Land auctions in Middle Tennessee
No two tracts are alike, and a land auction in Tennessee lets bidders set the price in real dollars in a timed public sale. Tracts, lots and acreage sell through Common Hour online or live, with the survey, road frontage, access and water described in the catalogue. If bidding meets the reserve, the seller conveys by general warranty deed at a closing within 30 days of the auction, unless the sale's Special Terms say otherwise.
Is this the right fit?
Plenty of land belongs on the open market, because auction does not suit every property. It fits a tract that is unusual for its size, road frontage or location, where more than one buyer is likely to compete. It is the wrong method for a plain lot with recent sales all around it, or for an owner with no deadline who can wait for one buyer. Land with unsettled access or boundaries usually needs that sorted out first, and we will tell you so.
How it works.
Gather the paper
Send us the deed, any survey and the tax parcel number. We start with the acreage and boundaries on record and note anything that needs answers, such as an easement or a shared drive.
Walk the land
Next comes the ground itself: road frontage, the way in, where water runs and stands, the slope, the soil and any standing timber. Bidders will ask about all of it. We describe these things in general terms, and bidders verify them on their own.
Decide how to offer it
A large tract can sell whole or in parcels. Parcels raise their own questions about survey, road frontage and county planning rules, so those get worked through before the catalogue goes out.
Put it in front of bidders
The sale is catalogued, timed and marketed nationally. Most sales run online now, so a bidder in another state can compete with one down the road, once they have walked the land and checked it themselves.
Bid to the reserve
Land sells only if bidding meets the reserve, and each sale's Special Terms disclose whether that reserve is published or confidential. Late bids can extend an online close so others can respond.
Close on the deed
Earnest money reaches the escrow agent within 24 hours of the close, and the balance is due at closing. The seller pays deed preparation, transfer tax and recording of lien releases. The buyer pays title insurance, deed recording and lender costs, taxes are prorated through closing, and Special Terms can change any of this.
Who handles what.
Common Hour handles
- Reading the deed and any survey you have
- Describing acreage, road frontage, access, water, soil and timber in general terms
- Working through whether to offer the land whole or in parcels
- Cataloguing the sale and marketing it nationally
- Pre-qualifying every registered bidder
- Running the sale on the online bidding platform, live or both
You handle
- Providing the deed, any survey and the tax parcel number
- Opening gates and clearing a way in so bidders can walk the land
- Telling us about leases, hunting or grazing arrangements and easements
- Conveying marketable title at closing, by general warranty deed unless the Special Terms say otherwise
- Asking your CPA how the sale affects any farm or timber tax treatment
How fees work.
Land sells with a standard buyer's premium of twelve percent on top of the hammer price under Common Hour's auction terms, unless a particular auction modifies it in writing. As on any real estate, that premium also serves as the non-refundable earnest money, and cooperating broker fees, if any, are paid out of it. Any seller's commission is spelled out in writing as well.
Commissions and fees are not set by law and are fully negotiable.
Questions about land auctions.
Do you run a land auction in Williamson County?
Williamson County is in our service area, along with Davidson, Rutherford and Maury, and we sell land across Tennessee and beyond. The method stays the same from county to county. The questions change, from planning rules to road frontage, so we start with the tract in front of us.
How do online land auctions in Tennessee work?
You read the catalogue, then walk the land yourself. You register on the online bidding platform and get pre-qualified, which can mean proof of funds or lender pre-approval. Bids are irrevocable, and a late bid can extend the close. If the close passes with bidding at or above the reserve, you have a binding contract with no financing contingency.
Where can I find land auctions near me?
Any land Common Hour is offering appears on our auction listing pages with its Special Terms. We lead with Middle Tennessee, including Franklin, Columbia, Murfreesboro and Spring Hill, but online sales let you bid from anywhere. Walk the land before you bid, because it sells as is, where is, with all faults.
What should I look for in land auction companies near me?
Look for someone who will walk the land with you and ask about access, frontage and the survey before talking about a date. Find out who holds the earnest money. With us it goes to the escrow agent, and we do not take direct payment. Also ask whether rural land is a focus. For Jennifer Davis, our Principal Auctioneer, it is.
What are the land auction fees?
Under Common Hour's auction terms, the buyer pays a premium of twelve percent on top of the hammer price unless a sale modifies it in writing. That premium also serves as the non-refundable earnest money. Seller's commissions are disclosed in writing, and deed preparation, transfer tax and recording of lien releases are seller closing costs unless the Special Terms change them. Commissions and fees are not set by law and are fully negotiable.
Do I need a new survey before selling land at auction?
Not always. If you are selling the whole tract and a survey already shows the lines and acreage, it may do. If the land is being split, or the deed description is old or unclear, bidders will have more questions and a new survey usually makes sense. We will look at what you have and talk it through.
