Marion County, Florida
Sell your land in Umatilla for cash
Parcel Buyers buys vacant lots for cash on Marion County parcels addressed Umatilla. The incorporated city is in Lake County, so Marion County, not that city, issues building permits on these lots. 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 Umatilla?
- Parcel Buyers is a direct land buyer that makes written, no-obligation cash offers on vacant lots and acreage in Umatilla, Marion 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 Umatilla sell for in 2025?
- In 2025, vacant lots in Umatilla sold for a median of $8,500 across 23 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $6,500 to $10,500.
- How many vacant lots are in Umatilla?
- The 2026 Florida property tax roll lists 1,448 vacant residential lots in Umatilla; 27% are quarter-acre lots, and the median lot is 0.23 acre.
- How is a cash offer for land in Umatilla 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 Umatilla 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 Umatilla?
- In 2025, companies bought 9% of the vacant lots that sold in Umatilla. Individuals bought the rest.
- How much are estimated annual ad valorem taxes on a typical vacant lot in Umatilla?
- A typical vacant lot in Umatilla has estimated 2025 ad valorem taxes about $78 a year; most lots here also pay non-ad valorem charges (listed below).
- Are vacant lots in Umatilla in a FEMA high-risk flood zone?
- About 16.8% of vacant lots in Umatilla have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated August 28, 2008 to December 18, 2012). This is map screening, not a determination; check FEMA's Map Service Center for your parcel.
- How many vacant lots in Umatilla got a home on the tax roll in 2025?
- 10 vacant lots in Umatilla changed from vacant-residential use to a home with new-construction evidence on the 2026 preliminary tax roll.
Local data
Umatilla land at a glance
Tax-roll figures cover parcels whose property address city is Umatilla in Marion County. Local rules and services are sourced below.
| Vacant residential lots | 1,448 parcels classified vacant residential on the 2026 tax roll [1] |
|---|---|
| Most common lot size | Quarter-acre lot (9,000–13,000 sq ft): 27% of vacant lots; next, standard city lot at 25%. Median lot: 0.23 acre (10,000 sq ft). [1] |
| Typical assessed value | $6,000 median just (market) value for a vacant lot; the middle half fall between $3,800 and $9,300 [1] |
| Recent lot sale prices | $8,500 median across 23 arm's-length sales of vacant lots in Umatilla (Jan 2025–Nov 2025); the middle half sold for $6,500–$10,500 [1] |
| Who bought lots in 2025 | Companies made 9% of those purchases; individuals made the rest [1] |
| Owners who live elsewhere | 21% of vacant lots have an owner mailing address outside Florida (most often NY, NC, GA) [1] |
| Who governs these parcels | These are Marion County parcels that use Umatilla as the property-address city. The incorporated City of Umatilla is in Lake County, so city rules do not ride along with the name. [2],[4],[10] |
| Who issues building permits | Outside city limits, Florida lets the county enforce the building code. In unincorporated Marion County, development plans go through the county portal. The city's permit desk is separate. [5],[11],[10] |
| DEP handles septic permits | Florida DEP took over onsite sewage permitting in Marion County on July 1, 2025. Its site evaluation checks soil, topography, and other conditions before a system is approved. [6] |
| Vacant-land fire assessment | On Sept. 10, 2025 the county set vacant land at $3.95 per acre, up from $2.29. Only the first 640 acres are billed. The first five acres of improved land are exempt. [8] |
| Stormwater assessment | For the year that started Oct. 1, 2024, stormwater is $15 per equivalent stormwater unit, or $10.57 with a mitigation credit. It is collected on the tax bill inside the service area. [9] |
| How big the city is | The incorporated city covers 3.651 square miles of land. State revenue-sharing tables put its population at 3,881 on April 1, 2023. These Marion parcels sit outside that footprint. [3],[4],[2] |
| Ocala National Forest access | The Forest Service locates Doe Lake Group Camp between Moss Bluff and Umatilla in Ocala National Forest. Its directions use unimproved forest roads; those directions describe the public camp, not a private parcel's access. [7] |
| Vacant lots that got a home on the tax roll in 2025 | 10 recorded with new-construction evidence. [1] |
| Owner-type shares | Individuals 88.3%; companies 8.3%; trusts 3.1%; estates/heirs 0.1%; government/associations 0.2%. [1] |
| Typical annual ad valorem taxes | A typical vacant lot in Umatilla has estimated 2025 ad valorem taxes about $78 a year; most lots here also pay non-ad valorem charges (listed below). |
| 2026 so far (Jan-Jun) | County-level for Marion County: 922 recorded vacant-lot sales; median $30,000. [1] |
| FEMA high-risk flood-zone screen | About 16.8% of vacant lots in Umatilla have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated August 28, 2008 to December 18, 2012). This is map screening, not a determination; check FEMA's Map Service Center for your parcel. |
| Springs BMAP small-lot screen | About 17.3% of located vacant lots in Umatilla are 1 acre or less and have their center point in an adopted Florida springs BMAP. |
Pricing
What is a lot in Umatilla worth?
