Finding that Buildable Land

It goes without saying that you'll need land if you want to build a house. To find it, you need to consider three things: your budget, where you are willing to live, and what sort of land you need.

A realtor or a subscription to an MLS service can help with that. But that route is not going to lead you to the most budget-friendly options. You'll need a realtor if you want to live in a top school zone, a chic neighborhood, on a golf course, or near the water. Just expect to pay for it.

If you want to pay less, you have some work to do. Start by answering these questions: First, what is your land-purchasing budget? What are you willing to pay before you build? Second, where are you willing to live? Are you willing to put up with petty crime and run-down houses? Are you willing to commute? Third, where do you need or want to live? Or where do you feel called to live?

What's your budget? How much are you ready to spend before breaking ground? There are some extra costs. In the summer of 2026, we looked at building a three-bedroom, 1,800-square-foot house on an unimproved lot that was available for $50,000. Before we could start, these additional costs would show up: lot clearing, $5,000; fill dirt, $7,000; well and septic, $30,000; and impact fee, $17,811. We needed about $120,000 to start. Just down the road, there was a lot for sale for $80,000 with an old three-bedroom mobile home on it. It was on a cleared lot with a septic tank and a well. Since we were replacing it with the same number of bedrooms, there would be no impact fee. To demolish it, we'd need $10,000. But it was old, not failing. Selling it, or even giving it away for relocation would have been an option and would have saved us enough to make the deal work.

If your budget is small, the most important question to answer is this: where are you willing to live? The most affordable land is generally rural. Neglected and underserved urban neighborhoods offer amazing deals—if you are willing to live there. The next level up is infill lots in neighborhoods that are otherwise built out. But you can find deals if you are willing to work at it. One of our customers is building a house on a 27-foot-wide lot with a 5-foot setback on each side. He picked it up with a small cash deal and a quitclaim deed. We designed a 17-foot-wide, two-bedroom house that met his needs.

You can make up for a small budget with time and hard work. Hunt for vacant lots. Many owners of undeveloped parcels are willing to sell if you can offer cash. Find out which of those lots can be developed. Research zoning. Go down to the county property appraiser's office. Let them know what you want to do. Many times, people in those offices enjoy helping ordinary people who are trying to find a way to get into a house. Once you have a list of acceptable lots, send letters to the owners with an offer you can afford.

A word of caution: when you send those letters, make the offer contingent on being able to build on the land. Don’t close on land you can’t build on. My friend Zach looked into some buying some empty lots in his neighborhood.  Two people accepted his offer. However, both lots were swampy with a boggy creek running right down the middle. He decided to forego closing.

Affordable land is out there, but it usually takes patience, flexibility, and diligent work. Pray for guidance. Know your budget. Stay open-minded about location. Look where others are not looking. Don’t give up. Keep searching until you find the land you need.

Where to search?

Get familiar with your city and county’s property appraiser’s web-site. You can find vacant land, zoning information, ownership, assessed value, taxes, payment of taxes, etc. It’s public knowledge. When you find the pieces of land you believe will work, send the owners a letter with the offer you can afford – whether it’s for sale or not.

Other online resources suggested for finding land.

Landwatch

Land And Farm

Land.com

Zillow (Lots & Land category)

Redfin (Land search)

Realtor.com (MLS‑backed)