Asbestos - remove or leave alone? (Dallas: house, buying, gated)

[FirstHouse]

We have an option contract on a home in NorthEast Dallas, built in the late 70's. We had the ceilings tested for asbestos, and the test came back positive. Cost to remove is in the several thousand dollar range, possibly up to $8000. We would want it removed, but not sure if the seller would be willing to pay for it.

Just wondering if this is a common issue that comes up in buying older homes and how people usually deal with it. Since the sellers would have to disclose the existence of asbestos in their disclosure, do you think it would scare away a lot of buyers?

Thanks!

[johnrex62]

I would expect it would scare most buyers. I presume you are talking about a sprayed acoustical ceiling, or perhaps drop ceiling tiles?

The practical approach I have always heard is if the asbestos is encapsulated in another binding material rather than directly applied to the surface, then no removal is necessary. Please note that I said necessary, not desirable. If it cannot leach into the air then it is not a biohazard from what I have been told. If this is the case, then I am sure the sellers will not "want" to pay to remove it, but they might be willing to split the expense to get out of the liability loop.

[TXTwizter]

Originally Posted by FirstHouse

We have an option contract on a home in NorthEast Dallas, built in the late 70's. We had the ceilings tested for asbestos, and the test came back positive. Cost to remove is in the several thousand dollar range, possibly up to $8000. We would want it removed, but not sure if the seller would be willing to pay for it.

Just wondering if this is a common issue that comes up in buying older homes and how people usually deal with it. Since the sellers would have to disclose the existence of asbestos in their disclosure, do you think it would scare away a lot of buyers?

Thanks!

I would assume if they want the house to sell then they would be obligated to make it safe for future residents.

[galore]

Asbestos is a problem if it is released in the air (e.g. you cut the building material that contains asbestos).
Unless you plan to do this, it is mainly a problem during re-sale - for the same reasons that you are hesitant.