Housing Flood Risk Disclosure Needed in Virginia

Snapshot: Virginia is a “buyer beware” state on flood risk: its up to you as a buyer or renter to find our if you’re in a flood plain at higher flood risk. Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler in Virginia wants to change that with a bill that requires buyers or renters to be told if their residence is in a flood plain. Not full disclosure including past flood losses to the property, but a major first step.

Background: In southeastern Virginia, we have a large transient population of military coming and going on assignment. We also have the highest rate of sea level rise on the east coast and our rainfall intensity has increased significantly. What’s missing in Virginia is a requirement that people looking to buy or rent here be informed about the flood risk before they move in. For natives and non-natives alike this is a problem.

Some of us tried to change that a few years ago but the developers ganged up and substituted a “buyer beware” provision where the buyer made no stipulation on flood risk, putting the burden on the buyer/renter to: “exercise whatever due diligence they deem necessary” to find out the flood risk.

Thanks so much for that.

Delegate Convirs-Flowler, a realtor who works with military families on relocation to our area, wants to do better. She has a bill, HB 858, (http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+HB858 )that would require that sellers and landlords provide written disclosure if the property they are selling or leasing is in the flood plain. How simple is that?

There are 21 states without flooding disclosure laws, including Virginia. Convirs-Fowler wants to change that.

So should every Virginian who owns or rents.