How to Find Land for Your Cabin
- Brian Vallario
- Aug 29
- 8 min read
Three years ago, I started looking for land to put Offsite cabins on. I started looking for the perfect piece of land for our first campground development. I'd spend hours scrolling through listings, cross-referencing GIS maps, and driving around rural New York looking at parcels that looked promising online but turned out to be duds, or had no road access, or came with a slew of red tape and costly requirements to even get to the permitting phase.
I made every mistake you can make when hunting for land. I fell in love with properties that were bad fits, spent weeks designing for parcels that would never get permits, and wasted months chasing dead ends. The property we eventually found and have been developing came through industry contacts - completely off-market, not in an area I was looking at. But those months of failed searches, and the subsequent months actually pushing a property through a rezoning and permitting have taught me a lot about the process.
If you're looking to build your own cabin or home outside of the city, here's everything I learned about finding land or a property that actually works. This is by no means an exhaustive list and of course, is not legal or investment advice. But I do hope it’s helpful!
Property Types
There’s a few different paths forward to go from land to cabin(s). If you’re looking to build a single home, you’re in luck because you’re looking for residential zoning. If you’re looking to build a campground, compound, or hospitality experience it gets a lot more complicated. I’ll do my best to break down your paths forward for this. These are by no means the only cases you’ll come across - there are overlays, grandfather clauses, and a whole slew of other technicalities that may make a land unassumingly difficult or easy to obtain permits for.
Paths to Zoning and Permitting for Commercial Properties
Find an existing campground or RV park that has the zoning already in place.
This is your easiest path. Acquire an already operating commercial property and begin operating it yourself. Maybe you renovate and add some units, but all the zoning and permitting for operation are already in place.
Find land zoned commercial and apply for a special use permit.
Unfortunately, commercial zoning isn’t enough for a campground or cabin rental business. You can’t turn a farm into an RV park without going through a planning and zoning board, which typically will require a special occupancy permit. This isn’t that big of a deal, but expect to invest a significant amount of time and money upfront on plans and engineering to propose your development to the town. I recommend you structure the purchase of these properties contingent upon permits, whenever possible.
Find land zoned residential and convert the zoning and receive special use permit.
Residential land is the easiest to find, but it’s the hardest to convert. Most towns do not want residential land to be used for commercial purposes (for good reason), and typically have a town plan that restricts that. It’s possible to rezone, but be prepared to invest heavily. Unless the plot is right on the border of a commercial district, has a historical use as commercial or is so far removed from neighbors (I’m talking no one else for miles) no one will care, I recommend letting these pass unless you’re prepared to invest deeply, financially and emotionally!
Why the 3-Hour Rule Matters
It’s wild, but it takes 2 hours to fully escape the city. Once you cross that threshold, it's far enough to feel like you've escaped. If you keep it in the 2-3 hour range, it's close enough that you can leave Friday after work and be there for dinner, or duck out on a Wednesday when you need to switch up the work week.
More practically, staying within 3 hours means:
Weekend warriors can actually use their property (anything further becomes vacation-only)
You can visit regularly during construction (trust me, you want to check on your builder)
Emergency visits are possible (when the pipes freeze or the roof leaks, which will happen)
Rental income potential remains strong (city folks will drive 3 hours, not 5)
The sweet spot we've found is 2-3 hours north or west of the city.
County-by-County Breakdown: The Real Numbers
After looking at properties in every county within driving distance, here's what we've learned about each area:
Sullivan County
The sweet spot for first-time buyers
Average land cost: $8,000-15,000 per acre
Permit timeline: 3-4 months for cabins
Construction costs: $300-350/sq ft
Pros: Affordable, beautiful lakes, growing arts scene in towns like Narrowsburg
Cons: Limited high-speed internet in some areas
Best for: Weekend cabins, creative retreats, anyone on a budget
Sullivan consistently offers the best value. We've seen buildable 5-acre parcels for under $60,000, and the permitting process, while slow, is straightforward. The Delaware River corridor is particularly beautiful.
Ulster County
The Instagram-famous option
Average land cost: $12,000-25,000 per acre
Permit timeline: 4-6 months
Construction costs: $350-400/sq ft
Pros: Woodstock cachet, strong rental market, excellent restaurants
Cons: High demand drives up prices, some towns are hostile to short-term rentals
Best for: Full-time remote workers, anyone wanting established amenities
Ulster is where everyone wants to be, which shows in the prices. That said, if you can afford it, the infrastructure and community are excellent.
Dutchess County
Money talks
Average land cost: $15,000-30,000 per acre
Permit timeline: 4-8 months residential (varies wildly by town)
Construction costs: $400-450/sq ft
Pros: Stunning Hudson Valley views, proximity to Metro-North
Cons: Expensive, some of the most restrictive zoning we've encountered
Best for: High earners who want luxury and convenience
Dutchess has some of the most beautiful land we've seen, but you pay for it. Some towns here have architectural review boards that make Park Slope co-op boards look relaxed.
Greene County
The hidden gem
Average land cost: $10,000-18,000 per acre
Permit timeline: 3-5 months residential
Construction costs: $325-375/sq ft
Pros: Catskill Mountain access, reasonable prices, fewer crowds
Cons: Further drive from NYC, limited dining/shopping
Best for: Mountain lovers, anyone wanting true remoteness
Greene offers the best access to real wilderness. If you want to hike out your back door into the Catskill Forest Preserve, this is your county.
