"Matt Morgan" wrote in message
m...
Sounds like you are taking all the right steps to me. Have the mold
tested,
see if it's lethal, and then decide. Sort od _almost_ sounds like you have
decided you are going to buy this house already - so BE CAREFUL. As one
who
has been burnt by issues not completely dissimilar to yours - don't let
your
heart make this decision. PURE FACTS ONLY when buying a house, mate. If
this
one isn't the one, you WILL find another you are just as attracted to.

Unfortunately testing is not really an option due to the length of time it
takes to test. The seller just wants to clean it up and proceed as per the
CDC:

"Generally, it is not necessary to identify the species of mold growing in a
residence, and CDC does not recommend routine sampling for molds. Current
evidence indicates that allergies are the type of diseases most often
associated with molds. Since the reaction of individuals can vary greatly
either because of the person's susceptibility or type and amount of mold
present, sampling and culturing are not reliable in determining your health
risk. If you are susceptible to mold and mold is seen or smelled, there is a
potential health risk; therefore, no matter what type of mold is present,
you should arrange for its removal. Furthermore, reliable sampling for mold
can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an
acceptable or tolerable quantity of mold have not been established."

But it just seems a lot like the radon scares back in the 80's to me.....
somebody somewhere finds something to scare everyone over, and suddenly a
cottage indistry is born to "clean it up"..... oh, and the lawyers....
yeah
yhey love it.

Personally I agree that it is overhyped, unfortunately it is a factor for
resale so for just that reason alone it needs to be seriously considered. I
have no personal experience with mold issues myself since I've always owned
newer homes previously, hence the reason for my posting here.

Gerald