Will the Real Estate Investor Please Stand Up?

As an investor (or even homeowner) buying an existing home, you have to be very aware of when your home or investment property was built. This is because homes that were built before 1980 are likely to have asbestos insulation. This is important to know because when you are remodeling / rehabbing your investment property / home, you may expose yourself to asbestos. Asbestos can lead to the deadly cancer called mesothelioma. What’s so deadly about it is that it’s difficult to diagnose, and by the time that it’s diagnosed, it has usually reached a late stage. Investors and homeowners doing remodels / rehabs should educate themselves on the subject, and I wanted to dedicate this blogpost to this issue. The following resource on asbestos removal and environmentally safe insulation options was sent to me by Jesse Herman from Mesothelioma Cancer Center.

“There are many things to consider when remodeling or purchasing an older home. Homes built before 1980 have the strong likelihood of containing asbestos. Due to a steady progression of technology and green sustainable methods, there are many ways to ensure your home or property is asbestos free. If you are interested in saving money, remodeling and improving your carbon footprint, here is some information to get you on the right track.

Used in millions of homes throughout the last quarter of the 20^th century, asbestos insulation can become a real dilemma for homeowners due to causing a variety of health problems, including Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Malignant Mesothelioma. These types of cancer take the lives of thousands each year.

Non-regulated asbestos material can be legally performed by homeowners, regular contractors, or licensed asbestos abatement contractors as long as the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) are not violated. Asbestos removal in public facilities, homes and workplaces must be undertaken by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor. Once the removal is complete, green insulation options should be given serious consideration, such as: Cellulose, Cotton Fiber and Lcynene.

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC), in a study conducted in 2003, estimated a savings of $50-$65 per square foot for well-constructed green buildings in the U.S. (see table below) during that year. The numbers continue to improve as more eco-friendly options become available, and those kinds of figures have finally begun to attract those who thought eco-friendly construction was just a bunch of hogwash.”

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This entry was posted on Monday, November 24th, 2008 at 6:24 pm and is filed under Rehab, Rentals / Landlords. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.