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MOLD!?!

By Suzanne Damon

Real Estate Sales Representative with Re/Max Omega

July 03, 2007 01:38 AM

I was in a property last week that was seriously contaminated with mold.

I really never realized the negative effects of mold until I spent an hour in this property. As I opened the door, I looked in the home towards the kitchen in the rear of the house.

I saw the color black everywhere. (the house was vacant) I said to the buyer that I was with that we needed a mask before we could go in to the home. After using a mask, and going in and out of the house to take some "breathers" from the disgusting smells, I was still ingesting the toxins of the mold spores.

Later that day, I became ill. Sick to my stomach, and a headache. I slowly become very sleepy and just "yucky" sick. I left the office to go home and shower. Even still by that evening, I was nauseas and weak. I can tell you first hand that mold is not tolerable in my system.

I have since researched out how to avoid this in the future and have tried to educate myself on "Mold Mitigation". Here is a website that I found useful:

http://www.sdmold.com/removing_mold.html

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New Jersey Real Estate James Boyer Morris, Essex & Union County NJ Realtor

RE/MAX Properties Unlimited, Real Estate - Morristown, NJ

Yup, best thing to do with a house like that is to stay out. I have had buyers at a few places like that, and really there is nothing to safeguard in the house from the buyer, so I tell them I am not going into the house, if they want to go in on their own accord they can make that call, but I am not going in. I have never had a buyer go in after I have said that.

It is just not worth getting sick from that stuff!!

Jul 03, 2007 01:43 AM

Wayne McMullan

Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty - Belleville, ON

Quinte Real Estate

Suzanne, you must be extremely careful in a house with mold. I read recently that more and more REALTORS® are being affected by mold contamination. At least you thought of using a mask - many people don't. I hope you are feeling better

Jul 03, 2007 01:44 AM

1~Judi Barrett

Integrity Real Estate Services 116 SE AVE N, Idabel, OK 74745 - Idabel, OK

BS Ed, Integrity Real Estate Services -IDABEL OK

I have not encountered a mold contaminated home, but based upon your post, I believe I will put some masks in my car.

Jul 03, 2007 01:50 AM

Judi Glamb

Coldwell Banker Hearthside - Hellertown, PA

Associate Broker, ABR

Yep, it can be powerful. I went in one house where heavy mold was prevelant in the basement. Didn't spend much time there but became sick immediatly with a resportory infection and remained sick for three weeks. Granted, I think I was probably coming down with it and this was the trigger. I also think mold was a factor in a friend who became an insulin dependent diabetic - he never had his basement remediated for water damage/mold of after two floods.

Having said this, I had a buyers house tested for mold and results came back at an alarming high level (unlivable). I was pretty sure it wasn't as serious as the mold guy told us it was as 1) the house was in a wooded area, it was cool & damp out, the house was closed up for 10 weeks and the day the test was done was the first time that year that the heat was put on. Plus we had 5-8 people wandering around the house before the test. We got the mold remediation person in there and he found the problem immediately - it was all in the heat ducts. The dryer downstairs was not vented to the outside but had an inside contracption (ball) on it....

Jul 03, 2007 01:52 AM

Pam Hofmann

Third Tennessee Realty & Associates, LLC - Crossville, TN

Your Crossville, Lake Tansi & Fairfield Glade Specialist

Mold is a big issue here and needs to be taken care of immediately.

Jul 03, 2007 05:22 AM

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Suzanne Damon

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