#home values

[unitedstatesrei]

Devastating Texas Floods Expose Failures, Real Estate at Risk

Key Takeaways Insurance costs are skyrocketing in flood-prone areas, directly impacting cap rates and resale values. Resilient development, including elevated homes and floodproof materials, may offer new ROI paths. Floodplain zoning and emergency alert reform could redefine property values in Texas and beyond. Texas Floods Cause Heartbreaking Losses, Broken Infrastructure Central and South Texas, especially the Hill Country, were hit by catastrophic flash floods over the July 4 weekend. The Guadalupe River rose to record-breaking levels, overwhelmed by torrential rainfall up to 20 inches in some areas in just hours. The flash flood emergency claimed at least 134 lives and left more than 100 missing. Entire RV communities and trailer parks were wiped out, many with no flood insurance. Systemic Failure in Flood Preparedness Kerr County did not adopt a comprehensive flood alert system, citing cost concerns. That failure delayed warnings. Firefighters reportedly requested alerts nearly 90 minutes before any were sent. Texas faces a multibillion-dollar backlog in flood-mitigation projects. Delays in funding and implementation have left entire communities exposed and without warning systems that could have saved lives. Communities Rally, But Housing Recovery Remains Fragile Local schools, nonprofits, volunteers, and organizations mobilized quickly, setting up supply hubs, distributing meals, and raising relief funds. Yet FEMA approvals lag. Many residents, especially those in RV parks and trailers, remain unprotected. More than 38,600 residential properties fall within the affected flood zone, with tens of thousands already damaged or destroyed. Recovery will take years, and much of it will depend on the state and local government's ability to coordinate funding and rebuild infrastructure quickly. Climate Crisis Upends Risk Perception Extreme rainfall events are intensifying, making Texas's Flash Flood Alley one of the most dangerous regions in the country. Texas has already faced over $300 billion in weather-related economic losses since 1980. This flood alone may add another 18 to 22 billion. Real estate markets in flood-prone zones are seeing rising insurance premiums and stricter underwriting. This increases the cost of ownership and lowers property values. What This Means for Texas Real Estate Investors Insurance and Valuation Pressure Homebuyers and renters now expect flood risk to be disclosed. At the same time, insurance premiums are rising, and underwriting is becoming restricted. Properties in affected zones may require steep price cuts to move. Investors must now factor in climate resilience and insurance readiness when valuing assets. Opportunity for Resilient Development Areas without modern warning systems or elevated building standards will face scrutiny. Investors who prioritize resilient design, floodproof construction, and smart infrastructure have the chance to lead market transformation. Retrofitting homes with water-resistant materials or elevating foundations may become the new standard. Portfolio Risk: Diversification Is Vital Investors holding multiple properties in high-flood zones now carry outsized risk. Diversifying property types and geographic exposure helps hedge against localized disasters. Climate risk is now a financial risk. Policy Advocacy and Community Resilience Public policy around zoning, insurance, infrastructure funding, and early warning systems will shape market outcomes. Real estate professionals must engage with policy leaders to advocate for effective reform and proactive planning. Aligning with resilience-focused initiatives can both reduce risk and create long-term investment upside. Stories from the Flood Maria, a retiree living in an RV park near the Guadalupe River, saw her trailer vanish in the early hours of July 4. She had no flood insurance and lost everything. Today, she helps other survivors clean debris and rebuild. At Camp Mystic, counselors rushed to evacuate children during the flood.

