Franklin County, Florida
Sell your land in Dog Island for cash
Parcel Buyers buys vacant lots on Dog Island for cash, including quarter-acre lots reachable only by boat or private plane, with no bridge and no city water or sewer line. 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 Dog Island?
- Parcel Buyers is a direct land buyer that makes written, no-obligation cash offers on vacant lots and acreage in Dog Island, Franklin 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.
- How many vacant lots are in Dog Island?
- The 2026 Florida property tax roll lists 191 vacant residential lots in Dog Island; 20% are quarter-acre lots, and the median lot is 0.45 acre.
- How is a cash offer for land in Dog Island 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 Dog Island 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.
- How much are estimated annual ad valorem taxes on a typical vacant lot in Dog Island?
- A typical vacant lot in Dog Island has estimated 2025 ad valorem taxes about $636 a year; most lots here also pay non-ad valorem charges (listed below).
- How many vacant lots in Dog Island got a home on the tax roll in 2025?
- 1 vacant lots in Dog Island changed from vacant-residential use to a home with new-construction evidence on the 2026 final tax roll.
Local data
Dog Island land at a glance
Tax-roll figures cover parcels on Dog Island, the Franklin County barrier island that is section 6 of township 8 south, range 4 west: lots with no property-address city in that section plus parcels whose property-address city is Dog Island in Franklin County. Local rules and services are sourced below.
| Vacant residential lots | 191 parcels classified vacant residential on the 2026 tax roll [1] |
|---|---|
| Most common lot size | Quarter-acre lot (9,000–13,000 sq ft): 20% of vacant lots; next, half-acre lot at 11%. Median lot: 0.45 acre (19,470 sq ft). [1] |
| Typical assessed value | $64,000 median just (market) value for a vacant lot; the middle half fall between $26,000 and $105,000 [1] |
| Recent lot sale prices | Too few arm's-length vacant-lot sales in 2025 to report a reliable median for Dog Island [1] |
| Owners who live elsewhere | 42% of vacant lots have an owner mailing address outside Florida (most often GA, LA, AL) [1] |
| Not a city or town | Dog Island is unincorporated Franklin County, not an incorporated city or town. The county's Building Department reviews plans and issues permits here, the same as on the mainland. [3] |
| Dog Island Airport | The island has its own private, uncontrolled airstrip, Dog Island Airport (FAA code FA43), a 2,700-foot turf runway opened in 1930. With a weekend, by-reservation ferry, it is one of only two ways onto an island with no bridge or public road. [2] |
| Most of the island is conservation land | The Nature Conservancy owns the bulk of Dog Island as a wilderness preserve. The Dog Island Conservation District, a state special district, was created to guide development and help preserve the island; it does not own the privately platted lots. [2] |
| One unit per acre near the Gulf | Franklin County's Comprehensive Plan caps density in the Coastal High Hazard Area, and seaward of the state's Coastal Construction Control Line, at one unit per acre or one unit per lot of record, absent DEP's written approval. [4] |
| No new mobile homes on the barrier islands | The county's plan separately bars new development orders for mobile home projects in FEMA V-zones and "on the barrier islands in Franklin County," language that names Dog Island along with St. George, St. Vincent and Cape St. George. [4] |
| Septic permits moved to the state | Since July 1, 2021, under a law signed in 2020 (SB 712), the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, not the county health department, issues septic (OSTDS) permits in Franklin County. The application goes through DEP's own ostds.floridadep.gov portal. [5],[6] |
| Flood zones set the build height | Franklin County's flood page lists zones up to VE, the coastal high-hazard zone, requiring the lowest structural member at least one foot above the base flood elevation. Check a specific parcel's zone on the county's flood map. [7] |
| Vacant lots that got a home on the tax roll in 2025 | 1 recorded with new-construction evidence. [1] |
| Typical annual ad valorem taxes | A typical vacant lot in Dog Island has estimated 2025 ad valorem taxes about $636 a year; most lots here also pay non-ad valorem charges (listed below). |
| 2026 so far (Jan-Sep) | County-level for Franklin County: 167 recorded vacant-lot sales; median $65,000. [1] |
Pricing
What is a lot in Dog Island worth?
