Bay County, Florida
Sell your land in Upper Grand Lagoon for cash
At 15.9 square miles, almost half of it water, Upper Grand Lagoon is Bay County's largest Panama City Beach-area census place, and Parcel Buyers buys vacant sliver / remnant lots here for cash, no matter whether a city water line reaches the block. You get a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours, and closings run through an independent title company, typically in about 10 days, with no fees or commissions.
By Parcel Buyers · · Lot figures from the 2026 Florida property tax roll · How we made this page
Quick answers
- Who buys land for cash in Upper Grand Lagoon?
- Parcel Buyers is a direct land buyer that makes written, no-obligation cash offers on vacant lots and acreage in Upper Grand Lagoon, Bay County, usually within 24 hours. Sales close through an independent title company, typically in about 10 days, with no fees or commissions to the seller.
- What did vacant lots in Upper Grand Lagoon sell for in 2025?
- In 2025, vacant lots in Upper Grand Lagoon sold for a median of $147,500 across 30 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $92,500 to $248,700.
- How many vacant lots are in Upper Grand Lagoon?
- The 2026 Florida property tax roll lists 900 vacant residential lots in Upper Grand Lagoon; 21% are sliver / remnants, and the median lot is 0.20 acre.
- How is a cash offer for land in Upper Grand Lagoon set?
- We start from recent sales of similar lots nearby, like the 2025 prices on this page, then adjust for water and sewer, road access, flood zone, lot size and any title issues, and for the time and cost of reselling. You get one written number, not a range.
- How do I know a land buyer in Upper Grand Lagoon is legitimate?
- A real buyer closes through an independent, licensed title company and never asks you to pay anything up front. We never charge sellers a fee, deposit or closing-cost advance, and the title company pays you by check or wire at closing.
- Who is buying lots in Upper Grand Lagoon?
- In 2025, companies bought 43% of the vacant lots that sold in Upper Grand Lagoon, including 7% bought by homebuilders. Individuals bought the rest.
- Are vacant lots in Upper Grand Lagoon in a FEMA high-risk flood zone?
- About 34.5% of vacant lots in Upper Grand Lagoon have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated October 24, 2024). This is map screening, not a determination; check FEMA's Map Service Center for your parcel.
- How many vacant lots in Upper Grand Lagoon got a home on the tax roll in 2025?
- 50 vacant lots in Upper Grand Lagoon changed from vacant-residential use to a home with new-construction evidence on the 2026 final tax roll.
Local data
Upper Grand Lagoon land at a glance
Tax-roll figures cover parcels in the Bay County block groups that the 2020 Census assigns to the Upper Grand Lagoon CDP (10 block groups), addressed Panama City Beach in Bay County. Local rules and services are sourced below.
Property addresses here read Panama City Beach (100%).
| Vacant residential lots | 900 parcels classified vacant residential on the 2026 tax roll [1] |
|---|---|
| Most common lot size | Sliver / remnant (0–2,000 sq ft): 21% of vacant lots; next, quarter-acre lot at 19%. Median lot: 0.20 acre (8,760 sq ft). [1] |
| Typical assessed value | $79,100 median just (market) value for a vacant lot; the middle half fall between $33,300 and $118,900 [1] |
| Recent lot sale prices | $147,500 median across 30 arm's-length sales of vacant lots in Upper Grand Lagoon (Jan 2025–Dec 2025); the middle half sold for $92,500–$248,700 [1] |
| Who bought lots in 2025 | Companies made 43% of those purchases, including 7% by homebuilders; individuals made the rest [1] |