Some cabins were submerged before anyone could escape. More than a dozen young campers died. The tragedy has forced a reassessment of safety protocols for camps and seasonal rentals along the river. Lucas Brake and his wife survived the flood but lost both his parents, whose riverside cabin was washed away. Their son spent days searching the wreckage for their bodies. Their story now serves as a rallying cry for early alerts and better planning. Insurance Wars: Homeowners and Investors Feel Burned in Disaster Zones In disaster-prone areas like Texas, Florida, and California, the once-stable triangle of homeowner, investor, and insurer is crumbling fast. As natural catastrophes grow more frequent and more severe, the tension between property owners and insurance companies is boiling over. Many people across the United States now view the insurance industry as one of the biggest scams in the country. Premiums are jumping. Deductibles are climbing. And worst of all, when the flood or fire hits and everything is gone, the payout often doesn’t come close to what was lost. After the July 4 floods in Kerrville, families and landlords reported denied claims, delayed checks, or hidden exclusions they didn’t know existed until after the damage. Some investors who faithfully paid into their policies were shocked to learn their homes were now labeled “uninsurable” because they were too close to rivers or located on outdated flood maps. Others were dropped from coverage altogether. Insurance companies, protected by deep legal teams and complex risk models, are using fine print and policy traps to avoid paying out when it matters most. This has turned into a full-blown trust crisis. Homeowners feel betrayed. Investors feel robbed. And many are wondering if insurance is even worth it anymore. Some are starting to bypass the system completely. Instead of relying on traditional carriers, they’re building private reserve funds, exploring risk-pooling networks, or structuring portfolios to absorb potential losses without the middleman. Because here's the new truth no one wants to admit: if you can't get affordable and reliable coverage, your profit is already gone. The math doesn’t work. The system is failing. Unless something changes fast, the insurance industry may become the next major disruptor of long-term investment strategy in disaster zones. Assessment Real estate investors must reevaluate flood-exposed assets and adjust valuations to reflect increased risk. Properties in vulnerable zones face depreciation, lower rental demand, and limited insurability. Flood resilience now presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Investors who act early can lead the way in modernizing housing stock and reshaping regional growth. Policy engagement is no longer optional. The private sector must help drive the development of smarter infrastructure, faster response systems, and sustainable zoning reforms. The Texas floods are a clear warning. Investors who ignore the mounting evidence of climate-related risk do so at their own peril.

[lk-freelance]

Brick & Mortar: April 2025 Real Estate Market Snapshot

This infographic provides a comprehensive overview of the U.S. real estate market as of April 2025. It highlights key metrics including home values, existing home sales, inventory levels, rate lock-in trends, mortgage rates, and rental market changes. With home values rising modestly and inventory reaching post-2007 highs, the market is showing signs of cautious recovery. Meanwhile, rate lock-in…

[crratbc]

The brief’s key findings are:

From 2019 to 2022, the National Retirement Risk Index improved substantially, dropping from 47 percent to 39 percent.

Weathering the pandemic turmoil, households were buoyed by government stimulus, strong employment, and rising asset markets.

The single biggest factor driving the improvement was soaring home values.

Though these results are encouraging, most people do not tap their home equity in retirement and prices may not stay at such high levels.

Importantly, even with what may be a temporary improvement, the NRRI shows that 2 in 5 of today’s working households could fall short.

[noodles-and-tea]

Twins in time au.... Would Fiddleford act as a sort of father figure to Stan? Since Filbrick obviously SUCKED to both Stan and Ford and Fidd is more than definitely missing HIS son, and of course Ford has grown to love him but they're still BROTHERS.. Maybe they could act as the father/son the other is missing?

ABSOLUTELY!!!!

[skopostheorie]

Like actually in general my parents never just. bought me video games unprompted. I listen to Scott the Woz talk about his parents buying him games and Nintendo Power subscriptions just for no reason and I'm like. ?????? Families do that?

[umblrspectrum]

infinitely funnier visuals in my head, likely because they werent subject to my actual skill level in art

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Who is this sassy lost child?

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[mariewaltonrealtor]

Is That Estimated Home Value Worth Anything?

Is That Estimated Home Value Worth Anything? A simple internet search will tell you what a home is worth. Or will it?

[thatgentlewife]

[inthiskingdomwewillendure]

Thorins Farewell 4k

[republicansaretheproblem]

😏

[unitedstatesrei]

