In my state the standard contract used by realtors addresses this issue by allowing the agent to check a box specifically to limit the seller to keeping the EMD as opposed to going after "liquidated damages" like that.

Has anyone ever had a similar issue to this?

I keep a very healthy amount of reserves to avoid using my insurance unless I have a catastrophic issue.

This doesn't seem to be a seller's agent issue. 

Other than cost overruns and unforeseen issues, I think it's just a question of if this is worth it.

Bill her for the service call if they are no issues with furnace.

However, even issuing a five-day notice can be an important step before filing.

Helps with your debt to income, better opportunities at cash flow, and typically requires less down to purchase.In regards to challenges, I usually build in an extra 10-15% to deal with things that I can't see behind the walls, including dry rot, electrical or plumbing issues, etc.

The economy is not as stable as it appears, this is the type of event that can cause a tangible issue.

Quote from @Richa Wardhan: Regular lender financing, we have paid off 70% of our mortgage on the primary residence so we were loaned money without any issue.