I'm buying a house, probably in the next 90 days. How much I should budget
for an attorney? I know I don't have to have one, but I want an attorney
to watch out for my interests from start to finish.

I don't plan to have a buyer's agent. Will that shift some of the work to
the attorney, such as for instance, writing up the offer? Or would the
listing agent write up the offer, subject to review by my attorney?

Also, I'm looking for recommendations for an attorney and a home inspector
in Louisville, KY.

I've already asked a few friends what attorney they used when they
purchased their house, but not one of them had their own lawyer.

--
Tony Sivori

Tony Sivori wrote:
I'm buying a house, probably in the next 90 days. How much I should budget
for an attorney? I know I don't have to have one, but I want an attorney
to watch out for my interests from start to finish.

I don't plan to have a buyer's agent. Will that shift some of the work to
the attorney, such as for instance, writing up the offer? Or would the
listing agent write up the offer, subject to review by my attorney?

Also, I'm looking for recommendations for an attorney and a home inspector
in Louisville, KY.

I've already asked a few friends what attorney they used when they
purchased their house, but not one of them had their own lawyer.

We are in the process of buying our first home, all we're waiting for
now is the mortgage approval and to close. We are using both a buyers'
agent and a lawyer. The buyers' agent will get paid by the sellers, and
I appreciate very much having her around, as she has handled a lot of
phone calls, paperwork, as well as guiding us through the process,
including writing the offer, scheduling inspection, etc. Not sure how
much of that would be handled by the lawyer.

The lawyer we have specializes in real estate, handles approval of the
contract, title, etc. We called around to get prices and an idea of what
they cover. Many were not specialists in real estate, and charged in the
vicinity of $500 which may or may not have covered all the documents
which might need processing depending on the particulars of the case.
(Meaning possible extra charges on top of an initial fee.)The guy we got
as I said specializes in real estate and charges a $400 package price
for all documents involved and handles the transaction form the initial
offer through closing. I liked this guy in particular because he himself
took the time to get on the phone with me during my initial inquiry.

-Karen-

Firstly, make sure that whatever lawyer you hire is experienced and works
with real estate. You will pay more if you purchase privately and have
the lawyer either review or draw up the Agreement. How much you'll pay
depends on how much service you will need.

Bear in mind that if you're buying privately, you'll be paying him for
every offer you make. If an offer falls through due to a poor inspection
report, financing or other issues, you'll still have to pay the lawyer.
If you go the private route, you may want to budget for a couple of
offers.




Tony Sivori ) writes:
I'm buying a house, probably in the next 90 days. How much I should budget
for an attorney? I know I don't have to have one, but I want an attorney
to watch out for my interests from start to finish.

I don't plan to have a buyer's agent. Will that shift some of the work to
the attorney, such as for instance, writing up the offer? Or would the
listing agent write up the offer, subject to review by my attorney?

Also, I'm looking for recommendations for an attorney and a home inspector
in Louisville, KY.

I've already asked a few friends what attorney they used when they
purchased their house, but not one of them had their own lawyer.

--
Tony Sivori

Natalie Munro wrote:
Firstly, make sure that whatever lawyer you hire is experienced and works
with real estate. You will pay more if you purchase privately and have
the lawyer either review or draw up the Agreement. How much you'll pay
depends on how much service you will need.

Bear in mind that if you're buying privately, you'll be paying him for
every offer you make. If an offer falls through due to a poor inspection
report, financing or other issues, you'll still have to pay the lawyer.
If you go the private route, you may want to budget for a couple of
offers.




Tony Sivori ) writes:
I'm buying a house, probably in the next 90 days. How much I should budget
for an attorney? I know I don't have to have one, but I want an attorney
to watch out for my interests from start to finish.

I don't plan to have a buyer's agent. Will that shift some of the work to
the attorney, such as for instance, writing up the offer? Or would the
listing agent write up the offer, subject to review by my attorney?

Also, I'm looking for recommendations for an attorney and a home inspector
in Louisville, KY.

I've already asked a few friends what attorney they used when they
purchased their house, but not one of them had their own lawyer.

--
Tony Sivori



NJ area $600 is typical. The sell side may be $100 less or so than buy
side.

Tony Sivori writes:

I'm buying a house, probably in the next 90 days. How much I should budget
for an attorney? I know I don't have to have one, but I want an attorney
to watch out for my interests from start to finish.

