Mold

Now if that is not becoming a scary word for you yet, it may shortly. It's starting to pop up everywhere you look, newspapers, magazines, TV, even in the comics. You kind of get the impression its some big new thing on the horizon. The summer 2002 Premiere issue of "Working RE" (a new periodical for Appraisers and Home Inspectors) has an article titled "Loss Prevention" by Douglas A. Glass, Esq. One section of the article is titled "Mold is Gold." In that article Mr. Glass made this comment:

No matter what part of the country you live in, mold is a hot topic on television and in the newspapers. Now that more celebrities and their animals are suffering the ill effects of mold in their homes, the general public and the trial lawyers are very much aware of this problem.

I liked the article in the July 2002 issue of "REALTOR" by The North Carolina Association of Realtors. If you haven't read it yet, you should. In an article titled "Managing Mold: What N. C. REALTORS Need to Know" Kelli Boutin Ovies writes: 

"Although media outlets throughout the country are reporting on mold as if it's a new health concern, fungal contamination of homes has been getting attention since biblical times, ..." 

It's a strange coincidence that several months ago I spoke at a local MLS meeting about mold in conjunction with a doctor. I started out my talk by showing something inside of a bag that was an excellent text book on how to deal with mold. When I pulled it out of the bag it was a big black bible. This mold issue that is grading the attention of the real estate industry is no new issue, it has been a major concern since the beginning of time. The new thing is our current super litigious society. 

It's interesting, I checked my back issues and on July of last year I wrote one of these letters about mold. It dealt with how a couple burned down their home because of a mold infestation. Since that time, I have heard and read much on the subject, but the most interesting was authored thousands of years ago and is just as timely today as it was then. You should take the time to read it and these ancient words may still enlighten you on the subject even today. I have taken this from a King James Version of the Old Testament and changed a few words and taken some editorial liberties to make it a little easier for you to read. You will find the text in Leviticus Chapter 14 verses 33 through 45. The words "leprosy" and "plague" have been changed to "mold." My authority for this is based on a foot note in my bible which states "As in the case of leprosy applied to garments, this passage refers to some mold or fungus." I am changing the word "priest" to "inspector" because today it would be an inspector, not a priest who would deal with this type of issue. Hang with me now, this is going to be fun and inlighting. I have abbreviated it a bit to make it easier to read. 

When the owner of a house tells the inspector that there is mold in a house. The inspector shall command that the house be emptied so that what is in the house is not contaminated. After the house is empty, the inspector will go in to inspect the house. He shall look at the mold and if the mold appears in the walls of the house with hollow streaks, greenish or reddish, which as observed may be inside of the wall, then the inspector shall leave the house and shut up the house seven days. And the inspector shall return on the seventh day, and look and if the mold is spread on the walls of the house the inspector shall command that they remove the stones where the mold is and haul them to the dump. He shall cause the house to be scraped and they shall haul all the dust that they scrape off to the dump. And they shall replace the stones with new stones, and replace the mortar with new mortar, and shall plaster the house. If the mold comes back in the house after the repair, the inspector shall reinspect the home and if the mold is spread again in the house, it is a major contamination and is unsafe. The house shall be demolished, its stones, and its timber, and all the mortar of the house, and hauled to the dump.

Let's see if we can state this a little more simply: 

If you find it, clean it up and remove all contaminated material. If it returns destroy the house. 

Now how about them apples? Do you think they took mold seriously when this was written thousands of years ago? Maybe it's not that this is some new issue but rather one that we have forgotten its importance and ignored over time? 

You better not be ignoring it. It's another one of those seeming mounting issues that could come back to haunt you and me. The article in the issue of "REALTOR" mentioned above does an excellent job of informing you on the issue. Try to get your hands on it, read it and take it to heart. I will hit some of the more important points here. These are taken verbatim out of the article.

. . . while mold is not yet a major issue here, and the focus of the lawsuits in the other states has not been on agents, REALTORS should be aware that such lawsuits always are a possibility.

Although most varieties are harmless, under certain conditions, some molds produce potent toxins called mycotoxins. Mold spore exposure can result in allergic reactions (including hay fever symptoms and asthma attacks); infections; eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation. While a lot of media attention has been focused on the so-called "toxic molds," which can cause rashes, flu-like symptoms, burning sore throats, nosebleeds, fever, headache, memory loss, diarrhea and impaired immune systems, most people experience these health effects after ingesting, not inhaling, the spores. Scientific data have not proven that people can inhale enough spores for it to be toxic. There is no agreed-upon standard for acceptable mold spore exposure -- some people simply are more sensitive than others. 

A visual inspection is the most important initial step (in determining whether there is a mold problem). Start by looking for signs of water damage as moisture is the primary cause of mold growth. Be sure to pay particular attention to surfaces such as wallboard or ceiling tiles, because staining on walls and ceilings is one of the surefire indicators of mold growth. Other red flags include musty odors. 

REALTORS should be careful about discussing mold with their clients or customers. Don't make mold an issue unnecessarily. There is no new risks with mold that weren't there a year ago. If your client broaches the subject with you, your best bet would be to refer them to a reputable source for more information. The Environmental Protection Agency, for example, has an extensive mold-resources Web page (www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/moldresources.html), as does the N.C. Department of Health & Human Services Division of Public Health (www.epi.state.nc.us/epi/oii/mold). NAR's Virtual Library at REALTOR.org also contains a variety of mold resources. 

To minimize your risk, it is a good idea not to refer a client or customer to any particular inspector or expert, as there are no federal or state regulations that establish qualifications for persons who test for or remediate mold. But there are some steps that can be taken to insure that your client gets best possible assistance. The N.C. Department of Health & Human Services Division of Public Health Web page on mold has tips on hiring a mold consultant or contractor. 

This article goes on to deal with the same subject I have mentioned on this issue over and over again. Mold is not the problem but the results of a problem with excessive moisture. Yes, you must clean up the mold infestation, but you must also cure the cause of the moisture issue or the mold will return. It's all about the water dummy. Without the water, there will be no MOLD. In the other article in "Working RE" mentioned at the beginning of this article Mr. Glass has some inlighting comments related to the Home Inspectors possible liabilities on this issue:

Most inspectors contracts exclude environmental hazards such as mold from the inspection. So what's the problem? Water is the problem. If you miss the existence of a chronic water leak and fail to identify the source of the water, it may very well lead to mold growth and you know the rest. While your standards of practice and inspection contract may exclude mold from the scope of your inspection, be alert to damaged wood or discoloration on walls and surfaces. Point these problems out and recommend an expert. 

The same could be said for you as the Realtor whether you are the listing or buyers agent. If you become aware of a possible chronic water problem you had better point it out and make it very clear to all involved that they need to have a professional check it out. The question later may be; did the Realtor know and fail to disclose? It would be a good idea to put in writing in the from of a memo, letter or e-mail and place a copy in your file on the property. 

As I was finishing up this article the mail came with the "Nations Building News" from The National Association of Home Builders. Guess what, page three "Inside Washington - House Unveils Mold Legislation" It appears that On June 27, Rep John Conyers (D-Mich.) introduced H.R. 5040 comprehensive mold legislation. I haven't had time to check this out yet, but another interesting part of the article was that the NAHB has a new web site "MoldTips.com." This may be a good resource for you. I haven't had time to look at it in detail either, but I will.

Thought for the week
 
Remember "Mold is Gold." 
The Gold may be leaving your pocket.
Placed by a judge into some other persons.