Buying a house with mold in the bathroom

[Alex Silang]

I've spent an hour doing internet research. Apparently mold health issues are exaggerated and removal services are oversold and often a ripoff. But I still do not know what to do. 

I am inspecting a possible purchase. The inspector found what seemed to be mold in the first floor bathroom. There was a leak previously, which supposedly was fixed. 

Seller's agent a few days later said that it wasn't mold - that "something" spilled in the bathroom. I find this hard to believe, because it's head level and its on opposite sides of the bathroom. Inspector suggested it might have been even painted over. 

My real estate agent is taking his word at face value. According to her, there is no issue. "He seems to be trustworthy"  "It would only cost $1,000 to take care of it, if it was a problem"

What would you do in my shoes? I was looking at test kits from home depot. Very affordable, but it can take 3 weeks to get results. 

[Derrick Strope]

I would just ensure that you can determine the extent of the problem and are fairly compensated in the transaction.

The home I just purchased had some deteriorated grout in the tile surrounding the window in the downstairs bathroom, this was negotiated out of the price.  There was mold, I removed all tile, tub, drywall (why was this even used for a shower surround?) and even replaced some of the framing on the exterior wall.  Any portions that were not removed because of minimal damage were wiped down with bleach and painted over with killz.

I think mold removal is overblown but at the same time you want it gone.  If you can negotiate something you feel is fair and can accurately determine the costs to repair, it should be fine.

For mine, it was obvious because the shower wall was 'soft'.  You could literally push on the tile and it would flex about a 1/4 inch.

Best of luck!