When you purchase a home if you are most likely going to obtain some type of survey as part of the purchase process. Even if you don’t think you need one, if you are obtaining a mortgage, the lender is going to require that you get one. There are many types of surveys though and not all are created equal. Here in St. Louis it is quite common for a home buyer to obtain a “spot” survey because, at around $100, it is the lowest cost survey that will normally meet the lenders requirements. However, in my opinion, all home buyers should obtain a boundary (or stake) survey because, even though the cost may be $300 – $400 higher than a spot survey, it is well worth it, especially given the size of the investment involved with the house.
Recently, Shelly Clark, President of Cardinal Surveying and Mapping, joined me on an online office meeting for our real estate agents and did a fantastic job of explaining the difference between a spot survey and a boundary (or stake) survey as well as giving a very good example of just how different the results from the two surveys can be. The video below contains this portion of the meeting and, while the video is a little long (28 minutes) it is well worth the time if you are thinking about buying a home anytime soon.
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