GROW-OPS COULD HAVE HIDDEN COSTS

Real Estate Experts Are Lauding A Plan By Ottawa Police To List
Addresses Of Former Grow-Ops And Drug Labs, But One Expert Warns The
Structures Could Have Undetected Problems

The Ottawa Real Estate Board is praising a move to publish addresses
of former grow-ops and drug labs online -- but an environmental
consultant worries the website may only offer false comfort to homebuyers.

The registry, a collaborative effort between the real estate board and
Ottawa police, will list locations of known former grow-ops and drug
labs to alert potential buyers to the extensive damage, health risks
and renovation bills they could be picking up with their new homes.

It goes online Friday at www.ottawapolice.ca .

"We know what's going on, but can't detect it because properties have
been cleaned up and the severity of the mould is much less," said Rick
Snell, the president-elect of the Ottawa Real Estate Board.
"(Homebuyers) now have that information and can make an offer
accordingly."

Environmental consultant Frank Haverkate calls the online listing a
step in the right direction, but warns it won't include operations
that haven't been discovered by police. As well, he said, buyers need
to be aware of damage caused by leaky basements and bad stucco
finishes -- which he said can sometimes cause more problems than a
grow-op.

Mr. Snell said the Ottawa police typically bust 50 grow-ops a year and
agrees that the online listing is only "the tip of the iceberg." He
said many homes are simply cleaned up and resold to unsuspecting buyers.

These buildings can have faulty wiring and structural damage, and can
harbour mould and fungus that can harm the health of occupants.

Mr. Haverkate, who owns an environmental assessment company, estimates
that a thoroughly contaminated basement would cost $20,000 to $30,000
to clean up.

He said homebuyers should have an environmental assessment done to
ensure they won't get hit with big renovation bills. His company is
one of several in the Toronto area that offers the service.

It costs $1,500 depending on the size of the house, and includes air
tests, lab reports and special cameras that detect moisture built up
behind walls. And if that doesn't work -- there's a dog who's trained
to detect trapped moisture.

"Home inspections used to be a luxury, but now everyone's doing it.
I'd say in the next 10 years you'll see that environmental assessments
are the same thing."

Mr. Snell agrees that air testing is going to become routine, but
cautions buyers not to take on unnecessary expense.

He said a simple home inspection is a good first step for any buyer
and a home inspector will know if further environmental tests are needed.

There are no statistics for how many grow-ops exist in
Ontario.

The OPP drug enforcement section estimates the number to be greater
than 500, but other estimates put it much higher. According to the
RCMP Drug Situation Report, almost two million plants were seized in
Canada in 2006, with the majority of the seizures in British Columbia,
Ontario and Quebec.

For potential buyers, Mr. Snell has a few tips. Look for mould in the
corners, moisture on the windows, and suspicious coverup paint jobs.
He recommends working with a realtor who is trained to spot these things.