Investigative reporter with the Houston Chronicle, Yilun Cheng, has spent countless hours diving into the intersection of real estate and flooding.
"We found out that since Harvey, there have been at least 65-thousand new properties built inside FEMA flood plains that were newly developed. So, of course, people find themselves buying into brand new neighborhoods only to realize later that their homes are vulnerable to chronic flooding," Cheng said.
To keep homebuyers informed, HAR worked with data researchers at Texas A&M to develop Buyers Aware, a tool that would estimate a property's flood risk. That information was supposed to be added directly to property listings, but after two years of work, a unanimous vote by HAR's board changed that.
"Ultimately, we decided to not put the information immediately on each listing, that was the determination, but to provide it somewhere, and not only Buyers Aware but the others," HAR boardmember Bill Baldwinsaid.
Baldwin said he likes the Buyers Aware tool, and it's still available on the HAR flood web page alongside other flood risk resources.
Throughout 2025, the HAR board sent several Buyers Aware test products out to its members, but Baldwin said they could not get the majority of members behind the decision to add flood risk to listings.
Baldwin said some members worried that highlighting one flood risk estimate and not others could negatively impact listings.
"Providing the consumer with the most information was really our goal. The way we were heading, one bit of information was weighing heavier than others," Baldwin said.
The A&M team behind Buyers Aware did not make themselves available to talk to ABC13, but told the Houston Chronicle the change of mind came out of nowhere.
Texas law requires home sellers to disclose if a home has flooded before, but Houston realtor David Batagower said there are still a few things to keep your eyes open for at a house showing.
"We're looking for potentially, in the garage, water lines. Sometimes, that can obviously be a direct indicator that a property has had prior flooding," Batagower said.
Batagower said if your realtor doesn't bring it up, ask if the home is in a flood zone, flood plain, or if the seller has disclosed any flooding history. You can also ask if the home has an elevation certificate. This will provide information on how high above the flood plain the home is built.
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