Answer
Lead paint was all the rage before 1978. Lead was popular for many applications such as gas and paint before then, leading to a national decrease of the IQ average of about two points. This means if your home was built before or close to when this law was enacted it is wise to test for lead as soon as possible to avoid possible slow poisoning and take the necessary measures to fix the problem if positive. This is not an easy or cheap thing to do on ones own and must be done carefully to be sure of the results. If the test is positive the owner must let any potential buyers know. Often this means that it can be better for the value of the home simply to take the precautions required if there was lead based paint without doing the expensive testing. That way it is safe and the value of the property is not reduced due to the disclosure law.