Vacant land already sells slowly, but out-of-state ownership makes the process even harder. With long listing times, rising carrying costs, and limited local support, many distant owners turn to cash land buyers who offer faster, simpler, fully remote sales.
In a market where vacant land transactions now linger far longer than traditional home sales, sellers are feeling the squeeze like never before. Nationwide data shows land sales activity up only modestly (about 1.2 % in 2023) even as total land value climbed to an estimated $18.6 trillion, highlighting persistent demand despite sluggish turnover. Meanwhile, most vacant parcels that do change hands close within roughly 60 days — but that figure masks wide variation, with many lots in secondary markets lingering 90 days or more before a sale or falling out of contract entirely.
For absentee owners — those who bought property across state lines or left inherited lots idle — selling vacant land gets exponentially harder when owners can't just drive over to check on things. Local realtors back home have zero connections in distant markets. Showing the property to potential buyers becomes nearly impossible. And coordinating maintenance or dealing with code violations via long-distance phone calls presents ongoing frustration.
Even when realtors agree to list out-of-state lots, owners face several months of waiting around. Vacant land already takes longer to sell than houses because most buyers want something they can use immediately. Throw in the complication of absentee ownership, and that timeline stretches even further. Meanwhile, owners remain stuck paying taxes, insurance, and possibly HOA fees while their properties sit on the market gathering tumbleweeds.
Research from the National Association of Realtors shows that vacant residential lots typically spend 95 days on the market before selling, compared to just 34 days for existing homes. When factoring in out-of-state ownership complications, that timeline often extends well beyond three months. Every extra month means more carrying costs eating into whatever profit owners hoped to make.
Specialist land acquisition companies have emerged specifically to solve this problem. These aren't typical real estate investors. They focus exclusively on buying vacant land quickly, paying cash, and handling all the paperwork remotely. No showings required. No repairs needed. No waiting for buyer financing to fall through.
Not all cash buyers operate the same way, and that matters more than many realize. The better ones base their offers on actual comparable sales data rather than lowballing every property they see, and they respond quickly, usually within 24 to 48 hours. Finding a company that handles all the closing logistics remotely becomes important, so owners aren't stuck coordinating title searches and notary appointments from three states away. Reputable buyers explain exactly how they arrived at their price and cover all closing costs themselves.
Not every out-of-state property owner needs a cash buyer. Properties in hot markets with time to wait might net more money through traditional sales. But for those tired of bleeding money on property taxes for lots they never see, or when complications like back taxes make traditional sales unlikely, working with a cash buyer often proves the best option.
