The Cracking Ground in Plano and Elsewhere in The Metroplex (Houston: real estate, rental homes)

[oomph]

I'm another Californian riding the southwest looking at property to invest-live in.

I thought I found the perfect landing spot in Plano. I observed the maxim look west of I 75. I retained a real estate agent and began looking at properties. While looking, I noticed all of these black hoses surrounding the homes. After further inspection, I could see many of the slab foundations cracked, cracking and patched.

In some instances I saw the ground cracking so much there were cracks up the side of buildings and interior damage. So, my conclusion was confirmed when googled and I read this is a problem consideration when buying property in Plano. When I see foundation problems I tend to run the other way. Obviously most of the residents have adapted with these drip lines. It just seems like one more thing to worry about. how sever is this ground problem?

Is there anywhere in the Metroplex area, where I will not have to deal with this type of soil problem?

[Debsi]

You can look for homes with a pier & beam foundation.

These homes will be more expensive, older/smaller, or both.

[oomph]

I agree with you. Repairing a pier foundation would be a lot easier than a slab. It's still a hassle. I just cant imagine builders building this way on a large scale. They tend to use slabs. What percent of the Plano homes do you think are not built on slabs?

What do you Plano residents do when you realize your foundation is cracking?

[Rakin]

You must have been looking at some older cheap homes. Most homes with post tension slabs that have been cared for do not have these problems. You make it sound like every house has issues. Were you looking at old rental homes that have been neglected ?

Also a decent experienced RE agent could have educated you on what to look for and how to avoid.

[oomph]

My real estate agent explained to me: There was a a time of growth and expansion in PLano where builders could not keep up with the demand. He stated they did not take the time to compact the soil. I forget what trigger dates he stated that builders started treating the ground properly. I believe it was the mid 1990s.I was looking at homes $200k and under. Are these considered substandard rental homes? If so, almost all of them had the drip hoses and I visibly inspected and saw cracks in almost every house I looked at. For what its worth, I think every buyer should be aware of this factor.

One Plano resident is a client of mine. I'm a tax CPA. She said the following: It is not a matter of if your home will have foundation problems, it is a matter of when. For me this is a deal killer. I will just look elsewhere. Where in the metroplex area do they NOT have problems with expnsive-contractive soil?

[Rakin]

What the agent told you is not correct about compacting the soil. A home that is properly taken care of will not have foundation problems. As I mention you must have been looking at many cheap old rentals that have been neglected.

Yes, there are many areas that have sandy or rocky soil that do not have the expansive clay soils.

[oomph]

Here is link about the problem North Texas Soil Technical Data

Dr. Harry Williams, associate professor of geography at the University of North Texas, is exploring how urbanization pressures have resulted in housing construction on soils poorly suited for development. Williams' research is described in his article "Urbanization Pressure Increases Potential for Soils-Related Hazards, Denton County, Texas." The article is slated for publication in the international journal Environmental Geology in the fall 2003 issue.

This foundation repair website shttp://www.foundationrepairhouston.com/articles/expansive-soil/ ays the following:

Most of the homes, especially in the Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, areas of Texas are built upon extremely expansive soils. I know most of the folks who own homes in these areas would agree with me. The fact that most of the major home foundation repair companies in the U.S. are headquartered in one of those cities also makes a very strong case for Texas being the hands down winner.

[DitsyD]

Someone in another thread had posted this map of the US and the soil "swelling" potential.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by oomph

My real estate agent explained to me: There was a a time of growth and expansion in PLano where builders could not keep up with the demand. He stated they did not take the time to compact the soil. I forget what trigger dates he stated that builders started treating the ground properly. I believe it was the mid 1990s.I was looking at homes $200k and under. Are these considered substandard rental homes? If so, almost all of them had the drip hoses and I visibly inspected and saw cracks in almost every house I looked at. For what its worth, I think every buyer should be aware of this factor.

One Plano resident is a client of mine. I'm a tax CPA. She said the following: It is not a matter of if your home will have foundation problems, it is a matter of when. For me this is a deal killer. I will just look elsewhere. Where in the metroplex area do they NOT have problems with expnsive-contractive soil?

That last part is not correct. Most local homes never have serious foundation problems. Nearly all foundation problems are caused by homeowner negligence or ignorance.

[oomph]

If the problem is caused by ignorance, as you suggest, this is one reason, why I posted this thread. When you move to a new area, it is helpful to be aware of potential problems. This is a potential problem. It is not something many people think about when they purchase a home (i.e. what must I do to care for my foundation?).