Buying Home Foundation Repairs

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   is it worth buying a home if the foundation needs repair?
   my wife and i are looking at home that has is said to have shifted and cracked 3 sides of the foundation, its on 11 acres and has 4 bed and 1 bath 1800 sq. ft and an in ground pool.
   i guess i just want to know if this is something i can repair myself with some help or will it just be alot of money and still problems or whatever. aside from that it needs a new roof and had some water in the basement. BUT 11 ACRES
   please help
   thanks

   • ANSWER:
     No, its not worth buying. Maybe if the owner dropped the price or did something about the problems first.

2. QUESTION:
   Does anyone know how much home foundation repair cost is in Edmond or Oklahoma city, OK?
   I thinking about buying a REO home and would like to know the cost.
   I am thinking about buying a REO home. The home is 6-7 years old and the realtor says it has foundation problems. He does not think its a good buy but I am having a structural engineer come out to inspect the home. FYI I have not met any realtor in Oklahoma who thinks buying a REO property is a wise decision.

   • ANSWER:
     You’re on the right track by hiring a structural engineer. Years ago, I had a foundation problem with a home and did the same thing. The engineer came out and located the fault in the slab, then provided me with a scale drawing depicting how many piers and where they should be located. He recommended a foundation repair company that would do it at $X per pier.

3. QUESTION:
   Do private home inspectors typically qualified to comment on foundation repairs?
   Obvouisly I’d want to find out before hiring him but i thought I’d get an idea here too.

   I’m looking at buying a house which had 4 leaks in the basement as well as some foundation work at the I-beam.
   This was all done over 10 years ago and hasn’t been a problem since.

   Is a private home inspector normally qualified to comment on the foundation or you want to hire a structural engineer to look at it?

   • ANSWER:
     Most home inspectors will give you an overview, what you will need is a foundation engineer to check out the repairs needed. A home inspector in many states may have done some construction work but they weren’t even licensed contractors.

4. QUESTION:
   My foundation was repaired before we bought our home and now the i beam supports are falling.?
   It was only done maybe 2 years ago, but does it mean that whomever did it didn’t do a good job? I don’t want to have to repair it again, but will that have to my only option? Are there other options that I might be able to consider? Please help. I love my home and don’t want to have to move.

   • ANSWER:
     Not enough information.
     You DO need to have the problem dealt with promptly by a qualified ‘pro’.

5. QUESTION:
   What is the future of foundation that has been “repaired”?
   I am looking to buy a home that has had foundation repairs due to settling, common in north texas with the clay soil. I am wondering what further problems are possible with relation to the foundation. There is a lifetime warranty, but are there any problems that can arise that are not covered with the warranty?

   • ANSWER:
     It is good that you have a TRANSFERABLE warranty, right? If so, then that is good. Make sure Before you buy the house that if any foundation repair has been done that the foundation repair company is reputable, registered, and is affirmed as having the warranty that can transfer to ALL new owners that come along…not just you.

     That being said, it is possible that foundation issues to still continue for years to come. Slight changes folks say the house is “settling”, but extensive changes are foundation issues and you can’t just sit on it and do nothing. Foundation problems can be from the expansion and contraction of the clay soils or it can be caused by a plumbing break (even ever so slight), so that may need to be checked, as well. If problems still arise, and the weather has been “balanced”, do check the plumbing for leaks under the foundation.

     So, weird very wet and very dry weather (which we just got over a 4 yr drought) can cause foundation issues for slab homes and a break in plumbing can do the same. Sometimes one causes the other, too.

     You mentioned North Texas, well howdy! I’ve lived in Collin County since 1966, and have seen quite a bit when it comes to types of homes built, neighborhoods that have foundation issues up & down the street, and some areas that seem fine.
     We do have strips of soils that are sandy and even shallow of the clay [meaning that rocky limestone is very close to the surface, which helps with foundations, but makes it tough on plants which need deep roots] , which makes for less shifting (Allen). Homes that are on pier & beam actually still have foundation issues, but they are MINOR in cost of repair. The track builders like Fox & Jacobs (Centex today) found that laying concrete slabs for foundations were quick and cheap and that is how all of this started. Other than that, homes were prior to then variations of Pier & Beam. Then other forms of slab came along with tension wires that claimed that were effective in keeping the foundation sound, but they weren’t perfect either.

     KRLD radio – 1080am on your dial has a saturday program that is hosted by an area homebuilder called Tom Tynan, I believe at 2pm. He’s easy to understand and is laid back and seems very honest. You can probably call in and ask him some questions like the one you posted here.

     KRLD can also be found www.krld.com

     Another thing, too. Check with the city building inspector of the town you are interested in. Just for example, the town of Frisco had some mutiple huge issues with foundations a few years ago because it was growing very quickly and many unprofessional builders flew in, built homes with POOR foundations, and they split. Home after home was cracking up, and the city stepped in and put in some very strick building restrictions before that finally cleared up. So, check up on the history of building in the town you are considering. Did they have extreem growth spurts, or was it controlled? Can make a difference! Check around the neighborhoods and look for signs in the yard of foundation work done. If you see a few, its possible that it’s a bad area for homes. This clay was great for the cotton and corn farmers, but it reaks havoc on the slab foundation home. And don’t even think of mobile homes – the old ones were constructed with 2×2’s and are as safe as a matchbox to live in. Even if they are “hurricane tethered” to the ground, and they are constructed with a late model 2×4 beams, and even PLACED on a slab, they will – I repeat WILL blow away with any great gust of wind. Period! So avoid mobile or manufactured homes. Pre-fab may be better, but I wouldn’t put my money there either, even if they do throw in some acerage!

     Be smart. Do your research. Might consider building your own and monitoring the construction. We are in a tornado proned area, so do try to build a reinforced “safety” room in your home for such times that tornado warnings are present.

     Good luck and a TEXAS WELCOME to you!

6. QUESTION:
   Typical Warranty On Foundation Repairs?
   We are close to buying a home with a crawl space constructed of cinder block walls. One wall has a crack in the mortar about halfway up. We obviously didn’t want to deal with major foundation issues, so we had an inspection. The results came back that this is a minor problem and not too uncommon for a house of 53 years. We got a good estimate on epoxy and bracing and some advice on moving water away from the house as a preventative measure.

   The idea is to get this all taken care of by the seller. The odd thing to me was that the man who completed the estimate only offered a 2-3 year warranty on the job. This seemed really low to me, is there an average time for warranties on foundation repairs of this type? Thanks in advance.

   • ANSWER:
     On a cement block support wall, the only descent repair consists of total removal of the mortar in the joints and a replacement of the mortar and any cracked or damaged blocks. Yes, the epoxy is excellent for poured concrete walls, but on block it is not all that good because of the small contact area in square inches that cement blocks have. Remember they are hollow and have only a small contacting surfact that would be bonded to the epoxy. My experience is do not do this epoxy repair.

     I suggest you take a $$ amount in your settlement with the owner and do absolutely nothing to this block wall. Sometimes digging around and disturbing a block wall in a 53 year old structure leads to unforseen problems. Something like ” the cure is worse than the disease”

     Given that this house built 53 years ago is probably very substantial I would do noting with it, although as ive mentioned take the $$ in stead of the repair.

7. QUESTION:
   Home Foundation Cracks?
   I am interested in buying a home with a few cracks in the foundation. How big of an issue is this, and how large of a crack is considered serious? One particular crack is about a centimeter thick. When is the foundation too far gone to be repaired?

