whoops, wrong link. Take a look at this one instead:
http://www.brickbungalows.com/tree/tree.html

Thanks everyone. I have a bionic nose and can smell mold stronger than any human I know - I do have two beagles, too. The problem that I wanted to bring to people's attention is that a home inspector only looks (and personally smells) for obvious, visual mold. Many mold problems are NOT visible and if your inspection is on a dry day, it is likely that there is not going to be any smell. It is the same with pets that pee on the carpet - on a humid day a house will reek of dogs but most days smell perfectly fine.

My problem was actually my existing house and it turned out in part to be a dying Maple tree outside. Several times, I would open the back door to let the dogs out and get the same smell as entering a moldy flooded basement. It was not for another couple of months when our tree started growing huge mushrooms that I had proof that I was not imagining it. It cost $750 to have the tree taken down. Several neighbors have also had large trees taken down due to illness and our neighborhood does not look (or smell) the same. In addition, it probably lost some property value without the 50-year-old trees.

Therefore, a word to the wise - an inspection might not always help. As Dana said, a dusty house can create allergic havoc as well as a moldy house. The real problem is that it takes a long time for the allergens to build up in your body's system and a one time inspection does not measure the long-term health effects. I would recommend in addition to the usual inspections and clauses asking the homeowners about health problems including colds, asthma, allergies and other seemingly personal questions just as if you might ask what they have been paying for heating costs.

Alway visit a potential home at least once while it is raining. You can learn a lot more much faster that way.
Ruth

This is a real issue here in Louisiana post-Katrina. Mold can also be a problem in a house which has not been dusted regularly. Excess dust can contribute to mold growth according to my favorite home inspector.
If you have not already executed a contract,I would suggest including clauses regarding mold inspection & remediation into any purchase agreement. if the sellers are not willing to pay for inspection,it would be well worth the expense for you to pay for this. Any remediation,however should be the responsibility of the seller. our property disclosure form inLouisiana specifically addresses mold.

Hello Ruthless:

Nice seeing you back.... Hope all ls well with you! We need to catch up

If a person suspect mold in the house they are buying, then they probably should do a mold inspection. We just went through the process with a house which has potential mold problem. By talking to my buyer, I know that my buyer will never buy the house unless she does a mold inspection to get peace of mind, so she ordered a mold inspection.

So, we did. This can be very costly. For Marin - and I researched many mold inspection companies - the price is $300 to come out and do visual inspection. If mold is suspected, they will recommend air sample or swap sample. Each test costs close to $100 each; so it adds up quickly.

Then there is mold medication company that will come in and remove the mold for an arm and leg..

So, yep, recommend a mold inspection, both for health issue and peace of mind.

Let me know how you are doing, Ruth!

Sylvia

You need to have inspections. Mold is a serious issue. Most people get clorox and a brush and clean the area where mold is, thinking this fixes the problem. I will tell you I have talked a lot with home inspectors. The clorox and a brush does not fix the problem. It makes it worse. Research about mold in a house. It will scare you. You can never make any assumptions about mold. There are lots of different kinds of mold. Mold can look alike and 1 will do nothing to you and the other can kill you. Getting rid of it in a home can cost you 100 dollars or can cost you 50,000 dollars. You never know. GET A HOME INSPECTION BEFORE BUYING THE HOME.

Ruthless,

Have it inspected specifically for mold. The inspection should be able to identify if you have reason to be concerned and offer advice to abate the problem if one exists.

If is important to take this beyond the regular home inspection which basically check the condition of the homes operating systems. An average structural home inspection may or may not detect a problem.

Mold has the potential of being a difficult and costly problem.....be sure it's ruled out before going to closing.

Good luck