Another House Question

We saw a house that we loved located in S. Bellmore. My concern is another Sandy passing along. The realtor told me Sandy didn’t do much damage there but I want to get actual feedback. I know anything can happen at any given time but I need to consider all the possibilities before I making a commitment like this one.

Another House Question

I’m in south bellmore. Is the house flood zone x? My house had no damage but house along the water or canals experienced some. But not all. I’m flood zone x and pay around 500 dollars for flood insurance. If you want to messsge me the address of the house I could probably give you more information.

Re: Another House Question

It really depends where the house is.

As PP said, lots of homes in S. Bellmore are in flood zone x, which means no flood insurance is required by FEMA. There is optional flood insurance for zone X homes that is typically $450-$500/year... nowhere near the cost of FEMA required flood insurance for homes in the AE flood zone (which is more like $3K a year). However, many banks will require homes that are south of Merrick Rd to carry the optional insurance. Also, many homeowners' insurance carriers will charge you more for wind coverage and things like that.

But if you are more considered with past and future flooding itself, and not the flood insurance, it's hard to say. Whether a house flooded kind of depends on where it is and what the elevation is. Even on the same block, some houses flooded badly, and others not at all (or minimally -- like just the garage or something). Zone X is no guarantee of anything, as plenty of homes in zone X flooded.

You can ask the seller exactly what parts of the house were affected and what, if anything, they did to repair it. You can often tell Sandy-affected homes because the lower levels are all new. In that case, it's smart to inquire about documentation of the repairs, so you can see what work was done and by whom (were the people licensed, etc.).

Re: Another House Question

Another House Question

Agree with Christine. When we were looking in 2014 our agent wouldn’t show us anything south of merrick road. At the time, there were several homes on the market that you had to jump through hoops to even get insured. I’m sure that has changed the further out we’ve gotten from
sandy.

But like you said, anything can happen at any time. If you’re comfortable with the house, then go for it. There are always going to be compromises.

Re: Another House Question

It's a beautiful area - just remember that south of Merrick Rd gets evacuated during some storms so you need to have a plan for those times