   • ANSWER:
     That’s a rather large crack, and may indicate that the foundation doesn’t have any reinforcing steel in the concrete, or is built on unstable soil. Furthermore, if the foundation has opened up by a centimeter, there should be a corresponding crack in the house if the house is properly anchored to the foundation. This is a structural concern that I wouldn’t attempt to answer in this forum. You should hire a licensed structural engineer to evaluate the situation. A few dollars spent today could prevent a big headache in the future.

8. QUESTION:
   will my home insurance cover my old foundation?
   my home is about 100 yrs old and an engineer told me and house is craking due to tear and wear of an old home and soil movement my question is will home insurance cover the repair of my foundation ? i just bought the home 3 yrs ago

   • ANSWER:
     Not likely. Insurance is for the unexpected – storm, theft, accidental damage. Wear and tear is excluded from coverage. Its the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain their home.

9. QUESTION:
   I need opinions. We are in the process of buying a home but the inspection worries us…?
   We are in the process of buying a forclosure ( as is, no sellers disclosure and no repairs) Its an affordable newer home (5 yrs old) and it looked to only have cosmetic problems.But this is what the inpection tunred up…
   1. We thought it was hardie board but it turned ut to be a composite wood siding which is a big minus! There is HUGE ant infestation problem up and down the whole house inside the siding so who knows what they have done to the siding.
   2. The foundation has many cracks and appears to have been filled in some spots with apoxy in some spots. There are big spaces from the ground to the foundation where the dirt is totally gone. There is a small slope that maybe due to foundation in the kitchen but its so slight theres no way fo knowing.
   3. There is a crack along a outside joint from ground up to the roof where the siding is pulling away from the house.
   4. Many other issues like no drainage for the hot water heater and ac, garbage disposal is not working…etc.
   The interior of the home has recently been painted with thick coats of paint so we do not know if it did have crazks in the walls or not. To get our earnest money back the repairs would have to equal ,000 or more. Does it sound like we are worried about these things for nothing? The inspector we had couldn’t conclusively determine if these were indicators for things to come or nothing to worry about. He did say the home was not made with much care and we do not have the money to fix major issues and worry about selling it later on. I also do not want to spend alot of money bringing in numerous people just to get our 0 back because we may end up in the negative anyway. We know nothing about construction so I need opinions on this. Its one of the only affordable homes in this town so it’d be a shame to let it go if these are in fact not big issues.
   sorry for all the misspellings, I keep forgetting to spell check.

   • ANSWER:
     This house is riddled with problems. It will require shoring the foundation, among other things. Typically when the foundation of a slab on grade house is shored, the plumbing hangers under the slab break. This leads to tunneling under the slab to fix leaks.
     It also sounds as if there may be water issues as well. It has been my experience that any insect infestation is a sign of a leak in the exterior of the house, probably in the gap you described. The damage caused by ants is nothing compared to what termites can do, but can not be over looked.
     I would Pass…

10. QUESTION:
    Planting after foundation repair?
    It’s been four months since the home I bought had a foundation repair. The rocks on the side of the house are an eyesore and I was wondering if I can put down sod or something to make it look more attractive. Since winter is heading in it will not be done until the spring, but would like to do something to help the outdoor appeal to the home.
    Planting will not occur until spring as I live in Wisconsin and all the nurseries are empty.

    • ANSWER:
      You say the foundation was repaired, then say “it will not be done until the spring,” so I’m not quite following you. Planting sod isn’t going to hurt or harm the foundation so go for it you may just end up replacing it all next spring when they finish the work. BTW: if this is the case plant winter rye.

11. QUESTION:
    How hard is it to repain 1 wall in the foundation of a home?
    We are looking at buying a house and the house is absolutely perfect in every way except for one thing. In the basement there is one pretty sizable crack in one wall. It is only one section that is damaged no even the whole wall. The rest of the walls are in perfect condition. My boyfriend is going to set up the forming and put the house on jacks on that side (all of which he has done before in working on other peoples houses) and stuff and then just pay someone to come in and pour the concrete. I believe he is well equipped to do all of this but I am just questioning because I have never heard of anyone repairing one wall. Does anyone have any experience with this or heard of it? Any information would be helpful. As I said we love the house otherwise but we dont want to get into a money pit situation. I dont know much about home repair like he does but I wanted to see the general publics opinion on the this. Buying a home is a big deal and we want to make a good and well informed decison.

    • ANSWER:
      If the crack is separating then the foundation is moving, If you do not cure the problem first the crack will come back no matter how you fix it.
      Cracks usually appear because of a poor construction or poor drainage, If when it rains the rain water goes down by the foundation it will soften the dirt and allow the footing to move usually causing a crack and a low spot. Does this house have gutters? If not then you would need to install them. If the grade from the house does not slope away then you need to build up the grade at the house
      Repair the drainage problem first. Then fix the foundation. Does the house have a basement where the crack is, or does it have a crawl space? It would be best to fix both sides of foundation. One type of repair that has worked for me is to attach expanded metal with masonary screws to both sides of the foundation and about a foot either side of the crack covering as much of the crack as you can get to, then mix up 5 parts sand, 2 parts mortar, latex concrete bonder if you can find it (white liquid about a quart) and one part powderd lime and water and mix into a thick paste, then trowel this into th crack and th area where the expanded metal is.

12. QUESTION:
    Home Foundation Warranty?
    I bought a house that had a foundation repair, now I remember the previous owner told me it had lifetime warranty, the problem is I can’t find those documents and I don’t have a clue which company did the repair, how can I retrieve this information?

    • ANSWER:
      You’d have to contact the previous owner, or possibly their real estate agent to get a copy of the original receipt and repair company’s contact info. Unless you live in California where contractors for a mechanics lien until paid on the property.

      I’ve seen lifetime warranties that apply to the original owner or require a fee to transfer.

13. QUESTION:
    Buying a house with foundation problems- HELP!?
    I am looking at purchasing a home that has some foundation problems due to water damage. The house has no water run offs or gutters and I know this has created a HUGE problem. The house is very sound. I walked through it, the floors do not creek, there is a slight sinking on the first floor in one corner but nowhere else in the house. The area the sinking is in, however, is resting on the foundation wall. There is some water leaking into the basement. The house was built in 1900. I know with older homes sinking and other problems are expected. Foundation problems are considered MAJOR PROBLEMS, but do you think this is too much problem to get into? The house is selling really cheap so with a 203k loan I can get around 25,000 for repairs if needed. Please let me know your opinion. The house looks beautiful. This is the only major problem and some small stucco damage on the front. I was thinking that once I get the foundation repaired and fix the water run off and gutter problems, it would be a great investment for a beautiful home.

    • ANSWER:
      Simple Lo, Call a contractor and have him tell you what you need to know about repairs and the cost. He will charge you a small amount for his time, but you will have all the facts you need. And if you decide to buy the house you will know what to expect from his opinion.

14. QUESTION:
    just to give me an idea, how much can a cracked or sinking foundation cost to repair?
    we are looking to buy a cute home, but the foundation is cracked and one wall is sinking…we may think it is worth it depending on repair costs. I just need and average cost nubmer just to have an idea of what we would be getting into.

    • ANSWER:
      Wow! That’s just about rebuilding the whole house – think about it! The foundation – just by definition it means the base , in this case, of the house. You are looking at at least 20K maybe on up to 50K depending on the size and the land it’s being erected on – there could be an underlying problem – sinkholes, etc. – Seems like a bad investment unless you tear it down and start over! Remember – you get what you pay for!