Houston Flood Zones Slash Home Values 18%, Buyers Pause

FEMA Flood Maps Create Stark Value Divisions Across Harris County PropertiesInvisible lines from federal flood mapping now cut through Harris County's real estate, sharply dividing property values. Neighbors can see dramatic wealth differences with properties just feet apart.Homes within FEMA's 100-year floodplains face an 18% drop in value. Meanwhile, nearby homes outside these zones keep their full market price. This makes buyers wary of flood-zone properties.Real estate sales in flood areas often drag on as buyers carefully check insurance requirements and lender restrictions. Market activity slows significantly for homes marked with federal flood zone designations.A looming expansion threatens to add thousands more Harris County properties to high-risk categories by early 2025. Updated maps will stretch flood zones from 150,000 to almost 200,000 acres. Properties within the floodway face the strictest regulations as this zone closest to water bodies is heavily regulated by city or county authorities.Reclassification from new maps will suddenly require insurance for homeowners previously unaffected. Mortgage lenders will demand flood insurance on properties entering risk zones, changing neighborhood market dynamics.New 2025 Disclosure Laws Force Transparency in High-Risk Neighborhood SalesStarting January 1, 2025, new disclosure laws will eliminate the secrecy previously surrounding flood-damaged properties in Texas. Sellers must disclose if properties have experienced flooding or if flood damage insurance claims have been made.Properties in 100-year or 500-year floodplains, floodways, flood pools, or reservoirs now require mandatory disclosure. Real estate agents face increased liability, with potential legal consequences for not advising proper flood risk inquiries.The case *Calhoun v. I-20 Team Real Estate, LLC* highlights these risks.Beyond homeowners, landlords must also inform tenants of flood hazards affecting rental properties. One-third of flood insurance claims occur in low to moderate risk areas, demonstrating that flooding can happen anywhere regardless of official risk designations.Buyers gain enhanced awareness through required disclosure of drainage issues and flood insurance histories. Legal experts anticipate these transparency mandates will further disrupt markets, following 2019 laws that led to a 4.2% price drop in 500-year flood zones.Concealing flood-related information now poses serious ethical violations and legal penalties for professionals in the industry.Home Elevation Emerges as Critical Strategy to Protect Investment ValueHow can Houston homeowners salvage their property investments when flood zones continue to devastate real estate values across the region?Home elevation has emerged as one of the most effective flood resilience strategies available to property owners facing the relentless threat of flooding.The practice involves raising house foundations above FEMA base flood elevations. This provides essential investment protection against future disasters.Benefit CategoryFinancial ImpactTimelineInsurance PremiumsReduced ratesImmediateProperty ValueMaintained/increased1-2 yearsDamage PreventionAvoided repair costsPer flood eventMarket AppealFaster salesOngoingNew Houston regulations mandate elevation 24 inches above 500-year flood levels. This replaces the weaker 18-inch requirements above 100-year floods.Elevated homes show measurable resilience against the 18% average value decline plaguing Houston flood zones. Properties using pier and beam foundations with proper elevation maintain competitive positioning.These homes stand strong despite widespread market hesitancy surrounding flood-prone areas.Insurance Costs and Extended Market Times Reshape Buyer Decision-MakingProperty elevation strategies alone cannot shield Houston homeowners from the cascading financial pressures reshaping the local real estate market.Flood insurance premiums averaging $1,500 to $2,000 annually now force buyers into extensive insurance comparisons before committing to purchases.

Properties in FEMA-designated high-risk zones experience extended market times as potential buyers hesitate over mandatory insurance requirements and perceived flooding risks.Buyer hesitance intensifies when flood insurance estimates arrive, leading many deals to pause or collapse entirely.The thorough cost evaluation includes recurring insurance expenses alongside traditional homeownership costs, making flood-prone properties notably less attractive.Market data reveals properties in designated flood zones remain unsold longer than comparable non-flood zone homes.Extended listing periods create downward pressure on prices as sellers reduce asking amounts to compensate for insurance burdens.FEMA flood zone classifications directly influence buyer confidence levels.Zone D uncertainty creates prolonged decision timelines.Rising premiums tighten lending requirements, while private insurance markets offer limited relief at higher costs, fundamentally altering Houston's real estate dynamics.AssessmentHouston's flood zone crisis represents a fundamental shift in real estate dynamics. FEMA designations now dictate property values with mathematical precision.The 18% decrease in value signals a permanent change in risk assessment for America's fourth-largest city.Mandatory disclosure laws eliminate decades of information asymmetry. They force unprecedented transparency in flood-prone markets.Elevation strategies and insurance calculations have become survival mechanisms. In this investment environment, water determines wealth.

[uncanny-tranny]

I think it's incredibly important to remind folks on testosterone or folks who want to reverse patterned baldness about their options, but man, does it sometimes suck wondering how much of our insecurities about our hair stem from backwards beliefs that to strive towards beauty is not only preferable but "makes you good."

As someone with a rather masculinized body pre-medical transition, patterned baldness has always seemed neutral. Hair is incredibly important (hell, much of my own energy is spent on my hair because I like it), but the pressure to have hair, to have hair the "right way" is something that I absolutely loathe.

I'm not here to judge people who don't want patterned hair loss or baldness, I'm here to say that those traits will never make you lesser. Not only is it neutral, but it is also just as worthy and beautiful.

[sadieejanee]

[krispykreme1997]

being angry at fictional teenagers for having the emotional maturity of teenagers is very stupid in my opinion.

[that-starlit-wanderer]

Every time I see anti-immigration leftists on here (or see how attractive Trump's rhetoric is to "left behind" workers) I have to remind myself that they're operating in a long and odious tradition