Questions to ask when buying a home in humid climate

[CptnRn]

How old is the air conditioning system.

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems require proper and regular maintenance in order to work efficiently, but even in the best case scenarios most components of such systems only last 15 to 25 years. Furnaces on average last 15-20 years, heat pumps 16 years, and air conditioning units 10-15 years.

[texas7]

Mold inside homes can and does occur when people have had ongoing, long- term, I repaired leaks. They may repair it but mold may be already started. Be wary if home with previous water damage or leak repairs that may have been done improperly.

[sts7049]

Originally Posted by semisweetchick

Thank you all very much for this info. A few comments....

I appreciate knowing about the exterior stucco issue, as a LOT of NM homes are stucco, so stucco probably wouldn't have set off any alarm bells with us at all.

Second, I appreciate the tip about the cost of AC. The vast majority of NM homes have swamp coolers, not refrigerated air. We are aware our electricity bill may be astronomical in the summer months. We've been using the "electricity bill estimator" from Reliant on the HAR.com website as we look at houses, but I don't know how, er, reliable that is. ;-)

A friend told me to ask about past flooding issues with any house we consider in Houston. Flooding certainly is NOT a problem here in our drought-stricken state so again, that's not something we would think to ask about.

I appreciate all the friendly input!

your electric bills will largely be a function of how efficient your house is. newer windows, good isulation, etc will all help keep the bills down. a large energy efficient house may easily have smaller electric bills than a small house or even an apartment with crappy efficiency.

when you look for homeowners insurance you will find out if your house is in a flood plain or not. you can look up flood plain maps on your own as well to see. if you are in one, it's not necessarily a big deal but you can check around to see if the area historically has issues or not. but definitely get flood insurance if you are in the plain, it's inexpensive and worth having in my opinion.

[newlymarried]

Agree with what the others have said.

Termites are definitely a problem. I have a friend currently looking for a house and 3 separate homes have failed the termite inspection.

Some areas of town also have older homes whose electricity is not up to current code -- which can be very expensive to upgrade, but may be required for sale. (I've also had several friends have to walk on those deals when the seller refused to pay for the upgrades, which cost my friends a lot of time and frustration.)

You can google for the flood plain map now so you don't waste time in certain areas (after watching friends try to rehab their houses after a flood, there is no amount of money that would make me buy in a flood plain). Regardless, I would definitely purchase flood insurance when you buy no matter where you live. Flooding can and does happen even in areas that aren't in the flood plain. Flood insurance is not part of home owner's insurance, so it has to be bought separately. I think it's a good investment in your peace of mind.

If other practicalities don't outweigh the decision, you might also consider looking at the mandatory evacuation zones in a hurricane. In other areas, you get a choice to shelter in place or not. I feel better knowing I get a choice, but there are plenty of good reasons to live in a mandatory evacuation zone. (Commute times, community ties, etc) Generally speaking, the closer to the Gulf you live, the more likely you're in a mandatory evacuation zone. Either way, I would read up on the literature of being prepared for a hurricane. Everyone should have a plan. Hurricanes are manageable, but you need to know what to do.

Good luck!

[crone]

A good realtor would never suggest a home in the 100 year flood plain. The mandatory flood insurance is going way up gradually over the next 5 years.

[semisweetchick]

Originally Posted by newlymarried

If other practicalities don't outweigh the decision, you might also consider looking at the mandatory evacuation zones in a hurricane. In other areas, you get a choice to shelter in place or not. I feel better knowing I get a choice, but there are plenty of good reasons to live in a mandatory evacuation zone. (Commute times, community ties, etc) Generally speaking, the closer to the Gulf you live, the more likely you're in a mandatory evacuation zone. Either way, I would read up on the literature of being prepared for a hurricane. Everyone should have a plan. Hurricanes are manageable, but you need to know what to do.

Good luck!

Wow, that is something I never would have thought about in a million years: mandatory evacuation zones for hurricanes. Yikes. Well, we definitely do not plan to live near the gulf. We're currently looking at northwest Houston, even though we've heard the 290 commute is horrible. My husband works in the general vicinity of the Astrodome, and a reasonable commute is a must for him. Just sussing out good areas/neighborhoods is mind-boggling to us.

Also, thanks for the tip about checking out the age of the electrical wiring. My husband and I do favor older homes, but we realize it simply may not be financially feasible to buy a home without energy-efficient windows and old wiring. I appreciate your bringing these issues to our attention.

I just got back from a quick trip to Houston to visit my husband, and I can't begin to describe the culture shock I endured. I felt as if someone had dropped me into Rio de Janeiro for the weekend or something. I found it impossible to get my bearings! This is definitely going to be an adventure....

Thanks again, everyone!

[texas7]

I've lived in an evacuation zone my entire life - fortunately, I've only evacuated one time ever (and as it turns out - didn't need to). It's a risk but not enough to deter me from living in either League City or Clear Lake or Friendswood for that matter. Its all in what you can get comfortable with.

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by semisweetchick

We're currently looking at northwest Houston, even though we've heard the 290 commute is horrible. My husband works in the general vicinity of the Astrodome, and a reasonable commute is a must for him. Just sussing out good areas/neighborhoods is mind-boggling to us.

If your working near the Astrodome then NW Houston is the wrong place to live. Did you mean SW Houston?