Chinese Drywall... The next health hazard????

This is something that all agents should become educated on. Please read if you sell newer homes. Chinese Drywall is causing a lot of headaches, literally for homeowners, developers, and now real estate agents. This is a big one people, and I am just learning about it.

Air conditioner coils that should last 10 years are failing after just one year, electrical wires are turning black, the copper pipping is corroding, the smell is like rotten eggs or vinegar. The health effects are yet unkown, but if it turns wire black, corrodes pipes and causes A/C coils to fail, how it the world could people be asked to live in such homes?? Would you trust your family to live in such a home?? Hell NO.

It seems that the manufacturing process used to make the boards is being questioned. With all the tainted products from China lately, it is no wonder that Chinese drywall is coming into question. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. The fix would involve replacing the drywall in the entire house, walls and ceilings!! But if you do that, you have to remove the kitchen cabinets, tear up the bathrooms, replace all the carpeting, replace trim, replace electrical wiring, replace copper piping, repaint the entire house, replace a/c units, WOW!!!!! It is basically taking the house down to the framing stage. With the real estate depressed and declining, who is going to foot the bill for this?? The homeowners are not able to sell the home, and if it goes to short sale, then the bank is not going to get offers. So the homeowners are destined for foreclosure, and even then the bank will not get a decent offer on the property. Unless, you have an agent that is not familiar with this issue and does not disclose this to their buyer.

I think all agents should become familiar with this issue. It is too important to pass by. I am interest to hear back from other agents across the country as to their local experiences on this issue.

Here is the story in our local Sarasota Florida newspaper.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090115/ARTICLE/901150362/2055/NEWS?Title=Ground_zero_in_drywall_dispute

Here is a video of a local Sarasota Florida homeowner detailing her problems.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090113/VIDEO01/901130392/2055&template=video

Jean Considine had a great post about chinese drywall back in December.
http://activerain.com/blogsview/856724/BEWARE-OF-CHINESE-DRYWALL

Jose Lopez
I specialize in Sarasota Florida Foreclosures and Bradenton Foreclosures