Ever wondered what perils could be hiding in that charming, yet neglected property you've had your eye on? Join us, Laura and I, as we uncover the shadowy side of indoor air quality, where the villains are often unseen but their impact is felt long after the deal is signed. We share spine-chilling stories from our own experiences in the field, such as a homeowner's brush with mold infestation due to ignored water damage, and the alarming tale of clients tricked by their own real estate agent into a commercial lease minefield. These narratives are not just cautionary tales but testimonies to the silent battles fought in the realm of property transactions.
In our latest episode, we also cast light on the complexities of commercial leasing, drawing attention to the critical but often overlooked triple net lease. Picture yourself as a tenant, shouldering the weight of taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs, only to discover your new commercial paradise has hidden flaws. We stress the value of thorough property inspections, not just for business spaces, but for every nook you consider calling home. Don't miss our discussion on the dark side of mold—the mycotoxins—and how they can turn a dream space into a health nightmare. And keep your ears peeled for our next episode, where we'll equip you with the knowledge to shield your health and investments from these invisible threats.
To learn more about Habitation Investigation, the Two-time Winner of the Best Home Inspection Company in the Midwest visit Home Inspection Columbus Ohio - Habitation Investigation (homeinspectionsinohio.com) Schedule online if you need a home inspection or related services.
If in need of a real estate agent definitely recommend checking the agents that have been guests on the podcast.
See some fun home inspection findings Habitation Investigation LLC (@habitationinvestigation) • Instagram photos and videos
For home buyers: What to expect from a home inspection. YT video for home buyers
If you would like to be a guest on the podcast contact us and let us know. You can visit Home (jimtroth.com) and go to the podcast page.
Ever wondered what perils could be hiding in that charming, yet neglected property you've had your eye on? Join us, Laura and I, as we uncover the shadowy side of indoor air quality, where the villains are often unseen but their impact is felt long after the deal is signed. We share spine-chilling stories from our own experiences in the field, such as a homeowner's brush with mold infestation due to ignored water damage, and the alarming tale of clients tricked by their own real estate agent into a commercial lease minefield. These narratives are not just cautionary tales but testimonies to the silent battles fought in the realm of property transactions.
In our latest episode, we also cast light on the complexities of commercial leasing, drawing attention to the critical but often overlooked triple net lease. Picture yourself as a tenant, shouldering the weight of taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs, only to discover your new commercial paradise has hidden flaws. We stress the value of thorough property inspections, not just for business spaces, but for every nook you consider calling home. Don't miss our discussion on the dark side of mold—the mycotoxins—and how they can turn a dream space into a health nightmare. And keep your ears peeled for our next episode, where we'll equip you with the knowledge to shield your health and investments from these invisible threats.
To learn more about Habitation Investigation, the Two-time Winner of the Best Home Inspection Company in the Midwest visit Home Inspection Columbus Ohio - Habitation Investigation (homeinspectionsinohio.com) Schedule online if you need a home inspection or related services.
If in need of a real estate agent definitely recommend checking the agents that have been guests on the podcast.
See some fun home inspection findings Habitation Investigation LLC (@habitationinvestigation) • Instagram photos and videos
For home buyers: What to expect from a home inspection. YT video for home buyers
If you would like to be a guest on the podcast contact us and let us know. You can visit Home (jimtroth.com) and go to the podcast page.
Welcome to the Standing Out in Ohio podcast, where we discuss topics, upcoming events, news and predictions with real estate professionals and entrepreneurs. Listen and learn what makes their companies and themselves stand out and gain advantages over the competition and gain market share. Subscribe for the latest news and discussion on what it takes to stand out from the crowd. Now here's your host, Jim.
Speaker 2:Hey everybody, welcome to the Standing Out in Ohio podcast. This is Jim and of course, with me is Laura, the office goddess, hello everyone. All right, so we have that. We did not do a podcast last week.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:And if somebody's I feel like a slacker because I wanted I have so many podcasts. I want to do a year Right. Still well on pace for that, but it's not like we were like slacking and not doing so.
Speaker 3:We've been busy.
Speaker 2:We've been very busy, which is nice, not, I mean, and we're yeah, we're doing a whole bunch of passion, but you and I personally been quite busy doing indoor air quality and we got some stories to tell you.
Speaker 3:Oh, yes, we do.
Speaker 2:How do you want to the story of the stories of neglect fraud? And rap, but maybe I don't know about that, but we will share some of these stories with you. Of course, names will no longer be will not be shared to protect the innocent and the not so innocent.
