The author wasn't the original owner, the house was built years before they moved in. They purchased it for less than the original owner had paid to have it built, so it doesn't sound like they were stretching themselves too thin - they thought they were getting a good deal and would be able to deal with any issues that came up.
The fact that they own their own backhoe, and the pictures that they have shown, indicate that they have tried quite a lot of solutions, and as indicated in the article they are not interested in doing a full rebuild as it would not make financial sense, considering the depreciation of underground houses.
I dont think that was anything I was implying but you are correct. I was stating that in the big picture dont buy an unusual home if you are at the end of your budget. I think that they absolutely stated in the article that they could not afford to uncover the land and "fix" the home they way that was needed...
The fact that they own their own backhoe, and the pictures that they have shown, indicate that they have tried quite a lot of solutions, and as indicated in the article they are not interested in doing a full rebuild as it would not make financial sense, considering the depreciation of underground houses.