Highlands County, Florida
Sell your land in Sun 'n Lake for cash
Parcel Buyers buys vacant lots in Sun 'n Lake for cash, including unimproved lots and road-and-drainage lots that this improvement district bills at different yearly rates. 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 Sun 'n Lake?
- Parcel Buyers is a direct land buyer that makes written, no-obligation cash offers on vacant lots and acreage in Sun 'n Lake, Highlands 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 Sun 'n Lake sell for in 2025?
- In 2025, vacant lots in Sun 'n Lake sold for a median of $16,000 across 276 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $12,000 to $22,600.
- How many vacant lots are in Sun 'n Lake?
- The 2026 Florida property tax roll lists 12,339 vacant residential lots in Sun 'n Lake; 74% are quarter-acre lots, and the median lot is 0.23 acre.
- How is a cash offer for land in Sun 'n Lake 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 Sun 'n Lake 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 Sun 'n Lake?
- In 2025, companies bought 45% of the vacant lots that sold in Sun 'n Lake, including 12% bought by homebuilders. Individuals bought the rest.
- What was the median recorded 2025 sale price by lot size in Sun 'n Lake?
- The median recorded 2025 sale price for a quarter-acre lot in Sun 'n Lake was $15,200 across 218 sales.
- Are vacant lot prices in Sun 'n Lake going up or down?
- Vacant lot prices in Sun 'n Lake were roughly flat (+0.6%): the median moved from $15,900 across 400 recorded sales in 2024 to $16,000 across 276 recorded sales in 2025. These are recorded sales, not list prices. From January to June 2026, 90 vacant lots in Sun 'n Lake sold at a recorded median of $19,900.
- Are vacant lots in Sun 'n Lake in a FEMA high-risk flood zone?
- About 5.1% of vacant lots in Sun 'n Lake have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated November 18, 2015). This is map screening, not a determination; check FEMA's Map Service Center for your parcel.
- How many vacant lots in Sun 'n Lake got a home on the tax roll in 2025?
- 220 vacant lots in Sun 'n Lake changed from vacant-residential use to a home with new-construction evidence on the 2026 preliminary tax roll.
Local data
Sun 'n Lake land at a glance
Tax-roll figures cover the Sun 'n Lake of Sebring subdivision units (Sebring and Lake Placid addresses) in Highlands County. Local rules and services are sourced below.
Property addresses here read Sebring (65%) and Lake Placid (34%).
| Vacant residential lots | 12,339 parcels classified vacant residential on the 2026 tax roll [1] |
|---|---|
| Most common lot size | Quarter-acre lot (9,000–13,000 sq ft): 74% of vacant lots; next, patio-home lot at 8%. Median lot: 0.23 acre (10,050 sq ft). [1] |
| Typical assessed value | $6,500 median just (market) value for a vacant lot; the middle half fall between $1,000 and $14,000 [1] |
| Recent lot sale prices | $16,000 median across 276 arm's-length sales of vacant lots in Sun 'n Lake (Jan 2025–Dec 2025); the middle half sold for $12,000–$22,600 [1] |
| Who bought lots in 2025 | Companies made 45% of those purchases, including 12% by homebuilders; individuals made the rest [1] |
| Owners who live elsewhere | 30% of vacant lots have an owner mailing address outside Florida (most often PR, CA, NY); 7% outside the U.S. [1] |
| Created by county ordinance | Highlands County created this improvement district through Ordinance 74-4 on April 16, 1974. The charter identifies it as a public body corporate in Highlands County. [2] |
| U.S. Route 27 boundary | The charter places the district in Township 34 South, Range 28 East, west of U.S. Highway 27, and leaves out Fairmont Mobile Estates. The main description says it is "Containing 7,109.40 acres more or less." [2] |
| FY 2025-26 vacant-lot bills | The approved 2025-26 sheet did not raise rates. An unimproved lot is $169.02. An unimproved lot with road and drainage is $421.38. Golf-course lots add $84.50. [3],[4] |
| County still controls codes | Charter section 9-97 leaves zoning, building codes, plats, plumbing, and electrical rules with Highlands County. County Planning and Zoning administers the comprehensive plan and the land-development regulations. [2],[11] |
| District permits come first | A house starts with district permits. Land clearing is $300. A water connection is $2,500 and a sewer connection is $4,300 when those lines exist. The county will not issue its building permit until the district receipts are paid. [6] |
| Who maintains the roads | A 2025 resolution says the district maintains the public roads, except Sun 'n Lake Boulevard, which the county maintains, and private roads in Tanglewood and in Magnolia Place. [7] |
| Septic still uses health dept | If a lot has no district sewer, a septic permit in Highlands County still goes through the county health department. The state application needs a site plan, a floor plan, and a site evaluation. [14] |
| Plant charge stays on the lot | The district set a $2,700 charge on every property, including vacant land, toward a wastewater plant it expects to finish by 2029. Any unpaid balance stays with the lot and passes to the next owner. [8] |
| Sun 'n Lake Preserve | Highlands County says the 1,350-acre Sun 'n Lake Preserve neighbors the improvement district. Its entrance is at Sun 'n Lake Boulevard and Balboa Avenue, and it protects habitats from upland flatwoods to cypress domes. [15] |
| 2025 sale price by lot size | The median recorded 2025 sale price for a quarter-acre lot in Sun 'n Lake was $15,200 across 218 sales. [1] |
| Lot sales, 2025 vs 2024 | 2025: 276 recorded sales, $16,000 median; 2024: 400 recorded sales, $15,900 median. Median +0.6%; count -31.0%. [1] |
| Vacant lots that got a home on the tax roll in 2025 | 220 recorded with new-construction evidence. [1] |
| Years of lot supply at the 2025 building pace | 56.1 years; simple ratio, not a forecast. [1] |
| Owner-type shares | Individuals 62.7%; companies 35.4%; trusts 1.5%; estates/heirs 0.3%; government/associations 0.1%. [1] |
| 2026 so far (Jan-Jun) | 90 recorded vacant-lot sales; median $19,900. [1] |
| FEMA high-risk flood-zone screen | About 5.1% of vacant lots in Sun 'n Lake have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated November 18, 2015). 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 Sun 'n Lake are 1 acre or less and have their center point in an adopted Florida springs BMAP. |
Pricing
What is a lot in Sun 'n Lake worth?
