conversation: User (mandasee): "Hi all, I am a first time poster here, and I really need advice. \n\nI bought a house at the end of March last year for 63,000. I had an inspection done by a highly recommended licensed inspector. I was given an inspection report, and at the end he told me that it was a very solid little house.  The sellers ended up fixing a few electrical issues and giving me a small credit towards a new water heater before I moved in. \n\nEverything seemed to be fine for the first six months. Then the mold starting popping up. \n\nFirst it was in my bathroom on the ceiling. I chalked it up to poor ventilation so I cleaned it and tried saving for a bathroom ventilation fan. Then it showed up along the ceiling of my bedroom and all rooms along the exterior walls of the house. I had it in the back of my mind to call someone to find out what's going on. Finally, this past week, some boxes were moved out of a closet and the wall and carpet are covered in mold that's all colors of the rainbow, as well as soaking wet. This spanned into the next rooms closet as well. Then I started noticing it everywhere. \n\nI call three different restoration companies to come and look. The consensus seems to be that my house is pretty much screwed. The attic is covered in mold and so are the walls. I have been told that the roof, ceiling drywall, and some of the walls need to come down. I'm waiting for the bid but I was told it will be more than $20,000. \n\nI had my insurance adjuster out yesterday and she told me it didn't look good. I now have to wait for a structural engineer to come next week before I can find out if anything is covered. She couldn't say anything, but I could tell she was hinting to me that I'm in big trouble. \n\nHere's the personal finance part of this mess. I have 1,000 dollars in savings. I have no one to fall back on and a "fair" credit score. What do I do if this house needs 20-30k in restorations? I bought this house less than a year ago and it's obvious the problem was covered up when I moved in. I was told I shouldn't even be staying here right now due to the mold, but I have no where else to go. \n"
  Self: "Real estate agent here. \n\nWhat I would recommend is contact your agent to speak to the agent who listed the property and ask the sellers if they had any issues with mold. \n\nI would also call every single mold remediation company near your along with some contractors and say this. "I am trying to find the company who gave me a bid for mold remediation and I cannot remember the name of the company. Can you tell me if you ever came out to (property address.)"\n\nNow if you get a hit on this ask them for a copy of that bid along with the date in which they came out to the home. \n\n\nThere is a very high likelihood the seller new about this issue. Mold this intense just doesn't pop up in a few months. \n\nProblem is there is no way to prove they knew about it. UNLESS you can prove they had someone come look at the house. \n\nThe seller/agents/inspector have massive legal exposure.  \n\n\nEDIT: Thanks for the GOLD!!\n\n"
  AdamasMustache (AdamasMustache): "Real estate administrative worker here. OP and the sellers probably signed a Mold disclosure, which claims the sellers had no knowledge of the mold at the time of sale. If you do as the agent above says, and can prove they knew, or that the inspector intentionally avoided reporting it, you have a very strong lawsuit on your hands. Good luck!"
  User (mandasee): "I saved EVERYTHING from my closing and home buying experience, and I can't find a disclosure for mold anywhere. Is there a chance it could have been digital? "
  AdamasMustache (AdamasMustache): "They aren't necessary in all states, usually only in areas where mold is more common. They are manditory here in Colorado. You may be able to find some language concerning prior knowledge of mold in the Seller's Property Disclosure since there may be no separate Mold disclosure in your state."
  VolvoKoloradikal (VolvoKoloradikal): "On a side note, isn't mold like...Totally uncommon n Colorado because it's so dry here? I've never seen it."
  AdamasMustache (AdamasMustache): "You know, I thought the same thing when I started working here, but apparently there are parts of Colorado where it is rather common, while other areas almost never experience it."
  