Land for Sale in North Carolina
North Carolina contains some of the most beautiful properties in America, from tidal barrier islands and fertile farms to Appalachian mountain plots. Buying land in North Carolina can be daunting, but it only requires a little research and luck to pull it off.
Land can be bought in North Carolina for investment or development purposes. North Carolina has tens of thousands of land listings for sale in the state that range from farms and residential plots to uncleared forest. Online listings are the best place to source Land for Sale in North Carolina.
Want to buy a plot of land in North Carolina and don’t know where to start? Keep reading to learn more about the best websites for purchasing land in the state and other methods for acquiring property there.
Finding Land in North Carolina
Finding land in North Carolina or anywhere in the United States can be done in several different ways. Here are a few of the methods to use if you’re searching (Source: Century 21):
- Online searches: There are several large databases such as LandandFarm.com and Zillow that can help track down plots of land in specific areas of North Carolina. Online land databases are one of the best resources for buying land since they put all of the listings in an easy-to-search website with filters for pricing and other factors.
- Unlisted properties: While much more difficult than sorting through listed land for sale, you can get some incredible deals on unlisted properties if you do a little investigating to figure out what’s available. Tax records can be used to track down landowners and contact them directly to make an offer on land that you want.
- Networking: If you’re local in North Carolina, you can use your personal social networks to extend your search. Dig around in any professional associations or friend groups you have to see if anyone is considering land sales in the areas you’re interested in. You could run into an opportunity to purchase you would never have known about.
- Neighborhood scouting: It might seem awkward to go door to door if you’re looking for land, but it doesn’t hurt to go around and pass out some business cards to people in a neighborhood you’re looking to purchase in. Even if the people you talk to aren’t interested in selling, they might know somebody who is.
- Find a realtor: If you’re intimidated by the prospect of searching for land in North Carolina by yourself, a local realtor can help you narrow down your search and find the land that you need. Local realtors often have networks and connections that buyers don’t have themselves.
If you are local and looking for land for sale in North Carolina, visiting the lands you’re looking to purchase is the best option. If you’re looking to purchase land from out of state, however, online searches will be your best option for seeing the most land listings available.
Farm Land for Sale in North Carolina
If you’re looking for farm land for sale in North Carolina, there are plenty of options available. At any given time there are over four hundred farms and farm plots for sale across the state. North Carolina has always been heavily involved in agriculture, and you can find farm land for sale that could be used in the following farm property ventures:
- Greenhouse/nursery products: Greenhouse and nursery products produced on North Carolina farm land include hothouse flowers and vegetable seedlings for residential gardens. Many farms also specialize in niche products such as microgreens or tea.
- Tobacco: Tobacco is North Carolina’s largest cash crop next to greenhouse products. For land owners seeking farm land for tobacco, look for available farm properties with a historically dry microclimate. Too much rain can negatively affect tobacco quality.
- Cotton: Cotton is another popular farm crop in North Carolina, and farmers interested in purchasing a cotton farm in North Carolina should look for cleared land with flat terrain. Note that uncleared land can also be purchased for farm use, but this land will have to be terraformed and processed into arable land to produce a cash crop.
- Hobby farms: Due to the beauty of the land available, many property owners buy farm land in North Carolina to set up small self-sustaining homesteads. Since they can be created on small plots, homesteads can be bought and developed on property which would not support a commercial farm.
No matter what kind of farm land you’re looking for, the variety available allows you to find a farm that has land that is suited to the type of farming you’re interested in doing. Even if you’re just setting up a hobby farm in retirement, the type of land you buy will dictate what kind of crops you can grow and the types of livestock you can keep.
Where Can You Buy Farm Land in North Carolina?
The best place to buy farm land in North Carolina is through online search engines. Here are some of the best land sale databases to find property listings for North Carolina farms:
- Land and Farm: Land and Farm is a website that lists farm land from all over the United States. Listings for farm land include necessary details such as acreage, amenities like utilities access, and water access. Many of the listings also include video tours of the property to see what it looks like even if you don’t live in North Carolina.
- LandWatch: LandWatch is another land database that lists farm land available for sale in North Carolina. This website offers a range of different filters that make it easier to find the location and type of farm land that you need.
- Zillow: Zillow is a popular website for purchasing both homes and property. Zillow offers a lot of information on each individual property such as property features, tax/price history, nearby school zones, and other relevant information.
These are only a few of the available online land databases you can use to search land in North Carolina for sale. Since Land and Farm alone has over 400 farm properties for sale in North Carolina, you’ll have plenty of options to choose from even if you stick to these three major sites.
