used on larger tracts; make sure the contract says how a difference in acreage changes the total.
Earnest money
Earnest money is a deposit the buyer puts up to show good faith, usually held by the title company or closing attorney. The contract says how much, who holds it, when it is due, and when it becomes non-refundable.
For a seller, the key question is what happens to that deposit if the buyer walks away. Under many contracts it goes back to the buyer if they cancel during the due-diligence period and comes to you if they default after it. Read that part closely.
Due diligence and contingencies
The due-diligence or inspection period gives the buyer a set number of days to check the land: survey, perc or soil tests, zoning, wetlands, access and title. During that window the buyer can usually cancel for any reason, or for reasons listed in the contract. The length is negotiable, and shorter periods favor the seller.
Contingencies are conditions that must be met for the sale to go through, such as financing, a passing perc test, a satisfactory survey, or rezoning approval. Each one is a door the buyer can walk through. A contract with fewer contingencies is more likely to close, which can matter more than a slightly higher price.
Title, survey, closing date and costs
The seller normally promises to deliver marketable title, with the type of deed named in the contract. The buyer usually gets time to review a title commitment and object to problems, and the seller gets a chance to fix them. A survey clause says who orders one, if anyone, and what happens if it shows an encroachment or a smaller acreage.
The closing section sets the date and place, often a title company, and splits the costs: title insurance, recording fees, transfer taxes, survey, and the prorated property taxes for the year. Customs on who pays what differ from state to state and county to county, so read this clause line by line.
Assignment clauses and default
An assignment clause says whether the buyer can transfer the contract to someone else before closing. Some buyers sign contracts intending to assign them for a fee rather than buy the land themselves. If you want to know who will actually own your land and pay you, ask, and consider limiting assignment.
The default section says what happens if someone fails to perform. Common remedies for a seller are keeping the earnest money as liquidated damages; buyers may be able to sue to force the sale. Some states require particular wording or disclosures in land contracts, which is another reason to have the document reviewed locally.
How our contracts work
When you accept our written cash offer, we send a short purchase agreement that states the price, names the title company, and shows that we pay the closing costs. We buy with our own money, so there is no financing contingency, and we close through a licensed title company that holds the funds.
You can and should read it with your own attorney or the title company if you like. We send the offer within 24 hours of getting your parcel and can close in as little as 14 to 30 days. See how to sell vacant land and selling land by owner for the wider process.
Why sellers like a simple contract
Plain terms
Short agreement, price and costs stated.
No financing contingency
We buy with our own money.
Title company
A licensed title company holds funds.
Fast
Written offer within 24 hours.
No commission
You keep the agreed price. We pay closing costs.
No obligation
Read it, review it, then decide.
Getting your offer, 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 |
|---|---|
| 32.3 acres | Perquimans County, North Carolina |
| 72 acres | Pike County, Mississippi |
| 10.7 acres | Morgan County, Georgia |
| 6.24 acres | Jasper County, Georgia |
| 8.5 acres | Pike County, Mississippi |
| 5.05 acres | Dawson County, Georgia |
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 13 reviews.
“John was very communicative & professional. He did what he said he would do!”
“Great experience working with John. He made the selling process super easy. I didn’t have to do much — he took care of all the heavy lifting. Communication was excellent; he kept me in the loop the whole time, which eased my mind.”
Questions we get asked
What should a vacant land purchase agreement include?
Parties, legal description, price, earnest money, due-diligence period, contingencies, title and survey terms, closing date, cost split and default terms.
Who holds the earnest money on a land sale?
Usually the title company or closing attorney, under the terms written in the contract.
Can a buyer back out of a land contract?
Often during the due-diligence period, or if a contingency fails. After that, backing out may cost them the earnest money.
Do I need a lawyer to sell land?
Some states require an attorney at closing; in others a title company closes. Either way, having a contract reviewed is wise.
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 by owner (FSBO)Sell land with title problems
Sell land without a survey
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
- Selling land for conservation
- Land prices per acre
- Can I sell land for any price?
- Selling land without a deed
- How much 100 acres is worth
- Do I need a lawyer to sell land?
- Selling land with an encroachment
- Selling land with a cemetery on it
- How much 10 acres is worth
- How much 40 acres is worth
- Realtor fees for selling land
- How to sell a vacant lot
- 1031 exchange on vacant land
- Selling land to a neighbor
- Why you get offers for your land
- How much 5 acres is worth
- How much 20 acres is worth
- How to sell farmland
- Selling tax deed property
- How much 1 acre is worth
- How much 50 acres is worth
- How to subdivide land
- Cost to remove a mobile home
- Abandoned mobile home on your land
- How to sell vacant land
- How much 2 acres is worth
- How much 160 acres is worth
- How to price land for sale