Location, Location, Location (part one)

We have heard this cliché for years, and it is absolutely true. A bad location can make it impossible to enjoy your home; or as in the case that I wrote about above, to even build on it. The previous post is actually from an Army Corps of Engineers letter that I came across as a Planner for a small city in Florida. In all honesty, the case shocked me at the time as well. When this subdivision was planned out and recorded in the courthouse (“platted” as we planners like to say), the area in the jurisdiction of the Corps was clearly not illustrated on the “victim’s” property. Presumably, somebody at the environmental review level made a mistake, or maybe the original survey was incorrect, or purposely falsified, or possibly a combination of these factors was to blame, who knows. Since the original survey didn’t show the wetlands, the buyers figured they were in the clear. Nevertheless, the Corps was right, a terrible mistake had been made. Understandably, most people would be calling their attorney at this point.
How much does your attorney charge? My attorney friends charge about $200-$300 an hour. And as with most legal disputes, you are never guaranteed a favorable outcome for these legal fees. Lesson: look before you jump. All it would have taken was for the buyers to walk the property and see the water flowing through the lot. Presumably they bought the site unseen, relying on the process to ferret out any issues.
Most people look at newspapers and billboards for guidance when finding a home. After answering the advertisement, they will then meet the owner or his/her real estate or leasing agent. Most people will rely on the information provided by the owner or the agent. But it is not the job of the owner or his/her agent to ensure the value or your personal satisfaction with the property you are going to live in. Their job is to sell or rent the property. Whether you like it or not, its YOUR job to look into locational issues. This book will teach you about spatial and geographical analysis. The spatial and geographical analysis stuff is a Planner thing, not your average homeowner’s or renter’s thing, so I’ll have to show you how to think like a Planner. That means you will have to hang up the “buyer’s hat” that most people wear when looking for their new place to live. The buyer’s hat makes you think about how your furniture fits in the house and the romance of having your own place. The buyer’s hat discourages you to think about things that may be going on right outside the door of your new home. So for a brief moment while you are locating your next house, you’ll have to think like a Planner by putting your Planner’s hat on.

On a side note, I want to make sure that readers understand that the purpose of this book is not to discredit real estate salespeople. Real estate agents and brokers are very knowledgeable about real estate transactions and they are, after all, licensed (whereas many Planners in the United States practice without a state license). So working with one if these folks ensures you are working with somebody that must operate in such a manner as to keep their license. But If you want to work with a licensed broker or agent, make sure to get a buyer’s agent (somebody who represents you), read this book, and then do the research, use your hands eyes and ears. If you don’t, believe me, you may end up with some very unpleasant surprises.