Mold on Trusses in Attic (short sale, real estate, foreclosure)

[IndiaLimaDelta]

I was at a home inspection yesterday and the inspector pointed out "mold-like" substance on trusses in the attic of that particular home. The mold was on many of the trusses and from that (rather than on a particular area of the attic), the inspector suspected that the wood became wet during the construction when it sat on the lot.

The realtor seems to think that this is a common issue in Northern Virginia, something that can be easily remediated by a specialist company.

The inspector speculated that mold was on the surface only (no structural damage) and could be cleaned up by a remediation company at a cost of several thousand dollars.

My question is, should I walk away from the home? Request the sellers to fix and re-test? I'd appreciate some thoughts and opinions.

[Margery]

From reading some of your former posts I am assuming you are buying in the upper brackets. I am also assuming you are paying market price, and not buying a foreclosure or short sale.

The inspector suggests remediation, I would go with the inspector's opinion and ask the seller to do this. If the seller refuses to do this, you will have to decide if you want the house bad enough to do this yourself. Don't lose your dream house over a few thousand dollars.

[SallyField]

I've seen a multi-million dollar home where the sale was contingent on the seller correcting a mold problem due to an air conditioner unit that leaked, unnoticed, after the seller had already moved. It was a HUGE pain for the seller, because the mold remediation company made sure every spore was absolutely gone (this was during the time that "Mold: The Silent Killer!" type stories were in the news), but they did it. I suspect it's common for buyers to require sellers to take such steps, so I wouldn't hesitate to make them fix it to your satisfaction, or you walk.

[statecollege]

I'd get another opinion on the cause. If the inspector's "speculation" is right, then a one-time eradication should work. But suppose he's wrong and the problem is related to some other existing issue. For example, there could be poor circulation in the attic and latent air moisture sits or there is an invasion of shower vapor from a bathroom. Is there a ridge vent? An attic fan? Soffet vents?

[car54]

Yeah, something is likely wrong up there....either a leak or inadequate ventilation.

Just about all lumber gets wet at some point on it's journey from the mill to the building site. If that's all it took, everybody would have a "mold like" substance somewhere in the house.

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Aside from monetary issues, I am also concerned about health effects on my children, including babies. While I don't subscribe to all the hysteria about "silent killer" type of reportage, I do know that mold can cause or exacerbate asthma and other respiratory ailments, particularly for the very young, the old and those who are immunologically impaired.

The problem also with this house is that the sellers seem not to have taken care of the house well at all. The house itself is nice, big and seems reaonably well-built, but there are numerous issues with "the details" that leads me to think that the sellers took no care of the house at all.

Combined with the mold issue, I am concerned that I might be walking into a "money pit." A negligent owner can wreck the internals of a shiny new big house in a pretty short order by neglecting minor problems that turn into big ones (like water backing up into the house/foundation from an incorrect pitch of the patio, letting water sit on the gutter that is beginning to sag, leaking from HVAC system, etc.).

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by car54

If that's all it took, everybody would have a "mold like" substance somewhere in the house.

My realtor claims that "everyone has mold somewhere" and that I "won't find a house without mold."

I don't doubt that a lot of homes have mold somewhere, but I found that blanket statement a bit over the top and saw it as a transparent attempt to move the sale along.

[shamrock847]

I would at a minimum request they remediate and reinspect. Personally, I'd probably get a second inspection (at my expense) by someone with expertise in mold and attic type issues. A house is too big of an investment to take a lot of chances, especially if you already suspect hidden problems.

I've always insisted on having the deficiencies from the inspection corrected, even in 2005 when lots of people were waiving inspections completely. Of course, there is always the risk the seller will balk and the deal will fall through. Personally, I wouldn't lose any sleep over that because if that is their attitude about fixing things from the inspection, you can imagine what their attitude about preventive and corrective maintenance was while they lived there, which means this problem will only be the tip of the iceberg.

I wouldn't walk away based on this issue alone if they are reasonably cooperative about fixing it. Lots of responsible homeowners may not be aware of a hidden issue in their attic. From your earlier post it sounded like there were a number of other "little" things wrong. Were there many other things that came up in the inspection that made you suspect they had neglected the house?

[IndiaLimaDelta]

Originally Posted by shamrock847

Were there many other things that came up in the inspection that made you suspect they had neglected the house?

Yes. There were quite a few issues that were not addressed, the type of problems, minor and major, I would have fixed much earlier had I been the owner of this particular house.

The landscaping is overgrown and poorly maintained, the patio is incorrectly pitched (lowers to the house so water pools toward the house/foundation), A/C units are sitting on tilted ground, garage doors don't fit correctly, at least one gutter sags and has a pool of water in it, there are mice traps around (garage door side tab is missing a big chunk near the ground like mice/rats ate through it), pipes to HVAC is leaking or leaked in the past, garbage disposal rattles (like there is debris in it and left there), missing or old caulk around bathrooms, mold in the clothes washer, and the list goes on. They also have almost no window treatment, not much furnishing except beds and a giant TV...

I am just not getting the confidence that they took a good care of the house. I don't know their financial condition, but they seemed to have bought a big, expensive house they could barely afford and did absolutely nothing with it and just let things run down.

[NoVA_Lurker]

Sounds like your gut is telling you this may not be a good home for your family (especially with small children) now that the inspection has revealed so many issues. I wouldn't discount that feeling.

Also, speaking from experience, do NOT let the real estate agent convince you that it will be fine and your best option is to go through with a sale. The agent's best option is certainly for you to complete the purchase because he/she will make thousands of dollars. My single biggest regret of my life was going through with a real estate purchase based on some pressure from the real estate agent and mortgage broker (who both had a commission to gain) at the height of the market boom, even when I knew in my gut that I did not want the place because my circumstance had changed.

You need to assess all of the issues and make the best decision for you and your family. A home purchase is a commitment that isn't easily, quickly, or cheaply reversible.