After recently showing a REO, Foreclosure property and suspecting the home may have been used to cook Meth I found information on the internet to help future home buyers:
If you are planning to move into a new home, duplex or apartment, there are steps you can take to help ensure your family's safety.
If you are buying a home:
A buyer may want to consider making the purchase contingent on a satisfactory home inspection, including testing for the presence of Meth residue.
When you go looking at new places to live, be aware of telltale Meth manufacturing signs both inside and outside of the residence.
Signs of Meth manufacturing inside:
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Dark stains in bathtubs, sinks, and toilets
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Discolored surfaces (red, orange, reddish brown)
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Stains on walls or carpets
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Signs of chemical or acid burns or spills on floors or counters
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Empty packages/containers of chemicals or cold medicine
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Hoses, glass cookware with powdery residue, containers with plastic tubing attached, coffee filters with red or white stains, hot plates, propane tanks with bright blue brass fittings
Signs of Meth manufacturing outside:
Many times, waste material from a Meth lab is dumped outdoors, causing irreparable damage to the environment and drinking water. Outdoor Meth lab contamination results from the dumping or burning of waste on or near soil, surface water, groundwater, and sewer or septic systems. Signs of Meth lab activity outside include:
- Burn piles
- Dead or dying vegetation
- Buried trash piles.
Besides doing a visual inspection in and around a property, it is also a good idea to ask your potential neighbors some questions.
? Did you ever notice any strong smells like cat urine or unusual chemical smells like ether, ammonia or acetone?
? Did you notice strange traffic patterns like few or no visitors during the day, but lots of traffic at extremely late hours?
? Did visitors stay for just a few minutes?
? Were there efforts made to cover windows or reinforce doors, or other unusual security measures?
? Did you notice whether the former occupants put their trash out normally?
? Did you ever see what looked like laboratory materials around the property?
? Were there ever vehicles loaded with trunks, chemical containers or basic chemistry paraphernalia?
Please note that I AM NOT AN EXPERT. In stumbling across a home with a very offensive odor and becoming physically ill (along with my buyer), I decided to do some online checking. This list came from several law enforcement agencies. Please do your own checking if you suspect Meth use in a home you may be purchasing or considering living in.
You can find great local
Brookfield, Wisconsin real estate information on Localism.com April Hayden-Munson Realtor, Southeastern Wisconsin is a proud member of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network, a free online community to help real estate professionals grow their business.
Serving all of your Southeastern Wisconsin Real Estate Needs. To view homes for sale go to http://www.movewithapril.com/
Posted by April Hayden-Munson RE/MAX Realty 100
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April...how awful that we need this information. Thanks for posting!