What does it mean to live on a 'fault line' in Houston? (West: how much, buying a house)

[uagreen]

Forgive my ignorance, but what does it mean? Are the houses that are near a house that is on a fault line have lower property values?

[Metro Matt]

I have no idea, but you're more likely to get struck by lighting 100 times & win the Texas lotto than you are to experience a major earthquake in Houston & all of Texas for that matter.

[LizzySWW]

Originally Posted by uagreen

Forgive my ignorance, but what does it mean? Are the houses that are near a house that is on a fault line have lower property values?

In my area houses on faults are 200k cheaper on average. Thus, lower taxes. Don't buy one, they take ages & ages to sell.

[cheryjohns]

The biggest issue is the house's foundation. Houses on a fault line tend to have problems. Although there are over 400 fault lines in Houston, most are very small. There are a few subdivisions that are built over the larger ones. It's common to have foundation problems there. Even, then, it's not the end of the world. Foundation companies repair the problems and give transferable warranties on the work they do - just pick a long-standing reputable company.

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by LizzySWW

In my area houses on faults are 200k cheaper on average. Thus, lower taxes. Don't buy one, they take ages & ages to sell.

That part is true - but it's like buying a house on a busy street - I wouldn't do it but there are people who do. They buy cheaper now - and sell cheaper later.

[vertigo5110]

It means that sometimes its YOUR fault and sometimes it's not!

BAHAHA. Sorry, I'm a moron and I really couldn't help myself when I read the thread's title. I'm in my 20s and I don't own a home so I could even tell you.

[oddjob142]

A fault line is where two plates of earth meet. Most times they are moving in different directions, one up and one down. This causes cracks in foundations and uneven sidewalks/driveways. The cracks cause the doors to close on their own and walls to become uneven. It really depends on how much the fault moves. We ALMOST bought a home on the long point fault line. It was in the Memorial Schools and was difficult to pass up b/c of the price. We talked to many people, including some professors at UH who has studied the Long Point fault for over 40 years. He told us not to buy it b/c you will have alot of problems down the road. That particular fault line was moving at a pretty fast rate compared to others. I would stay away if you can...or unless you have the money to repair the foundation constantly...

[binghiempress]

Originally Posted by oddjob142

A fault line is where two plates of earth meet.

No it is not. That is the definition of a plate boundary. A fault is a fracture in the earth's crust. Some faults occur along plate boundaries but all faults are not plate boundaries.

There can be negligible or significant movement along a fault.

[bamba_boy]

Houston's faults are a totally different kettle of fish than a tectonic fault zone between two large crustal plates - like the San Andreas and related faults where California is being torn apart as the Pacific plate slides past the North American plate.

Houston faults are shallow, soft-sediment displacements related to the dewatering and subsequent compaction of the soft water-logged Gulf Coast clays. One zone has more sand and less clay than another or maybe two different clay compositions. One zone compacts two feet and the adjoining zone only compacts only one foot so a small fault forms with a one foot scarp. It's that simple. No tectonic plates, no earthquakes, just a slow forming scarp that can none-the-less do a real number on a garage floor or concrete slab and maybe causing cracks in the brick walls above.

Not a huge problem because really large ones are not that common (but as somebody said there have been 400 mostly small ones mapped) but it's worth checking out the HGS (Houston Geological Society) map of Houston surface fault traces before building a new house just to be safe. You can look for them on roads too and try to trace the scarps into the lot.

[mikehtown]

We looked at two homes on or near fault lines in Wilchester (West Memorial) a few years ago. Both seemed to have recurring foundation problems and were priced to move for obvious reasons. I agree, it is like buying on a busy street... but it is a little harder to notice the fault line

I was concerned with potential appreciation given the fault line. New construction will continue in that area, and I’m not knowledgeable enough to know if this would scare builders and buyers away. It certainly impacted our decision.