It seems the consensus is to dig out soil at the crack and the seal the outside with a tar like substance.  

Zoning in on a specific area right now and it looks like North End or Black Rock will be it as West End is too dangerous for my liking. 

That is some substance that I would expect to find in a book called Paper Profits: How to BUY and profit from notes.

you don't have a legal right to market it yet, so it's dangerous to do so.

@patrick Q  - The building must be vacant because breaking walls, working with electricity, gas, and anything else is dangerous to have anyone living in the house.

I'm hoping for a duplex/triplex in a non-dangerous area.

I think this can create a dangerous situation.  

Unless they have kids that are eating the paint chips, it's not going to be dangerous to use. 

But I said 'its very dangerous work for the average DYI guy'.

No peeling paint, cracked windows, loose railings, etc.The danger in any $0 down loan is that sellers fear that the buyer has no skin in the game and could blow out of the deal if a better property came along tomorrow, losing only their $500 down payment.USDA and VA are weaker offers compared to FHA, which is a weaker offer as compared to a conventional loan with a larger down payment.