All Forum Posts by: Andy J.

Chris, I agree with you. If the results do show lead is present then I would probably do a test afterwards as well to make sure everything was taken care of. I was only referring to the situation where lead is not present in the initial test. I have yet to find a house that has lead hazards present.

As I mentioned, the term "lead free" is in quotations because it doesn't tell the whole story. I do not say "lead free" in any marketing, rather I attach a copy of the inspection report to the documents available when I list the property (along with mold disclosure, square foot disclosure, source of water disclosure etc. etc...).

I have merely used the phrase "lead free" in these posts to save myself from typing "The results of this inspection indicate that no lead in amounts greater than or equal to 1.0 mg/cm² in paint was found on...................." Sorry if this led to any confusion.

I only do the lead test prior to renovation. Once the lead test is completed and the results show their is no lead hazard there is no need to re-test after the project is complete. If there's no lead hazard when you start there won't be any when you finish, granted that you're not re-using materials from old houses or other projects.

The lead tests that my lead inspector performs is not with a swab or dust test, he uses the XRF method (X-Ray Flourescence Spectrometer) which can read through multiple layers of paint without disturbing the surface. It looks similar to those scanners you see at a supermarket checkout except it's much larger and costs about $10,000. Even if there were 10+ layers of paint on top of a lead based paint the XRF gun would be able to determine if that were the case.

Quoted from the inspection:

"The results of this inspection indicate that no lead in amounts greater than or
equal to 1.0 mg/cm² in paint was found on any building components, using the
inspection protocol in Chapter 7 of the HUD Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control
of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing (1997). Therefore, these dwellings qualify for
the exemption in 24 CFR part 35 and 40 CFR part 745 for target housing being leased
that is free of lead-based paint, as defined in the rule."

To answer your question Chris, the certification is at the state level. To quote from the certificate it reads "Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Air Pollution Control Division." The certificate is not for the home, but rather the individual or company performing the lead test. The company/individual provides an inspection report with the findings.

And when I say "lead free" home I keep it in quotations because it is not actually lead free (lead is in many things, but in extremely small amounts) but rather all of the readings show that the amount of lead present is under the level that requires lead safe work practices.

If the home is "lead free" then you don't have to worry about lead safe practices which can become a costly addition to a contractors bid.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by Colorado not being involved in the RRP program. The EPA law is federal and nationwide, each state may be able to incorporate additional systems and requirements above and beyond but they all must meet the federally mandated EPA requirements.

If she's thinking $125k and you're thinking $30k it's a long shot to say the least. Pretty tough to convince someone to take less than 25% of what they believe their property is worth. What's her motivation, is she in a position where she needs to sell?

You're saying the ARV is $95k but the owner is asking $125k and you want to offer $30k?

Is there a typo in your numbers somewhere?

An open permit (at least in my area, not sure how your system works) only means someone paid to open a permit to do work, doesn't necessarily mean anything was done. Your insurance company may not insure the roof if they see an open permit. Best to ask them. Either way I would re-open the permit and have it finalized, who knows what will change down the road to make things more difficult in the future.

I give my tenants a property info sheet with emergency contact numbers. I also walk through the property with them to show them where the fire extinguishers are, where the breaker panel is, and where the water main shutoff is. There are many repair companies that have people on call 24/7, the utility companies usually do as well.

And unless you have a firetruck you can't do anything productive if you get a 3 am "the house is burning down" phone call.

Charles makes a great point here. One of the most important reasons to form an LLC (properly with a good operating agreement) is how the company and its members/managers runs.

What happens when things go wrong and you have to bring more money to the table, what if one of you is broke and can't contribute? What happens when one of your partners wants out, how much money, if any, do they get? Who has the right to execute contracts? What if you all disagree on how much to list the house for, or what offer to accept? What happens if one of you dies, do their next of kin receive ownership of their share, controlling ownership, can you buy them out, at what price?

When everything is peaches and cream it's easy to be partners. When the $#!* hits the fan its a lot cheaper to refer to your operating agreement than to each hire lawyers and pay them $300 an hour to talk to each other while you sit in the corner regretting not hashing out details up front.

"For your offers though more times than not home before 1978 will have it so always include with a lower offer and if it's not there it is a bonus."

The frequency of lead based paint you find is going to depend more on your area and price range. In every pre-1978 house that I've had over the last 6 months (5 houses), none have had any lead based paint. Of the 15 or so others that my associates have rehabbed in the area, I think one had lead based paint and it was on one window sil that was easily removed and replaced.

It costs me $260 to test a house for lead based paint, which I do during the inspection period. If it fails then you can re-negotiate your price, if it passes then it makes it that much more enticing for your end-buyer to know they have a "lead-free" home.

"What aspect of business are you passionate about?"