As a buyer of Maine real estate, specifically land, there is no doubt the property price is attractive.
But what else to consider in that purchase of land in Maine? For starters, a survey by a registered, professional surveyor is in order. Here’s a list of 188 Maine land surveyors. Does the deed to the Maine real estate have a good metes and bounds description?
Or is the treasure map write up on the ME deed to the land say the property is bordered on the north by Mr Green, west by Mr Black, south by Mr White and East by a road now or formerly known by a name you never heard of? That is not a good boundary description for your ME property lines or to use determining the acreage, quantity of land you are purchasing.
The title search for Maine land will help the surveyor not duplicate time in the local ME registry of deeds. That’s if the lawyer, attorney in Maine works with the surveyor and produces all the deeds, legal instruments about right of ways, easements and earlier property history.
Maine is a race notice state when it comes to who gets a piece of the property pie or not. There is a clock ticking to get the deed recorded at the local Maine registry. And if one Maine property that had forty acres was made in to five pieces back before tighter subdivision laws and then later it is determined there was not forty acres for a quantity to begin with, the last guy in comes up short. No matter if his deed says he is getting eight acres, all described and official looking. If there is a shortage, the runt of the property litter is the last guy in, you that end up with whatever is left.
Towns in Northern Maine, Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis County municaplities are laid out like a fresh pan of brownies. Cut in lots and ranges and very systematic. So remember the town is laid out in large “chunks” of land, say eighty acre or hundred acre lots. And the piece you are buying in Maine requires a further investigation, study of what has happened over the years. Death, divorce, family feuds, foreclosures, new highways and housing developments all impact the original parcel of Maine land. You may be buying the south half of the east half of lot five range nine in that township that has slowly shrunk in size, acreage since the original 100 acre lot was sketched out in ink, by hand back in the early 1800’s before GPS devices, etc.
Easements, rights of way for access to another person’s Maine woodlot, or to use the existing well on the property is another reason to search the title, to consider having a survey done.
But also, an on the ball Maine attorney that does the bulk of local ME real estate transactions in the area over the years often has a survey on the property next to the one you are considering buying that he produces that nails down one or all your property lines.
I have seen a 50 acre parcel that was not surveyed by the owner turn out to be surveyed by the land owners around it in piece meal fashion. Armed with those individual Maine surveys if you can get recorded copies made at the registry means you can save money on a duplicate survey. You might consider asking the Maine surveyor that did the work next door how much to revisit your site to crank out a plat of your own.
Or joining forces with the neighboring land owners around you to get a professional acreage survey done if no pins, no tree blazing or rock walls exisit in Maine creates an economy of scale where everyone wins.
Unless that Maine land survey turns up that you really own thirty feet of the guy next door. Then things can get interesting, the plot thickens. Or if you lose land you dreamed of building that Maine log home on with the big view, perfect setting, suddenly the day is not so sunny and your mood changes drastically if you already bought the property.
Buying, selling Maine real estate. Land in Maine. You have some important considerations to check out before you buy to be safe, prudent.
I’m Maine Real Estate Broker Andrew Mooers
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com
