Empty Pool

[Wally Jones]

In our central Florida market, a functional pool will add value, sometimes a substantial amount if it's enclosed in a huge screened area with tropical landscaping, waterfalls, outdoor kitchen, etc.

If it's empty, ask the homeowner. Put that in your report. Make the report subject to a pool inspection by a qualified professional. Now it's up to the underwriter to determine if he/she wants to have the pool inspected. Your report's value is based upon a fully functional pool. If a potential buyer finds out major pool repairs are needed, might that not affect their offering price?

As far as reinspection, if the UW goes with a professional inspection, you won't need to revisit the property. If I was asked to go look at the pool once it's refilled, I'd be very careful about stating the pool was okay. Again, I'm not competent to do so.

Good luck.

 

[Frederick R. Ruffell]

If it ( the pool) is empty then it is a Health and Safety issue, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. And you had better disclose it in your report! Pick up the phone and call your E&O carrier and see what they tell you.

 

[J in Florida]

I have one where not only is the pool empty, it is literally popping out of the ground. There are gaps and crevices (sp?) all around the pool, some as much as 1.5 to 2 feet in distance, and the depth of the hole underneath the shell cant be seen. The hole has spread right up to the foundation of the house. It is one of the worst safety hazards I have ever seen. I have required and engineers report to be submitted prior to completing the report, as the cost to cure cannot be accurately determined without a determination of the extent and cause of the damage. Needless to say, LO and reeeliter are going nuts, as the house is being purchased "as-is" and of course this one was a rush assignment and was supposed to close in a matter of days. They can't understand why I can "just do it as-is". My response is tuff tonails, no engineers report, no appraisal. I have to address the pool issue, and without said report the cost to cure and adjustment for condition would be a pure guess.

 

[Restrain]

Reduce by cost to remove or fill in the pool. The pool cannot be recovered once it pops out of the ground like that. Easiest way is to knock the curbing into the pool below ground level and fill. I've got one of those in my back yard, under several feet of dirt.

Roger

 

[David Bodtcher]

perhaps an empty pool is being used as a skate park. would that call for the pool to be filled or detract from the value?

 

[Charlotte Dixon]

And.......We have an appraiser here who, on occasion, deducts for an inground pool, if it's not typical for the area.....filled with water or not.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Famous Old Guy saying...."maybe". My parents had a pool and it was drained regularly for maintenance and cleaning. Just comment on it and move on...you are not a pool expert.

By the way, our city does not consider an empty pool a safety hazard as long as it is adequately fenced. Another friend of mine purchased a home with an outdoor pool and turned it into the Beverly Hillbilly's "cement pond" complete with water plants and fish. It looks lovely and I am tempted to put some bass in it for them. Outdoor pools are not common in Colorado Springs. If you keep water in them you must keep it heated or it will freeze and crack the pool. Glad I don't have to appraise them very often.

 

[TC]

Yo Rich,

I think you mean FENCE.



TC

 

[Phil Rice]

A lot of comments that an empty pool is a safety hazard. I am no expert on pool safety, but my common sense tells me that a pool is not any more or less dangerous empty or full. A full pool is a hazard for non-swimmers to drown. Presumably an empty pool somone could fall, and that would be no fun. I have heard very sad stories of toddlers that have drown, I have never heard a story of anyone that got hurt by falling into an empty pool.

If you wanted to say a pool is a safety hazard because it has inadequate fence, that would make sense to me. Empty pool might be an indication of a maintenance problem, but I do not see it is a safety issue. Am I missing something?

 

[Frederick R. Ruffell]

Yeah phil you are missing something.
While swimmers may survive a fall into a filled pool, swimmers and non-swimmers alike will get hurt equally from a fall into an empty pool. Gravity plays no favorites.Therefore an empty pool is more dangerous than a filled pool all other things being equal (i.e. fencing). But why are we making a mountain out of a mole hill here. Photograph it, report it, and let the lender decide what they want to do. Every empty pool I have reported has resulted in the lender requiring that it be filled in or covered.