Washington County, Florida
Sell your land in Vernon for cash
Parcel Buyers buys vacant lots and land for cash in Vernon, including city lots where a new-home land-use file needs a water-and-sewer availability letter. Holmes Creek also has a federal flood gauge at State Road 79. 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 Vernon?
- Parcel Buyers is a direct land buyer that makes written, no-obligation cash offers on vacant lots and acreage in Vernon, Washington 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 Vernon sell for in 2025?
- In 2025, vacant lots in Vernon sold for a median of $23,300 across 12 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $9,600 to $31,900.
- How many vacant lots are in Vernon?
- The 2026 Florida property tax roll lists 1,102 vacant residential lots in Vernon; 14% are mini-estate (2-3 acres)s, and the median lot is 1.00 acre.
- How is a cash offer for land in Vernon 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 Vernon 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 Vernon?
- In 2025, companies bought 17% of the vacant lots that sold in Vernon. Individuals bought the rest.
- How much are estimated annual ad valorem taxes on a typical vacant lot in Vernon?
- A typical vacant lot in Vernon has estimated 2025 ad valorem taxes about $125 a year; most lots here also pay non-ad valorem charges (listed below).
- Are vacant lots in Vernon in a FEMA high-risk flood zone?
- About 24.6% of vacant lots in Vernon have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated September 29, 2010 to October 24, 2024). This is map screening, not a determination; check FEMA's Map Service Center for your parcel.
- How many vacant lots in Vernon got a home on the tax roll in 2025?
- 13 vacant lots in Vernon changed from vacant-residential use to a home with new-construction evidence on the 2026 preliminary tax roll.
Local data
Vernon land at a glance
Tax-roll figures cover parcels whose property address city is Vernon in Washington County. Local rules and services are sourced below.
| Vacant residential lots | 1,102 parcels classified vacant residential on the 2026 tax roll [1] |
|---|---|
| Most common lot size | Mini-estate (2-3 acres) (70,000–140,000 sq ft): 14% of vacant lots; next, estate parcel (3-5 acres) at 10%. Median lot: 1.00 acre (43,560 sq ft). [1] |
| Typical assessed value | $10,100 median just (market) value for a vacant lot; the middle half fall between $3,500 and $22,800 [1] |
| Recent lot sale prices | $23,300 median across 12 arm's-length sales of vacant lots in Vernon (Feb 2025–Dec 2025); the middle half sold for $9,600–$31,900 [1] |
| Who bought lots in 2025 | Companies made 17% of those purchases; individuals made the rest [1] |
| Owners who live elsewhere | 20% of vacant lots have an owner mailing address outside Florida (most often AL, GA, TX) [1] |
| City limits are smaller than the address | These figures cover parcels whose property-address city is Vernon. The incorporated city is smaller: 4.764 square miles of land in the 2020 Census Gazetteer, a 2024 population estimate of 744, and incorporation in 1926. [2],[3],[4] |
| County planning covers the city | Washington County Planning regulates land development inside the city under the county land development code. A new land-use certificate is $50 on the fee schedule effective October 1, 2023. [5],[6] |
| City water and sewer letter | Inside the city limits, a new home's land-use file must include a letter that sewer and water will be provided or are available. The city publishes a yearly water-quality report and has its own wastewater plant and spray field. [7],[8],[9] |
| Septic permits moved to DEP | Since January 2, 2025, Florida DEP issues septic permits in Washington County. A new system needs an application, a site plan, a floor plan, and a site evaluation of the soil. [10],[11] |
| Holmes Creek flood stages | At the State Road 79 gauge, minor flooding is 24 feet, moderate is 30, and major is 32. The highest crest on the list is 27.02 feet on September 18, 2020. [12] |
| Fees before a new house | A land-use certificate is $50 and an E-911 application is $25, as of October 1, 2023. A county-road driveway permit is $70. Plan submittal has been a non-refundable $35 since July 22, 2024. [6],[7],[14] |
| Roads, splits, and vacant land | Roads built after February 1999 must be paved, and a split under 4.5 acres needs subdivision review. The county does not assign an E-911 address to vacant land. [15],[16] |
| Holmes Creek | Florida DEP's Holmes Creek paddling guide lists Vernon Wayside Park as access point 4, at the State Road 79 bridge, and its trail maps mark wetlands along the creek. [22] |
| Vacant lots that got a home on the tax roll in 2025 | 13 recorded with new-construction evidence. [1] |
| Owner-type shares | Individuals 87.4%; companies 7.3%; trusts 5.0%; estates/heirs 0.2%; government/associations 0.2%. [1] |
| Typical annual ad valorem taxes | A typical vacant lot in Vernon has estimated 2025 ad valorem taxes about $125 a year; most lots here also pay non-ad valorem charges (listed below). |
| 2026 so far (Jan-Mar) | 10 recorded vacant-lot sales; median $15,200. [1] |
| FEMA high-risk flood-zone screen | About 24.6% of vacant lots in Vernon have their center point in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (effective maps dated September 29, 2010 to 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 Vernon are 1 acre or less and have their center point in an adopted Florida springs BMAP. |
Pricing
What is a lot in Vernon worth?
