I am in the process in purchasing my first property and my real estate agent is strongly suggesting that I get a eviromental test done on the property and soil before we close.

Todd,I'm in Sandy and do entitlements for a developer all day long.  

Sandy,The agreement is still valid without being recorded.  

I do a lot of foundation repairs, mostly due to poor soil conditions.

There is also a weekly Haves & Wants meeting on Thursday at 1:30pm at 5 Seasons Brewing in Sandy Springs.Both of these are great groups to check out. 

@Sandy Pinali Thanks Sandy!

I wouldn't purchase a property this way unless you were able to do soil testing to make sure the tank wasn't leaking.  

Plantings mature at different rates, and you can add new features each year.Test your soilThe soil is just as important as what’s going into it.

You will need to lightly sand, I did it by hand and make sure the floor is really clean.

You occasionally run into foundation issues with hillside homes on raised foundations ... either the soil shifts over time or after a heavy rain, or the piers don't go down far enough to properly support or the foundation, or the wood posts above the foundation gets rotted or eaten away by termites.