Dealing with a Seller Who May Not Actually Want to Sell – Need Advice

[Jimmy Perron]

Hi BiggerPockets Land Investing Team,

I’d love your insight on a land deal I’ve been working on. A few weeks ago, I came across a 16.5-acre vacant lot in an area my wife and I really like. The asking price was fair based on the local market. After visiting the property, we realized we indirectly knew the sellers—a husband and wife who had originally planned to build there.

The husband put significant work into the land, saving money by doing the development himself. He subdivided the main lot, drilled two wells, and brought in power, making it essentially ready to build. Since he did much of the work himself with his own excavator and dump truck, the development cost was far lower than normal.

When we met, he said he had lots of interest in the property and wanted an informal offer as soon as possible. We submitted an offer with a financing condition, and everyone seemed happy with the deal initially. However, since we needed a small loan to complete the purchase, we included a condition for financing approval—which is fairly standard for vacant land deals, especially since lenders require an appraisal before funding.

Where Things Are Getting Messy

At first, the seller pushed for an unrealistically short deadline for financing approval. Since financing for vacant land takes longer (appraisal, underwriting, etc.), we asked for a reasonable timeline. Our notary drafted an agreement, our lawyer reviewed everything, and we scheduled the land appraisal to satisfy our lender.

Now, the seller is suddenly not satisfied with the financing timeline and is hesitating. He claims others want to make an offer, but unless it's a full cash buyer (which is rare in our small town), I doubt they’d be able to close faster than us.

I’m getting the sense that he may not actually want to sell, and this whole process is just a way for him to tell his wife that no one could buy it. It feels like he’s trying to create roadblocks instead of working with us in good faith.

My Concerns & Questions for the Forum

1. Has anyone dealt with a seller like this—one who acts like they want to sell but keeps sabotaging the deal?
2. At what point do I walk away? I’ve already spent a few thousand dollars (legal review, notary, appraisal scheduling), which I won’t recover if the deal falls apart.
3. Should I push harder or let it go? I’ve been keeping him updated daily, showing commitment to making the deal work, but now he seems indifferent or even looking for an excuse to back out.
4. How do I handle this carefully considering we will still be neighbors? He owns the 2-acre lot next to this land, and we’d be sharing an easement if we proceed with the purchase.

I’d really appreciate any advice from those who’ve navigated difficult land deals or sellers who seem unsure about selling. Thanks in advance for your insights!

[Chris Seveney]

Quote from @Jimmy Perron:

Hi BiggerPockets Land Investing Team,

I’d love your insight on a land deal I’ve been working on. A few weeks ago, I came across a 16.5-acre vacant lot in an area my wife and I really like. The asking price was fair based on the local market. After visiting the property, we realized we indirectly knew the sellers—a husband and wife who had originally planned to build there.

The husband put significant work into the land, saving money by doing the development himself. He subdivided the main lot, drilled two wells, and brought in power, making it essentially ready to build. Since he did much of the work himself with his own excavator and dump truck, the development cost was far lower than normal.

When we met, he said he had lots of interest in the property and wanted an informal offer as soon as possible. We submitted an offer with a financing condition, and everyone seemed happy with the deal initially. However, since we needed a small loan to complete the purchase, we included a condition for financing approval—which is fairly standard for vacant land deals, especially since lenders require an appraisal before funding.

Where Things Are Getting Messy

At first, the seller pushed for an unrealistically short deadline for financing approval. Since financing for vacant land takes longer (appraisal, underwriting, etc.), we asked for a reasonable timeline. Our notary drafted an agreement, our lawyer reviewed everything, and we scheduled the land appraisal to satisfy our lender.

Now, the seller is suddenly not satisfied with the financing timeline and is hesitating. He claims others want to make an offer, but unless it's a full cash buyer (which is rare in our small town), I doubt they’d be able to close faster than us.

I’m getting the sense that he may not actually want to sell, and this whole process is just a way for him to tell his wife that no one could buy it. It feels like he’s trying to create roadblocks instead of working with us in good faith.

My Concerns & Questions for the Forum

1. Has anyone dealt with a seller like this—one who acts like they want to sell but keeps sabotaging the deal?
2. At what point do I walk away? I’ve already spent a few thousand dollars (legal review, notary, appraisal scheduling), which I won’t recover if the deal falls apart.
3. Should I push harder or let it go? I’ve been keeping him updated daily, showing commitment to making the deal work, but now he seems indifferent or even looking for an excuse to back out.
4. How do I handle this carefully considering we will still be neighbors? He owns the 2-acre lot next to this land, and we’d be sharing an easement if we proceed with the purchase.

I’d really appreciate any advice from those who’ve navigated difficult land deals or sellers who seem unsure about selling. Thanks in advance for your insights!

 How much is the property and how much is the financing? you could get a hard money loan and cash it out in a year, of course the interest will be a lot higher but you would get the deal done.