Why it matters
A listing photo, a road sign, and a fence can suggest a boundary that does not match the recorded parcel. Buyers who discover the gap after closing pay for it. Buyers who discover it before closing renegotiate, walk away, or budget a survey into the deal. The work is the same; the timing is what saves money.
The pre offer checklist
- Pull the parcel polygon on Landy's parcel map and confirm acreage matches the listing.
- Read the deed for the legal description and any easements named in the document.
- Confirm road access. Look for recorded ingress and egress, or note if access depends on a neighbor's land.
- Check the plat for setbacks, drainage easements, and utility corridors that limit useable area.
- Look at recent aerials. Fence lines, driveways, and outbuildings that cross the polygon are red flags.
- Walk the lot with GPS and a printed parcel map. Note monuments, pins, and any encroachments you see.
- Order a boundary survey if anything is unclear or if the deal value justifies it.
Red flags to take seriously
- Fence well inside or outside the polygon for a long run.
- A driveway that enters from another parcel without a recorded easement.
- A neighbor's outbuilding that touches or crosses the line.
- A road that ends short of the parcel on the map but reaches it in person.
- Acreage on the listing that differs from the county number by more than a few percent.
Questions to ask the seller
- Is there an existing survey, and how old is it?
- Are there easements that do not appear in the recorded deed?
- Has the parcel been split or merged in the last few years?
- Are there shared driveways, wells, or septic systems with neighbors?
- Are property taxes paid current and on the same APN as the listing?
Key takeaways
- Run the boundary, deed, and access checks before you write the offer.
- Aerial mismatches and unrecorded driveways are the most common surprises.
- A survey is cheap insurance on any deal where the numbers are tight.