All available Land Bank properties are viewable via eProperty Plus:
If a property is held by the land bank but not listed for sale that may mean that its sale has already been approved by the Board of Directors and transfer is pending, it was recently acquired and its condition and value are being evaluated, its renovation or demolition is pending, or it is included in an ongoing neighborhood plan.
Land Bank buildings available for sale are listed with real estate brokers. Follow the instructions in the listing notes and contact the listing agent or visit the property with your own agent who can access the property via the MLS lock box.
If you are interested in purchasing a side-lot next to your house, leasing land for a community garden or other green use, or some other type of acquisition, contact the Land Bank directly unless otherwise noted.
Please look over these Frequently Asked Questions about purchasing Land Bank properties. If you have additional questions you can ask the listing agent, your real estate agent, or call the Land Bank at 422-2301.
Notes about eProperty Plus:
In this portal you can search by property type or (for properties in the City of Syracuse) neighborhood.
Note that when searching by Property Classification “Residential Vacant” and “Commercial Vacant” indicate a vacant lot (not a vacant building).
Improved properties can be searched by Structure Type to find Single-Family Homes, Two-Family Homes, Commercial property, etc.
If a property is occupied, that will be indicated in the Listing Notes.
Download the attached PDF for a listing of all properties owned by the land bank. Please contact the maintenance company listed with each to report break-ins, illegal trash-dumping, or other maintenance issues. The list is organized first by neighborhood (or Town/Village) then by street name.
Property Maintenance
We appreciate neighbors who help keep an eye on our properties and report property maintenance issues. If you see something wrong with a Land Bank-owned property, please report your concern right away to the maintenance company assigned to that address.
Follow the instructions in the listing notes to view Land Bank properties and be sure to include all required attachments with your purchase offer. Sales of properties requiring renovation are subject to an enforcement mortgage, securing a lien against the property that is discharged once the proposed renovations and any other requirements are complete. Most listings include a scope of work that the buyer must complete to renovate the property within 12 months; if there is no scope attached, you must draft and attach your planned scope of renovations. In order for your project to be considered complete, you must fulfill all terms of sale, completed all work proposed in your purchase proposal, and obtained a Certificate of Adequacy or Certificate or Certificate of Inspection from Code Enforcement. First-time homebuyers are required to complete a HUD-approved homebuyer education course; Home HeadQuarters offers a HUD-approved homebuyer education course and income-qualified buyers who complete the course are eligible to receive down payment and closing cost assistance.
The Land Bank Board of Directors will consider complete purchase applications when they meet monthly. Complete applications must be submitted two weeks prior to the Board of Directors meeting for consideration. All sales are subject to approval by the Land Bank’s Board of Directors. The Board will evaluate applications based on the quality of the development proposal, qualifications of the applicant, consistency of the development plan with the Land Bank’s mission and policies, and amount offered.
The Land Bank offers the following discount programs to encourage redevelopment projects consistent with the organization’s Mission.
Affordable Housing Development
Due to the community benefit derived from the development of affordable housing, the Land Bank may sell certain properties, including properties with vacant buildings, at a discounted price to Applicants who plan to develop income-restricted affordable housing. In order to qualify for this discount, the development must be subject to restrictive covenants or otherwise regulated by an affordable housing funder for a defined affordability period.
The following discounts can take the form of a reduction in sales price, closing cost assistance, or a combination of the two:
Affordable Home Ownership
The Land Bank will offer a sales price discount equal to 10% of the list price to Applicants who will owner-occupy (for at least five years) the property and whose household income is equal to or below 80% or the area median income (limit varies by number of persons in the household and can be found here).
Public Employees Discount
In an effort to encourage public employees to reside within the City of Syracuse the Land Bank will offer any full-time employee of the City of Syracuse, Onondaga County, or Syracuse City School District a sales price discount. This discount is only available for 1-4 unit residential properties, in the City of Syracuse, which the buyer will owner-occupy for at least five years. Check the box for this discount on your application. 1/2 of the list price will be added to whatever amount you offer on your application. Consider that you may still be outbid but 1/2 of the list price will be added to your bid and that higher figure will be what we compare to any competing offers. The total amount of the discount cannot exceed $20,000. Attach a letter from you personnel or human resources department, verifying your full-time employment for a qualifying entity, to your application.
If you are interested in Donating property to the land bank, please submit a Property Donation Application. If the property you wish to donate is significantly tax-delinquent, the Land Bank will opt to pursue acquisition via municipal foreclosure in order to eliminate any liens against the property. Submit an application and Land Bank staff will contact you to discuss your options.
