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Testing for asbestos in popcorn ceiling

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, August 11, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: We just learned that the "popcorn" ceiling in our home contains asbestos. Unfortunately, we already removed it from two rooms and did not follow the recommended procedures to prevent air contamination. Instead, we scraped the ceilings while they were dry, which made a lot of dust. Then we cleaned up the floor with a shop vacuum. So now we have two concerns. Have we contaminated our home, and have we potentially damaged our health? --Deborah

DEAR DEBORAH: Many people have removed ceiling texture from their homes without knowing they were disturbing asbestos. To determine whether your home is contaminated with asbestos, you should hire a qualified asbestos inspector. Air samples should be taken from your home and from the surfaces of fabric-covered furniture and carpets; even from the shop vacuum that you used. more...

Are agent and inspector in cahoots?

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, August 4, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: When I bought my home, my Realtor arranged for a home inspection. She had me write a check to the inspector but didn't tell me when the inspection was to take place. So I missed the chance to attend. To make matters worse, the home inspector never gave me or my Realtor a report. I asked repeatedly for a report, but the agent put me off with some excuse about the inspector having marital problems. Finally, it was time to close escrow and she convinced me to let the inspection go and just buy the house.

After moving in, I kept finding problems, like leaky plumbing and outlets that didn't work. So I hired another home inspector. He found a long list of problems, including a damaged foundation. I've tried complaining to my agent about all of this, but she doesn't return my calls. What do you think about this situation, and what should I do? --Gloria more...

Insurer's HVAC demand cost $10,000

By Barry Stone, Wednesday, July 29, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: Three months after I bought my home, I got a letter from my homeowners insurance company. They threatened to cancel my policy because my furnace, according to them, was "outdated." But they never even looked at it. The new heating and air-conditioning system cost me nearly $10,000 -- a huge expense -- just to keep my insurance. Shouldn't my home inspector or my Realtor have warned me about this before I purchased the property? --Tracy

DEAR TRACY: It may have been the insurance company, rather than the heating and cooling system, that needed replacement. Their demand for a new HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system), without a specific evaluation of your furnace, was unreasonable and over-reaching. more...

Sale killed by home inspector error

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, July 21, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: We had our home in escrow, but the deal was killed by the buyers' home inspector. He told the buyers that our foundation isn't sound and that it needs to comply with current building codes. The buyers backed out of the deal, so we had a contractor look at the foundation. He found no physical defects -- no cracks and no signs of settlement. He also said that older homes are not required to meet newer code requirements. Do we have any recourse against the home inspector? His report cost us the sale of our home. --Mark

DEAR MARK: It appears that the home inspector made some errors in his findings, but legal recourse in such cases is rarely an option. To recover your losses, you would have to prove that the buyers would definitely have completed the purchase, and outcomes of that kind can never be known for certain. more...

Flipper sets bait for money trap

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, July 14, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: I'm concerned about a scam artist who buys and sells "fixer-uppers" in my neighborhood. Recently, he bought a run-down house, not realizing how much work it needed. The roof is shot; the plumbing is in terrible condition; and the interior is full of mold from roof leaks and plumbing leaks. A contractor was hired for a fast fix-up and quick resale. One of his workers told me that the repairs being done are merely cosmetic. All of the real issues are being covered up so the place can be sold. A money trap is being set for some unlucky buyers, and once they discover the true condition of the property, they'll be stuck with it.

I want to do something about this, but I don't want legal problems with the owner. I could mind my own business and hope that a home inspector unveils the mess. But who knows whether the buyers will get a good inspection or any inspection at all. What should I do? --Suzan more...

Beware of builder who forbids inspection

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, July 7, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: We opened escrow on a brand-new home, and the builder refuses to allow a home inspector on the property. He insists that a home inspection is not necessary because the house has a one-year warranty and because an occupancy permit was issued by the building department. Since the home is new and it is warranted, should we be concerned about having a home inspection? --Jake & Falynn

DEAR JAKE & FALYNN: Builders who are honest and reasonable know better than to prohibit a home inspection. A professional inspection is a routine process in most residential purchases, regardless of whether the home is old or new. When sellers prevent buyers from having a home inspection, their motives and integrity are suspect. more...

Black crud invades whirlpool bath

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, June 30, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: We just purchased a home and hired a home inspector before closing. He reported no problems with the whirlpool bathtub. But the first time we turned it on, the bath water became filled with black specks. There is some kind of mold or mildew in the pipes, and we haven't been able to remove all of it, not even with bleach. When we called our home inspector, he said that he checks only the working ability of the tub jets and nothing else. If he checked the jets, he must have filled the tub, so how could he have missed the problem? --Annie

DEAR ANNIE: The mold or mildew problem in your whirlpool tub is a common one because the pipes in most whirlpool tubs do not drain very well. When the tub is emptied, water remains in the pipes and becomes stagnant. When this foul brew evaporates, a black residue is left in the lines. Then, when the tub is filled again, the crud is loosened by the water flow, and black particles are washed into the bath water. more...

