a '79 Kind of Flood

And we await.  As Alf Warkentin says: "The moment of truth is upon us".  It sounds very doomsday doesn't it?

 The general worry and fear that flood is upon us can be unavoidable.  For those living south of the perimeter close to the United States we are sure your worry is greater than ours up here in Winnipeg's windy corridors.  General concerns in the city here have centered around ice covered manholes and sewers that are not draining and therefore create large lakes of water in the city.  As well, accumulation of water from rain, melting snow and ice means our backyards and streets are a slushy yucky mess.  I don't know about the rest of you but I have a sincere appreciation for my sump pump right now!

 Thankfully I even have a sump pump to be appreciative of!  What if I didn't?  What if I didn't have one and it resulted in basement flooding?

Hmmm... a double pain I would say.  For one, flooding creates a mess, things have to replaced, torn down, rebuilt...etc.  Number two is once you have water issues in your basement, this is something you will always have to disclose if you intend to sell your home.

 Disclosure has always been a hot topic in real estate.  The term "Caveat Emptor" or, 'Let the Buyer Beware' is a common term (or should be!) for sellers and buyers alike because it holds a lot of truth.  There are simply some things about a property that the seller may not know or have any control over.  So how can that be disclosed?  Of course it can't, but things that the seller is aware of can and must be disclosed, things like water in the basement, leaky roofs, permits not taken out on work completed.  It is a bit involved but the basic rule is that if there is a defect in your home that you are aware of... just disclose it!  You cannot cover up defects and hide them if you know about them.  If there is a defect in your home that you are aware of and you cover it up and not disclose it, then the buyer discovers it... you might be in some trouble with that one...! Also, if it is something that a buyer could see readily with their naked eye, like a broken window, then that doesn't necessarily need to be pointed out.  However, since flooding is a huge thing... even if you had water stains halfway up your basement wall I would make a point of telling your Realtor about it, why not be safe?  It is kind of like sandbagging yourself and liability against further issues.

 So as spring decends almost too rapidly for us here in the Prairies we Realtors can only ask that you keep yourselves high and dry, and help out the neighbours and those to the south who need it.  If your basement floods, make note of it and prepare to disclose that fact in an eventual sale.