The house is fifteen years old, with an asking price a
little below market value. The exterior walls and roof are in good shape, the
landscaping is attractive, and the driveway is free of defects. Inside, the
rooms and kitchen are in good condition, with plumbing that doesn't leak, good
insulation, and a furnace and central air conditioner that function well. A
prospective buyer carefully looks around the house, and concludes that it is a
terrific buy. Or is it? What this shopper doesn't know is that the house's
foundation was poured in freezing temperatures and the concrete was not
adequately heated, resulting in improper drying. Two-inch cracks in the
foundation, which the potential buyer saw but didn't give a second thought to,
indicate a foundation problem that is potentially serious and expensive to
rectify.