Everything below is written for New Hampshire landowners deciding what to do with a lot or acreage: what land is worth, what a sale costs, what paperwork you need, and how a direct sale works. No fluff, no pressure.
You have three main options:
1. List with a real estate agent. Broadest exposure. Land commissions in NH typically run 6 to 10 percent, and vacant land often sits on the market 6 to 18 months because far fewer people buy land than houses.
2. Sell it yourself. No commission, but you set the price, field the calls, and manage the paperwork. Works best when an abutter or neighbor already wants the land.
3. Sell directly to a land buying company. Fastest and simplest. Companies like RealtyMile make a cash offer, pay the closing costs, and close on your schedule. The tradeoff is a price below full retail in exchange for speed and certainty.
Which is right depends on one question: do you want the highest possible price and can wait for it, or do you want the sale done?
Land value in NH is driven mostly by buildability: road frontage, acreage, zoning, wetlands, soils that support a septic system, and access to power. A buildable lot near a growing town can be worth many times more per acre than remote acreage with no frontage.
Two things owners often misjudge:
Assessed value is not market value. The number on your town tax card is a taxation figure. Actual sale prices routinely land above or below it.
Asking prices are not sale prices. To estimate value, look at what similar sized lots in your town actually sold for, not what sellers are asking.
RealtyMile provides a written, no obligation offer and explains the reasoning behind the number, including what town records and mapping show about your parcel.
Yes. New Hampshire does not require an agent to sell property. A valid sale needs a written purchase and sale agreement, a deed prepared for the transfer, and a closing where the deed is recorded at the county registry of deeds.
Most sellers use a title company or closing attorney to run the title search, prepare documents, and record the deed even when no agent is involved. In a direct sale to RealtyMile, we prepare the agreement, pay the closing costs, and an independent title company handles the closing and the money.
Real Estate Transfer Tax: NH charges $0.75 per $100 of the sale price to each side, 1.5 percent of the price in total, normally split between buyer and seller. Who pays can be negotiated; in many direct sales the buyer covers it.
Capital gains: New Hampshire has no state income tax on capital gains for individuals. Federal capital gains tax applies to your profit above what you paid for the land.
Current Use (RSA 79-A): if your land is enrolled in Current Use, a Land Use Change Tax of 10 percent of full market value is assessed when the land is developed or removed from the program. Selling alone does not trigger it, and who pays it when development is planned is negotiable in the purchase agreement.
Property taxes: prorated to the closing date and settled from proceeds. Unpaid back taxes are paid off at closing.
This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Confirm your situation with a New Hampshire closing attorney or CPA.
The essentials: your deed (or just the book and page reference at the county registry of deeds), the town tax map and lot number, and government ID. A survey, septic test results, or old permits help but are not required.
If the land is owned by a trust, an estate, or several heirs, the trustee or executor paperwork is needed so every owner of record can sign. Lost your deed? Not a problem; the registry holds the recorded copy and a title company retrieves it during closing.
Yes to all three, and these are among the most common situations we see:
Inherited land: sellable once the estate gives the executor or heirs authority to sign the deed.
Trust owned land: the trustee signs. Many NH parcels are held in family realty trusts; sales like this close every day.
Back taxes: unpaid property taxes do not block a sale. They are paid from your proceeds at closing. Even land heading toward tax deeding can usually be sold before the town takes title.
Listed vacant land commonly takes 6 to 18 months to sell; the buyer pool for land is a fraction of the housing market. A direct cash sale typically closes in 2 to 6 weeks, limited mainly by the title search.
RealtyMile closes on your timeline: fast if you want it done, or on a date months out if that works better for your taxes or family plans.
No. Land sells in New Hampshire every week without a survey or perc (septic) test. Buyers who need them, such as builders, order and pay for them during their own due diligence. If you already have a survey or soil test results, share them; they make the parcel easier to evaluate and can raise the offer.
Four main groups: home builders hunting for buildable lots, abutters expanding their property, recreational buyers (hunting, camping, trails), and land investment companies.
Builders pay the most, and only for lots that are ready to build: solid frontage, dry soils, workable zoning. RealtyMile's specialty is knowing what New Hampshire builders are actively looking for and matching land to that demand, which is why we can make real offers on parcels other buyers pass over.
Step 1 — Tell us about the property. Submit it at realtymile.com or reply to a letter you received from us. You get a confirmation the same day.
Step 2 — We research and make a written offer. We pull town records, GIS mapping, wetlands and zoning data, then present a cash offer with the reasoning behind the number.
Step 3 — Close when you want. Accept, and an independent title company handles the closing. You are paid at recording. No commissions, no fees, no obligation at any step.
Tell us about your property. You will get a straight answer either way, even if the answer is that listing it is your better move.
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