In 2025, vacant lots in Umatilla sold for a median of $8,500 across 23 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $6,500 to $10,500. [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 Umatilla
Cash sales and the tax value are different numbers
Buyers and the tax roll are not using the same number. The latest set has 23 arm's-length sales of lots that were vacant at the sale, with a median cash price of $8,500 and a middle band of $6,500–$10,500. The tax roll's median just value on vacant lots is $6,000, and the middle half of those just values spans $3,800–$9,300. Just value is the property appraiser's estimate; it is not taxable value or a receipt from a buyer. Most of the vacant ground is a quarter-acre lot (27% of the lots), and the median size is 0.23 acres, or 10,000 square feet. Read $8,500 as the midpoint of recent qualifying sales and $6,000 as the roll's just-value midpoint, not as an asking price. [1]
What an empty lot costs to keep each year
An empty lot still produces a bill. After the September 10, 2025 hearing, bare land in the county fire-rescue assessment is $3.95 an acre, replacing the prior $2.29 an acre. Billing stops after the first 640 acres. The first five acres are skipped only on improved land, so a lot with no building does not get that break. Stormwater for the fiscal year that opened on October 1, 2024 is capped at $15 for each equivalent stormwater unit, and it can drop to $10.57 a unit when a mitigation credit is already on the roll. The county puts that charge on the property-tax bill for ground inside the stormwater service area. Those lines are flat. They do not shrink just because the lot is vacant. Ad valorem tax sits on top and follows taxable value. None of this is a water or garbage account from the incorporated city. If you will not build, this yearly stack is the cost of holding the deed. [8],[9]
The parcel location decides the permit office
The property-address city does not move a Marion County parcel into Lake County's incorporated City of Umatilla. Census records place that city in Lake County and list 3.651 square miles of land; state tables list 3,881 residents as of April 1, 2023. Florida law lets a county enforce the building code outside municipal limits, and Marion County routes unincorporated development plans through its county review process. If a future house needs an onsite sewage system, Florida DEP handles that permit in Marion County and uses a site evaluation to check soil, topography, and other conditions. We buy vacant land with no water, sewer, or road work, and we check utilities, access, and title before offering. [3],[4],[2],[5],[11],[6],[10]
Forest directions do not prove private access
The Forest Service places Doe Lake Group Camp between Moss Bluff and Umatilla in Ocala National Forest. Its directions use an unimproved forest road, and the camp has an unimproved boat ramp for groups with reservations. Those facts describe a federal recreation site. They do not show whether a private Marion County parcel is inside the forest, fronts a maintained road, or has legal access. The Umatilla address alone cannot answer those questions. We check the recorded access and the physical route for the specific parcel before offering. No seller has to improve a road first, but the landmark's directions are not a road report for private land. [7]
Common situations
Selling land in Umatilla in these situations
You live out of state and never visit the lot
You can sell from the state where you already live. About 21% of owners on these parcels use a mailing address outside Florida, and 78% list a Florida address. The miles do not block the paperwork. Signing can be electronic, the closing can be handled by mail, and payment can be a check or a wire through an independent licensed title company. You do not have to stand on the lot or sit in a county office. If the ground has sat for years because a trip was never worth the airfare, the file can still move. Tell the title company early if a relative or another party may share ownership. We do not ask you to mow, fence, or put in a driveway before the sale. Access and title are reviewed on our side. [1]
You inherited a lot that was never hooked up
An inherited lot with no water tap or sewer can still be sold. Building later would mean a house permit from Marion County and, where an onsite sewage system is needed, a permit from Florida DEP. Since July 1, 2025, DEP has handled those Marion County applications and requires a site evaluation of soil, topography, and other conditions. You do not have to finish either permit before selling the land. Back taxes or a recorded lien can be paid from the sale proceeds at closing if you agree. The independent title company reviews the recorded ownership and tells the signers what title documents are needed. Closing time still depends on title. [6],[10],[5]
You have no plan to build a house
You can sell the ground and skip the house. The usual vacant parcel is a quarter-acre lot, the median lot is 0.23 acres, and that shape is about 27% of the vacant lots. Putting a house on it would start a Marion County permit, and a lot with no sewer would also need a Florida DEP sewage permit. That work is construction. It is not a rule for signing a deed. While the lot stays empty, the fire-rescue line on bare land is $3.95 an acre and, inside the stormwater service area, the drainage charge can be as much as $15 per equivalent stormwater unit. Selling stops those holding bills in your name. We cover closing costs, so the offer is not trimmed by a commission. If the road is private or the lot has no legal access, say that at the start. We review access before we offer. [1],[8],[9],[6]
Step by step
How do I sell my land in Umatilla?