Speaker 3:Well, it's very not so innocent.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but first let's listen to this.
Speaker 4:Habitation investigation is the way to go for a home inspection in Ohio. Trusted licensed home inspectors for your needs, from rate on to more to warranties For a great home inspection, you really can't go wrong.
Speaker 2:Visit home inspections in Ohiocom All right, laura, we've been busy Indoor air quality testing, which includes often it's thought of as just mold testing. Right, but we're not doing just mold testing. No we're doing VOC testing which also includes formaldehyde.
Speaker 3:They're two separate tasks because the formaldehyde is a different chemical size.
Speaker 2:Correct, that needs a different media. Yes, To test for that in the lab. So VOCs, which a lot of different chemicals from out of hide, and then regular old mold testing. Yes, we've been doing that. Like our first story of neglect, we did a mold to air testing for a couple, I think yesterday or day before.
Speaker 3:They're kind of blending together.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but anyway, his son lived in this house for a long time. There were water issues, but first he never turned on the heat. Okay, it was just his son lived. Never turned on the heat. Water lines froze, busted, there's leaks and he never did anything about it Never cleaned it up, never, yeah, never let his dad know. And so now dad and mom, wife, I don't know live in there now. Okay, it doesn't matter, they're living there now and they're getting sick. They won't figure what's going on, and so we go.
Speaker 2:So that's the neglect story, right there, right Neglect. If you have moisture you have to dry it up and if you do pretty normal, you dry it up within 24 hours Best you can. You don't neglect it because this house there's definitely some growth going on. We'll see what the lab results show to verify but there's definitely stuff going on there. There are also this is a side note there were some cute kittens there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, this brand new baby kittens.
Speaker 2:Well, they born the day before.
Speaker 3:Yes, I think so. How is that for timing?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we're kind of full up on cats, all right, so you got. You would make a rescue. Quiet, few cats this year.
Speaker 3:This year. We've not rescued any this year, alright, alright. Last few months.
Speaker 2:Which I like, cats. I'm fine to rescue an animal.
Speaker 3:I know you're one of the few that would be fine with it, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I like animals. I don't, I like cats, I don't want to see animals getting you a suffering, to get injured or whatever.
Speaker 3:But on the last one we had definitely would have died if we hadn't gotten it. So yeah, that was a.
Speaker 2:That was a good rescue there.
Speaker 3:I was. I know pounds of that with a number of them.
Speaker 2:I'm a Lucky there. They're most outdoor cats, so that's cool.
Speaker 3:But anyway, neglect of the house, the moisture issues well, and that can also cause issues with the foundation. It can cause issues with the material holding up the house and cause damage like bandboards, things like that, if it's coming in.
Speaker 2:So we got that.
Speaker 3:There's a lot of potential issues that you could get from not taking care of water and neglecting it.
Speaker 2:Yep, and then there was another story other than the one we did today. What was the other one? I can't remember. There was a really bad shower install, but that wasn't a mole test, that was just air quality.
Speaker 3:The other mole test that we did. We've done like three in the past three days.
Speaker 2:So anyway, the one we did today.
Speaker 3:I feel so bad for those kids All right, so it's a commercial building.
Speaker 2:They I'll give too much detail. What's going on?
Speaker 3:they had a company and they needed to rent a commercial space to be able to operate out of this company, out of that space. So they had a real estate agent who was quote-unquote, representing them for help with the contract with the landlord to lease the space to lease this space.
Speaker 3:So the story that we got was that they went there to sign the contract. They had gotten an email, looked it over and then went to sign the contract and found out when they looked back at it later. First of all, it was a different contract. It got switched on them and they didn't know it. Second of all, the real estate agent told them that they were fine, he would take care of them.
Speaker 2:Wait, wait. This is when they asked about the separate. This is when they were asking about different.
Speaker 3:I don't remember if that was it, but but they were asking him questions and he said don't worry about it, I'll take care of you. I'll take care of you, just go ahead and sign it, push them into signing it. And this is a young couple too. And so the next day they go to call him to ask him questions and he goes f you and hangs up on them. And that's the last time they talked to him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and this building has lots of issues going on with it. So that couple, actually they, asked us how do you find a good real estate agent?
Speaker 4:And we told him call the inspection company because, they're going to be moving.