I don't plan to have a buyer's agent. Will that shift some of the work to
the attorney, such as for instance, writing up the offer? Or would the
listing agent write up the offer, subject to review by my attorney?

Also, I'm looking for recommendations for an attorney and a home inspector
in Louisville, KY.

I've already asked a few friends what attorney they used when they
purchased their house, but not one of them had their own lawyer.

Depends on the geography, but in Chicago, $300-$500 is typical for a
purchase transaction for a real estate attorney.

At least here in Illinois, whether you have a buyers agent or not,
someone is going home and pocketing a buyer's agent commission on
agent listed property. If you use a buyers agent, the buyers agent
will help you with the offer. If you don't use a buyers agent, the
selling agent will provide you minesterial acts in filling out the
blanks in the offer letter, and you have a 5 or 10 day attorney's
review time window after the offer is accepted to fix all the bending
over that happened there. :-)

If you're looking at listed property, you have nothing to lose with a
buyer's agent. Some might argue that if the listing agent sells the
property without another agent involved, the total selling+buying
agent commission is often less than otherwise, which would lead a
seller perhaps to have a lower bottom line, but in my experience, the
local knowledge of home values is such that a good buyers agent can
overcome that, and actually net you a lower purchase price based on
their knowledge of what competing properties in the area have sold
for, and how this particular home stacks up to the usual.

So, my advice would be to both get an attorney for review of whatever
contract/offer you submit, and to have a buyer's agent on your side
to draw up the offer and to add the value of local knowledge to your
purchase process. I would try to avoid however, signing a contract
with a buyer's agent in the event you come upon a for sale by owner
property that you want to play on. Buyers agents can be troublesome
in FSBO's because not all sellers of FSBO's are wiling to pay for the
agent's commission, and you will usually end up paying more for the
house than had you come in without a buyers agent.

Some buyers agents will work with a handshake and trust, others won't
work without an exclusive contract. Just be sure to do your moral
part and take an agent for a ride by having them show you 20 houses,
and then you go off and buy a fsbo or something. Be respectful of
their time.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Tony Sivori writes:

I'm buying a house, probably in the next 90 days. How much I should
budget
for an attorney? I know I don't have to have one, but I want an attorney
to watch out for my interests from start to finish.


We have purchased homes in two states (CT and VT). In both cases, we paid
around $600. for the lawyer.

dkhedmo wrote:
We are in the process of buying our first home, all we're waiting for
now is the mortgage approval and to close. We are using both a buyers'
agent and a lawyer. The buyers' agent will get paid by the sellers, and
I appreciate very much having her around, as she has handled a lot of
phone calls, paperwork, as well as guiding us through the process,
including writing the offer, scheduling inspection, etc.

I just don't see them doing $3000 worth of work on a sale of a $100,000
house.

The guy we got as I said specializes in real estate and charges a $400
package price for all documents involved and handles the transaction
form the initial offer through closing. I liked this guy in particular
because he himself took the time to get on the phone with me during my
initial inquiry.

Sounds like a reasonable price.

--
Tony Sivori

Natalie Munro wrote:

Firstly, make sure that whatever lawyer you hire is experienced and works
with real estate.

Yeah, I'm looking through the yellow pages and only making the ones that
list real estate. Obviously, I don't need an ambulance chaser, civil right
s attorney, or a criminal defense lawyer.


Bear in mind that if you're buying privately, you'll be paying him for
every offer you make. If an offer falls through due to a poor inspection
report, financing or other issues, you'll still have to pay the lawyer. If
you go the private route, you may want to budget for a couple of offers.

Yikes, I hadn't thought of that. Hopefully, the earlier in the process I
get out, the less he or she would charge.

--
Tony Sivori

Todd H. wrote:


At least here in Illinois, whether you have a buyers agent or not,
someone is going home and pocketing a buyer's agent commission on agent
listed property.

I have hopes of getting the listing agent to take less than the full 6%,
how the "extra" 3% would be split would be negotiable. Perhaps 1.5%
between the seller and myself. After all, if the listing agent balked, I
could just get an agent of my own and the listing agent would be right
back at 3%.


If you use a buyers agent, the buyers agent will help
you with the offer. If you don't use a buyers agent, the selling
agent will provide you minesterial acts in filling out the blanks in the
offer letter, and you have a 5 or 10 day attorney's review time window
after the offer is accepted to fix all the bending over that happened
there. :-)

I'd have the attorney look at the offer before I signed it.

