If you’ve ever lived with a shower-hog (namely a teenage daughter), you know that shower time can last forever –what are they doing in there anyway? They run out of HOT water singing songs, day dreaming, “lather, rinse repeat…”and when they get INTO HOT water with the rest of the family, it doesn’t even seem to faze them…
“Shower hogs” don’t think very much about water.
But, Home Buyers in Red Feather Lakes and Livermore, Colorado think a lot about water and ask a lot of questions, like:
“Is it a private well or a community well?”
“What is a cistern? “
“How old is the pump?”
“How much water does the well produce?”
“Is that enough water for my family?” That’s a trick question – how many shower hogs will live there?
“What is the water quality?”
“Can I water my horses?”
“What do you mean it’s not registered?”
“How many gallons does the well casing hold?”
If the property is vacant land: “How much does it cost to drill a well?” “What is the average depth of wells around here?” Or “how does the Community Water System work? “
I can answer about half of these questions but others need to be answered by a licensed pump installer or water well driller, by obtaining a well pump test and/or a water quality test on an existing well.
For starters, when there is an existing well, we can find the permit and initial test report as filed with the State Engineer’s Office/Department of Water Resources on their website. For buyers, this affirms that 1) the well was permitted, 2) The well depth, 3) the initial pump rate and 4) if the well is for household use only or if other uses are allowed. All good things to know!
And it’s usually quite easy to get a copy of the well permit and test report unless the well hasn’t been transferred into the current owner’s name...
Most buyers don’t know that when a property with a Well is sold in Colorado, a Change of Ownership should be submitted to the Department of Water Resources. There is no fee to transfer the well into your name.
Water Tips for the Day:
Ask a lot of questions about the water so that you can make an informed decision when purchasing property.
and
When you are the purchaser and if you have a well; make sure the well is transferred into your name. Your agent and/or the Title Company will have the form at closing.
and
You don’t have to lather, rinse and repeat – once is usually enough, but then you probably already knew that.
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Mary Douglas, your Mountain Broker-Associate and REALTOR®
United Country Ponderosa Realty, Red Feather Lakes, CO
www.marydouglas-redfeatherlakes.net
800-531-2195
“A Day in the Mountains will always soothe your city soul”
I specialize in the Red Feather Lakes area, Crystal Lakes and Glacier View Meadows Subdivisions, if you are interested in buying or selling your mountain home, please give me a call, I’m here to help you.
The information contained in Mary’s blog is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and the opinions and views expressed in these articles are solely those of the author.
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