At the root of the situation the bank underwriters job is to protect the bank and as a secondary protect you from yourself.

We've brought in two dehumidifiers which are helping, but I'm not sure what the root problem is or even who to ask for help.

We also visited the Olympia, WA and Salem, OR areas - we just don't know where to plant roots.

I agree that there are some unsettling trends, but they are local and i can't quite get my head around their root causes.  

I am located in Nashville, TN at the moment but am rooted in New Orleans.  

Take a look here: http://www.co.gregg.tx.us/septic-systems-information or call Paul Root - his # is on that page.

There are commercial products that can kill the root of the tree and not harm the rest of your yard. 

The key to investing from afar is to have a partner that you can trust and that both of you agree with how things are done in the partnership.Moving around a lot will give you the advantage of being able to do deals in many markets; having a partner rooted in one area will also give you a solid foundation to work from.

First thing I thought of reading the description was roots growing into the main sewage pipe in the yard (between house and street).

@Langdon Root I would say you answered your own question.