It could just be efflorescence and damp marks but not mold. I had similarly horrific looking basement walls in a Philly, where every basement is damp. I used a moisture meter, had mold testing, all was completely fine.

When you go to look at the house, bring your own moisture meter - they are really inexpensive and you can pick up one at most hardware stores. Check out the walls yourself.

If you have structural concerns don't bring a contractor, hire a structural engineer as part of your home inspection.

There is no hidden problem,what you are seeing is several years of collected dirt and a small amount of harmless mildew.

This is the only place in the world where answers to questions like yours can be answered. Reason being (A) For reasons of liability no contractor will give a written report saying no problem exists (B) I don't have any assets so money you pay a lawyer is wasted. (C) You get every penny's worth of what you pay for answers here (D) More reasons will come to mind if you take a moment to think about it.

Post pictures of cars you are thinking of buying over on wheels and they can tell you condition of engine,brakes and transmission.

There is no way to tell you for sure. The only way is to have someone come in and check it all out. A good house inspector, should be able to tell you everything you need to know. Is the basement smelly? It looks like it could be. Do you want to live with that smell up in your living areas, because, it will come up heating vents and stairways, and even through your floors. There is no way, we can say, yes, it is a mouldy mess, or no, it doesnt have any mold. Get someone in there in person, that knows what they are looking for.

The interior wall framing did not use pressure treated lumber for the bottom plate. The concrete is wicking moisture through it, as concrete does, and the bottom plate is exhibiting the firs signs of mold and rot, extending upwards through the studs. This is a common issue in old damp basements where moisture control is not handled from the exterior. No way to know if it's more than just moisture wicking, or if some actual mini floods happen, without a heavy rain and inspection after.

Just because it's common doesn't mean it's either to be ignored, or to be panicked about. It just IS, and needs to be managed.

Actually, pictures tell a lot, even these crappy ones.

This basement appears to be in a century home with probably a brick foundation that has been parged. The basement has been dug lower and a shelf foundation was installed along with a slab. There is lots of current moisture coming through the walls and floor and will continue no matter what is done inside, until the exterior is excavated and footing drain tile and waterproofing is installed.

The newer wood framing has lots of wetness evidence, which is probably why they removed any wall covering prior to sale and left the exposed studs - surely mold in some form was present with all that moisture behind the framed walls, but is probably gone now. If all the exposed wood framing is removed, the basement will be adequate for this genre of house.

This is standard fare for century homes - basements were not conceived for, nor technology advanced enough, to allow them to be finished, but people aren't aware of that and expect the basement to be on par with upstairs. If you desire a modern livable basement, then you will have to look at houses built 1950's and newer.