15. QUESTION:
    Buying an REO, raising asking price to cover repairs?
    I’m in the middle of buying an REO, homepath – freddie mac property. The home is valued over 0K, the house next door is smaller and just sold for 0K. The asking price is 2K. We offered a month ago for 0K and got countered with 7K so we then offered 2K and they came back with 5K plus K for closing costs. (took about a week between each time talking to the bank). That’s the info for all those curious…

    There are multiple problems with the home and I have had several contractor’s out and an engineer to look at it. It’s going to need K for foundation repair and about K in random other repairs to make it FHA livable (about 00 of that going towards roof repair). Before going the 203K route, my loan officer advised me to try and raise the asking price and then to ask for the bank to do the repairs with a contractor of my choosing. So we are going to try and put an offer in for K higher than the agreed upon contract (as the home inspection contingency removal) and then ask for K in repairs (foundation, roof, other). My question is if all of this is allowed? And will the bank be willing to do this? Has anyone had any success with this??

    And I am asking on here because our closing date is only 5 weeks away and since the bank takes a week to get back to us with every offer we submit, we don’t really have time to go back and forth a bunch and THEN switch to a 203k….
    we are under contract. we had the 10 day inspection contingency which we are going to remove.

    I’m just trying to get the best deal….and I’ve been told I can first try:

    1. raising the asking price K and asking for K worth of repairs to be done by contractor of buyers choice..
    and then if that fails,
    2. switch from fha to 203k.

    Personally I don’t see why the selling bank would have a problem with option one…but then I don’t see why they would have any incentive to do it either.
    In response to landlord: with option 1, the place should still appraise somewhere around 0K-300K (tax assessed for 0K). Their list price is 2K and I got them to 5K. I am basically asking to pay K more (or 5K) and then I’ll get the contractor’s out to do the work, and basically the bank loses nothing. Maybe even if I offered K more and then they do K repairs?

    • ANSWER:
      Option 1 won’t work because the buying bank will not pay more then the place appraises for. Knowing this teh selling bank is not going to bother. Another, hassle free, buyer will come along, and they write that off for now, Not selling this to you will not ruin any ones day.

      Option 2 makes more sense.

16. QUESTION:
    Is there a 2008 tax break available for home improvement expenditures in Texas?
    I bought a home in Texas in 2007 and paid a sizable amount of money to get my foundation repaired in 2008. Does anyone know if I can claim this when I file my 2008 taxes? If so, what is the process?

    • ANSWER:
      The expense of the foundation repair is added to your cost basis.

17. QUESTION:
    Should I buy a house that recently had foundation work completed including Dry-lock?
    I am looking to buy a home off of a river. When touring the home I noticed new cement and some type of vapor barrier around the foundation. It appears someone dug up around the foundation to do some repairs. The basement walls are coated in some thick black material which appears to by Dry-lock or something. The home was kept very well for it to have been built in 1971. What are the pros and cons of moving forward on submitting and offer for this purchase?

    • ANSWER:
      Have your realtor get the details on the repair work that you saw – what was wrong, what exactly was done to correct the problem. Find out if there is a warranty on the work AND find out if the warranty is transferable to a new owner.

      If you are satisfied with the answers, it sounds like you see an example of a homeowner that has been doing a good job taking care of the house.

18. QUESTION:
    Our home has a sinking foundation is it covered by home insurence?
    WE recently bought this house the ex-home owner said the cracks in the wall are due to previous house movement and he took care of the problem and the house is not moving right now this was confirmed by the house inspector too, now i got a foundation expert just to look at it and he said the house is dropping and the cost of the repair would be 30,000$ now I am afraid to go the insurence because if I go i am afraid that they would say it is a preexisting condition and they wouldnot cover it ,please help.

    • ANSWER:
      Well “foundation expert”? if he is a contractor be leary. He may know how to install a foundation and can point out the obvious defects, but does he know what the result will be of the defects?

      Consider getting yourself a structural engineer. You’ll need one anyway if you are looking for any type of settlement.

      I don’t think your insurance company will back you on this… However… if this is not listed on your disclosure form (part of your purchase agreement) then you have a grievance with the former property owner.

      No matter who is at fault, you still need to get an engineer out there to tell you if you have an issue, what is the fix. He/she has nothing to gain or lose by telling you the truth. Contractor??

      Good luck!

19. QUESTION:
    I need home foundation advice/ construction. Please see details.?
    Looking at a 50’s cottage home in Northern California, it’s a raised foundation, there is stucco repair about 2-3 feet from ground level up, around the entire house. On the right side of the house there is a HUGE old palm tree that was removed a few years ago. We think the entire home shifted from the tree? It’s a 750 sq foot home. Foundation issues? It’s probably not something I’ll buy but I am curious what could cause this? Any tips? Thank you…

    • ANSWER:
      Call a foundation company for advice. Kill the roots.

20. QUESTION:
    I would like information on the up-keep of an older home I am thinking of buying.?
    I am looking at buying a house built in 1936. What kind of maintenance and repair am I looking at, that a home inspection won’t or can’t tell me? Example: roof, wiring, foundation, siding, heating, cooling, water heater, air conditioner, insulation, miscellaneous

    • ANSWER:
      It 100% depends on the home. It would have to be updated for anyone to be living in it so it truly depends on the updates. Hire an independent home inspector to check it out. Your realtor can recommend one or search online. A good one will charge 300 bucks or more however they will be there for a while and thouroughly investigate the entire house. You can walk through with them and they will explain and show you what needs to be done or what is just recommended.

21. QUESTION:
    Can/how you repair expansion gaps in the seam of a manufactured home?
    We are thinking about buying a manufactured home set on a foundation. When looking at the house for the first time the owner showed us these gaps (max 1/4in) in the interior walls and ceilings of the home. He says they completely seal up in the summer time and are unnoticeable. Do I need to be worried about this when buying the home, and is there some sort of permanant fix?

    • ANSWER:
      Not that I like manufacture homes myself but the owner is correct expansion is required for these homes and should not be wider than 1/4″ for natrual expansion and contraction Concrete, wood, cmu block all these houses or buildings have expansion controll. I do inspection for commercial buildings and if there not in its a problem. This allows for the material to breath. If you look in your lowes or home depot or any expose block building you will see a cap between wall expansion for this very reason. Concrete floor will be section out or saw cut for natrual expansion and contraction to prevent any structural damge. And the reason you dont see this in other homes is they are built onsite and are concealed at that point buy siding etc.

22. QUESTION:
    Should I buy a home that needs these repairs or not? what do I do?
    we found a home we like,in escrow, should close n fund soon, but we have not yet signed last final docs. 2003, beautiful landscaped front and back yard. back yard, is big with, very nice patio n slab, nice sprinkler system. house is 2230 sq ft, 4 bed, 3 bath, with loft and office. needs new carpet, paint, throughout. house needs a lot of cleaning as far as scrubbing bathrooms, windows and floors, garage has lots of mice droppings and kitchen n house has some. the inspection was yesterday and there are some things…..leak in attic at spare bathroom, small leak at near water heater vent on top of house, deck in master bed unsafe railing and floor is lil loose, rest were minor such as loose bolts, rusted frame in shower, loose toilets, dryer vent clogged, pipe vent in attic for condensation needs to be cleaned/blow out…they had a spa but it has leaks, and it kept kicking on n off, inspector said we needed to have a someone come look n give us an estimate to see if it can be repairable, may be too much to bother with. oh and noticed lots of big spiders in house that were caught on sticky pads we left out a month ago, and a saw a huge live one in the house, spiders are big and scare me too. but i guess terminex or someone like that can take care of that?
    my feelings are, we love the area/city….it is on a very nice cul de sac, sits near the end of one, school is walking distance for spring n summer ( 1 mi). we would walk our kids/i would drive other wise, house is not open when you come in, like it lacks a family room, formal living lacks dining room. there is just a small living area with electric fire place that is open to kitchen, open to the sliding door that leads to the back yard. so you can see kids playing in yard from kit and living room (good). master bedroom small, but bath area big, one of my child’s room is small, plus their bath is super small. we have been looking for months, and cannot find a yard that big with privacy, there are nicer homes that are open and have move in ready feel, but neighbors house are close together and most lots are very small front n back. in the house we are looking at, we have to put in carpet + paint+ fix repairs here. hubby is very picky on yard tho, likes large yards n privacy. we would have to finance the carpet and repairs.