Speaker 2:I believe they're going to be moving or relocating somewhere to another state, another state. So we told them, go find a home inspection company in that area Well, that's a good reputation and ask them, what real estate agent would they recommend?
Speaker 3:Especially if you're moving into a new area and you don't know anybody, because they need somebody to help them.
Speaker 2:Well, that may seem backwards to some people. Why wouldn't you want to just ask the real estate agent?
Speaker 3:I mean, you know what? They're not always going to be truthful about themselves.
Speaker 2:Well, and they were burned by that real estate agent. Right, he was supposed to represent them, protect them. He switched agreements with them. The contrary, he switched agreement, told them to sign it anyway. He'll take care of it.
Speaker 3:And worked with that landlord for years. Apparently, yes, see, he's in her pocket.
Speaker 2:So what happened then? When they called? They called for assistance, he F you and hangs up, hangs up on them. So they are just really against real estate agent. They don't have a good taste. I'm going to guess this is probably the first experience of the real estate agent, so now they're their entire future. The rest of the life is probably tainted their thoughts on real estate agent. Which is why they ask hey, how do I find a good real estate agent?
Speaker 3:Well, could you imagine if this had actually been a house that they had purchased, or like a commercial property they had purchased, because right now it's just the lease. The lease will end. But could you imagine if they had purchased it based upon what that real estate agent had done to them and how like down the hole they would be for that? Because they've got no clue now?
Speaker 2:No, and that's just one of the things I want to talk about is people think of a home inspector. As you're buying a house, you get the inspection. Then that is. There's so many other reasons to do a home inspection. And then one thing I want to talk about is commercial leases. If you're going to rent a commercial space, office space, building, a restaurant we've done restaurants and some inspector those you need to have your inspection deck of some of these and where this contract was written and we saw the contract. Are you there? You looked at it? There are. They had things in the contract in which the tenant was responsible for the interior and the maintenance of certain things.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:It's. I don't know if it was or not, but there's a triple net lease, there's a term for it for commercial building leases in which, if you sign agreement and it's a triple net lease, you are responsible for all the insurances, the taxes, the replacement of the heating and cooling system, plumber, you are basically owned that building completely and are responsible for every little thing, except it's only for reporting a certain term, unless you're, unless you renew that lease. So triple net lease they can be costly.
Speaker 3:Yes, they can.
Speaker 2:So if even you're just going to rent a commercial space, you need to have an inspection done because they, because the landlord, could go. Well, you know what.
Speaker 3:You sign it as this all that stuff was was not there before you moved, Wow.
Speaker 2:Man, I want really large, large commercial building, we said, and part of the contention was the condition of the parking lot, Right, and the people who hired us wanted to report on the on the condition of the place. But the people before I guess, I guess the owners of the building, would say no, no, no, no, the parking was not damaged at all. You guys caused all this damage and this is a big parking lot that is not going to be cheap to fix. So if you're going to rent a space, even apartments or a house, you need to get an inspector because that is your verification of the condition of the house.
Speaker 3:Prior to your moving in.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, cause after you could want to, wanted to come, or something we did after they were leaving, they wanted to report to verify the condition, because some of the things never changed from the previous.
Speaker 3:But if you get one done before you move in and take possession of the building that's going to set you up, because you're going to have a written record, visual documentation of you know what the condition of the property was, blah, blah, blah. And so when you go to move out and you get that done again, obviously there's going to be wear and tear. It's been you know X number of time, so from there they can look at it as this normal wear and tear.
Speaker 3:Is this, you know, just regular maintenance stuff like painting or things that need to be done, as opposed to actual issues.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, well, I remember I did an inspection, for it was a condo. People owned the condo, but they're gonna move away for a year or so and they're gonna rent it out to somebody. I remember that. So I did the inspection on that and they're leaving furniture also, right?
Speaker 3:so you had all that documentation so.
Speaker 2:I did the inspection and I took extra picture of the furniture. So once they got back, and they're like, hey, our couch did not have a rip in the back, though there was documentation of all that stuff to help protect the clients in that case. So, but if you're gonna rent a space, you really should get an inspection done, just to protect yourself and like this couple, and they're kind of a bad shape. But what we can see, though, in this building, the roof, because the owner, landt, was responsible for the exterior and the roof, and the roof.
Speaker 3:Specifically mentioned in the contract.
Speaker 2:Luckily for them, because there are definite issues with that roof causing issues inside, which leads to the condition that they're going through. So hopefully it works out well for them, but you need to always have an inspecting. And what was? Do you remember the other test we did recently?
