[tcallahan]

We are considering retiring to The Villages - are there areas within the community that require flood insurance? Not being familiar with this type of insurance, it's a tad confusion. Tim & Julia

[Jim 9922]

Only lenders require flood insurance, if applicable to the property's location. Otherwise it is your option to purchase it.

To answer your specific question; there are some areas designated as flood plains in The Villages. A realtor should disclose this if asked and there are maps available from government agencies. That said, you might still consider flood insurance to cover you from "floods" caused by unusually heavy rains, poorly designed run-off gradings done by the developer/contractors, etc. Some specific factors to consider might be; where are the nearest storm drains, general slope of your neighborhood, grade of streets nearby and in front of your property, does your property border a swamp, pond or other type of lowland, nearby parking lots, etc.
Keep in mind, what may officially not be a flood plain may be a time-bomb waiting to happen because of what the developer did to the surrounding land. A good common eye-balling of the area and some common sense many times is helpful in determining a flood potential.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by Jim 9922

Only lenders require flood insurance, if applicable to the property's location. Otherwise it is your option to purchase it.

To answer your specific question; there are some areas designated as flood plains in The Villages. A realtor should disclose this if asked and there are maps available from government agencies. That said, you might still consider flood insurance to cover you from "floods" caused by unusually heavy rains, poorly designed run-off gradings done by the developer/contractors, etc. Some specific factors to consider might be; where are the nearest storm drains, general slope of your neighborhood, grade of streets nearby and in front of your property, does your property border a swamp, pond or other type of lowland, nearby parking lots, etc.
Keep in mind, what may officially not be a flood plain may be a time-bomb waiting to happen because of what the developer did to the surrounding land. A good common eye-balling of the area and some common sense many times is helpful in determining a flood potential.

I have been a real estate agent for over 30 years and have NEVER given flood zone information to anyone.
One house could be in a flood zone and the house next to it might not be.
Real estate agents do not have the knowledge or background
to give out that kind of information and could be held libel for doing so.
In addition, if a person has access to the flood maps, the average homeowner would probably not fully understand them.

The factors you mention are well taken but will never serve as a way to determine
if a property has the potential for what flood insurance covers.
No one really ever knows.
Just as a sidebar, I find that many of the properties here,
although you see a noticeable swail between houses,
the ground the house sits on is so flat that the lots do not drain well.

In my adult life I have never lived anywhere without flood insurance.
Even having lived in Las Vegas which you think of as very little rain and dry, we had it.
Flash flooding can come almost out of nowhere and a homeowner's policy doesn't cover you.

Personally, I think it's very foolish not to have flood insurance,
particularly in Florida with all the rain.
In addition, in this area, I also think sinkhole insurance is a good idea.
There is no way to guess if you will ever need flood or sinkhole
protection, but you will never be sorry for having both of them.

[gomoho]

I was a REALTOR in North Carolina and our MLS listings showed the flood zone for properties so that information was readily available. We were also schooled on how to
obtain flood maps and read them - our contract included a clause that voided the contract if you could not obtain flood insurance for the property. This was a coastal town which may have made the difference.

We arrived in TV in June of 2012 and shortly after experienced a tropical storm. I was absolutely amazed how TV can so quickly and adequately move water. We are at the bottom of a slope (fortunately our home sits higher) and literally had a river flowing through the backyard to the drain that emptied within hours of the storm. When I saw the efficiency of their water movement I wondered why so many cities failed so miserably at this concept. Of course TV has the opportunity of turning on the golf course irrigation to lower the retention ponds which most cities don't have.

[bbatts]

I see that you subscribe to the idea of revealing only minimal information to your perspective buyer. This is a shameful way to deal with people and prospective clients paying you a commission for your assistance and trust. BB
__________________________________________________ ____

Originally Posted by Bonanza

I have been a real estate agent for over 30 years and have NEVER given flood zone information to anyone.
One house could be in a flood zone and the house next to it might not be.
Real estate agents do not have the knowledge or background
to give out that kind of information and could be held libel for doing so.
In addition, if a person has access to the flood maps, the average homeowner would probably not fully understand them.

The factors you mention are well taken but will never serve as a way to determine
if a property has the potential for what flood insurance covers.
No one really ever knows.
Just as a sidebar, I find that many of the properties here,
although you see a noticeable swail between houses,
the ground the house sits on is so flat that the lots do not drain well.

In my adult life I have never lived anywhere without flood insurance.
Even having lived in Las Vegas which you think of as very little rain and dry, we had it.
Flash flooding can come almost out of nowhere and a homeowner's policy doesn't cover you.

Personally, I think it's very foolish not to have flood insurance,
particularly in Florida with all the rain.
In addition, in this area, I also think sinkhole insurance is a good idea.
There is no way to guess if you will ever need flood or sinkhole
protection, but you will never be sorry for having both of them.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by bbatts

I see that you subscribe to the idea of revealing only minimal information to your perspective buyer. This is a shameful way to deal with people and prospective clients paying you a commission for your assistance and trust. BB
__________________________________________________ ____

Fortunately, you do NOT know what you are talking about and I resent your inference!

