Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You need to call you homeowners insurance company. They can tell you if the improvements are located in the flood zone.
Keep in mind that flood maps are continuously being redrawn. If the improvements are not in the flood zone today they may be tomorrow. I would not buy a home anywhere near the flood zone unless the topography was such that there was a guarantee it would not flood.
However, I will add this-
Flooding from creek is probably more in the “100 yr” ratio. But, with the current uncertainty of climate conditions that one hundred years is probably closer than you think.
But, it sounds like you’re talking more about flooding from poor drainage- which is probably not that uncommon for a house that age. Clearly there is a grade issue that needs to be resolved. If the French drains were added at the surface area, then there is a very good likelihood that the original perimeter drain tile system has failed- which would lead me to believe that there probably has been some water intrusion in the past.
Look in unfinished areas of the basement, is there a drop ceiling where some panels can be moved near foundation wall? Is there any musty odor? Any water staining, mold, or mildew?
Digging out a foundation to install a new perimeter drain tile system ain’t cheap! But, when you consider the alternative…
It ain’t so bad.
If the house checks all the boxes and the grade/drainage is the major issue, it’s time to crunch the numbers real hard. Then make an educated decision based on the facts before you.
You need to call you homeowners insurance company. They can tell you if the improvements are located in the flood zone.
Keep in mind that flood maps are continuously being redrawn. If the improvements are not in the flood zone today they may be tomorrow. I would not buy a home anywhere near the flood zone unless the topography was such that there was a guarantee it would not flood.
Well...according to FEMA its nowhere near flood zone. More over, it's impossible to be flooded if we take FEMA into consideration because the house is uphill from where FEMA flood zone ends and it's like at least a mile away, maybe even more.
I also checked another house around 5 miles from my house and that one is 9/10 flood risk. However, it's not close to FEMA flood zone as well.
What I noticed, however, is the house is exactly the same shape as mine - ranch with walk out basement. Could it be that risk factor considers walk out basement ~12ft below ground level and uses that for calculating probability of flooding?
Look in unfinished areas of the basement, is there a drop ceiling where some panels can be moved near foundation wall? Is there any musty odor? Any water staining, mold, or mildew?
There were dry stains on the ceiling just below the bathroom. That was definitely not from the creek.
Could you please elaborate the drop ceiling part? What am I looking for there? Mold and Mildew? I have found a few areas of the basement ceiling which could be accessed through the hatch. What am I looking for there?
There is also a dehumidifier in the basement but most houses I checked had it, so not sure if I should pay attention to that.
There were dry stains on the ceiling just below the bathroom. That was definitely not from the creek.
Could you please elaborate the drop ceiling part? What am I looking for there? Mold and Mildew? I have found a few areas of the basement ceiling which could be accessed through the hatch. What am I looking for there?
There is also a dehumidifier in the basement but most houses I checked had it, so not sure if I should pay attention to that.
I had a toilet overflow and it got the drywall ceiling in my basement den. Same thing happened in a bedroom closet when another bathroom sink overflowed. Fortunately I can do sheet rock work and paint ceilings.
We're now in a different home that's 15 years old. I recently had a leaking bathtub/shower leaking on my kitchen ceiling and out in the garage ceiling. Come to find out, the plumber's putty sealing two bathtub drains turned to chalk and it quit sealing. Replacing aging plumbers putty is actually a maintenance task that I never thought about. I can still do sheet rock work, but it's difficult on 10' and 12' ceilings.
What's your risk tolerance? A flood can happen once in 100 years and you may be the unlucky one. Based on what you posted, I would likely still buy it if it checked all the other boxes, but as another poster noted - FEMA updates their maps on an ongoing basis so what isn't in a flood zone today could be tomorrow....I know first hand.
The home we lived in prior to our current one had a beautiful backyard. It sloped down to a long grass filled yard to a tree line and beyond that was a pretty wide brook. We lived there 10 years and in the 10 years, we saw the brook trickle, we saw it rage, we saw it overshoot its banks...but never did it ever even come close to the house. Well, lo and behold after Katrina, FEMA redrew the zones and suddenly a corner of the back of our house was considered to be in a flood zone. I wasn't thrilled about it, but it is what it is and we knew it would likely never flood. We eventually sold that house and the "flood" thing did come up as a concern from one buyer, but most people didn't give it a second thought since we didn't require flood insurance - I forget what the zone was, but we were in one that didn't even require that we carry insurance. Still sold the house in 2 weeks.
Stupid question, but why would the house need retention ponds if they didnt have problems with flooding? Isn't that the purpose of having them: to store excess rain water that the ground couldn't handle?
There are indications of that. However, it never went contingent and then relisted. They were putting it on market back and forth for a few months here and there during the course of 10 years and then finally sold it to current owner which got a great deal on it as according to public records it was sold under town appraised value (not taxable value, but actual appraisal) which is unbelievable.
What I also noticed is a lot of vegetation has been removed. When I look at google pictures from before the previous owner it was surrounded by trees and bushes while currently the amount of bushes and trees is much less. I'm not sure if this is just due to neglect of current owner or due to some other reasons.
My house inspection report also says that yard draining is not functioning properly, considering that backyard is very damp I tend to agree with that conclusion. There are french drains on both sides of the building and some older pipes laying on the ground which seem to be the pipes which used to act as french drains in the past but cracked.
As far as the bushes and trees go, some people's favorite tool is a chain saw.
As to flood risk, as mentioned if flood insurance is required that means you are in the "high risk" zone of a 100 year occurrence. If not, getting flood insurance is your call. The reality is that the insurers that issue flood insurance want policy holders who are under no threat of flooding to buy it, helps to pay for the claims they get from people who flood often.
Your French drains are there to channel water away from the house.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
However, it's not close to FEMA flood zone as well. 
