Sometime in July, the Hankins family of Klamath Falls, Oregon thought they got a great bargain by snatching a foreclosed home for $36000.
But just within days of moving, the members of the family slowly felt varying symptoms of inexplicable illness. These led them to believe that something was wrong within the house.
Their very first home used to be a clandestine meth laboratory.
The current discussion in the National Association of Realtors’ forum shows that aside from radon and mold, meth has creating health concerns now among the home buyers.
In the State of Connecticut, meth disclosure is not required. However, I read that twenty three states, including Oregon, have mandated it.
There has not been public knowledge of meth issues in our local real estate industry. Although, there may have been an incident of this concern, I am not aware of it to this date.
An authority in Meth Lab Cleanup, Joe Mazzuca said that based on national and state data, there are 2.5 million meth-contaminated homes in the U.S. "The signs and indicators aren't always there," he said. "You don't always see the meth residue. It's extremely dangerous stuff.”
He recommended that we do our due diligence by doing the following actions:
•Check the DEA's National Clandestine Laboratory Register.
•Talk to the property's neighbors.
•Contact the local health department and police for past issues.
•Buy a kit to test for chemicals.
Because of this new potential health concern for our clients, I would like to get incisive input from my fellow professionals as to the pervasiveness or non-pervasiveness of this issue in your areas. Have you recommended the actions as stated above?
I would love to hear from you.
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