Living here in Western Washington, we have all heard stories of people with mold problems in their home. A client recently informed my that it seemed as if she had a cold that she could not shake, she thought that maybe it could be caused by mold in her home and asked if I knew of a mold inspector.  

A mold inspector takes samples of mold and sends them to a lab for analysis.  They can then determine if it is a toxic variety or not.

I have found that many people are allergic to mold reguardless what variety it is.  In my opinion, all mold is toxic to some degree, but some people are just less immune than others.

Whether you have the official toxic mold or another type, the way to solve the problem is the same.  Therefore I don't usually recommend you pay for an inspection to determine if it is toxic,  when you can solve the potential problem much cheaper and be assured all mold is taken care of.

To rid yourself of any and all mold, go to the local rental center and rent an ozone-ator.  This machine removes oxygen out of the air and kills all living objects without any toxic chemicals or residue.
The last time I rented one it was about $50 per day. 
You first must get everything living out of the house.  It will kill everything (plants, pets, fish, etc).  Open all interior doors, closets, cabinets, etc.  Close all windows, exterior doors, place the unit in a central area, plug the machine in and leave the house.  Depending on the size of the unit and house, it will be done in a few hours (4-6).  When you return, open the doors and a few windows and leave for 20 minutes.  This will allow the oxygen to return to the room.  If you have a crawl space  block all the exterior vents with cardboard and duct tape, place the unit inside the access hatch under the house, turn it on and close the access.  Again make sure nothing is alive in the house, ozone will still enter the house from the crawl space (plants, pets, fish, kids, etc).  repeat the same process as you did for the inside.  If I am doing a large home with a crawl space, I will usually rent the machine for 2 days (8 hrs inside on day 1 and 8 hours under on day 2) The longer you can leave them on the better. the rental center should also give you information on how to use the machines.

Scott Bullard
Keller Williams Realty - Marysville

ps. Also does a great job of killing spiders and other bugs in the house.
sure beats paying hundreds for an inspection and then hundreds more to have someone do the same thing.
These machines are very safe as long as you do not stay in the area when they are on. Again, they do not leave any residual chemicals that are harmful to children and pets.

Realtor's assisting buyers and sellers of real estate in Snohomish County Washington. To include; Everett, Marysville, Stanwood, Arlington, Granite Falls, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Snohomish and nearby areas.  For more information on our services please visit our website at http://www.barbsbestbuys.com