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Buying or Selling a Home/crack in basemant
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Question
"We found one house (14 yrs old) in Chesterfield, MO and we like it. We
did the inspection. There were a crack in foundation which is visible from
back side of the house. They dig the wall inside which is the the bedroom
in 98%finished basemanet. The crack is almost 10 feet vertical, in the
corner, and almost 2-3 cm wide. The seller is ready to fix it. But I am scared
for future. Will there be any problem like widening the crack, other
cracks or dampening/water leaking? Do you suggest to buy this house."
Hey, Manisha.
No one can predict the future, so there's no way to tell if there will be future problems. The only thing you can do is get the appropriate evaluation by a licensed structural engineer, follow his recommendations, and then take care of the house on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. If it's evaluated and repaired properly, then the odds are good, but not 100%, that there will be no problems unless you get a significant, flood, or other natural disaster.
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Russel Ray
Expertise
Through home inspections, I provide an education about real estate. I'm one of those rare home inspectors who has been involved in real estate in many different capacities: as a Realtor (in Texas), as a property investor/flipper, as a teacher, and as a marketing expert (for Realtors and home inspectors). I believe that my experience as a Realtor and property investor provides me with a different viewpoint about home inspections in that I work for my Clients, but when there are other people involved in helping my Clients, then I firmly believe in helping them, too. That includes Realtors (both the seller's and the buyer's), repair professionals (e.g., plumbers, electricians, etc.). If I can get all the players (seller, seller's Realtor, buyer, buyer's Realtor, and repair professionals) playing in the same sandbox together to accomplish goals as a TEAM (Together Everyone Accomplishes More), then I believe I have succeeded in my job as a home inspector. My profession is, in my opinion, much more than simply documenting the condition of a property and then take the money and run. I am also a rare breed in that I don't believe that one inspection fits the needs of all Clients, and I have led the industry in understanding that fact. For example, the goals of a property investor are far different than the goals of someone buying a property to live in. The goals of a seller (a pre-listing inspection) are far different than the goals of a buyer (a pre-purchase inspection). To that end, I offer 14 different types of inspections, e.g., STANDARD, LIST, RENTER, BASIC, MAINTENANCE, SPOT, and more. I believe in giving the benefit of the doubt to all professionals in whatever industry they represent until they prove me wrong.
Experience
Over 42 years in all aspects of real estate--building homes, renovating homes, inspecting homes, Realtor.
Organizations
National Association of Certified Home Inspector, Better Business Bureau of San Diego
Education/Credentials
Graduate of Texas A&M University; College Station, Texas
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