All Forum Posts by: Mitchell Patterson

Howdy @Dannielle Hoffman as a Real Estate Inspector here in San Antonio I can tell you we see "indications of previous structural movement" in more homes than we don't.  Cracks in the foundation, stone/brick facades, stucco, drywall, tile, out of adjustement doors and windows are all evidence of this and believe me they are all very common.  

That said, there is a major difference between previous structural movement and foundation problems and while they do come along every now and again true slab on grade foundation problems that need to be repaired are not common in the homes I inspect.  As mentioned we have very expansive soils in the greater SA area and as a result we expect homes to move.  Ensuring consistent soil moisture content is key in this area.  We want the homes to move up and down together, not deferentially, or one corner at a time if that makes sense.  Pay close attention to the drainage around the home.  Depressed and eroded areas near the foundation lead to ponding water, inconsistent soil moisture content and differential settlement of the home.

I recently inspected a home that had previous foundation repairs and for the life of me I couldn't tell why.  Cracked and loose foundation corners and cracks along the brick lug were the only thing I noted at the time of inspection.  The first picture shows two areas of repair, the second is a "cracked and loose foundation corner" which is just an indication of previous structural movement and not a major concern.

Cliff notes: Yes we have foundation problems in the area; however few actually require major repairs.  Some areas, such as Alamo Heights and Windcrest, are worse than others.

PS- static testing you are likely refering to is a sewer drain test.  It's very simple, plug the sewer at the clean out, fill the pipes with water and wait to see if the water level goes down at all.  If it does then you likely have a leak in the drains in the foundation.

@Brett Goldsmith no sir, I am planning on approaching this as a Subject To deal.  

It's not occupied @Brett Goldsmith, he moved out some time around 2/1 when the utilities were turned off.  His intentions were to just let the home go, but while he seems less than open with me, he is still answering my FB messages.  I asked if he would be willing to meet at the property.  He says the property is in his name alone. 

Thanks Tim and Rick!  I sent another message.  His name is the only one listed on BCAD, wouldn't the wife also be listed if she was on the deed?

welcome from another recent addition to the community here!

I was driving for dollars after a home inspection last week when I saw the obvious signs of a nice 1998 construction 3/2/2 unoccupied home near Randolph Air Force base.  I was able to track the owner down on Facebook and got the following response.

"Yeah it's pretty much going into foreclosure me and my wife are going through a divorce, she lied about making the payments. We are more than three months behind, and i have no way to make the payments."

I replied that I believe I can help him and gave him my phone number to call me.  That was last week and I've not heard back from him.  Property records indicate they bought the home in September of last year so there is likely very little, if any, equity.  Is there an opportunity to get this tied up subject to?  How might I proceed since he isn't going to call apparently?

thanks Mark, I am really interested in learning about ROBS 401k. 

Thanks for the welcome Eric and Michael, I appreciate it. I intend to be active as I possibly can on this forum now. I actually am a very shy and introverted person by nature and I've had to work very hard to put myself out of my comfort zones. The best quote from a REIA here in town about being shy is "I was an introvert until I realized how much money it was costing me."

Paul you've got that right, on all accounts in retrospect.  I said yes sir at the time because I had no choice at that time.  It was realizing I had zero control that changed my life forever and I instantly had a new plan to study wealth creation and take control of my life.  

Howdy Tyler, we met at the Launch lunch Tuesday I believe!

Thanks Shabyna, I am curretnly a member of Alamo REIA had have been attending the monthly Launch. I am following all the meeting on meetup.com and will be attending more and more in the future.

Thanks for the welcome Tim and Steve!