Best Place to Buy Land: The Honest Guide to Finding Deals (Without Getting Burned)

Best websites to buy land in 2025

Buying land is one of the few ways you can still find a real “deal” in real estate—if you know where to look. The problem is most people start in the wrong place, chase the wrong listings, or skip the due diligence and end up with land they can’t use.

This guide breaks down the best places to buy land, what each site is best for, and how to choose the right path depending on whether you want a homesite, investment, hunting/recreation, or an affordable owner-financed lot.

Quick answer: What’s the best place to buy land?

If you want the biggest selection and easiest search tools, LandWatch is usually the #1 starting point for most buyers because it’s built specifically for land listings and has tons of inventory across the U.S.

But “best” depends on what you want:

• Want the widest selection? → LandWatch

• Want normal MLS-style listings? → Zillow / Realtor

• Best website to buy affordable land for sale with financing → Thelandservice.net

• Want the best chance at underpriced deals (with extra risk)? → Facebook Marketplace / local groups

• Want no competition / direct-to-owner deals? → Direct sellers and owner-financed land sites

Let’s break it down.

1) LandWatch (Best overall for land search)

Best for: browsing inventory fast, filtering by acreage/price/county, comparing listings.
Why it’s #1: it’s land-first. It’s not a home site pretending land is a category.

Pros

• Huge land inventory nationwide

• Good filters for acreage, price, county, land type

• Easier to compare lots quickly

Cons

• Many listings are from agents or larger sellers (pricing can be “retail”)

• Some listings are syndicated across multiple sites, so competition is higher

Best way to use LandWatch:
Use it to get a realistic sense of pricing in the county you want. Then you’ll know immediately when something is overpriced.

2) Zillow / Realtor (Best for “MLS-style” land)

Best for: buyers who want traditional listings, agent support, and MLS-style data.
Pros

• Familiar interface

• Useful for areas where most inventory is agent-listed

• Can sometimes catch price drops

Cons

• Land data can be messy (bad pins, wrong zoning notes, missing utilities info)

• Filters aren’t always land-focused

• You’ll see a lot of “coming soon” or stale listings

Pro tip:
If a land listing has been sitting a long time, ask why. Land doesn’t always sell fast, but stale listings can mean pricing is wrong or there’s a hidden issue.

3) The Land Service ( Thelandservice.net )

Best for: buyers who want affordable land with low down owner financing, Family oriented site with great listings and no credit checks
Pros

• Easy To Use Site

• Payments for as low as $99 down and $99 a month

• Can sometimes catch price drops

• No credit checks or interest rates

Cons

• Smaller than landwatch

• Not as many listings

• Land in states you may not be interested in at the moment

Pro tip:
Thelandservice.net is one of the best online land websites for people looking for affordability. Look for deals as they often list a monthly deal. Ask for help looking for land if needed they are always willing to

4. Facebook Marketplace (Best for potential deals, highest scam risk)

Best for: bargain hunters willing to verify everything.
Pros

• You can find underpriced land

• Direct communication with the seller

• Sometimes motivated sellers just want it gone

Cons

• Scammy listings are common

• Bad or missing details

• Lots of “creative” descriptions that hide problems

Facebook safety checklist

• Verify the parcel number and owner name

• Never pay without a signed agreement

• Confirm the parcel exists (county GIS)

• Ask for a recent tax bill or deed reference

• If anything feels rushed, walk away

4) County GIS + county tax websites (Best for verification and research)

This isn’t where you “shop” like LandWatch, but it’s where you confirm the truth.

Best for: confirming parcel boundaries, owner name, taxes, zoning hints, and road access.
Pros

• Official data

• Helps you avoid fake listings

• Lets you confirm taxes and status

Cons

• Not always user-friendly

• Data can be outdated in some counties

If you’re buying land, county records are your best friend. Use them every time.

5) Auctions (Best for advanced buyers)

Best for: experienced buyers who understand title risk and can move fast.
Pros

• Some of the cheapest prices possible

• Big upside if you know what you’re doing

Cons

• Due diligence window is short

• Title issues can be complex

• Competition can be intense on “good” properties

If you’re new, I’d treat auctions as “Phase 2” after you’ve bought at least one property the normal way.

6) Direct sellers (Best for simple financing and less friction)

A lot of buyers don’t want to deal with banks, appraisals, or credit pulls—especially if the goal is a small lot, a future build, camping land, or a long-term hold.

Best for: buyers who want:

• low down payment options

• simple monthly payments

• fast online purchase

• no waiting on bank underwriting

This is where owner-financed land sellers can be a strong option—as long as the seller is transparent about:

• property details

• taxes

• access

• restrictions

• payoff terms

If you want to explore that route, you can browse owner-financed listings directly and compare them against “retail” pricing you see on LandWatch and Zillow.

If you’re looking for low down payment land with simple monthly payments, you can browse current owner-financed land inventory here: Owner Financed Land

How to choose the best place to buy land for YOU

Here’s the simplest decision tree:

If you want the biggest selection: start with LandWatch
If you want traditional listings: check Zillow/Realtor
If you want deal-hunting: use Facebook, but verify hard
If you want financing simplicity: look at direct sellers / owner financing
If you want “deep discounts”: learn auctions (carefully)

The 7 questions to ask before you buy any land

No matter where you find the listing, ask:

1. What’s the parcel number?

2. Is there legal access (recorded easement or public road frontage)?

3. What are the taxes and are they current?

4. What’s the zoning and what’s allowed (camping, RV, mobile, build)?

5. Any HOA or deed restrictions?

6. Utilities nearby or is it off-grid?

7. Any floodplain/wetlands concerns?

If a seller won’t answer these clearly, it’s a red flag.

Final take

The “best place to buy land” isn’t one website—it’s the right combo:

• Use a big marketplace (like LandWatch) to see the full playing field

• Use county data to verify

• Then choose the buying path that fits your budget and your timeline