This week Erik & Randal chat about the Massachusetts laws that deal with lead paint and want you can do if you are living in a home with lead paint OR if you ending up buying a home with lead paint.

TRANSCRIPT:

Erik:                 Welcome to Stay Focused, Focus Real Estate's weekly video blog. I'm Erik.

Randal:             And I'm Randal.

Erik:                 And this week we wanted to chat with you a little bit about lead paint.

Randal:             Have you seen one of these books before?

Erik:                 That's the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Lead Paint Disclosure Book.

Randal:             Yep.

Erik:                 Here in Boston, we live in an area with a lot of old housing stock.

Randal:             Many of the things that we have pre-date the lead laws, which were 1978 and heck, most of our houses are 100 years old or better.

Erik:                 Right. So, the majority of our houses have been built before 1978. And more than likely, have had lead paint in the property, or on the property.

Randal:             Indeed. Indeed.

Erik:                 At some point. And as homeowners, that's a big question we get, and buyers too, we get a lot, is, what do we need to do or know about lead paint?

Randal:             And it often gets a little panicky for buyers too, because lead paint is something that not many people even think about before they go to buy a home. And then all of a sudden, when you go to buy a home you're asked if you want to have a lead paint test, or if you want to waive a lead paint test. You get this great little booklet which tells you all about the hazards and obligations required by the people that own homes that may have lead paint in them. So, it often makes them panic a little bit. But we just kind of want to give you a quick little lesson and not to panic. What it means.

Erik:                 Yeah.

Randal:             And what to know.

Erik:                 So, most of our houses since they were built before 1978. And most of them have never actually been officially tested for the presence of lead paint in the property. So as buyers, it's important to know that if it was built before 1978 and it's unknown, you should probably just base your purchase on the assumption that there is lead paint present.

Randal:             There's probably lead paint somewhere in or around the house.

Erik:                 And the law states that, although we're not lawyers, we do practice real estate. And if you have any other questions about this more specifically, the legalities, consult your lawyer. But we can tell you that the Mass laws on lead paint do say if you are the homeowner of a property where there's a child living under six years old, that you are responsible for the removal of any known lead paint.

Randal:             Or if you're renting out a property where children under the age of six live.

Erik:                 So that's where a lot of buyers and homeowners get concerned about their responsibilities, and the presence, and the dangers there.

Randal:             But the nice thing is the awareness that we have in our market now. Is people are aware of where lead paint is, what their responsibilities are, what the repercussions can be, and also the health effects. So knowing that really is helpful, so that people can make the right decisions for them and their families and their children when making a real estate purchase. But it's not the end of the world. It does not have a very large financial impact on the sale of your home if you're selling and you don't know, or you do know you have lead paint. It doesn't make a big difference there.

Erik:                 Of course, if you have a home, or you're buying a house and it has been tested for lead paint, or it was built after 1978, and you have a document saying there is no lead paint, or it was built after 1978 and you don't have to worry about that, it is a nice bonus.

Randal:             Yeah.

Erik:                 Something that just takes that off the table.

Randal:             Yeah. Yeah. So, if you have any questions about this or any other topic regarding these fun laws, give us a shout. We'll let you know what we know. I'd be happy to send you one of these little booklets and also consult an attorney as well. That's always good to know your obligations there as well. So thanks for watching today, everybody.

Erik:                 And don't forget to like us on Facebook.

Randal:             And subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Erik:                 And until next time, stay tuned and Stay Focused.

Randal:             Stay tuned and Stay Focused.