| Owners who live elsewhere | 22% of vacant lots have an owner mailing address outside Florida (most often GA, AL, TN) [1] |
| No city hall, just county offices | There has never been an Upper Grand Lagoon city government; it is a census-designated place. Two county offices fill that role: Building Safety signs permits, and Planning and Zoning checks projects against the county's land rules. [2],[3] |
| One of the largest Bay County CDPs | The 2020 Census counted 15,778 residents in Upper Grand Lagoon across 15.9 square miles, of which 49.13% is water, making this one of the largest and wettest census-designated places in Bay County by area. [4] |
| Nearly a quarter of housing sits empty | The Census Bureau's 2020 count found 24.4% of Upper Grand Lagoon's 8,896 housing units vacant, with an 11.9% rental vacancy rate, consistent with a mix of year-round residents and vacation or rental property near the beach. [4] |
| Two possible water paths, one parcel | A lot's water can arrive two different ways under Bay County's Potable Water Sub-Element: through Panama City Beach's own municipal system, which buys its supply wholesale from the county, or straight from the county's roughly 9,500-customer retail arm. [5] |
| Septic stays an option without a sewer line | A missing sewer connection does not stop a build. The county's wastewater plan still allows a septic permit under Rule 10D-6, F.A.C.; since January 2, 2025, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection issues it, not the county health department. [6],[7] |
| Two coastal lines, two different limits | Rule 62B-33, F.A.C. governs anything seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line, per the county plan. Separately, the Category 1 SLOSH storm-surge line marks a Coastal High-Hazard Area barring mobile home parks, subdivisions and RV parks outright. [8] |
| A disaster plan governs any rebuild | If a structure here goes down in a storm, rebuilding is not a blank slate: the county's Post Disaster Redevelopment Plan, part of its Local Hazard Mitigation Strategy, sets the building and flood-zone terms, per the Coastal Management Element. [8] |
| The $40 stormwater charge targets built lots | Under a county ordinance effective January 18, 2005, Bay County's stormwater utility bills $40 a year, flat, but only on parcels it classifies as "developed." A tax-roll vacant lot hasn't crossed into that category, so the charge passes it by. [9],[10] |
| Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport | The airport's own site says it "sits 20 minutes from Panama City Beach," the address city for every lot in this tax-roll scope, putting commercial air service within a short drive of Upper Grand Lagoon. [11] |
| Vacant lots that got a home on the tax roll in 2025 | 50 recorded with new-construction evidence. [1] |
| Years of lot supply at the 2025 building pace | 18.0 years; simple ratio, not a forecast. [1] |
| 2026 so far (Jan-Sep) | 12 recorded vacant-lot sales; median $120,000. [1] |
| FEMA high-risk flood-zone screen | About 34.5% of vacant lots in Upper Grand Lagoon have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated October 24, 2024). This is map screening, not a determination; check FEMA's Map Service Center for your parcel. |
| Springs BMAP small-lot screen | About 0% of located vacant lots in Upper Grand Lagoon are 1 acre or less and have their center point in an adopted Florida springs BMAP. |
Pricing
What is a lot in Upper Grand Lagoon worth?
In 2025, vacant lots in Upper Grand Lagoon sold for a median of $147,500 across 30 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $92,500 to $248,700. [1]
These are open-market sale prices. A direct cash offer is usually lower, because a cash buyer closes in days and takes on the time and cost of reselling the lot.
