The Neighborhood Environmental Report
From Environmental Data Resources and Suburban Home Inspections, Inc.
In response to increased homebuyer and homeowner due diligence as well as expanding disclosure standards and legislation for sellers of residential property, Suburban Home Inspections has teamed up with Environmental Data Resources, and can now offer the EDR Neighborhood Environmental Report (Click Here to view official certificate). The EDR report is the most accurate and comprehensive environmental report available to the residential real estate industry.
Many residential properties and neighborhoods are clean, but even the most pristine and affluent areas can have environmental issues that affect health and home values. The EDR Neighborhood Environmental Report helps ensure that there are no surprises during or after the transaction by searching records of contamination from common occurrences such as:
- Leaking underground fuel or gas tanks that can contaminate soil and groundwater;
- Homes formerly used as "meth" labs, where residual chemicals can cause illness;
- Contamination from nearby industrial sites, accidental toxic spills or leaks;
- EPA and State top priority clean-up properties.
If a problem is discovered, the EDR Neighborhood Environmental Report provides key information to help home buyers resolve the issue quickly and move forward with confidence.
Trust the Experts
EDR is the nation's leading and most trusted provider of environmental risk information reports. More environmental professionals, lenders, corporations, real estate professionals and government agencies rely on EDR for environmental information than any other provider. You can be confident that every EDR Neighborhood Environmental Report is backed by over 15 years of experience and the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the largest collection of local, state, and federal environmental information in the U.S.
The cost for a Neighborhood Environmental Report is:
$100.00 if purchased with a home inspection &
$150 without a home inspection
To view a sample report, click the link below:
Sample Report
Real Estate Agents: For a FREE report of your very own property, just send your e-mail erquest to me and I'll be happy to send it out.
Each report starts with a simple summary of findings from the relevant databases for the state where the property is located. The summary is broken into two categories:
- Environmental Records within 300 feet (or a 6-acre circle) of the property, and
- Environmental Records beyond 300 feet.
Each report contains a section that serves as a guide as to how the report is broken down. There are four sections, A-D:
- Section A is information on records of known and potential environmental issues within 300 feet.
- Section B covers records of known any potential environmental issues beyond 300 feet and out to standard search distances most commonly used by environmental professionals.
- Section C provides information about records that lack enough data to be mapped. This results from incomplete government records, making it impossible to precisely locate these “orphan” sites.
- Section D contains detailed descriptions of the various databases used and the differences between them. Also, it includes contact information for the relevant government or private organization that maintains the database.
Home Buyers & Sellers
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is EDR?
Environmental Data Resources, Inc. (EDR) is the nation's leading and most trusted provider of environmental risk information services for real estate transactions. With the largest collection of local, state, and federal environmental information in the U.S., it generates over 750,000 environmental risk reports a year in support of real estate transactions as well as corporate and government initiatives. Established in 1991, EDR is headquartered in Milford, Connecticut with regional offices located throughout the United States. EDR is wholly owned by DMG Information Inc., the business information division of Daily Mail and General Trust, plc (DMGT).
2. What is the benefit of a report if I'm selling my home?
In most cases the EDR Report will not find any significant issues on a property. It can increase buyer confidence and makes the property and surrounding neighborhood more attractive. In the event a problem is identified that is not easily rectified, disclosing the issue ahead of time will provide some liability protection for all parties involved in the transaction.
3. What is the benefit of a report if I'm buying a home?
The EDR Report provides valuable information that allows a home buyer to make an informed decision and protect both his family and his investment. In most cases, the EDR Report will show "Good News!" indicating there are no issues within 300 feet (or a 6-acre circle) of the property. This information helps provide homebuyers with peace of mind when making what is likely the biggest investment of their lifetime.
4. Will an environmental report hurt my property value?
In the majority of cases, reports actually increase the appeal of a property and neighborhood.
5. If I have any questions about findings in the report, who will answer them?
All EDR-Certified home inspectors are fully prepared to communicate the report's findings to a buyer or seller and will provide follow up direction where necessary.
6. If the EDR report finds a concern on the property will be serious enough to make me not my deal fall through?
As in a home inspection, just because a problem is revealed, it does not mean that the transaction will fall apart. It may result in some further negotiations but all parties will be informed and able to take the appropriate steps to solve the issue. Often times the problem can be resolved by installing a water filtration system or a ventilation system in the basement similar to those used for radon.
7. If a significant environmental issue is found in a report, what are the next steps?
Next steps vary slightly depending on the type of issue found and specific circumstances. For example, if there is a well on the property, a homebuyer may choose to have the water tested for possible contaminates. In most cases, acquiring additional information and explanation from the home inspector, relevant government agency, or EDR will address any concerns. The report contains contact information for the government agency responsible for reporting and monitoring contaminated sites. Whatever the situation, the EDR-Certified home inspector will help steer you in the right direction.
Testimonials
Here’s what others are saying about EDR’s products and services:
"I like this report because all of the important information is included. Anytime you deal with something that may involve a certain level of fear, you want to do all you can do to eliminate that fear - and this report does a great job of doing that with the home inspector being trained and certified to explain the contents of the report and direct you to how to resolve a problem if there is one."
-John Michael O'Connell, Olde Line Real Estate, Annapolis,MD
"EDR has done a tremendous amount of very intelligent work to research, design, produce, and deliver its superior reporting products. I like giving clients the benefit of this intelligence."
-John Beldock, CEO, EcoBroker International
“We had a home inspector do the pre-purchase inspection on our home purchase in July 2006. He mentioned to us he was certified to offer the EDR Neighborhood Environmental Report and suggested we get one. We ordered the report and thought it did a good job telling us about potential environmental problems in the area surrounding our purchase. The report was in a simple and easy to read format. Everything we expected to be in it was there. We would recommend a report to anyone buying a home to make them aware of potential environmental problems they may be dealing with."
-Larry McCorkle, Larry McCorkle Realty, North Scottsdale, AZ
"I can't believe anyone would think this report would kill a deal. In this era of information, more is better. If I found something on a report, I'm going to go to the seller and say ‘hey, we've got a problem we've got to address before we list this house.' The cost of a report is about $150 - the cost of finding an issue after closing is ridiculous. Figure a call to your attorney alone will cost how much?"
-Ed Harold, Better Homes Realty, Lafayette, CA
