Are Investers Flipping Chinese Drywall Homes? (for sale, renters, credit report)

[loves2read]

has the state mandated that home inspections/inspectors must include looking for signs of CDW damage as part of their check list--
or is it just assumed that they will note any evidence of its presence/damage with other problems that might be there?

I know that in TX unless a home inspector is a LICENSED HVAC person s/he is not allowed to open up a heating/ac unit to check inside--all they do is turn it on and check that it is operating (heating/cooling) within guidelines...so that would not be helpful in determining CDW damage

[HomeStager]

Originally Posted by tommy-105

Yep, The lawyer says (at 4:44 seconds into it) that they are leasing a home that they can't live in. I've played this clip before but never caught that aspect. Thanks!

And this is AFTER the home was remediated by the builder. It was only AFTER they moved back in and had the exposure symptoms return, that they contacted that attorney, because the owner STILL won't release them from the lease. If they walk, the owner can ding their credit.

This is a terrible story. This family suffered health symptoms, had to go through the disruption of being moved out of a rental, during the remediation, and moved back, only to start suffering exposure symptoms again.

The owner of that place should be tarred and feathered in the streets.

Other law firms have already taken cases of builder "remediations" that did not resolve the problem.

If the CPSC comes out with something similar to what the builders are doing, this problem is never going to go away and how many more victims of CDW contamination will there end up being 20 years from now?

In my opinion, these homes all need to be tagged and bull dozed. They are creating a field of landmines for realtors, buyers and renters. Federal Prosecutors need to go after the Chinese manufacturers. I read in the paper today that Obama is going to New Orleans to meet with Katrina victims ( many of whom rebuilt with CDW and are screwed again), yet Obama will not address the toxic CDW problem.

President not expected to address toxic drywall | HeraldTribune.com | Sarasota Florida | Southwest Florida's Information Leader

More bad news for the owners of these toxic dumps. Not only is none of the damage to the home or property within it covered by homeowners insurance, some Insurance companies are dropping their policies because of it, and others won;t insure a home with it. If you have a mortgage, you HAVE to have the home insured or the bank can take it back.

Insurers dropping Chinese drywall policies - Nation - Wire - Bradenton.com (http://www.bradenton.com/439/story/1780425.html - broken link)

This is all so terrible for homeowners trying to figure out how to stay safe and make this right. Unless they can keep up the mortgage payment while they live elsewhere, they will have to sell short, and sign a promisory note for the deficiency which will be HUGE if they disclose the problem, remediated or not, or let it foreclose. Either way, Florida Law gives the banks 20 years to go after them for the deficiency which in many of these cases , because of the disclosure, will be in the hundreds of thousands.

If any of you reading know anyone dealing with this, do your best to offer them a lot of understanding and support as many are weighing between finacial devastation and the health and safety of their family. I think those heavy decisions are what is causing some to make the poor choice to sneakily pass these toxic homes off or rent them out.

In the mean time, lets not encourage China to keep sending us toxic junk. Check labels and go out of your way to buy- made anywhere else but there.

[tommy-105]

nhkev, down on the Cape Coral forum, says abc's nightline will be doing a story on cdw tonight.

[tommy-105]

Originally Posted by HomeStager

If the CPSC comes out with something similar to what the builders are doing, this problem is never going to go away and how many more victims of CDW contamination will there end up being 20 years from now?

From the Bradenton.com story:"An Associated Press analysis of shipping records found that more than 500 million pounds of Chinese gypsum board was imported between 2004 and 2008 - enough to have built tens of thousands of homes. They are heavily concentrated in the Southeast, especially Florida and areas of Louisiana and Mississippi hit hard by Hurricane Katrina."

[justNancy]

I just came here to post this

Insurers dropping Chinese drywall policies - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091015/ap_on_bi_ge/us_chinese_drywall - broken link)

but I see Homestager already has done it. This is very tragic for the homeowners who are already dealing with enough stress. I know some posters on other forums complain about the government bailing out people in trouble, but they need to take a stand on this so people can rest safely in their homes without worrying about losing their insurance coverage.

Originally Posted by HomeStager

In the mean time, lets not encourage China to keep sending us toxic junk. Check labels and go out of your way to buy- made anywhere else but there.

I agree. I was in the local Dollar Tree this week and couldn't find much that was made in the USA, I'm sorry to report. I figure if they can send us contaminated toothpaste and toxic drywall, why can't the shampoo I'm using be full of poison? BTW, it took a magnifying glass, but I noticed White Rain is made in the USA, if you're on a budget (or just prefer the cheap stuff like I do!) They also never use animal testing.

[seeriously]

A good home inspector would pick up the presence of Chinese drywall. As someone else posted, Let The Buyer Beware.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by verobeach

A good home inspector would pick up the presence of Chinese drywall. As someone else posted, Let The Buyer Beware.

