Here in Tarrant County, we live with soils that expand and contract with the seasons. The soil conditions change with the amount of moisture or lack of moisture in a given season. Most experts recommend that owners keep a level amount of moisture around their foundations if possible.
So....what if your home or the home you are considering to purchase has this "tell-tale" sign of a slight slope?
First, it is a LAW that a seller disclose any reports that they have concerning a problem such as this. There is a space on the Texas Seller's Disclosure that gives the seller the opportunity to note such problems. Second, I always recommend, in fact, insist that my sellers get a new foundation report and offer it up front so that a buyer can see what an expert says about the situation.
Having a new report shows that the seller is aware of a 3rd party opinion, the buyer can see it, and then everyone is working with the same current information. A buyer can always hire their own structural engineer to assess and report their findings. If the buyer has sufficient interest in the home, they may want to negotitate for repairs, or they may want to have their own repairs made after their purchase. The main thing to note is that in older pier and beam homes, the sloping is usually easily improved, if not totally correctable. In a slab foundation, the issue is a bit more tricky....and I normally DO recommend an engineers report.
Vintage homes have normal sloping very often.............when a home has been there for 50+ years....even with a slight slope ....most likely it is not going to do a lot more shifting. It is up the buyer and seller to negotiate how they will handle it...if anything is done at all.
This is information for you, and your friends if you ever need it. Fort more information, please give me a call or contact me anytime.
DiAnne Arnette, Keller Williams Realty, Fort Worth
817 920-7700
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