Question re: house-hunting and radon (Baltimore, Frederick: sale, credit, selling a house)

[Never2L8]

Still actively researching possible relocation areas and although I see many complaints about the MD taxes, I also haven't been able to find alternatives that have as good access to excellent quality medical care as the Baltimore suburbs (Johns Hopkins). This is a huge factor for me as far as relo.

I've always lived on Long Island which typically has radon levels so low that they're not measurable in most cases. It's a complete non-factor when it comes to house-hunting. I'd guess that 75% of the population doesn't even know what radon is, or has never heard the word, LOL. So it's a bit of a shock to encounter this issue. I understand that typically a test is done along with the post-offer/pre-contract house purchase procedure, BUT here's my question:

According to the EPA website, the most reliable testing is the "long term" one and if the "short term" one is done (which I assume is what's normally done during a house purchase scenario) it's critical that the house not be ventilated. But what's to prevent a seller who obviously is motivated to have the sale go through no matter what, from deliberately open windows and doors, running an exhaust fan, etc etc in the "test" area so that the results appear better than what they actually are?

And if that happens (a seller deliberately sabotages the radon test, but if the buyer has it tested again after the actual purchase and it turns out to be high) what recourse, if any, does a buyer have against such a seller?

[J_Lurk]

No recourse. But radon mitigation systems are not that expensive; they are certainly far less expensive than the problems we've had with our house, including the seller's non-disclosure (and the inspector's failure to catch) aluminum wiring. Assume you'll need a radon mitigation and factor it in.

Have You Tested Your Home For Radon?

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by StressedOutNYer

S
I also haven't been able to find alternatives that have as good access to...

there's no such thing as a free lunch.

what recourse, if any, does a buyer have against such a seller?

That's about having clear proof of acts and intents and a willingness to finance a suit.
But even with all of that, unless you have experienced actual damages from it, don't expect much.

[Never2L8]

Thanks for the insight. :-)

I am curious, what's the law in MD regarding seller disclosures of property condition?

We have a completely "toothless" so-called law in NY, whereby it says the seller must complete a property disclosure form BUT if they fail to complete it, they must pay a "fine" of a $500 credit at closing to the buyer. Of course NOBODY completes the form, so every buyer gets the $500 credit. I've always called it the Get Out Of Jail Free card, lol

There are exceptions to the fine, though; if someone is selling a house that they inherited, they are not required to disclose OR to pay the $500 fine. The logic being that because they were not the owner of the house, they are not expected to know anything about its condition.

What's MD's position regarding seller disclosure? By the way, sellers here do have to sign a Lead Paint Disclosure form which is also a joke because there are only two boxes to check: one says that there is lead paint, and the other says that the seller "has no knowledge of the presence of lead paint". Of course everyone checks the latter because there's no practical method of proving them wrong.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by StressedOutNYer

What's MD's position regarding seller disclosure?

It all comes down to the same thing as in NY and everywhere else: caveat emptor

You have your eyes open, you have counsel, you have the knowledge (or at least advice)
to hire inspectors, the offer contract has backdoors to let you out for discovered defects...
what more do you want?

[Never2L8]

Oh, I was just curious how MD approaches it, because the whole "sign or pay the fine" thing in NY is such a joke.

For that matter, the fine print in the home inspector's contract is also a bit of a joke. I got burned on my last house because the inspector failed to see a cracked heating boiler (how the bleep does THAT happen?!). There was also other damage that was deliberately hidden by the sellers behind new wallpaper (major leak from upstairs bathroom; the sellers had put up new vinyl wallpaper to cover the moldy drywall in the room beneath) but the inspectors aren't responsible for things not visible, or so the fine print claims.

Fine print also states that the inspector is not responsible for undiscovered issues, and "should not be relied upon for determination of a home purchase". Makes you wonder what the $600-$700 was for, LOL

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by StressedOutNYer

I'd guess that 75% of the population doesn't even know what radon is, or has never heard the word, LOL. So it's a bit of a shock to encounter this issue. I understand that typically a test is done along with the post-offer/pre-contract house purchase procedure

I have lived in Baltimore County and Montgomery County, and I think you are stressing yourself too much. Radon testing is not required in either of those counties (as I recall), although you could request it of a seller. However, about 90% of homes in Carroll County have higher levels of radon. (So you could cross Carroll County off your list if you are worried.)

However, there appears to be no conclusive proof that radon has killed anyone, and there is only suggestive evidence that it harms anyone.

In any case, the mitigation systems are not that costly. I believe that fans and ducting to the outside are in the ballpark of $2K-5K.

We had our house in MoCo tested, and the level was a bit high, but we were never concerned enough to feel it needed to be treated. One neighbor did install some ventilation piping.

[Calvin C]

Don't be too obsessed with avoiding higher Radon areas. I asked an experienced inspector about it and he mentioned that high radon can be very common in many of the desirable MD neighbourhoods. Just factor radon mitigation (very effective) as a possible expense into your budget. I understand that it gets lower the closer you get to the water and the more porous the soil is, but don't quote me on that. I quickly learned that house hunting is tough enough without throwing Radon into it.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

In any case, the mitigation systems are not that costly. I believe that fans and ducting to the outside are in the ballpark of $2K-5K.

My quote may have been high. This web say says $1200-1500 for a system to vent to the outside. They look something like this:

http://sosradon.org/files/sosradon/r...radon-full.jpg

[MidValleyDad]

Radon is very common in Maryland west of the Chesapeake Bay. In fact I wouuld be surprised if most houses that are test would fail if they haven't been remediated. I know it is so common in Frederick County that our realtor told us to expect it tobet checked off on anything we looked at when we were looking 7-8 years ago. She even suggested that if somehow a house did pass she would recommend doing it anyway because eventually it would need to be done. The house we settled on had already been done as had the one we were selling.