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By Jeff Deuitch, microbiologist & real estate appraiser To assist appraisers, home inspectors and others with concerns related to mold and indoor air quality issues, a Florida scientist- who is also an appraiser, has created a new Internet discussion forum related to mold and indoor air quality issues. The IAQ Forum (www.iaqforum.net) provides a virtual gathering place where people concerned with mold and indoor air quality issues can ask questions or share ideas with other concerned people/professionals with a wide variety of technical expertise. For appraisers, valuation issues related to mold are a real occurrence with little published work available to assist them in understanding the impact on market valuation. For home inspectors, mold is a common issue which places the inspector in a tenuous position between reporting accurately and preserving the sales transaction. For both professions the experience of estimating the impact to their clients can be daunting. This new forum provides all participants the opportunity to discuss, learn and benefit from each others’ experiences. The site contains many individual discussion areas for the general public, indoor air quality specialists, and people who are professionally affected by indoor air quality issues. Visitors can ask questions, begin discussions and provide guidance to those needing help. Discussion topics include mold, biological and chemical conditions in buildings, health effects, property valuation issues, building-construction-related issues, legal issues, news articles relating to indoor air quality, and other topics. The "Ask the Microbiologist" section allows concerned parties to ask questions relating to mold, bacteria and other microorganisms directly to a microbiologist experienced in building investigations and biological research. The site can be visited at: www.iaqforum.net. For more information, contact Jeff Deuitch, microbiologist & real estate appraiser, at iaqforum@aol.com. About the Author: Jeff Deuitch is a microbiologist who performs detailed moisture intrusion inspections in buildings. He is also a Florida State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser. Deuitch is a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the American Society of Microbiology and past member of the Indoor Environmental Standards Association. Taken with permission from Working RE Magazine – Home Inspector’s Edition (www.workingre.com). WRE is published by OREP (www.orep.org), specializing in E&O insurance for home inspectors, appraisers and other real estate professionals. OREP is one of TIJ's sponsors.