Adage Fail.

This is one time when being a pessimist is the best call. Assume your basement is going to flood someday. Between the pipes, the washing machine, the water heater, the sinks, tubs, showers, toilets, basement windows, refrigerator lines, water storage tanks, basement wall cracks, basement floor cracks, and the potentially leaky basement wall-floor joint, it's going to happen. Really.

And when it does (because it will), you'd better be prepared. A single sump pump can clog, burn out, or lose power. Make sure you have a battery backup pump around to keep things running smoothly. Otherwise, I wouldn't consider finishing the basement-- or storing anything you don't want to lose down there.

Remember- an absolute cynic can only be pleasantly surprised. ;-)