The Flathead Valley is known for having a fairly high water table in places, and older homes that lie within these areas, or ones which have poor ventilation through out the home, can be subject to mold infestation. There is sometimes a bit of panic when buyers hear an inspector has found mold, as there is so much varying information about it. To help alleviate some of these concerns, and offer you a little education, I’ve included a link to the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control) web info. The page shows this as mold information for commercial structures, but they also say it applies to residential homes. It’s a good read to help understand how mold may affect you, and how it may be mitigated.
For additional information about mold’s affects and mitigation strategies, I always suggest contacting a restoration or mitigation company, and they are easy to find online in your respective communities. Most mold is typically simple to remediate. As long as the underlying reason for its initial creation is remedied, it will be unlikely to occur again. Please contact a local remediation company for specific details about your actual situation, as the remedies and expenses for mold mitigation vary widely.
For buyers, if you purchase a home and it has mold, take the time to determine if the issue is one which can satisfactorily be remedied before walking away from a home that you have fallen in love with. Take your time, as once you have all the information, you may find that the situation is easily fixed, and you can continue with the purchase of your home. If not, then you can terminate your transaction, as long as you do it within the timeframe for your inspection contingency. For sellers, when mold is found, it is considered a health hazard, and you should strongly consider footing the bill without argument. You will be required to disclose the mold issue to all subsequent buyers, and you will face the mitigation costs with the majority of buyers who come along. It’s almost always in your best interest to keep your current buyer on board if they are simply asking you to perform mold remediation, and all other aspects of the sale look good to them.
Please take a few moments to read through the article and I’m here to answer any additional questions, so please get in touch any time.
Carmen Hobson
Real Estate Broker
406.871.8760
carmen@carmenhobson.com