We Buy Land in Everglades City, FL

Updated October 19, 2026 by SWFL Land

Looking for a land buyer in Everglades City, FL? SWFL Land (Libera Capital Group LLC) is a direct cash buyer of vacant lots and acreage in Everglades City and across Collier County. Owners usually get an offer within 24 hours and close through a Florida title company. Wholesalers and agents can submit Everglades City land deals and usually hear back within 24 hours.

Everglades City is a small fishing town on Chokoloskee Bay at the edge of the Ten Thousand Islands, about as far south as you can drive on Florida’s Gulf coast before the road runs out. Most land here is low, coastal and inside a FEMA special flood hazard area, so value turns on flood zone, elevation rules, storm history and whether the parcel is inside the city or in nearby unincorporated Chokoloskee or Plantation Island. If you own a lot in or around Everglades City, this page explains what drives its value and how to sell it.

Everglades City Land We Buy

We look at every kind of parcel in the Everglades City area, including:

• Residential lots in the City of Everglades City, including lots where a home was lost or torn down after Hurricane Irma or Hurricane Ian.
• Lots with an old mobile home or storm-damaged structure that an owner does not want to repair or elevate.
• Chokoloskee lots on the island at the end of State Road 29.
• Plantation Island canal lots along Halfway Creek.
• Waterfront and commercial parcels tied to the fishing and tourism economy.
• Problem parcels with back taxes, code liens, heirs, unclear title or no legal road access.

If you also own land closer to the coast or inland, see how we buy land on Marco Island, buy lots in Naples, buy Golden Gate Estates tracts and buy land in Immokalee, the inland town at the other end of State Road 29.

How Selling Everglades City Land Works

1. Tell us about the parcel. The Collier folio number, address or owner name is enough. You can check what your lot is worth first.
2. We research it. We check ownership, taxes, liens, open code or permit cases, flood zone, base flood elevation and whether the parcel is in the city or unincorporated Collier County.
3. You get a written cash offer, usually within 24 hours, with no obligation. The offer spells out who pays each closing cost. Our land sale proceeds calculator shows how costs affect what you take home.
4. A Florida title company closes. Back taxes and recorded liens are paid from the proceeds, and the deed is recorded. Out-of-state owners can usually sign with a mobile notary.

We buy as-is, including storm-damaged lots. See how it works for the full process, or read about seller financing if you would rather receive payments over time.

About Land in Everglades City

The old county seat

The first permanent settler arrived in 1873, and a post office named Everglade opened in 1895. Barron Collier began buying large tracts of land in the area in 1922. When the Florida Legislature created Collier County from Lee County in 1923, it made Everglade the county seat, and the town incorporated that same year. Collier pushed construction of the road that became State Road 29, which gave the town its first land link to the rest of the state. Hurricane Donna hit the town hard in 1960, and in 1962 the county seat moved to East Naples. The state renamed the town Everglades City in 1965.

The city is tiny. The 2020 Census counted 352 residents, down from 400 in 2010, and the city covers about 0.92 square miles of land. It is the gateway to the Gulf Coast district of Everglades National Park, and in December 2025 the park announced the opening of its new Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center in Everglades City. The building is elevated to meet coastal resiliency standards, which tells you a lot about building conditions in town.

Chokoloskee and Plantation Island

Two unincorporated communities sit just south of the city along State Road 29. Chokoloskee is a small island and census-designated place whose shell mounds, built over more than 2,000 years of Native American occupation, lift its high point to about 20 feet above sea level. A causeway completed in 1956 connects it to Everglades City, and the historic Smallwood Store, opened in 1906, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Plantation Island is a small canal-lot community on Halfway Creek with 119 residents in the 2020 Census.

Because these communities are outside city limits, Collier County handles their zoning and permits. Collier County’s Big Cypress Area of Critical State Concern handout states that Chokoloskee is not within that area, while Plantation Island falls within the ACSC/ST zoning district. In the ACSC, the county’s code generally limits site alteration to 10% of a site, with a minimum of 2,500 square feet allowed on any permitted site, and bars destroying mangroves or salt marsh grasses. The same handout says no ST permit is required for development in Plantation Island.

Storm history: Irma and Ian

Hurricane Irma made landfall at Marco Island on September 10, 2017, as a Category 3 storm. The National Weather Service found inundation of 2 to 4 feet common across Everglades City, up to 5 feet in a few areas and 6 feet at the national park visitor center. On Chokoloskee, most of the island saw 3 to 5 feet, with 8 feet at the Smallwood Store. Five years later, Hurricane Ian brought what the Weather Service called significant to major storm surge flooding to Collier County south and west of the Tamiami Trail, from Everglades City to the Lee County line, and estimated about $7.1 million in damage in Everglades City.

A local nonprofit formed after Irma later ran a program to elevate homes and replace ground-level mobile homes for families hurt by Ian. Many homes in the area sit on pilings, but many others were built at ground level, and storm surge from Irma and Ian caused widespread damage to those homes.

Flood zones and the 50% rule

Most of the area lies in FEMA special flood hazard areas, and coastal parcels can be in Zone VE, which Collier County describes as a 1% annual chance flood zone with added hazards from storm-driven wave action. Everglades City adopted its current floodplain ordinance as Ordinance 2023-22. Collier County directs Everglades City owners with elevation certificate questions to City Hall.

The rule that matters most after a storm is the substantial improvement and substantial damage rule, often called the 50% rule. For a building in the flood zone with its lowest floor below base flood elevation, improvements or repairs that reach 50% or more of the building’s value before the work must bring the whole building up to current flood standards. In practice, a heavily damaged ground-level home often cannot simply be repaired in place. It must be elevated or replaced, which is why some owners decide to sell the lot instead.

