I keep hearing about Topographic Maps…..what are they?

This is a favorite subject of mine. Let's discuss what they are. Topographic maps are also commonly called contour maps or topo maps. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) took over responsibility for mapping the country in 1879 and has been the primary civilian mapping agency of the United States ever since. The best known USGS maps are the 1:24,000-scale topographic maps, also known as 7.5-minute quadrangles. More than 55,000 7.5-minute maps were made to cover the 48 conterminous States. This is the only uniform map series that covers the entire area of the United States in considerable detail. 

 

A topographic map is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines. Contour line are lines on the map that connect all point with equal elevation above sea level. If you encounter a map where the contour lines are close together, that means that the relief is very steep. Traditional definitions require a topographic map to show both natural and man-made features.

Uses -  Topographic maps have multiple uses in the present day: any type of geographic planning or large-scale architecture; earth sciences and many other geographic disciplines; mining and other earth-based endeavours (such as planning and constructing ponds); and recreational uses such as hiking or, in particular, orienteering, which uses highly detailed maps in its standard requirements. Topo maps can be used determine % slope, potential pond site and other uses. A topo map can be used to determine the watershed area for a pond or potential pond. If you are dealing with LAND, your Realtor should provide you with a topographic map!

For Information on Buying or Selling Land contact G. Kent Morris, ALC, RF at      (706) 457-0090

How Do I Pick A Realtor To Sell My Land?

   Realtors try to be all things to all people and it is simply not possible. Basically real estate breaks down into 3 categories: Residential, Land and Commercial. Generally speaking all realtors can or should be pretty good at residential. There is tons of information on the local MLS, so realtors have access to really good information related to what is on the market. But there is where the commonality ends.
   The other areas of real estate require special knowledge and expertise related to the market. For example, a commercial specialist may have the CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) designation. Realtors who specialize in commercial real estate can provide and analyze detail cash flow spreadsheets to determine the Present Net Value or the Internal Rate of Return of the subject property.

   Like wise, a land specialist may have the Accredited Land Consultant through the Realtors Land Institute ( I will talk about this highly esteemed designation in a later blog). Generally commercial and land realtors charge a higher commission rate due to the extra education, training and expertise they provide. Also, these specialist, in some cases will provide marketing and advertising opportunities that other realtors do not use. A land specialist can provide aerial photography and topographic maps of the property. This is helpful for determing how much of the land is forested, in agriculture, size of a pond or for other requirements. A topo map is useful to determine the percent slope on a tract or to determine if the property has a good pond site.

   NOW HERE IS HOW YOU DETERMINE IF YOU ARE REALLY DEALING WITH A LAND SPECIALIST..... have your realtor meet you at one of your corners providing latitude-longitude coordinates. This will separate the land people!!

For Information on Buying or Selling Land contact G. Kent Morris, ALC, RF at      (706) 457-0090

What Do I Need to Know About TITLE INSURANCE...

There are two types of title insurance. Let's discuss both.

    Owner’s Title Insurance-Sometimes title problems occur that could not be found in the public records or are inadvertently missed in the title search process. Title insurance insures against these problems. Title insurance protects against: 1) Un-paid mortgages and liens 2) sudden appearance of heirs 3) Forged deeds  and 4) Incorrect legal descriptions. To help protect you in these events, it is recommended that you obtain an Owner's Policy of Title Insurance to insure you against the most unforeseen problems.

            Lender’s Title Insurance - Sometimes referred to as a loan policy and it is issued to mortgage lenders. It follows the assignment of the mortgage loan, meaning that the policy benefits the purchaser of the loan if the loan is sold. For this reason, these policies greatly facilitate the sale of mortgages into the secondary market.

            Attorneys will always advise you to purchase title insurance because they make money when they sell you the insurance!

            Title insurance at the time of this posting cost approximately $3.65 per $1,000 of value. For example, title insurance would cost about $1,825 to insure a $500,000 purchase

My recommendation-You have little choice if a loan is involved. The Lender will require you to pay for the Lender’s Title Insurance. You do have a choice on the Owner’s Title Insurance and this is a personal call. If the property has been in a family for a long time, there are no heirs involved and the property is conveyed by General Warranty Deed, you might decide not to purchase the insurance. If the property has many heirs, has changed hands frequently over a short period of time, then I would advise purchasing the insurance!

For Information on Buying or Selling Land contact G. Kent Morris, ALC, RF at      (706) 457-0090

I would like to know more about GPS...... What is it?

