Harnett County staff report sharp land‑sale increases ahead of 2026 reappraisal
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Summary
County tax staff presented township‑by‑township land‑sale comparables showing sales increases of 33%–129% since 2022 and sizable per‑acre gains; presenters said these were individual market transactions (not developer sales) and will inform the 2026 reappraisal process.
County staff delivered a detailed market‑sales update to the Harnett County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 12, citing multiple recent vacant‑land and a pair of commercial sales that, in many cases, substantially exceeded 2022 assessment values.
Christine Wallace, the county staff presenter, said the examples were drawn from individual owner‑to‑owner transactions and excluded sales involving builders, developers, LLCs or corporations. She told the board the examples were intended to show market behavior, not to set 2026 tax values.
Wallace walked commissioners through examples by township. Highlights in the slide set included: a 5.9‑acre Anderson Creek parcel that sold in February 2025 for $125,000 (reported as a roughly 95% increase over its 2022 assessed value); an 18.93‑acre Aversborough Township parcel that sold for $293,000 in December 2024 (about a 42% increase); a Duke Township parcel reported as a 107% increase; and other township examples with per‑acre values ranging from roughly $3,800 to more than $60,000. Two commercial sales were presented as well, including a 6.77‑acre parcel on NC 27 that sold in March 2025 and a 1.81‑acre site on US‑401 that sold in April (presentation figures).
Commissioners asked follow‑up questions about days on market, the presence of out‑of‑state buyers and whether hedge‑fund or institutional purchasers were acquiring vacant lots sight‑unseen. Staff agreed to provide additional data where available and emphasized that the current set excluded builder/developer transactions so as to isolate individual private sales.
The board did not take a vote on tax policy at the meeting; staff said the land‑sale data will be used as background in the upcoming 2026 reappraisal work.
Ending: Staff committed to supply additional locality‑level detail and answers to commissioners’ questions about Section 8/voucher unit counts and sales‑type breakdowns when the reappraisal analysis is developed further.
