How to sell inherited land.

You didn’t ask for it, it’s three states away, and the tax bill shows up every year like clockwork. Here’s how selling it actually works.

I buy a lot of inherited land. Not because I go looking for it, because it finds me. Somebody's dad bought forty acres in 1987, the kids live in three different cities, and nobody has set foot on the parcel in a decade. If that sounds familiar, this is for you.

First, the good news: selling inherited land is almost always simpler than people fear. The paperwork has scary words in it, probate, heirship, quiet title, but a decent title company handles all of it as part of closing. You don't hire anyone separately, and you don't pay for it out of pocket when you sell to me.

Step one: figure out whose name is on the deed

Everything starts with the deed. If the estate went through probate and the land was deeded to you, you can sell it today. If the deed still says your dad's name, or your grandmother's, the title company will need the estate documents to connect the dots. That's routine. Wills, probate orders, or in some states a simple affidavit of heirship will do it.

Don't know what the deed says? That's fine. Send me the county and rough location and I'll pull the parcel record myself. It takes me minutes and costs you nothing.

Step two: get every heir on the same page

If the land passed to multiple heirs, every owner signs at closing. This is the part that stalls families, not the paperwork, the people. My advice: get a real offer in hand first, then have the family conversation. A concrete number turns “what should we do with Dad's land someday” into a decision people can actually make.

I regularly work with three, four, five heirs scattered across the country. Nobody has to travel, the title company sends mobile notaries or overnight packets, and everyone gets paid their share directly.

Step three: deal with taxes and liens at closing, not before

Back property taxes don't stop a sale. They get paid out of the purchase price at closing, by the title company, before anyone gets a check. You don't need to scrape money together to “catch up” the taxes first, that's a myth that keeps people stuck holding land for years.

One honest caveat: if the back taxes are old enough that the county has started a tax sale process, time matters. Counties don't wait forever. If you've gotten certified letters about a tax sale, move now.

What it's worth, and what it costs to sell

Inherited land also gets favorable tax treatment: your cost basis usually “steps up” to the value at the date of death, which means little or no capital gains tax for most families. I'm not your CPA, confirm with one, but don't let capital-gains fear freeze the decision.

When you sell to me directly there are no commissions and no fees; I cover title work, deed prep, and recording. The offer is the number that hits your bank. If you'd rather list it with an agent and wait for a retail buyer, that's a legitimate choice too, it usually nets more but takes months and costs 6–10% in commissions and fees.

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