Buyer Repair Request

Lake Johanna Property

33943 E Lake Joanna Dr, Eustis FL 32736
Overview Mold & HVAC Septic Master Bath Reports

A Note From the Buyers

We love the property and have every intention of making it to closing while being fair to both sides. Everything below is grounded in professional inspection findings, not speculation or wishlist items.

We understand this is an older home and that plenty of general repairs in the inspection report will be our responsibility. We are only requesting remediation for items that were not anticipated and relate to the health, safety, or core functionality of the home.

For context on the mold section: my daughter and I both manage allergies and sinus issues and are currently on immunotherapy, which is why we tested as carefully as we did.

We don't foresee any of this delaying closing as long as the contractors can be scheduled promptly. We feel these requests are reasonable, and we hope you do too.

Regards,
Lucas & Stephany

Must Address Before Closing

Both items are confirmed by professional inspection and lab testing. Full remediation must be confirmed by our assessor at Elite Mold (at our expense) upon completion.

Air Handler · Plenum · Ducts · Closet

Mold Contamination & HVAC Air Quality Remediation

Extensive mold inside the return plenum beneath the garage air handler
Inside the return plenum compartment beneath the garage air handler. The porous interior is heavily mold-colonized. This is the most contaminated area documented in the inspection and is addressed in item B below.
What the Lab Found
To understand what we were really dealing with, we brought in a licensed Florida Mold Assessor (MRSA 3036) and sent samples to EMSL Analytical for lab testing. The results came back in two parts: a swab from the area of visible damage, and air samples from rooms across the home.

1. Surface swab from beneath the water-damaged flooring in the front left bedroom closet (sample S-1):

  • Scopulariopsis / Microascus: High
  • Chaetomium: Medium
  • Alternaria: Medium
  • Stachybotrys (Black Mold): Low at the swab, but confirmed airborne in the living room at 40 spores/m³ (zero outdoors)

2. Air samples from across the home:

  • Aspergillus / Penicillium: 3.3× outdoor baseline in the front left bedroom
  • Curvularia and Fusarium (both water-damage indicator species) in the front and master bedrooms

Taken together, the picture is clear: the structure and the HVAC system are both contaminated, and they're feeding each other. The assessor's formal conclusion is that mold remediation and HVAC remediation are both required, and that fixing one without the other will not hold.

How This Gets Done
The list below covers six items, but the actual coordination is simpler than it looks. Two professionals handle the entire scope:
  • Licensed mold remediation contractor for items A, C, and D (mold-side work plus duct and vent cleaning)
  • Licensed HVAC contractor for items B, E, and F (HVAC rebuild and ductwork repair)
Vendor recommendations and the combined estimate are at the bottom of this section.
A Front Left Bedroom Closet: Containment & Remediation
The visible damage and lab-confirmed active growth (sample S-1) are in this closet, but the actual source is most likely the adjacent air handler, not the closet itself. The remediation contractor will likely need to open some drywall and pull up part of the floorboards to confirm the extent.

The shared wall continues into the garage and laundry room area; we would authorize the contractor to open a small cut on the garage side as needed to verify the full wall. Any resulting drywall repair is minor and should be included in scope. Before any reconstruction, the source of the moisture intrusion must be identified and confirmed corrected.

Ask: Containment, exploratory removal of drywall and flooring as needed to verify the extent, antimicrobial treatment, and post-remediation clearance documentation before closing. Bundled with EnviroTech mold remediation scope.

On the flooring: for any hardwood planks that need to be removed as part of the remediation, we are agreeable to a partial floor repair, provided that replacement planks can be sourced that match the existing bedroom flooring in size, type, and fit to avoid gaps, unevenness, or an inconsistent repair. If suitable matching materials are not available, the entire bedroom floor may need to be replaced or refinished to ensure a consistent and uniform result.

Post-remediation reconstruction: repairing the drywall (after small inspection cuts) and flooring (after damaged sections are removed a certain distance beyond visible mold) is a separate scope from the mold remediation itself. We estimate this at approximately $3,000, though we have not priced it as carefully as the other items.
Water-damaged flooring with mold growth in front left bedroom closet
Lab swab (S-1) was taken from beneath this floor board, confirming the species above:
EMSL lab swab S-1 taken from beneath water-damaged floor board, showing Scopulariopsis (High), Chaetomium (Medium), Alternaria (Medium), and Stachybotrys (Low)
B Return Plenum Replacement: Garage Air Handler
The return plenum interior is heavily colonized (see photo above). Porous lining can't be adequately cleaned, so full replacement is required. This is two-step work: first, the mold remediation contractor removes the contaminated plenum and remediates the area (bundled with their mold remediation scope). Second, the HVAC contractor installs a new plenum, transition, liner, and wood top, and seals all air gaps to prevent future condensation.

Ask: Full replacement with new sealed material; reseal all connection gaps. HVAC rebuild portion approximately $2,500 (per Lucas Air estimate #4089). Mold remediation portion bundled with EnviroTech scope.
C Air Handler Interior & Supply Plenum Cleaning
Mold is present inside the blower compartment and at the supply plenum, and every cycle of the system distributes it through the home.

Ask: Professional cleaning and sanitization; reseal with mastic before the system operates again. HVAC coil cleaning portion approximately $190 (per Lucas Air estimate #4089, EVAP coil clean with BioFresh treatment). Mold remediation contractor may also need to do additional sanitization in this area as part of their scope.
Mold at supply plenum connection on air handler cabinet
D Whole-System Duct and Vent Cleaning (NADCA-Compliant)
A cleaned air handler will recontaminate from dirty ducts and vents. All runs and vent covers need professional cleaning after items A through C are done. The ducts serving the left hall bath and front guest bedroom show visible debris and confirmed mold and will need particular attention.

