Saturday, July 23, 2011

Vacant Foreclosed Homes Without Electrical Service Left Lingering By Negilgent Banksters Leading To Economic Boom For Mold Abatement Outfits?

NPR reports:
  • As huge numbers of foreclosed homes continue to work their way through the real estate pipeline, another problem is blossoming — mold. In most homes, as residents go in and out and the seasons change, natural ventilation sucks moisture up to the attic and out through the roof. It's called the "stack effect." And in many parts of the country, it's driven by air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter.


  • But no one is going in or out of most foreclosed homes — regardless of climate — and the effects can be devastating.


  • In some states, it's estimated that more than half of foreclosed homes have mold and mildew issues. Realtors across the country say they're seeing the problem in everything from bungalows to mansions.


  • Bob Bennett runs Farsight Management in northeastern Ohio, specializing in cleaning up water-damaged buildings. A full quarter of his work now comes from moldy, foreclosed homes where the electricity has been shut off. No electricity means no sump pump or dehumidifier for months, even years, and that often means mold — slimy black or green patches creeping up drywall and blanketing bathroom fixtures.

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  • Even minor mold abatement can start at $5,000 and cost much, much more. In this particular case, Bennett estimates a price tag of more than $6,000, plus the cost of new floors, walls and carpet.(1) He wears a head-to-toe protective suit on most jobs.

For more, see As Number Of Foreclosed Homes Grows, So Does Mold.

(1) With price tags running into the thousand$, I wouldn't be surprised if the mortgage servicing fraudsters begin gravitating into the mold abatement business in search of a new 'revenue stream' with which to continue the screwing over being given to investors holding the 'moldy' mortgage-backed paper the banksters unloaded on them.