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Are cracks, settlement issues common in 40 yr old homes? Advice about structual engineers in NoVa?

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We just made an offer on a 40-yr old home and had the home inspection. The inspector found problems in the garage - cracked slab with almost 2 inch indentation in the middle of the floor (we ran a line to check), bricks on the outside of the garage that are cracked, and a broken truss above the garage. It looks like the sellers just installed an underground drainage pipe to divert gutter drainage away from the front of the garage area. In addition, the basement, shows that one cinder block has pushed out of the mortar (this is immediately below and ajacent to the garage area. While we thought we made a good offer based on the needs for cosmetic updates and windows, we hadn't yet factored structural probs. Should we hire a structural engineer for $500 - $1000 or walk away now? The garage is attached to the home and there are no bedrooms above it. My husband asks "Aren't cracks common in 40 year old homes"? We have 3 days left to get an engineer and then a general contractor to give us a cost estimate for fixing the problems.

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February 22 - Mc Lean

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Ritu Desai, "VARealtor"
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Ritu Desai, "VARealtor"

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Hello, I recently had similar issue with one of my clients where the foundation wall was chipping and my inspector asked us to get specialist to inspect the wall..it turn out to be much more than we had expected. As a result my buyers decided to walk out of the contract.

Couple of recommendation:
I use JES (888-743-7464) in past they have provide free estimates you can call in and see if this is something they handle.

I would think about the future value of the property. If the problem persit after you close or when you are ready to sell how much additional out of pocket cost you are looking for.

How is your seller handling this issue? Are they willing to resolve or give you credit for the solution? If not can you afford to repair after closing?

Good Luck
Ritu

www.eNOVAHomes.com

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February 24

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Question Are cracks, settlement issues common in 40 yr old homes? Advice about structual engineers in NoVa?

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Are cracks, settlement issues common in 40 yr old homes? Advice about structual engineers in NoVa?

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