In 2025, vacant lots in Vernon sold for a median of $23,300 across 12 arm's-length sales; the middle half sold for $9,600 to $31,900. [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 Vernon
City water and sewer versus a well and septic
A city lot and a rural acre draw different offers because one may use city water and sewer and the other a well and septic. Inside the city limits, county planning requires "a letter stating sewer and water will be provided or are available" on the land-use application for a new home. A May 2022 city notice names the city's sanitary sewer treatment plant and spray field, and the city released its 2024 water-quality report in May 2025. Where that letter is not the path, Florida DEP has issued septic permits in this county since January 2, 2025. The file needs a site plan, a floor plan, and a site evaluation of the soil. We buy vacant lots with no water, sewer, or road work, and we check utilities, access, and title before offering. [7],[8],[9],[11],[10]
Holmes Creek stages matter on creek-side land
Creek flooding changes the offer only when the water can reach the land, not on every acre with this mailing city. The National Weather Service gauge on Holmes Creek at State Road 79 sets minor flooding at 24 feet, when water floods the wooded area on the north bank, moderate flooding at 30 feet, and major flooding at 32 feet. At that major stage the Weather Service says water reaches homes along Jackson Avenue. The highest crest on the published list is 27.02 feet, on September 18, 2020, above the minor-flood mark and short of the homes on that street. County planning says the flood map is kept by the Northwest Florida Water Management District and asks people to confirm flood information before a purchase. A house in a flood zone may also need an elevation certificate from a licensed surveyor or engineer. [12],[5],[13]
Permit fees and road access come before a house
Permit fees and road access come due before anyone can put a house on the lot. County planning says land to be developed generally must touch a county road or a state road, and that "all roads built after February 1999 must be paved." The county does not build those roads. A new-home file starts with a $50 land-use certificate and a $25 E-911 application, both on the schedule effective October 1, 2023. A new driveway on a county road is $70, or $100 if it is circular. Since May 15, 2023, a new detached house also pays impact fees of $74.98 for emergency medical service, $106.59 for fire protection, and $972 for roads. Plan submittal has been a non-refundable $35 since July 22, 2024. Those are construction costs, not yearly charges on an empty lot. [15],[6],[7],[13],[14]
The 2025 vacant-lot sales are a small sample
The 2025 vacant-lot sales are a small sample, so read them as a range and not as a price for your lot. That set has 12 single-parcel sales between unrelated parties, only lots that were vacant at the sale and still vacant on January 1, 2026, at $1,000 or more. The median was $23,300, and the middle half sold for $9,600–$31,900. The assessment roll's median just value is $10,100, and the middle half of those values runs $3,500–$22,800. Just value is a tax figure, not a cash price. The most common size group is a mini-estate (2-3 acres), 14% of 1,102 vacant residential parcels. The median lot is 1.00 acre, about 43,560 square feet. City water, a septic soil test, creek stage, and whether the frontage is paved can move one parcel well off that median. [1],[7],[12]
Common situations
Selling land in Vernon in these situations
You live outside Florida and have not seen the lot
Yes. You can sell from outside Florida without making a trip. 20% of the vacant-lot owners in this address area use a mailing address outside the state, and 80% use a Florida address. Papers can be signed electronically, the closing can be handled by mail through an independent, licensed title company, and payment can be by check or wire. A rural acre on a private easement still has to show legal access. County planning says a deeded easement is required when the land does not touch a public road, and an exclusive easement may serve only one parcel. [1],[15]
The tax bill has fallen behind
Yes. You can still sell if the tax bill has fallen behind. Property taxes become delinquent on April 1 of the following year, or 60 days after the original notice is mailed, whichever is later. The county tax collector must advertise and sell a tax certificate on or before June 1, or 60 days after delinquency, whichever is later. That office calls the certificate a lien created when the overdue taxes are paid, not a purchase of the land. Bidding opens at 18 percent. Missing the 22-month redemption window can end in a tax-deed sale. A certificate holder may apply for that deed after two years from April 1 of the year the certificate was issued. With your consent, liens or back taxes can be paid from the sale proceeds at closing. [19],[20],[21],[18]
You inherited a lot you have never walked
Yes. You can sell a lot you inherited, even if you have never walked it. The median vacant parcel in this address area is 1.00 acre, so many of these tracts are rural homesites rather than a small platted lot. County planning does not keep or enforce deed restrictions. Any restrictions sit in the recorded deed or in a separate filing, and the county instructions say they can override county rules. You do not have to clear an old restriction yourself before asking for an offer. [1],[7],[15]
The lot has no water, sewer, or paved road
Yes. You can sell a lot that has no water, sewer, or paved road. You do not have to drill a well, install a septic system, or pave a street first. Inside the city limits, a later house still needs the water-and-sewer letter on the county land-use application. Outside that service, a new septic system is permitted by Florida DEP and needs a site evaluation. The county will not assign an E-911 address until a driveway is established, and it does not build private roads. The only contingency in the purchase agreement is our land inspection. If that inspection fails, it costs the seller nothing. [7],[11],[16],[15]
Step by step
How do I sell my land in Vernon?
