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“Oh, I had no idea it would cost that much”
holy-cow replied 1 year, 10 months ago 25 Members · 47 Replies
- Posted by: @kevin-hines
I guess that is the long way of saying we need to be more proactive in educating the public on the services we provide.
PREACH!!!
Fortunately, the cartoon artists have all retired or died in my area. However, sometimes their work is the only information we have to run with. Found one of those yesterday in the next block over from my client’s property. Searched through 16 blocks in that town plat and that was the only thing filed. In 1979, with no explanation as to how the locations of the set monuments were determined.
I was told very early in my career that it is proper to charge what the Professional Service is worth.
That means, in the simplest terms, that if I surveyed Lots 3 and 5 in a Subdivision, the value of a survey of Lot 4 is no less than the value for the survey of Lots 3 & 5.
Some prospective clients appreciate a thumbnail education of what goes into a survey, and once you make an explanation accept the fee. Some will google “average survey price” and send you a screenshot saying their survey should be $400.00. I simply never call those people back. Why argue? I don’t want to work for them anyway, and I damn sure do NOT want to be known as the area’s cheapest surveyor. I am happy to let someone else have that thorny crown. I do have a minimum call-out fee, but I don’t tell anyone what it is – professionalism. You can’t feel guilty about making a little money on an easy job, because somebody has to pay for the rain days, the days the truck gets a flat, and the days a little old lady calls because her neighbor is bullying her over her begonias; and she is caring for her cancer-ridden ol’ man. You have to learn to not feel bad about the jobs you miss. Some jobs you are better off if your competitor gets!
I’m pretty strongly opposed to turning anyone in to their licensing board. Especially if your opinion is that they are taking your work with low fees. I live and work in a small, somewhat isolated community. Sixty or seventy odd years ago, the local surveyors (who knows why, they’re mostly all passed on) began to feud, and it carried on to just about 10 years ago. It led to a lot of badmouthing, undercutting, double irons and all sorts of unproductive results. Took 2 generations of surveyors since to get back to cordial, professional interactions between us. They all worked too cheap for all those years because of spite and jealous competition.
When you make a mistake, and you WILL make a mistake, what you would really like is a polite call from your competitor and a discussion over how to rectify it; rather than having to answer to your licensing board. You reporting someone else will never be the end of that course of action.
#1 question I have learned to ask before doing any significant research (i.e. literally anything beyond looking up the parcel number and the tax assessed value) is:
“Are you aware of the cost of a proper recorded survey, and do you have a budget for this?”
“3rd, for a new buyer of property, the survey is an inconvenient hurdle”
They have no problem with a 6% -7% Realtor charge for nothing except some minor paperwork, closing costs, title insurance, mortgage fees and interest, yet balk at the fee for a survey because “it costs too much”, (insert your price here) while the Realtor walks away with huge profit. Go figure.
- Posted by: @flga-2-2
They have no problem with a 6% -7%
Most real estate agents are members of the price-fixing cartel that they somehow get away with.
It must be remembered, however, that there is a surplus of real estate salespeople so many do not make a good income.
. @flga-2-2
- They’ve been told; realtor fees are something they “have to” pay, surveys are optional.
- They don’t need to write a check to the realtor, it’s paid out of closing, so they don’t really even see it. That’s why they’re surprised when a surveyor wants to be paid whether it closes or not.
Realtors assume no liability; when asked about anything they give you some vague response and tell you to hire an expert.
My buddy is looking at buying a piece of property in Bug Tussle TN; one place says it’s 25 acres, another says 30. When he asked the real estate agent which one is correct, she told him: they usually go with the lowest number, that way you’re not disappointed when it’s 30. he didn’t get a straight answer to his question, and was told to hire an expert…
I hope everyone has a great day; I know I will!@dougie
Posted by: @dougiewhen asked about anything they give you some vague response
This has been my experience with realtors
@bill93 It should also be remembered that the 6-7% is only that amount if the realtor is the broker, listing agent, and selling agent. Other wise it could be a three or four way cut. And if they are doing a bunch of showings, but no closings it is a 0% commission. I doubt any of us would be willing to do 3 or 4 surveys and then charge only for the 5th.
