Sell Your Land in Brunswick County, NC

Selling Land in Brunswick County: What to Know

Brunswick County is the southern tip of the North Carolina coast. It runs from Leland, across the river from Wilmington, down to Calabash at the South Carolina line, with Bolivia as the county seat. Beach towns like Ocean Isle Beach and Oak Island sit on the coast, and Supply, Shallotte and Boiling Spring Lakes sit inland. Many people bought a lot here years ago for a future beach home and never built. If you own one of those lots and want to sell, you can.

EasyLotBuyer buys vacant land in Brunswick County for cash. We have closed on 6 parcels in Brunswick County, and we buy in Supply, Southport, Bolivia, Shallotte, Leland, Ocean Isle Beach, Calabash and Oak Island. We also buy in subdivisions such as Boiling Spring Lakes, Ocean Ridge, Seawatch at Sunset Harbor, Sunset Harbor, Crow Creek and Brunswick Plantation. 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.

What lots sell for in Brunswick County

Brunswick County has an active land market. Recent market data shows a median land sale of $105,000 across the county, with 2,286 sales in the last 12 months and 607 lots listed for sale. Land took about 128 days to sell on average, and the county had about 3.7 months of supply.

Most lots here are small. Lots under one acre had a median sale of $70,000, with 1,197 sales in a year. Price depends a lot on where the lot is. Lots near the beach or on the water sell for much more than lots inland, and lots in a flood zone, in wetlands or without sewer often sell for less. The ZIP code medians below come from the same recent market data and include all land sales in each ZIP, so a single subdivision can be higher or lower.

• 28462 Supply: median sale $50,000 (355 sales)
• 28422 Bolivia: median sale $90,000 (338 sales)
• 28470 Shallotte: median sale $70,000 (155 sales)
• 28467 Calabash: median sale $65,000 (251 sales)
• 28469 Ocean Isle Beach: median sale $110,000 (235 sales)
• 28461 Southport, Boiling Spring Lakes and Bald Head Island: median sale $95,000 (364 sales)
• 28451 Leland: median sale $262,000 (343 sales)

Septic permits and county water and sewer

If no sewer line runs to your lot, a home needs a septic system. Brunswick County Environmental Health issues septic permits in three steps: an Improvement Permit, a Construction Authorization and an Operation Permit. A county environmental health specialist visits the lot and checks the soil type, how wet the soil is, how deep it is, and if there is room for the system and a repair area. Some lots fail this test, which is a main reason two lots in the same area can sell for very different prices.

The county application fee for an Improvement Permit is $515 for a system of 500 gallons per day or less. If the lot has no public water, you must file a well permit application at the same time. The county asks that the lot be ready for the visit within one week of the application, so the corners must be marked and the site must be reachable. Owners can also use a private soil scientist, an engineer or an Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator instead of the standard county review.

Under North Carolina law, an Improvement Permit issued with a plat does not expire, and one issued with a site plan is valid for five years. If your lot already has a permit, find a copy before you sell, because it can add value. Brunswick County Public Utilities sells water and sewer in many areas. Capital recovery fees for a new connection are due when a building permit is applied for. Call Environmental Health at 910-253-2150 or Public Utilities at 910-253-2655 for your lot. Fees and rules change, so confirm them with the county.

Flood zones, wetlands and CAMA rules

Much of Brunswick County is low and near water. The county's Know Your Flood Hazard page explains the zones. VE zones face storm surge with high waves. Coastal A and AE zones face storm surge with smaller waves. A zones can flood in a 1 percent annual chance flood. X and shaded X zones are lower risk. You can look up your lot on the county's Flood Zone Viewer or call the county Floodplain Administrator at 910-253-2046.

Wetlands also limit what a buyer can build. To place fill in wetlands, an owner needs a Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and usually a 401 Water Quality Certification from the state. A lot that is mostly wetland can be hard to build on.

Near the coast, the state Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) also applies. A project is probably in an Area of Environmental Concern if it is in a marsh or wetland, within 75 feet of the normal high water line on an estuarine shoreline, within about 300 feet of the ocean beach, or within about 1,000 feet of an inlet. A single-family home in one of these areas may need a CAMA minor permit from the local permit officer, who is often a town or county planner or building inspector.

Roads and access

Many lots in Brunswick County are in older subdivisions. Some roads are paved and kept by the state, some are kept by an owners' association, and some are dirt roads that no one maintains. NCDOT only adds a subdivision road to the state system if it was built to state standards and enough homes are on it. For a road shorter than two tenths of a mile, at least four occupied homes are needed. Private roads are not eligible.

Check the plat and your deed to see how your lot reaches a road. If your lot has no legal or practical access, you can still sell it. We buy land with no road access.

Property taxes and tax foreclosure

The Brunswick County Tax Office in Bolivia bills and collects property tax. Taxes are due September 1 and can be paid without interest through January 5. You can pay online or call 910-253-2829. Under state law, unpaid tax picks up 2 percent interest on January 6, then 3/4 of 1 percent each month after that.

If taxes stay unpaid, North Carolina counties can foreclose on the land. State law allows a court foreclosure or a simpler in rem foreclosure through the clerk of court. Brunswick County lists properties set for sale on its Tax Foreclosures page. The auction takes place on the steps of the courthouse in Bolivia. After the sale, there is a 10-day period for higher bids, and the buyer gets a commissioner's deed.

Until the sale is final, the owner can usually stop it by paying the taxes, interest and costs. Do not wait for that point. If your lot has back taxes, we can pay them from the sale at closing.

How a sale closes in North Carolina

In North Carolina, the State Bar says a nonlawyer may not handle a residential real estate closing. A licensed attorney does the legal work: title review, the deed and other papers, and recording. This protects both sides.

When you sell to us, the steps are simple. You tell us about the lot. We make a cash offer within 24 hours. If you accept, the closing is set up and we pay the closing costs. There are no fees or commissions, and we can close in as few as 7 days. You can sign from home, wherever you live.