In 2025, vacant lots in Sun 'n Lake sold for a median of $16,000 across 276 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $12,000 to $22,600. [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.
Recorded 2025 sale prices by lot size in Sun 'n Lake
| Lot-size class | 2025 sales | 2025 median lot sale | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-acre lot9,000–12,999 sq ft | 218 | $15,200 | $10,500–$20,000 |
| Third-acre lot13,000–15,999 sq ft | 42 | $25,200 | $16,500–$38,000 |
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 Sun 'n Lake
The yearly bill follows the lot class
The yearly bill follows the lot class, not one flat subdivision rate. For fiscal year 2025-26 the approved sheet keeps the FY 2024-25 rates. An unimproved lot is $169.02. An unimproved lot that already has road and drainage is $421.38. Lots along Deer Run or Turtle Run add $84.50, and the assessments page lists $505.88 for a vacant golf-course lot. The district says, "An assessment is NOT an HOA fee." A neighborhood association, where one exists, bills its own dues on top. Beginning with the 2025 tax cycle, this district charge shows on the Highlands County property-tax bill. The county fire table adds $61.45 for a vacant parcel in FY 2026-27. An unimproved lot has no water, sewer, or road access and is usually farther out in the woods. A road-and-drainage lot can usually be built on, but water and sewer may still differ, and preservation-area lots often cannot be built on. [3],[4],[12]
County codes still apply when you build
County building rules still control a house inside this district. Section 9-97 of the charter leaves zoning, building codes, plat approval, plumbing, and electrical work with Highlands County. County Planning and Zoning carries out the comprehensive plan and the land-development regulations. The district permit desk still comes first for a new house. Its written steps charge $300 to clear land, $300 for a driveway connection, $2,500 to connect water, and $4,300 to connect sewer when those lines are available. Staff ask for a boundary survey with topographic markers and a site plan before an engineer sets the finished-floor height. The county will not release its building permit until the paid district receipts are in hand. Fences, sheds, pools, and pool cages are not district permits. Those go to the county building department. A district permit lasts 365 days, and renewal costs $500. [2],[11],[6],[5]
Roads and utility lines are not uniform
Roads and pipes are not the same on every lot. A 2025 resolution says the district maintains the public roads, except the main boulevard, which the county maintains, and private roads in Tanglewood and Magnolia Place. The charter lets the district require its own water and sewer, and no separate system may be built inside the district without board consent. That rule does not put a line on every lot. The assessments page says water and sewer access may vary, and an unimproved lot has neither. If a future house cannot use district sewer, state rules say a Highlands County septic permit is still issued by the local health department and needs a site evaluation. A connected account is a separate cost. The rate sheet effective October 1, 2025, charges a $41.06 monthly base, $12.66 for water and $28.40 for sewer, even when service is not being used. [7],[2],[4],[14],[9]
Sales still have to absorb the plant balance
Recent lot sales are a baseline, not a cash offer. In 2025 this scope had 276 arm's-length, single-parcel vacant-lot sales. The median was $16,000, and the middle half ran from $12,000–$22,600. Most vacant residential land is a quarter-acre lot, and that size group is 74% of the lots. The median just value on the roll is $6,500. That figure is for taxes, not a sale price. Equal size still leaves the class, the road, and the wastewater-plant balance. The district put a $2,700 charge on every property, including vacant land, for a plant it expects to finish by 2029. It said any outstanding balance is conveyed to the next owner. We review utilities, access, and title before we offer. [1],[8]
Common situations
Selling land in Sun 'n Lake in these situations
You own an outer lot with no road or utilities
You can sell an outer lot that still has no road, water, or sewer. That is the district's unimproved class, billed at $169.02 for fiscal year 2025-26. We buy vacant lots in that condition, so you do not have to clear land or pay a connection fee before you ask for an offer. The only contingency is our land inspection. If the inspection fails, it costs the seller nothing. A recorded lien or back taxes can be paid from the sale proceeds at closing when you agree. [4],[3]
The wastewater-plant balance was a surprise
You do not have to clear the wastewater-plant balance before you request an offer. The district assessed $2,700 on every property, vacant lots included, and said the charge stays with the property. Owners who did not pay in full were offered $180 a year or $15 a month for 15 years. The 15 percent early-pay discount the district described ended in December 2024, so the number that matters now is the remaining balance. With your consent, a confirmed balance can be paid from sale proceeds when the title company closes. [8]
You live outside Florida
Yes, you can sell without coming to Highlands County. 30% of the vacant-lot owners in this scope have a mailing address outside Florida. Signing can be electronic, and the closing can be handled by mail through an independent, licensed title company. You can be paid by check or wire. Closing is typically about 10 days after the purchase agreement is signed, depending on title. If an estate, a lien, or a district balance shows up, the title company lists what has to be cleared before it can insure the deed. [1]
Step by step
How do I sell my land in Sun 'n Lake?