    OR we buy a brand new home that are not yet built will be built this spring, we are renters, so no pressure on moving with in a time frame….prices are at top of our budget, a lil smaller, will lack loft and office,school is on other side of freeway, no park near by to walk to, larger living room but No formal, or formal dining,larger kitchen and eating area, may be able to choose lot, lots nice new features such as…..

    All these premium features come standard in The New House at no extra cost.
    In the kitchen

    • Granite counter-tops
    • Euro-style cabinetry with knobs
    • Whirlpool stainless steel appliances
    – Energy Star dishwasher
    – 30” 5-burner gas range
    – Microwave with built In ventilation
    • 20 gauge stainless steel sinks
    In the bathrooms

    • Integrated sink with cultured marble tops
    • Vanities with built In drawers
    • Tri-view style medicine cabinets
    • Dual flush toilets
    • Separate tub and shower
    Mechanical technology

    • Tankless hot water system
    • Non-corrosive PEX plumbing
    • Optimized heating and air conditioning
    • Home Run electrical harnesses
    • CAT5 and RG6 cable throughout
    Premium trim work

    • Dual pane low-e vinyl windows
    • Paneled window boxes with casings
    • Extra tall 3 1/4” baseboard trim
    • Raised panel interior doors
    Structural enhancements

    • 2″ x 6″ exterior walls with R-21 insulation
    • Structural sheathing around the entire house
    • Reflective radiant barrier attic sheathing
    • 11” R-30 attic insulation
    • Laser-leveled foundations
    Outside the house

    • Electric garage door opener with remote
    • Vinyl maintenance-free fencing
    • Lanscaped front yard with xeriscape watering
    none of these repairs were disclosed and it is a short sale, bank will not pay for repair, due to they have lost over 100k from sellers not keeping up on it.
    kids tub is small not bathroom, they have double sink as well.
    there is room to “add on” to 2003 home in living room, in future.. out side on side is large to put a extra 20×20.

    • ANSWER:
      You better off buying a new one or something that does not need this much…! Anyway my advise to you as former Rochester, NY investor banks won’t give you any financing on this property. The only way you can buy it is with your own cash money and this involve lots of risk. Good luck…!

23. QUESTION:
    What Can I Do if a Foundation Repair Company Defaults on Their Warranty Promise?
    What Can I Do if a Foundation Repair Company Defaults on Their Warranty Promise?
    I bought a home with a newly repaired foundation (work done in 2008) and the house has been showing major cracking. We called the company that did the work in to check it out and they admitted that it IS foundation trouble but said its the fault of our gutters and that they are draining water wrong, which voids the warranty.

    The only trouble is, they couldn’t produce anything that stated these limitations to the “lifetime warranty” and then just showed up at my house with a paper they “found” that DOES say the warranty is void if proper gutters are not installed – something they didn’t have until we threatened to pursue legal action.

    They are a small company run by two brothers and one of their wives and they seem very slimy even though they have been in business for 16 years. It is hard to talk to them because only the woman speaks fluent English and she is very hostile. (I didn’t choose this company – the previous owner did)

    So – what can I do? I was told you can file a claim with a company’s insurance because they are required to carry it but I don’t think they will honor a request to do so or disclose who their carrier is.

    • ANSWER:
      sue ’em.

      and stop doing business with small, fly-by-night family outfits that can’t back up their claims.

24. QUESTION:
    Warranty if foundation repair company goes out of business?
    I am selling my home. It had foundation work done by previous owners. Structural engineer says everything is fine right now. I have an old warranty, but just found out the company went out of business. How do I find out if the warranty was bought by another company?? Their phone number does not work. Any central place I can go to find out the info. The company was Golden Foundation Repair in Houston.
    essentially I want to leave the warranty for the new owners

    • ANSWER:
      If you know what company manufactured the product that they installed you can speak with them about the warranty. Quality manufacturers like Earth Contact Products keep a file of warranties for a situation such as this. You can also contact the engineer that presided over this job to see if he has any information.

      Situations like this stress the importance of using quality products and quality experts to oversee and install the products.

25. QUESTION:
    Are there any home repair/improvment grants in Kentucky.?
    We are a family of five and bought a home we were told by the seller that it only needed “cosmetic” work. We had it inspected before we bought it but turns out the foundation is bad and the whole house is not shifting because of it. We can’t afford loans and were wondering if there are grants or assistance services avaliable in Kentucky.

    • ANSWER:
      That home inspector should have caught the foundation problems. You may have legal grounds for a lawsuit there. Check with a lawyer.

      As to local grants, you may want to check with your Community Action Agency. They administer most of the Community Service Block Grants across the US. If there is a grant for what you need in your area, they will know about it.

      Good Luck

26. QUESTION:
    Can I buy Foundation insurance?
    I am buying a house with foundation issues. It is a slab foundation in Texas. I am having the foundation repaired with a lifetime transferable warranty. I am having a structural engineers report compiled as well.

    I am concerned about future settling and wonder if I can get specific insurance to address the foundation. I am worried about other issues in other areas that won’t be covered by the warranty

    I carry my auto and home owners with Allstate and have been happy with them, but they do not offer this type of coverage.

    Thanks for your assistance

    • ANSWER:
      You’re not going to find it on a standard homeowners policy in TX. TX is well known for settling issues, and, settling and foundation issues are what’s called an “inherent vice” – it’s just something that you can expect to happen, ANYWHERE.

      If you went to a specialty market, you’d probably pay 20% or 25% of the value of your home in premium, IF you could find someone willing to take it on. In other words, it’s not going to be affordable for you to pay for someone else to maintain your foundation.

      That warranty you have, is only as good as the company backing it up – the second they close doors, the warranty is over.

27. QUESTION:
    how much does it cost to fix the foundation on a house?
    i am looking in to buying a home for 42,000. it is a nice size and has a good amount of yard. however, when i saw it on the inside, i noticed there was some cracks on the cement floor and on some of the walls.i’ve never owned a home and have no clue about the repair costs. im quite sure the foundation is the problem. sounds like hard work and expensive……

    • ANSWER:
      You should get a foundation repair company out there before you make any kind of offer on the house. If the foundation is a slab, they have to jack the house up all along the sides and pour concrete beams or some other type of support. The cost is related to how many supports they have to install. But a badly cracked house can have broken pipes inside the walls and other structural damage from the foundation problems.

      In this housing market, with many homes available for good prices, if I were you I’d keep looking for one in good condition. Foundation problems are usually the problem you can see and any owner who has allowed their home to sag has allowed many other things to deteriorate which you can’t see.

      I say, walk away and keep looking.

28. QUESTION:
    Buying a mobile home vs. Buying a older house?
    Below 70,000 dollars most homes are fixer upers. Banks need to cover themselves so its understandable that buying a older house isn’t a great choice for them to lend on. So I’m asking are double wide trailers more cost effective per year than older houses that are in need of repair. Lots of homes in Tennessee are worn out, that means the house will not appraise, so I’m thinking of maybe buying a mobile home and some land to put it on a real foundation. Please send me some links to respectable mobile home websites. I also have the choice of buying a double wide that has some age to it at what point regardless of condition should I draw the line of buying a used mobile home. My price range is about 65,000.

