Purchase price: $44,501 Cash invested: $13,300 Sale price: $129,900 Quick flip, rehab time was 3 weeks, just needed clean out, new flooring on first floor and carpeting through stairs and 2nd floor, Property was built in 95 and has a full basement with French drain and newer utilities.

The yard also needs to be fixed by adding retaining walls, french drains, and regrading the landscape away from the house (house has steep 20ft hill about 20 ft behind it.)

I also closed off an open area and added french doors to make an office. a 3/2 in this neighborhood with the same sq ft is about $275k and a 4/2 is about 300-315K.

The pretty French pharmacist brings him the requisite number of packages, not batting an eye.

I have a house with this problem and and the only solution that i know of is a landscape contractor regarding the outside and adding French drains. 

Sounds like every bar in the French Quarter. 

If you have water stains there, chances are, the house will need an indoor or outdoor french drain as you have water seeping through the walls and/or where the wall and slab meet.

Of course that sounds simpler than what it is, but I believe it's the basis of most problems.My duplex has a wall that has bowed in a bit and had I known what I know now 10 years ago I probably could have prevented the little bit of movement that has happened.On my list to do by this fall is install 2 french drains outside the house and I've been contemplating if I even need to add i-beams.  

She demanded much more be done, such as totally refinish floors, replace historic french doors etc.

As for the separation, I'm no expert but I think it's a possibility that the previous owners started a french drain project but gave up..How much money would you expect a finished basement with added bath and structural fix, gutted and redone rooms, complete conversion from drop ceiling to drywall, an expanded kitchen/reno, and added bathroom to the main floor, cost?