How do you go about getting one? Also, how much do they typically cost? I'd like to obtain one so I know where my land ends and begins. Apparently we never got a copy of one from the previous owners, even though I asked my realtor.
To save you the cost of a surveyor, you can look up some information yourself from the johnston county website. If you do a little digging you can find the very map your realtor didn't give you.
While you're searching for a surveyor, have you looked at the legal description on your deed or deed of trust? It may have a long description with metes and bounds (distance & direction) but it will probably refer to a Book of Maps and Page recorded in your county's Register of Deeds. Get a copy of your recorded map first and then see if you can't find your corners with it.
You should have gotten a mortgage closing survey when you closed on your house. It is typically drawn on a legal sized sheet and shows your lot, house, driveway, any improvements (ie: fence, shed etc), utility locations and any easements that affect the property. It should tell you the lot number and subdivision in the title and be titled as "Physical Survey for...." These should ALWAYS be ordered before closing and delivered on the day of the closing to the buyer. The normal charge in this area is $350 for the survey. Most banks require the survey to be done to protect themselves to make sure there are no encroachments on your property from another property or vice versa. On the other hand, if it is a cash sale, there is no one to require the survey so you must insist on it your ownself and if your realtor or lawyer tells you that dont need one, that you can go by the recorded map, call a surveyor. Things happen like recombinations of lots that are often done after the recorded plat has been finished. You should also never ever ever, no matter how big or small the property is, never ever ever buy a tract of land without a survey. If your realtor ever tells you that you do not need one, run to another realtor. Why in the world would you spend $100k+ and not know exactly where your property corners are? The previous owner can tell you where they are, but the previous owner is often wrong. It makes no sense to spend as much as you are going to on a house and land, and really have no idea where that land starts and stops. You dont even spend $30k on a new car without test driving first do you? Or do you just take the salesman's word for it? Get the survey. This has been your PSA for the day.
Thanks for all the info. Being I'm a first time home-buyer I was quite ignorant when it comes to all of this. The realtor had told me to buy a metal detector and that would be the cheapest way to find the ends of our property. We only have an acre and it seems pretty straight-forward where it ends and begins, however, last week a pear tree was planted on our side yard and I don't know where it came from. The soil is still wet and the tags are still on it from Lowe's! I'm almost alittle freaked out...unless it turns out we have a ghost that likes to plant trees.
Your realtor should be strung up by his/her toenails for suggesting you go out and get a metal detector and you do it on your own. I could show you horror story after horror story on people who did the very same thing that your realtor suggested and then went out and put up landscaping and fences to where they thought the property line actually was because they happened to find a steel pipe in the ground. It happens every day where someone runs over a property corner with a lawn mower, the iron gets pulled out and thrown all around and the guy gets off the mower and bangs the iron back down where he thought it was. Think he gets it right?
I totally agree. Believe me, our realtor was horrible! The only reason we went with him is because we had "requested a showing" of the house and he was the one Re/Max had sent out. He was younger than me, which shouldn't matter, but I think his expertise was off. I would have much rathered had an experienced professional. He definitely stressed us out. He'd call us in a panic if there was hiccup. I'm so glad it is all done with. Another thing he had done was screw up the closing costs so I'm still paying on things that should've been paid at closing. UGH!!!
On the flip side of that, how many of you turned down your realtor's recommendation to GET a survey. I'll make you sign something if you don't! 8)
WTH! Do you have neighbors? :shock: If there's a tree fairy going around and planting trees, send 'em to my house!
We have neighbors but they are over a hill..that's why I like our house it sits right in the middle of our property so we aren't on top of our neighbors...but still..FREAKY! One day it isn't there the next it is!!
Maybe they were trying to let you know where the line is? I think I'd be going over and asking them about it at least! :lol:
Mystery SOLVED! Thank you for giving me this info. After looking at our deed, getting the plat book number, and then calling the JoCo Registrar of Deeds, they told us where on the Deed Search to obtain the map. It turns out that this property belongs to our neighbors!! UGH!! It is really weird the way the property lines are drawn out..it almost looks like our septic tank is on their property! All I can say is we are now going to be getting a white tall fence and getting rid of our chain link fence since they own our back yard behind the fence...talk about no privacy!!
