RE: Venting-Home Inspector

[Guest guest]

I should look back in the old messages to try and find my story

about helping my brother move his friend's family into a house they

had just bought. After a minute, I had to get out.

From the door I could hear an infant and a toddler screaming and

fussing.

The mother came to the door with a very harried look and said " Since

the day we moved in, they just scream and cry all the time.

I don't know why. They were perfect children until we arrived in

this house and now they are just miserable "

I told my brother that I couldn't tolerate the house and he well

knew what his meant. So I asked, " They are your friends, are you

going to tell them? " and he said " No, they probably wouldn't

believe it anyway " and so many years ago, I have to admit he was

right.

Nobody of the hundreds I told believed it back then and they only

got mad at me for saying such a crazy thing.

My, how times have changed!

-

[Guest guest]

> I told my brother that I couldn't tolerate the house and he well

> knew what his meant. So I asked, " They are your friends, are you

> going to tell them? " and he said " No, they probably wouldn't

> believe it anyway " and so many years ago, I have to admit he was

> right.

> Nobody of the hundreds I told believed it back then and they only

> got mad at me for saying such a crazy thing.> > My, how times have

> changed!> -

Hi . I've tried to warn so many people also re mold and toxic chemicals

in their homes and pesticides in their gardens. Unfortunately most don't

listen nor want to believe until they become ill. I plan to keep educating

people though even if they don't want to listen.

Regarding this house next door I can understand the financial concerns of

the current owners. A young couple with four children; to do a complete

remedial work on the home would cost easily $50,000 if not more (just

guessing and numbers are probably low). After talking to the real estate

agent that listed it she agreed of the mold contamination and that remedial

work is necessary however the owners do not have the money. What upsets and

angers me is that they refuse to disclose the mold as the rightly should.

Homeowners Insurance they have does not cover mold remediation so this would

be at their expense. They are currently in a new home across town (with all

their mold contaminated furniture and belongings) and cannot afford two

mortgages and utility bills hence their need to sell this one. I've noticed

they changed out the carpet, painted the interior and made a few other minor

patch repairs to hide the evidence and of course with the off-gassing of the

VOCs of these building products the mold smell will not be so evident

intially unless someone is very sensitive.

This happens all the time down here; homeowner's insurace doesn't cover the

repair, owners are desperate to sell and don't know what to do. It's a

catch 22 for many and my heart aches for them. A few years ago when we had

a massive storm (my home was severely damaged also) so many claims in Texas

that many homeowner insurance companies pulled out of Texas, many stopped

writing new policies, existing policies doubled and tripled (ours tripled)

and if anyone filed a water claim insurance companies refused to underwrite

new policy for 3-5 years meaning if a homeowner had to sell their home after

work completed a prospective owner could not get insurance for that home.

Our policy increased, coverage decreased every year. Finally this year I

could shop for a new insurance company and found AAA which still had good

coverage at a reasonable cost. Mold remedial is included as long as it is

plumbing related and found and reported within 30 days after initial damage.

Other mold coverage is available for $3-4K/year which most people including

us cannot afford.

I don't have an answer for these owners. They would have to file for

bankruptcy to just give back the home to the mortgage company I would assume

since they certainly cannot afford to have the home repaired properly; if

they disclose the mold contamination who would purchase it? I'm also

concerned that this family will infect their new home and their illness will

progress however they certainly will not listen to me; only the real estate

agent who reacted to the mold after I explained her symptoms is aware. And

yes I have to believe the home inspectors are recommended by the real estate

agency to sell it and many will not do more than a quick visual inspection

for which they are hired.

I'm just curious what would some of you do if this would be your home?

Young couple just starting out, 4 small children, financially struggling?

sigh,

Rosie

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[Guest guest]

> I'm just curious what would some of you do if this would be your

home? Young couple just starting out, 4 small children, financially

struggling?

> sigh,

> Rosie

>

I've had people that I tried to warn come back to me later when

their MSH/ACTH was finally depleted and they " Hit the Wall " .

It goes something like this: " I couldn't believe this until it

finally happened to me. This is worse than anything I could have

imagined.

If I had only listened and understood, I would have run for my life

because there really is no other choice when you know that you're

going to wind up doing it anyway " .

That's why people who are going " under the power curve of exposure "

need to talk to someone who has " been there and done it " instead of

doctors who are just trying to imagine what it must be like.

Nobody else can speak with the compelling type of conviction that we

have and nothing less seems to have much of a chance of pursuading

anyone that this can really happen to them too, if they don't act in

time!

Oh, and as for the Chemical Exposure to latex paint goes, I've seen

that scenario many times in which people blame the chemical

that " put them over the edge " as causative even thought the painters

or exterminators who use the same stuff every day for years are

don't succumb to the exposure.

And if the chemical doesn't possess the history of causing such

illness, the backup theory is " toxic overload " , even though the

people applying these chemicals probably have the same exposure to

various other chemicals and you'd think that according to that

basis, they'd be the first to succumb to MCS. In all the cases I've

looked at, the common denominator was long term exposure to

mycotoxins instead of the chemical " trigger " that was implicated as

equally causative, which is the same thing Dr Shoemaker says in Mold

Warriors.

But of course, it's a free country and people have the right to

believe in generalized Toxic Overload as the primary cause if they

think it fits the facts.

-

[Guest guest]

A real estate agent is representing the best interests of the seller, not

the buyer. Even the non-listing agent, through whom the buyer may be

working, is actually representing the seller, the person paying the

commission. In some states, agents must disclose this little known fact.

Because of this, some agents have no hesitations in downplaying the health

hazards of mold, an easy thing to do since there are no " official "

guidelines.

As far as the inspector, I think you can safely bet he was referred by the

selling agent to the buyer. Some home inspectors get the bulk of their work

from referrals from real estate agents. How many referrals do you think they

would get if they told potential buyers to walk away from potentially

hazardous housing? The buyer's best bet is to use inspectors who do not deal

almost exclusively with real estate agents.

Date: Sat, 28 May 2005 12:21:30 -0500

From: " Healthier4all " <Healthier4All@...>

Subject: Venting-Home Inspector

There is a home for sale next to ours. When the owners left I did a quick

tour with the real estate agent (was just curious). Immediately smelled

mold and should have left but curiosity overcame me. House is full of mold,

water damage and rotten wood everywhere, even the air ducts and registers

full of mold. Bathrooms and closet had water spots plus mold growing, same

on windows. Attic wood totally black. Finally had to leave, was reacting

too much. Had long talk with real estate agent and she was reactive. Told

me many homes like this in our area. Was ill for 3 days after the short

visit.

This morning saw a young couple and a home inspector looking at the house. I

was outside so stopped him and asked him if he noticed all the mold in the

house. He said we'll really no, all he does is visual inspection but

perhaps that's why his eyes are burning. He said it's not really important,

they sell homes all the time with mold, the air ducts and registers can

easily be cleaned and that's it.

I was furious; what kind of inspector would tell that to a prospective home

purchaser a house full of mold is ok to purchase.

The family that lived in that house had 4 small children, all were sick

continously, the parents personality changed from friendly to almost

aggressive and hostile, mother was 8 1/2 months pregnant when they moved.

Course they don't want to listen to the truth nor that they brought the mold

with them to their new home. Neither do they wish to hear that their house

is too contaminated for anyone or do any remedial work.

Wondering if there is anything I can do other than warn prospective buyers

which I do?

Rosie