I would be upset about it and would certainly have a conversation with the inspector.  Perhaps he needs a stern 'talking' to. 

Kevin,

I agree that inspectors shouldn't talk about home values unless they actually have some knowledge about value. (Never seen one who did, but maybe they exist somewhere.)

At the same time remember that if you say "our client" like you did above that you must be representing the buyer. If you've been in the business for 25 years that probably wasn't always the case.

In Ann Arbor buyer agency didn't really start until about 1988.

And a good inspector would depend on who your client is. A good inspector if you are the seller's agent is going to be different than a good inspector if you are a buyer's agent or designated/dual buyer's agent. (Or whatever variation they have in your state.)

Hi Kevin ... I guess we have all worked with both great and poor inspectors.  I have been fortunate to have worked a few times with an inspector whom I consider the best.  And yes, he fits your description of great inspectors.  He is famous for his five-hour inspections, and my clients always know everything about the house from the non-working dishwasher to the mold way at the back of a closet. 

On the other hand, I have met some "poor" inspectors as well.   They rush through a job and everything is a startling find with an Oh! Oh! to accompany the announcement! 

One described a problem in great detail that the house did not have, as he pointed to where the problem would have been, had the house had it.  The buyers were not native speakers, and I cannot tell you the effort it took to explain that he was talking about another house! 

Another favorite ... after inspecting a really well constructed new house that I sold, an inspector announced, "wait until you smell the sulfur fumes that run through this area.  I know, I live just nearby."  Fortunately, this was not true but ....

Anyway, I should probably stop because I appear to be writing a blog here ... good post ... brings back fond memories :) 

The home inspectors I have worked with-and trust-don't even objectvely give an idea of the cost to fix something to a client. At times I have personally talked with them after an inspection and asked them for a general idea on cost and they have given a very general statement about this with much disclaimer and this was only for my knowledge.

I do remember some home inspection scenarios that just plain make me mad because they were of the poor inspector variety. One situation was when the inspector knew the buyer's friend and was recommended by this friend to them, and the inspector brought things up in the inspection with the intent of helping the buyer ask the seller to fix it. These things weren't actually problems until he made them into problems. It created a whole lot of extra work for lots of people, and in the end the buyers were dissapointed when the seller refused to fix what they asked for.

Kevin, I have a very good home inspector. I've used his services since I started. He threatens to retire all the time, but until he does I'll continue to use him. Thanks for the reminder.

I haven't had too many CRAZY inspector stories.  One did kill a sale, but there was  a very serious problem and the seller was obviously trying to shield himself from ALL liability in  a rider to the contract.  We withdrew the offer.  For the most part I haven't had any nightmares - but I have heard horror stories. I've heard stories of inspectors that always "find" a deal busting problem on the first inspection and buyers think they are great because they "saved them" from a bad deal.  But said inspector almost always gives a thumbs up to the SECOND house.  I guess getting paid twice is better than getting paid once - but getting paid three times would be a bit too greedy!

Great comments,  as far as I'm concerned if the sellers are smart and the buyers are reasonable, there should be no "Deal Breaker" Inspections.

All the best for the Weekend!