Blog & News

When I walk through a vacant parcel of land for the first time, like most people, I am impressed by the ease and ambiance of the entryway, the vegetation, the topography, the views and the physical attributes of the parcel and its surroundings. As my clients may continue to concentrate...

As I discussed in my last blog, reading topography can be a bit of an art. Those who deal with it regularly gain the capability to see the contours literally come into focus as a three dimensional pattern. For example, I can look at a topographic map and tell whether...

My father, ‘Sut’ Settlemeyer was a surveyor for the United States Geological Survey (USGS). He referred to the maps they produced as quad, or relief maps. The universal geologic language of relief mapping is contour topography. Now what exactly is a contour? Simply, nothing more than a step. Just as...

Homes Vs. Lots Home buyers and land buyers are equally particular about the properties they choose to invest in. The internet has made the search for a new home an easy and engaging process, with tons of information and pictures available for a buyer’s perusal. However, a virtual search for...