Home owners insurance

[Wrightwood]

Here's the SB County West end

[thehallmarks]

Thanks so much for the info everyone, I am still working on my coverage, I have an elevation cert but it is outdated.

Why the short life on the cert?

 I wasn't aware that elevation certificates had an expiration date--a "shelf--life" if you will?

I can understand a lender wanting a new certificate in the name of the new owner [buyer].

[Surfer_Dude]

It does, but FEMA said I didn't need a new one for a map amendment.  That is what I am working on now.

[snwbnny]

So if part of the yard is in the flood zone and the house is not, is flood insurance usually required?

[Stitches]

OMG, how in the world can you tell that a "sliver" of your piece of property is "in the zone" from the attached maps.  I can make out houses but certainly not property lines.

Doesn't look like my property is in this zone but my goodness how the water races down the street during a downpour is frightening.    Almost like the drops are all racing towards the wash.

[snwbnny]

OMG, how in the world can you tell that a "sliver" of your piece of property is "in the zone" from the attached maps.  I can make out houses but certainly not property lines.

I cut the flood map to only the size of my tract map and I made my parcel map (showing my tract) the same size as the flood map. Then tried to overlay them to get an idea of where the flood line actually came. When it's all blown up, just the darker blue edge and a small slice of faded blue of Zone A is in my property - in the very far backyard. On our neighborhood you can barely make out the houses on the flood map - I think the roofs blend in too much with the trees.

[RennMan]

Well, in our case, we had to have an elevation certificate for the flood insurance.  From the certificate we got the information that the yard was affected, but not the residence itself.

Because insurance covers the property and "improvements" (i.e. the house) we have to carry flood insurance.

[BikingBrian]

So if part of the yard is in the flood zone and the house is not, is flood insurance usually required?

That was the case for my last property, and the lender required it.

[Wrightwood]

If you look at the 1976 flood map prepared by the State of California you'll notice a striking resemblance.


(Click on photo to enlarge)

[thehallmarks]

It does, but FEMA said I didn't need a new one for a map amendment.  That is what I am working on now.

Did you find out why and who stated the elevation expires if you still own the home and haven't changed the "footprint" of the structure.

I would think that a map amendment might require a certificate if you did not have one and the amendment affected your property!

[angelwolf326]

So, why all of a sudden to they change the flood zone?  there has been no floods in this area?

[Surfer_Dude]

Did you find out why and who stated the elevation expires if you still own the home and haven't changed the "footprint" of the structure.

I would think that a map amendment might require a certificate if you did not have one and the amendment affected your property!

Thanks Hank, I do have a elevation report.
The map amendment I am talking about is called a LOMA, it is a single residence amendment that will take my house out of the A zone. 
Because of emphatic language on my elevation report of the impossibility of my house flooding by the surveyor, I believe FEMA may see the rationale to remove my property (because they're being a rationale entity ).  I will get back on their findings in about 60days.
Removing my property is more than about an insurance issue, it is also a resale issue.

[BikingBrian]

Don't get your hopes up too high - for my old property (of which only a portion was in the flood zone) I had similar emphatic language about the impossibility of my house flooding, but I was not able to secure a LOMA.  For my new property (across the street from the old one) I didn't bother going through the LOMA process.  But I still paid for an elevation certificate, which was still very useful in reducing flood insurance premiums - in my case it paid for itself in the first year.