POT HOMES MUST BE DECLARED

Selling your home, as of Friday, means you must disclose whether your
property has even been used as a grow-op or illegal drug lab.

It's just one more step, according to B.C. Real Estate Association president
David Herman, which ensures home buyers aren't getting more than they pay
for.

He said homes formerly used as marijuana grow-ops have often had their
electrical boxes and furnaces tampered with, creating fire hazards.

And the high temperatures and humidity levels loved by the illegal crop can
have negative impacts on the home's structure as well. Too must moisture, he
said, can result in rot.

For prospective buyers, full disclosure of a home's history should be seen
as a tip off that a certified home inspector be called in before the buyer
plunks down any cash.

What's more, Herman said, knowing a home's history may ward off another type
of crime - the grow-rip.

In several recent instances, thieves have broken into Richmond houses where
grow-ops were formerly located much to the horror of the newly resident
law-abiding owners.

"I know I would want to know is someone would want to get access to my house
or not," Herman said, adding grow-op disclosure could to warn potential
buyers that their new homes could be the target of thieves.