Illegal conversion must be undone

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, June 23, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: The home I just bought has a workshop that was converted to a studio apartment, but no one told me that the conversion was not permitted. Now the city wants me to convert it back. I used all my money to buy the property and can't afford the construction costs. No one disclosed this to me: not my home inspector, the appraiser, the seller, or the agent. Do I have any recourse? --Norman

DEAR NORMAN: Let's run through the list of suspects:

1. The home inspector, if he was sharp and experienced, should have advised you to consult the building department to verify permits for the conversion. more...

'Ghosting' rears its head after paint job

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, June 16, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: I painted the inside of my home only six months ago, and already it needs to be repainted. Portions of the walls have become visibly darkened. Strangely, this occurs wherever there are framing members behind the drywall. I can see where all the wall studs and ceiling joists are located. Not only that, I can see dark spots where all the drywall nails are located. What could be causing this, and what can I do about it? --Bill

DEAR BILL: What you are seeing is a phenomenon commonly called "ghosting." When ghosting occurs, extremely fine soot particles in the air collect on the walls and ceilings at locations where the temperature is cooler and where there is higher electrostatic attraction. more...

Skeptical of seller disclosures

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, June 9, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: In several of your past columns, buyers had alleged that the sellers deliberately withheld disclosure of known defects. How can a buyer determine whether a seller did or did not know about a particular problem? --Joe

DEAR JOE: The short and simple answer is that buyers often do not know when nondisclosure is intentional or innocent. Each situation has its own unique variables, so let's consider some possibilities.

As most people know, sellers must provide buyers with a written disclosure statement of all known property defects. more...

Buyer's agent fails buyers

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, June 2, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: We live on the top floor of a condo complex and have two questions for you. The first involves our condo board of directors. Rain leakage caused water damage in the condo below ours. The condo board refused to pay for repairs. They said the leak was from our bathtub. Actually, we never use the tub, but the board made such a stink about it that we paid the $200 repair bill just to make peace. What do you think about the condo board's position?

Next, we have a home inspection question. When we bought our condo, our Realtor advised us not to hire a home inspector. She said that the areas in need of inspection were covered by the condo board. Since the condo board dumped the leak repairs into our lap, what do you think about our agent's advice? --Michele more...

Home inspector's mistake costs buyers

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, May 26, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: We bought our house about seven months ago and hired a home inspector to check it out, but he never went on the roof. He said there was no need to walk on the roof because it was only 5 years old and not likely to be worn or damaged.

Well guess what? When the first rains came, we had a major leak. The contractor we hired said the roof was not properly installed. Besides that, there were tar patches that could not be seen from the ground. These revealed a history of past roof leaks and could have been reported by our home inspector, if he had taken the time to look. When we called him about this, he said that he is not required to walk on roofs. If that is so, then what good are home inspectors? --Jay more...

Septic system liability looms for buyer

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, May 19, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: The home we're buying was built in 1947, and it still has the original septic tank. We plan to have a septic inspection but are still worried. We've never had a home with a septic system and don't know anything about possible problems with one. The seller promised to pay for a septic inspection and then backed out of his offer. So we'll be paying to have it inspected. But even if the inspection goes well, how difficult is it to live with a septic tank? --Raluca

DEAR RALUCA: People who move from the city to the country are often mystified by septic systems. With a municipal sewer system, you simply flush it and forget it. With a septic system, you still own what you flush. But that ownership is not necessarily a problem, as long as the system is in good condition. more...

Furnace suffers installation blues

By Barry Stone, Wednesday, May 13, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: My home has continuous problems with the forced-air heating system. Each time we pay for repairs, it runs for a few days or a few weeks and then quits. One heating contractor said the system was not installed correctly because the return air opening is too small. But I spoke with the contractor who installed the system, and he insists that everything is installed properly. How can I get the original installer to acknowledge the mistake and make the system right? --Tom

DEAR TOM: In debates of this kind, the contractor has the advantage because he is an expert in his field and you are not. If he says the return air opening is large enough, who are you to argue with the expert? more...

Seller, agent renege on home repairs

By Barry Stone, Tuesday, May 5, 2009.

DEAR BARRY: We purchased our home about a year ago. The sellers and their Realtor made a side agreement to repair some of the defects after the close of escrow. These included a new liner in the chimney, a new exhaust vent for the furnace, and a vent for the clothes dryer. The repairs were supposed to be done within three months of closing, but the sellers still have not completed the work. more...

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