By Grace Gagliano, The Bradenton Herald, Fla.

Jan. 11--BRADENTON -- Homebuyers shopping the real estate market have plenty to consider before they commit to a purchase.

There's the mortgage, financing, property taxes and now, making sure the dream home they want to buy doesn't have Chinese drywall.

Officials in the local real estate industry are doing what they can to alert homeowners on the much-publicized issue of Chinese drywall.

Chinese-made drywall has been alleged to have high levels of sulfur that can cause corrosion on piping and wiring. Those with the tainted drywall also have reported health concerns such as upper respiratory issues and nosebleeds.

Realtors and mortgage brokers are advising homebuyers to take precautions such as home inspections. Some in the industry are getting educated on Chinese drywall so they can better guide clients through the house-hunting process.

Real estate officials say it's all in an effort to help prevent more homeowners from joining a list of at least 40 Manatee County residents who have homes with tainted drywall.

"Definitely homebuyers are concerned about Chinese drywall because there has been so much attention on it, especially in our area where we've had problems with it," said Polly Gaar, vice president of Wagner Realty. "That definitely makes them very aware of it and anxious about it."

Last year, construction consultant Michael Foreman of Foreman & Associates began hosting educational seminars to help real estate agents in the area better understand the problem.

The seminars address common signs of corrosion in homes with tainted drywall, the importance of homeowners getting multiple drywall analysis conducted and what a proper analysis to detect Chinese drywall entails.

"We're educating the Realtors because they're the first line of defense or the first line of contact to the client," Foreman said. "We're trying to make them understand the details that need to be looked at."

Foreman & Associates, which specializes in Chinese drywall analysis, hosted at least six seminars last year, the most recent about two months ago in which 120 agents from the Sarasota Association of Realtors attended.

The firm explains to Realtors its home analysis starts with a questionnaire for the previous homeowners that looks for potential health issues. Then the firm inspects the home's copper piping and components, electrical wiring and outlets and takes interior and exterior wall readings to examine for Chinese drywall.

"We're explaining to the buyer and agent they should never accept one report and analysis from the seller, they need to have their own analysis done," Foreman said.

A Chinese drywall analysis from Foreman & Associates costs $275 for condominiums and $375 for houses with one air-conditioning unit. Homebuyers are given a six- to 10-page report along on the structure.

Realtors such as Leland Wallace said his agency Keller Williams Manatee has similar internal education programs for agents to make sure they're aware of the signs of Chinese drywall.

Wallace added agents also make an effort to inform homebuyers that most home inspectors aren't licensed or certified to test for Chinese drywall. Instead, a home inspector who finds a concern may tell the buyer to get an analysis done by a Chinese drywall expert.

"We're cautious of it and we need to be sure we advise our buyers and sellers to take precautions," Wallace said.

Karen Blondin, of Blondin Mortgage, said aside from recommending home inspections, the brokerage company is urging clients to be present for such inspections.

"It's a good idea to be present because if they're there they can actually see what the issues are and understand better what's going on with the property," Blondin said. "It's never a waste of time."

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