Massive Mold in Home - Deal breaker?

[Sean Salandy]

There is a house that I see a listing for that seems to have a massive amount of Mold and water damage in the finished basement which includes a bathroom. It looks as though the mold is from floor to ceiling. I have not taken a look at the house in person yet and I don't know what the root of this damage is. At this point I am only going off of the photos. The rest of the home "seems" to be unaffected although without an inspection I couldn't know for sure. The home is listed well below market. My questions before I go see it are: •Is mold a deal breaker for anyone? •What is the best way to find a trustworthy mold remediation company? •Is it safe to assume that I (and my agent) will need some sort of hazmat suit or respirator while viewing the property? •How expensive is a typical mold remediation service in general? I'm sure it greatly depends on the extent of the mold. •I was once told that there is no true test for black mold. Is this true? •if this seems like a great deal after carefully running the numbers, should I still proceed as a first flip? Thanks in advance for your help.

[Alexander Felice]

I'm certainly not an expert on mold, but I would tell you that nothing should be considered an automatic "deal breaker" in my opinion. Everything can be fixed somehow. The only part that matters is if it can still be profitable. 

Find out what it'll take to fix the problem, if the numbers still work then proceed. Many of the questions you're asking can only be answered by a mold expert. Just hire one, even if it becomes a sunk cost I guarantee you'll learn a ton about mold that will benefit you greatly in the future.