Urgent message to all Washington State Real Estate Agents!
The below post by Charles Buell does a great job at explaining the Senate Bill 5644 and how it will affect not only Home Inspectors, but the entire real estate community.
Whether we like it or not, even the so-called "toxic" mold spores are present in every square inch of the air we breathe (both inside and outside). That being said, for liability reasons, home inspectors will most likely be forced to declare that every home has toxic mold and recommend testing and/or remediation by a "mold expert."
Another possible repercussion of Senate Bill 5644 is the potential increase in home inspector's insurance premiums in order to cover the increased risk, which might be passed on to the consumer. And what if the insurance companies decide not to insure inspectors in Washington State because they don't want anything to do with mold? What then?
If you live in Washington State, are involved in the real estate industry and are concerned about this issue (heck, if you live in Washington State), I urge you to write your representative and senator to voice your concerns.
If you are not sure who your legislators are, go to the following link: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/
Thanks for reading.
Actually this message is directed to anyone involved in any part of the real estate transaction in Washington State. All agents, appraisers, loan officers, and inspectors should be concerned about several bills currently working their way through the House and Senate in the State of Washington that in one
way or another relate to home inspectors that will affect the entire real estate transaction. This will be the first in a series of posts designed to bring to your attention the major concerns around these bills. While some of these bills may never even make it out of committee, all deserve a quick email to your Senator or your House representative to voice your concern.
The first one I will discuss is Senate Bill 5644 that would change Home Inspector Licensing to require home inspectors to include “looking for mold.” Since home inspectors are not generally qualified to identify mold, and are not likely to get trained to identify mold, this bill could literally bring every real estate transaction in the state to a halt or at least slow it down while a mold expert is brought in to test the house for mold.
Mold is the result of conducive conditions----in other words there are: roof leaks, plumbing leaks, foundation leaks, ventilation problems, drainage problems, and other building science issues that must be addressed to get rid of this one of the many results of these problems. Home inspectors, while not specifically required to identify mold are already mandated by law to discover and report on conducive conditions, so adding the word “mold” into the law is unnecessary. As long as there is considerable controversy over the effects of home-environmental mold on occupants of the home, blanket legislation regarding mold is not necessary to better protect the health & safety of Washington residents.
No one would argue that particulate in the air, whether mold or dust or other contaminates, can affect anyone’s breathing, but these are “building science” issues not mold issues. Knowledgeable home inspectors are trained (or at least should be trained) to identify conditions that contribute to poor indoor quality including conditions conducive to the growth of mold. Any inspector that found conditions that they didn’t understand related to these issues would already be calling for further evaluation by the appropriate building science expert----calling for a mold expert to evaluate every real estate transaction would seem draconian to me.
While calling for the “mold expert” would not be “required” by the current bill, can you imagine any inspector “signing off” on a house as being mold free? I think not. To paraphrase Chicken Man, “Its everywhere, its everywhere.”
Other Important Bills:
Senate Bill 6434
Charles Buell
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