Sell Your Land in Putnam County, FL

Selling Land in Putnam County: What to Know

Putnam County sits in northeast Florida along the St. Johns River, with Palatka as the county seat. Towns like Interlachen, Satsuma, Georgetown, Florahome, Crescent City and Pomona Park are spread among many lakes, creeks and pine woods. Large parts of the county were platted into small lots decades ago, and many owners bought one and never built. If you own one of those lots and want to sell, you are not alone.

EasyLotBuyer buys vacant land in Putnam County for cash. We have closed on 17 parcels in Putnam County, in and around Interlachen, Satsuma, Georgetown, Palatka, Florahome, Crescent City, Pomona Park and the Putnam County side of the Hawthorne area. Most of those lots were in Interlachen Lakes Estates, and we also buy in St Johns Riverside Estates, Paradise Lakes, Lakeside Hills and Crescent Shores Heights. We make a cash offer within 24 hours, charge no fees or commissions, pay the closing costs, and can close in as few as 7 days. We also buy lots with back taxes, liens, title problems or no road access.

Why land prices are low in Putnam County

Putnam County has a very large supply of small, platted lots. Recent market data shows about 2,093 land sales in the county over 12 months, with about 1,550 lots listed for sale at one time. The median land sale was $6,900, and the median lot size was about a quarter acre. Lots took an average of 124 days to sell, and there was about 12 months of supply. In plain terms, buyers have many similar lots to choose from.

Size matters a lot here. In the same data, lots under 1 acre had a median sale of $5,150 across 1,664 sales. Lots of 1 to 2 acres had a median of about $19,000, lots of 2 to 5 acres about $42,500, and lots of 5 to 10 acres about $70,000. The median asking price across the county was $14,000, well above the median sale.

Cost to build also holds prices down. Most lots outside the towns need a private well, a septic system, a driveway permit and sometimes fill or flood elevation work before a home can go in. Buyers price those costs into their offers.

• 32148 Interlachen: median sale $5,900 (653 sales, 822 listings)
• 32189 Satsuma: median sale $5,600 (263 sales)
• 32139 Georgetown: median sale $5,000 (484 sales)
• 32140 Florahome: median sale $5,000 (114 sales)
• 32177 Palatka: median sale $10,000 (274 sales)
• 32112 Crescent City: median sale $15,000 (124 sales)
• 32181 Pomona Park: median sale $20,000 (51 sales)

Septic systems and wells

Most rural lots in Putnam County have no sewer line, so a home needs a septic system. In Putnam County, the Florida Department of Health in Putnam County (DOH-Putnam) still issues septic permits and does the inspections. The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) now handles septic permits only in the Panhandle counties and Marion County. A septic permit starts with an application, a site plan and a site evaluation that checks the soil and the water table. The Environmental Health office is at 2801 Kennedy St., Palatka, FL 32177, phone 386-326-3240.

State law sets lot size and daily flow limits for septic systems in section 381.0065, Florida Statutes. A lot served by a private well faces tighter limits than a lot on a public water system, and lots in older plats have their own rules. Only the health department can tell you if a given lot qualifies.

Private drinking water wells also go through the county health department. The St. Johns River Water Management District has a delegation agreement with Putnam County for well permits, so you do not apply to the district for a household well.

Building rules, lots of record and wetlands

Putnam County's comprehensive plan was adopted on December 19, 1991. A lot that existed on that date is treated as a lot of record and may be developed with one home, even if it is smaller than the current land use category allows. The plan also allows one home on an older residential lot of record that does not have enough uplands to avoid wetlands. Lots created after that date must have enough buildable area to keep the required wetland and waterfront buffers.

Manufactured homes are allowed in the Agriculture (AG), Residential-2 (R-2) and Residential Mobile Home Park (RMH) zones. A new home permit from the Building Department needs, among other items, a driveway permit, a health department or utility permit, an impact fee and, in a flood zone, a FEMA elevation certificate. If you want to split land, new parcels must front a county-maintained paved road and need at least 1 acre if they use a private well and septic.

If you are not sure what your lot allows, Planning and Zoning offers a Lot Inquiry application that answers whether a lot is buildable. The county lists a $45 fee and about two weeks for an answer. Call (386) 329-0491. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the county before you rely on them.

Flood zones near the river and lakes

The St. Johns River, Dunns Creek, Crescent Lake and many smaller lakes mean some lots sit in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area. Putnam County uses one countywide Flood Insurance Rate Map. To build in a flood zone, the county requires two FEMA elevation certificates from a Florida licensed surveyor, one during construction and one before final inspection.

You can look up the flood zone for any address for free at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center, msc.fema.gov. A lot in a flood zone is not unsellable. It just costs more to build on, and that shows up in the price buyers will pay.

Roads, MSBUs and special assessments

Putnam County has many unpaved roads. Public Works maintains a large share of the county's dirt and paved roads, grades dirt roads, and coordinates the county's Municipal Service Benefit Units (MSBUs). Some platted roads were never built or are not maintained by the county. If your lot fronts an unbuilt or unmaintained road, we still buy it.

In an MSBU, property owners in one area pay a yearly assessment for road paving or maintenance. The county lists advisory committees for several MSBUs, including ILE South, St Johns Riverside Estates and River Ridge, St. Johns Harbor Unit 3, West Putnam, and Interlachen Boulevard. An MSBU assessment appears as a non-ad valorem line on your property tax bill, so it applies even to a vacant lot. Check your bill to see if your lot is in one. Public Works is at (386) 329-0346.

Back taxes and the Putnam County Tax Collector

The Putnam County Tax Collector mails tax bills on November 1. Paying early earns a discount: 4 percent in November, 3 percent in December, 2 percent in January and 1 percent in February. The full amount is due by March 31, and taxes become delinquent on April 1. You can look up and pay your bill on the Tax Collector's property tax page, putnamtax.com. The office is at 312 Oak Street, Palatka, FL 32177, phone (386) 329-0282.

If taxes stay unpaid, the Tax Collector sells a tax certificate on the lot each year before June 1. The certificate covers the unpaid taxes and assessments plus interest and costs. Bidding on the interest rate starts at 18 percent and goes down. A certificate lasts seven years.

Under Florida law, the holder can apply for a tax deed once two years have passed since April 1 of the year the certificate was issued. The Clerk of the Circuit Court then runs an online tax deed sale. You can redeem by paying the taxes, interest and costs at any time before a tax deed is issued. If your lot has back taxes, we can pay them from the sale at closing.