See what similar lots sold for
What moves the price in Upper Grand Lagoon
Nearly half this CDP is water, which pulls coastal rules in
At 49.13% water by area, more of Upper Grand Lagoon sits near the shoreline than in most Bay County communities, which brings the state's coastal rules into play for a larger slice of its land. Rule 62B-33, F.A.C. controls anything seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line, and the Category 1 SLOSH storm-surge line marks a separate Coastal High-Hazard Area where the county won't allow a mobile home park, subdivision or RV park at all. Where a specific lot sits against those two lines, not its tax-roll size bucket, decides what can go on it. [8]
Lot size and the sliver-lot pattern
Upper Grand Lagoon's vacant residential lots run smaller than the county average. The median lot here is 0.20 acres (8,760 square feet), and 21% of the 900 vacant residential lots in this tax-roll scope fall in the sliver / remnant class, meaning a meaningful share of the inventory is small or irregular remnants rather than standard building lots. The tax-roll size category does not by itself prove a remnant can stand alone as a buildable site. [1]
What lots actually sold for in 2025
30 vacant lots here sold under arm's-length, single-parcel terms in 2025, landing at a $147,500 median with the middle half spread across $92,500–$248,700. Every sale in that count stayed vacant from the sale date through January 1, 2026. Separately, the tax roll's median property-appraiser just value sits at $79,100 - an assessment figure, not a 2025 sale price and not a Parcel Buyers offer. [1]
Rebuilding after storm damage follows a county plan, not a blank slate
Bay County's Post Disaster Redevelopment Plan, referenced in the Coastal Management Element, sets the building and flood-zone retrofitting rules used after a coastal storm. A lot that previously held a storm-damaged structure may face different elevation or setback requirements on rebuild than it did when the original structure went up, separate from whatever the vacant lot's tax-roll category suggests. [8]
Common situations
Selling land in Upper Grand Lagoon in these situations
You don't know where your lot sits against the coastal line
That's fine - you can still sell. Figuring out whether a parcel falls inside the Coastal Construction Control Line or the Category 1 storm-surge zone is our job during the land inspection, not something we need from you up front. We check that, along with access, utilities and title, before we ever write an offer. [8]
You don't know if the lot has water or sewer lined up
You don't need to find out first. Whether a given Upper Grand Lagoon parcel connects to Panama City Beach's municipal line, the county's own retail system, or needs a septic permit from the state, is exactly what our inspection sorts out before we make an offer on the specific lot. [5],[6]
You're an out-of-state owner who inherited this lot
That describes a lot of our sellers here: 22% of vacant-lot owners in this tax-roll scope carry a mailing address outside Florida. Everything can run by mail or electronically - signing, payment by check or wire - through an independent title company, without a trip to Panama City Beach. [1]
The lot has just sat there through storm after storm
That's still a sellable lot. Since the tax roll carries it as vacant land rather than a developed parcel, it isn't on the hook for Bay County's $40 annual stormwater charge. Our land inspection is the only condition on an offer, and it costs nothing if the lot doesn't pass. [10]
Step by step
How do I sell my land in Upper Grand Lagoon?
From your first message to money in hand, with nothing left out. Requesting an offer costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
See every detail of the process-
Tell us about your land
Fill out the short form (about 60 seconds) or email us. A land specialist reaches out to confirm the details, usually the same business day.
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Get your cash offer within 24 hours
We review the property and send a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours. It is a real number, not a range. Take it or leave it, with no pressure either way.
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Sign electronically
If you accept, everyone signs the purchase agreement electronically. There is nothing to print or mail at this stage.
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We inspect, the title company verifies
Our team inspects the land and an independent title company runs a title search for liens or taxes owed. If the land does not pass inspection, you are never charged anything.
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Close and get paid
The title company prepares the closing documents for notarization and issues your funds by standard check, overnight check, or wire transfer. A typical sale closes in 10 days.
Questions
Selling land in Upper Grand Lagoon: common questions
Does Panama City Beach run the zoning here?
No - the city's own address shows up on mail here, but Upper Grand Lagoon never joined the city limits. Two Bay County offices, Planning and Zoning and Building Safety, handle land-use review and permits instead of a city planning department.
Which lots does the coastal control line actually reach?
Just the ones seaward of it, or inside 1,500 feet of it. Rule 62B-33, F.A.C. covers the first group, and the Coastal Zone Protection Act covers the buffer strip. A lot farther inland than that generally sits outside both rules.
Is there a yearly county charge just for owning a vacant lot?
Property tax, yes, every year. Bay County's $40-a-year stormwater charge, though, only hits parcels the county has classified as developed - a lot still carrying the vacant-land tax classification is outside that one.
Will I need a survey before you'll make an offer?
No. We work from the parcel's legal description and our own inspection to put a number on the table. A survey only tends to come up afterward, if the title company or a lender asks for one on the way to closing.
Will you buy a small or oddly shaped lot?
Yes. A meaningful share of the vacant residential lots in this tax-roll scope fall in the smallest size class the tax roll tracks here. We check whether a given lot has legal access and a usable building envelope, or whether it is better suited as an addition to an adjoining parcel, before making an offer.
