Looking to buy in Berkeley Heights - question about flood zone (Passaic: real estate, oceanfront)

[rslyn]

Hi there,

My husband and I are first time home buyers and we're looking really closely at a house in Berkeley Heights. The house is in a flood zone (it's close the Pasaic River) and although we've been told by the agent that it "never" floods, we are still concerned. I'm not sure what we're getting ourselves into -- how do I go about researching flooding in this area? Should we move on and keep looking?

Thanks for any advice.

[clevedark]

It sure does flood--I remember a huge flood from the Passaic river when I was a kid more than 30 years ago (is that possible??). A big park in Chatham Twp. was completely flooded from the Passaic river. I remember the park was in a low-lying area.

The right conditions will produce a flood in a flood zone. That said, your realtor probably isn't lying when she/he said it never flood--it might not have flooded since then, who knows.

I don't know how you would research this--maybe with a local insurance company, or town hall in Berkeley Heights??

My husband and I once almost bought a beautiful house perched on a 40 foot high oceanfront bluff. We were just about to sign the contract after attorney review when we got wind of the previous history of the restoration of the bluff. We couldn't figure out if the town or state was responsible for further repairs and backed out. Somebody else bought the the house a few months later, but to this day I'm glad we pulled the plug on the deal. My idea of home is safety and security, not threats of floods or falling into the sea.

[snuffybear]

Hmmm...I'd be hesitant also because of potential for basement water issues...have you had that checked out thoroughly?

[JamesBoyer]

Originally Posted by rslyn

Hi there,

My husband and I are first time home buyers and we're looking really closely at a house in Berkeley Heights. The house is in a flood zone (it's close the Pasaic River) and although we've been told by the agent that it "never" floods, we are still concerned. I'm not sure what we're getting ourselves into -- how do I go about researching flooding in this area? Should we move on and keep looking?

Thanks for any advice.

How old is the house? What sort of condition is the basement in?

I am a REALTOR, and I will tell you that any good REALTOR will be able to look at the basement closely and have a very good idea if the basement floods or if there has been work done to try to hid that the basement floods, or if the basement has been water proofed which I have known of several homes which had really bad flooding problems before the owners brought in a water proofing company and afterwords no more water problems. Any Realtor who wants to be a Realtor longterm will point such things out to you before you write a offer. I have pushed people fairly hard not to pursue properties which I knew were problems just waiting to happen.

Anyway my point is, what did your Realtor have to say? if he/she pointed out signs that there was trouble then skip this home for sure. If he/she did not point them out, go to the city. Another thing you can check into is if the fire department has had to pump out the houses basement. Any of these seem to ring true, or if there seem to be signs in the basement, ask yourself why your Realtor did not point them out.

When looking at homes, I always look for signs of termites, flooding, and various problems that are deliberately covered up. When showing FSBO's it is especially important to look for the covered up problems. FSBO's are a special bread of independent types who many times seem to think if a buyer does not see a problem it is not a problem that needs to be addressed.

I am not a home inspector or anything, but I would rather that buyers who I am working with, not waist their time on homes that they will likely not want after a home inspection.

[tallguylehigh]

If you ask me, focusing on whether the house will flood isn't the issue. In my mind, if the insurance company thinks it floods, that's all I need to hear. Just because it has only flodded twice in the past 50 years gives me little comfort. That's way too big of an opening to let Murphy in the door.

Flood insurance needed = no buy (for me).

[rslyn]

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies.

The house was built in 1960. We've looked at the basement thoroughly and didn't see or smell any visible water damage.

I have a call into the town zoning department and I hope that will bring some clarity. I'll also call a few of the local insurance companies and see if they have any insight.

[clevedark]

Even if you find water damage in the basement you can't assume it came from river flooding. Every house we've lived in has had a flood in the basement--once from a burst pipe, once the sump pump broke down during the spring thaw, and another time during a winter thaw melting water came rushing down a hill over the ice, and came in through the g-dmned basement window.

If I were looking at a house in a river flood zone, I would be concerned about flooding beyond the basement up to the first floor. Now that would be a nightmare.

[Lusitan]

If the real estate agent tells you it "never floods", then ask them to indemnify you against any losses from floodwaters. Bet he'll shut up quickly. Geez, these guys will say anything to try to make a sale.

You can check any address' risk profile here:
Floodsmart.gov: Your premier resource for flood insurance information

And you can order FEMA flood maps (in print or digital format) from the govt here:
FEMA: Flood
(click on the left hand side where it says "Flood Maps")

You can use this information to determine the severity of the risk, and factor in the extra insurance costs (and other potential costs) to your decision. Plenty of people live in flood zones, but of course, this should be factored in to the price. And you will ultimately need to determine if you can have peace of mind living in that house. Good luck!