Older Houses With Cracks in Foundation.... Any Rules of Thumb??

[Adam Carl Birgenheier]

Hey BPers!

I have a quick question.

Cracks in the foundation of a house..... Is that a deal killer? Is it something to worry about? Or are they easy (cheap) fixes?

A buddy of mine and I have been searching for fix and flips in East Side of Tacoma (filled with ran down and 1900's houses), but it seems that almost all the houses we check have foundations with cracks in it. Are there any rules of thumbs to know when it comes to checking older houses with such foundations? Should we automatically assume all cracks need to be fixed, or are small fractures fine, but larger ones not so fine? 

Again, I know it might be a dumb question, but any info will help dramatically!!

Thanks (-:

[Alex Young]

its not always a deal breaker..... if you have no experience with looking at foundation, then I recommend get 3 or more quotes just to make sure, don't take the first opinion either , they could be pushing you around 

can you see the wall bowing inward? are they cracks from the corner of the windows running diagonally ? 

Not a deal breaker because sometimes its a 500 or less seal job , other times its a 10k wall anchor or hydraulics 

some foundation problems can create great opportunity because the general rule is "stay away".   My first house with foundation problems scared the sleep out of me but they you realize the worse and start understanding  its not that bad if you know what to look for ....... could get you a good deal if others are running away if seeing the slightest cracks