Real estate is the ownership of property, so it makes sense that you should know what it is that you are considering buying, or that you actually own. How do you determine the boundaries of your property? Property boundaries are defined in a variety of ways depending on the nature of the property and when it was “created.” By “created” we mean when the parcel that is the subject of your interest was established in its present configuration. If you have a condominium, your boundaries are fairly simple. There is usually a footprint of the subject, and you own “paint to paint.” You don’t have to do a survey or find markers or any of the things that you will find yourself involved with on other types of properties. When you buy a residential property don’t assume that the fence line is the property line. You should be able to find surveyor markings where your corners actually are. What you find will vary. In some instances, you might find a hash mark on the curbing. Most of the time you will find a property corner “pin,” a metal stake identifying the corner and a piece of wood lathe nearby helping to find the corner. The actual corner is the metal stake, not the wooden locater. Newer stakes are half inch rebar and will have a plastic cap on them that are stamped with the surveyor’s name and license number. Yours will probably be yellow in color, but they are other colors once in a while. Older stakes are quarter inch rebar and can either have their tips painted, or have a metal tag wired on, depending on the year of their installation. So, you are probably wondering by now what it is you are looking for. If you are going to look for your corners and don’t see them easily, get a copy of the map that created your parcel. It can be a subdivision map, a parcel map, boundary line adjustment, etc. On the map you will see how they identified each corner of the property. You will see what they found and what they set in the process so you will know exactly what it is you are seeking in the field. If you can’t find a map for your property it was likely created prior to the Map Act. If that is the case, your property has a legal description, usually what is called a Metes and Bounds description, that describes the property by direction and distance of the sides from an established point of origin. It isn’t easy for a layman to find such corners by the description. Don’t use your fence as a boundary line. It can get you close, but it might be inset a foot or two either way depending on who built the fence and what their thought process was at the time. I know of two owners that found their fences to be 15 feet or more off at one end in the last year. If you take those 15 feet and go 150 feet you will find an additional 1,125 square feet for your property. With today’s prices, that can be $5,000 to $10,000 in added value. We have a lot of good apps that will get you very close on your corners, i.e. – onX Hunt. Try that on your phone, especially for large vacant parcels, i.e.- 20–40-acre parcels. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish with technology today to get a good idea of what it is you are buying, selling, or currently own. It is good to know where your property line is, so you know where to mow, who owns the trees on the boundary line, and where your setbacks are for your expansion or additional buildings, etc. Regardless of where you think your boundaries are, it is a good idea to know where they are. Have fun finding the boundaries yourself or call a licensed surveyor to be sure. Boundaries – a good thing to have in life once in a while. When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your Real Estate needs… Experience is Priceless! Jim Valentine, RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, BS.3481, 775-781-3704. dpwtigers@hotmail.com
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