If you're looking at listed property, you have nothing to lose with a
buyer's agent. Some might argue that if the listing agent sells the
property without another agent involved, the total selling+buying agent
commission is often less than otherwise, which would lead a seller
perhaps to have a lower bottom line, but in my experience, the local
knowledge of home values is such that a good buyers agent can overcome
that, and actually net you a lower purchase price based on their
knowledge of what competing properties in the area have sold for, and
how this particular home stacks up to the usual.

I just don't see it. I know what I'm willing to pay, and I am a fair yet
firm negotiator. If a deal is made, fine. If not, there are other houses.

So, my advice would be to both get an attorney for review of whatever
contract/offer you submit, and to have a buyer's agent on your side to
draw up the offer and to add the value of local knowledge to your
purchase process. I would try to avoid however, signing a contract
with a buyer's agent in the event you come upon a for sale by owner
property that you want to play on. Buyers agents can be troublesome in
FSBO's because not all sellers of FSBO's are wiling to pay for the
agent's commission, and you will usually end up paying more for the
house than had you come in without a buyers agent.

This is one of the reasons I definitely don't want to sign a contract with
a buyer's agent.


Some buyers agents will work with a handshake and trust, others won't
work without an exclusive contract. Just be sure to do your moral part
and take an agent for a ride by having them show you 20 houses, and then
you go off and buy a fsbo or something. Be respectful of their time.

Heh, I assume this is either humor, or you inadvertently left the word
"don't" out of the middle sentence of the above paragraph.

--
Tony Sivori

Tracey wrote:


Tony Sivori writes:

I'm buying a house, probably in the next 90 days. How much I should
budget
for an attorney? I know I don't have to have one, but I want an
attorney to watch out for my interests from start to finish.


We have purchased homes in two states (CT and VT). In both cases, we paid
around $600. for the lawyer.

I hope they are less expensive here in the Midwest.

--
Tony Sivori

Tony Sivori wrote:
Todd H. wrote:


At least here in Illinois, whether you have a buyers agent or not,
someone is going home and pocketing a buyer's agent commission on agent
listed property.


I have hopes of getting the listing agent to take less than the full 6%,
how the "extra" 3% would be split would be negotiable.

That would be in the contract between the seller and their agent,
wouldn't it? When we entered into a contract with our selling agent, it
said how much we would pay the agent (in our case, 5%) and how she would
split it with the buyer agent. If there isn't a buyer agent, I suppose
she could split it with the buyer if she wanted.

Perhaps 1.5%
between the seller and myself. After all, if the listing agent balked, I
could just get an agent of my own and the listing agent would be right
back at 3%.


Isn't this "cutting off your nose to spite your face"? You're still not
getting any "extra" money. What's the point?

Some buyers agents will work with a handshake and trust, others won't
work without an exclusive contract. Just be sure to do your moral part
and take an agent for a ride by having them show you 20 houses, and then
you go off and buy a fsbo or something. Be respectful of their time.

Heh, I assume this is either humor, or you inadvertently left the word
"don't" out of the middle sentence of the above paragraph.

--
Tony Sivori


So, what's he supposed to do if he finds a FSBO on his own? Make sure
the seller lists it with the agent before he buys it so he can pay
more? If he happens to find a FSBO that the agent had nothing to
do with, that's just the way it happens some time. Unless he's signed
a contract with the agent, he's under no moral or legal obligation to
cut the broker in. The broker didn't find the house, he did.

Tony Sivori ) writes:
Todd H. wrote:
So, my advice would be to both get an attorney for review of whatever
contract/offer you submit, and to have a buyer's agent on your side to
draw up the offer and to add the value of local knowledge to your
purchase process. I would try to avoid however, signing a contract
with a buyer's agent in the event you come upon a for sale by owner
property that you want to play on. Buyers agents can be troublesome in
FSBO's because not all sellers of FSBO's are wiling to pay for the
agent's commission, and you will usually end up paying more for the
house than had you come in without a buyers agent.

This is one of the reasons I definitely don't want to sign a contract with
a buyer's agent.

This could turn into a big and costly mistake for you.

Agency is about representation of interests. The listing agreement is
about the interests of the seller and the buyer agreement is about the
interests of the buyer. The Buyer Representation Agreement here (Ontario,
Canada) can be written to exclude private sales.

