Natural Hazards Report, NHD knows your nature’s environment. When you make an offer to purchase a home, and it’s accepted, then you are in contract. Once that acceptance date occurs, you start running the escrow days clock, typically 30 days, sometimes shorter or longer depending on the agreed-upon terms.
Once the tik-tock of that escrow clock starts ticking, you enter the disclosure period, or what I term the discovery period. During this period, you conduct any and all inspections you deem necessary to satisfy your need to know about the home you are about to make a 30-year commitment to paying. Part of the disclosures you receive is what’s referred to in the business as an NHD, aka a Natural Hazards Report.
The NHD is a mandatory state report that sellers must provide for California Real Estate residential transactions. It’s an evaluation to determine if the house you are buying is located within a designated hazard area. It’s the extensive reading of 40-50 pages, maybe more, and significant information about the outside and the natural environment surrounding the property. You have a due diligence obligation to read its entirety, and it’s not enough to sign off on its receipt; you have to read the mandated disclosures within the given time to review. You can’t claim you didn’t know the content when you acknowledge receiving it, but didn’t read it.
Remember, a home is the single largest purchase you will make in your lifetime. You should know the external conditions that affect the outside nature of your environment as much as the physical condition of the interior. The report covers whether your property is located in 6 Hazard Zones, and it must disclose special flood hazards, dam inundation, very high Fires, wildland fires, earthquake fault zones, seismic hazard areas, and so much more.
Due to the tragedy of the Palisades, Eton, and Malibu wildfires, if you were buying in these areas, you would have received an NHD Report to warn you of the environmental hazards. And yet, locally, we had our own Oakland firestorm 34 years ago in 1991. We love nature, and who doesn’t love being surrounded by trees, oceans, rivers, and natural beauty?
However, as long as people build in hazard areas, there will always be a risk to person and property. Being prepared is the best thing we can do. Homes are so much more expensive now, and the cost to prepare is a less expensive option than the after-the-fact cost to replace. Preparation is better than the separation from a home and a life that may be irreplaceable. It’s best to be aware and prepare!
Below are some helpful links to help you on your road to preparedness, but please do your own research and plan your own path to preparation!
How to prepare for an earthquake
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Mary Ann Cadorna for Sincerity Realty ®
© February 27, 2025
Mary Ann Cadorna – Broker-Owner DRE 01345274
Sincerity Realty http://www.SincerityRealty.com
MaryAnn@SincerityRealty.com
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