I’ve seen deeds written in handwriting that looks like it came straight out of the 1800s...
I get what you’re saying about old liens, but in my experience, lenders usually catch those during title search anyway. I’d argue it’s more efficient to focus on tracking down missing surveys or boundary agreements. Those seem to cause more headaches than liens, at least in my neck of the woods.
Chasing down missing surveys has tripped me up more than once. I get the worry about old liens, but honestly, if the title company’s on their game, those get flagged pretty quick. Boundary agreements—or lack thereof—can stall a deal for weeks. My shortcut? Before even ordering the appraisal, I ask the seller for any survey docs they’ve got, even if they’re ancient. Saves a ton of back-and-forth later. Sometimes you get lucky and there’s a plat sketch buried in an old file cabinet...
I’ve been burned by old surveys more than once, especially out in the sticks where folks hang onto paperwork from the ‘70s like it’s gold. One time, I thought I was ahead of the game because the seller handed over a survey from 1982—looked official enough, but when the title company dug in, turns out half the fence line had shifted over the years. Neighbor disputes, you name it. That deal dragged on for almost two months while everyone tried to figure out whose shed was actually on whose land.
I get what you’re saying about title companies catching liens fast, but I’ve seen some weird stuff slip through if the records are messy or if there’s a family transfer that never got properly recorded. Maybe I’m just paranoid after seeing too many “surprises” pop up at the last minute.
Curious if you’ve ever run into issues with those ancient surveys not matching up with what’s actually on the ground? Or do you just roll with whatever’s in the file cabinet and hope for the best? I’ve started asking sellers for any boundary agreements they might have with neighbors, even if it’s just a napkin sketch or a handshake deal. Sometimes that’s all there is out here.
Also, does anyone else get pushback from lenders about using old surveys? I’ve had a few insist on a brand new one no matter what, which kind of defeats the shortcut. Maybe it depends on the lender or how rural the property is...
- Totally get the paranoia—my agent warned me about relying on anything older than 10 years, especially if there’s been any construction or fence work.
- I’ve seen lenders flat-out refuse old surveys, even if nothing’s changed. Seems like it’s more about their risk tolerance than logic sometimes.
- I actually tried to use a 1990s survey for my place, but the lender wanted a new one after spotting a shed that wasn’t on the old map. Ended up costing me extra and delayed closing by three weeks.
- Those handshake neighbor deals make me nervous... cool if everyone gets along, but what happens when someone sells?
- At this point, I just budget for a new survey and hope for no surprises. The shortcut rarely works out in my experience.
At this point, I just budget for a new survey and hope for no surprises. The shortcut rarely works out in my experience.
Honestly, same here. I tried to be clever and use the “existing survey” shortcut, but my lender acted like I was trying to pay with Monopoly money. Step 1: Ask if the old survey will work. Step 2: Prepare for disappointment. Step 3: Order a new one anyway. At least then I can stress-eat cookies while waiting instead of scrambling last minute. Those handshake neighbor deals sound like a sitcom episode waiting to happen...