Lake County, Florida
Sell your land in Lake Mack-Forest Hills for cash
Parcel Buyers buys vacant lots in Lake Mack-Forest Hills for cash, including quarter-acre lots in this unincorporated Lake County community near the Ocala National Forest. 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 Lake Mack-Forest Hills?
- Parcel Buyers is a direct land buyer that makes written, no-obligation cash offers on vacant lots and acreage in Lake Mack-Forest Hills, Lake 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 Lake Mack-Forest Hills sell for in 2025?
- In 2025, vacant lots in Lake Mack-Forest Hills sold for a median of $35,000 across 13 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $18,000 to $75,000.
- How many vacant lots are in Lake Mack-Forest Hills?
- The 2026 Florida property tax roll lists 384 vacant residential lots in Lake Mack-Forest Hills; 15% are quarter-acre lots, and the median lot is 0.47 acre.
- How is a cash offer for land in Lake Mack-Forest Hills 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 Lake Mack-Forest Hills 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 Lake Mack-Forest Hills?
- In 2025, companies bought 23% of the vacant lots that sold in Lake Mack-Forest Hills. Individuals bought the rest.
- Are vacant lots in Lake Mack-Forest Hills in a FEMA high-risk flood zone?
- About 32% of vacant lots in Lake Mack-Forest Hills have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated December 18, 2012 to February 19, 2014). This is map screening, not a determination; check FEMA's Map Service Center for your parcel.
- How many vacant lots in Lake Mack-Forest Hills got a home on the tax roll in 2025?
- 0 vacant lots in Lake Mack-Forest Hills changed from vacant-residential use to a home with new-construction evidence on the 2026 final tax roll.
Local data
Lake Mack-Forest Hills land at a glance
Tax-roll figures cover parcels in the single Lake County block group that the 2020 Census assigns to the Lake Mack-Forest Hills CDP (Census boundaries, not city limits), addressed Deland in Lake County. Local rules and services are sourced below.
Property addresses here read Deland (100%).
| Vacant residential lots | 384 parcels classified vacant residential on the 2026 tax roll [1] |
|---|---|
| Most common lot size | Quarter-acre lot (9,000–13,000 sq ft): 15% of vacant lots; next, third-acre lot at 14%. Median lot: 0.47 acre (20,390 sq ft). [1] |
| Typical assessed value | $16,800 median just (market) value for a vacant lot; the middle half fall between $10,600 and $39,600 [1] |
| Recent lot sale prices | $35,000 median across 13 arm's-length sales of vacant lots in Lake Mack-Forest Hills (Jan 2025–Nov 2025); the middle half sold for $18,000–$75,000 [1] |
| Who bought lots in 2025 | Companies made 23% of those purchases; individuals made the rest [1] |
| Owners who live elsewhere | 23% of vacant lots have an owner mailing address outside Florida (most often OH, GA, PA) [1] |
| Local government | Lake Mack-Forest Hills is a census-designated place in unincorporated Lake County, not a city or town. Lake County's Planning & Zoning office issues zoning approvals and building permits here. [2],[3] |
| Two communities, one CDP | The CDP combines two older communities: Forest Hills, centered on a small lake, and Lake Mack Park, in the southwest section around Lake Mack itself, the lake the area is named for. [3] |
| Wells and septic, not county water | Lake County has no countywide water or sewer utility department; most of unincorporated Lake County, including this rural area near Paisley, relies on private wells and septic systems. [4] |
| Septic permits | A new septic system needs a permit from the Florida Department of Health in Lake County, which keeps local permitting authority since Lake is not one of the 16 counties DEP took over in 2025. [5],[6] |
| The 2007 Groundhog Day tornado | An EF-3 tornado with winds of 160 to 165 mph touched down in rural Lake County at 3:37 a.m. on February 2, 2007, hit the Lake Mack area at 3:48 a.m. near Highway 42 and 44, and killed 13 people before continuing to DeLand. [7] |
| A small, aging community | The 2020 Census counted just 992 residents at a density of about 205 people per square mile across the CDP's 5.17 square miles, far below the density of Florida's platted retirement subdivisions. [3] |
| Ocala National Forest next door | Lake County, with Marion and Putnam, holds the roughly 400,000-acre Ocala Wildlife Management Area, part of Ocala National Forest, which borders Paisley next to this CDP. A forest that size nearby keeps land here from being platted into new subdivisions. [8] |
| Vacant lots that got a home on the tax roll in 2025 | 0 recorded with new-construction evidence. [1] |
| 2026 so far (Jan-Sep) | County-level for Lake County: 261 recorded vacant-lot sales; median $120,000. [1] |
| FEMA high-risk flood-zone screen | About 32% of vacant lots in Lake Mack-Forest Hills have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated December 18, 2012 to February 19, 2014). 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 Lake Mack-Forest Hills are 1 acre or less and have their center point in an adopted Florida springs BMAP. |
Pricing
What is a lot in Lake Mack-Forest Hills worth?
