The Crooked House on Elm Street

In 2019, a couple in Waco, Texas bought a charming 1920s bungalow, eager to renovate. They poured forty thousand dollars into gorgeous hardwood floors, custom cabinetry, and a farmhouse kitchen that belonged in a magazine. Six months later, cracks spiderwebbed across every wall. Doors wouldn't close. The kitchen island pulled away from the countertop by nearly an inch. A structural engineer delivered the verdict in minutes: the original foundation had been compromised by decades of water damage, and no one had checked before building on top of it.…