City permitting and utilities

The City of Everglades City has its own land development code and floodplain rules, but it contracts with Collier County for building plan review and inspections under an interlocal agreement dating to July 2018. The city’s building department page lists a local office open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and the city recognizes the county’s permit fee schedule.

The city runs its own water system, drawing groundwater from two wells and treating it by reverse osmosis. Its old sewage plant was badly damaged by Irma and Ian, and a new wastewater treatment plant held its ribbon cutting in June 2024. Federal funding announced at that event covered lift stations in Everglades City, Chokoloskee, Carnestown and Copeland. As of 2024, local officials described Plantation Island homes as on septic, and connecting nearby communities to central sewer is a stated goal, not a finished project. Confirm water and sewer availability for your specific parcel.

Want a number for your Everglades City lot? Try our instant lot value tool or request a written cash offer. We usually reply within 24 hours.

What Affects the Value of Everglades City Land

We don’t publish price ranges for Everglades City because the market is small and sales are few. Our guide to comping vacant land shows how to find real sales and adjust them.

Common Everglades City Selling Situations

• Storm-damaged lots. Owners who lost a home in Irma or Ian and do not want to rebuild to elevation standards. See selling land after Hurricane Ian.
• Inherited fishing-camp lots. Many parcels have been in one family for generations. See selling inherited land in Florida and selling probate land.
• Delinquent taxes. Read selling land with back taxes in Florida, and use our tax deed deadline calculator to see how much time you have.
• Code liens for debris, overgrowth or an unsafe structure. See selling land with code liens.
• Interior or landlocked parcels with no recorded access. See selling landlocked land.

Looking Up Your Collier County Parcel

Everglades City, Chokoloskee and Plantation Island parcels are all handled by Collier County’s constitutional officers.

Collier County Property Appraiser. The real property search shows the owner of record, folio number, legal description, land use and assessed value. The appraiser’s value is a tax value, not a sale price or an offer.

Collier County Tax Collector. This office bills property taxes and non-ad valorem assessments together. Under section 197.333, Florida Statutes, taxes are due November 1 and become delinquent April 1 of the following year. Under section 197.502, a certificate holder can apply for a tax deed once two years have passed since April 1 of the year the certificate was issued. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Flood information. Use FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center to find your zone, and contact Everglades City Hall for elevation certificates on city parcels.

Our Collier County land guide covers these steps in more detail, and the Collier County land buying page lists every market we buy in. Wholesalers can see what we look for on our Collier County wholesaler page.

Everglades City Land Selling FAQs

Is Chokoloskee part of Everglades City?

No. Chokoloskee and Plantation Island are unincorporated Collier County communities south of the city along State Road 29. Collier County, not the city, handles their zoning and permits.

Who issues building permits in Everglades City?

The city contracts with Collier County for building plan review and inspections under an interlocal agreement from July 2018. The city’s own code and floodplain ordinance still apply to city parcels.

What is the 50% rule for flood-damaged homes?

For a building in the flood zone with its lowest floor below base flood elevation, repairs or improvements worth 50% or more of the building’s pre-work value must bring the building up to current flood standards. That usually means elevating or replacing it.

Can I sell a lot with a storm-damaged home or mobile home on it?

Yes. We buy as-is, including lots with debris, damaged homes or old mobile homes. The cost of clearing the site is part of how any buyer prices the lot.

Does Everglades City have city water and sewer?

The city runs its own water system and opened a new wastewater treatment plant in 2024. Service outside the city varies, and Plantation Island homes were described as on septic as of 2024, so confirm service for your parcel.

Is Plantation Island in the Big Cypress Area of Critical State Concern?

Collier County’s ACSC handout says Plantation Island falls within the ACSC/ST zoning district and that Chokoloskee is not within the ACSC. The same handout says no ST permit is required for development in Plantation Island.

Can I sell my Everglades City lot if I owe back taxes?

Yes, as long as it has not been sold at a tax deed auction. The title company pays delinquent taxes and recorded liens from your proceeds at closing.

Land Buyers in Everglades City: Quick Answers

Who buys land for cash in Everglades City, FL?

SWFL Land, a d/b/a of Libera Capital Group LLC, buys Everglades City, Chokoloskee and Plantation Island lots for cash, including storm-damaged parcels. Offers usually come within 24 hours, and closings go through a Florida title company. Get your offer or call 239-686-0823.

Does SWFL Land buy Everglades City land deals from wholesalers?

Yes. Wholesalers and agents can submit Everglades City contracts at swflland.com/submit-deal. We close by assignment or double close and usually respond within 24 hours. See our Collier County wholesaler page.

Where can I learn about selling land in Collier County?

Read our Collier County land guide. It covers zoning, flood maps, wetlands, taxes and how to sell.

Sources

• Everglades City, Florida (Wikipedia, citing Census and city history)
• City of Everglades City: About the City
• City of Everglades City: Building Department
• Collier County: Everglades City permitting resources
• Chokoloskee, Florida (Wikipedia)
• Plantation Island, Florida (Wikipedia, citing Census)
• Collier County: Big Cypress Area of Critical State Concern handout
• National Weather Service Miami: Hurricane Irma
• National Weather Service Miami: Hurricane Ian Summary
• Visit Everglades City: Elevating Homes Program
• Collier County: Floodplain Management FAQs
• National Park Service: New Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center
• Everglades City: 2026 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report
• U.S. House: Everglades City wastewater plant ribbon cutting advisory
• Fox 4: New sewage plant in Everglades City
• Collier County Property Appraiser: Real Property Search
• Collier County Tax Collector: Property Taxes
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center
• Florida Statutes 197.333: When taxes due; delinquency
• Florida Statutes 197.502: Application for tax deed