Two conversations today with potential clients led to being told what bankers had told them about surveyors.
When I provided a very reasonable estimate to sever a 10-acre tract with all of the improvements from the remainder of the quarter section, the potential client reported that figure was about double what the buyer's banker had told him it should cost. I told her that perhaps I should start advising clients on what bankers should charge for mortgages and closings. I explained how the others involved in real estate closings like to understate related expenses so as to encourage moving forward with the transaction.
The other potential client was in need of an elevation certificate for his little house in an old part of town. He said his banker told him that if he could get several other neighbors to go together and all get EC's at the same time the surveyor would do it for the same fee as just one of them. Then they could divide that much smaller invoice into affordable pieces. I very clearly informed him that the banker was clueless about such things.
My Pa once told me that back in his day, when money was a lot tighter, getting to see the bank manager to discuss a loan was higher than getting an invitation to tea with the Queen. And if that did eventuate the net outcome would be that you would just be allowed to kiss his a..se and leave.
her: Well, that's way more than I expected.
me: What exactly did you expect?
her: I don't know. That's what I called to find out.
it never gets old.....
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I have several clients that never have to get land surveyed when they borrow money and they always get a title policy.
They have multi millions of dollars and the banks would have to close without them.
A few of them own the banks.
They call me when they can not find their boundaries and the neighbor, who is also a multi million dollar person, would take it very serious if they built over the boundary line.
Each and every time they have a problem with what I charge.
I tell them that my prices will get better when they can begin to pay some decent rates on my savings account.
Banks are among the scum of the earth anyway, I would expect nothing less.