Real Estate Course Unit 5

A plat map A) provides a picture of a rectangular coordinate description. B) describes the lots and blocks in a subdivision. C) records the details of a condominium registration. D) shows the master plan of a community.

(B) The answer is describes the lots and blocks in a subdivision. The plat map shows the details for the description of lots and blocks to be recorded in the county records.

What are the three basic methods currently used to describe real estate?

Metes and bounds Rectangular (or government) survey Lot and block (recorded plat)

A 640-acre farm is being sold for $6,500 per acre. What is the purchase price? A) $2,560,890 B) $416,000 C) $256,089 D) $4,160,000

The answer is $4,160,000. 640 acres multiplied by $6,500 per acre is $4,160,000.

How many acres are contained in a parcel described as follows: The NE ¼ of the NW ¼, and the S ½ of the NW ¼, and the NE ¼, of Section 10? A) 280 acres B) 380 acres C) 140 acres D) 640 acres

The answer is 280 acres. There are three parcels in this description. The first: ¼ × 640 = 160, and ¼ x 160 = 40 acres The second: ¼ × 640 = 160, and ½ x 160= 80 acres The third: 640 × ¼ = 160 40 + 80 + 160 = 280 acres

How many lots have easements? A)6 B)4 C)1 D)3

The answer is 4. Four lots have easements: Lots 1, 14, and 15 on Block A, and Lot 15 on Block B.

What is the proper description of this shaded area of a section using the rectangular survey system? A) N½ of the NE¼ of the SW¼ and the SE¼ of the NW¼ B) S½ of the SW¼ of the NE¼ and the NE¼ of the NW¼ of the SE¼ C) SW¼ of the SE¼ of the NW¼ and the N½ of the NE¼ of the SW¼ D) SW¼ of the NE¼ and the N½ of the SE¼ of the SW¼

The answer is the N½ of the NE¼ of the SW¼ and the SE¼ of the NW¼. The location and size of a property can be determined using the rectangular survey system.

township lines

Lines running east and west, parallel to the base line and six miles apart, are called township lines. (See Township Lines.) They form strips of land called tiers. Think of these tiers as being like the tiers of a wedding cake. The tiers are designated by consecutive numbers north or south of the base line. For instance, the strip of land between 6 and 12 miles north of a base line is Township 2 North.

Monuments

Monuments are traditionally used to mark surface measurements between points. A monument could be a marker set in concrete, a piece of steel-reinforcing bar (rebar), a metal pipe driven into the soil, or simply a wooden stake stuck in the dirt. Because such items are subject to the whims of nature and vandals, their accuracy is sometimes suspect. As a result, surveyors rely most heavily on benchmarks to mark their work accurately and permanently.

The basic units of the rectangular survey system are A) the ranges. B) the principal meridians. C) the base lines. D) the townships.

The answer is the townships. Townships are the basic units of the rectangular survey system. Principal meridians and base lines are the two sets of intersecting lines in the system. Ranges are the 6-mile strips of land on either side of a principal meridian.

ranges

The land on either side of a principal meridian is divided into six-mile-wide strips by lines that run north and south, parallel to the meridian. These north-south strips of land are called ranges. (See Range Lines.) They are designated by consecutive numbers east or west of the principal meridian. For example, Range 3 East would be a strip of land between 12 and 18 miles east of its principal meridian.

Townships

When the horizontal township lines and the vertical range lines intersect, they form squares, or townships, that are the basic units of the rectangular survey system. (See Townships in the Rectangular Survey System.) A township is 6 miles square and contains 36 square miles (23,040 acres). The directions of township and range lines, and tiers and ranges, may be easily remembered by thinking of the words this way: Each township is given a legal description. A township's description includes the - designation of the tier in which the township is located, - designation of the range, and - name or number of the principal meridian for that area.

The air above a property owner's land may be subdivided into A) sky parcels. B) sky lots. C) air lots. D) air parcels.

(C) The answer is air lots. The air above a property owner's land may be subdivided into air lots.

In the rectangular survey system, a section is further divided into A) halves and quarters. B) quarters and eighths. C) eighths and sixteenths. D) tenths and sixteenths.

(a) The answer is halves and quarters. A half-section has 320 acres and a quarter-section has 160 acres.

Legal Description

A legal description is a detailed way of describing a parcel of land in a document that will be accepted in a court of law. The description is based on information collected through a survey—the process by which boundaries are measured by calculating the dimensions and area to determine the exact location of a piece of land. Courts have stated that a description is legally sufficient if it allows a surveyor to locate the parcel. In this context, locate means that the surveyor must be able to define the exact boundaries of the property. Several alternative systems of identification have been developed to express a legal description of real estate.

