Stream Running Underneath a House. Unbelievable!

Written by:
Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, Broker
Keller Williams Realty
Phone: 919.454.8864
Email: darleen@darleenmc.com

Do You Know...

What Was on Your Property Before You Owned It?

I would venture to say that many of us do not know what existed on our property before lived there. Do you?

A friend and I were chatting yesterday about real estate and things that sometimes go wrong (and they unfortunately, they do!) - and she reminded me of the following TRUE STORY.

A couple built a home in a new subdivision - but had no idea that a stream had originally run through the neighborhood, which for years was wooded before development began in the area.

This couple noticed problems with their floors, and when a contractor came out, they found water running beneath their home!

After checking with residents in a nearby neighborhood, the couple soon learned that the developer had filled the stream with dirt to build the community!

I'm no engineer, but I'm thinking that this would not work!

I'm not quite sure how they were able to obtain permits to build on the property but it did happen.

Yes, this sounds very bizarre - but Folks, I assure you that I'm NOT making this stuff up!

I know...I know...I write about the weirdest real estate-related stories (such as Hot Water in the Toilet). I learn about these things because people just enjoy talking to me - and I to them. (Maybe one day, I'll collect these stories and write a book!)

I also love real estate. And I love to listen to anything about real estate. And believe me, my friends, family, and clients share freely about some of the most unbelievable stories they've experienced personally or that their friends have experienced.

There's always a lesson to every story...

and

The Moral of This Story Is:

Know what was on the property before you lived there!

If you're working with a REALTOR®, then s/he should be able to find this information for you.

If you are not working with a REALTOR®, then you should contact your local Planning and ask to see a copy of the neighborhood plans - and what was there before the development began. They should have an aerial picture of what was there before - and the planned community. Also, check out this Website: TerraServer.com. Google Earth may have historic satellite images, as well.

For the record, I thought this story was a tad bit odd so I asked my friend for the street address and went to TerraServer and looked at the historic photos of the area. There does appear to be water in the satellite photograph.

I also conducted a quick search on the Internet to see if this may have happened to anyone else. I did find one instance of someone having a stream running underneath their home:

Stream Running Under House

That's my tip for the day....

What are yours?