I agree, but I know a few people (including me) who hired inspectors in the past and they didn't catch some structural problems, so how do you know? However, let's say someone hires a good inspector who comes highly recommended. Would hiring an electrician to checkout the electrical wiring for corrosion be overkill?

Originally Posted by loves2read

has the state mandated that home inspections/inspectors must include looking for signs of CDW damage as part of their check list--
or is it just assumed that they will note any evidence of its presence/damage with other problems that might be there?

I know that in TX unless a home inspector is a LICENSED HVAC person s/he is not allowed to open up a heating/ac unit to check inside--all they do is turn it on and check that it is operating (heating/cooling) within guidelines...so that would not be helpful in determining CDW damage

I think you just answered my question. (I'm reading the posts out of order.)

[Big House]

Originally Posted by kbuild

I do not know of an labs that do air samples. I will check into that. Good question.

There are labs that can test virtually anything. I have worked as an expert witness on a number of condominium law suits (none of which I built), and they can test virtually anything, and make a certified determination.

They will take samples of the coating, and corrosion on the wiring, and coils, plumbing fixutres, etc.... It is just a matter of cost vs. risk. Most individual owners would not pay the kind of money that is involved. They can conduct many more details and elaborate types of tests as well, it is done carefully and like a forensic analysis. It is very interesting. But, unless there are huge dollars involved, it probably won't be done.

This issue is also a fairly new issue. It took years and years for them to determine how to deal with lead based paint, pcbs, and asbestos. Even now all those regulations and chain of ownership documentation is not being done well. A lot of removal is still being done and tossed in the normal waste stream. If your homes has CDW, most people are going to remove it and it won't get the proper documentation. They just want to get rid of it as cheaply as they can.

[Big House]

Originally Posted by justNancy

I agree, but I know a few people (including me) who hired inspectors in the past and they didn't catch some structural problems, so how do you know? However, let's say someone hires a good inspector who comes highly recommended. Would hiring an electrician to checkout the electrical wiring for corrosion be overkill?



I think you just answered my question. (I'm reading the posts out of order.)

The extent of the testing has to be determined up front with your inspector. Generally, you are not paying for extensive testing services, which if you want to really know the absolute condition, material make-up, code review status (to determine the building meets the latest codes and what is at variance with them - they change all the time), what materials may have some toxicity, zoning issues, component and assembly ratings reviews, you will pay a substantial amount, and it will take a lot of time.
Generally, this is not what home owners are expecting, or agreeing is required, or paying for.

[Big House]

Originally Posted by HomeStager

In my opinion, these homes all need to be tagged and bull dozed. They are creating a field of landmines for realtors, buyers and renters.

I am not sure how thorough a remediation job can be done on these homes in order to reach a level of safety that is equal to most other homes that are built. I personally have stated, if I know of a home that has it, I would not buy it because in my opinion the remediation costs would not be worth it, and the question of risk will always be there.

I also have experience as a builder building apartments, condominiums, assisted living facilities, and special facilities that were designed for pollution sensitive patients. No homes are 100 percent safe, but there are steps that can be utilized in order to make them safer and more habitable. It is like trying to reach infinity you cannot do it, the argument is how safe is safe, and if there is a victim it will never be safe enough, and money will always be considered the remediation.

Renters, have less exposure from a financial stand-point, they do not have the level of risk that someone who has spent his life savings on his home (nest egg) has. The renter can just walk away, and be free of the financial burden. The health risk from the exposure can be difficult to prove, until there is a settlement on a huge class action lawsuit, which is years away, like with asbestos.

The key these lawsuits, is drawing in the issue of life safety, which he did with the wiring of the smoke detectors. They have to show the risk to life safety in order to really grab a hold and make a latent defect claim, where they then can go after the insurance companies (that is the real target here). The lawyers want them and the manufacturer involved, that is where the money is. Without them on the hook, and the big pocket builders, there is no incentive. The poor individual home owner, that is stuck won't get the time of day from the law firms that are after the really big money. They will be represented by the ambulance chasers, who don't have the resources to do a great job winning this difficult lawsuit. They are paying this family to be the guinea pig, because they do not have enough basis to prove their case, all they have is a bunch of people making unsubstantiated claims. They may be real, but without the proof the evidence, their is not money! To the lawyers, what is this case really about? "MONEY" all the other issues/claims/injuries are just obstacles cluttering their path to the money! The other beauty of this thing, is it will not be finished quickly so it's like job security. There is no "smoking gun" and if there was, they sure as **** hope no one finds it, or plays that card, too quickly, not until the last minute before they close their final arguement and it goes to the jury.

So even though we are all worried about the dangers of this drywall issue, and it is tragic, the attorneys are savoring it like one of the characters on the TV show Survivor getting ready to eat a porterhouse steak food challenge reward.