I had one soooo bad I threw away my clothes when I got home and disinfected the car.

Oh yes! And what's really "scary" is that by the time an inspector, like yourself gets in, someone actually bought the house! Hopefully, they got a good discount!

Absolutely, and cannot wash my hands soon enough.  Many of my investors want to see the worst of the worst.

We all had our nightmares and flea bites.

Oh yes! The worst were some foreclosurers that I listed. I hired cleaners and charged the banks for them saying the condition was so unsanitary it could be a health hazard for any showings. 

Yes. I have seen some things, buyers refusing to go past the front door once we walked in.   I have seen mold so thick, you could scrap it off the walls with a spoon.  On another property, I saw a dead baby something furry, just inside a door way.  Got it outside, buyer still wanted to proceed, about 5 minutes later there was something very big in the duct space banging around we didnt stick around to see what it was.   I have seen drug paraphernalia left behind in vacant homes.  Last week we walked into a guest bedroom and there was a large adult toy sitting in a charger.  The buyers looked at me, I looked at them and at the same time said "time to go". 

Good question.

Yes, but did not want to use hand sanitizer, gross.  It's like rubbing all of the dirty nastiness all over you!

Yep many times.

I have walked into 2 that I can remember where I turned around and would not let my customers over the threshold.  One was full of piles of dog shxx and the other had so strong a cat urine odor I can still smell it.

Michael - Oh yes, more than once... especially between 2008 and 2012 with all the foreclosures, theft, graffiti, etc.

Yes, went in one that was empty and appeared that workers were laying flooring and either left for lunch or whatever (left tools in center of floor).  AS we closed the door minute later and were discussing the home, we realized the Buyer's white pants were moving on their own.  Looking down, we discovered all 3 of us were covered in fleas from ankle up to thighs...and newborn baby, in carrier, had some on her!  AWFUL!

yes, I have been there...are you in Elkhart?

Yes, on several occasions.  Smell, clutter, mold, you name it!

Yes. And I did take a shower afterwards and throw my shoes out.

There was three inches of dried dog poop throughout the hallway. There was a pile of hair in the bathroom where the owner had been cutting his own hair and saving it. The shower was functional so you know the person living there hadn't been using it.

There was so much stuff in the living room and kitchen that I couldn't get to the windows to open the drapes and I couldn't get within five feet of the kitchen. No power was on. I had to find my way around with a flashlight.

The smell of filth and something else was so overpowering. Then I found out that the owner had died in the house. His body was in there for over a week. No one had cleaned the house since the body had been removed. This house had just been foreclosed on. There wasn't a piece of dog poop in the entire yard. It was all in the house. A neighbor said he lived there for about three years and had never seen a dog, but he had heard one. What does that tell you?

I didn't list this house, but another REO agent in my area did. The bank made all people looking at the house sign a waiver before they went in. It was that bad. 

Yes I was a listing agent for REOs and talk about disgusting. The smells and roaches everywhere and maggots in the meat in the fridge will make you sick to your stomach.

Oh sure...as well as someone smoked filled ones that make me feel the same way.  It makes me wnat to jump in a pool...and have the chlorine help.

Oh Yes!  I was in a HUD home that was boarded up and the carpet looked like it was moving.  It was nasty!

Yes, I have, and it leaves me with the hjeebees jeebees  and the creepy crawlies all mixed up together. 

Michael, I have been in few houses needed overall cleaning.

Yes, it makes you wonder how people can live like that and not die! Sometimes the smell is so bad it stays with you, yuck. Can hardly wait to get home to take a shower.

Ha!  The answer is yes and that is when we were looking to buy a home.  Dirty plates and pots and pans in the sink.  Carpet never vacuumed much less cleaned with a shampooer. Yep!  People live differently.

and that's one more reason that I always loved new construction....I gave my resales to other agents when I was working for a living!!

Michael- I was asked to provide a consultation for a house whose exterior was excellent.  However once inside it was a different story.  There were 5 dogs over 40 pounds that had the run of the house and furniture.  On one large sofa, the largest of the dogs was allowed to sleep on one end of it, and you can guess what it did on the other end.  

After I left I threw everything I was wearing in the washer and took a shower. 

Picture this.  Houston. July.  Refrigerator full of meat.  No electricity for 3 YEARS.  My investor was so proud of that one!  I thought someone had died in it.

Before my husband and I built our home, we looked at hundreds of homes. The agent we were working with took us to a home that you could smell cat urine from the drive way. She insisted several times we go in even when I told her I didn't want to because of the smell. As we were walking up the walkway you could see flies covering the windows. I had a baby in a carrier at the time and I refused to go in there for her health and my own. And I knew there was NO WAY I'd ever live in a place like that, cleaned up or not. My husband went in out of curiosity of course. I told the agent that if she ever showed us a house like that again we'd be through with her services.

Yes I had one REO listing that had mold growing from basement to 2nd floor walls and ceilings. I restricted showings and made buyers and agents sign a release to enter at own risk.

I also remember when I was a social worker and I went to a home and saw the most unusual poka dotted wall paper. Then I noticed the dots moving on the wall and I got creaped out because there were roaches all over the place.

Absolutely I have, one was sooo bad, I didn't want to get back in my car with those clothes, I did remove my shoes and placed them in a bag. Smelly, full of dog s..., cat urine smell and piles and piles of junk..ewww

Yes -- and I have.  

I have been in houses that leave one reaching for a facemask to avoid the mold or a smoking smell that I know will be on my clothes/hair/and follow me the rest of the day!  If there is mold, there is no physical way to stay in that house. I have become so sensative to it, it's almost an immediate head ache.  If it's a seller whose house has a smoke smell, I can suck it up for a while but it gets difficult.

Absolutely, but there a few in particular which stand out. I have some investors who seem to prefer the home in its absolutely worst condition possible. I have been in homes where the carpet and padding had been ripped out and thrown out in the driveway due to cat urine. They did seem to overlook the pet urine drenched stairway runner, not to mention dog poop all over the carpet which existed. Shoes went into a plastic bag and I threw them out as soon as I arrived home. 

Yep, it didn't turn any heads when I put on rubber gloves and coveralls because I am an inspector.