Flood Mapping & Picking Up the Pieces

With the recent Nashville flooding, many people want to know whether or not their home is in a floodplain. Although most homeowners know this information since mortgage companies require flood insurance if in a 100-year floodplain, there are many homeowners who just have no idea.

It isn't altogether surprising that someone wouldn't know if their home was in a floodplain. Flood maps are redrawn over the years and if you paid cash for your home, or if you have paid off your mortgage, there would be no imposed flood insurance requirement. In fact, did you know that FEMA has been working with Nashville officials since October to redraw current flood maps?

If you want to know if your home is in a floodplain or floodway, this handy website lets you enter your address and find out!

Move it along people, nothing to see here...

For families hit hard with the recent flooding, Nashville officials are trying to make it a bit easier by eliminating in-person requirements to apply for permits and waiving permit fees for flood damage up to $100,000. The caveat to this is, of course, whether or not the city will allow you to start rebuilding. Those located within the floodway, or those homes that have sustained damage more than 50% of their appraised value, may not yet be approved for rebuilding. According to the city's permit flyer, however, this only affects 198 homes.

Much more information concerning applying for building permits can be found here.

Blogging Day 1: Feeling Ambitious!

Yes, folks, this is indeed my inaugural blog entry. 

Although I've made an executive decision (yes, I realize I'm the only executive of this blog), that I'll post mainly on goings-on in the Nashville real estate market, I've decided to keep this blog particularly light - it being my first and all.

You know, the whole blogging experience is, to me, not completely unlike eating my first oyster. Growing up, my grandfather would ensure that each Thanksgiving the oysters were as plentiful as the giblet gravy. I remember looking at the slimy little thing, thinking to myself, "I don't know if this is such a good idea." There was something about the oyster that required convincing before I finally came around to trying it. 

Similar to blogging, oysters required a fair amount of preparation: My cousins would babysit them as they sat on the grill while carefully preparing concoctions from whatever condiments could be scrounged from the refrigerator. Blogging requires quite a bit of forethought, research and time! What topics should I blog about? What are people really interested in? What are the pertinent issues facing Nashvillians when making real estate decisions? Where can I find the most accurate, up-to-date research and what can I say here that people haven't heard elsewhere?

So just as I mulled about before finally taking the plunge and trying my first oyster, I have decided that NOW is the proper time to take the plunge into blogging: right as I transition from part-time Realtor to full-time Realtor. I hope you find the information I choose to write about both informational and interesting and I always welcome comments and suggestions for future blogs. Please follow my blog and check back often for current updates! Like I said, I'm feeling ambitious!

And speaking of oysters, there are some oyster-related activities around Nashville, too!

* Oyster Easter is the largest annual fundraiser for the Community Resource Center, held each year the day before Easter.

* The 3rd Annual Merrell Oyster Racing Series: The Ultimate Urban Adventure Race is being held in Nashville on October 23, 2010. Similar to The Amazing Race, teams are kept in the dark about the course and obstacles until they come upon them, knowing only they will have to run and bike at some point during the race!

* Looking for the perfect oyster? You better get out there! Due to the recent BP oil spill, some estimate prices of oysters could double in the next two to three weeks!