GIS is great for quick checks, but honestly, I've seen them cause more confusion than clarity sometimes. Had a client nearly lose their mind over an easement that was abandoned decades ago...always double-check with official docs before you panic.
"Had a client nearly lose their mind over an easement that was abandoned decades ago..."
Yep, been there too—GIS can definitely trip you up if you're not careful. It's handy for quick visuals, but I've learned the hard way to always cross-reference with county records. Saved me some serious headaches down the line...
When we bought our place, the online GIS showed an easement running right through where we planned to build the garage. Nearly gave me a heart attack. Spent days digging through county records only to find out it had been dissolved years ago. Makes me wonder, how often do these online maps actually get updated? Definitely learned my lesson—always double-check official paperwork before panicking...
Yeah, those online GIS maps can really throw you off sometimes. We ran into a similar issue when we bought our place a few years back—map showed a utility easement cutting diagonally across our backyard. Almost changed our entire landscaping plan. But after some digging (and a bit of stress-induced hair loss), turns out the easement had been rerouted ages ago and the map just never got updated. Honestly, I think these online tools are handy for initial checks, but they're definitely not something I'd rely on completely. County records and official paperwork are the way to go—always worth the extra hassle to avoid bigger headaches down the road. Glad it worked out for you in the end...and yeah, lesson learned the hard way for me too.
Yeah, totally agree about the county records. When we were house-hunting last year, I remember being super cautious about relying on those online maps. One property we looked at had this weird shaded area marked as a drainage easement right through the backyard. Almost walked away from it completely, but our realtor suggested double-checking with the county office. Turns out it was just an outdated overlay from years ago when the neighborhood was first developed. Saved us some serious headaches (and probably money too).
I think online GIS maps are good for a quick glance or general idea, but definitely wouldn’t trust them completely—especially when you're budgeting carefully and can't afford surprise expenses later on. Always better to spend a little extra time upfront verifying stuff officially than dealing with costly surprises down the road...
