KEMPNER, Texas (KXXV) — “Water quality, like any kind of quality – soil quality, construction quality – these are all factors that buyers take into consideration, especially if it's widespread, like Kempner,” Cory Duncan, Owner and Broker of Haus Realty, said.
This summer many residents in Kempner have experienced brown and yellow water, that smells and tastes bad.
Katie Milholland moved to Kempner in March and is concerned this could impact home buyers in our area.
“I do feel like there's a bit of a disservice being done for people who are buying homes in this area,” Milholland said.
“They are not being made aware of the fact that there are some pretty serious issues with Kempner Water Supply – It would have impacted our decision.”
Milholland isn’t the only one. Neighborhood Facebook pages are flooded with comments from residents saying the same thing. It is leaving many to wonder why they were not made aware initially.
While water quality is not one of the things realtors are required to report to potential buyers, Duncan says it should be.
“Something that you can't see on the surface or by walking in the house, should be disclosed,” Duncan said.
“That's kind of the general rule of thumb, even though I don't think there's a line item that says, ‘hey, if the water quality is affected, then we have to disclose it.”
Duncan encourages any potential home buyer to do research, stay informed and communicate with their realtor.
For Milholland and many of us, looking into something so specific, such as water problems before buying a home, was not a concern at the time.
“We never even thought of researching water issues,” Milholland said.
“We've lived in North Texas for almost 30 years and never ever had any water issues – It wasn't on our mind – Who wants to move somewhere where you can't use your water?”
On top of the concerns on buying and selling homes, Duncan said the water issue could impact home values in the community, too.