    • ANSWER:
      The mobile home idea sounds reasonable to me. A quick way to get some square footage while at the same time it does not have to be as run down as many older homes. Remember though that mobile homes will depreciate faster. In my area, I sometimes see mobiles on their own land selling for more than the land and home would cost separately. If that is the case in your area then you probably are pretty safe in doing this sort of thing. I can’t say where to draw the line when buying a used mobile home. I would compare the cost of a move in ready mobile versus a fixer. Add the costs of what it would take to make the fixer right and if it is less and you want to hassle with it then go for it. The only caveat might be that many lenders will shy away from homes that are older than a certain age so check that out before you even think about buying. Even if you do not need the loan, a future buyer will and if the home you have will not qualify, you will not be able to sell it very easily. The reason a mobile home can be better is that it does not require alot of cash and in a downward market you have less to lose. Sure if you can afford 100 to 150k then by all means go for a house. A mobile is better than renting, you will build up some equity and they can be an excellent transition especially in a downward market. Of course there are mnay that thinnk they are above a mobile home. I wonder how many of them though have houses that are underwater?

29. QUESTION:
    What is the cost to repair/replace a house foundation (concrete slab) in the bay area (Saratoga, CA)?
    I put an offer on a bank owned foreclosure at 1K it was listed on the MLS for 0K (on zillow its worth 1.5 million). However I noticed the house (built in 1950 with concrete slab foundation, wood and stucco exterior, ranch style 1600 sq ft home on a 13000 sq lot) has many problems but I’m mostly concerned with the foundation of the house. If I buy this home I won’t have much money left. And I want to know how much it would cost me to fix or replace it. I noticed the floors slope and bulge in certain areas. Any suggestions about who is really knowledgable and honest I should hire to inspect and/or fix the foundation? Because I have no idea how bad the foundation is. The house seems to be in living condition but I don’t want to take any unneccessary risks. Plus because it is a foreclosure I don’t have any idea what else is wrong with the property. Do you think if there is anything wrong with the house the bank would give me credits or negotiate a lower price? Thank you.

    • ANSWER:
      I have represented buyers that have had issues with foundations and in every situation a Structural Engineer was hired for a specific inspection. A regular home inspector is often not qualified to make such an assessment.

      Foundation problems vary greatly. But a slab that slopes and bulges puts up some major red flags to what is going on beneath the slab. A slab is nothing but a piece of concrete and concrete doesn’t “give” much. You could be looking at a repair cost of a few hundred dollars or something like ,000. Regardless of the engineers findings, keep the report for the sake of future buyers of the property!

30. QUESTION:
    Buying a home? From family?
    My wifes mother wants to sell her house to us. The house is small and in need of major repairs. When I say major I mean literally ripping a lot of rooms down and re doing it. She lived alone and and everything is outdated and just old. The windows do not stay up on the one side of the house and there are some other issues leading towards a bad foundation.

    The house was bought it 88 for 70k- it’s a double lot but it’s mostly land in that second lot.
    I feel like its a great opportunity to buy this a fix it up.
    What’s the best way Togo about this? I do not want to be hit with gift taxes

    Regardless if her
    Mother sells it to her or not it goes to her when she passes .

    Thanks

    • ANSWER:
      If you are purchasing it you will not be hit with gift taxes since she is the one making the gift. You may be required to pay income tax on the gift though, especially if the gift is considerable in amount. Many people get into trouble that way because they fail to report the gift as income.

      If your mother-in-law is aging and ill and intends to will your wife the house anyway than you will be hit with inheritance taxes that are far greater than gift taxes, so it is best to have your mother-in-law put your wife on the property deed now and you will avoid all that (provided she doesn’t die in the next year or two.) You may also be hit with capital gains taxes depending on the time between placing your wife on the deed and her mothers death – it’s dirty pool and questionable since in reality it is inherited, but we went through this with the IRS on my wife’s grandmother who left a house to her since the IRS is stepping up their offices and make claims that may or may not have merit simply because 95% of all people are too frightened to fight them and generally settle – we did fight them and won, but we are only in the 5%.

      If your mother-in-law is seeking to sell the house because she needs the money than it’s not kind to wait her out instead, but that’s a matter of personal ethics.

      It doesn’t matter what she purchased the home for in 1988, but what the present market value of the home is today. You can get this information through a real estate agent or a rough idea of comps in the neighborhood (which is how realtors do it) by logging onto real estate sites that show you the value of a property today or homes for sale in your area to compare. Remember that these sites don’t take into consideration property condition so you have to be realistic about that and may want to have it appraised. I don’t know if it’s the same everywhere, but in my State a realtor will come through the house and offer an estimate on price/valuation without having to be hired or contracted to sell it, so it may be worth the call if you’re unable to determine all that yourself. (I follow my local market so I’m able to stay on point without a professional, but that’s always an option for someone who doesn’t.)

31. QUESTION:
    newly bought home with MAJOR water damage,want to know where we stand! legally?
    just bought a house in feb moved in two weeks ago noticed water coming in on the foundation we have had inspectors look they said tile needed to be repaired around house. There was no disclouser of water leakage. First home inspection nothing was said previous owner only lived there one year. who is responsible and do i have any legal recourese since i have only lived here a month? Please help i need to take action fast…..

    • ANSWER:
      Ask your inspector for a refund. It’s your baby now.

      I don’t intend to sound mean but that is how it is in most states.

32. QUESTION:
    I just bought a 1928 tudor style home & plaster walls are in really bad shape. Any suggestions on repair?
    Sheetrock? I know it is a big job and a messy one. It was expected with as is home but we are really stuck on whether to demo to studs and replace with sheetrock or try to save some plaster. We have plenty of help. The question is what to do after the foundation gets repaired… Help. Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      plaster walls suck i would tear down to the studs and put up sheetrock

33. QUESTION:
    How is a house foundation supposed to age? Can a bad foundation be repaired?
    I am in the process of buying a home that was build in 1895. The entire house has been completely remodeled and there is not a single thing that has to be worked on EXCEPT for what looks to be a damaged foundation. I expected to have to put some money into any home that I would end up buying, regardless of whether or not it was in the basement or somewhere else. Today was a very rainy day, and I decided to go and check the house out before speaking to my realtor attorney for revising the contract. I noticed the brick foundation had damage, which was damp when I rubbed my hand over it. Some sides were worse than others on different sections of the basement, but most of the foundation had some damage. Now the house is over 100 years old, and I don’t know what is considered normal wear and tear on a foundation with time. The foundation was also covered with concrete on the surfash which also seemed to be deteriorating. Is this normal, and can it be fixed? What is the extent of lets say, “worst case scenario” foundation repair? I have not examined inside the actual foundation yet because it has yet to be inspected, so I really have no clue how much damage is actually there, or how long it has been like this. Any tips or suggestions? I really love this home and it’s a shame that the foundation looks so sketchy.

    • ANSWER:
      As part of the inspection process ask to have some inspect the foundation. They will dig by hand a few spots and be able to determine what, if anything, needs to be done to the foundation to ensure the structural integrity of the home.

      There are companies which specialize in foundation repair, and they can fix most problems without having to destroy the yard around the home, and definitely not have to disturb the entire home.

      They may dig a narrow trench around the home to waterproof foundation and repair anything necessary.

      Before you buy, hire one or two of these engineering companies to give you estimates on what it may take to ensure your home will last.

