Tips on showing interest in buying land thats not for sale?

Hi there, we bought 40 acres of mountain land a couple years ago, the land has been in the same family for generations so no survey had been done in a long time. There’s approximately 1.5 acres across the gravel road that we originally thought was part of the property, but ultimately ended up not being part of it. Wed really like to acquire it, as it is flattish (for WNC) and pretty cleared. We have our house site graded in on our property and hope to begin building soon.
I want to write a letter to the folks who own it asking if they would consider selling to us. There is no cleared land on our property and we dont need much, just enough to have a workshop/garden/ plant nursery. There  isnt many flat spots on our property without building a long road.

But also, one reason wed like to get that land now is we weren’t able to get the kind of loan we wanted to build the house. We own the house we live in and could get funds to build if we sold, but wed need somewhere to temporarily live. It would be way more easily doable if we could use that land to put a camper on and possibly a shed.

Our house is 45 min from the property and with gas prices how they are … it costs us 18 bucks to go out there and back in our truck!!

So if anyone has tips, or experience with doing something like this please tell me all about it! Or if you own land how would you feel about receiving a letter? How would you prefer someone to approach you?

A little more info… the land is part of old family land, and belongs to all the heirs but we had found and talked to one of them who said that land belongs to his sister. They own 120 acres on the other border of our property and are selling that right now. We showed interest to buy to the brother we met, and wrote him an offer. He told us he would talk to his sister and get back to us. He never did… we were trying to get a power easement from them for a long time. He would seem down to meet and get his sister out there but he never came through… he does live a couple hours away and owns a business so i can see why he’d be busy and forgetful. My new strategy is to get in touch with her directly.

Thanks for reading all my details! And i look forward to hopefully getting some helpful feedback

It's hard to comment on how other people operate, but as someone who owns a small piece of land and gets regular lowball offers, I can give a bit of insight. First, there may be some sort of attachment, whether it is future dreams that always end up out of reach, sentimental memories, or just sunk cost fallacy where they have been paying taxes on the land all of these years. I can imagine they likely value the land much higher than the tax assessor does.

I got my land for a very good price, but the tax assessor value was lower still. This might upset some people, but it meant my taxes are cheaper and I have no intention of selling. A few years ago I had gone online looking at prices of land nearby because I knew some people that were slightly interested in the area, and saw prices being paid were triple what I paid. After lockdowns and other world chaos with people wanting to change location, a lot of land was bought up at the higher price, which means there is very little chance of ever finding a deal like I got. Many people are aware of this and are unlikely to sell unless they are the one getting the deal.

A bit of an aside, but I've maintained cars for people for many years, and they are always getting strangers walking up to them, especially at the grocery store, saying they want to buy the car on the spot. They have a deal they "can't refuse" which is usually $1k or less. You can't touch a car in my area that both moves under it's own power and has good air conditioning for double that money. So unless someone is seriously ready to pay substantially more than the car is worth, cash in hand, then no one I know is willing to give up the good thing they have.

Obviously things are different with a piece of land that isn't being used. But the caveats I mentioned above still exist. Unless you catch the person in a financial crisis and they have few options, I doubt many people would be underselling right now. I'd imagine any offer under that of the high end of recent property sales would be considered an insult. Given the value of the property to you because of its location, if you are genuinely serious then it's probably going to cost extra up front. It sounds to me like this extra upfront cost would be worth it in your case, but that's a complex question you would ultimately have to figure out for yourself. With any luck you can make direct contact and have them name a number instead of playing games, as this might yield a reasonable price, or at the very least avoid them getting an offer they find insulting.

thank you for your insight! I do appreciate hearing from someone who owns land and has received offers before.

We are definitely willing to pay a higher price, and be respectful of whatever attachment they may harbor to that land.

Do you think its offensive to ask if we can have first rights to buy it if they end up selling it, if they dont want to sell right now?

And also, im much more of a heartfelt honest letter type of person, not too long or anything just show my appreciation for the land, and the history and tell a bit about the respect i will have for the land. Is that something that you personally would like or would you prefer a more strictly business letter?

Chloe,

If you sincerely have money to buy a property then your idea for a heartfelt honest letter is a great approach.  That way you can find out if the people are interested.

What harm can come of writing a nice letter?

Best wishes for your business venture.

Can I ask why bother with that block, when you could build a workshop etc on the larger one for the cash the small block will cost?

It's really hard to say, if they lived nearby where you could share what you have going on, possibly invite them over or out to dinner as a friendly gesture then that could work, but if they aren't nearby and not particularly receptive to what you are planning then they might not be interested in what's going on in the area. Very few people comprehend most of the things that I do, and I'm fortunate to have one good friend with some similar interests and a few corners of the internet to learn and share.

Plus some people simply won't sell. I'm mostly in that camp. Unless something completely kills the value of land, chances are I will have less invested in buying and paying taxes over the course of my life than the current price similar properties are selling at, and to me the value of the land is much more than that. My father worked hard all his life and the person he married took everything, which was against his wishes but he just naively trusted her. No money, no tools, not a single personal effect, so I'm pretty adamant to leave land and tools behind at the very least. I wouldn't sell my stuff to save myself, maybe to help someone else. If I had something to convince me to move elsewhere with a good land deal then I would consider selling, but I have little desire to ever leave this region. Some people are going to have their own motivations that can only be figured out by asking.

Anne, because the 40 acres is all forested mountain land, so it takes quite a bit of deforestation and grading to get level spots. And even more if you want to get enough sun to garden. I would like the space to grow my little nursery side business too. You just dont have many level areas in the mountains. It would cost quite a bit of money to cut down the trees and grade out level areas and to do it right, stone walls are usually needed to retain what you cut back.
Not to mention its jus beautiful land with a bold creek along it, and we thought it was part of the property, initially and was one of the reasons we loved it.

