Shame on the Listing Agent! Showing a home can be bad for your health!!?!!
Please read as it is important to all real estate agents out there!!
I recently showed a home & had a bad allergy attack. This Westwood, NJ home is bank owned. There is a Disclosure and Release indicating the presence of mold in the home. This must be signed by anyone prior to seeing it. My buyer & I signed this release. Knowing I have allergies to a certain type of mold, I called the listing agent and was told "the release is a formality from the bank. The mold has been remediated and there is no more mold in the house". Thinking the mold was remediated, I showed my buyers the home. When we entered the basement, you could see most of the sheetrock was removed 2-3 feet from the floor. However, when we entered the garage, it was loaded with visible black mold.
After showing the home, I started having very bad asthma. I went to my doctor and told her about the house. She said that was the most likely cause for my reaction. She prescribed antibiotics & steroids.
My allergies are not common. I have been selling homes for over 16 years, have been in thousands of homes and never had a problem other than maybe a snifle or sneeze. I would have never showed this home if the agent was upfront about the mold situation and didn't downplay it. My theory is the mold was initially remediated, the problem causing mold was not fixed and it is still breeding within the house & garage. The listing agent thinks it was remediated, has not have been in the home in sometime and is giving agents false information that can cause very serious health issues. On a side note, when I showed the home several days AFTER a snowstorm, it was not shovelled and we had to dangerously treck through the snow.
Another agent in my office showed the same Westwood home right after I did (not knowing what happened to me). After leaving, her customer had trouble breathing. The agent took the buyer to the emergency room. The doctors had to give her antibiotics & steroids and said it was a reaction from the house with mold! Some people do not even know they are allergic to mold.
I am most upset because I checked with the listing agent prior to showing this home and they said the mold problem was fixed. I am insisting they add some serious language/disclosure in the showing instrcutions that confirm mold is still in the home!!
Just wanted to warn my fellow AR agents out there that some agents are not providing proper information even when it is important to our health!!!!!!!
I guess I should know better, question everything and unforutnately assume the worst in our business.
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