Use completed sales of similar land to research a price range. First, make sure the number you are reading is a sale price. Columbus County’s records separate sale amount, total value and land value. Those figures are not interchangeable. Check the sale date, acres and what came with the land before comparing the price.
Start with the county’s sales and map resources
Have your tax bill or deed handy if you have one. Save the parcel number, owner’s name, acres and closest road. A parcel number is the county’s ID for a piece of land.
The Columbus County Tax Office page links to Property Sales Search and GIS. GIS means an online map. The county GIS page provides its map resources and explains the labels in its tax database.
Use these official starting points rather than an old copied table. Check that the result matches the land, and save the date you looked. If a price or acreage is missing, leave it unknown and ask for help.
Read the label beside each number
The county’s GIS field list names three different figures:
- GSLAMT: Sales Amount. Keep it with GSLDTE, the Sales Date, and check the deal it describes.
- GTOTVL: Total Value. Do not treat this tax-record figure as a confirmed sale price.
- TVLAND: Total Value of Land. This is a land-value field, not proof of what a buyer paid.
The list also shows GACRE for acres and GDBOOK and GDPAGE for deed book and page. A deed is the paper used to transfer ownership. Its book and page tell you where a recorded paper can be found.
Here is a made-up label example: a record might show $40,000 for land value, $120,000 for total value and $105,000 for a sale amount. Those are three different numbers. You still need to check whether the sale included a house, several parcels or unusual terms. These are invented figures, not a Columbus County record.
Keep each number with its label. Do not turn a blank sale field into a zero-dollar sale or fill it with the total value. Ask the tax office or a land agent to help explain an unclear record.
Choose completed sales with similar land
Ask a local land agent for completed sales and why each one fits your property. A county-wide average cannot explain every difference.
- Compare similar acres and general areas.
- Keep vacant land apart from sales with houses or other buildings.
- Note open fields, woods and wet areas you know about.
- Compare entrances and known road access.
- Check known services, allowed uses and the sale date.
A small roadside lot may serve a different buyer than a large farm or wooded tract. A field with a lease may also come with different timing for a buyer to use it. Keep any lease and ask what terms still apply.
A map or photo does not prove a building site, access right or usable services. Describe what you know, gather written agreements and ask the closing team to check open questions. Do not assume that two nearby pieces can be used in the same way.
Match the sale amount to the whole deal
Make one note per possible sale: parcel numbers, deed book and page, date, full price, total acres and buildings. Ask whether multiple pieces sold together.
For a made-up example, 10 acres and 20 acres sell together for $120,000. The full deal is 30 acres at $4,000 per acre. Using only the 10 acres overstates the comparison. These are math examples, not a Columbus County sale or estimate.
Check repeated ads and rows against the parcel and deed references before counting separate transactions. If a house was included, subtracting its tax value does not prove the price paid for vacant land. Ask for a closer match.
Use your price research to choose a sale route
Put your tax bill, deed, survey, lease and road agreements in one folder. A survey shows land lines. Keep your comparison notes and open questions with the papers.
If you are helping with a loved one’s estate, bring the papers you have. Ask a closing professional what else is needed and who must sign.
You can hire an agent, sell yourself or compare a direct offer. Ask about the work, costs and buyer checks for each option. Read our Columbus County selling guide for the broader steps and local records.
Compare the money you keep and the terms
Write down the price, your costs, loans, taxes, deposit and target closing date. Ask when the buyer can cancel and which checks still remain.
In a made-up example, a $70,000 offer with $6,000 in costs leaves $64,000 before loans and taxes. A $68,000 offer with $2,000 in costs leaves $66,000. These are not local prices or Reelvest offers.
Ask for a written estimate. Use our land offer worksheet or North Carolina land seller guide. If you would like a direct offer alongside your other choices, tell Reelvest about your land.
Questions About Columbus County Land Value
Is total value the same as a sale amount?
No. The county GIS field list names Total Value, Total Value of Land and Sales Amount separately. Keep each number with its label and confirm what the sale included.
What should I do with a blank sale-price field?
Leave it unknown. Do not substitute the total tax value or assume a zero-dollar sale. Ask the tax office or a land agent for help finding a confirmed completed sale.
Which fields help me match a price to the land?
The county list includes acres, sale date, deed book and deed page. Keep these with parcel details and check the full land and buildings included in the transaction.
Are the old March 2026 figures verified land prices?
No. The saved rows lacked the parcel and deed details needed to verify separate completed sales. This page now explains how to check useful prices and records.
Local source links reviewed October 6, 2026.