There is really no way of estimating until a thorough tear out of potentially infected areas is done.

The fact there is spots on a wall common to the shower/bath is probably an indication of a larger problem inside the walls. That may necessitate removing the sheetrock in the closet and the bath. That could be a little as $300 or as much as $3000, or more depending on what is found.

Sheetrock is removed, wall studs can be cleaned or replaced, and new sheetrock/bath wall treatment installed.

Run away! I see you tearing out and replacing everywhere there is a water line. Think of tearing out every bathroom and re-tiling. A fortune! (Gosh, banks are SO DUMB!)

We had mold start in the basement of our teardown. (City had issued teardown and build permits but then 'had second thoughts' after the demo and issued a stop work order. Illegal, but they have all the cards.)

Anyway, this was before insurance companies exempted mold coverage. State Farm paid $16K and we paid $1K for guys in 'space suits' to spend five days in our basement. This is a bare, unfinished basement -- cement walls and floor -- but they scraped and sprayed *every surface*.

Now, if you can buy this place for LAND VALUE and tear it down, that could be a good deal -- if you love the location.

I don't think I'd mind 3k or even 16k in this case. What I'd be wary of is having to replace joists, entire load-bearing walls, etc.

The post-foreclosure price is $250k less than its new construction price 6 yrs ago, $150 less than an identical house being sold 2 miles away (built by same builder) and $100 less than assessed value. We're thinking that we could do a lot of repairs/upgrades with that extra $100 in our pocket. Usually this price in this area gets you a 50yo post-WWII tract home with no updates. Hard to run away from.

If it's any 'good' news, I just realized that the potentially leaking bathroom in question is situated over the garage, so perhaps any damage below was isolated to non-living space.

I know nothing about foreclosure purchases but have you had an inspector and contractor check out the house to see what extent of damage and costs they find?

We had a mold issue (from frozen pipe) that our insurance company did cover. They had to gut the bathroom and adjoining closets to the floor and wall studs. Take out all the moldy insulation, replacethe wallboard, some joists, etc. The ins company paid the mold remediation company separately to to the demo/removal/remediation, so I have no idea what the cost was... but it was two people in suits for 4-5 days plus running a huge fan (rest of house was partitioned off by plastic sheeting) for a week. I'm sure it was at least $5000 for that part, likely more. A third party agency had to test before and after to make sure it was all gone before the reconstruction began. We were alloted $18k for the reconstruction part (tile, sheetrock, paint, flooring.) The process took a long time and was very disruptive, but if you haven't moved in yet, no biggie.

The one thing I would recommend is to get at least two different remediation companies to look at it for you. The first guys were like, "hmmm, I don't see any mold." even though the stench was unbelieveable. We finally found someone willing to dig into it and find the problem. They were a specialized and pretty high-end "restoration" company that specialized in flood/fire restorations, not just mold remediation. Also I'd suggest you get a REALLY REALLY thorough inspection to make sure that the one, known burst pipe was the only one. Might be others with slow leaks elsewhere you're not yet aware of.

Good luck!

Your average 'home inspector' isn't going to be of any use here. You'll have to pay some fees to get qualified people out to look at the house.

I was thinking further about your post. Yes, there was a break -- but once that happened, that pipe wasn't going to break *again* in another location, was it? Perhaps the break you see is all there is and damage is confined to the immediate area where water sprayed, flowed or was wicked. Are there other pipe supply lines in the house? Do the toilets function?

Now you say this is over the garage. Makes sense, as that is probably what froze first.

Stop thinking "Bargain". Nevermind what the house sold for new six years back. The assessment may or may not have worth, depending on how often the area is assessed and how accurate they are in general -- and if they've discounted assessments to reflect the current market. The listing price on the comp isn't as interesting as the selling price would be. (Got any recent "Sold's" that compare?)

This could work for you, but only if you can buy it VERY cheap. Remember, that 'broken pipe' history comes with this house. A future buyer will be as leary as you are.

The bank should be happy to unload this and stop paying taxes on it. If you can afford it, want it, and plan to live in for a number of years, bid low and see.

Also...it couldn't hurt to talk to immediate neighbors. We're focusing on the water issue, but there could be other things amiss, especially in a foreclosure.

Finding out what kind of mold is present----and there will be mold---is the most important thing to start.

Molds are everywhere. Most are just obnoxious. Some necessary(like cheese?).

A few are dangerous. People freak out when the words 'Black Mold' are used. Half the thousands of naturally occuring molds are black. Only a few black molds are dangerous.

Read the linked info and educate yourself on molds and houses.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mold info

staceyneil: Thanks for the share. $5-$18 is within our ballpark guess and comfort zone. Beyond $25, and/or widespread mold, we'd run away.

We would definitely seek out some flood/fire/disaster specialists. A house that's been locked up for a few years is a unique case.

chisue: recent sale comps are abt $150 higher. Low end homes current sell is ~$190/sq, high-end is $230. Bank's list on this one is $165/sq.

