Introduction

The County-Data Hack That Finds Underpriced Parcels is a repeatable workflow that mines public records to surface sellers who are motivated, parcels with hidden utility, and sub-markets the retail crowd hasn’t mapped yet. You’ll use plain CSVs, free GIS viewers, and a lightweight scoring sheet—no expensive tools required.

Compliance: Verify zoning/use, access, flood, wetlands, HOA/POA, and local solicitation rules. This is educational content—not legal advice or a guarantee of profits.

1) Why “The County-Data Hack That Finds Underpriced Parcels” Works

• Asymmetry: County systems are messy; few buyers normalize them. You will.
• Lead-time: You see distress (tax, code, probate) months before listings.
• Precision: GIS layers expose access/utilities so you avoid “cheap for a reason.”

2) The Data Stack: What to Pull, Where to Find It

3) Filters That Predict Motivation & Mispricing

• Absentee + Long Tenure: Mailing state ≠ situs state AND last sale > 10 years.
• Tax Delinquent: Owed ≥ 2 years OR amount owed > 2% of assessed value.
• Odd Lot / Orphan Parcels: Acreage below area median by 1.5σ, but with road touch.
• Assessed/Acres Outliers: Land value per acre < 50% of tract median.
• Estate/Heir Signals: Recent transfer to trust/estate; mailing to attorney.

Stack two motivation filters + one utility filter (access/utilities) for the strongest hits.

4) Scoring Model: Utility × Motivation × Liquidity

DealScore = 0.5*Utility + 0.35*Motivation + 0.15*Liquidity
Target: DealScore ≥ 3.4

5) GIS Layers: Access, Slope, Flood, and Services

• Access: Road-class layer + parcel boundary = confirm ingress/egress.
• Slope: 0–15% is build-friendly; 15–30% needs engineering.
• Flood/Wetlands: Exclude Zone A/AE where building is constrained.
• Utilities: Distance to nearest meter/pole/main; note cost-to-extend.
• Zoning: Allowed uses, min frontage, min lot size—screen early.

6) Pricing Math: Land-Comp Triangulation

1. Raw $/acre (sold): Median of last 6–12 months within 10–20 miles, same zoning.
2. Adjust for utility: Road + power + water present → up to +25%; missing utilities → −20–40%.
3. Offer bands: Aim for 35–55% of adjusted retail if quick flip; 55–70% if planning entitlement lift.

AdjustedRetail = CompMedian * UtilityMultiplier
Offer = AdjustedRetail * TargetDiscount
Example: $12,000/ac * 0.85 utilities * 0.45 = $4,590/ac offer

7) Outreach: Mail, SMS (where allowed), and Call Cadence

• Week 1: Neutral letter + QR to property page, soft ask: “Open to an offer?”
• Week 2: Call attempt ×2; voicemail with APN + quick benefit (no pressure).
• Week 3: Postcard: “We confirm access & pay closing costs.”
• Week 4: Follow-up letter with range: “$X–$Y pending drive-by.”

Check state/federal rules before SMS/robocalls. Respect do-not-call and opt-out requests.

8) KPIs & Dashboard: What to Track Weekly

Segment results by county. Double down where Offer→Accept is highest.

9) 30–60–90 Day Execution Plan

Days 1–30 (Foundation)

1. Pull assessor + delinquent lists for 2–3 counties; normalize fields.
2. Build scoring sheet; add GIS checks for top 20%.
3. Launch Week 1 letters; prepare call scripts.

Days 31–60 (Momentum)

1. Expand to 4–6 counties; systematize offer math.
2. Add postcard follow-ups; test range pricing vs firm offers.
3. Create a simple parcel page template for QR traffic.

Days 61–90 (Scale)

1. Automate imports; weekly refresh delinquent and code logs.
2. Introduce buyer list for quick assignments; track days-to-dispo.
3. Quarterly audit: remove flood/wetlands time-wasters from target zones.

10) Troubleshooting: False Positives & Dead Parcels

11) Templates: Script Snippets & Offer Language

Opening Call

“Hi, is this {{Owner}}? I’m calling about APN {{APN}} near {{Road}}.
We buy small acreage in the area. Would you consider an offer if we cover closing?”

Mail Line (Range)

“Based on nearby sales and access, we can likely offer between ${{Low}}–${{High}} pending a quick drive-by.”

Counter (When High)

“If utilities are closer than mapped, we can move toward the top of the range
and close in {{Days}} with no contingencies after clear title.”