Ask: Full NADCA-compliant duct and vent cleaning of the entire system, with extra attention to the contaminated runs flagged above, to reach verified-clean status. The work should rely purely on negative pressure: no mechanical brushes should be used at any point, since they can damage the interior of the ducts. The cleaning should also include the exterior of the vent covers and registers. Bundled with EnviroTech mold remediation scope.
Mold inside supply ducts at left hall bath and front guest bedroom
Visible buildup on the vent covers themselves, showing the cleaning needs to extend to the vents and registers, not just the ducts:
Visible buildup and grime on a supply vent cover
Visible buildup on another supply vent cover
E Damaged Ductwork in the Attic
Damaged attic ducts leak conditioned air into the attic, raise humidity, and feed mold growth.

Ask: Repair or replace damaged sections; confirm system is fully sealed. Approximately $112 (per Lucas Air estimate #4089, seal duct tear) for the documented section. Additional damaged areas, if found, may add cost.
Damaged ductwork in attic
F Master Bath Return Duct Relocation
A return in the master bath pulls humid air directly into the HVAC system, which re-feeds the mold cycle. It is also a Florida Building Code violation.

Ask: Relocate to a non-bathroom location, or provide a credit toward this work. Approximately $700 (per Lucas Air estimate #4089).
Florida Code Violation
FBC Residential (2023) § M1602.2(4): Return air shall not be taken from a bathroom.
Return air duct inside master bathroom
Mold Remediation + Licensed HVAC
Items A, C, and D: we recommend EnviroTech Solutions (Groveland, FL). They will handle the mold remediation work, including the source remediation in the closet, sanitization at the air handler, and the duct and vent cleaning of the entire system. We used them on a recent sale and they were fairly priced, honest, and thorough. Any licensed remediation company is fine (but we prefer that sellers choose one of the companies recommended by Elite Mold), as long as the work follows the protocol from Elite Mold (our assessor).

Items B, E, and F: a licensed HVAC contractor, sequenced with the remediation team. We recommend Lucas Air, a fairly local company that already evaluated the unit and provided the estimates above. One note: we would respectfully prefer the work not be handled by the original installer. Based on what we have been told about the age of the system, the active moisture and resulting contamination should not be occurring on a unit this recent, which suggests something was missed during install. We would feel more comfortable having a fresh set of eyes evaluate and correct the work.
Combined estimate for the full scope above (items A through F): approximately $8,500–$13,500
EnviroTech mold remediation + duct cleaning: ~$5,000–$10,000  ·  Lucas Air HVAC rebuild: ~$3,500 (per estimate #4089)
Execution & Documentation
All remediation, HVAC, and reconstruction work in this section to be performed by licensed professionals only, with no unlicensed contractors or handymen. We ask for written receipts and itemized invoices for each phase of work. Final remediation will be verified by our assessor at Elite Mold (at our expense) upon completion, with the clearance report provided before closing.
Septic System · Slow Drainage

Septic Pump Replacement

What Was Found
Rob's Septic Tanks (License SM0131721) inspected and pumped the system on 4/21/26. Their evaluation noted that the system does drain but slowly, and recommended replacing the pump. It still runs, but it's at the end of its service life. Easier to handle now than after closing.
Our Ask
Either works: Rob's replaces the pump before closing with written documentation, or a $1,300 concession at closing.
Septic evaluation form noting slow drainage and pump replacement recommendation
Quoted: $1,300 (Rob's Septic Tanks, Inc.)

Concession or Repair

These items can go either way: we're open to the seller repairing them or providing a credit at closing so we handle it ourselves.

Master Bathroom · Plumbing

Master Bath: No Cold Water

Flagged in the general inspection (InterNACHI 6.2.2): master bath faucet water does not stay cold. Likely a crossed supply line with the hot water or a failed cartridge, both of which are straightforward for a plumber.
Our Ask
Plumber corrects before closing, or a $600 concession at closing.
Multiple Locations · Electrical Safety

Missing GFCI Protection

Flagged in the general inspection (InterNACHI 7.5.1) as a Safety Hazard: GFCI protection is not present in all the necessary locations, including the master bathroom and an exterior receptacle. GFCIs prevent electrocution in wet areas and are required by current code.
Our Ask
A licensed electrician installs GFCI receptacles at the flagged locations before closing, or a $300 concession at closing so we can have it done right after.
Inspection report excerpt 7.5.1 showing missing GFCI protection at master bathroom and exterior receptacle

Estimate Summary

Approximate breakdown of all asks across this document.

Must Address Before Closing
Mold + HVAC remediation (items A through F)
~$8,500–$13,500
Post-remediation drywall + flooring repair
~$3,000
Septic pump replacement
$1,300
Concession or Repair
Master bath cold water issue
$600 concession
Missing GFCI protection
$300 concession
Approximate grand total
~$13,700–$18,700
All numbers above are approximate. The mold + HVAC range reflects EnviroTech mold remediation and duct cleaning ($5,000–$10,000) plus Lucas Air HVAC rebuild (~$3,500 per estimate #4089). The post-remediation drywall and flooring repair figure is a buyer-side estimate and has not been formally priced.
Docs

Inspection Reports

Source documents behind every finding above.