Hi! I am looking for a house, in reasonably good shape, but that I could fix some things myself like upgrading the kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures, or finishing the basement. I am looking at several brick houses, 30-40 years old and many houses have cracks in the foundation walls, typically 2-3 per house. Where I live the soil is basically clay. Would it be OK to buy a house that has 4 cracks in the foundation (but all 4 have been repaired properly), or should I consider buying a less old house? I didn't look at younger houses because most of them have vinyl siding, and I hate vinyl siding for fire hazard reasons (I saw a house in my neighborhood where a barbecue ignited the siding, and the fire chief said if the house would have been cladded with aluminum, nothing would have happened to the house). Thanks.

brick homes are a great investment and a few reasonable cracks in the foundation should not be a big issue (crumbling, chunks missing, etc is bad). I am a realtor from michigan and I see alot of homes with much worse problems than that, if the house is in good physical shape but needs cosmetics that is the best kind to get, dont be shy about getting a fixer upper they are great investments, just make sure the repairs are something that can be done within your range of experience. make sure to get with a local realtor who specializes in market analysis and can speculate what the house might be worth fixed up and with good curb appeal. good luck in your search

Thanks for the input. In the meantime, I bought a house, not quite as old, but with some small things to fix, like adding a shower stall in the basement bathroom. However, I appreciate that you took time to answer to my questions.

well congrats on your purchase, Adding small things like a shower stall can add great value to a home. If you have any other qustions email me and I'll be glad to help you out