Benchmarks

Benchmarks are monuments that have been established as permanent reference points throughout the United States. They are usually embossed brass markers set into solid concrete or asphalt bases. While used to some degree for surface measurements, their principal reference use is for marking datums.

What are the differences between a survey and a survey sketch?

The survey sketch shows the location and dimensions of the parcel. When a survey also shows the location, size, and shape of buildings on the lot, it is referred to as a spot survey.

Benchmarks are permanent reference points that have been established throughout the United States. True False

True

When a survey also shows the location, size, and shape of buildings on the lot, it is called a spot survey. True False

True

When surveying land, a surveyor refers to the principal meridian that is A) in the same state as the land being surveyed. B) within the rectangular survey system area in which the land being surveyed is located. C) furthest from the land being surveyed. D) not more than 40 townships or 15 ranges distant from the land being surveyed.

(B) The answer is within the rectangular survey system area in which the land being surveyed is located. No matter how many ranges or tiers it takes, the description must always refer to the principal meridian and the base line of the survey system area in which the land being described is located.

Monuments are the turning points in which method of property description? A) Government survey B) Metes and bounds C) Rectangular survey D) Lot and block

(B)The answer is metes and bounds. Monuments are the turning points in the metes-and-bounds method of describing property. In this method, natural, tangible features, such as a distinctive rock or a great tree, were sometimes used as monuments. The path of a stream might serve as all or part of a boundary line. Metes means distance; bounds refers to direction (not boundaries). The description gives distance in a compass direction from the point of beginning (POB) and then from each succeeding monument, until it returns to the POB.

In any township, what is the number of the section designated as the school section? A) 1 B) 16 C) 25 D) 36

(B) The answer is 16. Section 16 is one of the centrally located sections in the standard township and is designated as the school section.

A property contains 10 acres. How many lots of not less than 50 feet by 100 feet can be subdivided from the property if 26,000 square feet were dedicated for roads? A) 82 B) 81 C) 83 D) 80

(B) The answer is 81. The area of ten acres in square feet is figured as follows: 10 acres × 43,560 sq. ft. = 435,600 sq. ft.. Reserving 26,000 square feet for roads leaves 409,600 square feet. The area of each lot is to be not less than 5,000 square feet: 50' ×100' = 5,000 sq. ft.. Divide the available square footage by the square footage needed for each lot: 409,600 sq. ft. ÷ 5,000 square feet = 81.92. Because each lot must be "not less than 50 feet × 100 feet," the property can be subdivided into 81 such lots

A legal description is a detailed way of describing a parcel of land and is based on information collected through A) an area analysis. B) a survey. C) a land analysis. D) a land study.

(B) The answer is a survey. A legal description is a detailed way of describing a parcel of land and is based on information collected through a survey.

In the rectangular survey system, every parcel of land is described by reference to A) the base line closest to the parcel described. B) one principal meridian. C) one or more principal meridians. D) the closest principal meridian.

(B) The answer is one principal meridian. Each parcel is described by reference to only one principal meridian, which may not be the one closest to the parcel being described.

A township is a rectangle that is A) based on the lot and block system B) six miles square and contains 36 square miles C) eight miles square and contains 64 square miles D) 640 acres

(B) The answer is six miles square containing 36 square miles. A township is 23,040 acres.

How many acres are contained in the tract described as "beginning at the NW corner of the SW¼, then south along the west line to the SW corner of the section, then east along the south line of the section 2,640 feet, more or less, to the SE corner of the said SW¼, then in a straight line to the POB"? A) 80 acres B) 90 acres C) 160 acres D) 100 acres

(A) The answer is 80 acres. The area described is a triangle formed when a quarter of a section is cut from one corner to the opposite corner. A section has 640 acres, a quarter-section has 160 acres, and half of that quarter has 80 acres.

Which of the following identifiers is NOT used to describe a lot from a recorded subdivision plat? A) City and ZIP code B) Name of the county and state C) Name or number of the subdivision plat D) Lot and block number

(A) The answer is city and ZIP code. The city and ZIP code are not used in a lot and block description.

A metes-and-bounds description is required in a rectangular survey system description when A) a tract is too large to be described by quarter-sections. B) a tract follows the lot or block lines of a recorded subdivision. C) a tract is too small to be described by quarter-sections. D) describing a regular tract.

