Structured Foundation Repairs Texas

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   what is the best method to repair a pier and beam foundation on clay soil?
   House was built in 1924 in Central Texas. The cedar peirs were replaced in 1999. The house is just on stacked block right now. Too much movement this winter. All the bids I have received so far are for spread footings or pressed pilings.

   • ANSWER:
     Spread footings would be a good choice usually. You might consider doing some over excavation and re-compaction with engineered fill to prevent the problem in the future. The only problem with this is that it would be very costly on an existing structure.

2. QUESTION:
   How do I twister proof my home?
   I plan on moving out to Utah one day and having my own house built. Tornadoes scare me and after seeing pictures of damage they scare even more and I honestly don’t want my house to look like what the ones in the pictures do. Anyway tornadoes are rare in Utah but still, how do I build my house so that it’s hard for even a strong tornado to destroy?

   • ANSWER:
     I have seen and inspected a lot of tornado damaged homes and often the damage was largely preventable. I have seen homes valued at several hundred thousand that were totally destroyed by the lack of a few things that would have added no more than a hundred dollars to the cost of construction. So you are wise to think about this before the construction phase of your house.

     I also have a house under construction and am finding it difficult to have a few things done that I consider important for the survivability of the house in severe weather but the construction people are so use to cutting costs where ever they can that they do not want to do it.

     If you are very serious about damage, consider a mainly below surface house. In some, only the roof or a portion of the roof is all that is above ground. A house of this type can easily be made to withstand even an EF4 or EF5 tornado with only minor damage. Some of these designs are very pleasant and most are very economical to heat and cool. But the construction costs are high and not all construction companies are capable of building one. Location is key and are usually best on the higher portion of a hill side. Often drainage is a problem that isn’t considered until they get flooded out in a heavy rain event. The down side is that a lot of people don’t like living in what some refer to as a cave. Also, if problems develop with the structure, it is very expensive to repair. But, if done correctly they are a very durable.

     For above ground construction. Make sure that the all components of the foundation, walls, and roof components are all tied together. In coastal areas, this is often refered to as hurricane strapping. This offers an increased measure of sturdiness that keeps the roof on and the walls from falling down.

     I could go on and on, but there basicly, the houses that I often see destroyed by a tornado could have been built to withstand all but strongest tornados just by a few improved construction paractices that only involve a few thousand dollars of material and labor during the construction phase. Retrofitting a house after it is built is very expensive.

     Texas Tech has done a lot of research over the past 20 years or so on what damages structures. You might want to look at some of thier work at;

     http://www.wind.ttu.edu/index.php

     They offer some suggestions as well as some designs of in house “safe rooms” which offer protection in already completed homes.

3. QUESTION:
   What are some good resources on how to buy foreclosure properties? Has anyone done this?
   Foreclosure props – buying procedures and information
   Advice and suggestions
   Resources – best books, websites

   • ANSWER:
     Some of the best resources for forclosures are:
     www.faniemae.com, www.ocwen.com

     But the most effective source is your local REO Agent, this is a real estate agent that gets most if not all the properties that are going into foreclosure in their area.

     The best part about it is they know about the property before it even gets listed. If you can make friends with this agent you can be sure that you get what properties nobody even know about and gives you the advantage over other investors looking for these properties.

     Buying procedures; You have to find the property first then find out how much they are asking for it. Then do a market analysis on this property by contacting a realtor to give you comparables in this property area of atleast the 3 latest houses sold and 3 houses currently selling in the vicinity as well.

     After you do your market analysis and know what the price is and how much your going to sell for, this will determine if it is worth going to look at the property. If it’s worth looking at it then take a camera and a notebook pad to write everything down that you see needs repairing or replacing and I mean every little detail no matter how small. Make a detailed list.

     Make sure you look at the foundation very good and look for signs of water leaks or water coming into your basement. Look at the structure of the house, if you see that the roof is sagging you might have to replace the roof etc.

