Is My House In a Flood Zone?

I have relatives that live close to Nashville, TN and the flooding that occurred last spring reminded me how important flood insurance is even if you are not in a flood zone.  The above link (accessed by clicking on this blogs title) is a useful tool in determining if your home is presently in a flood zone as well as a graphic of the Flood Risk Meter that will assess the risk for flooding.  This information is useful for your current home to determine if the flood zone status has changed since you  purchased the home.  This is vital information if you are considering refinancing, for if the home has been moved into a flood zone you will now be required to purchase a flood insurance policy.  A flood policy will dramatically increase the overall cost of insuring the home.  The site can also be used if you are considering moving to a new area to determine if the location of the new home will be subject to the purchase of a flood insurance policy.  I recommend obtaining this flood zone determination in order to have all the information needed prior to making an offer on a home.   No one likes surprises, especially if it is an increase cost of insurance.