In today’s competitive housing market, there are lots of options available for the buyers. Options, which include FSBO, grow op, foreclosure properties etc have definitely impacted the buyer’s market. This articles is focused on buying a grow op property. Prices of grow op’s are comparatively low as there is stigma attached to it.
Grow ops are big business for organized crime. A survey of homes in the Greater Toronto Area for the Star reveals that homes that were used for grow ops sell for an average of about 15 to 25 per cent less than similar homes, according to research by veteran property appraiser Barry Lebow.- Toronto Star- Sept 11, 2011
Couple of things to think about while considering a grow op:
Black mold: Grow-op’s can do lot of damage to the properties. Growth of black mold can be found in the houses where marijuana is grown. Marijuana needs humidity to grow and is frequently watered. This favorable temperature for marijuana becomes highly unfavorable for the house. Black mold spreads easily under the carpets and damages dry walls.
Ventilation: Marijuana needs proper ventilation for its growth. Growers install large fans and through ceilings and walls. These holes damage the structural foundation of the house. Grow op’s also put more pressure on electricity due to regular usage of fans. To meet the increased need of electricity, growers adopt unethical practices like digging holes in walls which are already destroyed by the mold growth. This further increases the risks of short circuiting and fire breakouts. According to the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, grow-ops catch fire almost twenty-five times as often as normal homes.
Harmful pesticides and chemicals are used for marijuana production. These harmful pesticides and chemicals get embedded in the walls of the grow house and can be hazardous for the health.
How to identify a grow house
It is not difficult to cover up a grow house. A “make over” can make a grow house look no different than a regular house. There are lot of mechanisms in place to tackle the issue of grow house but still things falls through the crack and grow houses go unidentified. It takes big buck to fix the damage done by converting a normal house into a grow house.
These days, there is lot of awareness about grow houses among people. There are signs that a realtor or home inspector or even the buyer can look for that can help identify a property as a grow house. These are:
- Mold growth on the corners (joint) of walls and ceiling.
- Signs of vents in the roofs or/and walls
- Any kinds of unusual marks eg circular. These can be from pots of marijuana
- Specific areas/patches that have been painted on the walls
- Any signs inside or outside the house that points towards excessive usage electric wires used in the house.
- Any peculiar kind of smell/odor that is unfamiliar to you.
- Any kind of alterations done anywhere should e questioned.
If you find these signs, then have your doubts cleared. There are chances that you are standing in a grow op.
If the realtor is aware that the property in question is/was a grow house, then it is his/her responsibility to disclose the fact to the prospective buyer. But unfortunately, there is no mechanism provincially or nationally that can track these grow op’s. Home inspectors too have little information about how to identify grow on and things fall through the cracks.
Buying/investing in real estate is a big time and long term investment. Make sure you figure out any damages done to the property in any way. You want to enjoy the comfort of your house.