In a case where you are not in a buyer agreement with a realtor and you
want to buy a listed property, the listing agent is required to hold the
interests of the seller in priority. This is not to say that he/she will
be out to screw you, but they would be under no obligation to represent
your interests by say, telling you about true market value of the
property. I have a client who did this exact thing on his last purchase
and his property still isn't worth nearly what he paid for it 3 years ago.

Now if you end up wanting to buy a FSBO from a seller who won't pay
commission, and you've thought to alter your Buyer Representation
Agreement to exclude that type of purchase, then you're into the same kind
of position - no-one is representing you and things like fair market
value, future uses of abutting land/buildings, etc. are not going to be
researched or explained to you. It's possible that your lawyer may be
able to fill in some blanks, but it's going to cost you plenty even if you
end up not buying the property.

Whatever money you may think that you're saving on a commission (which is
generally paid by the seller) could turn into peanuts quite quickly.

Tony Sivori writes:

Some buyers agents will work with a handshake and trust, others won't
work without an exclusive contract. Just be sure to do your moral part
and take an agent for a ride by having them show you 20 houses, and then
you go off and buy a fsbo or something. Be respectful of their time.

Heh, I assume this is either humor, or you inadvertently left the word
"don't" out of the middle sentence of the above paragraph.

You are correct. I inadvertently left out the "not"

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Tony Sivori writes:

Todd H. wrote:


At least here in Illinois, whether you have a buyers agent or not,
someone is going home and pocketing a buyer's agent commission on agent
listed property.

I have hopes of getting the listing agent to take less than the full 6%,
how the "extra" 3% would be split would be negotiable.

You're kidding yourself I'm afraid. What the agent will make is
already determined by the listing agreement contract between the
realtor and the seller. The norm around here is that the listing
agent if they sell it without another realtor involved, gets 4.5% paid
by the seller. Some charlatans write listings with hte full 6%
though. You don't have a way of knowing.

Whether the seller is thinking big picture bottom line or not, you can
never tell.

I'd have the attorney look at the offer before I signed it.

This is great legal protection, but has two downsides. By opting to
do it this way, you're paying the attorney whether or not the offer
gets accepted. Also you add lag time -- the house might get another
contract before your attorney turns it around and gets it sent out.
If your attonrey is a busy real estate type and you're shopping for
houses around the end of the month, this can become an issue.

I just don't see it. I know what I'm willing to pay, and I am a fair yet
firm negotiator. If a deal is made, fine. If not, there are other
houses.

What is what you're willing to pay is more than you should pay in a
given area? How is your negotiating demeanor? Might your emotions
get you into a corner where you'll alienate a seller, but a more suave
and smooth buyers agent might be able to attract more flies with sugar
than with vinegar?

This is one of the reasons I definitely don't want to sign a contract with
a buyer's agent.

Yeah, contracts with buyers agents suck, on this we agree.

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Natalie Munro wrote:

Tony Sivori ) writes:
This is one of the reasons I definitely don't want to sign a contract
with a buyer's agent.

This could turn into a big and costly mistake for you.
[...]

In a case where you are not in a buyer agreement with a realtor and you
want to buy a listed property, the listing agent is required to hold the
interests of the seller in priority.

Of course.

This is not to say that he/she will be out to screw you, but they would
be under no obligation to represent your interests by say, telling you
about true market value of the property. I have a client who did this
exact thing on his last purchase and his property still isn't worth
nearly what he paid for it 3 years ago.

Which is why I'll be paying for an inspection and appraisal.

Now if you end up wanting to buy a FSBO from a seller who won't pay
commission, and you've thought to alter your Buyer Representation
Agreement to exclude that type of purchase, then you're into the same
kind of position - no-one is representing you and things like fair
market value, future uses of abutting land/buildings, etc. are not going
to be researched or explained to you.

I'm capable of checking setback ordinances, and I intend to have a survey,
certified to me.


Whatever money you may think that you're saving on a commission (which
is generally paid by the seller) could turn into peanuts quite quickly.

Well, maybe. But I remain unconvinced.

--
Tony Sivori

Todd H. wrote:
Tony Sivori writes:

Todd H. wrote:


At least here in Illinois, whether you have a buyers agent or not,
someone is going home and pocketing a buyer's agent commission on agent
listed property.

I have hopes of getting the listing agent to take less than the full 6%,
how the "extra" 3% would be split would be negotiable.

