Eads is where the Memphis metro trades sidewalks for space. It is unincorporated eastern Shelby County, it is ten to twenty minutes from Collierville and Germantown, and it is the one place this close to the city where you can still buy real acreage.
It is also a market where buying goes wrong in ways it simply cannot in a subdivision. Land has failure modes that houses do not.
What is actually for sale here
- Bare land for custom builds — parcels commonly from about one acre to five-plus, with larger tracts available.
- Equestrian and hobby-farm property — Spring Mill Farms is built around it, and standalone acreage supports it in much of the area.
- Estate lots in platted communities — The Preserves of Notting Hill and Graybourne for gated custom estates, Aston Park for conservation-style one-to-two-acre lots, Canterbury Manor for one-to-two-acre custom parcels, plus Big Bell Estates and Birnham Woods.
- Farm tracts — larger agricultural parcels, which carry their own tax and financing considerations.
Full Eads neighborhoods guide →
Due diligence: the part that actually matters
In a subdivision you inspect a house. Out here you inspect the ground. What I insist on before a client commits:
- Percolation test. If the parcel will not perc, it will not support a conventional septic system, and a beautiful lot becomes an unbuildable one. Test before you are past your contingency date, not after.
- Well and water. If there is an existing well, test the water and the yield. If there is not, price drilling one — and understand that depth and yield are not guaranteed.
- Utilities parcel by parcel. Electric, gas, and internet availability vary genuinely from parcel to parcel out here. Confirm what actually reaches the lot line and what it costs to extend.
- Access and easements. Deeded access, shared drives, and utility easements. A landlocked parcel with a handshake easement is a lawsuit in waiting.
- Floodplain and drainage. Pull the FEMA map, then walk the land after heavy rain if the season permits.
- Zoning and covenants. County zoning sets the outer limit; a platted community's covenants can be considerably more restrictive. Both apply.
- Survey. On acreage, get a current one. Old fence lines are not property lines and they disagree more often than you would expect.
Financing land is a different animal
A standard mortgage is for a house. Raw land generally means a land loan or a construction-to-permanent product: larger down payment, shorter term, higher rate. Homes on significant acreage can be hard to appraise because there simply are not many comparable sales, and a thin comp set can sink an appraisal on an otherwise sound deal.
Line up a lender who has actually closed acreage in this area before you go under contract. I can point you to ones who have.
Pricing land honestly
Eads is comp-thin. Price per square foot — the shortcut everyone uses in a subdivision — is close to meaningless here. What drives value is acreage, road frontage, how much of the parcel is usable versus wooded or wet, whether it is fenced, whether there are ponds or barns, and how much privacy the shape and tree line actually deliver.
Two five-acre parcels a mile apart can differ substantially in value for reasons that never show up in a per-foot calculation. This is exactly the kind of market where local judgment earns its keep, on both sides of the transaction.
Selling land or an acreage home in Eads
Eads moves more slowly and deliberately than the inner suburbs. Plan on a longer marketing runway, and understand that presentation of the land — fencing, pasture condition, ponds, barns, the approach up the drive — drives the premium as much as the house does. Comp-thin pricing rewards a careful valuation over a per-foot shortcut.
Get a real number on your Eads property →
Also worth seeing
- The Eads market overview
- Living in Eads: a local's honest guide
- Eads neighborhoods & estate communities
- Selling in Eads
Questions, answered
Is there land for sale in Eads, TN?
Yes — Eads is the land market for the Memphis metro. Most of it is unincorporated eastern Shelby County, with parcels commonly running from about one acre to five-plus, and larger farm and estate tracts available. There is genuine bare land for custom builds here, which is increasingly rare this close to a metro area.
What should I check before buying land in Eads?
Utilities parcel by parcel, first. Many Eads properties are not on full city water and sewer, which means well and septic. Get a percolation test before you assume a lot is buildable, test the well water, and confirm easements and access. Then verify the taxing jurisdiction and school zone by exact address, because the 38028 area crosses county lines.
How do I finance raw land in Eads?
Differently than a house, and this catches buyers off guard. Raw land typically requires a land loan or a construction-to-permanent loan rather than a standard mortgage, usually with a larger down payment, a shorter term, and a higher rate. Homes on significant acreage can also be difficult to appraise because comparable sales are thin. Line up a lender experienced with acreage before you write an offer, not after.
What school district is Eads land in?
It depends on the exact address and it is genuinely mixed. Much of unincorporated Eads is served by Memphis-Shelby County Schools, some addresses fall into Arlington Community Schools, and the Fayette County portion of the 38028 area is served by Fayette County Schools. Briarcrest Christian School also has its campus in Eads. Never assume from the mailing address — I confirm for every property.
Does Eads have lower property taxes?
Often, yes. Much of Eads is unincorporated Shelby County or Fayette County, which can mean meaningfully lower property taxes than an incorporated suburb because there is no city tax layered on top. The trade-off is fewer municipal services. I confirm the exact status for any property you are considering.
Can I keep horses on Eads land?
In many places, yes — Eads has a genuine equestrian presence, including communities like Spring Mill Farms built around it. What governs it is the zoning and any applicable restrictive covenants, which vary parcel to parcel. Confirm before you buy, especially on land inside a platted community where covenants may be more restrictive than county zoning.
Looking at land in Eads?
Send me the parcel and I'll tell you what to check before you're committed.
Perc test, well yield, easements, floodplain, and which county and school district it actually sits in. I'd rather find the problem during the contingency period.