When you become a homeowner or you buy property, you’re granted a title deed for the land you now preside over. For most people, this has little more significance than a piece of paper—what you’re really interested in is what’s on the land or what your plans are for the land. For the government, however, that title deed is what’s going to be most important, as it’s your proof that you are indeed the owner of that tract of land. Moreover, it’s also going to tell the powers that be exactly how much land you own and where that land starts and stops in relation to the other tracts around it.
Now, with land split up into different parcels all around the country and with different owners on all sides of your land, it might seem tremendously difficult to determine exactly what you own, as well as where your ownership starts and stops. To alleviate this confusion and the potential disputes that can come with it, there are ALTA surveys.
ALTA is actually the acronym for the American Land Title Association—the government body that has the final say in what your property boundaries are. ALTA is primarily responsible for searching, reviewing and insuring land titles for homeowners and lending institutions. And, in order to stay on top of things and ensure your title deed is up to snuff, you may eventually find yourself needing to complete an ALTA land survey sometime in the future.
An ALTA land survey is much like any other survey and can be quickly accomplished by a qualified land surveyor in Floresville, TX. Most often, you’ll require an ALTA survey when applying for a mortgage—the survey will be used when issuing the title or when determining mortgage insurance rates. Every ALTA property survey will include the following:
- Boundary lines for the property.
- Location of the main building on the property, as well as any improvements.
- Location of any peripheral or ancillary buildings on the property.
- Identification of easements associated with the property (access rights by service companies).
With all of the above information laid out conveniently on a map drawn to ALTA specifications, comprehensive data about the property in question will be updated and accessible within ALTA’s records, which will ensure that the property and any disputes regarding it are treated appropriately in the future. And, while ALTA surveys are not always necessary when it comes to transferring title deeds for properties, often they’re an added step that can prove to be tremendously useful in the long run.
If you find yourself in the position of needing an ALTA specified land survey, don’t hesitate to contact a property surveyor in Floresville, TX today. The process takes very little time and can quickly facilitate things like a land title transfer, mortgage insurance evaluations and more, giving you access to your land in its entirety quicker. Let Pollok & Sons Surveying Inc. help you with your next ALTA land survey!