So, you’re ready to purchase a new home and you want to make sure that everything is fine prior to settlement. You hired a home inspector, radon inspector, exterminator to check for termites and even went so far to hire a roofer to make sure the shingled roof is water tight. But what about the possibility of mold? Most realtors will never bring up a mold issue, and most will also explain that in all of their years in the business, they never had a mold inspection. But why not? Because when a mold inspector enters the home, it could easily jeopardize the sale if the test comes back positive. Let’s face it, people put too much trust in realtors and forget that they work on commission the same way that waitresses and bartenders do, but you wouldn’t normally take financial advice from a waitress just because she smiles when she asks you if there’s anything you need, right? So why would you put all of your trust into a realtor whose main objective is to sell homes for the commission?
Now it’s not to say that all realtors will mislead you, because I have done business with some that go way beyond their responsibilities for their clients to insure that they are protected. But most realtors loathe the fact that their client has contacted a mold inspector to check a home, especially if their the listing agent. An inexpensive mold test could potentially save you thousands of dollars if mold is discovered. If there’s no evidence of mold in the property, it’s not a waste of money, but rather piece of mind to know that the air you’re breathing is safe, and there isn’t an underlying problem which will cost you money down the road. If you are buying a new home, you should seriously consider a mold test to protect yourself against costly remediation after you moved in.
