Dear Stakeholders,
We are seeking your support concerning current mortgage industry underwriting guideline polices for alternative water systems; specifically rainwater harvesting. In order to prove that constituents are supporting and requesting these changes, we need a way for folks to sign up and add their comments, and/ or to provide data supporting the health and marketability perceptions for our regulators and financial industry leaders to review.
You can choose to either:
Currently Fannie Mae’s guidelines only allow sole source rainwater systems (without back-up wells, or hook up to city or municipality water sources) if at least one comparable property also has a rainwater, sole source system. This is problematic in many regions as many properties incorporating rainwater as a sole source of water are not listed on the MLS; primary market for rainwater are custom homes not listed on the MLS.Or past owners with wells have incorporated rainwater and there is no record in the MLS when it’s sold.
We are requesting the following guideline changes with concessions for rainwater system’s acceptance and adoption in the mortgage industry.
- Concessions to allow additional property comparables that are not listed on MLS. This data supports rainwater system’s marketability and market acceptance.
- Implement a rainwater system registry to provide custom built or existing property addresses that have incorporated rainwater sole source that were not listed on MLS for appraisers.
- Variance or concession to allow comps for wells to reflect lack of municipality water availability. Currently, Fannie Mae does not require homes with wells to have an additional comparable property sales with wells.
- Provide data that policies are antiquated and discriminatory as wells are not as reliable as rainwater harvesting; are unhealthy solutions for homeowners due to groundwater contamination; and cost prohibitive when forced to drill a well as a back-up system in order to qualify for financing.
The following is an outline of information provided supporting the initiative. Consumers either wishing to install a rainwater system, and homeowners who have installed systems, can call on the financial and mortgage regulator industry’s “DUTY TO SERVE” their communities.
We are seeking support from everyone; homeowners, builders, rainwater harvesting companies, and municipalities imposing water restrictions toprovide market acceptance and demand in the regions where rainwater harvesting and water conservation are prevalent.
Title the Letter:
” Seeking New Transparent Lending Policies for Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Central Texas & Other Drought Ridden Communities”
- Market traction and trends looking back over the past 3-5 years
o Increase in sales and demand from homeowners – address how many system installations in 2015 verses 2011,etc.
o Municipality mandates and water restrictions
o Market demand and acceptance – more homeowners choosing RR verses a Well
- Improved health, economic and reliability
o RR Systems reliability verses drilling a well
o Cost viability-not financially viable to drill a well and install rainwater
o Texas Water Board, TRECA policies encouraging RR systems
o RR Potable water addresses groundwater contamination (fracking) health concerns
- Risk Mitigation
o What happens when wells run dry, verses reliability and security of RR systems; how many wells actually run dry (any data on percentages)
o Data comparisons – rainwater systems lower operating costs verses groundwater wells
o Less wear and tear on equipment
Thank you for your support in helping to change policies addressing adoption of sustainable water systems. Together we can change minds, hearts and our environment!!