46erjoe wrote:
A house I'm trying to sell has a dirt basement with a stone wall
foundation (an old farmhouse). In wet weather water comes in and yes
I've done everything I canoutside to keep that from happening. My only
option is a sump pump I think. But the water that gets in is either
already muddy or gets dirty from the floor. Will sump pumps handle
muddy water or are they made only for clean water pumping?

Recommendation? I'm willing to pay megabucks for the right piece of
equipment.

My next option is dig a hole about 20 feet deep and cover it with a
grate ;-)

Your new pump should be installed inside a bucket with holes in it.
The place where you buy the pump (not Borg) will have the bucket,
screens and other stuff you will need. You should also pick up some
gravel. Kepp in mind you will need a receptical nearby to plug the
pump into. Here is a picture of the setup:

http://www.hometips.com/cs-protected/guides/sumps.html