• a persistent “mildewy” smell in a damp basement
• visible growth of mold on walls, ceilings or floors
• infestation of a central air conditioning system

Many other signs and symptoms of mold growth can plague building owners. The real threat is when mold, mold spores and toxins produced by mold cause illness.

The first thing you should know is – there’s no such thing as “toxic mold”. That term was coined by the media, perhaps by shortening the term “toxigenic”. Toxigenic mold, however, is a real problem that can infest a building, causing health problems for living things.

The question of who deals with mold removal has been reduced to a simple formula: a little bit you can do yourself, a lot means you need a professional.

Even a little bit of mold can become a lot, depending on whether there is sufficient food and moisture to support mold growth. Using the wrong chemical or method can make things worse. For example, chlorine bleach is not recommended for mold removal. It’s mostly water (which started the problem) and can be ineffective on mold.

Make sure, if you decide to deal with a mold infestation, that you take the right steps in the right order. Remove the source of water (either as a liquid or excessive humidity) and take precautions for your health before trying to clean up visible mold.

Take heart! There is a possible remedy to your foreclosure: the short sale. In essence, you do your homework regarding the market value of your property, the amount of your mortgage and then negotiate with the lender to accept less than the amount of the mortgage.

Obviously, there’s more to this than the simple “what to do” outlined above. You’ll need competent advice from a professional regarding all the implications of a short sale. Further, you may need the help of someone skilled at negotiating with banks and lenders.

The details of your particular situation will determine if you even qualify for a short sale. In some cases, the lender may decide that a foreclosure is in their own best interest. In other cases, if there is no serious hardship on your part, the lender may not be inclined to consider such a deal.

Your best bet is to contact someone in the Chicago area that is practiced in the execution of preforeclosure short sales. Talk with someone who will listen with compassion and give you straight answers regarding your particular situation.

Keep in mind: the worst thing you can do is to simply let your home go into foreclosure without taking any action at all. Empower yourself: find out if a short sale preforeclosure in Chicago & Cook County is the right step for you to take.