Someone in Western Kentucky is Starving

Wow. I can't imagine doing an ALTA of any size for that cheap.

Tommy Young, post: 416680, member: 703 wrote: Now, before someone shoots me, I just did a minor subdivision for the same client on this lot in January. I very seriously doubt I'd have to do any field work at all, other than a walk through.

Whew! Glad you threw that sentence in. My minimum charge for ALTA's is $7500.00/acre. Of course that is why I never hear back from the client who requested a price. 😉

I can't imagine doing an ALTA for anything less than $2,500 and the last time I did one was at least 12 years ago....

I've also given a client a 'sweetheart' price just because I had all the info; only to get burned when someone scooped it up with a cheaper price. Unless you are the one that is starving, let 'em have the work.

That is actually the reason I quit messing with ECs and LOMAs. Someone around here had a $250 "special". One builder called me back 6 months later whining and moaning that his two-stage permit had been rescinded because the City's crew had determined the "special" was a foot and some too low. He had a slab he had to tear up and a surveyor that wouldn't answer his phone.

I was less than sympathetic....

When you find out who it was send them some of these..

Whoever it was called me and left a voice message, but I couldn't understand the name. He was wanting some information. I called back this morning and he had already found what he needed.

paden cash, post: 416696, member: 20 wrote: When you find out who it was send them some of these..

Yea, and send me some too. I eat sirloin, however the recipients of the aforementioned in your post eat filet minion and lobster tail's.
Us (me) elderly cynics love to bitch. 😉

Have a great weekend!

Paden's comment on EC's and LOMA's reminded me of a local surveyor who did a pre-construction EC and made a 10' bust. The error was discovered during a post-construction EC. End result was the surveyor settled by agreeing to pay the built-too-low home's flood insurance for 30-years.

I like sirloin!! 😉

FL/GA PLS., post: 416707, member: 379 wrote: Yea, and send me some too. I eat sirloin, however the recipients of the aforementioned in your post eat filet minion and lobster tail's.
Us (me) elderly cynics love to bitch. 😉

Have a great weekend!

Just remember to remove the vein.

clearcut, post: 416708, member: 297 wrote: Paden's comment on EC's and LOMA's reminded me of a local surveyor who did a pre-construction EC and made a 10' bust. The error was discovered during a post-construction EC. End result was the surveyor settled by agreeing to pay the built-too-low home's flood insurance for 30-years.

yikes! I'd have to live to be almost a hundred to do that..

If you only pay peanuts; you're going to get monkeys...

Tommy Young, post: 416680, member: 703 wrote: Because that's the only reason I can think of that someone would come down here and do an ALTA survey on a 1 acre commercial lot for less than $1200. I know they beat $1200 because that's what I proposed. Now, before someone shoots me, I just did a minor subdivision for the same client on this lot in January. I very seriously doubt I'd have to do any field work at all, other than a walk through.

I just had to reply when the attorney questioned my need to perform additional research to be able to complete an ALTA. Same one I was griping about in the REBA thread.

BTW, my last ALTA included a comprehensive Title Commitment tracing back into the 1800s. I should send it as an example of what I expect from an Attorney...

bout 3 years ago some nice feller from pittsburgh or thereabouts did an ALTA of this for $900.

Seems like you are missing at least a couple of zeros on those costs. How do you survive?

FL/GA PLS., post: 416707, member: 379 wrote: the recipients of the aforementioned in your post eat filet minion and lobster tail's.

I've never had a filet of a minion; filet mignon is pretty good though.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. 😎

We occasionally get calls for Alta Surveys and they generally start with " I need a bid for an Alta, do you do that?" "yes we do, but we do not provide bids" sometimes this leads to a more in depth discussion that centers around price. I usually weed out 90% of them at this time by telling them we are are aware we are not the cheapest surveyors in town and if you are looking for the cheapest I gladly provide names of smaller companies that i recommend.

On occasion, i get a caller that has experienced the 'cheapest surveyor' and wants no part of it. Under those conditions, i will provide either an estimated hourly budget or a lump sum if I have enough history with the parcel to make a decent profit.

flyin solo, post: 416732, member: 8089 wrote: bout 3 years ago some nice feller from pittsburgh or thereabouts did an ALTA of this for $900.

Nifty, now post the "survey" drawing...

We gave a price a few years ago between $20,000 - $25000 for six separate parcels about 4 hours away. They went with the company doing it for $6000. Several months later they called back wanting our opinion on why, during the course of the surveys, the price went from $6000 to closer what we had told them.

PA PLS, post: 416768, member: 9658 wrote: We gave a price a few years ago between $20,000 - $25000 for six separate parcels about 4 hours away. They went with the company doing it for $6000. Several months later they called back wanting our opinion on why, during the course of the surveys, the price went from $6000 to closer what we had told them.

I am convinced that a lot of these surveyors that are doing ALTAs have no idea what goes into them.