Georgia helped invent American land banking. The Metro Atlanta Land Bank dates to 1991 — one of the first in the nation — Columbus and Savannah followed within two years, and a 2012 state law spread the model until the state had 32 land banks, one of the deepest benches anywhere. What Georgia doesn't have is posted-price shopping: this is a proposal market, and the land banks care what you'll do with the parcel.
Who sells land bank property in Georgia
All 32 are profiled in our directory. The ones with real public inventory:
- DeKalb Regional Land Bank Authority (2012) — the biggest public list we track in the state, all vacant lots across DeKalb County on Atlanta's east side.
- Metro Atlanta Land Bank (1991) — Fulton County and the City of Atlanta's authority, and the state's original. Vacant lots plus a small number of structures.
- The rest of the bench — Macon-Bibb (1996), Augusta (1997), Chatham/Savannah (1993), Columbus (1992), Clayton County, Athens-Clarke, and two dozen smaller county authorities. Most work parcel-by-parcel without big public feeds; check their sites via the directory.
What's listed right now
The tracked inventory is overwhelmingly vacant land in the Atlanta metro — side lots, infill sites, and assembly opportunities rather than fixer-upper houses. Browse the live Georgia map to see where DeKalb and Fulton parcels cluster.
The Georgia buying process
The mechanics follow the standard land bank playbook — full guide here — with a Georgia accent:
- Find the parcel on the map. No posted price is normal here — the program sets pricing once it sees your proposal.
- Bring a plan, not just money. Atlanta-area land banks weigh end use heavily: affordable housing, owner-occupancy, community gardens, and neighboring-owner side lot purchases all rank ahead of land speculation.
- Apply through the specific land bank's process with proof of funds. Each of the 32 sets its own rules — DeKalb's process is not Fulton's.
- Budget past the sticker. Even a nominal-price lot carries closing costs, survey, and cleanup. The first-timer's guide covers building that budget.
Financing note: most Georgia land bank purchases are cash at these price points, but structures can qualify for renovation loans — see financing a land bank home.
Where the value concentrates
Atlanta is the rare land bank market inside a hot metro: DeKalb and Fulton lots sit minutes from neighborhoods where new construction sells at full market price, which is exactly why the land banks screen proposals instead of racing to the highest bidder. The winning play is usually a credible build plan or an adjacent-owner side lot purchase (side lots guide) rather than a volume buy. If you want posted prices and volume, compare Tennessee or Ohio; if you want upside inside a growing metro, Georgia is hard to beat.
Start here
- Live Georgia inventory map
- All 32 Georgia land banks, profiled
- What is a land bank? if the model is new to you