Homebuyers research environmental hazards prior to buying

July 25, 2007 - Hire an environmental research group to do an appraisal of the neighborhood. Each state has different laws governing what sort of potential health hazards have to be disclosed and how far away those hazards have to be from the house to be considered serious. Outside health and environmental factors should be considered as important to price negotiations as interior tests for lead or structural damage.

"Environmental research in commercial real estate is common practice, but for some reason people don't always do it with their homes," says Robert Barber, CEO of Environmental Data Resources. "Most of the time there's no problem, but it's worth it for the peace of mind."

An environmental data firm, like Barber's, can tell you every potential concern within a six-acre circle of your lot, whether that involves a leaking gas tank, the location of a former drug lab, any possible water pollutants or logged Center for Disease Control concerns. A standard report costs between $100 and $150.

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