Update: This one made me lose sleep last night. It's really the best house at the best price we've found in nearly 2 years of looking/watching. 30+ showings in first 4 DOM. 11 offers already in. We don't stand a chance. Some deep-pocket developer or flipper will give it a quick polish and it'll be back on market $100 or more higher in 3 months. Sigh. Shame our money tree up and died. ;)

So you're not putting in an offer? You never know... our first house was under contract and we made an offer anyway... and ended up getting it!

It's hard to accept, but usually things are for the best in the end! That was brought home to me during our build. A maddening delay brought about an opportunity to rethink and either save or improve on the previous course of action. Weird, but it happened several times. We are *always* learning.

If the guru's are right, the USA is in for yet another big drop in housing prices. Sitting tight for now could still work in your favor.

staceyneil: No, probably not going to put in an offer. With so many offers to choose from, the bank will go with the one that can close the fastest and with no strings attached. That would mean sacrificing all contingencies and rights. This one will go to some developer/remodeller with cash in hand who can flip it in a month or two.

chisue: I know for a fact that many many more nice foreclosures are still in the pipeline (I query our county deeds database from time to time. That how I knew this one was coming to market) But the trick to snagging one is to be ready to move at the drop of a hat. (not to mention be comfortable to drop your inspection clause, financing clause, legal review clause,...Banks want no liability) We'd have to sell our home, sit on the cash, move to a rental large enough for our family (& pets), then be ready to spring on an opportunity.

An attorney told me to have an industrial hygienist evaluate and form a mold treatment plan. - go to the American Industrial Hygiene Associationî (www.aiha.org) for the names of professionals in your area. Members in this organization are experts.
The hygienist will form a remediation plan. This is not cheap - I paid over a thousand dollars. Remember, these professionals are independent scientists - not someone trying to sell you a waterproofing job or someone who got âÂÂcertificationâ by going to a few classes at a convention. The plans will be very detailed. The plan will specify any demo, cleaning, mold resistant sealants; antimicrobial paints etc. to be used.Inspections are visual and air and surface samples will be taken. Be prepared to pay for each sample. Independent labs do the analysis.
The hygienist can give you the names of reputable mold remediation firms that they have worked with in the past. Please use a professional so that you have peace of mind that the job was done right. If you sell the house in the future you will have to disclose the mold problem. Prospective buyers will be less fearful to buy a home that was remediated properly.

Mold remediation can be very expensive. Think the cost of a new luxury car if the mold is extensive.
The areas to be treated are cleaned under negative pressure by individuals using head to toe protection HEPA vacuums are used. Your electricity bill will soar during the time that they are working in your home. Often your HVAC systems will also need to be cleaned and sanitized.

The cost of remediation depends upon the hygienistâÂÂs plan. Your remediation company should spell out everything in their contract. Demo can mean mean dumpsters and baging all porous items like sheet rockin plastic. Remediation firms remove mold on surfaces by using wire brushes, dry ice blasting or baking soda blasting. Then all surfaces are cleaned with detergents. Wood surfaces will need to be sealed with special sealants. This is not something that you can take care of with a bottle of Tilex.

See http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/epi/moldrpt1.shtml for guidelines on mold remediation. Use this info as a guideline for your own project.

After the remediation is completed the hygienist will come back and take air and surface samples from inside and outside the house. The hygienist will look to see if the remediation meets the specifications in his/her treatment plan. The mold spores inside the house have to be lower than those outside the house. There is no EPA standard for mold.

Good luck ��" I hope this info helps.

Sometimes I think this whole mold thing has gotten out of hand. Yes, mold is not good. And I know a person that may have possibly gotten ill from excessive mold in her house (and I mean really excessive!). But a little mold as you describe is common in most homes and is probably just some leftover from when the home was used. We had some reoccurring mold in our bathroom and we completely eliminated it by re-insulating the walls to keep them from condensing moisture out (sounds like this may have happened in your case - see link below). I think your best bet, if you are concerned, is to make the sale contingent on an inspection by a qualified home inspector that does not have any ties to the "mold remediation industry".

Here is a link that might be useful: Mold Removal in Bathroom

Sorry about my previous post here - I see it is an old thread. My comment still stands about the whole mold thing getting out of hand. This is an "industry" built on fear - don't let these "experts" come in and scare you into spending thousands of dollars. If you are concerned about health effects, consult with health professionals. For sure, if a house smells moldy, then you probably have an issue that could be dangerous and requires serious measures, but for small amounts of mold, "remediation" can be as simple as adding some insulation, running a dehumidifier, and painting with mold resistant paint.

If you are experiencing a mold problem in Staten Island NY you can check out this site:

www.absolutelyspotlessmoldny.com

They service the tri-state area and have very useful information on how to prevent mold, how and why it grows, and much more!

Here is a link that might be useful: Mold Removal, Remediation, Testing, Inspection, Staten Island NY

This post was edited by Absolutely_Spotless on Tue, Jan 20, 15 at 15:58

For some great tips on mold you can check out this site:

www.absolutelyspotlessmoldpa.com

They have been serving eastern Pennsylvania since 1995!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pennsylvania Mold Removal, Remediation, Inspection, Testing, Services

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