I, personally think i could find a way to live without it, but, my husband is seriously considering his future there if he doesn’t have some flatish land.
Another thing that worries us, is if someone else buys it and decides to build a house right there in front of ours. We moved way out there for privacy and peace.

Love the letter idea.    
You can find the address of the owner, their name, and so much more at your county seat.  
How much is owed, back taxes, Leins, or encumbrance are all public information.  With less than $10
you should be able to get a county worker to help you find and copy all the info you need.
Or you could hire the workout if you don't have the time again ask the county clerk for help finding a local service.

When crafting your letter try and find out as much as you can about the owner first.

They likely will want assurances that you will care for the land.  - if yes  Low Ball price
If no - assure them of a quick and painless sale.   No need to hire a real estate salesman saves them thousands.  yada  yada

Older folks or younger inherited owners.   Where do they live?  is it in default?  How is their health?  Lots of weird stuff just pops up and helps you negotiate a sale if you just keep poking around a few months before writing your finale  letter/email

Best of Luck

Hilaire Belloc's essay on scything has some advice for dealing with farmers that might be of some use. At least, the world would be better if it was of use.

To this race, I say, belonged the man who now approached me. And he said to me, “mowing?” And I answered, “Ar.” Then he also said “Ar,” as in duty bound; for so we speak to each other in the Stenes of the Down.

 Next he told me that, as he had nothing to do, he would lend me a hand; and I thanked him warmly, or, as we say, “kindly.” For it is a good custom of ours always to treat bargaining as though it were a courteous pastime; and though what he was after was money, and what I wanted was his labor at the least pay, yet we both played the comedy that we were free men, the one granting a grace and the other accepting it. For the dry bones of commerce, avarice and method and need, are odious to the Valley; and we cover them up with a pretty body of fiction and observances. Thus, when it comes to buying pigs, the buyer does not begin to decry the pig and the vendor to praise it, as is the custom with lesser men; but tradition makes them do business in this fashion:—

 First the buyer will go up to the seller when he sees him in his own steading, and, looking at the pig with admiration, the buyer will say that rain may or may not fall, or that we shall have snow or thunder, according to the time of the year. Then the seller, looking critically at the pig, will agree that the weather is as his friend maintains. There is no haste at all; great leisure marks the dignity of their exchange. And the next step is, that the buyer says: “That’s a fine pig you have there, Mr.—” (giving the seller’s name). “Ar, powerful fine pig.” Then the seller, saying also “Mr.” (for twin brothers rocked in one cradle give each other ceremonious observance here), the seller, I say, admits, as though with reluctance, the strength and beauty of the pig, and falls into deep thought. Then the buyer says, as though moved by a great desire, that he is ready to give so much for the pig, naming half the proper price, or a little less. Then the seller remains in silence for some moments; and at last begins to shake his head slowly, till he says: “I don’t be thinking of selling the pig, anyways.” He will also add that a party only Wednesday offered him so much for the pig—and he names about double the proper price. Thus all ritual is duly accomplished; and the solemn act is entered upon with reverence and in a spirit of truth. For when the buyer uses this phrase: “I’ll tell you what I will do,” and offers within half a crown of the pig’s value, the seller replies that he can refuse him nothing, and names half a crown above its value; the difference is split, the pig is sold, and in the quiet soul of each runs the peace of something accomplished.

 Thus do we buy a pig or land or labor or malt or lime, always with elaboration and set forms; and many a London man has paid double and more for his violence and his greedy haste and very unchivalrous higgling. As happened with the land at Underwaltham, which the mortgagees had begged and implored the estate to take at twelve hundred and had privately offered to all the world at a thousand, but which a sharp direct man, of the kind that makes great fortunes, a man in a motor-car, a man in a fur coat, a man of few words, bought for two thousand three hundred before my very eyes, protesting that they might take his offer or leave it; and all because he did not begin by praising the land.

The Mowing of a Field

Anne Miller wrote:What harm can come of writing a nice letter?

I think the ideal situation would be living on the property, getting to know the neighbor, and then casually mentioning you would be interesting in buying part of their land if they're ever interested in selling. The letter might get faster results, but some people will see dollar signs when they receive a letter and expect multiples of fair market value for the land.

A few years ago I was in a similar position. I wanted 5 acres adjoining mine.   I spoke face to face with the owner and told him if he was ever interesting in selling to name a price. I would either say yes or no with zero haggling.   A number of months later he approached me with the market price. I accepted.

I actually have a similar situation that I took action on recently. I live on 8 acres in a low-density residential area (forest with homes at irregular spacing in a "block" of 4 roads, making a 1/2 mile x 1 mile square). The land behind mine is 13 acres, is undeveloped, and the owners live a couple hours away.

I found the owner's information in our county database, which was very easy, as it is an online map - you click on the land parcel and the property info pops up - and wrote them a letter introducing myself, explaining that I would like to access their land in some way that would be acceptable to them, whether it be purchase, lease, land contract, etc., and explained to the my intentions for the land.

The letter was sent out 2 weeks ago, and the way the USPS is these days, they may not have even received it yet, but I figured this open approach really put the ball in their court and allows them to express whatever their honest interest is in letting me get ahold of that land, even if they don't want to sell it outright.

In the situation you described, I would guess there is some family dynamic going on that you may not know about, maybe the brother is intentionally not contacting the sister for some reaosn, or something like that, so finding her contact info and going to her directly sounds like the best approach for sure.