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How to Sell Land to a Data Center: 7 Questions to Ask First
Data-center money has hit Central PA farmland. If you own acreage near power lines or a highway, you might get a call. Some of these offers are big. Some come with strings that tie up your farm for years.
I’m Collin Boyer. I sell farms, and I also build homes, build or place manufactured homes, and develop and subdivide land. So your options aren’t only sell or don’t sell. You can list it, sell it directly to me, or split off a lot and build.
What’s happening around here
Pax-1, Middlesex Township, Cumberland County: a large data-center campus. Neighbors filed a zoning appeal. A judge refused to stop the work but let the appeal go on (PoliticsPA/Center Square, Sept 25 2026).
Dauphin Highlands: Dauphin County’s golf course sold to a data-center developer after rezoning (CPBJ).
Silver Spring Township: a farmer turned down a data-center offer and preserved his farms instead (Lancaster Farming, Jan 2026).
Frederick County, MD: data-center moratorium extended to July 1, 2027 (WYPR).
The 7 questions
Is it a contract or an option? An option lets them walk away, sometimes after years.
What is it contingent on? Rezoning? Power from the utility? Water? Those can take a long time, and they can fail.
How long is the study period, and can they extend it? Get the max total time in writing.
How much is the deposit, and when does it go hard (become non-refundable)?
Who pays rollback? In PA, a change of use can trigger Clean & Green rollback: up to 7 years of tax savings plus 6% simple interest. In MD, land leaving farm-use assessment can owe the agricultural transfer tax: 5% on 20+ acres plus a 25% surcharge (Md. Tax-Prop. §13-303).
Can you keep farming during the contract? Who pays the property taxes meanwhile?
What happens if it dies in year two? Is your farm tied up and unsellable the whole time?
Compare it with your other options
List it on the open market.
Preserve it. You sell the development rights and keep the farm.
Split off a lot or two and keep the rest. I can help plan it and build on it.
Sell it directly to me, on a timeline you choose.
Get help on the paper
A real-estate attorney should read any big contract. And talk to a CPA before you sign. Taxes can change which option actually nets you the most.
I’ll go through a data-center or developer offer with you line by line, and show you the other options next to it.
Call or text Collin at 717-991-5085.
Interest isn’t spread evenly. In our area, questions come up most around Frederick County, MD and along the I-81 corridor in Cumberland and Franklin counties.
FAQ
How do I sell my land to a data center?
Most deals start with the developer approaching you. Before signing, find out whether it’s an option or a contract, what it depends on (rezoning, power, water), how long the study period runs, and whether the deposit is refundable.
What should I check before accepting a data-center offer?
Whether it’s an option or a contract, what it depends on (rezoning, power, water), how long the study period runs, when the deposit becomes non-refundable, and who pays rollback taxes.
Do I owe rollback taxes if I sell farmland to a developer?
Possibly. In PA, changing enrolled Clean & Green land to a non-qualifying use triggers up to 7 years of rollback plus 6% interest. Who pays is negotiable. In MD, the agricultural transfer tax can apply.
Sources:
- PoliticsPA
- CPBJ
- Lancaster Farming
- WYPR
- PDA
- 7 Pa. Code §137b.89
- Md. Tax-Prop. §13-303
Collin Boyer is a real estate agent with Real of Pennsylvania, serving all of Pennsylvania and Maryland. Licensed in Pennsylvania (RS353567) and Maryland (5014481). Call or text 717-991-5085. Real of Pennsylvania · (717) 344-5577. Equal Housing Opportunity. This post is general information, not legal or tax advice.