      Hope this helps’

      Alan

34. QUESTION:
    buy & repair bargain mobile home or buy real house?
    Would it be best , in the long term , speaking in terms of repair time, effort and money, to just buy a real honest to goodness stick built/block house? I have the option. I have money. I am just interested in this 1984 older (livable) mobile home acres. I love the country setting. Now, Should I expect this mobile home to be livable until 2014 or 2024? And then, …What concerns me, is that I believe, I think, that I should be prepared to buy a new (or newer pre owned) mobile home at that time. (it would be 30-40- yrs old!) So, I need to pay $ to get a bulldozer to level the land, put a new foundation up, someone to do elec wiring, pipe/water/well/septic hook up,, and what becomes of the old mobile home? I need $ to transport the new one to the new location and $ to get the other one removed. It might be a hassle and a headache. Should I Just buy the ,000 house? or is the bargain priced mobile home going to still be a bargain when it is old and needing to be replaced in 2014 or 2024? please, someone, please give me some interesting advice. Do you have knowledge or links to back up your opinion? it would be helpful!! Thanks so much. I hope my question is clear enough.
    My children will be 40 when I am 70 or 80, they will not need to benefit from the sale of my house or moblie home. It is my choice. It does not concern them. At 40, I would hope that they have their own home or busy at college. The mobile home is actually in a desirable location, believe it or not. It might sell for a good price later! : )
    It is next to State land! : )
    The “neighborhood” should not deteriorate! : )
    shhh! Don’t tell anyone!
    It’s my secret lucky find!
    I did not know thast people could repair mobile homes! I thought I was going to have to buy a new (or newer pre owned) mobile home to drag onto the acres! Interesting ideas! Thank you so much! awesome!

    • ANSWER:
      My first thought as to the value side (or projected value) of this situation is this: the location of the house you are speaking of, if your looking that far ahead(5-15yrs.) . could actually lose and become a disappointment for you only because I have seen neighborhoods deteriorate at a rapid rate.My personal choice would be the mobile because of the acreage.I have done home repair and remodeling for about 15 years. I have had my hands in everything from the slab/foundation to the roof. There is a boatload of info out there concerning these matters, you can do just about any repairs and improvements you need/desire.If you have a common knowledge of tools and materials, if you have any questions regarding repairs,etc. feel free to contact me through “answers”, I am happy to assist you anyway I can. Good fortune to you.

35. QUESTION:
    brick foundation repairs?
    Hi, i want to buy a house that was built in 1920 it has a hole in the foundation that is 4 ft x 2 ft.I have not seen the house in person just pics and not very good ones.The owner has no idea how long the hole has been there he lives out of the state so it could be as many as 5 yrs as there is water damage in basement.Is there a way to fix an old crumbling foundation of brick by yourself.What would be the cheapest or easiest way to do this.Please i really want this home as we live on disability and its this place or the back of our pickup unless you have a house in Iowa you want to sell for 500 down and 400 or less a month.Thank all of you who answer my ?

    • ANSWER:
      Well it’s better then a pickup truck… so beggers cant be choosers…. if you cant afford better your cant afford repairs….. 400 or less a month! Foundation problems are something you dont want to buy a house with out seeing in person…. And if your getting a HUD loan or other gov’t loan they require inspections A cousin of mine is having problems buying a house cause of the high restrictions with the way the market is. You cant rent a place in Iowa for under 400 a month?

      But for your question
      You’d have to get a hydraulic jack to jack the house up, make it level put some cylinder blocks and shims in place of the old supports and rebuild the brick. Might need more then 1 jack depending on the size of the house.. and they are not cheap to rent.

      Anyway, i really recommend you see the house in person make sure there isn’t cracks going all the way down the house…It might not even be a weight supporting wall in which case you just get new bricks.

36. QUESTION:
    Do I need title company, escrow officer and more to buy a almost shell home?
    Im far from buying a move in condition home , so I decided to buy a home that needs repairs my bf know about construction, but we are 0 when it comes what to do and know to get a homes that is listed AS IS condition, the asking price is 23.000 it needs 10-15 ti live in, foundation was ok floors ok , electricity and more others things needs to be replace, im ok with this. Now I found this almost shell through a wholesale investor, but its also listed with a real state agent, I don’t know if I should try to contact the agent or stay with his investor,Do I need or can I get my own title company? do I really need it? how to know how clear this home title is? the guys that is selling this says He will take care of everything, but I just want to be 100% sure I wont made a mistake , since will be cash and as is condition. any info that I should know, I know Im not talking about a mansion, but this is all my savings.
    will the agent who is selling this will represent me, or I need to get a buyer agent on my own? can a title company handle everything?.

    • ANSWER:
      When you buy a property you want to be sure you have the right to resell it some day and get your money. A title insurance policy protects that right. It will make sure that you own the house without any liens or “clouds” on the title and you do not have to defend that clear title because it will be the title company that defends it.

      I would not pour my entire life savings into something without that assurance.

      You should also find a separate agent to represent you in this transaction. They will share in the commission that the seller is already legally obligated to pay so it is no extra expense and you get representation.

      If you are confident in the condition of the house and know you will not have any surprises that will change your mind about things at all then I would not get an inspection- but I did get one in a very similar situation. The outcome of the inspection did not change the contract at all but it did change my plans on what stuff needed to be done first.

      I would also get some sort of homeowners insurnace. That will cover you if anyone gets hurt on your property and sues you. It will also cover you later if the property is damaged by fire or whatever.

37. QUESTION:
    When buying a home, is it possible to recover costs incurred if you never close?
    My wife and I are trying to buy a house, not “as is.” Over the past few weeks we have spent the following:
    Home inspection: 0
    Septic inspection: 5
    Appraisal: 5
    Termite Inspection:
    Total: ,210

    Due to some major problems found by the inspectors, we decided to give a repair list to the sellers. There was major foundation and plumbing problems, along with illegal drain pipes, etc. The seller would not negotiate with us and we decided to back out of the deal a week before closing.

    I had to beg my apartment complex for another month, and they are now making me rent for 2 more months with a “short-term” notice fee on top of my rent.

    Is there anyway we can recover any of these costs?

    • ANSWER:
      Those expenses are yours, and you are not entitled to any refund from the sellers because the inspections turned up information with which you didn’t agree. Frankly, you should have been observing each report as it came in, starting with the home inspection. As soon as you discovered issues with which you could not live, the other inspections (as well as the appraisal) should have been cancelled.

38. QUESTION:
    Should We Buy Older Home?
    My wife and I are thinking about buying a 44-year-old home. The home appears to have been well taken care of but due to the nature of the soil in Mississippi, the house has had foundation repair by a stellar local company with a lifetime transferrable warranty. Today when I went to tour the home, I was informed that some termites had been found, exterminated, and the damaged was being repaired as I was there. The seller is throwing in some nice extras with the home such a solar panels and a surveillance system. Should these past problems throw up a red flag?

    • ANSWER:
      IF you like the home, and the price is right, put a bid in. Make your bid contingent on a home inspection and if no major problems show up on inspection you should be fine.I think in most cases that older homes that have been well maintained are better constructed than newer homes.

      Make sure that the termite company bonds their work and contract with them to maintain treatment after you buy the home.

39. QUESTION:
    Looking to buy a house but it needs the foundation to be excavated?? is this as bad as it sounds?
    I am looking into buying a home but they want a escrow 203k to have some things repaired. this is my first house and looking for advice on how serious these problems are and if I should stick it out or run lol 1. Excavate the foundation; reseal to prevent further water intrusion. ( I was in the basement and I didn’t notice any water or a moldy smell). 2. Repair/cracked garage foundation 3. Repair the sinking driveway slab. 4. repair the drain valve and then 5. defective paint. If anyone can can help me out, I would appreciate it. Ty = )

    • ANSWER:
      Run.
      In terms of a building and its foundations, human beings can only guess what the problem is. Often they get it wrong, sometimes big time, and repairs can cause more problems than they cure

40. QUESTION:
    My house’s foundation is sinking in Downey,CA. Can our Earthquake policy cover it?
    We bought a home in downey ca in 2000’s not knowing that the houses around were built on a landfil years back. In 1992 a nearby house sank and the then property owner fought with the city of Downey to have them repair the foundation. Downey only paid half of the repair cost. This community was built in the 70’s. We were wondering if our Earthquake policy would cover it or if the city of Downey is liable for not having built to code? These is a very costly ordeal as anyone can imagine

    • ANSWER:
      The CITY didn’t build not up to code, the BUILDER is the one who built not up to code. You can sue them for the code violations.