Licensed Florida agents know nothing about flood zones.
We do NOT have flood maps or any information that would give us the knowledge or authority to comment.
When owners list their property, they complete a "Sellers' Disclosure"
where they MUST divulge any defects or known issues the property may have.

Anyone who wants flood information should consult an insurance person where they will get current and accurate information.

What is "shameful" is people such as yourself, who make statements about things you know nothing about.
Some people should only open their mouth to remove their foot!

[gomoho]

Bonanza - I think the difference is in some states i.e. North Carolina we act as a buyer's agent and have a fiduciary responsibility to our client. I was very surprised when we came to Florida and my REALTOR said they didn't have buyer's agency in this state. Still basically operating on a "buyer beware" philosophy.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by gomoho

Bonanza - I think the difference is in some states i.e. North Carolina we act as a buyer's agent and have a fiduciary responsibility to our client. I was very surprised when we came to Florida and my REALTOR said they didn't have buyer's agency in this state. Still basically operating on a "buyer beware" philosophy.

Thank you for your comment. To explain further . . .

Yes, we DO have buyer's agency in this state. Was your sales person an agent or a Realtor?
I find that many Villages' agents have never worked for an MLS office and are not Realtors, so they do not abide by the Code of Ethics that Realtors must follow.
They have never worked under the structure of National Assn. of Realtors and have no clue what it's like to work in a general real estate office. They also do not compensate or cooperate with outside brokers in any way whatsoever.

Being a buyer's agent in Florida is a choice of a broker for their office, or an individual agent with a broker's permission, I assume.
I'm not really sure because I have never worked as one.

Everyone in my office is/was a transaction agent (Realtor) which is what you will find the majority of in Florida.
As a transaction agent we must treat the buyer and seller as equals with a fiduciary relationship to both.
That may surprise you if you've never been in that position, but in Florida, it has worked out well.

[jnieman]

If you are interested in purchasing flood insurance, call Mike Fisette at Allstate. They are in front of Walmart on 466 across from the villages high school. Next to Mcdonalds. the number is 352-753-4340.

[aaffmom]

Ed Delfin of Kevin McDonald's Allstate office pulled the flood maps up on his computer and showed me the property I was buying. His number is 347-9201.
I am not in a flood zone but I purchased a policy.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by aaffmom

Ed Delfin of Kevin McDonald's Allstate office pulled the flood maps up on his computer and showed me the property I was buying. His number is 347-9201.
I am not in a flood zone but I purchased a policy.

Purchasing a flood policy was a smart move on your part.
As I've said in previous remarks, it's a wise thing to do.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by gomoho

I was a REALTOR in North Carolina and our MLS listings showed the flood zone for properties so that information was readily available. We were also schooled on how to
obtain flood maps and read them - our contract included a clause that voided the contract if you could not obtain flood insurance for the property. This was a coastal town which may have made the difference.

We arrived in TV in June of 2012 and shortly after experienced a tropical storm. I was absolutely amazed how TV can so quickly and adequately move water. We are at the bottom of a slope (fortunately our home sits higher) and literally had a river flowing through the backyard to the drain that emptied within hours of the storm. When I saw the efficiency of their water movement I wondered why so many cities failed so miserably at this concept. Of course TV has the opportunity of turning on the golf course irrigation to lower the retention ponds which most cities don't have.

I attended a Weather Spotter workshop just recently presented by the National Weather Service and a Mr. Noah (???) (That IS his name and he is associated with The National Weather Service in Tampa.)He made the same statement as to how well The Villages has prepared for flood.


For those new to the area, I was astonished to see the sprinklers in the common areas come on when there was torrential rain. This is to keep the pond levels low. They can also pump water from one pond to another.


I cannot remember the number of inches that fell here in an hour three or four years ago and we had a high water area, not serious and not long, and not affecting any homes directly near Mallory.


I personally see no need for flood insurance here.




5" of Rain

[aaffmom]

http://sumtercountyfl.gov/index.aspx?NID=759

[quirky3]

Here is the flood risk summary for 32162:
Address: The Villages, FL 32162
Elevation: 6 ft
Your Flood Risk Is: High

How is my risk calculated? The flood risk indicator score is based on several factors including: flood zone, flood history, elevation and unique flooding characteristics.

Flood Losses In Your County:* $12,487,573
Average Claim In Your County:* $11,190
Flood Claims In Your County:* 1116
Active Policies' + In Your County:' + 143033

FloodTools.com - Map My Risk

[jnieman]

Personally I think a person should purchase flood insurance if they would feel better having it. I think even though the Villages does an excellent job of draining the water to prevent flooding, there is always the possibility based on the position of your home. While we live at the top of a hill and don't feel the need to buy flood insurance, the people who live at the bottom of the hill may want to. Sometimes it rains really, really hard and the water pours down the hill behind our house like a small river and I've always thought if I lived at the bottom of the hill I would purchase flood insurance.