Visible Mold / No need to test......

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

Photos from inspection.......

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

Mold is Present
Remediate and Repair......

[Lance Berens]

Typically, the question is whether mold spores were dispersed to other areas of the home.

When there is active mold growth with that much surface area, there is a strong possibility that spores from the basement managed to end up throughout the rest of the home, even several floors up depending up traffic and HVAC scenarios, etc.

There is also the question of where the moisture came from. In the pic, there is evidence of condensation damage, possibly due to evaporation of pooled water, or, any other moisture that raised the %RH, and so forth. Hopefully the remedaition would include correction of the moisture issues as well.

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

exactly....
The colors
were psychedelic....
The half moon white spore growths
were quite impressive........

and testing would reveal what?

[Lance Berens]

Originally Posted by jhagarty

exactly....
The colors
were psychedelic....

and testing would reveal what?

The testing would reveal whether spores were present in the rest of the home, or if remedial work could be limited to the basement.

[Russell J. Hensel]

From the pictures you cannot tell. How many AC's are there? Has the spores gotten to the living parts of the house such as the living room? How many floors? What is the spore count in those areas. Nice to have a baseline to ensure the mold remediators did not contaminate the rest of the house while remediating.

Tons of questions to be more accurate.

Business decision and do what your comfortable with. I would need species to determine the growth. I would want spore counts in the living areas to determine a remediation process.

The spores species can tell you alot of what is going on just by its nature to grow and the specific conditions needed for growth.

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

Originally Posted by rhensel

From the pictures you cannot tell. How many AC's are there? Has the spores gotten to the living parts of the house such as the living room? How many floors? What is the spore count in those areas. Nice to have a baseline to ensure the mold remediators did not contaminate the rest of the house while remediating.

Tons of questions to be more accurate.

Business decision and do what your comfortable with. I would need species to determine the growth. I would want spore counts in the living areas to determine a remediation process.

The spores species can tell you alot of what is going on just by its nature to grow and the specific conditions needed for growth.

This is a 1 Million Dollar / Main Line Home
being sold for $500,000
(1 block from Swarthmore University)

There is no question
what is being represented...

It is an REO
Bank has no responsibility
to disclose findings....

The Buyer takes it
as is....

or walks away.......

[Russell J. Hensel]

I don't know about there, but Florida law the owner MUST disclose all known defects and the person representing the house also has a responsibility. Banks are NOT free of liability and the Realtor also has her laws to contend with.

Thats how it is here...I don't know about there..

I get people money off REO home all the time. Today, due to the need of a new roof, the buyer is hoping to get $10K off the house, Realtor thinks it will happen. She fights with the banks all the time and usually wins...hence she sells alot of these houses.

[Lance Berens]

Originally Posted by jhagarty

This is a 1 Million Dollar / Main Line Home
being sold for $500,000
(1 block from Swarthmore University)

There is no question
what is being represented...

It is an REO
Bank has no responsibility
to disclose findings....

The Buyer takes it
or walks away.......

The extent of the deficiency doesn't matter, so whether the damage is just to just the basement, or not, it doesn't matter?

The intro implied that it would be remediated and repaired...so, what that would consist of is the typical next question....

...albeit you say now that it won't be remediated, or simply that in this special case, for this home, its not YOUR responsibility to delineate the extent of the damage, hence, no need for testing (by you)?

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

the pictures i loaded were just the basement
here are the upper levels.......

[Joseph Hagarty, CMI]

Buyer walked
its back to REO
and MY Report Magicly
disappears
,,,,

Buyer definately needs to beware in PA

No Disclosure required on REO Properties. (Whether Known or Unknown)

[Lance Berens]

Originally Posted by jhagarty

Buyer walked
its back to REO
and MY Report Magicly
disappears
,,,,

Buyer definately needs to beware in PA

No Disclosure required on REO Properties. (Whether Known or Unknown)

Looks like a mold nursery.

Thanks for the context!

[Pete Campbell]

What a mess!

[Darin Redding]

Hope you were wearing a respirator!

[Mark Raumikaitis]

I am glad you had the inspection work and were paid well I hope. I wonder sometimes why a buyer actually puts an offer in on some homes? Based on your pictures this homes needs major restoration...did the buyer hope you were going to tell them just a little clean up was all that was necessary? I work with buyers often who are trying to get a cheap REO property and have unrealistic expectations about what they need to do. After working with them on a couple of inspections they usually figure out what they need to look for and by the third inspection select a home worth buying and fixing. I am glad for the work and the buyers seem pleased with the entire process of inspecting and learning. Well...I guess I answered my own question...they are paying for an education; to learn what to look for and not just to rely on their friends, relatives or real estate agents.