Add Natural Events To The Meanings Of “Location”

A second earthquake in Oklahoma. Blizzards. Hurricanes. Floods. Tornadoes. Fires. These events lead to several questions to ask about the location of property.

When was the last event?

How serious was the impact?

What is the frequency?

Was there an immediate and effective government response?

Can the property be insured?

Every region has risk of natural disasters. Not that there were not passes during those two years of eight hurricanes affecting Florida, but Ocala was not on the historic map of storms paths that crossed the state during the years tracked then by the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Also, how far away should a location be from major bodies of water and rivers to avoid threats like tsunamis. One of the details in a survey is the height above sea level.

In Florida, is the property on the ridge - that spine of higher land elevations that extends down the center of the peninsula?   

Does the property has underground wiring - another benefit?  Find out if the electric utility serving the address has a weatherization program – trimming trees near overhead power lines, installing concrete poles, replacing older wooden ones.

There are benefits of grading. See if  rain water flows to retention areas – another good thing about location not always considered by buyers, but they should.

Bottom line: when looking for property to buy, do some research into weather patterns and look into the track record of local utilities.