I was under the impression they are required if you are getting a mortgage and the cost is rolled up in the fees/closing costs? Here you usually see them putting out survey stakes. Our property still has the survey stakes on it.
[QUOTE=hosspuller;8950273]
Cost … Its pricing dictated by local market and complexity of the property. Odd shapes and rough terrain cost more in general.
… What ever the cost of a survey. It’s cheap compared to lawyers and/or moving your structures.[/QUOTE]
I agree with this.
Look up a local survey company and ask for general pricing. I am sure they can give you price ranges.
Recent IL experience
I bought my place 2 years ago. Thank God my realtor helped me call around and price surveys, because I paid half of what one company wanted. I believe it was still around $2500 for my 8 acres. I might be able to find my notes.
I can’t remember if I had it surveyed before or after purchase, I feel like it was after. Of course my neighbor on one side thinks some of my property is his–not that he bothers to maintain/mow the area between his farm field and the property line. As for the neighbor on the other side…I had some rods set to define the property line since it’s 1400’ and goes thru trees. Each rod had orange survey tape tied on it and a wooden stake marking it. The wooden stake disappeared fast enough. All last year I could find the rod pretty easily, until I couldn’t. Haven’t found it since. I wonder if it’s possible they pulled it out of the ground? No idea how long those things are. They definitely had been mowing onto my property, which didn’t bother me other than the stake disappearing and I’m guessing they mowed the tape off the rod.
Rental a metal detector to find those rods-- they’re generally pounded in deep enough that you would not be able to just pull it out without digging–and then install very sturdy fence posts on your corners to erase any doubt. And don’t let the neighbor continue to mow your lawn-- that kind of stuff could support a potential adverse possession claim. Research your state’s laws on it and take proactive measures.
Definitely do a survey. If neighbor has part of it fenced off and insists it is his, insist on a lot line adjustment at their expense and lower your offering price to reflect the reduction in acreage. If there is any question, I would make the offer contingent on seller providing a current survey.
If you have a survey done on your own property, I suggest sinking large iron (like 4" wide) 8’ or longer pipes right alongside the survey stakes and filling with concrete. Will discourage neighbors from removing the stakes.
[QUOTE=HungarianHippo;8952700]
Rental a metal detector to find those rods-- they’re generally pounded in deep enough that you would not be able to just pull it out without digging–and then install very sturdy fence posts on your corners to erase any doubt. And don’t let the neighbor continue to mow your lawn-- that kind of stuff could support a potential adverse possession claim. Research your state’s laws on it and take proactive measures.[/QUOTE] I did try taking my magnet (for horseshoe nails) to the area with no luck. The corner markers are in place and have always been, but it’s 1400 feet running in and out of tree lines so it’s not possible to run a string from one end to the other. Which is why I had extra rods placed, 3 on the line with neighbor #1 and 2 on the side with neighbor #2. I wasn’t as worried with #2, seemed like a good neighbor until he said my horses stink this year. I’m really not worried about adverse possession on his side because per my survey the fence line behind him (his lot is a rectangle carved out of the L lot with the fence) is the property line. Can you imagine the argument that the lot line changed from a straight line to one that swerves around maybe 10x30 feet that he may be mowing?
[QUOTE=OTTBs;8954326]
I did try taking my magnet (for horseshoe nails) to the area with no luck. The corner markers are in place and have always been, but it’s 1400 feet running in and out of tree lines so it’s not possible to run a string from one end to the other. Which is why I had extra rods placed, 3 on the line with neighbor #1 and 2 on the side with neighbor #2. I wasn’t as worried with #2, seemed like a good neighbor until he said my horses stink this year. I’m really not worried about adverse possession on his side because per my survey the fence line behind him (his lot is a rectangle carved out of the L lot with the fence) is the property line. Can you imagine the argument that the lot line changed from a straight line to one that swerves around maybe 10x30 feet that he may be mowing?[/QUOTE]
Should be able to rent a metal detector from you local rental yard. Should be cheap to rent and are easy to use. Especially when you have a general idea of where the stakes are located.
[QUOTE=HungarianHippo;8952700]
Rental a metal detector to find those rods-- they’re generally pounded in deep enough that you would not be able to just pull it out without digging–and then install very sturdy fence posts on your corners to erase any doubt. And don’t let the neighbor continue to mow your lawn-- that kind of stuff could support a potential adverse possession claim. Research your state’s laws on it and take proactive measures.[/QUOTE]
This brings up a side discussion - you might do well to get in touch with a hobbyist with a metal detector and who enjoys looking for old stuff.
They might be willing to walk down your property stakes in return for the chance to cover the rest of the property for history’s surprises. You benefit from that too, considering they could find and remove old horseshoes, nails, wires, and other debris that does no good for horse feet and tires.
Just a thought.
David
The last survey we had done here was about $2300 and was in conjunction with a home addition project that required plotting for water runoff during construction, etc. Our property is 3.82 acres and shaped somewhat like Louisiana … and I learned something from it: our property actually extended about a dozen feet father south along the road than I realized and into an area that the neighboring property was using as lawn.
I personally would want at least a recent survey when considering a property like you describe, especially with the current owner making statements like they were…that would be ringing bells with me as it apparently did with you, causing you to walk away. (good call!)
If you are a buyer, you should be using a “buyer broker” arrangement with your real estate agent so they are representing “you” instead of the seller. Without that agreement (which there is generally a fee for), the Realtor ALWAYS represents the seller ultimately and that can bring a conflict of interest for things like you describe.
I had a friend looking at a property with an 8 stall barn and eight horses but the county only allotted for 3 total farm animals. So she went to a meeting to have 8 horses officially grandfathered in. The next door neighbor showed up (he had about a dozen abandoned cars on his property and some collapsed buildings and his house was almost an acre away from any horse property) and argued crazily against horses period.
She got the 8 horses grandfathered in then abandoned the property due to the neighbor.
