But I guess my threshold for “enough” is when I’ve checked at least one historical record beyond what’s online—just in case there’s some weird legacy issue lurking.
Funny you mention that—ran into something similar last winter. The online records looked clean, but a trip to the county archives turned up an old handwritten easement from the 50s no one had digitized. It’s wild how much can slip through the cracks. Makes me wonder if we’ll ever get to a point where all this stuff is actually in one place, or if that’s just wishful thinking.
Honestly, I’m not sure we’ll ever see everything in one place—at least not in our lifetimes. I tried relying just on the online county portal when I bought my place, thinking it’d save me some cash on research. Ended up missing a utility easement that only showed up in a dusty file at the recorder’s office. It’s kind of wild how much legwork is still needed, even with all the tech we have now. Makes me double-check everything, even if it means a few extra hours and a couple bucks in parking.
DIGGING INTO PROPERTY EASEMENTS—ANYONE ELSE FIND ONLINE TOOLS CONFUSING?
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve actually found a bit of a workaround that’s saved me some headaches. It’s not perfect, but here’s what’s worked for me: I start by pulling everything I can from the online portal—maps, deeds, whatever they’ll give me. Then, before I even think about heading to the county office, I’ll call and ask if there are any “off-record” docs or old plats that aren’t digitized. Sometimes they’ll tell you right away if there’s more to look at.
It’s definitely not a one-stop shop, but I’ve avoided a couple of those “surprise” easements this way. I know it’s not ideal—still takes time and a bit of patience—but at least I’m not making two trips across town. Maybe it’s just luck, but I’ve found that mixing digital with a quick phone call saves me from digging through dusty files unless I really have to.
Honestly, I wish all this info was in one place too... but until then, piecing it together step by step seems to be the safest bet.
“mixing digital with a quick phone call saves me from digging through dusty files unless I really have to.”
Couldn’t agree more—those “surprise” easements are the stuff of nightmares. But honestly, even with all the digital tools, I still end up sketching things out by hand half the time. The portals are clunky, and half the plats look like they were scanned in 1992. If you ever find a county that actually has everything online and up-to-date, let me know... I’ll buy a lottery ticket that day.
“even with all the digital tools, I still end up sketching things out by hand half the time. The portals are clunky, and half the plats look like they were scanned in 1992.”
Right there with you. I’ve wasted hours trying to zoom in on some blurry PDF, only to give up and just draw it out myself. My process now is: check the portal, call the county if anything’s weird, then just walk the property and mark it myself. Not perfect, but at least I know what I’m dealing with. Those “surprise” easements? Had one pop up under a pile of old fence posts once... never again.
