Sometimes, real estate transactions become adversarial.  It might be, for example, a result of negotiating on price, or negotiating home inspection findings.

But sometimes, buying and selling can be as pleasant as can be... when buyers and sellers both have a desire and willingness to be reasonable.

The home inspection findings and their resolution is where things often go extremely well, or extremely poorly.

Certainly, every buyer is disappointed to discover new detrimental details about the home they are planning to purchase - but keep in mind, these details are typically news to the seller as well.

When a mid-size needed repair comes to light as a result of a home inspection... for example something that would cost $2,500... a buyer could...

1.  Request that such a repair be made or that the seller provide a $2,500 credit.

2.  Request that the repair be made, but in a much broader sense, or a replacement instead of a repair, or a $10,000 credit.  Even without providing specifics, I think you get the idea.  Sometimes a buyer makes a much larger request than the inspection finding merits.

But let's say, for a moment, that the buyer went with the first path, a reasonable request.  A seller then could...

1.  Verify the cost of the repair with a professional, confirm that it would be about $2,500 and offer to either complete the repair or provide a $2,500 credit.

2.  Tell the buyer the inspection finding is no big deal, it doesn't need to be addressed, and ask them if they want to buy the house or not because they are not willing to make any repairs or offer any credits.

In both scenarios (buyer's choice of response or seller's choice of response) either option (1 or 2) is permissible... as the appropriateness of any given request or response is highly subjective.

I'm not here to say that all buyers and sellers should always take each of the path #1 choices above... but if buyers and sellers start with a goal of being reasonable with the other party in the transaction, then negotiating challenging inspection findings doesn't have to be too terrible after all.