And the survey says... By Laura D. Fleischer, realtor

Many buyers want to know exactly where the boundary lines are on a property. You may find that you are asking your realtor that very same question as you get out of your car and approach your potential new home. Expect the following answer….I am a realtor…not a surveyor, very much in Star Trek’s Leonard McCoy style of answers. 

In Maine, a full boundary survey is not required as part of the real estate transaction. However, you may find that in order to get financing, for the purpose of title insurance, your lender will require a Mortgage Loan Inspection Plan (MLIP). This is not a full boundary survey. The cost of the MLIP is part of the buyer’s closing costs. That fee will vary so check with your lender. A surveyor will visit the property, and using the deed description, and some tools of the trade, will map out the lot to ensure that the house and any other structures on the property sit within the lot lines, and that the neighbor’s house or other structures do not sit on the property you want to purchase. This process can also take the local town zoning set-backs into consideration to determine if any structures on the property are located too close to the property’s lot line. You will generally receive a copy of the MLIP in your closing packet.

Make certain that you ask your real estate professionals any questions you have about the MLIP, and how it relates to your specific transaction. 

Fun survey facts…did you know that: 

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Lewis & Clark, Benjamin Banneker, Andrew Ellicott and Daniel Boone were all land surveyors at some point in their lives.

In Roman religion, Terminus was the god who protected boundary markers. The name was the Latin word for such a marker and sacrifices were performed to sanctify each boundary stone. Landowners celebrated a festival called the Terminalia in Terminus' honor each year on February 23^rd.

Laura D Fleischer is a realtor with REMAX Coastal in Scarborough.