Make sure to include proper disclaimers. 

Does it make sense to cheap out over the few thousand dollars it will cost to go through a proper escrow and title process?

Mudjacking, polyjacking, or replacement may be necessary to achieve the proper slope away from the foundation.● Monitor the gutters for overflow.

Take ownership of your mistake and learn to do the proper due diligence recommended above😊

So, there must be a way to do this properly, as they must be doing it.

You need to properly maintain all this structure or it just gives a false sense of security.Secondly, why all cash? 

That said, even with photos, comping homes in Detroit proper is extremely difficult.

@Nathan Harden- agree about OH ....I went to school at Miami U and lived in columbus area for a few yrs  ...many friends that still live there ......I live in Seattle proper ( near  Magnusson Park ...also  own  2  properties in Mason County ......father in law lives on  close to 10 acres close to downtwon Medina so we will be dealing with  figuring out the  best thing to do with this  as he gets  older ( he is  83 now) ...stay in touch

My goal is for the foundation of my company to be solid and to grow properly.

Learn the lawsDon't use a contract "off the internet", laws vary by state and are also regulated on a federal level Learn the financing techniques correctlyDon’t skip parts of the processDon’t ever do a “kitchen table” closingUse the proper deedAn attorney can help you with the legal work, but the rest you are on your ownYour guru will not bail you out“Investing” in someone else’s deal by providing a small 2nd loan so the “investor” can pay for “cash to the seller” and for “closing costs” so he can do the deal is a very bad planKnow what problems can ariseLearn the responses and solutions to problems before they are needed Know everything there is to know about Title and what that meansKnow who a "protected class" individual isLearn the "back doors"Learn human natureUnderstand timelinesUnderstand regulation enforcement (some of these "mistakes" have a 10 year statue of limitations ( they can charge you 10 years AFTER you do the transaction) and carry hefty fines and possible imprisonmentThe court doesn't accept "I didn't know" for an answer"Know that the source of the lead plays a serious role in some states and federallyKnow how much of a "profit" pushes the boundaries to invite an investigationYou can be sued by the seller if you don’t do things correctlyYou are automatically at fault if an investigator or attorney or regulator gets involved.