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.
I'm looking at buying a new home in a small infill development in my neighborhood. The plot of land is adjacent to an existing creek. There's 30yo houses on one side of it already. The lot I'm looking at wouldn't back the creek - it'd be across the street from it. The road is a 1-way road, though, so not a big one. Should I be concerned about flooding? What about soil quality? Or should I just trust that the builder and city will ensure that the house will be sound?
If you are in a flood risk zone (usually the 100 year flood plain) your mortgage holder will require flood insurance.
If you are building or doing substantial remodeling you may have to raise the house above the average high water mark plus 2 feet. All utilities like furnace, water heater, etc. will have to be at that level or above. If you have a space which is tall enough to use as a room you can not put anything habitable in it although it may be used as garage or moveable storage space. The contents might not be covered in the event of a flood.
NEVER trust the builder. Always verify on your own.
The way I look at it ... if it were a truly great, buildable lot with NO problems, the guy who built the other houses 30 years ago would have built on it.
How can I go about verifying? That link seems to just list zone codes. Where can I see them on a map to see if it impacts this area? It's a spec home btw. I found this map for my county:
NEVER trust the builder. Always verify on your own.
The way I look at it ... if it were a truly great, buildable lot with NO problems, the guy who built the other houses 30 years ago would have built on it.
The builder will be buying one of the homes in the development actually, along with 2 other employees. However, my guess is theirs are going to be at the opposite end of the development. This area used to be filled with ranches and as the city grew the ranches have slowly been selling off the land. There's not much left in this neighborhood but this is one of the pieces. Actually, it's the front yard of one of the remaining ranches.
I'm looking at buying a new home in a small infill development in my neighborhood. The plot of land is adjacent to an existing creek. There's 30yo houses on one side of it already. The lot I'm looking at wouldn't back the creek - it'd be across the street from it. The road is a 1-way road, though, so not a big one. Should I be concerned about flooding? What about soil quality? Or should I just trust that the builder and city will ensure that the house will be sound?
Yes you should be concerned. Not just for flooding but for high water table, dampness rising up inside the house etc.
I've worked in MANY homes near water/creeks and the moment I walk inside I can detect the dampness and get an itchy nose. This doesn't happen to me on the Intracoastal, Beach or other large bodies of water.
I would hire an engineer type person to give an objective assessment.
Where can I see them on a map to see if it impacts this area?
Check with the city to see if they have federal flood hazard maps.
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.
Remember what Saint Regan said
