Good, Bad & Ugly

During most home inspections, I find typical issues such as maintenance items or general improvement suggestions. But on occasion, I find some concerns that clients don't want to deal with, or just can't afford to. These types of concerns could be structural issues, moisture penetration in the basement or electrical items.
One such inspection comes to mind; I recently did an inspection on a home with a crawl space that was wet. It also did not have a proper foundation, but had a wood skirt around the exterior made of different materials, nearly all was rotting! The house was being supported by concrete blocks sitting on bare ground under the floor joists. Bare wet earth will cause the floor and framing system to rot over time, as the moisture will evaporate upwards into the building. There was some bowing of an exterior wall that was worrisome but this was just another of many issues with the house, much to the relief of her trying so hard to be supportive dad, my client walked away from the deal.
Incredibly though her sales agent seemed to be upset with me for delivering the news and was, in my opinion, quite rude and confrontational. At the end of the day, I sleep sound knowing I do my job as honestly and thoroughly as I can.
Home inspectors are trying to help people with what is usually the most expensive and long-term purchase of someones life. We need to be conscious of the ramifications of not doing this to the best of our abilities. A smart person once said "If in doubt, Bow out". Good advice in my opinion.