There are three methods of describing land. Metes and bounds - this method starts at a point of beginning and traces the boundaries of the tract by referring to linear measurementsand directions. It must always return to the point of beginning. They are located by specific latitude and longitude references. The landon either side of a principal meridian is divided into six-mile wide strips and known as ranges.
Townships are tiers of land running east and west with the baseline.
Townships squares contain 36 sections. Each section is one-mile square. The sixteenth sectionis set aside in many areas for the benefit of schools in the local jurisdiction. One shortcut method to finding the number of acres in such a description is to multiply the denominators and divide the result into 640, which is the number of acres in one section ofland. Here are several units and measurements that are commonly used to describe real estate.