By Tyson & Jennifer Bundy, Red Dirt Land Co founders
A lot of vacant land in Arizona sits unused for years before anyone decides what to do with it. Maybe it was bought as an investment that didn't pan out, picked out for a retirement home that never got built, or came to you from family. Whatever the reason you have it, the question eventually shows up: keep paying for it and holding on, or sell it and move on. Here's how to think that through, before you get into how or for how much.
A quick gut check. If two or more of these are true, selling is worth taking seriously:
- You're paying property tax every year on land you haven't used in a long time.
- Your plans for the land have changed since you got it, or you never had a specific plan.
- You're not sure where the deed or parcel paperwork even is anymore.
- You'd rather have the money now than keep holding the land.
What holding the land actually costs you
Vacant land usually has no utility bill and nothing to maintain, but it isn't free to own. The main ongoing cost is property tax, due every year whether or not you ever set foot on the parcel. Most Arizona county treasurers let you look up what's owed online by your parcel number (APN), and your county treasurer can tell you exactly what's owed and when it's due.
There's also a quieter cost: keeping track of the paperwork. A deed and parcel number that are easy to find today get harder to find with every year that passes. Our guide to finding your APN in Arizona is worth doing now, whether or not you decide to sell, just so the basics are in one place.
What holding the land does, and doesn't, do for you
Unless you're actually using the parcel today (recreation, grazing, a building plan already underway), raw land doesn't produce anything while you hold it. It just sits there costing the yearly tax. Whether it's worth more later depends on specific, local things: legal and physical access, road quality, terrain, distance to power and water, and parcel size. It doesn't depend simply on how long you've owned it. Our guide to what drives Arizona land prices covers those factors in more depth.
That matters because "it'll be worth more eventually" is really a bet on those specific factors in your specific location, not something time guarantees on its own.
Signs it's worth selling now
- You're paying tax every year on land you don't use and don't have a real plan for.
- What you bought or kept the land for no longer applies. You moved, your plans changed, or the reason you got it isn't there anymore.
- You'd rather have the decision behind you than something to revisit every tax season.
If that sounds like your situation, the next questions are what the land is worth and how you'd go about selling it, covered in our guides on how much your land is worth and how to sell vacant land in Arizona.
Signs it's worth holding onto
- You have an actual plan for the parcel (building, retiring on it, passing it down) and the yearly tax isn't a burden.
- You're already using it, even occasionally.
- You're not in a hurry, and you'd rather wait and watch how access, roads and nearby growth develop in your area before deciding.
None of these make selling wrong later. They just mean there's no reason to decide today.
If you decide to sell
You generally have three paths: list with an agent, sell it yourself, or sell directly to a cash buyer. Our guide to how to sell vacant land in Arizona walks through all three, and how long it typically takes breaks down the timeline for each.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a yearly cost to just holding onto vacant land in Arizona?
The main one is property tax, due whether or not you ever visit or use the parcel. Most Arizona county treasurers let you look up what is owed online by parcel number (APN), and your county treasurer can tell you exactly what is owed and when it is due. There is usually no maintenance bill the way a house has.
Does raw land in Arizona reliably go up in value over time?
Not automatically. What a parcel is worth tracks things like legal and physical access, road quality, terrain, distance to power and water, and parcel size, not just how long you have owned it. Our guide to what drives Arizona land prices covers those factors in more detail.
I am not using the land right now. Does that mean I should sell?
Not necessarily. What matters more is whether you have an actual plan for the parcel and whether the yearly cost of holding it bothers you. Plenty of owners hold land for years with no immediate use and no regrets, and others would rather be done with it. Both are reasonable. The point is to decide on purpose instead of by default.
I have lost track of my deed or paperwork. Can I still figure out what I have?
Yes. Start with your parcel number (APN) through the county assessor or your tax bill, which gets you to the county's own record of the parcel and its owner of record. Our guide to finding your APN in Arizona shows where to look.
If I decide to sell, how fast could that actually happen?
It depends which path you take. Listing with an agent or selling it yourself can take anywhere from weeks to years, depending on price and location. A direct cash sale usually closes within a few weeks of a signed agreement, once title work is done. Our guide to how long it takes to sell land in Arizona breaks down the timeline by path.
Can I just get a number without committing to selling?
Yes. Asking for a cash offer does not obligate you to take it. We look at the parcel and send you a number, and you decide from there, on your own timeline.
