Aerial view of downtown Columbia
Columbia Maryland is a very interesting place to work, and a wonderful place to live. The schools are some of the best to be found anywhere! There are multiple lakes, and 80 + miles of walking and bicycling paths. Lake Elkhorn is personally my favorite place to walk, and Centennial lake is a close second. The communities are rich with diversity, and filled with friendly, family oriented people. Here is the Wiki Page for the specifics.
I’ve had the pleasure to work all over Howard County since the early 80’s. The bulk of my work has been done in the most populace area of the county; Columbia. My work in Columbia began during the building boom of the Reagan Administration, and hasn’t let off much ever since. Back then the interest rates were much higher, and the homes couldn’t be built fast enough! The homes come in all shapes and sizes. Everything can be found from affordable condominiums to large, historic manses. While new homes are still being built on relatively small lots, here and there, most of the existing home were constructed during the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s. Homes constructed during those years have a great deal in common. Many of those homes share the same concerns for home buyers. Polybutylene was a popular, but short lived plumbing pipe material, that was found to leak quite often. High levels of radon gas can be found in homes throughout the county. Older homes are more likely to have had leaks in the past, that can lead to mold problems in the present.
I love Lake Elkhorn!
Whether you are buying a home in Columbia for the great schools, diverse communities, or the many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, make certain you are well informed of the concerns that may be found in your new home. A home inspection should be thorough, and the home inspector should be qualified to test for radon and mold. It is a very good idea, and may be required by your lender, to have a termite inspection.
Thank you for reading my blog!
Sonny Toman
Owner and Inspector
1st American Home Inspections
