All I want from an inspection is accuracy.  I want the straight story, good or bad. 

you usually cant make a silk purse out of a democrats ear. :)   as you said, expectations are lowered (or should be) and Jill Murty, Realtor - Orange County, CA has it right. school em first

LOL.. oh yeah.

of course! Glad to know that the inspector shares our pain! 

No Michael, I do not get too confidant until the closing. Often with the lower end the people know they are in for some repairs.

Most of my buyers that buy these are investors and they know what they are getting into. My regular buyers tend to like new homes.

Michael,
I’m not an inspector but before a client makes an offer I have pointed out most of the major issues. My clients rarely get a big surprise at inspection.

Michael Thornton I think buyers should know this when they go under contract.

I think that a good agent should have their client prepared for the appropriate inspection before it even happens.

No, I don't worry about it.

I don't need an inspector to tell me the house is ready to fall, or the roof is shot, or even about the WDO at work on the back porch. No, I don't need an inspector to tell me a 15 year old HVAC is not operating within specification.

I do not advise 'marginal' buyers to purchase a house they can not afford to fix. 

The inspector simply provides the 3rd party data to pursue a price beat down. 

And the smart seller, because they have a good agent. was prepared for this outcome. 

No crossed fingers here.

Good morning Michael. You're right, especially if the person is not really aware of all that can go wrong with the home going forward.

I try to warn my buyers in advance.  It is not just the inspection but the appraisal. We do may VA loans and thier appraisers don't let anything slide.  I would rather a tough inspection upfront so my buyers don't waste money on an appraisal that will fail.

It's not necessarily the inspection I'm worried about, but what the appraiser will say. 

In my area we have buyers that want the fixers, (and are willilng to do any repairs...so they say) but can only qualify for certain financing. This limits what they can buy in certain price ranges, and it also limits the condition of the home they can purchase. 

Sometimes I almost hope the inspector will talk the buyers out of the place. It's one thing if they've renovated homes in the past and have the necessary skills.  But most have no clue what they are getting into!

No. I want inspections to disclose all of the issues so the purchasers will be fully informed.