Realtors do a heck of a lot better job of convincing people they are necessary to the sale process – and frankly they are very helpful. It is possible to list as a for sale by owner. Lately (with a very hot market), I’ve seen four separate properties listed by owner that sat for a good while. All of them were pretty nice places, so they should have gone fast. Finally the sellers bit the bullet and listed with an agent and within a few days the houses sold at full or above asking price.
Since the pricing has been so high, I just sold 2 tracts and 4 lots I’ve been holding for a while. I had a regular client list them for me and within a couple of days they all sold for the ridiculous price I was asking for them. The realtor I listed with is constantly keeping in touch with people he knows are looking for properties and knew exactly who to contact to get the properties sold. It was very nice to just have someone else deal with all of the people that were involved in the process as some of the buyers were financing. All I did was sign a listing contract via email, sign an acceptance for offers via email, and then show up at the attorney’s office to sign a few closing documents and pick up checks. For me – the commission was money well spent as I had other things to do.
- Posted by: @dougie
Realtors assume no liability; when asked about anything they give you some vague response and tell you to hire an expert.
I have known a couple of instances where realtors have been in some hot water with potential lawsuits because they messed up something either in the paperwork that is “all” they do or in showing the property and saying something they shouldn’t have.
They actually do have liability which is probably why they refer people to an expert. I wouldn’t want my realtor telling me that a foundation is solid, a property line is here, or those trails in the joists are not something to be concerned about.
Just like I wouldn’t want a surveyor telling me how much value would be added to my property by buying a half acre off my neighbor (a question I recently had).
Most of the general public have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE as to what all needs to happen to sell their property. Unless the buyer is handing over cash, it normally is a bunch of red tape of which they know nothing.
Today I sent an email to a new client pointing out that the seller’s driveway does not enter a city street. It enters property owned by a neighbor, then travels over 100 feet to the street. The seller is not landlocked technically because the far back side of the property is along a city street and he could construct a drive to come and go in that direction. But, the client intends to buy everything behind the house, thus, eliminating that possibility. I asked if the seller has a written document proving his ability to drive over the neighbor’s property to get to a city street. BTW, the neighbor is a shyster who only focuses on what will make him money.
Sometimes the preconception comes from what they paid the last time they had a survey done (40 or 50 years ago).
Sometimes it comes from the rates they paid in a different state when they had a survey done (as can be seen on this board daily, the review fees involved in some states are higher than the entire survey in other areas).
Sometimes it comes from having paid for a “survey” in the past that was actually just a drive by mortgage inspection (where those occur) and not knowing the difference.
Or, it may be they have gotten a “survey” in the past that was just someone pulling a copy of the recorded subdivision plat (or even just the tax map) and including it in their paperwork. Again – and not knowing the difference.
- Posted by: @jon-payne
I have known a couple of instances where realtors have been in some hot water with potential lawsuits because they messed up something either in the paperwork that is “all” they do or in showing the property and saying something they shouldn’t have.
Not disclosing certain things can be a big deal.
There are a few neighborhoods on Whidbey Island, WA that are right off the runway where the local NAS fighter jets do touch-and-go exercises, and there have been a few lawsuits against realtor brokerages that did not disclose that sort of thing. If I remember correctly the realtors were purposely bringing prospective buyers at days/times the jets weren’t running.
We recently moved to Tacoma, and we are underneath (although a ways out from) the flight path of the C17s going in and out of JBLM. This wasn’t disclosed to us, but we were well aware of it and don’t really mind too much. A Globemaster at one or two thousand feet up a couple times a week isn’t quite the same thing as an F18 at two hundred for hours on end multiple days per week.
“…people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.” -Neil Postman - Posted by: @jon-payne
I wouldn’t want a surveyor telling me how much value would be added to my property by buying a half acre off my neighbor
The vague answer I would give: Well, you’ll have to put a pencil to it…
I hope everyone has a great day; I know I will! - Posted by: @bill93
Most real estate agents are members of the price-fixing cartel that they somehow get away with.
I believe the real estate conglamorate has several lobbyist’s working for them, which we do not. ????
One must understand the difference between today’s practices and those in prior decades. I’m not saying the cartoonist did not do a proper survey. I am saying he did not present his work well for permanent inspection.
Just for fun. Take a day and attempt to turn out a quality HAND-DRAWN SURVEY PLAT. Try it. Seriously. That was the norm when I started. Gave up on that about 1990, so 32 years ago. It cost me a lot to make the change. Much more than today.
Try it on any project of your choosing.
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