Both Sides of the Bridge
I buy land for cash in Southern Indiana and the Kentucky counties across the river. No agents, no investors — just me, my phone, and local knowledge.
Roger Choate
I started Kentuckiana Land Co. because I saw a real gap — landowners in Southern Indiana and the Kentucky side of the river who needed to sell land but didn't have a clear path to do it. Their land didn't fit what real estate agents wanted to list. It had title complications, back taxes, or just sat in a rural county where buyers weren't showing up.
I buy land directly, with my own money. There are no partners, no hedge funds, no pool of investor money behind me. When I make an offer, I stand behind it personally. That means I'm selective about what I buy and straightforward about what I won't.
My focus is the Kentuckiana region — Southern Indiana and the Kentucky counties across the river. I know this land. I know the county recorders, the title companies, the local quirks in how deeds transfer and how taxes work on both sides of the state line. That local knowledge is worth something when you're trying to close a complicated land transaction.
What I Buy and What I Don't
I buy vacant land — farm ground, timber tracts, hunting land, rural acreage, lots, and land with complicated situations. I don't buy homes, buildings, or commercial properties. My focus is land, and specifically land that's hard to sell through conventional channels.
I won't buy every parcel I see. If a property doesn't fit what I'm looking for or the numbers don't work, I'll tell you that plainly. I'd rather give you an honest answer early than waste both of our time.
The Kentuckiana Difference
A lot of land buyers operate at a distance — they've never set foot in Crawford County or Orange County, Indiana. They don't know the difference between land near the Hoosier National Forest and land near the Ohio River bottom. I do. That regional focus means I can move faster and make better offers on land in this specific area.
Questions before you fill out the form? Text or call me directly at (502) 528-7273. I answer my own phone.
Why I Focus on Southern Indiana and Kentuckiana
The Kentuckiana region — roughly the Indiana counties from the Ohio River north into the hill country, and the Kentucky counties across the bridge — has a specific kind of land market that most buyers don't understand well. The terrain is different from central Indiana. The soil types, timber values, and land use patterns are different. And the legal environment is different on either side of the state line.
Indiana and Kentucky handle land transfers differently. Indiana requires a Sales Disclosure Form filed with the county assessor at closing. Kentucky closings typically involve a licensed real estate closing attorney. Title search conventions, deed recording fees, and transfer tax structures differ between the two states. Understanding both sides matters when you're evaluating land that sits near the state line or when you're working with sellers who own parcels in both states.
Southern Indiana's Land Character
The counties I focus on in Southern Indiana — Crawford, Harrison, Orange, Washington, Scott, Clark, and Floyd — cover a range of land types and market dynamics. Crawford, Orange, and Harrison sit in the hardwood timber corridor that runs along the Hoosier National Forest. Land in these counties is often wooded, hilly, and hard to farm, but valuable for timber and hunting. Clark and Floyd counties sit at the Louisville metro fringe — land values there reflect urban growth pressure that doesn't exist further south and west.
I know which county assessors are up to date on comparable sales and which ones are not. I know which title companies handle rural land well and which ones are primarily set up for residential transactions. That operational knowledge speeds up closings and prevents surprises.
The Kentucky Side
On the Kentucky side of the river, I focus on the counties in the immediate Louisville metro and surrounding rural areas: Oldham, Henry, Carroll, Trimble, Shelby, Spencer, Bullitt, Meade, Nelson, and Hardin counties. These range from fast-growing Louisville suburbs where land values are climbing to rural Kentucky counties where land transactions are infrequent and buyer pools are thin.
How I Approach an Offer
When you reach out about a parcel, here is what I actually do before I make a number:
- Pull the county records. I look at the parcel on the county GIS, check the deed at the county recorder's office, review the tax records, and look at the assessed value history. I don't rely on what you tell me — I verify it myself.
- Research comparable sales. I look at what similar parcels in the same county have sold for recently. In rural counties, comps can be thin, so I look at a wider geographic range and adjust for differences in size, access, and character.
- Assess the title situation. I look for anything in the chain of title that would complicate a closing — old liens, uncertain heirship, easement issues, outstanding taxes. I factor these into the offer rather than discovering them later.
- Make a call on fit. If the parcel fits what I'm looking for and the numbers work, I make an offer. If they don't, I tell you that — and I tell you why, if that's useful to you.
This process typically takes a few days for a straightforward parcel. More complex situations — multi-parcel holdings, unclear title, timber tracts that need a cruise — take longer. I won't rush a number that isn't grounded in real data.
Straight Talk, Local Focus
Direct buyer
Your offer comes from me, not a committee or a fund. I make the decision and I stand behind it.
No agent fees
No commissions, no listing agreements. You keep what I offer — minus normal closing costs, which I typically cover.
Complicated land welcome
Inherited property, back taxes, multiple heirs, landlocked parcels. These situations are what I deal with regularly.
Honest about fit
If I can't buy your land, I'll tell you why and point you somewhere that might help. No runaround.
Common Questions
Are you a licensed real estate agent or broker?
No. I am a private buyer, not a licensed real estate agent or broker. I am not representing you in a transaction — I am the other party in the transaction. I am buying your land for my own account, not brokering it to someone else. That distinction matters legally and practically.
How do you determine what to offer?
My offers are based on county deed records, comparable sales, and my assessment of the parcel's characteristics — access, soil, timber, location. I do not base offers on tax assessed values, which frequently lag actual market values in rural counties. If I cannot get to a number that works for both of us, I will tell you that plainly rather than making a low offer and hoping you take it.
What happens if the title has issues?
Title issues are common on rural land — especially inherited ground and land that has been in a family for generations. Delinquent taxes, old liens, uncertain heirship, and easement questions show up regularly. Most title issues can be resolved; some cannot in a reasonable timeframe. I identify these during my evaluation and tell you what I find. If a title issue would take six months to resolve through legal process, I will tell you that rather than stringing you along.
Do you buy land outside Southern Indiana?
My focus is Southern Indiana and the targeted Kentucky counties listed on the Areas page. That said, I buy throughout Indiana statewide — I will look at any parcel in the state. Outside Indiana, I am primarily focused on the Kentuckiana Kentucky counties. If you have land further afield, reach out and I will tell you honestly whether I can help.
How long does it take from first contact to closing?
A few days to make an offer once I have the parcel information. Title work typically takes 1 to 2 weeks. Closing can happen within 2 to 4 weeks of offer acceptance on a clean title. Complicated title situations take longer — sometimes significantly longer if estate or probate work is needed first. I will give you a realistic timeline based on what I find, not an optimistic one designed to keep you in the process.
Own land you want to move?
Reach out directly — I answer calls and texts personally.