By Cracky!

I live in a nice house, in a nice neighborhood. Everything was great until recently. I noticed a crack in the wall. I wish I were blind so I would have never seen it because now, I've got a lot of work to do.

When I purchased my home, there was an item in the inspection report that mentioned that previous foundation work had been done but I didn't panic about it. I figured that we live in Texas - home of the shifting clay soil and that it was normal. Now, 5 years later I could kick myself for not investigating further the amount of work that had been done.

Last year was really hot and dry and I did my best to run the soaker hose around the foundation to avoid foundation problems. This year was much better but I still ran the soaker hose. So you can imagine my chagrin when doors refused to close all the way and I noticed hairline cracks in the Sheetrock. The the cracks started growing. And a few tiles on the floor cracked. And I noticed a jagged crack in the bricks. Then a vertical crack started in the wall of my bedroom and it went up, then alllllllllll the way across the wall - clear to the corner. Then the corner split open. Then the Sheetrock above a bay window in my kitchen buckled and I could actually see behind the Sheetrock.

My home was sick.

I am afraid the walls are going to come crashing down around me! I did what any good homeowner would do. I waited and prayed for rain so the ground would shift and my home would go back to normal. Well, it rained but the house stayed all caddywampus. I broke down and called one of the foundation companies listed in all of the paperwork left behind by the previous homeowners and the gent that surveyed the damage had alarming news to report. My home was over 2" lower on the outside edges than the middle! No wonder the walls were buckling!!!

I think the foundation dude felt pretty bad when telling me that my home was hosed and needed major, major repairs. Maybe it was because I turned green and looked like I was going to hurl chunks. Or maybe it was because of the steady stream of tears running down my cheeks in rivers. Or maybe it was because I told him 'so you're basically saying that I'm totally fu**ed'. Or a combination of all of those clues. He softened up and tried to console me and then told me that I needed about $16,000 - $17,000 to get everything fixed.

It's been a few days now and I still feel like blowing chunks. I'll get the house fixed but it sure is going to hurt having to pay out that much money. Now, I'm trying to decide whether to sell the place once I get it fixed or stay until the first crack reappears and then sell it. Either way, I feel that I'll have to get out. I can't go through that kind of thing more than once. My poor house.