We Buy Land in Placid Lakes, FL

Updated November 6, 2026 by SWFL Land

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

Placid Lakes is a large platted subdivision on the Lake Wales Ridge, southwest of the Town of Lake Placid and due south of Lake June-in-Winter. As a census area it covers about 18.32 square miles, almost all of it land, and most of that land is cut into numbered sections of residential lots. Three things set Placid Lakes land apart: a county special benefit district that bills every lot each year, a private water utility that is in the middle of a transfer to a new owner, and scrub habitat that can bring Florida scrub-jay and gopher tortoise rules into play when a lot is cleared.

This page explains those issues, the land we buy, and how to look up a Placid Lakes parcel. We buy single lots, groups of lots and larger tracts. You get a written cash offer usually within 24 hours, close in 7 to 21 days through a licensed Florida title company, pay no commissions or fees, and we pay standard closing costs. Sell as-is from anywhere. Call (239) 686-0823 or request a cash offer online.

Placid Lakes Land We Buy

• Numbered section lots: Lots recorded as Placid Lakes Sec (section) numbers, including replatted sections, the way most deeds and tax bills here describe the land.
• Lots on Placid Lakes Boulevard: Parcels along the main road through the subdivision, inside the water utility’s service area.
• Catfish Creek Road area lots: Parcels along Catfish Creek Road, one of the streets named in the utility service area.
• Washington Boulevard NE and NW lots: Lots along Washington Boulevard, also listed in the utility’s service area.
• Lots near Lake June-in-Winter: Land on the north side of the subdivision toward the 3,500-acre lake and the state scrub preserve on its west shore.
• Adjoining lot groups: Two or more side-by-side lots, which owners often combine for a larger homesite.
• Scrub and wooded lots: Uncleared lots with sand pine and scrub oak cover, which can carry wildlife review before building.

How Selling Placid Lakes Land Works

1. Send the address or parcel ID. The Highlands County parcel number or the section, block and lot from your deed is enough.
2. Get a written offer, usually within 24 hours. We check the section, utility availability, road frontage and flood zone, then send a written cash offer.
3. Title opens with a licensed Florida title company. The title company handles liens, unpaid special district assessments, back taxes and payoffs from the proceeds.
4. Close in 7 to 21 days. Sign remotely or in person, and get paid by wire or check.

About Land in Placid Lakes

Location and Size

Placid Lakes is an unincorporated community in southern Highlands County. It lies southwest of the Town of Lake Placid and directly south of Lake June-in-Winter. The Census Bureau has measured it at about 18.32 square miles, with only about 0.02 square miles of water inside the boundary, and listed it as a census-designated place with 3,054 residents in the 2000 Census. Elevation is about 128 feet, which puts most of the subdivision on the high, sandy ground of the Lake Wales Ridge. A Placid Lakes address usually reads “Lake Placid, FL,” but the land is outside town limits.

Lake June-in-Winter, on the north side, is a spring-fed lake of about 3,500 acres according to Florida State Parks. Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve State Park, an 845-acre preserve, sits on the west side of the lake off Daffodil Road and is reached from U.S. 27 by way of Lake June Road. The state acquired that land in 1995.

Platting and Sections

Placid Lakes was laid out as a pre-platted lot subdivision, and land here is still described by section numbers. Highlands County public notices for deed transfers list parcels as “Placid Lakes Sec” followed by a number, and some sections have been replatted. Deed descriptions use section, block and lot, so an owner who has never seen the land can still identify it from the recorded plat. The Florida Public Service Commission describes the utility service area as parts of Township 37 South, Range 29 East, Sections 2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 22, 23 and 24.

Placid Lakes Special Benefit District

Every Placid Lakes lot is assessed by the Placid Lakes Special Benefit District, a municipal service benefit unit run by Highlands County under County Code Chapter 9, Article VII. The assessment can fund flood, erosion control and drainage facilities, water and sewer systems, public roads, fire protection, recreation and community center facilities, removal of nuisances, security, mosquito control, signage and administration.

