I have the talk prior to writing the offer, again when home inspection is scheduled and yet again once we receive the inspection report.

We start having discussions about inspections, expectations, etc. when the home search begins. 

All homes are going to have problem.  Lets concentrate of the major issues.

That talk was held when the offer was being made!

Like Nina Hollander said that talk is done before and during the offer period. A home inspection to me should only be for major show stopping items that the buyer would have had no way of knowing.

I explain the home inspection to my buyers long before the inspection takes place.  

It is explained as a process to protect them not open the door to renegotiate the price!

Any home, even new construction, will have something wrong with it.  The trick is separating the things you can live with from the things you can't and then working with the seller to see what can be done.  Just remember, all homes are sold "as-is" and the seller isn't required to do ANY repairs.

I have a talk with my clients all through every step of the process

It's a part of the initial conversation and definitely reinforced during the offer preparation and in advance of the actual inspection(s).   Stuff still happens.  So do relatives, friends and other "experts" who "just want to help".  

Before, during and after, I am always on this subject one way or another

David,

I think everyone should have that talk, both with the buyer and the seller.  A

It may be best to have that talk during an initial meeting.

Before that time we have already discussed the purpose of the inspection and why it's important for them

I have a talk before the inspection with my buyer and when the listing agent with my seller. This is a horrible trend and finally sellers are saying no to buyers and the agents who practice this. 

I have a talk about the due diligence period and inspection at my initial consolation with buyers. 

Yes

I tell them that every home, whether its a resale or brand new are going to have issues. An inspection is done to understand the mechanics of the home, make sure the mechanical aspect of the property is in good condition, and identifies repairs that are needed to warrant the property. Only once have we had to negotiate on price and that was because of a major leak in the cooling system that soaked the ceiling of 2 rooms and the seller refused to pay to fix the leak. If you have a Professional Inspector, they word the issues in a way not to alarm the buyer. 99% of the sellers I have run into will fix major issues of the home. No questions asked.

Here on Long Island we have the home inspections before signing a contract. If the inspection doesn't turn out the way the buyers thought, no money has been exchanged. We're not looking to re-negotiate, we're concerned that their are no "hidden" issues...

Absolutely.

The inspection is another point of re-negotiation. Time to take measure of how much you want the house.  If you get greedy or decide to go stupid, I know that many agents pursue a solid backup immediately after signing the first place buyer. And since the seller and their agent rejected all efforts to make them see the inspection report or summary, the opportunity to use extortion won't work either.

"How much do you want the house?"

"But the inspector put reverse polarity outlets in RED letters!"

"When you used Big G to find an inspector and you choose RED LETTER INSPECTIONS, what exactly were you expecting?"

I have a talk with my buyers about everything and the inspection is an important part of it.

Ditto what Raymond E. Camp said.  

I do like to talk about what to expect and what to look for with the inspector.

I educate buyers in advance and offer “home inspection & safety consulting” to all my buyers at no charge. My buyers know a lot before the inspector ever shows up.

I do, and the inspectors I recommend are good at emphasizing what is important and what isn't.  If they show they are the type to renegotiate the price during inspection prior, I will let them go.  I don't play that game.

May be a consultation to buy a peace of confidence.  In our area it is always AS-IS.   

Hi David some clients it's appropriate to openly discuss some have their own intentions within regards to their response to the results.