By Matt Warren, MLS Director, Columbus REALTORS®
Flood zones are geographic areas that FEMA has defined according to varying levels of flood risk. Each zone reflects the severity or type of flooding in the area. In real estate, lenders require flood insurance if the house or structures (or in some cases lot boundaries) are in a flood zone. It is wise to check the coverage of the policy to determine what is covered by the insurance. Most residential loans you will have a “flood zone determination” or “certification”. This verifies that the lender has gotten an official certification that the real estate is in a particular flood zone.
Caution: You are not a flood zone expert
The official “flood zone certification” is a fee-based service that is typically ordered by the lender. There are separate requirements for FHA loans vs. Conventional loans that may change the requirement for flood insurance for a given property.
There are serious hazards to making “definitive statements” flood zones. FEMA flood maps are periodically updated, and map overlays may not have the most recent version. Appraisers offer “flood checks” (not certifications) based on the best information available to them, which they must document.
There are several ways to determine the “expected” or “most likely” flood zone for a property. The following gives a basic overview of steps to determine the flood zone based on FEMA maps. It is good practice to verify the flood zone on multiple systems but never infer any “certification” of flood insurance requirements. Remember: you are not (and don’t want to be) the flood zone “expert”. That’s the purpose of the “flood zone certification” ordered by the lender. Below are three different ways to verify flood zone. The maps will display the flood zone overlay.
Always offer the disclaimer: “I’m estimating flood zone based upon FEMA maps.”
Determining the Flood Zone in MLS
Create a new MLS Search. (Menu > Search > Quick Search) Click on the Overlays button on the top right corner of the map. Click Overlays at the top right corner of the map and select the Flood Zones. When you zoom into a property / listing you will see labels that get assigned to the flood zones. In the picture below the labels are AE and A. To know what the labels stand for, click the Map Layer Legend button (blue square icon) on the bottom right as shown in the picture below. The Map Layer Legend will display within the map with a brief definition of the flood zones.
Determining the Flood Zone in Realist
Go to Realist from within MLS (Menu > Taxes > Realist Tax Search) Use Quick Search or My Search to view properties on the map. Click boundaries button at the top left corner the map. Select Flood Zone. The map screen displays the flood zones. On the bottom bar of the map, there is a legend identifying the flood zone colors. Press the “CTRL” button on your keyboard and click on any color to see the Flood Zone data including Panel, Code, and Date.
Determining the Flood Zone in RPR
Open RPR from within MLS. (MLS > Search > RPR) View any search results. Click the button labeled “Bigger Map” at the bottom right of the mini map. Select Flood Zones in the “Select an indicator” drop-down in the HEATMAPS section at the bottom right corner of the bigger map. The legend for the flood zone colors will appear directly below the indicator selection box. The map displays the flood zones. Simply match the colors to the Legend in the HEATMAPS section at the bottom right corner (shown above).
MLS Software Operations Report
MLS Committee—Aug. 12, 2020
Livestream Open House: Virtual Open House Label Change Our MLS Vendor, FBS, has changed the label, not the functionality on the Open House screen. The option for “Virtual Open Houses” was added in April 2020 The term “virtual” Open House caused confusion since “virtual tour” is a pre-recorded video. Members sometimes make the assumption that “virtual open house” is also pre-recorded. The change is intended to clarify that “Livestream” open houses are NOT pre-recorded when entering an open house that is NOT “In-Person” When “Livestream” is selected, instructions appear directly below the “Link URL” field reminding members that Livestream Open Houses are live and not pre-recorded. MLS Policy Violation Hotline Created – July 14 New telephone number: (614) 528-1135 The new phone number and voicemail are in addition to the existing email:[email protected]Hotline can be used to report Clear Cooperation violations for any MLS policy violation. Reports can be anonymous, but must give detailed information about the potential violation so it can be researched thoroughly. Additional information about any violation can be submitted by email. Name of the person who reported a violation will not be disclosed, regardless of using the hotline or email.