You're kidding yourself I'm afraid. What the agent will make is
already determined by the listing agreement contract between the
realtor and the seller. The norm around here is that the listing
agent if they sell it without another realtor involved, gets 4.5% paid
by the seller. Some charlatans write listings with hte full 6%
though. You don't have a way of knowing.

But realtors have certainly been known to cut their take to make a deal
happen, regardless of what their agreement says. And if it's a case
where the whole deal is done by the lising agency, where they would be
getting the entire 6%, this is much more likely to happen, because they
have more to work with. And it's more likely now, with a market that
has cooled off. If the buyer is a shrewd negotiator, it's entirely
possible.



Whether the seller is thinking big picture bottom line or not, you can
never tell.

I'd have the attorney look at the offer before I signed it.

This is great legal protection, but has two downsides. By opting to
do it this way, you're paying the attorney whether or not the offer
gets accepted. Also you add lag time -- the house might get another
contract before your attorney turns it around and gets it sent out.
If your attonrey is a busy real estate type and you're shopping for
houses around the end of the month, this can become an issue.

So, what's the alternative? Sign a contract with no review? That can
be OK for someone who knows what they are doing, but is a good way to
get screwed for someone who is clueless. Some states provide a short
window, like 3 days for attorney review after the signing, during which
time either party can cancel the contract without cause.




I just don't see it. I know what I'm willing to pay, and I am a fair yet
firm negotiator. If a deal is made, fine. If not, there are other
houses.

What is what you're willing to pay is more than you should pay in a
given area? How is your negotiating demeanor? Might your emotions
get you into a corner where you'll alienate a seller, but a more suave
and smooth buyers agent might be able to attract more flies with sugar
than with vinegar?

At the end of the day, a buyer's agent is no substitute for due
diligence on the part of the buyer. A buyer's agent still has a
conflict of interest. It's not their money and they want to get paid
which usually only occurs when a sale is made, don't they? So, they
have an incentive to see the buyer close a deal quickly and without
regard to cost or anything else. And I've seen enough real estate
agents that were total idiots that I'm not very impressed with their
skills as a group. That's not to say there aren't real good ones, but
finding one is another isssue.



This is one of the reasons I definitely don't want to sign a contract with
a buyer's agent.

Yeah, contracts with buyers agents suck, on this we agree.

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

writes:

But realtors have certainly been known to cut their take to make a deal
happen, regardless of what their agreement says. And if it's a case
where the whole deal is done by the lising agency, where they would be
getting the entire 6%, this is much more likely to happen, because they
have more to work with. And it's more likely now, with a market that
has cooled off. If the buyer is a shrewd negotiator, it's entirely
possible.

I guess I'm coming from a perspective of a market where you don't
often have time to doddle around and do such ****.


I'd have the attorney look at the offer before I signed it.

This is great legal protection, but has two downsides. By opting to
do it this way, you're paying the attorney whether or not the offer
gets accepted. Also you add lag time -- the house might get another
contract before your attorney turns it around and gets it sent out.
If your attonrey is a busy real estate type and you're shopping for
houses around the end of the month, this can become an issue.

So, what's the alternative? Sign a contract with no review?

No. Sign the contract--which in this area the standard multiboard
contract includes a 10 day attorney's review window after signing for
this very purpose--and then get you attourney involved.

That can be OK for someone who knows what they are doing, but is a
good way to get screwed for someone who is clueless. Some states
provide a short window, like 3 days for attorney review after the
signing, during which time either party can cancel the contract
without cause.

10 business days in this neck of the woods, so essentially no one
screws with review by an attorney until the offer is accepted.

At the end of the day, a buyer's agent is no substitute for due
diligence on the part of the buyer.

You seem to be under the impression I said anything different.

A buyer's agent still has a conflict of interest. It's not their
money and they want to get paid which usually only occurs when a
sale is made, don't they?

Absolutely. Buyers agents shouldn't be trusted either. The only
people you can trust in your transaction are those working flat rate
-- i.e. your attorney, and (if you didn't take the realtor's
recommendation on an inspector), your independently found by friend
referral inspector.

But given that it usually costs the same (i.e. you'll be able to
achieve essentially equivalent purchase prices) to buy listed property
with or without a buyer's agent, why not at least avail yourself of
someone good who's at least nominally on your side vs having to deal
with the listing agent (who you don't ever get to pick) alone?

