Dry... If Only!!!

We recently had our house inspection preparing for the sale of our NJ townhouse. All looked A-OK except for something in the attic that "may or may not be mold." Samples were taken, the report received. Mold is present, namely aspergillus and penicillium. Their lawyer has requested "monetary relief/credit" for mold remediation based upon licensed appraisals by specialists in mold remediation.

Penicillium vs. Aspergillus--- a paintbrush vs. a toilet bowl brush
Penicillium:

Aspergillus:

I can't say I like either one of them right now!

Turns out that our mold problem is extensive...including every single surface in the attic. All insulation must be removed, and every surface must be cleaned with folks wearing "zoot suits." Heaven only knows what else. Will have our first estimate tomorrow. Sounds very expensive...

According to the service I had in today, there is no obvious water damage anywhere in the attic. Thus the presumed cause is poor attic ventilation - a common problem in condo's from what I've been told. The insulation goes directly up to the edges of the wall preventing the soffits/eaves or whatever from providing proper ventilation. No fan was allowed (we asked when we bought the house 5+ years ago) because it would violate the warranties on the roof/siding. No air vents that I could see up there anywhere, but then I didn't go up very far. I had the inspector take pictures on my camera so we could get a clue as to what we are dealing with. I'm glad I did, the photos are very clear. What appears to be dust is actually growing mold colonies - everywhere.

Re: insurance
If there's any evidence of water damage (roof leak), our insurance will cover the remediation. If not, it won't. I called our insurance adjuster, who was such a big help with the flood. He said to file a claim and then he can come over and check it all out for us.

Meanwhile, I'm collecting several estimates from mold remediation specialists and hoping the adjuster can find a water leak! Of course, we do live at the edge of a swamp...which can't help our cause much at this point. And that's where we stand at the moment: with our mold looking-like-powdery-dust on every surface in the attic... Pretty much a standstill!