Hey BP,

So I just got my first house under contract (woohoo!) and everything looks good. Rehab is pretty straight forward, except for one thing: there's definitely foundation issues. There's a pretty solid vertical crack in the back of house in the garage (see picture attached) and the rest of that wall seems to be crumbling a bit. I did my best to factor that into my purchase price, however the inspector ordered by the hard money lender mentioned that they really like to have a report detailing that I have that foundation issue squared away. Essentially they want to protect themselves in the event that I cannot refinance (or sell) in 12 months to pay them back because the issue isn't adequetly fixed. I guess they want someone to be liable if the work isn't done appropriately that they can go after. I had a mason and a contractor come out and look at it, and they seem to think they can fix the issue, but I don't think they'll shoulder the liability.

So, with all that said, what would you all recommend is the best, most cost effective (both short and long term) way to handle this? Getting a structural engineer out to put together a report / cost estimate? Are there any other types of people that will shoulder the liability for this type of work?

Thanks for your help!

PS. Any recommendations for a structural engineer in the Philly area are appreciated!