Sontube duct work.  Didn't kill the deal but it was stressful.  Seller spent $16K to fix the issue.  I did a blog HERE about it complete with YouTube. 

An inspector once discovered that the house had a fire that had been undisclosed.  Many of the rafters in the attic were deemed unsafe.  Killed the deal for sure.

major structural problem with rotted sills.... alot of them....could not be removed in sections....too many feet of them....house needed to be jacked up.... the doors and windows did not shut properly...plaster was cracked.... a mess....ideal tear-down for a builder....it would be easier to start over!!

I had a client decide to cancel because "the lightswitch plate was too warm to the touch."   It literally killed the deal.   At the home inspection they brought their older parents and their own child.  I spent a lot of time watching the child as there were steps, a pool, etc.   One of the parents slipped inside the kitchen, fell and broke her nose.  Spent the next 30 minutes cleaning up blood.   In the end I believe that is why they cancelled but used the lightswitch as the excuse.   Poloybuthlene plumbing cancels a couple of deals when the seller (who was not aware they even had it for plumbing) would not pay to have it replaced, buyers cancelled.

Dealing with the tenants who do not want cooperate. If the tenants do not want to leave~ it creates a lot of troubles before showing and during the escrow. I had one time a very 'educated'(street smart, not academically) and very creative lady ( she did not work, did not pay rent, and made sure that she took full advantage of the seller and his property).

We have basements here Jeff. Cracked foundation in the basement wall causing a stream of water to come in every time it rained. We actually got passed it. There is a service that injects a Polymer into the crack and it really fixed it just fine.

Jeff Dowler CRS, We discover like Tammy Lankford we had charred studs that had not been disclosed and also part of the foundation was so deteriorated that you could put your hands through the wall. We called in a foundation expert who estimated it would cost $16k to repair this section. The Seller refused to pay for repairs and told us he knew nothing about a fire or the foundation. We walked and he sold it someone else without disclosing anything. 

I had one inspection that showed the foundation had slipped. It was an REO home and the buyer bailed. The bank paid an engineer to get it fized and it cost almost $10,000. Thank goodness the house sold again and the buyer was confident the house was sound and wasn't going to shift.

I would agree - structural issues with the foundation are real issues. And while every problem does have a solution, structural issues can be more than a buyer is willing to deal with.  

Aside from that, the other deal breaker is if a buyer is hoping to use inspection to renegotiate price -  not the time for it but it sometimes happens and the deal usually folds under the pressure.  I try to get ahead of this by explaining the inspection process and goals.

The worst I've seen was the basement/foundation of a 1905 home with flagstone basement walls that were crumbling and bulging.  The prospective buyer went on to hire a structural engineer who informed him that the foundation and footings were failing, a very expensive repair.  The buyer walked.

Foundation issues.  Had an engineer give a cost estimate and the sellers gave a credit.

How about a basement wall being heaved in by frost on two sides, with light visible between the cinderblocks on all other basement walls?  These structural problems, plus a host of needed electrical and cosmetic upgrades, made the deal a no-go.

One of my agents had a home in a rural area. When the private inspection was done the septic tank was located next door (on property the seller had divided and sold) The seller refused to pay to move it so of course our buyer cancelled. I do not know who would buy a home with the septic tank located on someone else's property......

Hi Jeff -- I was representing a buyer.  The seller stated that the home was connected to sewers and the house lot straddled two different cities -- one where septic systems were more common.  As part of the inspection process, my client discovered that there was indeed a septic system still on the property but it hadn't been pumped for years and was causing a great deal of damage.   The deal didn't come together -- the house went off the market for a few years before selling.  

My most recent one was a home that needed foundation repairs.  The seller had just come through the house and done a complete remodel.  They were going to have to tear up flooring, baths, etc. in order to do the foundation repair.  The seller was unwilling to do it.  I guess they just kept marketing the property until they found a buyer and agent who wouldn't care, or would not do the due diligence to make sure there were no major issues with the home.  We ran like the wind!

The ground floor condo, with a fantastic BIG WATER VIEW and dolphins visiting the shore as we were their had the buyers and me so enchanted that we had the offer written up and 10 minutes.

Only when the inspector arrived and pointed out NONE of the interior doors would close that we realized this unit is sitting on hollow ground.

The attorney for the association accused me of attempting a price beat down while in his possession was a 300 page engineering report stating the presence of soil evacuated beneath all of the ground floor units and would require remediation.

You bet it killed the deal.

Jeff Dowler CRS One of the biggest issues I've run across was with radon. The buyer insisted on doing a test for radon. It far exceeded the minimum standard at the time. The buyers were happy with my seller mitigating the problem. They did another test and the property closed.

2 WEEKS before closing...failed septic system $15,000 fix on a short sale...convinced the bank to credit the transaction and everyone lived happily ever after.

Structural issues have been the worst--in some cases we got it fixed and moved on. In several others, we cancelled the contract.

Mold in the basement. Pretty severe--all over the studs and then behind drywall in the finished portion of the basement. It killed the deal since the extent was unknown and buyer was not interested in ripping apart a finished basement.

Mold and yes it did kill the deal

The worst issue was a failed septic. It was my listing. The buyers did not like the new location for the sand mound as it would be in front of the house so they backed out. Another buyer bought it.

Basement wall caving in.  It is a very expensive repair.  If a home is structurally unsound move on to the next house.

Dishonest disclosure has killed several deals for sure. Mainly, undisclosed fire issues and poor repairs.

Cracked foundation, the seller had it repaired and we are moving forward.

Besides a foundation issue, the issue that causes the most problems in the septic systems.  Many times it kills the deal. Of course the big deal killer is finding out it was a meth house!

Jeff Dowler CRS - structural issue! And buyers let than home go! As such the home was more that 100 years old - and beautified!

None as serious as you all have had. One of the benefits to being in a newer town.

Structural issues are the worst!! Dealing with one now with roof and electrician problems, fairly easy fix just pricey!