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 Sun 'n Lake: common questions
What will my vacant lot owe the district this year?
For 2025-26, an unimproved lot is $169.02 and an unimproved lot with road and drainage is $421.38. A golf-course add-on is $84.50, which is why the assessments page lists $505.88 for a vacant golf-course lot. The district says this bill is not an HOA fee. It is separate from county property tax, and it now appears on the county tax bill. The county's FY 2026-27 fire schedule also lists $61.45 for a vacant parcel.
Can I sell a lot that has no water, sewer, or road?
Yes. We buy vacant land with no water, sewer, or road work. The district defines an unimproved lot as a parcel with none of those services, often farther out in wooded areas, and bills it $169.02 for 2025-26. You do not need to install utilities or open a road before requesting an offer.
Does a Sebring or Lake Placid address tell me the district?
No. The city on the mailing address is not the district. The district website places this community in Highlands County, just outside Sebring, and lists its office in Sebring, ZIP 33872. The charter boundary sits west of U.S. Highway 27. Sun 'n Lakes of Lake Placid is a different recreation district. The county's FY 2026-27 list bills that one at $50 a parcel. Read the district name on the tax bill.
What has to happen before someone can build on my lot?
A new house starts at the district permit desk. Land clearing is $300. If lines are available, the permit steps list $2,500 to connect water and $4,300 to connect sewer, plus a boundary survey and a site plan. The county still controls the building code and will not issue its permit until the district receipts are paid. Fences, sheds, pools, and pool cages are county permits, not district permits.
Can the wastewater-plant balance be handled at closing?
Often, yes. The district said any outstanding balance on the $2,700 wastewater-plant charge is conveyed to the next owner, so get the current figure before you sign. With your consent, a confirmed balance, lien, or back taxes can be paid from the sale proceeds at closing. You do not have to send that balance in advance for us to make an offer.
Owner resources
Guides for your situation
- 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 Cash Land Buyers Price Offers
A cash-land offer may start with verified sales of land with similar use, then adjust those sales for meaningful differences.[1] Buyers may also account for access, utilities, legal use, size, shape, flood and soil questions, title issues, demand, and costs and risk they will carry. No universal assessed-value percentage applies. Compare each written offer by expected net proceeds, contingencies, seller work, and timing—not one asking price or headline number.
- 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 Highlands 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
- Sebring
20,463 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $19,500
- Lake Placid
21,790 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $12,500
- Highlands County
50,783 vacant lots countywide
- Orange Blossom Estates
4,736 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $14,500
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 the Sun 'n Lake of Sebring subdivision units (Sebring and Lake Placid addresses). Source [1] is our own count of the Florida Department of Revenue's 2026 preliminary 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 20, 2026. Lot-size sale rows use the same qualified 2025 sale cohort and canonical square-foot classes; classes with fewer than 10 sales are omitted. The reviewed 2026 recorded-sale window runs from January through June 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 preliminary Name-Address-Legal (NAL) property tax roll (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [2] Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District, Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District Charter (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [3] Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District, Approved FY 2025-2026 Assessment Rates (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [4] Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District, District Assessments (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [5] Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District, Apply for a Permit (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [6] Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District, Brief Rundown of the Building Permits Process (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [7] Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District, Resolution 2025-08, Fiscal Year 2026 Assessment Rates (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [8] Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District, SNL Special Infrastructure Charge (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [9] Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District, Water and Sewer Service Rate Schedule, Effective October 1, 2025 (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [10] Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District, Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [11] Highlands County, Florida, Planning and Zoning (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [12] Highlands County, Florida, Fire Assessment Rates for FY 2026-27 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- [13] Highlands County, Florida, Non-Ad Valorem Assessments FY 2026-27 (accessed 2026-10-20)
- [14] Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Onsite Sewage FAQ - Permitting (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [15] Highlands County, Florida, Sun 'n Lake Preserve (accessed 2026-10-08)