Owner resources
Guides for your situation
- What Is Florida's "7-Year" Property Law (Adverse Possession)?
Someone does not take a Florida lot merely by walking across it, mowing it, or using it occasionally. Florida adverse possession requires seven years of qualifying, continued possession under an exclusive ownership claim.[1][3][4] A claimant without color of title must also meet strict tax-payment and property-appraiser-return rules.[4] Owners should keep taxes and addresses current, inspect the land, and act promptly on any notice or unauthorized use.
- How to Sell Land in a Flood Zone
Flood-zone land can be sellable and sometimes buildable. A FEMA flood zone describes mapped risk; it is not a building permit. The buyer must verify the current effective Flood Insurance Rate Map and any map changes, then ask the local floodplain administrator what elevation, floodway, coastal, permit, and design rules apply.[1][2][4] Vacant land itself is not covered by an NFIP policy; flood insurance covers qualifying buildings and contents, not land value.[5][6]
- How to Sell Land From Another State
You usually do not have to travel to sell land in another state. A title company, escrow company, or closing attorney can coordinate title review, approved signing and notarization, recording, and payment by check or wire. The main limits are state-specific deed rules and title: every owner and signer must have authority. Independently verify the parcel, closing company, and payment instructions before signing.
More places in Bay County
Your written offer
Get your cash offer
Four short steps, about 60 seconds. We review your property and send a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours. You can take it or leave it.
What happens after you send this
- A land specialist reaches out, usually the same business day, to confirm the details.
- You get a written cash offer within 24 hours: a real number, not a range.
- You decide. Requesting an offer costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
You will never be asked to pay us anything. No deposit, no processing fee, no closing-cost advance.
Nearby areas we buy
- Panama City Beach
5,243 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $200,000
- Laguna Beach
642 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $330,000
- Lower Grand Lagoon
427 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $285,000
- Bay County
20,880 vacant lots countywide
How we made this page
Parcel Buyers is a land-buying company based in Florida. We buy vacant land directly from owners and publish these local pages so owners can see what land in their area is doing before they sell, to us or anyone else. We count the tax-roll figures ourselves from state data, take local rules and fees from the official sources listed below, and use AI tools to help research and draft the text. Every number links to its source, and we update the page when the data changes.
Method and sources
Tax-roll figures cover parcels in the Bay County block groups that the 2020 Census assigns to the Upper Grand Lagoon CDP (10 block groups), addressed Panama City Beach. Source [1] is our own count of the Florida Department of Revenue's 2026 final property tax roll: "vacant residential" means land-use code 000; lot sizes use the land square footage on the roll; values are the county property appraiser's just (market) value as of January 1, 2026; sale prices count only arm's-length sales of a single lot that was vacant when it sold and was still vacant on January 1, 2026 (bulk and multi-parcel deeds removed). Page updated October 30, 2026. The reviewed 2026 recorded-sale window runs from January through September 2026; unreviewed recent sales are excluded. Flood and springs-BMAP figures screen tax-roll parcel center points, not parcel boundaries. They are aggregate map screens, not flood-zone, insurance, buildability, elevation, septic, or permitting determinations.
- [1] Florida Department of Revenue (data); Parcel Buyers (analysis), Parcel Buyers analysis of the 2026 final Name-Address-Legal (NAL) property tax roll (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [2] Bay County Government, Planning and Zoning (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [3] Bay County Government, Building Safety (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [4] Wikipedia, Upper Grand Lagoon, Florida (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [5] Bay County Government, Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 5, Section C: Potable Water Sub-Element (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [6] Bay County Government, Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 5, Section B: Wastewater Sub-Element (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [7] Florida Department of Health in Bay County, Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [8] Bay County Government, Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 7: Coastal Management Element (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [9] Bay County Government, Stormwater Utility (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [10] Bay County Government, Stormwater Utility FAQ: What is a developed Property? (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [11] Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, About ECP (accessed 2026-10-30)