Photo of the Day: Foundation Failure

I had a former client call and ask me to run some numbers on a rental property I sold them in 2007.  While reviewing the rent rolls and expenses, it was disclosed that one of the units was vacant due to a tree and some foundation problems.  So, I went to check it out.  Here is what I found:

This is a photo of a basement exterior doorway.  These foundation walls are about 18" thick.  As you can see, the chinese elm in the top left of the photo has been growing next to the foundation for the past 30 years.  It has finally reached the size and weight to make an impact on the home's foundation.  In this case, it has done so in a big way.  I estimate that there is about 8' of foundation section that needs to be removed and replaced.  This is a big job.

Homes with bad foundations are extremely difficult to finance...which means they are very difficult to sell.  So, if you haven't taken the time to remove big trees growing near your home's foundation, do it today.