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I sent an email to the flood factor site so they could explain how did they come up with that number. I also checked a few other houses and some of them have 9/10 flood risk but not in FEMA flood zone and some of them are 8/10 flood risk and are located nearby to FEMA flood zone.
I have no idea how do they come up with their ratings.
I'm going back to the house with the landscaper and we'll see what's up.
Check whether the current owners are paying a flood premium. If they are, there is your answer. And if not, start talking to companies you might use for homeowners insurance. They usually know the scoop.
excellent advice talking to local homeowners insurance companies.
it's unlikely the current owner will reveal that information if they are trying to sell the property and get rid of it. i wouldn't trust what the current owner says anyway, they can say anything to make a sale. my ex had property he had bought with "documentation" provided by owner which had been forged.
Yes, I also agree that buying in a low lying area is not the fun scenerio it used to be. Weird things are happening in the weather world these days.
Nevertheless, you should quit talking to the neighbors, landscapers, and anyone else with a dollar in the game and call several insurance companies, or talk to an insurance broker you trust. They, and only they, can tell you if this house will be re-defined in a flood zone, and it is nothing to do with FEMA or any other authority; the insurance companies these days are acting to preserve capital because of recent huge losses. Places in Florida that are miles from the sea or any other bodies of water are now being re-determined as flood areas, and this trend is only going to continue.
Don't try to convince youself that a low lying house is a good idea. It isn't.
If the house is out of the 100 year flood plain it really isn't "low lying". I've found the Flood Factor site to be somewhat histrionic. The best source, and I linked it, is FEMA itself.
Note where I live. I've found that people worrying about flooding outside the risk zone are the same type who cut down every 50 foot tall tree withing 100 yards of their house so they don't fall on it.
excellent advice talking to local homeowners insurance companies.
it's unlikely the current owner will reveal that information if they are trying to sell the property and get rid of it. i wouldn't trust what the current owner says anyway, they can say anything to make a sale. my ex had property he had bought with "documentation" provided by owner which had been forged.
Got the report from insurance company. The rate seems reasonable as I'm outside of FEMA flood zone, but looks like properties in my ZIP had losses recently. This doesn't seem to affect my rate for now as $470 is around the usual rate for Zone X according to my research.
Well....there is regular flooding and then there are the 100 yr or 1000yr floods. The climate is changing. You might get more rain in the future. I wouldn't take the chance, but I am a bit fanatical about being at a higher elevation.
I'd want to know the status of the French drains...were there previous problems with them and were they recently replaced and properly wrapped by a competent contractor? You don't want broken/obstructed drains next to your foundation.
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