(C) The answer is a tract is too small to be described by quarter-sections. Metes-and-bounds descriptions within the rectangular survey system usually occur when describing an irregular tract, when a tract is too small to be described by quarter-sections, or when a tract does not follow the lot or block lines of a recorded subdivision , quarter-section lines, or other fractional section lines.

In the rectangular survey system, a township is a square formed by A) base lines and principal meridians. B) vertical township lines and horizontal range lines. C) horizontal township lines and vertical range lines. D) base lines and tiers.

(C) The answer is horizontal township lines and vertical range lines. Townships are the basic units of the rectangular survey system.

A legal description must reference A) a record of survey. B) sales price. C) the base line of the survey system area in which the property lies. D) lot numbers.

(C) The answer is the base line of the survey system area in which the property lies. A property description based on the rectangular survey system must always make reference to the principal meridian and the base line of the survey system area in which the property lies.

A legal description must contain a reference to which of the following? A) A record of survey and the principal meridian B) Sales price C) The principal meridian and the base line of the survey system area in which the property lies D) Lot numbers and sections

(C) The answer is the principal meridian and the base line of the survey system area in which the property lies. A property description based on the rectangular survey system must always make reference to the principal meridian and the base line of the survey system area in which the property lies.

A buyer is willing to pay $1,200 per acre for the SE ¼ of the SE ¼ of the SE ¼ of Section 11. How much will the buyer pay for the land? A) $3,000 B) $6,000 C) $24,000 D) $12,000

(D) The answer is $12,000. The buyer will pay $12,000: ¼ × 640 = 160 160 × ¼ = 40 40 × ¼ = 10 acres 10 acres × $1,200 = $12,000

A buyer purchases 4.5 acres of land for $78,400. An adjoining owner wants to purchase a strip of this land measuring 150 feet by 100 feet. What should this strip cost the adjoining owner if it is sold for the same price per square foot originally paid? A) $7,800 B) $9,400 C) $3,000 D) $6,000

(D) The answer is $6,000. Price divided by area (in square feet) gives cost per square foot. The area is 4.5 times the size of one acre, or 4.5 × 43,560 sq. ft. = 196,020 sq ft. Then, $78,400 divided by 196,020 sq. ft. = $0.3996 (essentially, $0.40) per square foot. Determining the purchase price of a 100-by-150-foot lot at the same cost per square foot requires finding the area of the lot: 100 × 150 = 15,000 sq. ft.. Multiply this area by $0.40: 15,000 sq. ft. × $0.40 = $6,000.

What is the square footage for this property described by the metes-and-bounds method? Beginning at a point on the southerly side of Smith Street, 200 feet easterly from the corner formed by the intersection of the southerly side of Smith Street and the easterly side of Johnson Street; then east 200 feet; then south 100 feet; then west 200 feet; then north 100 feet to the POB. A) 15,000 square feet B) 10,000 square feet C) 5,000 square feet D) 20,000 square feet

(D) The answer is 20,000 square feet. The property is 200 × 100 = 20,000 square feet.

In a legal description, the terms lot and block relate to A) the government survey system. B) correction lines and datum plane. C) a metes-and-bounds description. D) a recorded subdivision map.

(D) The answer is a recorded subdivision map. Lots and blocks are found in subdivisions. They are platted or mapped.

The rectangular survey system includes which of the following? A) Base lines B) Meridians C) Townships D) All of these

(D) The answer is all of these. Base lines, meridians, and townships are elements of the rectangular survey system.

A system of legal description that uses meridian, townships, and sections is A) lot and block. B) metes and bounds. C) recorded plat. D) government survey.

(D) The answer is government survey. This method use meridians, base lines, townships, and sections.

Which of these MOST accurately describes the dimensions of a quarter-section? A) ¼ mile by ¼ mile B) ½ mile by 1 mile C) ⅛ mile by ⅛ mile D) ½ mile by ½ mile

(D) The answer is ½ mile by ½ mile. A section is 1 square mile.

Datum

A datum is a point, line, or surface from which elevations are measured or indicated. For the purpose of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), datum is defined as the mean sea level at New York Harbor. But virtually all large cities have local official datum that is used instead of the USGS datum. A surveyor would use a datum in determining the height of a structure or establishing the grade of a street. USGS has information on a variety of climate, land use, and environmental issues, as well as a state site locator, www.usgs.gov.

