Who got a land survey when they purchased? (home owners insurance, lenders)

[VickiR]

I believe it was back in the early '90s that most mortgage companies required a survey and a termite report. No mortgage companies require the survey but FHA still requires a termite report. Seems like the requirement should have stuck but anyway...still a good idea to get the survey AND the termite report!!!

Vicki

[juleecat]

We built a home on a newly constructed street. We were the first to build, and the developer had the lots all marked nicely with stakes, and there were even metal pins at the corners of the lot (ours is 3 acres). We took his word, and built accordingly, as did the other 8 families on our street. Lo and behold, the county came out when the final home was completed to do a survey (the reason escapes me at the moment) and the pins we all used were NOT the pins that marked the edges of our properties, but they had to do with the curves of the road or something.............we were lucky-our house and well and leachfields are all within the required boundries of our lot. Some of the neighbors were not so lucky-they had to move leachfields, etc. We did plant 12 very large evergreens that are now on our neighbor's proprerty, but we are thankful that this was the only "problem" we had. Lesson learned. (This occured in another state, so your closing requirements, etc may be different here, and may have caught this problem earlier). We had no legal recourse, as it was ultimately our decision not to have our own surveys done prior to building.
Good luck!

[VickiR]

I have clients that purchased one of the last houses in Windcrest, brand new.

We had a survey and the backyard neighbor had built his fence about 3 inches onto my clients' property.

In Windcrest, the yards are quite small and my clients were a bit upset that they had now lost 3 inches; however, I told the builder that it was up to HIM to tell the neighbors to move their fence since we could not get clear title to the property, knowing the fence encroached.

The builder had the neighbors move their fence and my clients weren't the "bad guys" but still got their 3 inches of backyard back!

Get a survey!

Vicki

[MrsSteel]

Okay. I have a confession to make.

I did not have our property surveyed when we bought this house.

I know, I know, I should have done it and I do not know what on earth I was thinking, I think I was just so consumed by the 10 billion other things that needed to be done. Between finding the right inspector and the right mortgage company and the right insurance provider and the right moving company and getting all of the utilities switched over and and and and ... well, I guess something had to slip through the cracks. Luckily, neither we nor our neighbors have fences or anything like that in our back yards ... just tons of trees. In fact, we have thick trees on both sides of the property, too, so we haven't had to deal with the question of where we should stop mowing.

However! I know that I screwed up and I would feel so much better if we got a survey done. So what do I do now? Do I contact the lawyers who handled our closing & ask them for recs? Or what?

[VickiR]

Mrs. Steel, you can get a survey at anytime. The cost is approximately $350. You can call your lawyers for referrals or you can look in the phone book. I tend to prefer referrals.

If you have an old survey from the previous owners, you can call THAT SAME SURVEY COMPANY and they'll give you a discount for doing a re survey.

After the surveyor finishes and marks the 4 corners with pipes and red flags, make sure you pound the pipes down into the ground so they'll remain there and won't accidently be pulled out.

Vicki

[nynraleigh]

I requested a survey at my close back in June, so I do have my survey. My question is how do you keep the markings there without putting a fence. My situation is the builder overseeded my neighbors backyard into mine, before my home was finished...so I think my neighbor thinks that part of my yard is his...there is also a small drainage easement as well, that really confuses everything as well. How do I redefine my property lines without putting a fence up?

[dansdrive]

Had a situation when we closed on our home. It was a new sub division and we did not have a survey done, no one required it. After living in the house for 4 months the bank called and said they were reviewing our mortgage packet and did not find a property survey. I told them I did not have one and they said I must get one and send it to the bank. I said excuse me. 4 months after we close you forgot where I live, I said we didn't move? I refused to pay and they paid for the survey and that was the last I heard about it.

So my advise is just because no one may ask for a survey does not mean its not required. Ask you mortgage company up front if they require one. I certainly will next time.

[BrentwoodBoy]

I thought all new homes came with a land survey - we bought with Centex and they provided us with one automatically. Very useful - especially when fences are involved.

[VickiR]

Some new neighborhoods REQUIRE you to have a survey done before closing. You pay for it but its worthwhile.

Make sure its a survey that shows the finished house and not just the original survey that shows where they intend on putting the house.

Vicki

[LisaZ]

I am so suprised by this thread. What else don't I know about buying a home in NC? In New York, you have to get a survey - it is part of the title insurance. Also, how can a home exist or be built without a survey on record with the town/city? I thought whenever a parcel of land is divided and sold, the survey is what determines the parcels of land. Do the towns/cities not require this? I can't understand how you can buy a house and the city/mortgage company and insurer (title/home) don't insist on knowing the actual property lines. Well, I have to say - everyone should have a survey and have it marked on their land. I even had a run in with a neighbor who thought our landscaper was doing work on their land (we are surrounded by woods) and I had to pull out my survey as amunition! Is there any advise people on here have about the closing process and costs etc. - what is required for a closing and what is not?