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 Umatilla: common questions
Can I sell my lot if it has no city water or sewer?
Yes. A missing water meter or sewer tap does not stop a cash sale. We buy vacant lots with no water, sewer, or road work. If a later owner builds on one of these Marion County parcels, the house permit comes from the county. Where an onsite sewage system is needed, Florida DEP handles the permit and requires a site evaluation. You do not have to install either service before selling. We check the utilities, access, and title for the parcel before offering.
Who permits a house on a Marion County lot with a Umatilla address?
Marion County does, not the incorporated city. Florida statute 125.56 lets a county enforce the Florida Building Code outside the corporate limits of any municipality. Census lists the city as an incorporated place, and that city runs its own permit portal from city hall. In the unincorporated county, development plans are filed in the county portal and checked against the county land development code. A house on one of these lots starts there. The city does not issue the permit merely because the property-address line uses the city's name.
How much does it cost to keep an empty lot each year?
Plan on the tax bill. Bare land in the county fire-rescue assessment is $3.95 an acre, and only the first 640 acres are assessed. The five-acre exemption applies to improved land, so it does not erase the charge on a lot with no building. Stormwater for the fiscal year that began October 1, 2024 is $15 per equivalent stormwater unit, or $10.57 when a mitigation credit is on file, and it is collected with property taxes inside the stormwater service area. Ad valorem tax is extra and follows the taxable value.
Who handles a septic permit on these Marion County lots?
Florida DEP does. The agency took over onsite sewage permitting in Marion County on July 1, 2025. Its application process requires a site evaluation that checks soil, topography, and other site conditions. That review is for installing a septic system; it is not a condition for asking Parcel Buyers for a cash offer. We buy vacant land with no sewer work completed and check utilities before offering.
Does a Umatilla address prove my lot is inside the national forest?
No. The address alone does not prove that. The Forest Service locates Doe Lake Group Camp in Ocala National Forest between Moss Bluff and Umatilla, and its directions use unimproved forest roads. That description applies to the federal campground, not every private parcel with the same address city. We check the parcel record and access rather than treating the landmark's directions as a boundary or road report for your land.
Owner resources
Guides for your situation
- 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 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 Long Does It Take to Sell Vacant Land?
There is no single national timeline for selling vacant land. A sale has two stages: time to reach a signed agreement, then time to complete the contract's title, inspection, funding, signing, and recording work. A direct cash sale can remove open-market marketing and lender review when a buyer is already identified, but it cannot remove title or signing problems. Those issues can delay any sale path.
More places in Marion 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
- Fort McCoy
6,254 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $11,400
- Ocala
36,119 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $35,500
- Salt Springs
519 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $50,000
- Marion County
78,524 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 whose property address city is Umatilla. 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 5, 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 June 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 preliminary Name-Address-Legal (NAL) property tax roll (accessed 2026-10-03)
- [2] U.S. Census Bureau, Florida place codes: Umatilla city is an incorporated place in Lake County (accessed 2026-10-05)
- [3] U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Census Gazetteer land area for Umatilla city, Florida (accessed 2026-10-05)
- [4] Office of Economic and Demographic Research, 2024 Local Government Financial Information Handbook, Lake County municipalities (accessed 2026-10-05)
- [5] The Florida Senate, Florida Statutes section 125.56, county enforcement of the building code (accessed 2026-10-05)
- [6] Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Onsite sewage permitting FAQ, including Marion County (accessed 2026-10-05)
- [7] U.S. Forest Service, Doe Lake Group Camp in the Ocala National Forest (accessed 2026-10-05)
- [8] Marion County, County Commission approves fire and solid waste assessment increases (accessed 2026-10-05)
- [9] Marion County Board of County Commissioners, Stormwater assessment resolution for the year beginning October 1, 2024 (accessed 2026-10-05)
- [10] City of Umatilla, City of Umatilla building permit portal and city hall address (accessed 2026-10-05)
- [11] Marion County, Permitting and development review in unincorporated Marion County (accessed 2026-10-05)