Expansive soil problems are driven by changes in soil moisture, the soil will expand and contract during wet cycles.

If the smell is purely due to moisture, Home Depot sells DampRid in various scents.

Investors in my area capitalize on dog friendly and it isn't cheap to own a dog and rent.Cedar fencing is a NW thing.. they use pine in the deep south east.. and fences get destroyed quickly by the sun and moisture etc.

He fears there could be a wet basement but Im not seeing signs of moisture in the pics.

Structural work is the most concern, basement units floor angles in, bowing walls, underneath the house looks to have a lot of moisture.

I am worried that he will try to sabotage my appraisal if he is in the property and I really need to fix the issue of moisture ASAP. 

There are several areas of moisture damaged wood on the exterior siding/trim that need to be repaired/replaced.

The other issue is that too much moisture in your heating vents can promote mold/mildew growth. 

Afterwards, I will encapsulate the floor to block moisture.

Also, be very careful in reading the language of the fine prints in the coverage and exceptions.I am in Florida and I know my policy does not cover the "repair" of pipe leaks but does cover damages caused by sudden and unexpected leaks.So if a leak happens underground below your slab, the cost to remove the tiles/carpet/wood flooring, breaking up the slab, tearing up the baseboard, excavating to the location of breakage, are all covered, then the actual repair, which might be a $300 simple job, NOT covered, then to lay down a bed of gravel, refill, compaction, termicide application, moisture barrier, repour concrete and reinforcement, new flooring, new baseboards, painting etc...are again covered.