Real Estate Retrofit Bills Gaining Traction
INDUSTRY NEWS, REAL ESTATE LEGISLATION, TIPS FOR SELLERS
April 29th, 2009
For decades Realtors have fought legislation that would require homeowners that decide to sell their home perform 
certain point-of-sale renovations. It’s amazing some of the bills that are pushed through our legislature by special interest groups. Here’s a list of some of the items homeowners would need to address before transferring title if these bills had become the law of the land:
- Pool safety barriers
- Insulation upgrades
- Window replacements
- Fire sprinkler installation
- Carbon Monoxide detectors
- Water conservation retrofits (toilets, faucets, etc)
- Gas floor furnace change out
- Foundation bolt installation
- Auto reverse garage door openers
- Window bar removal
- Gas meter shut-off valves
- Defensible space certification
- Foundation inspection
- Energy audit
- Proximity to power lines disclosure
- Asbestos mapping
Realtors believe, regardless of how well-intentioned these point-of-sale mandates may be, penalizing property owners that just happen to want or need to sell is discriminatory. If it makes sense to pass a law requiring toilets, shower heads, appliances, etc be upgraded to conserve water, great! Make it apply to everyone, not just those selling their homes. Otherwise, it will take decades for all those subject to a law to comply since some properties change hands infrequently.
These retrofit laws unfairly punish those that need to sell. If the homeowner lacks sufficient equity to pay for these upgrades, the owner may be unable to sell. Some of these retrofits are simple and inexpensive. Others can run into the thousands of dollars. The California Association of Realtors is the only trade association that fights these bills on behalf of property owners. We view it as a property rights issue.
530-224-6767 or 530-941-7492
BRAD GARBUTT
REALTOR/BROKER ASSOCIATE
REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS GMAC
CORNER OF COURT AND PLACER
QUARTER CENTURY LOCAL REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE
