Should you build a new home on a fault line?

[Frank S.]

I was thinking about buying a home on a fault line in Texas. The home seems to be in decent condition but I would think that it would not be wise to build a new home on a fault line. It's not a fault like California but it has been known to slowly change over decades. Thoughts?

[Matt C.]

Many years ago, I had a real estate mentor drive me around Memorial (upscale Houston neighborhood) and show me all the fault lines in the area.  You could see the dip in the road and how it ran right across the front yard and under the house.  She noted that the houses that straddled the fault lines were always for sale and at a discount compared to others in the area.  It is my understanding that you would have to constantly adjust piers under the house to keep the foundation level.  I am not scared of foundation issues but the deal would have to come with lots of equity before I acquired a never ending foundation issue.  However, if the price it right......