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. There are no subscription fees or setup charges to use GPS.

 

How it works

GPS satellites circle the earth twice a day in a very precise orbit and transmit signal information to earth. GPS receivers take this information and use triangulation to calculate the user's exact location. Essentially, the GPS receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite with the time it was received. The time difference tells the GPS receiver how far away the satellite is. Now, with distance measurements from a few more satellites, the receiver can determine the user's position and display it on the unit's electronic map. A GPS receiver must be locked on to the signal of at least three satellites to calculate a 2D position (latitude and longitude) and track movement. With four or more satellites in view, the receiver can determine the user's 3D position (latitude, longitude and altitude). Once the user's position has been determined, the GPS unit can calculate other information, such as speed, bearing, track, trip distance, distance to destination, sunrise and sunset time and more.

How accurate is GPS?

Today's GPS receivers are extremely accurate, thanks to their parallel multi-channel design. The new  GPS receivers are quick to lock onto satellites when first turned on and they maintain strong locks, even in dense foliage or urban settings with tall buildings. Certain atmospheric factors and other sources of error can affect the accuracy of GPS receivers.  GPS receivers are accurate to within 15 meters on average. Newer  GPS receivers with WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) capability can improve accuracy to less than three meters on average. No additional equipment or fees are required to take advantage of WAAS. Users can also get better accuracy with Differential GPS (DGPS), which corrects GPS signals to within an average of three to five meters. The U.S. Coast Guard operates the most common DGPS correction service. This system consists of a network of towers that receive GPS signals and transmit a corrected signal by beacon transmitters. In order to get the corrected signal, users must have a differential beacon receiver and beacon antenna in addition to their GPS.

The GPS satellite system

The 24 satellites that make up the GPS space segment are orbiting the earth about 12,000 miles above us. They are constantly moving, making two complete orbits in less than 24 hours. These satellites are travelling at speeds of roughly 7,000 miles an hour. There was a new satellite added in July. A Delta IV rocket successfully launched the GPS IIF-2 spacecraft into orbit on July 16, 2011. The Air Force completed its checkout and added it to the operational GPS constellation on August 19. GPS satellites are powered by solar energy. They have backup batteries onboard to keep them running in the event of a solar eclipse, when there's no solar power. Small rocket boosters on each satellite keep them flying in the correct path.

Here are some other interesting facts about the GPS satellites (also called NAVSTAR, the official U.S. Department of Defense name for GPS):

• The first GPS satellite was launched in 1978.
• A full constellation of 24 satellites was achieved in 1994.
• Each satellite is built to last about 10 years. Replacements are constantly being built and launched into orbit.
• A GPS satellite weighs approximately 2,000 pounds and is about 17 feet across with the solar panels extended.

Why is this important to me? 1) With the use of a GPS, one can easily navigate to a property. 2) GPS allows accurate survey work to be done with less effort and 3) people with GPS experience can provide useful maps of your property showing exact location of interesting features, timber stand maps and more !!

For Information on Buying or Selling Land contact G. Kent Morris, ALC, RF at      (706) 457-0090

How Far Have Land Prices Fallen?

A close friend and client of mine ask me the other day… ‘How Far Have Land Prices Dropped?’   Well, that’s sort of a loaded question. You heard of the old adage location, location, location…well that applies here as well. What I can tell you, there are trends and the counties or areas where the prices went the highest had the furthest to fall. In other words, the bigger the bubble, the bigger the pop. The huge bubbles where primarily caused by speculation in the market and those counties where the development was occurring experienced the largest % drops. Prices went up because developers were buying property and causing increases in sale prices as seen in the Harris County numbers. Harris County is a bedroom community for Columbus, Georgia. Meriwether and Talbot County sales were primarily made up of recreational and timberland sales.  Now let’s look at some specifics. I primarily work in the west central Georgia area so I picked some counties that I work in, Harris, Meriwether and Talbot as my sample. Following is a chart showing prices for 2007, 2010 and the percent drop in prices.

County	2007 $/Acre	2010 $/Acre	% Difference
Harris	$8925	$4800	46
Meriwether	$4635	$2900	37
Talbot	$2750	$2200	20

   These are my best estimate of average county prices. These prices were calculated using information gathered from courthouse, appraisers etc. Individual sales data can vary widely.

   You heard the saying ‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall’, well that is exactly what happened.  Hopefully we have found the bottom, and now we can start moving some real property at fair prices!!

For Information on Buying or Selling Land contact G. Kent Morris, ALC, RF at      (706) 457-0090