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 Dog Island
Getting to the lot is part of the cost of building on it
Yes, access is a real line item here, not a formality. Dog Island has no bridge and no public road connecting it to the mainland. The only ways on are a weekend, by-reservation ferry and the island's own private airstrip, Dog Island Airport, a 2,700-foot turf runway built in 1930. Every load of lumber, every delivery of fill, and every inspector has to cross that way, which raises the cost of building compared with a mainland lot of the same size. [2]
Density caps near the Gulf limit what a lot can become
A Dog Island lot cannot be split into more homesites than the county's coastal rules allow. Franklin County's Comprehensive Plan caps new development in the Coastal High Hazard Area, and seaward of the state's Coastal Construction Control Line, at one unit per acre or one unit per lot of record, and new mobile home projects are barred outright on the county's barrier islands, Dog Island included. Those caps, not the lot's size category alone, set the ceiling on what can be built. [4]
Septic now goes through a state portal, not a county office
Yes, where you apply for a septic permit changed in 2021. Franklin County was one of the first counties moved from Department of Health permitting to the Department of Environmental Protection, under a 2020 law. A buyer or builder now applies through DEP's own ostds.floridadep.gov portal rather than the county health department, and that shift can affect how long permitting takes on an undeveloped lot. [5],[6]
Conservation ownership next door does not reach your deed
The Nature Conservancy's preserve covers most of Dog Island, and a state-created Conservation District exists to guide development islandwide, but neither one owns the privately platted lots that remain in private hands. What does reach a private lot is the county's flood-zone rule: Franklin County's flood map uses zones up to VE, the coastal high-hazard category, which sets how high a new structure's lowest structural member has to sit above the base flood elevation. [2],[7]
Common situations
Selling land in Dog Island in these situations
You inherited a lot you have never set foot on
Yes, you can sell an inherited Dog Island lot you have never visited. Reaching the island at all takes a reserved weekend ferry ride or a flight into the island's own small airstrip, so plenty of owners of record have never walked their parcel. Parcel Buyers closes through an independent title company, and the title path determines what paperwork is needed before closing. [2]
The lot has no water, sewer or road built to it
Yes, we buy vacant Dog Island lots as they sit, including a lot with no water line, no sewer connection and no paved road reaching it. No bridge connects the island to the mainland, and a new septic system now needs a Department of Environmental Protection permit rather than a county health department one. We check utilities, access and title on every parcel before offering, and our land inspection is the only contingency; a failed inspection costs the seller nothing. [5],[3]
You live out of state and have never dealt with island property before
Yes, you can sell from anywhere, without ever chartering a boat or a plane to see the lot yourself. 42% of vacant-lot owners in this scope have a mailing address outside Florida. You can sign electronically, close by mail through an independent, licensed title company, and be paid by check or wire, typically about 10 days after the purchase agreement is signed. [1]
The property taxes on the lot have fallen behind
Yes, you can still sell if the taxes have fallen behind. Franklin County taxes become delinquent on April 1, with a 3% penalty, and the Tax Collector holds a tax certificate sale on or before June 1. An owner has 22 months from that sale to redeem the certificate before the holder can move toward a tax deed. Liens or back taxes can be paid from the sale proceeds at closing, with the seller's consent. [8]
Step by step
How do I sell my land in Dog Island?
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.
-
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.
-
Sign electronically
If you accept, everyone signs the purchase agreement electronically. There is nothing to print or mail at this stage.
-
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.
-
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 Dog Island: common questions
Is Dog Island its own town with its own government?
No. Dog Island is unincorporated Franklin County, not an incorporated city or town. The county's Building Department, reached the same way as for any Franklin County property, reviews plans and issues permits here; there is no island-specific town hall.
How do I even sell a lot I can only reach by boat or small plane?
The same way you would sell any vacant lot, just without a site visit required on your end. We check utilities, access and title on every parcel before offering, and you get a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours without having to arrange your own trip out to the island.
Does the Nature Conservancy or the Conservation District own my lot?
No, not if your lot was privately platted and deeded. The Nature Conservancy's preserve covers most of the island, and the state-created Dog Island Conservation District exists to guide island development, but neither one holds title to privately owned lots. Check your own deed and the county property record for your parcel's status.
Can I build more than one home on a Dog Island lot?
Usually not. Franklin County's Comprehensive Plan caps density in the Coastal High Hazard Area and seaward of the state's Coastal Construction Control Line at one unit per acre or one unit per lot of record, whichever applies to your parcel. Mobile home projects are barred outright on the county's barrier islands.
Who do I apply to for a septic permit on Dog Island now?
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, not the county health department. Franklin County moved to DEP septic permitting on July 1, 2021, under a 2020 state law, and applications now go through DEP's own online portal.
Can I sell my Dog Island lot if I live out of state?
Yes. 42% of the vacant-lot owners in this scope have a mailing address outside Florida. You can sign electronically and close by mail through an independent title company, with payment by check or wire.
Owner resources
Guides for your situation
- Can You Sell Land With Back Taxes in Florida?
Yes. Florida land with back property taxes can often be sold if closing can redeem the tax lien before the tax-deed cutoff. With the seller's consent, the title company can use sale proceeds for the approved payoff. Move quickly: taxes generally become delinquent April 1,[1][2] and redemption ends once a tax-deed buyer makes full payment to the clerk.[4][7]
- Can You Build on a Vacant Lot?
Maybe. A vacant lot is buildable only if the proposed use fits the rules that apply to that parcel and the site can satisfy access, utility, environmental, and permit requirements. Start with the local planning or zoning office, confirm that the parcel is a legal lot, and get a written parcel-specific answer. A zoning label or tax parcel number alone is not approval to build.[1][2]
- How to Sell Land During a Divorce
Florida land can be sold during a divorce when the people with authority to convey title sign and the sale follows every applicable agreement and court order. Divorce law may treat land as marital even when only one spouse appears on the deed.[1][2] If ownership, signing authority, or the division of proceeds is unsettled, have a Florida attorney and the closing title company resolve those issues before closing.
More places in Franklin 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
- Carrabelle
1,232 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $40,000
- Apalachicola
529 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $55,500
- St George Island
156 vacant lots
- Franklin County
6,600 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 on Dog Island, the Franklin County barrier island that is section 6 of township 8 south, range 4 west: lots with no property-address city in that section plus parcels whose property-address city is Dog Island. 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. Holding-cost estimates use 2025 taxable values and 2025 millage for FDOR vacant-residential code 000 parcels. They cover ad valorem taxes only, not a parcel-specific bill or non-ad valorem assessments. The reviewed 2026 recorded-sale window runs from January through September 2026; unreviewed recent sales are excluded. County-level figures are used on this place page.
- [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] Wikipedia, Dog Island (Florida) (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [3] Franklin County Board of County Commissioners, Franklin County Florida official government website (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [4] Franklin County Board of County Commissioners, Franklin County Comprehensive Plan goals, objectives and policies (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [5] Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Onsite sewage program transfer (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [6] Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Onsite sewage FAQ - permitting (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [7] Franklin County Building Department, Flood information and parcel map (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [8] Franklin County Tax Collector, Property tax, delinquency and tax certificates (accessed 2026-10-30)