In my experience, it is not common for a mortgage company or lender to require a survey during the purchase of a real estate transaction. However, if an owner is acquiring a home equity loan to build an addition on the property, the mortgage company may require a survey to ensure that the addition is built correctly.
In today’s environment the title company and mortgage company work hand in hand to facilitate the transfer of land ownership. Historically, it was required for a survey or surveyors real property report (SRPR) to be performed on the property at the time of purchase. This was a requirement that the title industry had for the lender to be fully insured for survey related items.
This requirement from the title companies was removed over a decade ago and mortgage companies are now fully insured for survey related items regardless of the type of survey that has been performed. Insurance coverage is not extended to the buyer but is only provided to the lender when a survey is not performed.
If a buyer requests a survey for insurance coverage purposes for their title policy then they have to have a boundary survey performed on the property prior to closing. The survey can be ordered during the purchase process and the invoice can be included on the settlement statement. The survey drawings are typically issued at the time of closing.
Every mortgage company and lender have different requirements. Ask your lender what their requirements are early in the home purchase process so that you can plan accordingly.
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Cardinal Surveying would like the opportunity to earn your business. They service the greater St Louis Metro area, have been rated A+ with the Better Business Bureau since 2003, have surveyed over 35,000 properties and are a family-owned company who prides themselves on producing accurate results with exceptional customer service. They can be contacted via email at [email protected] or phone at 636.922.1001. They look forward to working with you for all your land surveying needs.