The rate is set per lot. A Highlands County special districts agenda packet for August 1, 2023 shows the assessment was $20 per lot or fraction of a lot, and the county proposed $30 per lot for fiscal year 2023-24, with any later increase limited to $10 per year and a ceiling of $50. The increase followed a March 9, 2023 town hall where property owners suggested raising it. The assessment is collected on the November property tax bill, and the county notes that nonpayment can lead to a tax certificate and, eventually, loss of title. Placid Lakes also has a separate Placid Lakes Special Fire District. Owners of several lots pay the per-lot charge on each one, so the carrying cost grows with every extra lot.

Water, Sewer and Septic

Central water in the subdivision comes from Placid Lakes Utilities, Inc., a private utility regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission under Water Certificate No. 401-W. A 2013 PSC report described it as providing water service to over 1,940 customers in Highlands County. In 2026, Sunshine Water Services Company applied to the PSC to acquire the Placid Lakes system (Docket No. 20260032-WS). The customer notice says Sunshine is not asking to change rates, charges or rules as part of the transfer. The notice names streets in the service area, including Placid Lakes Boulevard, Catfish Creek Road and Washington Boulevard Northeast and Northwest.

The certificate being transferred is a water certificate. Buyers should plan on an on-site septic system unless the utility confirms sewer for a specific lot. Septic permitting in Florida moved from the Department of Health to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on July 1, 2021. Ask the utility whether a water main runs along your lot’s frontage; a lot without a nearby main needs a well.

Zoning and Permitting

Because Placid Lakes is unincorporated, Highlands County handles zoning, building permits and code enforcement, not the Town of Lake Placid. The county also runs other special districts, including the Sun ‘n Lake of Sebring Improvement District and the Spring Lake Improvement District, so a Placid Lakes owner should not confuse those bills with the Placid Lakes district. Check the parcel’s zoning and future land use with Highlands County before assuming a lot is buildable as a single-family homesite.

Scrub Habitat and Protected Species

Placid Lakes sits on the Lake Wales Ridge, an ancient island of white sand that supports Florida scrub. The neighboring state preserve lists the Florida scrub-jay, a threatened bird that depends on oak scrub, along with the gopher tortoise, Florida scrub lizard, Florida mouse and Eastern indigo snake. Lots with intact scrub oak can draw scrub-jay review before clearing. Gopher tortoises are state-listed as Threatened, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission requires a permit for clearing, grading or construction within 25 feet of a potentially occupied burrow. These rules affect building, not selling, so a lot with burrows can still be sold.

What Affects the Value of Placid Lakes Land

• Section and location: Which numbered section the lot is in and how close it is to Lake June-in-Winter and the main boulevards.
• Water main at the frontage: Lots in the Placid Lakes Utilities service area with a main on the street avoid the cost of a well.
• Annual district assessment: The per-lot Placid Lakes Special Benefit District charge adds a carrying cost on every lot.
• Road condition: Paved, maintained frontage versus an unimproved street.
• Scrub cover and burrows: Oak scrub and gopher tortoise burrows can add surveys and permits before building.
• Lot size and combinations: Adjoining lots can be combined into a larger homesite.
• Flood zone: Most of the ridge is high ground, but low spots and lake edges should be checked on the FEMA map.

Common Placid Lakes Selling Situations

• Unpaid taxes and assessments: Because the district charge rides on the tax bill, an unpaid assessment can become a tax certificate. See selling land with back taxes in Florida.
• Inherited lots: Lots often pass to heirs who live out of state. Read selling inherited land and selling probate land.
• Mowing or nuisance liens: Overgrown vacant lots can draw county code action. See selling land with code liens.
• Interior lots without frontage: See selling landlocked land.
• Deed restrictions or title issues: We buy land with deed restrictions, restrictive covenants, clouded title, missing heirs, unreleased mortgages, old liens or boundary questions. A licensed Florida title company reviews the title, and we make our offer on the land as it stands.
• Not sure of the number: Try what’s my lot worth, the land sale proceeds calculator and cash buyer vs listing vs tax deed.

