The substrait is usually an organic material such as wood, fiber, etc.The first step is to solve the root cause of the problem - which is the source of moisture.

I think it would be important to understand why the rents have been decreasing, and if that root cause will apply to your property.

I called three banks and what I found was that they were more willing to talk about properties in their town and also willing to offer small loans on these properties.The root of my problem was that I was calling big bank Bob who had no interest in spending time on such a small loan in an area they could care less about.

I'll be rooting for your turn this coming December 😀

The root cause of all problem in the world in the last thirty year is actually because the US dollar where only one gov. can print money out of thin air. 

If it's roots in the line, that's your problem, if it's something the tenant put down the drain, it becomes their expense.

Everyone else's recommendations of sloping the earth next to your walls away from the house (can be accomplished with flower beds near the walls - avoid plants w/ long roots like trees), adding/fixing gutters, extending roof overhangs, and subterranean drainage are all steps to take to decrease water infiltration.Nowadays we ideally insulate and waterproof our basements from the outside - but that's more work than it's worth for a flip.

I grew up in a Foreign Service family as well so I've never lived in one place for more than 3 years.We've always had real estate in the back of our mind but being overseas all the time we don't have roots in any one place in the US. 

A/C  and heating units could be on the last leg, tree roots can cause foundation issues, water drainage issues.You might not want to own this property.    

I think as people come here to rent, and plant roots, meet somebody, get married, start a family, they'll eventually become homeowners," Galbraith said.The more people brought in by low rent prices, the more potential homeowners, the more potential growth the city will see.