Speaker 3:That was the one where the gentleman has issues with mycotoxins, and they just purchased another property and they knew that there were issues on this one because, as they were purchasing it, the listing agent was getting it remediated for mold and so when you go into it, that's the one with the really strong smell. When we walked in and we were hoping it was from the remediation process, it was in yellow springs.
Speaker 2:Yes, I know what you were talking about. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 3:So that was that one, and then we did their other primary residence to see what was going on, because he's got a high mycotoxin level.
Speaker 2:Yeah, if you don't know, mycotoxins are a substance that molds will make in the process of defending themselves against other molds that are competitors, or if you're basically cleaning them up, if they're getting like physically damaged or wiped off, they will make these mycotoxins and some mycotoxins aflatoxin is the one that can cause cancer, liver cancer. I think it's some of a lot. There's a lot of issue of mycotoxins.
Speaker 3:They can make you really sick. There's eight that the WHO recognizes as being like I don't know the worst, or ones that they at least recognize as causing some significant health issues. Some health issues, yes, but I think that is mostly found in food. They're just now starting to do a bunch of research with it in people's homes and inhaling it as opposed to ingesting it.
Speaker 2:We should do next podcast. We'll do. Did we do one of you on Microtoxins Exactly Detailed? I don't think we did a very detailed. So we'll do a very detailed one next. So you can have mold in the house but no Microtoxins, or at least very low. But you're not going to. You cannot have Microtoxins unless there's been a mold in there at some point. Is that?
Speaker 3:correct yes.
Speaker 2:Because Microtoxins don't produce themselves.
Speaker 3:No. However, if you have a company that comes in and they do the remediation, and let's say they actually do a good job and they do it correctly, For mold remediation. Just the natural course of cleaning that mold up can produce Microtoxins, because they're going to look at it like oh no, you're threatening me and produce Microtoxins as they're trying to clean it up. So they may get rid of that mold, but the Microtoxin could be left and could be a byproduct of the remediation.
Speaker 2:And the air scrubbers that they use do not do anything for Microtoxins. Even if it's a HEPA filter, it does not get rid of the Microtoxins because there's the Microtoxin at 0.1 micron.
Speaker 3:Or 0.01, and the others 0.03. 0.1. Or 0.3.
Speaker 2:Yeah, hepa filters can go down to 0.3 microns and most molds are like 0.3 to like 20 microns. But Microtoxins are 0.1. Too small, so they're too small. Hepa filters will not do anything to them.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and they can get into how UV light and stuff doesn't actually help with the Microtoxins and help with some more information about it.
Speaker 2:We can go or miss at the different tests that people are doing or treatments, because there's some really weird mold, there's some mold groups like online groups and they are so much misinformation. So but I think that's it for this one A lot of indirect quality testing. If you're renting a commercial space or you have a client who's renting a commercial space or an apartment, recommend they get that as pet, because that's the only way they're going to have to protect themselves against the condition of the place. I mean, you don't want people to get screwed over. It kind of depends on the agent you are, I'll be honest, right, but that one agent, he didn't care.
Speaker 2:He switched contracts on the young couple and said F you, you're on your own. Yeah, screw him.
Speaker 3:And that just really annoys me that somebody would take advantage of a young couple like that. And now he's sick, he can't even work certain days.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, the office space is not usable to them because they're getting sick.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because they're that sick.
Speaker 2:So that's all. That's a whole lawsuit, right there.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And if agent want to avoid lawsuits, you need to make certain your clients get inspections.
Speaker 3:Well, it makes you taking care of your client. Well, yeah, I won't.
Speaker 2:If you're an agent, you, you, you're overstepping your, your role as an agent to provide information, to do an inspection for them, and good, no, no, I can't do this. This is good.
Speaker 3:No, that guy did just sign it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Wow, that guy's. If you didn't already pass away that agent would have been in the lawsuit.
Speaker 3:I would have been working on that. Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:Anyway, that's it for this one. Yep, I remember Great week Bye.
Speaker 3:Bye guys.
Speaker 1:You've been listening to the Standing Out in Ohio podcast. Be sure to subscribe on Spotify or Google podcast to get new, fresh episodes. For more, please follow us on Instagram, twitter and Facebook, or visit the website of the best Ohio home inspection company at homeinspectionsinohiocom or JimTroffcom. That's J-I-M-T-R-O-T-H and click on podcast until next time. Have a good one and go do stuff.