waiting and wondering...
Well, I faxed Bonnie (our realtor) the inspection report, emailed my cousin Jeff about old-house problems and repair, and started looking up contractor information. Many places seem to have full "solutions" to basement problems including repair, waterproofing and grade adjustments. Some are featured on Angie's list, and some have lifetime transferrable warranties.
My cousin, who resides in Chicago, bought a home of the same vintage as ours, but did not have much in the way of basement problems. Changing the grade, he estimated, was between $500 and $1000.
I'm not sure what my next steps are. Bonnie should have our info, and I've left a couple questions with her. I have more to ask, but I'm really not sure when I'll hear from her.
Everyone who has seen it thinks it's great, even with the damp, leaky basement.
Oh, and I was supposed to get ahold of my parent's neighbor who mows their yard, to make sure they had a key to Dad's lawn tractor. However, their phone has been disconnected.