Land with development potential

Selling land to a developer in Florida? See every option first.

Acreage that could become lots, an infill lot in a growing town, farmland near a new road. Before you sell land to a developer, see cash as is, owner financing and a 1% listing side by side, in writing.

See my options Call (305) 914-4191

Maybe a builder has called twice this year, or a letter came asking about the family farm. A developer can pay more for the right land, but that number usually comes with conditions and a long wait.

Prefer to text? Text (305) 914-4191 · Lea esta página en español

Aerial view of a golf and lake community in Southwest Florida — A built-out community in Southwest Florida

Acreage to infill lotsFarmland, pasture, woods and town lots

Zoned or notWith or without approvals in place

Options in writingYour net shown on each one

No cost to askNo obligation, no pressure

Why builders are calling

Florida keeps growing, and growth needs land.

Florida population, April 1 estimates

+1.84 million

More Florida residents in 2025 than at the 2020 census

23.4 millionFlorida residents, 2025 estimate

+121,850Polk County growth since 2020

Source: Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research

Every new neighborhood starts as somebody’s land. When a county grows, builders look for parcels near roads, jobs and water and sewer lines, so land that sat quiet for decades suddenly draws calls.

Builders do not pay for acres alone. They pay for what the land can legally and practically hold: how many homes, how soon, and at what cost.

HOMKEYS buys land across Florida. We are not a developer, and we say so up front. We show you, in writing, what your land could bring sold as is, with owner financing, or listed for the right buyer.

From our files

Where we are buying right now

Newly built two-story home with a garage and a fresh lawn — Every new home starts with land

This month we signed a contract to buy a vacant lot in the Lake Wales area. In Polk County we also have a package of seller-financed homes in Lake Wales, a subject-to purchase in Lakeland and a cash purchase in Winter Haven. In Manatee County we have a subject-to purchase in Parrish. We have not closed a large development tract, and we will not pretend we have. We check the records, see the land and put every option on paper. Own land near Lake Wales? See selling land in Polk County.

Real HOMKEYS situations. Names, addresses and prices left out to protect the sellers’ privacy.

Who we hear from

Owners who get the builder calls

Farm and ranch families

Pasture, groves or crops in the family for years, with rooftops getting closer. You may want to keep farming until closing, or sell part and keep the homeplace.

Heirs

Land left to several brothers and sisters, some living out of state. Every owner usually has to agree, and probate may come first. A Florida probate attorney can tell you which process fits. See selling inherited property.

Long-time holders

A lot or tract bought decades ago, now in the path of growth. The calls keep coming, but nobody has put a firm, written number in front of you.

What a developer looks for

What makes land valuable to a developer

Knowing what a builder’s team checks helps you judge any price, including ours.

Zoning and future land use

Every Florida county and city has a comprehensive plan with a future land use map, and zoning rules must be consistent with it. The land use designation sets the range of density, and zoning says what can be built today. Land already zoned for homes is worth more to a builder.

Source 1 · Source 2

Density

Builders think in homes per acre: ten acres at four homes per acre is a different deal from ten acres at one. Land zoned commercial, industrial or mixed use can carry extra value under Florida’s Live Local Act, which since 2023 requires local governments to allow apartments there, without a rezoning, when at least 40% of the units stay affordable for at least 30 years.

Source 1 · Source 2

Water and sewer

Florida law requires sewer, drainage and drinking water to be available to serve new development. A sewer main at the road makes land far more useful. Without sewer, the state septic rule caps the flow a lot may produce by its usable acreage, at 2,500 gallons per acre per day with public water and 1,500 with a private well.

Source 1 · Source 2

Access and road frontage

Builders want legal access and frontage on a paved road. A new or changed driveway or street connection onto a state highway needs a connection permit from the Florida Department of Transportation, so where the entrance goes is not up to the owner alone.

Source

Wetlands, stormwater and flood zones

Wetlands shrink the buildable area. A Florida Environmental Resource Permit is needed to dredge or fill wetlands and for new construction that creates stormwater runoff. Most are handled by the five water management districts. Builders also check FEMA flood maps for high-risk zones.

Source 1 · Source 2

Environmental and wildlife surveys

Developers usually order a Phase I environmental site assessment, which EPA accepts under the ASTM E1527-21 standard and which supports a buyer’s federal liability defenses. The gopher tortoise is a state-listed threatened species, and relocating tortoises before clearing takes an FWC permit and an authorized agent.

