Doug Patterson ABR®, SFR REALTOR®

Surveys For Existing Homes For Sale In Winston Salem NC

Have you heard anyone make these types of statements... "I don't need to have a Survey done for an existing home where no road changes have been made in 25 years!"   Or, "It's a waste of good money that I could apply towards the down payment!"  And this one, "Title Insurance will protect me!"

The awful truth is, a Surveyor should be hired in most all cases where real estate ownership is changing hands.  A survey is a small price to pay for the peace of mind when purchasing a home for sale in Winston Salem, in order to avoid law suits and long, sleepless nights.  Your REALTOR® can point out to you, as a prospective buyer, that encroachments across property lines may have occured since the last survey.  This problem can result in lawsuits and render the involved properties unmarketable until corrections are made. 

Even overhanging eaves encroaching above ground in homes for sale in Winston Salem, or driveways between neighbors can result in problems when surveys are not completed.  A survey can prevent these issues from becoming "neighbor problems" as well as "marketing problems" when it's time to sale.  Who wants to live beside neighbors that can't get along or having the opportunity to sell and can't, because of issues that could have easily been avoided with a survey.

Some issues can possibly be covered with title insurance, but usually the coverage will not protect the buyer unless a survey was performed prior to the policy being issued.  According to the N. C. Society of Surveyors, Inc., there has been the practice  of having the seller sign an affidavit stating that if problems arise because a survey has not being completed, that the buyer will be protected.  But this has brought on more problems than it has solved, because sellers may be accepting some liability unknowingly.

One client suggested he would just rely on the previous survey completed for his home for sale in Winston Salem.  But what if that survey didn't take into account changes that had occurred since an earlier survey was completed?

It's the smart Real Estate Agent who points out all these potential problems to his or her client.   If the client still is not convinced, have their lender tell them about lawsuits they've seen or even participated in, where a survey was not ordered early on.  If the decision is still made not to order a survey, for whatever reason, the documentation should be shown on the Professional Services Disclosure form, as declined by the client.

 This particular peace of mind for a seller who has a home for sale in Winston Salem and a potential buyer, cannot be achieved from any other method other than to hiring a surveyor. 

I am a REALTOR® in the Winston Salem  and greater NC Triad locations.  If you are considering Buying or Selling real estate in the near future, or have real estate questions, I would be happy to help you.  Please contact me by calling (336) 710-1108 or Email me!    

PARK PLACE REAL ESTATE