Mold in Greenhaven John Laing Homes and Unhappy Homeowners?

We have all seen the truck that belongs to a John Laing homeowner, and I am waiting for the opportunity to speak with them regarding their issue with mold in their John Laing Greenhaven home. I also know that there was a FOX News crew cruising the streets of Greenhaven, talking with some residents about their satisfaction with their John Laing Home.

Personally, I am more than a little concerned. Not only am I a John Laing homeowner in Greenhaven, but I am also a REALTOR® that sells hundreds of new homes in Colorado Springs – several of which are John Laing homes. I need to know exactly what is going on.

First and foremost, I am worried that there is a home in Greenhaven, that was professionally tested for toxic mold… and mold was found. (Or, I hope that it was professionally tested by a licensed and certified EPA approved testing facility. Was it? I won't know until I speak with the affected homeowner…) Also, I am concerned that the family is still living in a home where this mold was found. True toxic mold can cause a multitude of irreversible health issues and the first step in avoiding these issues is to move out of the home that has this mold. I feel for this family and hope that measures were taken to correct this problem and that nothing irreversible has occurred.

In August, several D-49 schools were found to contain mold, and this had to be remediated. Mold is actually very common in many parts of Colorado Springs, especially in newer construction where homes can be improperly ventilated. Derek and I had a serious run-in with toxic mold a few years back, and are well aware of all the damage it can wreck on a human and on a property. Read Our Story Here: Our Colorado Springs Real Estate MOLD Story

However, I also understand that (apparently) John Laing did nothing to help these folks? I guess it depends on the exact reason why the mold occurred and if the liability really did rest on the shoulder of the builder. Unfortunately, post-built environmental issues are usually not a builders' responsibility. Although, I do not know the specifics and am not an attorney of any sort, so my observations are just that: observations based on past experience. However, if it WAS builder responsibility, then John Laing should step up and right these wrongs, regardless of the red tape that will need to be sorted through…

*UPDATE* We just spoke with the homeowner and are expecting some more information from them that we can post, here.

Read Also: Colorado Springs Real Estate Issues: Mold - Part Two (The Facts)

Second, I am concerned about the overall satisfaction of the homeowners in Greenhaven. I know from both personal and professional experiences that there are always unhappy homeowners in every neighborhood. I guess Greenhaven is no exception.

The Fox News crew talked with several people and I am just concerned that all they heard was negativity. (Of course, the news thrives on only negativity, so it really does not surprise me…) However, we all live here in Greenhaven and unnecessary bad-press* is only going to hurt us (and our property values) in the long run, so I hope this report gets tempered with a few happy homeowner stories. (*By "bad-press" I am not speaking about the Greenhaven homeowner that is dealing with a mold issue. If there is a mold issue that needs to be dealt with, public awareness is crucial.)

Now, we have been involved (either directly or indirectly) with lawsuits on almost ALL new home builders in Colorado Springs for various reasons. I guess that when hundreds of new homes are being built every year, there is more room for error.

So, I need to ask:

• What can we do, as a community, to fix the issues that are bothering Greenhaven home owners (us)?
  
• What can I do, as your neighborhood real estate agent, to help YOU, the Greenhaven homeowner, be happy (again) with the home that you once fell in love with?
  

I hope to get the scoop on the mold issue in Greenhaven, and I will post their story here, if they let me. I would also love to hear more about you, the Greenhaven homeowner, regarding your experiences (good or bad) with your John Laing Home.

You can email your stories to: GreenhavenCommunity@gmail.com or you can call us directly at: (719) 570-7715

Sincerely, Your Greenhaven Real Estate Agents through thick and thin: Derek and Mariana Wagner – Wagner iTeam

For the record, all of our personal and professional experiences led us to the decision to buy a John Laing home, as they had the best reputation and highest quality of workmanship compared to the dozens of other builders that "threw homes up" in the Colorado Springs new home boom over the past several years. Of course, every builder has its problems – John Laing just had the least amount of "issues" in our experiences. We were also extremely happy with their customer service and how we were taken care of after the sale.