Dream homes turn into houses of horror November 19, 2009

With plans to add 1,200 square feet to the 800 square-foot home, one Tampa homeowner quickly saw her optimistic dream-home-in-the-making turn into a nightmarish scenario, one which she says has led to nose bleeds, air conditioning failure, and headaches.  After inquiring possible sources of such issues, Chinese drywall was at the forefront of possible causes.  Long story short, through diligence she realized the contractor used imported Chinese drywall when renovating the home.  (as reported by The Tampa Bay Times)

Despite the various illnesses and damages to household components the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has received in consumer reports this year, another side-symptom has been the effect of property tax appraisers recognizing the issues, and in some cases, assessing homeowner figures for tax purposes in half.  While this may seem like a sense of relief for homeowners inflicted with dangerous drywall, it must be kept in mind that when such houses are sought to be sold, some neighboring homes may also see a decrease in value due to the stigma attached to Chinese drywall.

Reports of defective drywall have been seen in numerous states, Florida being just one of the primary players.  The Florida Department of Health has reported that over 650 reports in 30 counties have been fielded.  Specifically in Florida, Hillsborough County has fielded 52 cases and is the most notorious area for drywall concerns.

The aforementioned homeowner and her husband have vacated their once “dream home’ and are not residing in a townhouse.  Upon leaving the residence, health symptoms were apparently immaterial or gone.