how likely could water in the basement damage a house?

you haven`t gone in basement yet?

"They"...told you basement is unusable because of seepage.

Well, water in basement can certainly lead to MOLD

Also, if you haven`t seen the basement then you have no idea what shape/condition the basement walls are in....thats REAL important...lol. Cracked/bowing/buckled wall(s) can lead to other problems.

And...Radon gas...better have a radon test done BEFORE you buy. Radon kills about 21,000 every Year, thats MORE than drunk drivers!

http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/physic.html#Character

Radon enters from the.. SOIL THROUGH cracks in floors (dirt floors) and cracks in basement walls, floor drains,sump pumps,construction joints,and tiny cracks or pores in hollow-BLOCK Walls...etc.

http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldbasics.html

Why basement walls Crack,bow,buckle,fail

http://www.al-home-inspections.com/news-articles/article-4.html

http://bobvila.com/HowTo_Library/Why_Foundations_Fail-Foundation-A2095.html

6th-7th paragraph..... http://www.yodergroup.com/concrete.asp

Termites ruin many homes....insects often ENTER homes Through OUTSIDE openings/crevices

http://www.mipca.org/Termites.htm

Thanks fr all the info. Your radon info did scare me. Having said thayt, people get 10 days to inspect a home....looks like radon test results take several weeks/just don't see who that is 'do-able'.

OK, if the walls are not cracked etc ...would you say there is a better chance of no damage to the house or ??

My husband is going 'down under' Tuesday!

Hey,

Isn't there any type of 'waterproofing' that a pro can do to alleviate these problems at least SOMEWHAT or no ???

see other/earlier basement waterproofing posts, lots of info `n other links