San Francisco Real Estate and landfill
A reader asks:I have heard there are different areas of the city are made of landfill. What are the concerns with buying in these areas?
Our reply:
Entire neighborhoods of the city such as the Marina and Hunters Point sit on man made landfill (made up of mud, sand, and rubble from past earthquakes) were created when flatland became scarce. Unfortunately, such land tends to be unstable during earthquakes. As a result, the liquefaction during earthquakes causes extensive damage to property built upon it, as was evidenced in the Marina district during the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.
In an earlier article (June 19, 2006) we talked about earthquakes, and included a link to the USGS website showing the different areas of the City and the types of soil in each.
When buying a property in areas that are built on landfill it is important to consult with a structural engineer. They will be able to inspect the property and give you their opinion of the structural integrity of your home. Remember that this is usually the largest purchase you will ever make and it is important to understand protential risk in relationship to earthquakes. Your real estate agent should give you a booklet (one of the requriements when we meet with a client) which explains basic structural components of a property which may compromise it's stability in an earthquake and what can be done to retrofit a property to help reinforce it to minimize the damage in an earthquake.
You can purchase earthquake insurance for a home but the deductible can be 15-20%. In the case of a condominium you should see if the homeowner's association has a master policy that includes earthquake insurance. Even if they do, you should also purchase a homeowner's policy to cover your contents.
- Janis Stone
posted by SFResidence.com @ 8:14 AM
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