First Thomasville GA Custom Green Smart Home Builders Building Above Minimum Code: Check Lead and Asbestos Presence Before Buying Older Homes

Monday, June 11, 2012

Check Lead and Asbestos Presence Before Buying Older Homes

Many home buyers are enticed with older homes because these properties have great structure, facade, design and integrity. These homes foster durability may be due to the materials used in building them. Asbestos and lead are two ingredients that possess many practical physical attributes suitable for long-lasting building. On the other hand, health problems were later on discovered to be brought about by lead and asbestos. As a present home buyer, it is your responsibility to seek proper measures in determining whether these elements are existent in the old home you are looking into.

A lot of residential unit developers and builders from early 1900s to late 1970s were convinced to use materials containing lead and asbestos. Lead was a common ingredient for paints, drying agents and external coverings of roofing joints because of its qualities of malleability and corrosion resistance. Asbestos was used in cement, flat sheet, shingles, pipes, vinyl tiles, flooring felt and some paints for textured painting. This mineral is known to maintain proper insulation and slow down fire.

Despite the wonderful construction attributes these elements have, they pose health problems as well. Lead can trigger many undesirable conditions for people. Once this is inhaled or ingested, the blood stream will be poisoned. And lead poisoning can lead to poor mental, nerve and motor functioning and permanent learning and behavioral disorders. A pregnant woman also endangers the normal growth of the fetus once she is exposed to lead. Abdominal pain, headache and anemia are common symptoms of lead poisoning.

Asbestos is commonly associated with respiratory problems such as lung cancer, Mesothelioma and asbestosis. The second condition refers to the cancer of the mesothelial lining of the lungs and chest cavity, abdominal cavity or a sac surrounding the heart. The third one is the scarring of the lung tissue which can later on affect lung dysfunction.

Older homes with these elements still pose risks until today. This is because the lead and asbestos content in the materials can be scattered as dust particles or through microscopic bacterial fibers. Thus, a lot of countries have implemented total bans and/or usage and manufacturing regulations regarding lead and asbestos in home products and building materials. Other measures like here in the US instigate proper management and assessment of lead and asbestos presence in older homes. Government bodies such as US Environment Protection Agency and Housing and Urban Development strongly advise home buyers and owners to hire professionals who would conduct inspections and testing of home areas. Expert services are required as these elements need specific equipment for detection. These are invisible to the naked eye, cannot be smelled or tasted.

Once the inspections present alarming traces of lead and/or asbestos, the affected areas should be immediately removed and replaced. Eco-friendly alternative materials from non-toxic renewable natural resources are available. Cotton fiver, lycnene foam and cellulose are green materials that can be used to replace insulation, piping, siding or roofing materials that contain asbestos or lead. While you are augmenting the healthy environment in the property, using green substitutes may mean financial gains for you as well. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, home owners who purchase such materials can be rewarded with tax incentives.

http://www.realestateproarticles.com/Art/13368/283/Check-Lead-and-Asbestos-Presence-Before-Buying-Older-Homes.html

Thomasville, GA has really old homes that have been Remodeled ASK FOR DOCUMENTATION of these bad materials removed. Lead, Asbestos, Mold.

Any home built before 1978 has some type of lead base paint; also do not forget the likely chance of Asbestos and mold. Any home from 1978 and 1900 and 1800 should be tested by a company that specializes in removing Lead, Mold, and Asbestos and they should provide documentation of no findings of these types of hazards and dangerous materials in any old home. No documentation buyers beware. As a real estate agent I would not show this type of property or list without proper documentation.

Remodeling an old home without proper professionals?

Property disclosure form "lead paint unknown" when looking at an old home that has been remodeled. Take a look at the “Property Disclosure Form” most likely you will see under LEAD PAINT “UNKNOWN” this to me means it was not checked or removed without the proper removal company and you may have lead paint spores in the air from the incorrect removal and this also goes for asbestos and mold. http://www.va-home-inspection.com/Lead-Paint.html

Think you’re safe from problems when you buy a new home? Think again

Now imagine. New Homes being built in Thomasville, GA. by an unlicensed person and that person also claiming to be a builder with no building experience, project managerment or construction experience working under someone else’s license. Building of these homes continuous. Buyers beware. Cheap Homes = Cheap Homes.

6/19/12 - News Flash:::: After less then one year of ownership, the owner of one of these homes is SELLING. I wonder why? I am not surprised. I saw that cheap box being built.

Realtors with their own agenda:

When you go shopping for a car, you do not only go to one dealer, so why would you stick with only one Realtor or real estate brokerage? in Thomasville, GA. we have our share of used car realtors. who are only interested in selling you their own listings or their own brokerage listings, and why "Full Commission" so this is why you need to invest more time and try using deferent realtors and brokerage to show you houses and you will see that all realtors are not the same. most of them are just interested in their own "Agenda".

Resale Value of Spec Homes in Thomasville, GA.

Caution: Some Real estate professionals and Real State Brokers like to use the word total square footage when listing a home. The word (Total Square Footage) is used when the listed properties square footage under heated & cooled is to small for the listed price. The total square footage of heated, cooled, garage, porches and decks are sometimes used to justify the price per square footage of that property. So you need to ask for the total heated & cooled square footage and divide by total price = price per sq. ft. The City and County Requires any addition or unfinished bonus rooms done after the home was built to have a permit. Example of misrepresented property by an agent in Thomasville, GA. Listed at 3,800 Sq. Ft. but public records has it for 3,200 Sq. Ft. Definetly something wrong with this picture.

WHO BUILT THE HOME YOU ARE LOOKING TO BUY

Will your next home be built and sold to you by a realtor? Look for a professional Builder. A professional builder is the only one that is dedicated to what they do and are on site from start to finish. A real estate agent or property appraiser is only interested in selling you that home he is not on the job site from start to finish because he is trying to sell homes. What type of quality construction do you think went into that home? And what homes do you think you are going to see first? Always ask who built the home and who are you buying the home from. You will be surprised to find out who built that home you are looking to buy! You would have to wonder who would warranty that new home.

A few realtors in town are building low end homes and having some of their associates ADVOCATE potential buyers to those listings.

Remember:

To put this in perspective is like going to a FOOT DOCTOR to perform HEART SURGERY