In 2025, vacant lots in Lake Mack-Forest Hills sold for a median of $35,000 across 13 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $18,000 to $75,000. [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 Lake Mack-Forest Hills
No piped water bill to budget for
An empty lot here does not carry a county water or sewer bill the way a lot in a more urban part of Florida might. Lake County has no countywide water utility department, and most of unincorporated Lake County, including the rural Paisley and Lake Mack area, runs on private wells and septic systems instead. Building later means a well permit and a septic permit through the Florida Department of Health in Lake County, since Lake was not one of the 16 counties the state's DEP took over for septic permitting in 2025. None of that is required just to sell the lot to us as vacant land. [4],[5],[6]
Lot size runs larger than a typical subdivision
Lot size here runs bigger than many newer Florida subdivisions. Most vacant residential land in this tax-roll scope is a quarter-acre lot, 15% of the 384 lots, with third-acre, standard city and two-to-three-acre mini-estate lots making up most of the rest. That mix fits a rural, low-density community built around two small lakes rather than a dense platted grid. The tax-roll size category alone does not establish access, setbacks or buildability. [1]
What lots actually sold for in 2025
A Lake Mack-Forest Hills lot went for $35,000 at the midpoint among the 13 arm's-length, single-parcel sales counted in this scope during 2025, with the middle half landing in the $18,000–$75,000 range. Each of those sales was a parcel that stayed vacant through the end of the year, which keeps a lot that was later built on out of the count. The property appraiser's own median just value for this scope, $16,800, comes from a different method entirely, an assessment for tax purposes, and is neither a 2025 sale price nor an offer from Parcel Buyers. [1]
The community's 2007 tornado history
A high-end EF-3 tornado with winds of 160 to 165 mph tore through this area in the early morning of February 2, 2007, touching down in rural Lake County at 3:37 a.m., striking the Lake Mack area near Highway 42 and 44 by 3:48 a.m., and continuing 26 miles into DeLand. Thirteen people died. Mobile homes took the heaviest damage in storm-survey reports, which is worth knowing if a lot you are selling once held a mobile home or sits in the path the tornado followed. [7]
Common situations
Selling land in Lake Mack-Forest Hills in these situations
You inherited a lot and never visited after the 2007 tornado
Yes. You can sell a Lake Mack-Forest Hills lot you inherited, even if you never visited after the February 2, 2007 tornado that hit this area. That EF-3 storm killed 13 people and heavily damaged mobile homes in the Lake Mack area before moving on to DeLand. Parcel Buyers closes through an independent title company, and the title path for an inherited lot determines what is needed before closing. [7]
The lot has no well or septic system yet
Yes, you can still sell a lot with no well and no septic system installed. Most of this rural part of Lake County runs on private wells and septic rather than a county utility, and installing either later requires separate permits from the Florida Department of Health in Lake County. We buy the lot as-is, including lots with no water, sewer or septic work done. [4],[5]
You live out of state and have never seen the lot
Yes, and plenty of owners here have never set foot on the lot. 23% of this scope's vacant lots carry an out-of-state mailing address on the tax roll. We verify the parcel's access, utilities and title ourselves rather than asking you to hire anyone, then handle the paperwork electronically and the closing by mail. [1]
Step by step
How do I sell my land in Lake Mack-Forest Hills?
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 Lake Mack-Forest Hills: common questions
Is Lake Mack-Forest Hills its own town?
No. It is an unincorporated census-designated place in Lake County that combines two older communities, Forest Hills and Lake Mack Park. Lake County's Planning & Zoning office, not a city hall, issues building permits and zoning approvals here.
Does my lot have county water, or do I need a well?
You need a well. Lake County has no countywide water or sewer utility, and most of this rural area near Paisley relies on private wells and septic systems. A new well or septic system needs its own permit from the Florida Department of Health in Lake County.
Did the 2007 tornado actually hit this community?
Yes. An EF-3 tornado with winds up to 165 mph touched down in rural Lake County at 3:37 a.m. on February 2, 2007, struck the Lake Mack area near Highway 42 and 44 by 3:48 a.m., killed 13 people, and continued 26 miles into DeLand before lifting.
Do I need a septic permit just to sell my vacant lot?
No. A septic permit is only required before building on a lot, not to sell it. The Florida Department of Health in Lake County issues that permit when someone is ready to build, since Lake County was not among the 16 counties the state's DEP took over for septic permitting in 2025.
Can I sell my lot here if I live in another state?
Yes. 23% of this scope's vacant lots already carry an out-of-state mailing address on the tax roll. We send the purchase agreement for an electronic signature, run the closing through an independent title company by mail, and wire or mail a check once the sale records, so a trip to Lake County is never required.
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 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.
- 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]
More places in Lake 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
- Astor
510 vacant lots
- Paisley
1,058 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $25,000
- Altoona
658 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $17,500
- Lake County
25,667 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 single Lake County block group that the 2020 Census assigns to the Lake Mack-Forest Hills CDP (Census boundaries, not city limits), addressed Deland. 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. County-level figures are used on this place page. 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] Lake County Government, Access an Existing Zoning Permit (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [3] Wikipedia, Lake Mack-Forest Hills, Florida (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [4] Lake County Government, Lake County Offices and Departments (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [5] Florida Department of Health in Lake County, Environmental Public Health (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [6] Florida Department of Health, Septic System (OSTDS) Permits (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [7] National Weather Service, Melbourne, FL, The Groundhog Day Tornado Outbreak, February 2, 2007 (accessed 2026-10-30)
- [8] Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Ocala Wildlife Management Area (accessed 2026-10-31)