Formula card
Acres = square feet / 43,560. A section = 1 square mile = 640 acres. Each “1/4 of” in a legal description divides by 4.
Worked example
- A parcel measures 330 ft x 660 ft = 217,800 sq ft / 43,560 = 5 acres.
- The NE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of a section = 640 / 4 / 4 = 40 acres. At $12,500 per acre that is $500,000.
Here is the trap
- Reading order. Legal descriptions are read right to left for size: start with the section and divide.
- Square yards. Divide square feet by 9.
- Front feet are measured along the street, not the depth.
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