Railroad, utility, and timber companies regularly (and quietly) sell cheap land. Here's how to find it.

As part of this week's 'unconventional ways to buy land' series, I am diving into land that is quietly offloaded by railroad, utility, and timber companies that's often priced below market value.

Every week, throughout the U.S., railroads, electric utilities, telecom companies, old timber companies, and industrial corporations divest (sell off) land they no longer need. Whether it was land purchased decades ago for a project that never occurred, old utility easements, or former industrial parcels, these companies have a vested interest in selling off land that racks up tax burdens, management costs, and liabilities.

Since these companies don’t want the movement of their land to be blatantly public, potentially tipping off everyday people to changes in their business or future plans, they divest the land quietly.

Yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t access it. In fact, it’s easier to find these sales than you realize. That’s why in this article, I am going to cover land sales byway of utility companies, how to find them, how to vet the deal, and the pros and cons of buying land in this way.

As I always say, “cheap” land comes with a catch, but depending on your appetite for risk or desire to own a few acres, this pathway to land ownership may be what works perfectly for you and your family.

(This marks week 18 of my “Buying Farmland Series,” which means chances are, I have covered an avenue to land ownership that probably works for your family. Feel free to check out prior articles!)

So without further ado, let’s dive into it.