Land for Sale by Owner in North Carolina
Listed properties are available in online land databases, but you can also search locally in North Carolina to find land for sale by owner. Often when owners sell their own lot, they will post signage on or around the property advertising that it’s for sale. Landowners will sell by owner when they don’t want to go through the hassle or expense of hiring a realtor to do it.
Here are a few options you have when you’re looking for land for sale by owner in North Carolina:
- Newspaper ads: Many local sellers still use newspaper ads in the classifieds section to sell property locally, especially if they’re doing it on a by-owner basis. Check the local classifieds to see what properties are available and narrow your search down from there.
- Craigslist/Facebook: Some landowners will sell land through a general marketplace like Craigslist or Facebook rather than listing it with a land-specific market. It’s worth checking out local online groups like this for sale-by-owner listings.
- Speculation: Along with checking for land that is being listed as sale-by-owner, you can also try cold contacting landowners in the area if you want to invest in their property. Some people are not as attached to their current property as you’d think, especially when money becomes involved.
The advantage of buying land through a sale-by-owner scenario is that you can avoid a lot of the realtor fees, hassles, and additional costs involved with going through a property manager. Land for sale by owner is by far the most cost-effective way of acquiring it. The drawback to buying land from the landowner directly is that there isn’t a mediating party if the deal goes sour.
Where Is the Cheapest Land in North Carolina?
The cheapest land in North Carolina usually involves buying very small holdings (less than or around one acre). A plot of land between a quarter of an acre to 1.25 acres of land in North Carolina can be had for between $7,000 and $10,000 in many cases.
The cheapest land in North Carolina is usually rural and situated relatively far from major cities. Otherwise, there isn’t a specific area of North Carolina where land is cheaper than elsewhere in the state. (Source: Land and Farm)
How Much Does an Acre of Land Cost in North Carolina?
As of 2019, an acre of land in North Carolina costs approximately $4,180. The price of land in North Carolina historically rises around 2.8% per year, which means a similar parcel of land in 2021 should cost you around $4,300.
However, there are many different factors in property that can decrease or increase the value of a piece of land outside of the average price of the property. Here are a few of the things that can increase the value of land:
- Water access: Rural land that has creeks, rivers, a well, or a pond can usually be priced above the average compared to property that doesn’t have a natural water source. This is because natural water sources can be used for agriculture, fishing, or managing livestock. Some water features such as ponds are also popular for their aesthetic quality.
- Lumber: Undeveloped land that is covered with uncut timber is usually valued for both the property and the value of the uncut timber on the property.
- Landscaping: Rural land that has been heavily landscaped and is “move in ready” usually has more intrinsic value than undeveloped land unless the undeveloped land has untapped natural resources. Developed land incorporates the cost of clearing the land for building property. While more expensive, developed land is easier to build on quickly.
When you’re looking at the value of property for sale in North Carolina, it’s important to look at the location of the property along with the value. If the deal on a piece of property seems too good to be true, there’s a good chance that it is.
What Is the Prettiest City in North Carolina?
There are many beautiful cities located in North Carolina, so it’s hard to choose which would be considered the prettiest in the state. Whether you’re interested in coastal tidelands or you want property in the Appalachian mountains, there’s a gorgeous North Carolina city for just about everyone.
Here are a few of the most popular cities for beautiful views and natural surroundings in North Carolina (Source: Culture Trip):
- Asheville, North Carolina: Asheville is well-known as a hippie and hipster mecca. You can experience great hiking, some seriously spectacular views, and some of the best culinary traditions in the Appalachian region.
- New Bern: New Bern is historically a Swiss colony from the 1700s. This flower-laden city is now home to thousands of crepe myrtle trees that are spellbinding in bloom every spring. Along with natural elements, New Bern has some interesting architectural landmarks such as the Athens Theater and the Masonic Temple.
- Kitty Hawk: Perfect for beach lovers, Kitty Hawk is a coastal city that is part of North Carolina’s luxurious Outer Banks. The seascapes found around Kitty Hawk are some of the most iconic in North America. This is also the city where the first airplane was successfully flown by the Wright brothers in 1903. (Source: National Park Service)
If you’re looking for land in North Carolina to find a pretty place to live, you’re in luck! These are only the prettiest cities in the state. There are many other cities in North Carolina that are nestled in the state’s beautiful woodland, beach, and mountain environments.
Land Is Easy to Find in North Carolina
If you’re interested in purchasing land in North Carolina, you’ll have lots of good options to choose from. Using search tools and narrowing down your search to filter out properties that aren’t a good match for your uses are crucial steps for buying your own plot of land in this beautiful state.