Metes-and-bounds Method

A method used to describe a parcel of land that begins at a well-marked point and follows the property's boundaries, using directions and distances around the tract, back to the place of beginning. The metes-and-bounds method of land description is the oldest found in the United States, and it was used in the original 13 colonies, as well as in those states that were being settled while the rectangular survey system was being developed. Metes means to measure, and bounds means linear directions. The method relies on a property's physical features to determine the boundaries and measurements of the parcel. A metes-and-bounds description starts at a designated place on the parcel, called the point of beginning (POB). The POB is also the point at which the description ends. From there, the surveyor proceeds around the property's boundaries. The boundaries are recorded by referring to linear measurements, natural and artificial landmarks (called monuments), and directions. A metes-and-bounds description always ends back at the POB so that the tract being described is completely enclosed.

The N½ of the SW¼ of a section contains how many acres? A) 60 B) 40 C) 20 D) 80

The answer is 80. A section contains 640 acres. A ½ of ¼ of 640 equals 80 acres. Using decimals, the equation is 0.5 × 0.25 × 640 = 80.

Which of these shaded areas of a section depicts the NE¼ of the SE¼ of the SW¼? A) Area 4 B) Area 3 C) Area 1 D) Area 2

The answer is Area 1. The location and size of a property can be determined using the rectangular survey system.

Which of the following is Section 6? A) C B) B C) A D) D

The answer is C. Starting with the upper left corner as number 1, sections of a township are numbered right to left, left to right, right to left, and so on until reaching number 36.

The section marked A is which of the following? A) Government lot B) Section 31 C) Section 36 D) School section

The answer is Section 36. Starting with the upper left corner as number 1, sections of a township are numbered right to left, left to right, right to left, and so on until reaching number 36.

Which of the following are NOT basic components of a metes-and-bounds description? A) Base lines, principal meridians, and townships B) Tangible and intangible monuments C) Points of beginning D) Degrees, minutes, and seconds

The answer is base lines, principal meridians, and townships. Base lines, meridians, and townships are elements of the rectangular survey system, not the metes-and-bounds system.

rectangular survey system

The rectangular survey system, sometimes called the government survey system, was established by Congress in 1785 to standardize the description of land acquired by the newly formed federal government. By dividing the land into rectangles, the survey provided land descriptions by describing the rectangle(s) in which the land was located. The system is based on two sets of intersecting lines: principal meridians and base lines. The principal meridians run north and south, and the base lines run east and west. Both are located by reference to degrees of longitude and latitude. Each principal meridian has a name or number and is crossed by a base line. Each principal meridian and its corresponding base line are used to survey a definite area of land, indicated on the map by boundary lines. There are 37 principal meridians in the United States and each is referenced by a name or meridian number.

Lot-and-block method

The third type of legal description is the lot-and-block (recorded plat) method. This system uses lot and block numbers referred to in a plat map filed in the public records of the county where the land is located. The plat map is a map of a town, a section, or a subdivision, indicating the location and boundaries of individual properties. The lot-and-block method is used mostly in subdivisions and urban areas. A lot-and-block survey is performed in two steps. First, a large parcel of land is described either by the metes-and-bounds method or by a rectangular survey. Once this large parcel is surveyed, it is broken into smaller parcels. As a result, a lot-and-block description always refers to a prior metes-and-bounds or rectangular survey description. For each parcel described under the lot-and-block system, the lot refers to the numerical designation of any particular parcel. The block refers to the name of the subdivision under which the map is recorded. The block reference is drawn from the early 1900s, when a city block was the most common type of subdivided property. The lot-and-block system starts with the preparation of a subdivision plat by a licensed surveyor or engineer. (See Subdivision Plat Map of Block A.) On this plat, the land is divided into numbered or lettered lots and blocks, and streets or access roads for public use are indicated. Lot sizes and street details must be described completely and must comply with all local ordinances and requirements. When properly signed and approved, the subdivision plat is recorded in the county in which the land is located. The plat becomes part of the legal description. In describing a lot from a recorded subdivision plat, three identifiers are used: Lot and block number Name or number of the subdivision plat Name of the county and state

Sections

Townships are subdivided into sections and subsections called halves and quarters, which can be further divided. Each township contains 36 sections. Each section is one square mile or 640 acres, with 43,560 square feet in each acre. Sections are numbered 1 through 36, as shown in Sections in a Township. Section 1 is always in the northeast, or upper right-hand, corner. The numbering proceeds right to left to the upper left-hand corner. From there, the numbers drop down to the next tier and continue from left to right, then back from right to left. By law, each Section 16 was set aside for school purposes, and the sale or rental proceeds from this land were originally available for township school use. The schoolhouse was usually located in this section so it would be centrally located for all the students in the township. As a result, Section 16 is commonly called a school section.