Septic Tank or Sewer

[Heshel Mangel]

Any investors and/or contractors have suggestions or knowledge on how to approach a home with a septic tank. 

Stay away, factor in extra maintenance costs, or no biggie?

[Charlie MacPherson]

@Heshel Mangel I'd start by educating yourself on your state and local laws.

The great thing about septic systems is that there's no sewer bill.  The bad part is that they eventually fail.

In my neck of the woods, we budget $35,000 for a new system but hope for $20,000 - $25,000.

The driving factor is how well the soil drains.  If it doesn't drain well, they have to truck in a bunch of soil and build a mounded system - the kind that looks like the lawn is pregnant.

The worst case scenario is when you're too close to a stream or pond.  The town might not allow a leaching field at all and make you install a tight tank.  In my estimation, that decreases the value of a property substantially - at least 20%.