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Was There
Water Damage In The Home You Want To Buy?
by Blanche Evans |
Most of the time, people have good intentions, but as a buyer,
you need to protect yourself from mistakes the seller may make
in giving you proper disclosures. This is especially important
when it comes to environmental issues such as water damage
that can lead to mold.
While Realtor organizations are attempting to make it more
difficult for sellers to conceal defects from buyers,
state-mandated disclosures are often still a matter of
interpretation. Some sellers may intend to provide proper
disclosure, but may leave off material facts because they
don't realize the significance.
For example, a seller may have had an older washing machine
leak all over the laundry room. Grabbing a mop, the seller
quickly cleaned up the mess and had the washer replaced.
Years later when preparing to sell the
home, the seller fills out a state-mandated disclosure form,
completely forgetting that the event ever happened.
Meanwhile, mold is growing through the floor, sheetrock and
the walls.
When most people think of water damage, they think of
catastrophic events such as raging storms that take out power
lines and send tree branches crashing through the roof. They
don't tend to take small household disasters such as leaking
washers, hot water heaters, or showers seriously. Along comes
the seller's disclosure form and by the checkbox called
"mold," or "water damage," the seller confidently checks "No."
As a buyer, you can't assume that the seller is concealing
something from you deliberately, but it's best to protect
yourself with an inspection, in case the seller is
accidentally failing to disclose a material fact.
At the least, you can hire an inspector to look at the home
before locking in your offer. While a housing inspector is not
qualified to identify mold, he or she can identify conditions
where mold is likely to grow. If you want to use a housing
inspector instead of a mold specialist, be sure to ask the
inspector to look carefully for signs of previous water
damage.
Several states including Texas and California are already
working on programs that will certify mold inspectors as a
specialty, and a certified mold specialist that is licensed by
the state may soon be available in your area.
You can also hire an industrial hygienist. These are the folks
who are educated in the area of "assessment of human exposure
to toxic materials," says Kyle Dotson, CIH, CSP, DEE.
"Industrial hygienists have advanced degrees in environmental
science or industrial hygiene. They work as consultants or in
industry, and their job is to help control occupational
disease hazards."
The top of this food chain is the certified industrial
hygienist, which requires five years' experience and a
CPA-tough exam that most people fail the first time. The
certification is provided by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene,
a professional association of about 12,000 members.
"All buyers should use a professional service," advises
Dotson. "But they need to be aware that there are a lot of
people jumping into the lucrative field now known as "mold
consulting."
In some states such as Texas and California, insurers are
making it difficult to get mold coverage. "We are now getting
requests from homeowners that are telling us their insurance
company requires a mold inspection before they will write the
homeowners insurance for the buyer," says Dotson. "And some
insurers are requiring a mold inspection for certain
situations."
Published: February 24, 2003 |