      Earthquake coverage doesn’t cover earth shifting, moving, or settling.

41. QUESTION:
    what is the % of a home that had the foundation stabilized of ever recurring again?
    My husband and I are in the market for our first home, and we have found a gorgeous home with new flooring, new paint, new fence, new appliances, etc, etc. This is more home than we could normally get for this price, and we love the house and the yard VERY much.

    The catch – of course – is a sinkhole. The reason this property is about 25k less than it would normally be is that there was a small amount of sinkhole damage. I don’t know a lot of details, but what I was told by my realtor is that the current owners (one of those “we buy sinkhole homes!” types of outfits,) is that they are going to dig down til they find stable ground, and then pour it full of concrete. I have read here on the board and in a few other places that this is fairly standard. I was also told that there wasn’t much structural damage to the house, but what little there was is also being repaired.

    Is this a good deal? Should we take it? Is the hole going to open again? I realize no one can tell me this for certain – and I disclaim that I am not holding anyone to anything said here. I am just looking for advice.

    Thanks so much,

    • ANSWER:
      WAY too little information.
      In general, sinkholes get bigger, not smaller.
      You’d have to know a lot of local geology and the local ground water flow conditions to be able to determine whether the remediation would retard the growth of that sinkhole for the expected life of the house.
      What kind of guarantee do they offer?
      Don’t sign without a good one from a source that’s
      likely to still be there when it’s needed..

42. QUESTION:
    Looking to buy a house for the first time and it needs the foundation excavated, is this as bad as it sounds?
    I am looking into buying a home but they want a escrow 203k to have some things repaired. this is my first house and looking for advice on how serious these problems are and if I should stick it out or run lol 1. Excavate the foundation; reseal to prevent further water intrusion. ( I was in the basement and I didn’t notice any water or a moldy smell). 2. Repair/cracked garage foundation 3. Repair the sinking driveway slab. 4. repair the drain valve and then 5. defective paint. If anyone can can help me out, I would appreciate it. Ty = )

    • ANSWER:
      Excavating the foundation is not a disaster if the reason is to reseal it. If the reason is to shore up structural damage or inadequate construction, that’s a bigger deal, but still not necessarily a deal killer. The key issue is the price of the house. If the price is the same as it would be if it were in perfect condition, and the seller will be paying for all costs, and they want you to be in escrow first so that they can be sure they have a buyer before spending the money on repairs, then there is nothing wrong with deciding to enter the escrow. Make sure you do a careful job of supervising the work to make sure it is done right.

      On the other hand, if the price of the house is the same as it would be if it were in perfect condition and the seller wants you to pay for the repairs, you should decline.

      On the third hand, if the price has been discounted to account for the defects and you are expected to pay for the repairs, then there is a possibility that you can get a great deal out of this. Do the arithmetic: Find out the price of similar houses in the neighborhood. Find out the cost of the repairs, without relying on the seller to tell you. If the price you will be paying is the standard neighborhood price minus the anticipated cost of repair, you might want to consider the idea of offering a price which is even lower, so that you have a deal that is more advantageous than coming out even. A seller of a house in this condition is in a disadvantageous position in negotiations. Press for a discount so that you are ahead even after paying for the repairs, and you might end up with a great deal.

      Make sure you have a home inspection done to find all other defects.

      Mayan

43. QUESTION:
    How to sell our mobile home, but keep the land it is on? who would be the first person to contact?
    We want to move into the city but keep our land. We want to sell the mobile home in order to free up the debt to buy the new home. We did not want to rent it because the tenents might not want feel comfortable with us coming to the land to tend to the animals and using the workshop. so selling the home was our best option. It is on a permanent foundation. However, it is cracked and a new owner would have to have it repaired before they could get bank financing anyway if they left it here.

    • ANSWER:
      There are a couple of items that need to be cleared up here. Has the title to the mobile home been purged? What this means is that the mobile is no longer personal property, it’s not considered real property. If that’s the case, you can’t really sell it without the land due to the fact that it’s no longer considered a motor vehicle.

      Let’s assume that the mobile home has not had it’s title purged. Is the loan attached only to the mobile or to both the mobile and the land? If it’s attached to just the mobile, then yes, you can sell the mobile alone and let someone take it with them. If it’s attached to the mobile and the land, you need to talk to the lender and see what remedies you have. In this case, the loan is probably more than the mobile alone is worth, so you’d have to come up with cash to pay off the loan (and therefore to get the title to the mobile) if you sold it.

      You state that the mobile home is on a permanent foundation that is cracked. If you sold just the mobile home, the buyers will not have to repair the foundation, as it wouldn’t be left in place. But, if it’s on a permanent foundation, probably you would need a crane to remove the home from the foundation. Are the wheels still attached? Who’s going to pay for the crane and the wheel assembly? The buyer? You?

      It sounds like you just need to either sell the whole thing and buy some other land to keep or just keep the whole thing. I do think you’re right about the foundation cracking being a difficult item to overcome, so you’re probably going to have to keep the whole thing.

      Best of luck to you!

44. QUESTION:
    Repair then market home? Or hope buyer will accept price reduction?
    I am about to put my home on the market. I love it but it is not baby-friendly and I have a 10-month old son.

    Built in 1928 beautiful hardwood floors etc….
    When I bought it the home inspector gave me a catalog of issues, but none of them overwhelming. The house appreciated rapidly and I put on new and upgrade roof, upgraded windows. Basically gradually modernizing the house.

    So now I want to sell before finished upgrading/repairing. The house has plaster walls and knob type electrical systems. Seem to work fine though. Gravity furnace looks like its 100 years old, but works like a dream.

    But at time of purchase inspector told me one wall of the foundation (interior wall) — could use some shoring up — but not urgent. I had estimates of approx. K for just this wall, or K for the whole house. So I planned to just do the whole thing even though not necessary just yet,

    I have not done this repair yet. Now that I want to sell, I wonder if I should get this done now? Or wait for potential buyer and just knock the price down K.

    Now that my equity is slim, I do not have K in cash or credit available. I would probably need to get installment payments (probably do not exist) or take the money from my IRA and eat the 10% penalty.

    Houses similar to mine are selling anywhere from 5K-0K. I need 0K to get out breakeven. House was worth 0K when I bought it in 2003 it shot up to 0K before market crash.

    I planned to try to sell at 9K – allowing to me to drop it K if necessary.

    Is this a bad strategy, should I just bite the bullet, repair foundation and know that house with new foundation will attract more buyers?

    I am so confused! Foundation last looked at 2005, and no new issues at that time, but someday it will need to be replaced (concrete had large stones in it in 1928, and eventually will need work).

    • ANSWER:
      Try and narrow down your estimate . 5 – 0k is 5k . You should be able to do a market analysis within k.

      If your market analysis comes close to your 9k (uptodate – no work) get a written cost of the work to be done (22k) and list your home for 7k showing your buyer you have discounted for the work to be done. Include the estimate and market analysis in your listing material.. You can say you discounted the work since you can not afford to get it done.

