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We have been looking online for homes in the PA area (we're in Texas) with the goal to move up that way in the spring or summer. One home in particular had caught our eye, it appeared to have been renovated with new floors, new carpet, paint, etc. Overall, the house is relatively new, is currently empty and has many features we're looking for and so we have been eager to get a look at it in person when we head out to PA over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Quite by chance, I found the seller's disclosure for this house posted online. Much to my dismay, there has been an issue with mold that has been "remediated". Here's the pertinent info that was written into the disclosure that relates to the issue:
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Question: When was the Property purchased?
Answer: May 2013
Question: When was the Property most recently occupied?
Answer: Unknown
Question: Does the Property have a sump pump? If Yes, how many?
Answer: Yes, two and two backup
Question: If it has a sump pump, has it ever run?
Answer: Unknown
Question: Is the sump pump in good working order?
Answer: Yes
Under the Water Infiltration Section
Question: Are you aware of any water leakage, accumulation or dampness within the basement or crawl space?
Answer: No
Question: Do you know of any repairs or other attempts to control any water or dampness problem in the basement or crawl space?
Answer: No
Question: Are you aware of any leaks or other problems, past or present, relating to the water supply, pumping system, and related items?
Answer: Yes, Freeze damage to plumbing pipe in basement - repaired
Question: How many heating zones are in the property?
Answer: Two (first floor and basement)
Question: Are you aware of any tests for mold, fungi, or indoor air quality in the property?
Answer: No
Question: Have you received written notice regarding the presence of an environmental hazard or bio-hazard on your property or any adjacent property?
Answer: Yes
Question: Other than general household cleaning, have you taken any efforts to control or remediate mold or mold-like substances in the property?
Answer: Yes, broken plumbing pipe in basement, due to freeze damage, caused mold growth. Contamination area was set with negative air pressure and all contaminated materials were disposed of. Commercial strength solution of "Aftershock" disinfectant was used to treat all affected areas.
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Ok, as a couple who has never had to deal with mold in the history of our current and prior home ownership, our first reaction was to completely disregard this home from our list of potential properties to purchase. But over the last several days, I have been reading a lot about mold remediation here at CD, and maybe we're being too hasty to completely discount the possibility of purchasing this home??
So with our complete lack of expertise, what kind of information would we need to make an educated decision about this remediation and whether or not we should proceed with our interest in the house? Note that the seller purchased the home in May 2013, and it was listed for sale again in July 2013. I would assume that means they bought it, fixed the mold, and then are trying to resell it again for a profit. That's perfectly fine for me IF the house is safe to live in.
So I would appreciate any and all thoughts regarding this particular issue. Is there any way of finding out if ANYONE ever lived in this house? The house was built in 2000. I would hope it had been lived in at least some of the time that has elapsed since then, but who knows?
We have been looking online for homes in the PA area (we're in Texas)
with the goal to move up that way in the spring or summer.
Keep looking.
If the plan is to go up there for work... plan to rent the first year.
No need to rush a purchase until you're very, very sure.
Where in PA and under what circumstances did a house come to need mold remediation?
About the only thing I can think of is extended vacancy and weather exposure.
This sounds like a flip. The investor purchased it from an estate, foreclosure whatever. These are cash only deals and can be great deals for investors. You need to know materials got wet and what was removed before you can make a decision.
If this is a flip, would the person currently selling the home have received a seller's disclosure from the bank or whomever owned the house previously? Or are "as is" sales "disclosure-less"? It would be nice to see what he was originally told about this house.
Where in PA and under what circumstances did a house come to need mold remediation?
About the only thing I can think of is extended vacancy and weather exposure.
The disclosure said the mold was due to frozen pipes in the basement which broke. Pipes have since been repaired.
Maybe you can leverage the mold thing into getting a better deal.
Right now, the house is priced about 50k below comparable homes in that area. Another reason we are very interested in it, but the mold situation scares us a bit.
I've known mold to be successfully remediated....as far as anyone could tell.At the question about are you aware of any tests for indoor air quality...that would include radon...why does the owner say "no".I don't know about the law on disclusres in PA. I do kind of wonder that the previous radon wasn't mentioned. Is a radon test not standard in PA, for example, if you were to purchase? What was his radon reading?In homes with basements...although radon can be above ground too...and with long hard winters and all closed up you should have a radon test on any home you purchase.Your buyer's realtor can look up the chain of title...may be online...and see if there was a bank owner. It may have been foreclosed, owned by a bank and closed up a long time. That could be why pipes froze. No one in the system to turn the heat on. So the current owner got a fabulous price (which the chain of title can tell you too in some areas) and then there were the broken pipes and radon to deal with.
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