As someone who lives in the greater Bay Area in California, homeowners must maintain their foundations, mainly because this is an earthquake-prone area. Scientists have estimated in the next 30 years that there will be a catastrophic earthquake above the magnitude of 6.7. If there's an earthquake with the homeowner's foundations cracked or not systematically retrofitted for earthquakes. The foundations will shift, which will cause the houses to crumble on themselves as seen in attached photos: they will no longer be on their solid foundation. Maintaining one's house is an issue of public safety, financial investment, and life & death. It's cheaper to retrofit your home and fix cracks in your foundation than to let these things go unchecked because it has been proven that when devastation occurs, whether by earthquakes, fires or other natural causes, the rental cost goes up.

Furthermore, one most likely will not be able to inhabit their house any longer. This can leave families struggling to find affordable housing options, which is unpleasant after a catastrophic event. Business-minded people should think of this when looking at places to cut corners because maintenance is not the place to be cheap. One spends a lot of time, money, and effort protecting their family from harm, but you're missing out on a huge portion not maintaining your home. People spend a lot of time in their homes, at least eight hours, when they're sleeping so it's essential just like one's take care of our car or our health to one's must take care of their house. They all have a symbiotic relationship to keep us healthy, happy, and sane.

https://www.earthquakeauthority.com/EQA2/media/Image/Blog/600X400-Image02212020-1.png

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