Testing for asbestos in popcorn ceiling

Good article….Health concerns arise after homeowners cut corners

 

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. All samples should be evaluated by an accredited environmental lab. If the samples are positive, an asbestos abatement contractor should be contacted regarding cleanup. The question of health effects to your family from asbestos exposure cannot be answered with certainty. The asbestos fibers your family members may have inhaled cannot be measured, and the eventual effects of those fibers, if any, cannot be predicted. Most cases of asbestos-related lung disease involve people who were exposed to high levels of asbestos for long periods of time, such as workers who mined asbestos or who handled it in manufacturing or construction. Keep in mind, also, that everyone has been exposed to airborne asbestos fibers, whether they know it or not, and most people do not develop lung disease as a result of that exposure. Fallacies about asbestos abound. For example, it is commonly believed that asbestos was banned from the manufacture of all products. Actually, it has been banned from many products, but not all. There are still building products, such as roofing mastics and flooring materials, that continue to be made with asbestos. Even some automobile brake linings still contain asbestos. Another asbestos fallacy -- involving "popcorn" ceilings -- is perpetuated by many contractors and others in the building trades. It is the belief that asbestos ceiling texture was banned during the 1970s. Some say 1973; others say 1978. Both are wrong. There was, in fact, a ban on the manufacture of asbestos ceiling texture in 1978, but installation of the material remained legal. Banning the installation would have caused financial loss to manufacturers, suppliers and contractors who had already invested in stocks of the product. The installation of remaining supplies, therefore, continued into the 1980s, when inventories were finally exhausted. It should never be assumed that ceiling texture does not contain asbestos, based upon age or physical appearance. I recently witnessed a painting contractor pinch off a piece of ceiling texture, crumble it in his palm, examine it closely, and announce to the homeowner, "This does not appear to contain asbestos." What the painting contractor didn't know is that asbestos fibers are microscopic. A polarized light microscope is needed to determine whether asbestos fibers are present. Fortunately, the cost for lab analysis is very reasonable. Anyone planning to remove "popcorn" ceiling texture should have it tested before tampering with the material. Barry Stone Inman News

 

 

 

 

Pick the Neighborhood First!

With home prices low in many areas, buyers are taking advantage of the opportunity to purchase in new neighborhoods. If you are looking for your ideal home at these low prices and low interest rates be sure to pick your neighborhood first!

 

We work with many buyers who are looking in several different cities let alone multiple neighborhoods within each city. Start to narrow your focus by driving the cities and neighborhoods you like best. Eat dinner at various restaurants, visit different parks and stroll through the down towns. Do what it takes to get familiar with each area and begin to eliminate particular cities and/or neighborhoods.

 

We can provide you with essential neighborhood statistics on crime, schools scores, churches, weather and much more. This valuable information will empower you to make the right decision for you and your family. Once you have chosen the right city or neighborhood, you are ready to begin searching for your dream home. Happy Hunting!

 

 

 

 

On the Way Up!

Check out the good news on the housing market!

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/27/new-home-sales-rose-percent-june/

 

 

 

When can I get my earnest money deposit back?

When you purchase a home, you include a 1%-3% earnest money deposit with your offer. Once the offer is accepted, the earnest money deposit is delivered to the escrow company. The escrow company deposits the funds into an escrow account. This deposit is a “good faith” deposit demonstrating your intention to buy the home.

 

If you back out of the purchase after removing all your contingencies, then the seller is entitled to keep your deposit. This is a very fair way to do it because, by accepting your offer, the seller has taken their home off the market for a period of time, therefore, not allowing any other buyers to purchase the home.  

 

A higher deposit can strengthen your offer as it shows that you are very interested in following through with the purchase. When writing an offer, you also have the option of adding to your initial deposit amount in the form of an “increased deposit”. This increased deposit amount usually goes into the escrow account after the contingencies are removed.

 

In a standard California offer, there are 3 main contingencies: Finance, Appraisal and Inspection. Some offers include all 3 and other buyers may not have 3 main contingencies. For example, if a buyer was paying cash he/she would not have a finance contingency. If you remove your contingencies and later decide not to follow through with buying the house, you may be out your full deposit for liquidated damages to the seller.

 

If you do not remove your contingencies and are not able to buy the house due to a financing/appraisal reason or do not like something that you have seen after inspecting the home further, you are free to back out of the contract and receive your deposit back from escrow. If you have specific questions, please feel free to call us. We would be happy to explain it in greater detail.

 

 

 

 

 

Financing is Favorable...For Now

Some buyers are concerned about buying a home that will drop in value in the coming months. But buying a home is a long-term investment, and there’s more to consider than just the purchase price. From 1980 to today the 30-year fixed rate mortgage has ranged from more than 18 percent to less than 5%.

 

If you’re waiting for home prices to come down another $10,000, you may pay more in the long run if mortgage rates rise in the meantime. For example, look at the below chart. You’ll see that even with a higher loan amount at a 5% interest rate, the monthly payment is $50/month lower verses a lower loan amount at a 6% interest rate. Also, the amount of interest paid during the total life of the loan is almost $30,000!! So, waiting for prices to come down is very risky.

 

Loan	Rate	Payment	Total Int
$270,000	5.00%	$1,449	$251,791
Loan	Rate	Payment	Total Int
$250,000	6.00%	$1,499	$289,595

When you are looking for a bargain, don’t lose sight of the big picture. If you try to time the market to save a few thousand on the price of a home, you could end up with a higher monthly payment and total overall cost of home ownership.

 

 

 

The Importance of a Home Inspection

Should you get a home inspection when selling or buying? Watch this 5 minute video for important information on the value of a home inspection…

https://www.thinkbigworksmall.com/public/showArchiveVideo/3909/4116

 

 

 

Will a Seller Pay my Closing Costs?

“Will a seller pay my closing costs?” is a question we are asked frequently. It depends on two main items:

1) Type of loan you are pre-approved for

2) Situation with the property

 

Credits for closing costs can be anywhere from 3%-6%. On a $300,000 loan that can be anywhere from $10,000-$18,000. Typically for conventional loans the lender will allow the seller to credit you back 6% of the purchase price towards your closing costs. For FHA loans, it is a maximum of 3%.

 

It also depends on the situation with the property. For example, if there are multiple offers and/or you are going in under the asking price, then chances are the seller is not going to accept your offer if you also ask for closing costs to be paid. However, if you are the only interested party and the home has been on the market for several months the seller may agree to pay all or part of your closing costs. It is important to have us or the Realtor you are using find out the maximum credit allowed by your lender and understand the seller’s situation. We work with our clients to get them credits towards their closing costs whenever possible. The more money you save and the overall lower price you get for your home, the happier you will be.