Again, the most expensive purchase a person will probably ever make, and yet doesn't want to spend a relatively small amount to know what he's buying. Strange, but most people are more than willing to let the person working for the seller, someone who has a vested interest in the sale, tell them what they're buying.
paden cash, post: 451943, member: 20 wrote: He called back yesterday. He apparently had shopped around a little and they decided to hire me.
That's when my pucker factor goes exponential. Steve
I??ve always thought getting a percentage would be good, but some places still sell land for $1,000/acre. I can??t imagine only getting $3,000 for a 300 acre retracement. Sure it??d be great to get 1% on a $20 million apartment complex ALTA/NSPS survey.
Ha! 300 acres is less than half a section in PLSSia. Might be a great moneymaker for $3000. Find five corners per corner records, shoot them, draw the line to make 300 even and set the monuments at each end, draw it up, collect the dough.
Taco Bell Dawg, post: 452083, member: 12957 wrote: I??ve always thought getting a percentage would be good, but some places still sell land for $1,000/acre. I can??t imagine only getting $3,000 for a 300 acre retracement. Sure it??d be great to get 1% on a $20 million apartment complex ALTA/NSPS survey.
That's just the way it worked out in that particular corner of the county; but I don't have any hard or fast rules tied to purchase price. My time is generally my stock in trade. But if there were common-denominators when it comes to estimating the 'chrono-scope' of a job it would probably be access, terrain...AND the number of adjoiners.
Like HC mentioned, 3K for a 300 ac. survey of a swatch of fresh cut alfalfa might be a winning deal...if the abstract had only three entries (with two of them sharing the same last name). I've seen some abstracts on smaller (80 ac.) tracts that were as big as a Houston phone book. 😉
When I was a lad 50 years ago we rented a farm from an old coot whose parents were the patent holders for that tract. I think President Grant signed that patent. The old coot died with no descendants in 1974. An auction was held to sell that quarter section. The winning bidder still owns that farm.
I have performed surveys along all sides of that section, but not in it. It would be no big deal to figure out how to do a section breakdown and complete the field work in short order.
paden cash, post: 451943, member: 20 wrote: ... (content omitted for brevity)
It never ceases to amaze me when people will spend a million bucks...(Lord knows how much of that is broker's fees)...and then act like 1% for a professional and durable survey is "way too much".
He and his brother-in-law aren't spending a million dollars. They're spending maybe a couple hundred thousand and hope to make a profit out of whatever they're doing with the property.
paden cash, post: 452093, member: 20 wrote: That's just the way it worked out in that particular corner of the county; but I don't have any hard or fast rules tied to purchase price. My time is generally my stock in trade. But if there were common-denominators when it comes to estimating the 'chrono-scope' of a job it would probably be access, terrain...AND the number of adjoiners.
Like HC mentioned, 3K for a 300 ac. survey of a swatch of fresh cut alfalfa might be a winning deal...if the abstract had only three entries (with two of them sharing the same last name). I've seen some abstracts on smaller (80 ac.) tracts that were as big as a Houston phone book. 😉
Phone books these days are much smaller than before we had cell phones.
James Fleming, post: 451777, member: 136 wrote: Realtor: I need the left line of a property staked for a fence
Surveyor researches property. Metes and bounds parcel (as well as all the others in the area), line the realtor wants staked is described as the second line in the adjoining deed. Etc. Surveyor sends realtor a proposal for boundary survey on property
Realtor replies: I just want the left line staked...not the front, rear, or right.
I always tell them doing one line of a survey is like building one wall of a house.
Cee Gee, post: 452953, member: 451 wrote: like building one wall of a house.
More like putting a roof on a house when only one wall is up. There's not enough to hang survey measurements on.
Have you guys heard of the one-wall remodel? Lately I've seen where they leave one wall standing then start the new walls for the "remodel" then when they get enough of the "existing" house back up they demo the only remaining original wall and finish the "remodel."
Dave Karoly, post: 452967, member: 94 wrote: Have you guys heard of the one-wall remodel? Lately I've seen where they leave one wall standing then start the new walls for the "remodel" then when they get enough of the "existing" house back up they demo the only remaining original wall and finish the "remodel."
I haven't heard of it, but it seems like an evasion of permit fees or development fees or something like that, right?
Don
Don Blameuser, post: 452980, member: 30 wrote: I haven't heard of it, but it seems like an evasion of permit fees or development fees or something like that, right?
Don
Yes, common in Sacramento County.
Probably has to have two building permits, one after the other. But it would be done to avoid code requirements for new construction.
Dave Karoly, post: 452967, member: 94 wrote: Have you guys heard of the one-wall remodel? Lately I've seen where they leave one wall standing then start the new walls for the "remodel" then when they get enough of the "existing" house back up they demo the only remaining original wall and finish the "remodel."
It's an old ploy. I've seen it done more than once.
I thought it was to hide themselves from the streetview so no one could see what they were doing.
BushAxe,
Back in the 70s or 80s, surveyors in NC (at least in my area) did manage to charge a percentage of the sales price. This was before my time however. Too many old timers thought that suddenly they were making way too much money compared to before and went back to the $75.00 - $125.00 fee (some were even less). So the % basis quickly went away.
I was both fortunate and unfortunate to work with a guy in Thomasville, NC in the early 80s who told me if a surveyor expected to make more than $15,000 a year, he should move to New Jersey. Why he said New Jersey I don't know and did not ask him. I soon left my association with him.
NC does not recognize a mortgage or loan survey as an inspection only. The surveyor is expected and required to conduct a full and thorough boundary survey of the premises. Many surveyors do not do this but it is required.
There is a group of people, call it a profession for convenience (they aren't really), salesperson slash paper pusher, that my parents would consult when they needed to move to another town, sell the current abode and buy a new one, or if they simply wanted a more palatial piece of dirt and the residential box on it. This "profession" got a big percentage but that was because they made it happen, by hook or by crook.
A professional is a person with specialized training, experience, and judgment that performs an intellectual service for a fee. The professional is not in it solely to rake in lots of bucks, the profession is established to provide a necessary service to the public.
These people used to do that, now they just smile and say "isn't it cute!" No it's not cute. If they can't accomplish a goal then what do they do? Nothing except rake in an inordinate amount of cash. The goal is owner A has a house and big lot, tough to sell, a bit dated (I hate this term especially since I found myself using it, rip all this perfectly good "dated" stuff out and pay lots of money putting new stuff in which will be "dated" in ten years, wasteful), huge yard (a lot of work), owner B wants to buy it but they are a "contingent" buyer (no big deal in my parent's time but apparently a dirty word now) so owner A can't sell to the one buyer that can do it and owner B is stuck in the little house and Lot. Meanwhile a group of people sit around on their asses and hold open houses and blow sunshine up people's backsides.
*end of rant*