In that case, you at least have two professional egos who'll typically
try to dance with each other rather just having the listing agent be
able to directly examine the buyer (and rare is the buyer who won't
volunteer too much information) and then of course tell everything
directly back to the seller. There is negotiating value in the buffer
to keep things from getting emotional in negotiations.

If your buyer's agent is crap of course, all bets are off.

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Natalie Munro wrote:

Well, the inspection is a great idea at any rate. The appraiser will give
you a value. It may not be market value, but it can be reasonably close.

It had better be *very* close. That's what I'm paying for. Not to be
confused with the bank's appraiser, who only concerns themselves with the
value of the house covering the loan and cost of foreclosure in the event
of foreclosure.


I don't know about the US states, but up here in Canada surveys are hugely
expensive and are rarely used now on residential properties.

Interesting. Any idea why? Just how expensive are they?

Here in the States, surveys are routine, indeed essentially unavoidable
unless you're paying cash. Assuming a rectangular lot, they are only a few
hundred dollars.

Title insurance is considerably less expensive and much more
comprehensive. Please discuss title insurance with your lawyer.

I will definitely have title insurance.

--
Tony Sivori

Tony Sivori ) writes:
Natalie Munro wrote:
Well, the inspection is a great idea at any rate. The appraiser will give
you a value. It may not be market value, but it can be reasonably close.

It had better be *very* close. That's what I'm paying for. Not to be
confused with the bank's appraiser, who only concerns themselves with the
value of the house covering the loan and cost of foreclosure in the event
of foreclosure.

An appraiser will give you an *opinion* on the value of the property. Try
to get someone who is familiar with the neighbourhood.

I don't know about the US states, but up here in Canada surveys are hugely
expensive and are rarely used now on residential properties.
Interesting. Any idea why? Just how expensive are they?

I don't know anymore how much a survey would cost now for typical urban
residential. More rural properties can run up into thousands. Title
insurance is less expensive and can include protection against mortgage
and title fraud, a growing menace.

Title insurance originated in the US. Apparently the system of land
registry was so poor that Something Needed To Be Done. Here in Canada, we
have had two systems of land registry and now (of course) everything is
being ported into an computer system.

Title insurance is considerably less expensive and much more
comprehensive. Please discuss title insurance with your lawyer.

I will definitely have title insurance.

I just knew that we'd end up on the same page eventually!

In article ,
Tony Sivori wrote:


I don't know about the US states, but up here in Canada surveys are hugely
expensive and are rarely used now on residential properties.

Interesting. Any idea why? Just how expensive are they?

Here in the States, surveys are routine, indeed essentially unavoidable
unless you're paying cash. Assuming a rectangular lot, they are only a few
hundred dollars.


Surveys are not really routine in the USA. I don't know anyone who bought
a house who had one done. Maybe they are more common wherever it is that
you live.


Dimitri

(D. Gerasimatos) writes:

Surveys are not really routine in the USA. I don't know anyone who bought
a house who had one done. Maybe they are more common wherever it is that
you live.

Obviously this one varies across the US.

For instance, you can't transfer property here in Illinois without a
survey, to the best of my knowledge. Home I sold in Texas also had
surveys done at each transaction, and not because I demanded them or
anything.

They cost a few hundred bucks here.

--
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

In article , Todd H. wrote:
(D. Gerasimatos) writes:

Surveys are not really routine in the USA. I don't know anyone who bought
a house who had one done. Maybe they are more common wherever it is that
you live.

Obviously this one varies across the US.

For instance, you can't transfer property here in Illinois without a
survey, to the best of my knowledge. Home I sold in Texas also had
surveys done at each transaction, and not because I demanded them or
anything.

They cost a few hundred bucks here.


In California, we rely on the assessor's maps. You can obviously do
a survey if you wish to.


Dimitri

On 10 Aug 2006 13:00:03 -0500, (Todd H.) wrote:

(D. Gerasimatos) writes:

Surveys are not really routine in the USA. I don't know anyone who bought
a house who had one done. Maybe they are more common wherever it is that
you live.

Obviously this one varies across the US.

For instance, you can't transfer property here in Illinois without a
survey, to the best of my knowledge. Home I sold in Texas also had
surveys done at each transaction, and not because I demanded them or
anything.

They cost a few hundred bucks here.

Same in New York, where we also routinely use real estate attorneys as
part of our closings.