Real Estate Vocabulary

Water Table- The depth underground of the natural waters as measured from the surface.

In other words, low water table: Good.  High water table: Bad. 

I’ll never forget one day when I came home after a few days of rain and went into my basement and saw about 3 feet of standing water. I was amazed. The sump pump had broken, and I had been flooded.  My first lesson in high water tables.  While many homes which have poor grading might get some basement water after a tremendous storm, there is little that can be done about a high water table.

The Hamilton Twp. and Washington Twp. areas (not all) of Mercer County are known for high water tables, so be careful when buying your home. Years ago, a section of Hamilton was known as The Great Bear Swamp. Enough said.

The best place to inspect for water problems are the basement. Look for:

1. Water stains on the walls.

2. Water stains on the stairs.

3. Water stains near appliances, or appliances on blocks.

4. Peeling floor or wall paint in basement.

5. Check the Seller’s Disclosure. If you don’t believe them, ask them directly.

6. Check the rear yard. Is it extremely spongy?  There are probably water retention issues, and runoff or grading issues.

7. If possible, inspect the home / tour the home after a big rain.

8. Homes with no sump pumps typically have no water  issues.

9. Always get a home inspection, especially if you suspect any issues with water.

10. If there is a stream, or a body of water nearby, be especially careful.  The designation of a flood zone does not mean a home does or does not have water problems.

Trust your instincts.

Do You Have a Coach?

My first coach of any kind was my dad. He coached me in baseball, basketball and soccer,  and though he didnt know back then what coaches know today, he was a great coach for me. The two things he ingrained in me were to:

1. Visualize the end result (maybe he was a bit ahead of his time).

2. Have a positive attitude.

Dad knew me best and he was my best coach. To this day, many old friends ask about Dad and tell me what a great coach he was. They usually follow it up with a story about how he helped them.  What a great memory for me, as Dad passed away in 1994.

30+ years and many coaches later, I no longer play sports, but I still need a coach.

Enter Bev.  Bev has been my business coach for a few months now, and has made a tremendous difference in how I view my business, past clients, marketing and so forth. Her resources are a big investment, but she is certainly worth it. One of my strengths is that even after 24 years in this always changing, always challenging business, I want to get better. That’s why I hired Bev.

Who is your coach?