Agenda Packets - 1999/12/06 - Laserfiche WebLink

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deterioration or damage to a house or building. Continued deterioration of neighborhoods could lead to foreclosures, vacant properties, condemned housing and poor health conditions . These qualities would classify some of the City's housing stock as risk properties. The prospective buyer might buy the housing thinking it is safe, and up-to-code, not aware of problems, which could result in complaints to the city/agent for selling deficient housing. Deteriorated housing is also harder to sell for the realtors . VII. EXPERIENCE IN OTHER CITIES WITH EACH OF THE PROGRAMS A. St. Louis Park (Point-of-Sale) first city to implement inspection program. Other cities used their program as a guideline and in the process of researching found their program was too restrictive. All the responsibility was forced upon the buyer. Richfield (Point-of-Sale) Not a revenue generating program. When the program was established in 1989 they anticipated it would be revenue generating. For the last four years they have been operating at a deficit of about $20,000. They do feel however that the program is worthwhile. They conducted a survey to determine attitudes of both the buyer and the seller on the program. Most comments were very positive, especially from the buyer. 90% of the respondents stated they believed the housing inspection program would be effective in sustaining the quality of the housing stock. Required correction cost ranged from less than $250 to $2,500. 95% stated there was not delay in the closing date because of the housing inspection program. Hopkins (Truth in Housing-no inspection) Housing inspector stated there are about 35 different evaluators which results in very inconsistent inspections. Crystal (Point-of-Sale) Program basically pays for itself, however support services by other staff it does not pay for. Response of people since it passed in January 1992 are generally o.k. with the inspection. They are not too thrilled about the cost of the inspection itself but have not griped about the repairs that need to be made. VIII. BENEFITS OF EACH PROGRAM. To protect the public health, safety and welfare and to promote decent, safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations within the City of Mounds View Point-of- Sale inspection would made this goal more attainable. Today's society assigns a value dollar to most everything, likewise an up- to-code housing stock increases the dollar value in property taxes/revenues. A benefit of inspection is the possibility of attracting prospective home buyers into the city because of safe living condition and in their neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods. A. Benefit of Truth in Sale of Housing. Basically the only benefits of this inspection is to the buyer. It is a buyer beware program. It doesn't affect the City in anyway because there is no code enforcement. Protects the seller and the agent because the buyer is aware of the present condition of the home through the inspection. Costs associated are inspection fee and city costs . B. Benefit of Truth in Sale of Housing with immediate hazard.