Houston floods - what to look for when buying a new home?

[afterdark80]

Use the map.
Stay within the Buffalo Bayou Watershed, at least 1 mile from the main channel of Buffalo Bayou.
Stay out of the 500yr floodplain.

The area I just described floods less than anywhere in Houston, it is protected by reservoirs which hold back upstream flood waters, the area is already almost fully developed so the impact of future development is negligible, future re-developments will likely have have minimal impact, and by in large has the least concrete per square mile of any other developed area in the city.

Or, buy out west in Katy.

[txstate]

Harris County needs a Levee district like Fort Bend because I never thought the day
I see the county on the Northside and Katy area flood like that, WOW!!

[texas7]

Buy flood insurance no matter where you are on the maps. Its Houston, it could happen.

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by texas7

Buy flood insurance no matter where you are on the maps. Its Houston, it could happen.

Yes, always buy it, your house could get water in it from an unusually large rainfall right after your back neighbor decides to regrade his backyard.

[slingshot]

Look for dirty water rings around the ceiling light fixtures.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by Prey521

What if you're not even in a 500 year flood zone.....should you bother buying insurance then? I live in the homes on the Northwest side of the community in the screenshot below. The lighter shade of blue is a 500 year zone, the next darkest is the 100 year, and the darkest is the actual floodway. This community is still under construction, so I'm sure that this map will change as more cement gets laid

That community is right next to a flood zone
Flood maps are made based on what they've seen
So they can change as time goes by

[Meyerland]

Originally Posted by afterdark80

Use the map.
Stay within the Buffalo Bayou Watershed, at least 1 mile from the main channel of Buffalo Bayou.
Stay out of the 500yr floodplain.

The area I just described floods less than anywhere in Houston, it is protected by reservoirs which hold back upstream flood waters, the area is already almost fully developed so the impact of future development is negligible, future re-developments will likely have have minimal impact, and by in large has the least concrete per square mile of any other developed area in the city.

Or, buy out west in Katy.

Katy can flood too. It is less likely than other areas, but it can and has happened.

[WRM20]

1. Read the disclosures. The form is required by law. A seller who lies on the form can be sued under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which has some onerous penalties for lying. If items on the disclosures are blank, ask for an answer.

2. Tile in a house in an area where carpet is the norm is an indicator that the house may have flooded

3. Look closely at the outside of the hosue for water marks on the siding or brick

4. If the property is in a city, look for permits related to flood repairs. Houston permits are online and searchable by address.

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by WRM20

2. Tile in a house in an area where carpet is the norm is an indicator that the house may have flooded

Or they have dogs...

[Jaya2015]

Wow! Thx for more useful tips! What abt new houses? Anything i shd particularly ask the builder?