Land & Ranch

Farm, ranch, timber and hunting land.

Photo: Sarah Swainson, Unsplash

Land & Ranch in Tennessee

What to know about Land & Ranch.

The Find a Home Team has listed or sold 16 properties of this type across Tennessee. Every one is below, with its own page.

Land is bought on what the ground can do and what the paper allows: Greenbelt, the well log, recorded access and the timber on the ridge all matter before you write an offer on a Tennessee tract.

01
Greenbelt and rollback taxes
Tennessee’s Greenbelt program taxes qualifying land on its use value. Agricultural and forest land generally needs at least 15 acres, and open space land at least 3. Greenbelt does not pass to a new owner automatically: the new owner applies to the county assessor by March 15. When land leaves Greenbelt, rollback recaptures 3 years of tax savings (5 for open space), and in a sale the seller owes it unless the contract says otherwise.
Sources: Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-1004 · Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-1005 · Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-1006 · Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-1008
02
Water and septic
Private well records in Tennessee are public and searchable on TDEC’s Water Well Map Viewer. The state does not require a well test at sale, but TDEC strongly recommends a bacteria test every year. A septic permit is required to build, change or repair a system.
Sources: TDEC: well water · TDEC: septic system FAQs · TDEC: septic system permits
03
Surveys, access and easements
Tennessee land is described by metes and bounds, so a current boundary survey by a Tennessee licensed surveyor matters. Call 811 at least 3 working days before any digging with powered equipment.
Sources: Tennessee State Library and Archives: early land grants · Tenn. Code Ann. 65-31-106
04
Hunting and recreational land
Tennessee-resident owners of farmland, and their spouses and children, may hunt and fish their own land in season without a license, with a signed exemption statement to show when asked. Under Tennessee’s recreational use statute, a landowner owes no duty to keep land safe for, or to warn, people using it for hunting, fishing, hiking or camping. The exceptions include gross negligence and willful conduct.
Sources: Tenn. Code Ann. 70-2-204 · Tenn. Code Ann. 70-7-102 · Tenn. Code Ann. 70-7-104
05
Timber
The Tennessee Division of Forestry recommends a consulting forester for any timber sale. If timber is part of the price, have a consulting forester cruise it before you buy.
Source: Tennessee Division of Forestry: sell or manage timber
06
Farm programs and easements
When a farm changes hands, its USDA farm records are reconstituted through the county USDA Service Center. A conservation easement doesn’t stop a sale: the land can still be sold or inherited, and the easement binds every future owner.
Sources: USDA Farm Service Agency newsletter · The Land Trust for Tennessee: landowner FAQs

From Find a Home’s own Land & Ranch page, which cites a source for each fact: tennessee.findahome.com/land

Information only, not legal, tax or forestry advice. Laws and programs change; confirm with the county assessor, TDEC, TWRA, USDA or a Tennessee attorney.

Inside Land & Ranch

Horse properties (Equine)

Horse properties are part of Land & Ranch, and they have their own page on the Tennessee site.

Open the Equine page

Before you buy

What to look for, and what to ask.

What to look for

Greenbelt classification, the rollback amount at stake, and your March 15 filing.
Sources: Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-1005 · Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-1006
Who pays rollback if your plans end Greenbelt status, written into the contract.
A current boundary survey, with corners and fences matched to the deed.
Recorded road frontage or a recorded easement of usable width.
A septic soil evaluation before you count homesites on vacant land.
The well log from TDEC’s map viewer, and a water test.
The FEMA flood map for any building site.
Title for utility, pipeline and conservation easements, mineral reservations and existing leases.

Questions people ask

If I buy land in Greenbelt, does it stay in Greenbelt?

Not automatically. File your own application with the county assessor by March 15.

Sources: Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-1005 · Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-1006

What are rollback taxes, and who pays them?

Three years of tax savings (five for open space) when land leaves Greenbelt. The seller owes them unless the contract says otherwise or the buyer took them on by missing a promised filing.

Source: Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-1008

Can I hunt my own land without a license?

Yes, if you’re a Tennessee resident who owns the farmland alone or with relatives, or the owner’s spouse or child, and you show the signed exemption statement when asked. Nonresident owners need a license.

Sources: Tenn. Code Ann. 70-2-204 · TWRA: license sales

What if a tract has no road access?

Tennessee has a court process for an access easement up to 25 feet wide, but confirm recorded access before you buy.

Source: Tenn. Code Ann. 54-14-102

Do I need a county building permit for a barn?

Tennessee law keeps county zoning from requiring building permits for structures that serve a farm on agricultural land, with exceptions. City limits, floodplain and septic rules still apply, so confirm with county planning.

Source: Tenn. Code Ann. 13-7-114

Can land under a conservation easement be sold?

Yes. The easement’s limits stay with the land.

Source: The Land Trust for Tennessee: landowner FAQs

From Find a Home’s own Land & Ranch page, which cites a source for each fact: tennessee.findahome.com/land

The team’s listings