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A proper land survey is an essential component of your residential home purchase due diligence. While some lenders have trimmed the fees and requirements for loan approval by eliminating survey requirements, the prudent home buyer shouldn’t skip this all-important step.

With the proper affidavits and disclosures, the title company will accept an old survey, as long as the home seller declares that there have been no changes to land or improvements following the old survey’s date. While home buyers increasingly rely upon old surveys to save time and expense, they should be aware that surveying is not error free. Independent verification of the land and boundaries by a surveyor of the buyer’s choice is a smart investment.

For the investment of a few hundred dollars, the home buyer can order a survey of their new home to determine, prior to closing, whether any boundary issues exist. Additionally, for an optional premium, Texas title companies will insure against area and boundary issues if the home buyer orders the survey through a title company approved surveyor.

When purchasing a new or resale home, don’t assume that boundary issues don’t exist or have been resolved by previous owners. It’s important that the home buyer perform their own independent review, and here are some tips for doing your own land survey due diligence:

Surveys are an essential component of the residential home purchase, and performed within the terms and conditions of the Texas residential purchase contract, surveys help home buyers make an informed decision.

John Huval, Broker Realtor® GRI e-Pro Copyright© 2006