Crumbling Poured Concrete Foundation

[Curt Bixel]

I got an email from a wholesaler regarding a property in an area in which I would very much like to buy.  It is a duplex, and I have another duplex less than a quarter of a mile away, that is very clearly of the exact same design and layout, likely built by the same builder.

It is being wholesaled, so I expected problems.  What I found was a problem that makes me pretty uninterested in the property, as it seems huge, but I wanted to post this on Bigger Pockets, as people here may know of a solution that would actually make this a viable property.  If I don't hear back, I will most certainly NOT buy this property.

The problem is with the foundation.  The foundation is poured concrete, and the property was built between 1910 and 1920.  The concrete reaches well above ground level, putting the sill plate about 3 feet from the ground.  The concrete wall leans out about 4 inches in the space between the ground and the sill plate.  There was one space where the concrete is crumbling, and I can pick it apart with my fingers.  At the rate it was crumbling, it seemed that I may well be able to dig through all 10 inches the concrete with my hand, all the way into the basement in about 10 minutes with only my bare hand.

Is the cause of this deterioration something due to the original concrete mix 100 years ago or is it some sort of environmental issue, like water.  

In any case, am I correct that this is likely a total loss and the building will likely need to be torn down in the next 10 to 30 years?

[Cody Campbell]

A total loss? Not necessarily. You can always get under the house, pour (haul in buckets of concrete) small footers and put a nice beam underneath. Is it easy, NO, a pain to do, YES, will it cost you, Yes. This could be a way to get the home at a drastic discount too. 

Everyone in my town thought this was a total loss. I gutted it from floor to ceiling...nothing is a complete loss...just needs more love.