When buying a house it's a must to first get it checked out by a full house inspector. But I'm told even an ASHI Certified home inspector might not have noticed the problem one woman encountered after she bought a house in Loveland last summer.

That's because a major renovation had just been done -- but now she faces some costly repairs. It's all because many basement floors and homes built on concrete slabs have no moisture barriers, or have deteriorating barriers beneath the concrete, so water is able to penetrate the concrete.

"It passed home inspection," Gina Rubdie, of Loveland, says. "There were a few little minor things they had to do like fix the doors, the attic and the chimney."

The investment company she bought it from made the repairs and she bought it.

In December, Gina and her 14-year-old son Kyle started having health problems and saw a doctor. "I have been on three types of antibiotics, and my son's been on two or three continuously. There was no improvement, and I started losing my voice," Rubdie says.

Her doctor then tested for mold and found they were both highly allergic. A subsequent test of the house showed high mold levels throughout. "I probably shouldn't even be living here now," she says.

Rubdie now has fans, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers throughout the house to try to cut down on the moisture and mold. Meanwhile, she says, "I received an anonymous HUD listing in the mail and it said this house had been condemned. It said there was no admittance to the property because of toxic mold."

In the year since HUD found the toxic mold, the house was sold twice before Rubdie bought it. During that time it was gutted and fixed up but wetness in the concrete slab apparently remains. That moisture causes mold growth inside the walls that rest on the concrete.

Rubdie now advises buyers, "Get a mold inspection done prior to buying a house, period."

The person who sold the house to Rubdie told her he was unaware of any mold problem at all. HUD officials tell me they insured the house again when Rubdie bought it without first insisting on a mold inspection because they believed remediation work had been performed. Again, it was, but it failed to remedy the underlying cause of the problem.

Bottom line, if you're considering buying a house built on a slab, it's a good idea carefully check for signs of moisture.

Troubleshooter Howard Ain answers consumer complaints and questions weekdays at 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on WKRC-TV Local 12. You can write to him at Hey Howard, 12 WKRC-TV, 1906 Highland Ave., Cincinnati 45219.

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