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 Vernon: common questions
Can I sell my lot in Vernon if it has no city water or sewer?
Yes. A missing water or sewer hookup does not block a sale. Inside the city limits, the county will not take a new-home land-use file without a letter that sewer and water will be provided or are available. Where that service is not the plan, Florida DEP has permitted septic systems in this county since January 2, 2025, after a site evaluation. You do not have to install either one before selling. Utility status is part of the review that sets the offer.
What does an empty lot cost to hold each year?
The yearly cost is the property-tax bill for that parcel, including any non-ad valorem lines printed on it. The county's MSBU page describes a Sunny Hills charge of $40.72 per improved lot for fiscal 2026, not a Vernon charge, so do not assume that fee is on this bill. If taxes go unpaid, the certificate amount is those taxes and assessments plus a 3 percent penalty, a 5 percent collector commission, and advertising cost. The current bill is the list of what the empty lot actually costs.
What approvals come before a house permit here?
An approved land-use application, a valid E-911 address, and any required driveway permit come first. The county charges $50 for a new land-use certificate, $25 for E-911, and $70 for a new residential driveway on a county road. A flood-zone home may also need an elevation certificate from a licensed surveyor or engineer.
What happens if I stop paying the taxes on an empty lot?
Unpaid property taxes become delinquent on April 1, or 60 days after the original notice is mailed, whichever is later. The tax collector then sells a tax certificate. That certificate is a lien, not a transfer of your deed. The office warns that failing to redeem within 22 months can lead to loss of the property at a tax-deed sale. State law lets the certificate holder apply for that deed after two years from April 1 of the certificate year.
I inherited a lot and I live in another state. Can I still sell?
Yes. An inheritance and an out-of-state address do not block a sale. 20% of vacant-lot owners in this address area already use a mailing address outside Florida. Distance does not change the local facts that still matter: city water versus septic, whether the land touches a public road, and whether Holmes Creek flood stages reach it.
Does Holmes Creek or a flood zone stop a sale?
No. A creek bank or a flood zone does not by itself stop a sale. It does change the offer when high water can reach the land. At the State Road 79 gauge, minor flooding starts at 24 feet and major flooding at 32 feet, the stage where water reaches homes on Jackson Avenue. The highest listed crest, 27.02 feet on September 18, 2020, passed the minor stage. County planning asks buyers to contact it to verify flood information before they purchase; the flood map is kept by the Northwest Florida Water Management District.
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]
- 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.
- Can You Sell Land With a Lien?
Yes. Land with a lien can often be sold, but signing a deed does not by itself erase a valid claim. The lien may need to be paid, released, discharged, or otherwise resolved under the law that applies. With the seller's consent, an approved payoff can come from sale proceeds at closing. If the balance or lien is wrong, dispute it before closing and require proof of the cure.
More places in Washington 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
- Chipley
25,785 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $10,500
- Washington County
27,853 vacant lots countywide
- Bonifay
505 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $18,500
- Cottondale
828 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $35,000
- Sunny Hills
22,688 vacant lots · 2025 median lot sale $7,500
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 parcels whose property address city is Vernon. 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 7, 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 March 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] U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census Gazetteer files: places, Florida (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [3] U.S. Census Bureau, Subcounty resident population estimates: Florida places, 2020-2024 (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [4] Wikipedia, Vernon, Florida (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [5] Washington County Board of County Commissioners, Washington County Planning Department (accessed 2026-10-07)
- [6] Washington County Planning Department, Planning Department review fee schedule, effective October 1, 2023 (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [7] Washington County Planning Department, New construction residential planning review and approval instructions (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [8] City of Vernon, Public notice of proposed CDBG mitigation work at the city wastewater plant (accessed 2026-10-07)
- [9] City of Vernon, City of Vernon, Florida Releases 2024 Water Quality Report (accessed 2026-10-07)
- [10] Florida Department of Health in Washington County, Onsite sewage and disposal (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [11] Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Onsite Sewage FAQ: permitting (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [12] National Weather Service, Holmes Creek at Vernon (SR 79) river gauge (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [13] Washington County Board of County Commissioners, Washington County Building Department (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [14] Washington County Building Department, Building Department fees, plan submittal charge effective July 22, 2024 (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [15] Washington County Planning Department, Buyers Beware: purchasing land in Washington County (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [16] Washington County Board of County Commissioners, E-911 addressing information (accessed 2026-10-07)
- [17] Washington County Board of County Commissioners, Municipal Services Benefit Unit (accessed 2026-10-07)
- [18] Washington County Tax Collector, Tax certificates (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [19] Florida Legislature, Florida Statutes section 197.333, when taxes due; delinquent (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [20] Florida Legislature, Florida Statutes section 197.402, advertisement of property with delinquent taxes (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [21] Florida Legislature, Florida Statutes section 197.502, application for obtaining tax deed (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [22] Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Holmes Creek Paddling Trail Guide (accessed 2026-10-07)