Source 1 · Source 2

Concurrency and impact fees

Concurrency means public facilities must keep up with growth. Statewide it covers sewer, solid waste, drainage and drinking water, and local governments may add more. Impact fees may not be collected before the building permit is issued, and Florida law caps most increases at 50% of the current rate.

Source 1 · Source 2

Plan amendments and rezoning

If the land use map does not allow the project, it needs a comprehensive plan amendment. Amendments covering 50 acres or fewer may qualify for the small scale process, with one hearing. Larger ones need two hearings and state agency review. A rezoning of a specific parcel is a quasi-judicial decision, and the applicant must show it is consistent with the plan.

Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3

As is or with approvals

Sell as is, or sell with an approval contingency

Sell as is

The buyer takes the land with its current zoning and conditions. The price reflects the buyer’s work and risk, but you get a set closing date and no hearings. This is how a HOMKEYS cash offer works.

Sell with an approval contingency

The buyer signs now but closes only after it gets the approvals it needs, such as a rezoning, a plan amendment or a site plan. The price can be higher. The trade-off is time, and the risk that approvals never come and the buyer walks away.

Why approval contracts take months

Before applying, the buyer’s team orders surveys, environmental work and engineering. Once a county receives an application, it has 30 days to say whether it is complete, then up to 180 days to decide when a hearing is required, and both sides can agree to extend. A plan amendment adds hearings and a 30-day state agency review, and it takes effect 31 days after the state finds it complete, if no one challenges it.

Sources: Fla. Stat. 125.022 · Fla. Stat. 163.3184

Due diligence

Surveys, Phase I, wetlands, wildlife and utility checks.

Application

The county checks that it is complete, then staff review it.

Hearings

Planning board, then the county commission or city council.

Approval and closing

Once the approvals are in place, closing follows.

Before you sign one, have a Florida land use attorney check the deposit and when it becomes nonrefundable, the approval period and extension fees, who pays for studies, and whether you can keep farming until closing.

Three ways to sell

A builder gives you one number. We show you three.

Option 1

Cash sale, as is

Best for: Owners who want a firm date, no hearings and no more tax bills
Trade-off: Price reflects today’s zoning, utilities and approval risk

Option 2

Owner financing

Best for: Paid-off land, when you want a higher price and monthly income
How: You set the price, down payment, interest rate and term. We pay you monthly, secured by a mortgage on the land.

Option 3

1% listing

Best for: Land with clear appeal to builders, when you can wait for them to compete
How: Listed on the MLS for a 1% listing fee through our licensed partner brokerage. Buyer agent pay is separate and negotiable.

Read about the cash sale, the 1% listing and comparing options. Subject to qualification, property inspection, and transaction terms. HOMKEYS does not give legal, tax or zoning advice. Talk with a Florida land use attorney, surveyor or tax professional about your situation.

Agricultural classification

What happens to your greenbelt when you sell

Land in good faith commercial farm use can be assessed on that use instead of market value. The return is due by March 1, and putting the land up for sale does not, by itself, cost you the classification while the farming continues.

The classification follows the use. The property appraiser reclassifies land that is diverted to another use or no longer farmed. In Polk County, the property appraiser removes it when the property transfers, and the new owner must apply. The law firm Shutts & Bowen suggests a seller under contract keep the right to farm until closing, and tell the appraiser promptly if farming stops, since late notice can bring back taxes.

Since 2013, the law no longer forces reclassification when an owner asks for a rezoning, and a high sale price no longer creates a presumption against farm use. A tax professional can tell you what a sale means for your taxes.

Sources: Fla. Stat. 193.461 · Polk County Property Appraiser · Shutts & Bowen · 2013 bill summary

Estimate

What would owner financing pay you?

A rough illustration. Put in your own price and terms. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Sale price Down payment Interest rate (%) Term (years)

Amount you financeSale price minus the down payment

Monthly payment to youPrincipal and interest, equal payments over the term

Total you collectDown payment plus every monthly payment

Enter a price to compare

Illustration only, not an offer. It leaves out taxes, closing costs and the risk of a buyer default. Subject to qualification, property inspection, and transaction terms.

See my options

Florida rules at a glance

Numbers that shape a development land sale

Statewide rules. Your county or city may add its own steps.

