Look for signs of moisture from above- peeling or cracking ceiling paint (or worse!)

Walls are painted with Sherwin Williams semi-gloss paint which creates an excellent moisture barrier to the walls.

A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home"http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldguide.htmlIt has info on mold, cleanup guidelines, etc.

Generally, the discounts on these houses are much steeper than "clean" houses and the extra discount more than makes up for the extra work- As someone else said, if mold doesn't have moisture, it will stop growing.

Has wind/moisture barrier and sound barrier.

The mortgage lender may understand an "as is" sale but on the day before closing the lender's closing attorney may decide that some old moisture damage on a threshold just must be fixed and demand that the CL-100 "clear" before they will close the sale.

That said, the foundation risk is a factor of the moisture in the soil below the home's foundation.

I agree that moisture in the basement can be a real pain.

I would advise adding 20% to your budget as contingency for the unexpected and make sure you're not going to have any moisture seepage issues before building everything out..

This is not always true, but a likihood the termites and moisture penetration are at the same location.