Importance of Land Surveying in Property Acquisition

It is important to have your land surveyed before you buy any type of real estate property. In fact, land surveying is a crucial step to land acquisition. Hiring a reputable land surveying company should be prioritized before you acquire any land. The best time to hire a professional land surveyor is prior to the completion of the title transfer process. This way, you can be sure that the boundaries stated in the deed of sale is authentic. Professional land surveying services can help in determining the property's exact limit of measurements according to what is stated in a title. Moreover, the survey should provide information about any structure that has been previously built on the land.

You can avoid encroachment when you hire a land surveying professional before you buy property, especially if you are purchasing the land to build a home. This way, you know exactly where the land starts and ends before you build anything on it. The land survey will be crucial in determining whether your neighbors have encroached on the property, too. This way, you can legally settle disputes when your neighbors may have built their garage or shed on your land. Land surveying will help place permanent boundary marks on your property to avoid encroachment.

Land surveying can help determine whether the land is ideal for building a house, especially if the topographical area has a mountainous or a hilly profile. Professional land surveying companies can conduct a topographic survey to make sure that you can build your home in an area that is stable and conducive to living. Likewise, a survey will be helpful when the property you want to buy is wide and you intend to divide it. A land surveyor can assist in determining whether the division is legal and feasible. This way, you should be able to proceed smoothly with your property acquisition and avoid any problems.

ALTA Land Surveying Standards

ALTA stands for 'American Land Title Association' and it is one of the accredited land title surveys in the United States. ALTA land surveying is designed for commercial purposes, and it follows a set of standard codes to ensure the correct manner of conducting the survey for construction purposes.  Since February 23, 2011, the ALTA land title survey minimum standard detail requirements were put into effect and superseded previous versions of their standards. Hence, surveyors must recognize and be aware of every federal, local, and state standards to ensure the accuracy of their survey.

Information from an ALTA survey should assist purchasers and lenders in evaluating the property and the land for potential risks. The data could reveal some vital information on the benefits of owning that property, too. Hence, ALTA surveys are typically used in providing information on property easements and boundaries, as well as for offering suggestions when there is a need to improve land with trails, roads, fences, rights of ways, and others.

The current title commitment must be presented before completing an ALTA survey. Surveyors refer to a title commitment to legally describe the property and any of its exceptions. Areas of encumbrances, improvements, and ownership will be graphically shown. Any encroachments found must be shown geographically, and the surveyor may add a note to indicate their nature.

An ALTA survey's certification language must include the names of affected parties, such as the title company, lender, seller, and buyer. Hence, surveyors must work closely with the title insurance company so they can rely on one another's work to demonstrate the matters, which may affect the ownership of the land.

You can hire an ALTA land title surveyor that is approved by the association itself. This way, you can be sure that the company meets all the survey standards set by authorized institutions and the government, and make sure that the company is providing a reliable service to help you save money and time.

Advantages of Environmental Land Surveys for Residential Properties

Relying on the legal description of your prospect property alone is an impractical way to evaluate an investment, regardless whether you are buying it for residential or business purposes. Seeking the help of professional property surveyors can help you discover details about your property boundaries that the legal description may have failed to include. Professional surveys can also help you settle typical property description issues before they even become problems. In addition to boundary surveys, you may also seek other certifications like zoning descriptions/letters, environmental certifications, flood plain classifications, and other documentation that might be helpful in evaluating the property before purchase or development. Other advantages of environmental and boundary survey for residential properties include:

• Determining precise boundary lines of the property. Most landowners seek the help of surveyors to locate the exact location of the boundary lines as well as other lines of possession or occupancy, which are critical pieces of information to obtain before building fences, paving a driveway, or adding a sunroom to your property. All too often, property owners operate under the wrong assumption of boundary placement between their property and their neighbor's property, and land surveys can settle this dispute.

• Evaluating the presence of rivers, ponds, streams, creeks, lakes, and wells. Typical survey reports only include visible surface waters. With the help of professional inspections, you get to uncover underground waters and wetlands, which can greatly impact development.

• Discovering existing improvements. Surveyors can also help determine recent improvements, repairs, and alterations to the property as well as ensure that the property is not in violation of any restrictions and laws regarding bulk, height, frontage, dimension, setbacks, building lines, parking, and other boundary rules. Surveyors can also determine whether improvements are in violation of a particular local ordinance, or any other law that may get you in trouble with authorities.

3 Things to Keep in Mind before Conducting a Residential Land Survey

A residential land survey locates, describes maps, and monuments the corners and boundaries of a parcel of residential land. The process may also involve the mapping of the parcel’s topography and the locations improvements. Do you need residential land surveying services? Here are four things to remember to make your search easy and effective:

1. Where to find a reputable surveyor:

Go online, where reputable survey companies are properly listed. Some municipal governments can provide a list of licensed professionals, too. You might also be able to get referrals from the abstractors or realtors you are working with. Do not base your decision on costs or fees alone. You want a surveyor with reputation, availability, and experience.

2. What you need to provide your surveyor:

The surveying company you choose to retail will need a copy of your deed. If this is not available, provide them at least with a legal description of the property. Do you have copies of previous surveys or your abstract? Do you have information on the location of corner monuments? These documents may also be helpful.

3. Getting the right types of survey:

Explain to the survey company why you need the survey so that they can advise you on standards and the best type of survey.

• Boundary surveys determine the limits of your property.

• Topographic surveys are for construction projects where improvements, utilities, and elevations have to be located.

• Land title surveys are usually needed if you are securing a loan on your property. They are the most extensive. They provide information about easements and encroachments to the lender, the buyer, and the title company.

4. Understanding the costs:

Most professional residential land surveyors will charge you by the hour. The actual cost may depend on factors such as the survey type and equipment required, the availability of controlling survey monuments and records, the type of terrain, and even the company’s familiarity with the area. Due to these many variables, it’s hard to determine a ‘flat rate’ fee. To reduce misunderstandings or disagreements, professional land surveyors typically require you to sign a contract that details the services included, a completion date, and a payment schedule.