Testing for Lead Paint Prior tot Purchase

[Dirk Steele]

Hi Everyone, 

Hoping you can help me better understand  a situation encountered during my closing.  I am closing on a 1916 home in Washington state.  Due to the age of the home and the fact that the seller has professed ignorance,  I have ask my buyers agent to include a lead based paint test in the PnS agreement.  I am now 1 week into the purchase and trying to schedule the testing but getting push back from both the sales agent and my agent.  I am getting the impression that there is some information that my agent is trying to get through my thick skull but it just isn't registering.  

My plans for the property is to fix it up and rent it out.   If there is any lead I want to ask for a concession  in the sales price to offset the cost of dealing with the proper removal of any lead.

Q: Is there any reason that I should not performing the testing? 

[Lynn McGeein]

Once lead is a known factor, it must be disclosed, no checking the box stating you have no knowledge of lead, so the seller and listing agent likely do not want the test performed.   I have only purchased one property pre-1978, and I had the XRF test done as part of my inspection process.  It MD, unless the property tests lead-free, you have to register, test between tenants, all kinds of issues, so unless it tested lead-free, I was not touching it.   It was a 1974 property so likely to test lead-free, anyway, and it did, but I initially received push-back from the agents as well.