     Even though you might not determine if this might be a problem it will give you an idea if the property is worth even putting in an offer or will give you an idea of how much money it will take to rehab the house.

     Then take your notes and contact atleast three contractors to give you a free WRITTEN estimates on how much it will cost you to repair the house.

     After this you put all your numbers together and determine what you will offer and remember if you are selling the property after you repair it make sure that take into account your profits, carrying costs ( mortgage payments ), closing costs, title insurance, attorneys fees, advertising and always add an extra ,000 dollars for those unexpected things that show up.

     After you calculate all this and have an offer ready make sure you put in your additional contions or better yet in a seperate addendum that the contract is; ” Subject to final inspection by an inspector at Buyers sole discretion ” You want your own inspector and not the banks or the owner of the house. This will give you an out on the contract if the inspector finds that there is foundation or structural damage which are some of the most expensive repairs.

     Make sure you ask the agent listing the property if there are any sellers disclosures, like for example : Lead Based Paint, Asbestos Issues, Termite or Radon Gas. Ask the inspector when you go for inspection to educate you on this. Most inspectors would be glad to share their insights.

     Most if not all foreclosure properties owned by banks you need either proof of funds or a letter from your lender stating that you are pre-approved.

     You can checkout this site that gives you leads in your area for Wholesale, Foreclosures, Bankruptcies and Pre-Foreclosures. You can sign up for .00 and a month free of all of theses resources and also checkout the bonuses area, here he has pre-recordings and free ebooks so you can read too.

     The site is: www.hotbargainproperties.com, the owner of the site is Tim Mai and he is loceted in Texas but will help in your area as well.

     Also go to : www.reiclub.com and www.creonline.com and sign up for free. Here you will get to know investor clubs in your area and get a lot of free advice as well.

     I hope you find this useful and wish you well with all of your endeavours.

     Good Luck

4. QUESTION:
   **TX realtor or attorney** Want to sell home thats condemned what is the best way to sell?
   I have an old home in Texas that was built in the 1930’s. Its vacant and falling apart. It needs lots of major repairs like a complete new roof, lots of foundation repair, large holes in the brick wall, broken windows, major electrical system repair, and a general remodel. I don’t have the time or money to fix it up my self so I want to sell as-is. Can I legally sell even though code enforcement condemned the property. Also what kind of deals can I make when selling, like lease with option to purchase, sell as-is, owner finance, or rent for cheap to a handyman. And what would be the best deal to make in this situation. I’d appreciate your help with any ideas.

   • ANSWER:
     Based on the condition description it sounds like its not worth the investment to restore it to a livable dwelling.

     It might be worth more as an available lot if you have the structure demolished first. Check for ads in local publications for those “we buy ugly houses” and see what offer they make as is.

     Talk to a few local real estate offices to see what advice they may have.

5. QUESTION:
   **TX realtor or attorney** Want to sell home thats condemned what is the best way to sell?
   I have an old home in Texas that was built in the 1930’s. Its vacant and falling apart. It needs lots of major repairs like a complete new roof, lots of foundation repair, large holes in the brick wall, broken windows, major electrical system repair, and a general remodel. I don’t have the time or money to fix it up my self so I want to sell as-is. Can I legally sell even though code enforcement condemned the property. Also what kind of deals can I make when selling, like lease with option to purchase, sell as-is, owner finance, or rent for cheap to a handyman. And which would be the easiest and most money for me. I’d appreciate your help with any ideas.

   • ANSWER:
     You cannot legally sell a condemned home. You cannot legally rent a condemned home. If you try to do either, you could be held criminally responsible.

     If you sell the property, you have to either (1) remove the condemned property yourself or (2) ensure the paperwork shows that you are not selling a habitable structure and that the new owner has the responsibility to remove the structure or to resolve whatever aspects have caused it to be condemned by a certain date.

     Talk to legal council before you do something incredibly stupid.

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