Clair Mel City, FL

During a recent presentation to one of the largest residential real estate sales office in North Tampa, Coldwell Banker. I updated the group on the latest Florida and Federal regulations affecting indoor environmental pollutants. The bulk of the presentation was geared toward our mold testing including pre-purchase inspections. If you live in Florida, you are probably aware of the state's legislative attempts to deregulate many professions, including mold assessment.

One topic that captured much attention was the Federal Lead RRP program. The RRP program was put into effect exactly one year ago, April 22, 2010. The Lead RRP (Renovation, Repair and Paint) program addresses activities that disturb lead-based paint in target housing and child-occupied facilities. It requires renovators to be certified through training, firms to be certified and lead-safe work practices during renovations. Basically the program requires firms and individuals working in pre-1978 built homes and child-occupied facilities be certified according to EPA, HUD and OSHA. The training is only 8 hours, the cost is reasonable and is something that any tradesman charging for his work and who may disturb paint during a renovation must participate.

The Lead RRP program appears to have struck a chord as disclosure to prospective purchasers who intended to proceed with remodeling after purchase of the home. Not having presented the RRP Lead-safe Program to real estate professionals before, I missed the implications to purchasers. The RRP Program requires renovators to perform minimal testing before the work, but more importantly requires lead-safe work practices during the work and clean-up requirements after the demolition work is completed. The work procedures include containing work areas to prevent dust from escaping into other areas. The clean-up requirements include assuring that no dust remains. Sounds simple, and it truly is simple. Most professional companies have been following these procedures for years and are in the habit of doing things the "right" way. The problem is that many smaller contractors avoid these procedures because of the minimal costs involved. There are currently many qualified small contractors who have been laid off from their full-time, long-term jobs and been forced to form their own small business as a matter of self-preservation. While these tradesmen are qualified to do fine work, they may not be versed in the finer points of running a business and doing so according to all the regulations.
My fear is that I may have given the impression that the Lead RRP program involved a lead abatement project with occupants moving out while men in white suits performed costly work for months on end. That is NOT the case. The RRP Program may add a small cost to each job, it is SMALL. To a professional company that is conscientious in safety, occupant and worker protection, and keeps their job-site clean as SOP, this adds a minuscule amount to a renovation job.

In my opinion, the Fed has done the right thing here. Too many children have been harmed by the 'dust' from lead paint. I was one who thought that children needed to chew on the door or baseboard to acquire lead poisoning, but when I found out that Dad's job as a painter could bring home enough dust to harm that baby, I changed my mind.

Many tradesmen have fought this regulation, but the facts are we will all be better-served by a little regulation. Did I forget to mention that if a tradesman gets caught doing the wrong things, he faces a stiff fine of $37,500? Whoa!
I know there will be plenty of questions, and since I don't speak for the Fed, you can look up the facts yourself. The complete RRP Program is explained here: http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm#owners
The "Renovate Right" brochure is available here: http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf
And the story is available here designed for real estate professionals at: http://www.realtor.org/government_affairs/lead_paint_main

Looking for a home, townhome or condo in in Tampa? To look for homes on MLX in the Tampa Bay and Pinellas area go to my website by clicking on Tampa Homes.

Clair Mel Community is south of Hillsborough River and around 78th street. It is a quick drive to hop on the Crosstown and thenit is an easy drive to Downtown Tampa. Like to shop?? It is less then 15 minutes to the International Mall, Westshore Mall, or Brandon Towncenter.

The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Joffe and Solaris Realty of TampaBay. Pam Joffe is a broker working in the Pinellas and Hillsborough area helping buyers and sellers buy and sell homes. Contact Pam at 813-245-0316 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Hillsborough, Pinellas or Pasco County area. Information is provided in this blog with the intent to educate homeowners and buyers about Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon, Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Valrico, Odessa and other communities in the Tampa area. For more information on different communities and subdivisions go to my website by clicking on Tampa Homes. You can also call 813-245-0316.

Camden Woods is located just a few miles from the 78^th street exit of the Crosstown, so it is just a short commute to downtown Tampa. Camden Woods has unique one and two story homes with living space from the 1700s up to over 3000 square feet. Camden Woods is being built by Ashton Woods Homes. They offer island kitchens, separate showers and garden tubs in the master suite, den/study options and much more. Prices for the homes start in the $180,000's.

Camden Woods is located close to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Ybor City and Busch Gardens, to shopping malls, schools and medical facilities. Camden Woods has variety of priced beautiful homes that are conveniently located close to schools, shopping, and major roadways. It is only a few minutes commute to beaches, downtown Tampa and the Brandon Town Center.

If Camden Woods is not what you are looking for, we can assist you in finding the right community for you. We can help you with search for the right home for you whether it is a Residential, Luxury, Premier and Estate, Waterfront, Golf Communities, Condominiums, Senior Living, Horse Properties or Land. Our buyer's services are free; just contact us so we can assist you.

The contents of this posting are the property of Pam Mabe and Solaris Realty of TampaBay. Pam Mabe is a broker working in the Tampa area helping buyers and sellers buy and sell homes. Contact Pam at 813-245-0316 to list your property for sale or to purchase a property in Hillsborough, Pinellas or Pasco County area. Information is provided in this blog with the intent to educate homeowners and buyers about Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon, Wesley Chapel, Lutz, Valrico, Odessa and other communities in the Tampa area. For more information on different communities and subdivisions go to my website at TampaHomeGuides.

Visit my profile to find my more about my services. Call 813-245-0316. To view homes for sale in the Tampa area, click here and then fill in the information on your dream home.