Looking Up Your Highlands County Parcel

• Highlands County Property Appraiser (hcpao.org): owner of record, legal description with Placid Lakes section, lot size and assessed value.
• Highlands County Tax Collector (hctaxcollector.com): the annual tax bill, which also carries the Placid Lakes district assessment, and any unpaid years.
• Highlands County Clerk official records (official records search): recorded deeds, plats, mortgages and liens.
• Florida Public Service Commission (Placid Lakes transfer notice): the service area and status of the water system transfer.
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov): the effective flood zone for the lot.

For land elsewhere in the county, see we buy land in Highlands County. Before you sell, review the Florida land due diligence checklist.

Placid Lakes Land Selling FAQs

Is Placid Lakes part of the Town of Lake Placid?

No. Placid Lakes is unincorporated Highlands County land southwest of the town. Mail often uses a Lake Placid address, but Highlands County handles zoning and permits.

What is the Placid Lakes Special Benefit District assessment?

It is a Highlands County per-lot assessment that can pay for roads, drainage, recreation, nuisance removal, mosquito control and similar services. It was $20 per lot before the county proposed $30 for fiscal 2023-24, with a $50 ceiling. Check your current tax bill for the exact amount.

Do Placid Lakes lots have city water?

There is no city water. Placid Lakes Utilities, Inc. supplies central water in its service area, and Sunshine Water Services Company applied in 2026 to take over the system. Plan on septic and confirm the water main for each lot.

Can I build on my Placid Lakes lot?

Many lots can be built on, but it depends on zoning, water availability, septic approval, flood zone and any scrub-jay or gopher tortoise issues. Highlands County and the FDEP septic program make those calls.

What happens if I stop paying the district assessment?

It is billed with property taxes, so an unpaid assessment can lead to a tax certificate and eventually a tax deed sale. Selling before that point lets the title company pay it from proceeds.

Are there scrub-jays in Placid Lakes?

The Florida scrub-jay lives in oak scrub on the Lake Wales Ridge and is found at the neighboring Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve State Park. Whether a specific lot has scrub-jay habitat depends on its vegetation.

Land Buyers in Placid Lakes: Quick Answers

Who buys land for cash in Placid Lakes, FL?

SWFL Land (Libera Capital Group LLC) buys Placid Lakes lots, lot groups and acreage for cash. Call 239-686-0823 or email info@swflland.com for a written offer, usually within 24 hours.

Does SWFL Land buy Placid Lakes lots with back taxes or liens?

Yes. We buy lots with back taxes, unpaid district assessments, code liens and title problems. The title company pays them from the proceeds at closing.

How fast can I sell my Placid Lakes land?

Most sales close in 7 to 21 days after you accept the written offer. You can sign remotely from anywhere.

Ready to Sell Your Placid Lakes Land?

Send us your Placid Lakes section, block and lot or parcel ID and get a written cash offer, usually within 24 hours. No commissions, no fees, and we pay standard closing costs. Call (239) 686-0823 or request your cash offer online.

Sources

• Highlands County Special Districts agenda packet, August 1, 2023 (Placid Lakes Special Benefit District)
• Florida PSC: Sunshine Water Services application for Placid Lakes Utilities transfer, Docket 20260032-WS
• Florida PSC: Placid Lakes Utilities, Inc. special report (2013)
• Florida State Parks: Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve State Park
• Florida State Parks: Lake June-in-Winter Scrub history
• FWC: Gopher Tortoise Permits
• FDEP: Onsite Sewage Program Transfer
• Highlands County Board of County Commissioners
• Placid Lakes, Florida (Census area figures)
• Highlands County Property Appraiser
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center