45. QUESTION:
    Replace or repair brick foundation?
    Looking to buy a home. Needs a lot of work including a repair or replacement of brick foundation in the center of an 8 foot wall. This foundation is part of a home addition. A tree (about 5 inch diameter) is now growing right against the house. This is causing the brick foundation to bow in about 3-4 inches inward in about a 3′ area on the wall. I have the manpower and tools available to separate the addition and lift it if needed. The house is getting gutted anyway. House has partial dirt basement the size of the addition. I do not possess the know-how to repair or replace foundation. The other foundation walls are excellent so if possible I would only like to repair or replace that one wall. Is it possible to repair a brick foundation to save money or is it going to cost me 10k in replacement block foundation for the entire addition?
    Peter W….Yes to all. sounds promising then….fingers crossed.

    • ANSWER:
      OK – a few questions:

      The foundation wall is neither settling nor shows any sign of damage other than from the tree roots, correct?

      There are no sags or tilts within the addition that are attributable to foundation settlement past or ongoing, correct?

      You have no intention of adding additional load to the repaired foundation after you are done – other than conventional household loads and conventional household furniture – no water beds, concert grand pianos, 1,000 gallon aquariums, hot-tubs and so forth?

      If all of the above are true and correct, it is likely that the footings are intact. If the footings are intact, you are perfectly able to replace the damaged section of the foundation (after suitably supporting the addition) using conventional mean-and-methods and similar materials.

      If not, or if you have any doubts, call in a structural engineer familiar with your area and the soils and structures around you. For a relatively small fee you can have peace-of-mind.

46. QUESTION:
    Can a person with great credit/job still get a Loan on a 100 YO home with structural issues?
    I asked my personal bank this question and they said no way for a property this rural and old.They did say they could get me into a newer house with no problem. Every real estate agent I speak with says that they dont see anyone having trouble getting loans.The real estate agent told me that I should be able to get one on this home too.What is your opinion on the matter? In this market is anyone giving loans for fixer uppers like this?

    The home in question needs about K worth of foundation repairs and is structurally sound otherwise. The buyer is a first time home owner and has excellent job history/credit history.

    Am I just wasting my time to try to buy an older fixer upper home in this market?

    • ANSWER:
      The structural issue would be more of a problem than the age.

      Your personal bank may not want to make loans out of their area but a lot of mortgage companies work much larger geographic areas than banks do.

      The loan may require some work be done before closing.

      I think it is the “fixer upper” homes that will provide the very best deals in this market.

47. QUESTION:
    Foundation Sinking! potential home…?
    Looking at a home. Inspection done 2 weeks ago shows north east corner of the home is 7″ higher than the southwest corner. No cracks in outer foundation or in drywall. Inspection done in 2006 also shows 7″ so the house has not moved in the last 6 years.

    I’m estimated to fix this that it’ll run me k plus new floors inside the whole house. Also that since it hasn’t moved it’s not something I have to do any time soon.

    How will this effect the resale value of my home if I don’t fix it?
    What are my risks if not repairing it soon?
    Is k underestimating?

    I have not bought this house and have not had my own estimates done on repair. Just looking for a little advice from someone who knows more than I do.

    Thank you

    • ANSWER:
      Don’t make the buy. It doesn’t matter when it last settled. It’s still 7 inches. Yes, 15K is low……but I suspect you already know. Run from this one. If it’s in a really desirable location offer a ridiculously low price. If they accept then you will know that you just screwed up.

48. QUESTION:
    PLEASE HELP!! Need to save my home….?
    Im a single homeowner who is in the midst of loosing my home. I was laid off and out of work for all of last year and fell behind on my mortgage payments. I tried doing a short sale with the bank and that has kept me out of foreclosure. However the house has been on the market for over a year and is not selling. There is some foundation work the home needs and that’s keeping people from buying. Im currently back to work and am considering doing a loan modification. If I try to save the home is it possible to get a grant or financial aid in getting the funds to repair the foundation? The est I received was about 8k.

    So Is there a way to get help with repairs on the house?

    And is it wise to back out the short sale and try to do a loan modification?

    • ANSWER:
      No one is forking money over to property owners to increase the profitability of their choice of investment.

      If you only need 8k you can get that with a personal loan. If you have been a flake and no one will lend you money you can sell one of your cars, your boat, or some other toy.

49. QUESTION:
    ohio home repair loan question…?
    We bought a 1400sqft 2 story house on 2.5 acres just walking distance from the largest man made lakes in Ohio. It was a repo. We only paid ,000 for the house and only financed ,500. We used a conventional loan due to seller restrictions. We should have used a FHA 203K. the house needs a lot more repairs than we thought. we will run out of money before we finish the house. A realtor friend said that after repairs the house and property will be worth around 0,000. I just took the time to read the appraisal that the bank did when we purchased it. It says that the land is worth 18000 alone and that with the house 20,000. We have already did alot of work to the house removing flooring, digging foundation out and repairing, etc. I never knew people could live so nasty. Between the cat odor that was in the floors (prior to removing) and the chain smokers tar on the walls and ceiling, the place was nasty when they did the original appraisal. We could use another 10000 to make the house beautiful and smell free. I can’t rob a bank, so do any bankers have any ideas on how to finish the house?

    • ANSWER:
      Spend the 0 and have the entire place re=appraised by a professional appraiser. If the appraisal comes back for the ,000 or better, see your bank (BoA or local bank) about borrowing some against the equity…for example, if the appraisal comes back at ,000, and 80% loan to value would be ,000, meaning, if your mortgage balance is ,500, you should be able to borrow another ,000 (note that you will probably end up borrowing a bit less and maybe rolling closing into the second/HELOC). Obviously, make sure you can afford the payments on the second before jumping into it.

50. QUESTION:
    my home is 90 years old and was moved from it’s original foundation 35 yrs ago.?
    We think the house may be pulling apart. With heavy rains water comes into the basement. The previous repairs (before we bought this house) seem to be puffing out and we are seeing cracks in the concrete floor and within the mortar of the bricks in the basement. We hear all kinds of creaking noises and they seem to be getting louder and more frequent. Cracks are appearing in the walls all along the inside of the south-side of the home, and on the first floor ceiling. Would this be worth trying to repair? And if not what do we do?

    • ANSWER:
      It does sound like your foundation is moving, settling deeper into the ground in some areas, and less so in others. This causes the cracking that you are observing. Water in the basement can often come from not having the grade of the soil outside the house moving water away from the house and instead allowing it to run toward the house. If this happens, the water seeps down the exterior of the foundation and in severe cases can get under the footings and compromise the support of the foundation itself, allowing it to sink as we suspect might be happening to your house.

      The first thing to do is clear out the gutters and make sure they are working correctly, moving water well away from the house using downspouts and an extension to the pipe as it reaches the ground and aims the water away from the foundation. Use at least a 6 foot extension if the ground is level or sloping toward the house. Then raise the grade of the soil around the house and compact it down as best you can to provide a way for water that falls near the foundation to run off to your neighborhood storm sewer system or seep into the soil away from the house. If your house has land sloping toward it, form a swail to move the water flowing toward the house away from the foundation and dig a french drain to aid in the seeping of the surface water that collects, far enough away from the house to avoid it running back into the basement.

      Once you have all the water flow issues corrected, watch the house for additional movement. This is most easily done by patching the existing cracks with spackel in the finished areas, and concrete mix or caulk in the unfinished basement. If the cracks don’t reopen, or only reopen with hairline or very small gaps and seem to stay that way, you can watch it for a couple of years to get a sense of the effect of time and seasons.

      Once it’s done moving and seems to stay in place, you can make a more permanent fix if you feel the need, or just maintain the gutters and grade at the foundation to avoid a repeat.

      If the cracks don’t stop or keep getting wider, even after the water problem is solved, then you do need to consult a structural expert that can offer solutions of various levels of certainty and cost.

      Good luck!

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