Yes, Termites are and can be a HUGE problem when buying or selling a home, especially in Georgia & Alabama.
And, as a homeowner, you need to really pay attention to these words of advice.
Sellers are required to present the purchaser with a clear termite letter within 30 days prior to closing. The purchaser’s lender and the closing attorney will require a copy of this termite letter before the closing can occur. Sometimes the pest control company will discover active termites in the home and sometimes they will discover termite damage even when there are no longer any active termites present. In both cases, the lender will require that these issues be resolved prior to the closing.
So, Purchasers, as new homeowners, you have just bought a home that is free of active termites and all previous termite damage has been repaired. Now what should you do? First and foremost, unless the previous owner had a termite bond on the home that was transferred to your name, you should contact a pest control company (usually the one that issued the clear termite letter) and negotiate the purchase of a termite treatment & bond on your home. There is an initial cost for the treatment and then a yearly fee to maintain the bond which lasts about 10 years before needing treatment again. Whatever the cost, it is well worth the $ you spend compared to having termites eat your home from the inside out.
For more information on the damage termites can do to a home and why they are so prevalent in the South, please do yourself a favor and read this article from the University of Georgia