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It's not clear how long ago this tree fell on the roof of this foreclosed home, most likely due to a lightning strike. PHOTOS BY BEN FREDMAN/THE FREE LANCE-STAR View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

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Vacated homes are foreclosed, forlorn FORECLOSURES IN AREA

Foreclosures often left in bad condition

BY BILL FREEHLING

Date published: 8/2/2008

BY BILL FREEHLING

Here is what a prospective buyer would encounter while touring one foreclosed home in Spotsylvania County:

A tree lay on the roof and blocked the front entrance. It was unclear how long the tree, which apparently was hit by lightning, had been on the vacant home.

After maneuvering around the tree to get inside the front door, the visitor immediately smells mildew. There's mold in the refrigerator and water damage in the basement. It's difficult to take the smell for long.

A reporter and photographer with The Free Lance-Star recently visited this home on condition that the exact location not be disclosed.

Realtors say that house, which is under contract, is in worse shape than most foreclosures. But inspectors say it's not uncommon to find significant damage, and many require thousands of dollars of repairs before they're move-in ready.

"It's mind-boggling," said Joel Webber, who has run the Stafford County-based Old Dominion Home Inspection Services since 1998. "It's sad to see it."

Webber said the vast majority of his inspections these days are on homes in foreclosure. Many area residents have lost the pricey homes purchased during the peak of the housing boom a couple of years ago.

Webber said some of the foreclosure homes are in good shape. He said in the past, the biggest problem in foreclosure homes was holes in the wall and other signs of homeowners angry about losing the house.

But he said that's not the case these days. Rather the most common problem, he said, is mildew. Between 25 percent and 50 percent of the foreclosure homes he inspects have mildew, and another 10 percent have mold.

In many of those cases, the banks turned off the electricity after reacquiring the houses. Rain floods the basement, and the sump pump isn't able to remove the water. There's no air conditioning. Houses are sometimes on the market for months in this condition. That's all a recipe for mold and mildew.

Webber questioned why the banks wouldn't take better care of the homes if they're trying to sell them.

A recent search on RealtyTrac.com turned up the following number of foreclosures for these area localities. They are in various stages of the foreclosure process, including pre- and post-auction. Caroline 210 Culpeper 395 Fauquier 362 Fredericksburg 87 King George 104 Loudoun 2,589 Louisa 223 Orange 273 Prince William 6,169 Spotsylvania 1,111 Stafford 1,014 Westmoreland 31

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Date published: 8/2/2008