Statewide concurrencySewer, solid waste, drainage and drinking waterSource ↗

County decision clockUp to 180 days after a complete application when a hearing is neededSource ↗

Small scale plan amendment50 acres or fewer, one public hearingSource ↗

Impact feesNot collected before the building permit is issuedSource ↗

Live Local Act40% affordable units for 30 years; expires October 1, 2033Source ↗

Agricultural classificationReturn due by March 1 each yearSource ↗

How it works

What we need to make an offer on your land

Send the parcel ID

Or the address and county. Have a survey, a zoning letter or a builder’s offer? Send those too.

We check the records

Zoning, land use, flood zone, wetlands, access, utilities, taxes and liens.

We see the land

In person, or by Zoom or video call if you prefer.

Options in writing

Cash, owner financing and a 1% listing, with your net on each. Close at a licensed title company on your date, 7 to 90 days out.

Real closings

Recent HOMKEYS closings in Florida

Each one closed at a licensed Florida title company. We show the city and month only, never the address, to protect the seller's privacy.

ParrishOctober 2026Closed at a title company Spring HillSeptember 2026Closed at a title company

Daytona BeachSeptember 2026Closed at a title company

Wesley ChapelAugust 2026Closed at a title company Winter HavenAugust 2026Closed at a title company

OrlandoAugust 2026Closed at a title company

28 closings in 23 Florida cities and 17 counties since September 2024. See them on the map.

Guides for Florida sellers

Short reads on the questions we hear most from owners here.

Cash offer, listing or selling on termsRead the guide Selling from out of stateRead the guide What sellers pay at closingRead the guide

See all guides

Questions

What landowners ask before selling to a developer

A builder called about my land. Should I sell to them or to you?

Maybe to them. If a builder offers a strong price with short conditions, that may be your best path. We put cash, owner financing and a 1% listing in writing so you can compare. If listing to reach builders makes more sense, we will say so.

What makes land worth more to a developer?

Zoning and land use that already allow homes, more homes per acre, water and sewer nearby, road frontage, few wetlands, and no flood or wildlife problems. Each one cuts the cost and time to build.

What is an approval contingency, and why does it take so long?

It means the buyer closes only after getting approvals such as a rezoning. A county has 30 days to check an application and up to 180 days to decide when a hearing is needed, and plan amendments add more steps. Many months is normal.

Can I sell land that is not zoned for homes?

Yes. Sell it as is, priced on today’s zoning, or to a buyer who applies for a change. If it is zoned commercial, industrial or mixed use, Florida’s Live Local Act may allow qualifying apartments there. A land use attorney can tell you what applies.

My land has an agricultural classification. What happens when I sell?

The classification follows the farm use. It ends when the land is diverted or no longer farmed, and some counties, like Polk, remove it on transfer, so a buyer who keeps farming must apply. Ask a tax professional how a sale affects your taxes.

I inherited farmland with my siblings. Can we sell it?

Usually, yes. Every owner generally needs to agree, and probate may come first. A Florida probate attorney can tell you which process fits. We can show the options to all of you at once.

How does owner financing work on a land sale?

You set the price, down payment, interest rate and term. The buyer signs a note, a mortgage on the land is recorded, and you collect monthly payments. A Florida real estate attorney should draft the papers. Subject to qualification, property inspection, and transaction terms.

How fast can you close, and what does it cost to ask?

Asking costs nothing and does not commit you. Closing is 7 to 90 days out, on your date, at a licensed Florida title company. On a cash sale, HOMKEYS pays the closing costs.

More help

More for Florida landowners

Land by area: Polk County and Lake Wales, Lehigh Acres, Palm Bay and Marion County.

Guides for landowners

Areas where we buy

Talking to other buyers too? Read how to spot a bad buyer in Florida before you sign anything.

Ready to compare your three options? Start with the parcel.

About a minute. 4 short steps.

Who you will talk toDor Tzadok, CEO, and the HOMKEYS team

Dor oversees every offer and closing. We explain every number before you decide anything.

Know what your land is worth before you answer the builder.

Send the parcel ID or address. We will come back with your options in writing.

See my options Call (305) 914-4191 Text (305) 914-4191

Sources for this page

⌂ Equal Housing Opportunity

HOMKEYS LLC is committed to the letter and spirit of U.S. fair housing laws. We do business without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. This page is general information about selling Florida land, not legal, tax or zoning advice.