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Someone in Western Kentucky is Starving

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(@tommy-young)
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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.

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 8:04 am
(@lee-d)
Posts: 2382
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Wow. I can't imagine doing an ALTA of any size for that cheap.

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 8:22 am
FL/GA PLS
(@flga-pls)
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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. 😉

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 8:59 am
Wendell
(@wendell)
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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....

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 9:09 am
paden-cash
(@paden-cash)
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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 One builder called me back 6 months later whining and moaning that his two-stage permit had been rescinded because the City's crew had determined the "special" was a foot and some too low.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..

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 9:11 am

(@tommy-young)
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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.

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 9:27 am
FL/GA PLS
(@flga-pls)
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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!

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 9:31 am
(@clearcut)
Posts: 937
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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.

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 9:42 am
(@lee-d)
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I like sirloin!! 😉

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 9:42 am
(@john-macolini)
Posts: 212
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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.

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 9:43 am

paden-cash
(@paden-cash)
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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..

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 9:47 am
RADAR
(@dougie)
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If you only pay peanuts; you're going to get monkeys...

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 9:56 am
(@spledeus)
Posts: 2772
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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...

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 10:45 am
flyin-solo
(@flyin-solo)
Posts: 1676
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bout 3 years ago some nice feller from pittsburgh or thereabouts did an ALTA of this for $900.

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 11:08 am
(@ruel-del-castillo)
Posts: 266
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Seems like you are missing at least a couple of zeros on those costs. How do you survive?

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 11:38 am

(@lee-d)
Posts: 2382
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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. 😎

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 12:23 pm
(@wa-id-surveyor)
Posts: 932
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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.

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 12:39 pm
brad-ott
(@brad-ott)
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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...

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 2:03 pm
(@pa-pls)
Posts: 44
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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.

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 2:23 pm
(@tommy-young)
Posts: 2402
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Topic starter
 

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.

 
Posted : March 3, 2017 2:40 pm

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