Today dawned in the pouring rain, a busy day and lots to do. Tying up the last loose ends for a closing tomorrow, my buyer client asked me a question about the legal description. Within the legal description for the home they are buying is this bracketed bit: [IN GOVT LT3]
She asked me what that meant, and I had no idea. I made a call to my helpful friends at Pioneer Title for the answer. When a section in a Land Survey System legal description (as in Section,Township, Range) isn't a full section for some reason, it is called a Government Lot for legal description purposes. In our case, they are buying a home on the water, and the lake takes a bite out of a full section of land. Therefore, it's not in Section 3, but rather in Government Lot 3.
Fast forward to my soggy afternoon overseeing the lender ordered septic inspection for an out of state seller who had never lived in her house which was purchased as an investment. Let me just interject here that I am a city girl, and until 14 months ago I practiced real estate in a city where we didn't use sections, townships and ranges in legal descriptions and septic tanks were few and far between.
I learned how to find a septic tank when no one knows where it is! The friendly but wet and frustrated septic guy was finding it impossible to find the septic tank and I drove out to assist. He needed access to the vacant house to flush a transmitter. Huh? He explained that he was going to flush a transmitter that would travel through the system and into the septic tank. We then proceeded to wander through soggy hip-high weeds in the pouring rain with his big wand thing that reminded me of a metal detector. He said it would signal when it was over the transmitter that he had just flushed. He muttered something about hoping it wasn't under the big deck, and I said that would be a really stupid spot for someone to have put a septic tank, literally right outside the kitchen door. Well you guessed it. He picked up his signal under the deck, directly beneath where the hot tub is sitting.
We didn't get the septic tank pumped and inspected today, but I learned a couple of random things in the rain that I never knew I didn't know!
If you have a real estate related question, I would love to research the answer for you. The only dumb question is one that's never asked!
Janna Rankin Scharf provides a superior level of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County, Idaho. Visit www.JannaScharf.com to search for homes in the Coeur d'Alene MLS for anywhere in spectacular North Idaho.
No matter how grand or modest your real estate dreams may be, you can turn to me in confidence. Give me a call today and let me know what I can do to be of service to you!
Janna Rankin Scharf AB, GRI, CSP, CNS, CLHMS 208.651.9700
Hi Janna, I've heard it said that if you learn one new thing everyday, everyday is a good one. You had a double good day, even if you were out in the rain. Take care.
Janna: This day has truly been a success for both of us, then. You learned two new things, and you also taught them to us. Everybody wins. Thanks so much !
Yeah, septic tanks are really on my high list of things to know about, but -- yuck -- we still do do have to.
Janna: Here's a tip from an agent who sells mostly country properties: Make sure you are upwind when the lids are removed and the pumping begins!
You learn something new in this business every day Janna! Kudos for being a trooper in the rain!
I've been there for the flushing of the transmitter to find the tank process. Only to realize that it was under the laundry room (a later addition). That wasn't a good day no matter how much I learned.
I learn so much on Active Rain. Love how to find the septic tank. Is that cool or what? Hi tech in the poop field.
Janna, LOL, Just about every home I sell has a septic and well. What a joy it is to hit that home within the town limits that is actually on town water and sewer. But yes, isn't that mouse the coolest? Had a fellow realtor up at a septic inspection for an antique that was a bit on the tired side shall we say. Three mice later.... they determined that there was a pipe leaving the house, a long long long pipe, but nothing else. Upwind, especially in the summer, is key. But invariably, the inspector will call us over when the tank lid is open so we can all "look".Oh well, the price of being there for your clients.
Learning something new on a daily basis is always a good thing!
Janna, Now I have learned something! I hadn't heard about the transmitter, but it sure would have been handy a bunch of times in my career! I sell many homes with well and septic and some are very elusive. Just one question....did he have to retrieve the transmitter????? YUK
Janna, the mad scientist in the rain. The transmitter is a rather cool little gizmo, isn't it? Now, I learned something new as well...and under the deck? I can hear the inspector groaning from here!~
Janna - that is what is nice about this job, we always have the opportunity to learn. Haven't worked the rectangular system myself, although I have had to deal with it on 1031 exchanges. I do like those neat technologies for finding systems though.
I guess some days are for doing and some days are for learning. You had a learning day! Lucky you!
Gotta love dealing with the septic on a rainy days. You certainly learn something new everyday
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