Columbia County
The Berkshires spillover
Average land cost: $12,000-22,000 per acre
Permit timeline: 3-4 months residential
Construction costs: $350-400/sq ft
Pros: Massachusetts border means access to Berkshires culture, reasonable permits
Cons: Growing popularity driving up prices
Best for: Culture lovers, anyone wanting the best of New York and Massachusetts
Columbia is quietly becoming the next hot area. Hudson has transformed into a weekend destination, and the ripple effects are spreading throughout the county.
Where to Actually Find Land: The Resources That Work
After three years of hunting, here are the tools that actually produce results:
Online Resources
LandWatch.com - The best overall resource for rural land
Advanced filtering by price, acreage, and features
Often includes detailed property information and surveys
Zillow - Don't overlook it for land searches, but there won’t be many zoned commercial if you’re looking to do a more than a single home.
Good for seeing recent sales and price trends
Often has better photos than specialized land sites
LandAndFarm.com - Focused specifically on rural properties
Excellent for larger parcels and agricultural land
LoopNet - Commercial and larger residential properties
Good for development opportunities
Local Resources That Matter More
County GIS Systems - Free and incredibly detailed
Shows zoning, setbacks, wetlands, and utilities
Every county has one; Google "[County name] GIS"
Local Real Estate Agents - Find ones who specialize in land
They know about properties before they're listed
Understand local permitting quirks
Worth their commission for navigating small-town politics
Facebook Groups - Surprisingly useful
"[County name] real estate" or "land for sale" groups
Local knowledge about properties and sellers
Often see “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO) listings here first
What Our Off-Market Deal Taught Me
The property we're developing in California came through Topos Ventures, our development partners. It was listed online, but as a motel and it didn’t properly outline the perks of the property. Specifically, it was also zoned and operated as an RV park, which allows our cabins to sit on it. Also, it was on city water and sewer, which is something that almost NEVER happens with RV parks. This made it a diamond in the rough, and a deal that never would have been caught by online searches alone. I had been told time and again but never listened until I saw it in action.
The best way to find a deal on a commercial campground is to cold call and ask if the owners are interested in selling.
The best deals often don't hit the open market. Someone else is already ahead of you, calling around and letting it be known that they’re interested.
Here's how to tap into the off-market world:
Build relationships with local contractors - they often hear about land sales early as they get brought in to fix up a property for sale.
Connect with real estate agents - even if you don't buy through them immediately. They will feed you deals and opportunities that are going to come on market
Talk to neighbors - when you find an area you like, knock on doors. Everyone knows someone in these smaller towns.
Red Flags That Will Cost You
After spending so much time looking for properties, I’ve come across a handful of red flags you should know about - they’re infinite, but here’s a few we’ve run across:
Access Issues
No deeded road access (you'll need a right-of-way)
Seasonal roads that become impassable
Shared driveways with unclear maintenance agreements
Utility Nightmares
Buildable site extremely far from power lines ($$$ to connect)
No cell service and no line-of-sight for satellite internet
Steep slopes that make septic installation expensive or not possible
Zoning Problems
Agricultural zoning that doesn't allow residential or hospitality
Minimum lot sizes larger than your parcel
Overlay districts with special restrictions
Severe setback restrictions
Environmental Concerns
Significant wetlands (you can't build near them)
Steep slopes over 15% (expensive grading work)
Flood zones (insurance nightmares)
The Timeline Reality Check
Finding the land is just the start, now the real fun begins:
Due diligence: 30-45 days (soil tests, surveys, permit research)
Closing: 60-90 days (longer for complicated financing)
Permit applications: 6-12 months depending on county
Construction: 3 months for a cabin, +1 for each additional and 6-12 for full homes
Plan for 9-18 months from "I found the perfect land" to "I'm sleeping in my cabin." Maybe longer if you hit winter just right, because some construction phases need to pause. We essentially double what everyone tells us to get an accurate timeline. It’s unfortunate, but true and most of it is out of your control. Of course, sometimes things move faster, but it’s the exception. This is especially true of smaller projects where hiccups can add a significant percentage of down time that doesn’t get made back up.
Making It Happen
The perfect piece of land is out there, but it takes patience and a systematic approach. Take it from me and don't get shiny object syndrome and get excited over the first parcel you see, and don't skip the research phase. Due diligence is the most important step! There are so many hurdles and barriers that come up that you need to be equally optimistic, realistic and persistent to make it happen. One thing to keep in mind is that everyone wants the deal to work, and even if something feels like it’s a dealbreaker, there is usually a way around…it just may cost you time and/or money.
Ready to start your land hunt? I'm putting together a comprehensive checklist that covers everything from zoning research to soil testing. Email me if you’re interested. It includes the specific questions to ask sellers, red flags to watch for, and a county-by-county comparison of what to expect.
Whether you're planning a weekend cabin, a full-time retreat, or an ADU for rental income, having the right piece of land is the foundation of everything else. Get the land decision right, and the rest becomes much easier.
-Brian Vallario
Planning your own cabin, home or ADU project? We help creative professionals navigate the entire process from land selection to move-in day. Schedule a consultation to discuss your vision and get realistic timelines and budgets for your project.
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