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I'm thinking of purchasing a house next to a drainage easement in a well sought out neighborhood. The neighborhood itself is gated in the north central area of San Antonio and the house looks well maintained and only 6 years old. What are the pros and cons of this being next to a drainage easement? Is this going to hurt when I plan on selling the house in the future? Possible flooding issues? Would you consider purchasing it? I need your advice....
Is the drainage easement just a ditch slightly lower than the rest of the surrounding property?
I have never had much problem with resale homes next to normal drainage easements.
There are many around this area.
Just as long as it is not an eyesore or a really steep drop off it should not be bad.
As far as flooding it should also not be a problem unless you are in a flood prone area and I don't think San Antonio is.
Is this in Lake Jovita?
Also, one benefit is an extra 15-20 feet buffer between yours and the neighbors property.
You can check the bcad.org site (map view) or check with your insurance company to see if it is in a flood zone. I had a house out close to Windcrest that backed up into a drainage easment. I loved it because of the neighbor buffer. When I decided to move to live oak, I looked for another house that backed into a drainage easement. I'm glad I find one because I later learned that most of them are in a flood zone (the other house was not in a flood zone)
Plus Live Oak's easements are concrete instead of natural and kids ride their skateboards on them all the time.
Also, see how well they are maintained. If they are not mowed and cared for then you are probably going to have snake and mosquito problems.
When I had the easement, I had a back gate installed so I could go out and care for the back of my house if I needed to. Mainly because sometimes the mowers didn't get some of the young hackberries when they rode by. And those things turn quickly into trees that will ruin the fence.
Might be good to water back there during dry spells as well for safety.
Is the drainage easement just a ditch slightly lower than the rest of the surrounding property?
I have never had much problem with resale homes next to normal drainage easements.
There are many around this area.
Just as long as it is not an eyesore or a really steep drop off it should not be bad.
As far as flooding it should also not be a problem unless you are in a flood prone area and I don't think San Antonio is.
Is this in Lake Jovita?
Also, one benefit is an extra 15-20 feet buffer between yours and the neighbors property.
Thanks for that input. No, it's not in Lake Jovita...where is that anyway? this are is close to Blanco/1604? As far as I know, it's not prone to flooding because that area itself has pretty high elevation. Am I correct? I don't think that drainage easement, is paved (concrete)...at least not yet. But it doesn't seem like an eye sore either. I would think the HOA of that subdivision would take care of it, right?
You can check the bcad.org site (map view) or check with your insurance company to see if it is in a flood zone. I had a house out close to Windcrest that backed up into a drainage easment. I loved it because of the neighbor buffer. When I decided to move to live oak, I looked for another house that backed into a drainage easement. I'm glad I find one because I later learned that most of them are in a flood zone (the other house was not in a flood zone)
Plus Live Oak's easements are concrete instead of natural and kids ride their skateboards on them all the time.
Also, see how well they are maintained. If they are not mowed and cared for then you are probably going to have snake and mosquito problems.
When I had the easement, I had a back gate installed so I could go out and care for the back of my house if I needed to. Mainly because sometimes the mowers didn't get some of the young hackberries when they rode by. And those things turn quickly into trees that will ruin the fence.
Might be good to water back there during dry spells as well for safety.
Good luck!
Correct me if I'm wrong, I thought Live Oak area is flood prone zone? Actually the drainage easement I was talking about is not paved (concrete)...I hope the HOA of that subdivision will do it eventually...
I just noticed my last post, I meant to say that I was glad I didn't find a draingage eassement house because of the flood zone. But I do like drainage easements.
In my old neighborhood in unincorportated Bexar County on the NE side, at first we relied on the county to maintain. It was awful. Then the HOA took over and they mowed it often and planted grass. We had a problem with dirt bikers and ATVs going through and causing ruts but then the HOA put lock bars across. They gave keys to the landscaping comany to go in and cut, but the dirt bikers couldn't get in. So it was really nice back there.
Sounds like you are probably going to pay a hefty HOA fee so I bet the HOA will take good care of the ditch. (our course you could ask the HOA or ask the neighbors how often it is maintained)
I have looked at other neighborhoods in the cit limits that had awful looking drainage ditches (they are probably relying on the city of San Antonio to maintain).
Quote:
Originally Posted by pagibig
Thanks for that input. No, it's not in Lake Jovita...where is that anyway? this are is close to Blanco/1604? As far as I know, it's not prone to flooding because that area itself has pretty high elevation. Am I correct? I don't think that drainage easement, is paved (concrete)...at least not yet. But it doesn't seem like an eye sore either. I would think the HOA of that subdivision would take care of it, right?
Thanks for that input. No, it's not in Lake Jovita...where is that anyway? this are is close to Blanco/1604? As far as I know, it's not prone to flooding because that area itself has pretty high elevation. Am I correct? I don't think that drainage easement, is paved (concrete)...at least not yet. But it doesn't seem like an eye sore either. I would think the HOA of that subdivision would take care of it, right?
My bad. I thought I was in the Tampa forum. We have a San Antonio in Pasco County here.
Wasn't even thinking Texas, I was only on my first cup of coffee.
If the elevation is high then it is probably just an area set aside when they platted the subdivision to handle run off. I am not sure about there but where I am most drainage easements are never paved/concrete. Leaving them as grass/dirt is the norm.
Dependent upon how it is deeded the upkeep would be up to the HOA or the county unless it is deeded as part of your property(usually not but just check to be sure).
The main question would be, will you be comfortable with it there.
I think you'll get 50/50 split opinions on this one. In our area, they are called retention ponds. They are wide open grass areas, commonly in the middle or at the edges of very nice subdivisions. They were put in when the developer and bulider built subdivisions for drainage purposes and seldom get standing water in them. Why we call them retention "ponds" is confusing as they are mostly just big open fields of grass that is kept up by HOA landscaping. Even when we do get heavy rains, they only keep water for a few days before they drain out again. Many consider them a + as kids use for playing ball, sledding in the winter, etc. and those who have lots directly adjacent, think they have this huge extension to their yard.
We here in Oregon have drainage easements everywhere. Usually they are just swales which are ditches filled with rocks (look really pretty). It has never been a big deal here.
I do agree that it depends on what they look like. Out here, do to our rain and some of our slopes, buyers actually feel more comfortable with a home that has the drainage clearly spelled out. Otherwise they worry that there is no drainage system which may increase the chance of a slide.
We have heavy clay here, which I think you guys have in CA as well.
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I love drainage easements
