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Please tell me what I am up against?

3K views 31 replies 17 participants last post by  frugalfranny 
#1 ·
Ok.......some of this might be known from other posts.......but.....background:

For about 3 months, as time permitted, I have been looking at CL for house. (couple different areas) I would say just 'sort of' serious, according to what else was going on.

Two weeks ago I contacted an 'acquaintance' that I knew was in RE, sent her my 'list' of 'wants and d/n want' and we talked.
She sent me five..........I rejected 4 right out of the gate.......looked at one, rejected that. She knows me and I have been VERY UP FRONT that I am going to be SUPER PICKY...........it isn't REAL IMPORTANT THAT I MOVE........am just at a crossroads and it would be a good time.

Went to MY FIRST EVER open house over the weekend...........rejected that within 5 minutes of entering---was checking something from the pics on the computer.........my friend that was with me (that has PAST RE agent exp.) said that I sort of got the 'hard sell' from the guy.........

Saw a couple homes on CL......but had to give them my email (set up a totally new one just for RE)........and am now getting a DAILY listing............MUCH OF WHICH DON'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO MATCHING ANY OF MY CRITERIA.........

So...................CLUE ME IN HERE...............from all of you that have past RE agent experience what am I in for??????? HELP!!!!

I LITERALLY have never worked with a RE agent before............and yes, I have owned, and do own homes!!! My "purchases" have just come about.........too long to go into........I lived here for two years before I bought it....trust me, you wouldn't believe the story!! :laugh:

Are very many of them "pushy"? Do they REALLY LISTEN to what you want? Or does it all fall back to just the bottom line??? What should I watch for? Should I just 'let them have it' when they are pushing CRAP on me..........how 'forthright' have you been in your house search? (I am talking about when they try to tell you the roof has another 10 years on it..................AND YOU ARE LOOKING AT CURLED UP SHINGLES!!)

My friend told me to think of them just like a used car salesperson!! Not very nice.......but she was trying to warn me..........even my 'acquaintance' sent me one home style that was SPECIFICALLY on my "deal breaker" list!!

In short............I am about one month into a serious home search and am so pissed/frustrated that I could just give up.......and remodel instead.

And I SERIOUSLY think some builders should just be shot!! IE: This house I looked at this weekend..........I could have stood on the balcony and SPIT over the fence into the next back yard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is what I was checking according to pics on CL.
 
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#2 ·
last time we worked with RE agents was 22 years ago, I found them mostly dreadful. We also had requirements, which they ignored.

Thank heavens for the internet, where you can do research yourself before wasting a trip to see a property. Can't tell you how many times I liked the picture on the listing, only to find out, no, that is not their driveway in front of the house, that is the main road. (We wanted privacy).

Now you can Google Earth any location, see the neighbors, (well their houses anyway) and check out the area.

I would say, stand your ground, if you interview a new RE agent, start by telling them how awful the other agents have been, and conclude, "I hope YOU won't be like that..."
 
#3 ·
They can be highly variable, anywhere from sweet to extremely rude. Have to remember these people are in sales. The one working with you to buy a house gets a cut, just as the one selling the house to you does. It's all commission work, the more houses and the faster they sell the more money they get.

If you're 'just looking' right now I wouldn't expect a very committed level of service. Once you sign the contract with the RE it's in their best interests to find you what you want asap.
 
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#4 ·
Why should a buyer have to sign a contract?

Remember, agents work for the seller, not the buyer. They're also paid a percentage, so the more money they can get for the house, the more they make, so they're going to try to get the most out of you they can both for themselves and the sellers.

I agree with looking online first. Then call the listing agent and ask to see the house. And I also agree with looking at Google Earth to get a feel for the neighborhood. AND drive yourself to the neighborhood before you meet the agent so he or she can drive you. Agents will take you the long way around if it means they can keep you from seeing something undesirable that's nearby.
 
#5 ·
The one we worked with in the 90's was pushing house that were more than we knew we could afford. The one we are working with now is awesome! I told him exactly what I wanted and nothing has ever been pushed on me. I think one big difference is he is a buyers agent. If we didnt specify we wanted him as a buyers agent and sign a contract as such then he automatically worked for the seller. In our state he is required by law to point out any downsides or flaws he sees.

He knew I wanted the house we are buying bad and as a buyers agent it is his job to help us negotiate the best deal possible. He sure did his job. I would never look at a property again without using a buyers agent. The two experiences were like night and day!!!
 
#6 ·
My first house buying in 2002 was my first experience with RE. I told him straight out what I was willing to pay, I got preapproval (for a higher amount) and explained that I was looking for small houses - less than 1100 sq ft in a particular city but not in the city limits. The first day out he took me to 4 houses that met that criteria and I put a bid on one that I fell in love with. He actually was trying to talk me into looking at more but I knew it was the house for me – it was 950 sq ft. Well I lived there several years and left the house in the divorce. We were way upside down because of remodeling and taking out equity. My ex had to refi and I took both rv and car.

A couple years later after some bad apartment situations, I realized that the market was a great time for buyers. And could pay less than rent with buying

I started looking around, got my va entitlement reinstated, and thought I had found another RE (my first guy had relocated to FL or I would have used him). I had to get rid of a RE who just would not listen to what I was saying. After the 3rd house she showed us that was exactly opposite as to what we said we were looking for I realized that this lady didn't want to hear us she only wanted to hear herself talking. I was not going to waste my time with someone who was deaf to my needs. She also said that she would NOT put any bids on short sales ( I bought in 2010 – short sales were everywhere).

I asked around work and got a referral to a RE who had worked with a coworkers mom. He was fabulous. I honestly used alot of the online tools previously mentioned.

I had very specific requirements for my new house also. Small size, within 5 miles of my office, not in city limits (there are several municipalities right near here that have extra read as in almost double taxes as areas that are just in the county, I wanted to live within the county (I work for county gov- not a requirement but I like living in the county I work for). I knew this would be my house for next 16 years then we are retiring to Mexico where my husband is from (hence the short commute and low price I was willing to pay). I went out scouting with a friend at lunch and then I called up the guy and said this is a great house - when can I see the inside. I went out with the RE the next day and I loved the house and still do. It has been the best financial decision I've made up to this point. The RE was surprised by the smallness (it's 575 sq ft) 2 bedroom house built in 1938. He kept saying wow this is so small - and I kept saying yes I know isn't it great. I had been looking a building a katrina cottage. The thing is that we don’t like clutter and don’t like a lot of stuff. Our house feels big to us but it is a huge difference when you walk in my neighbors houses because they have sofa sets and matching tables etc – there just is not enough room and you feel closed in you barely have room to walk.

All that aside – the second guy was fabulous. Once he realized that I was set on this house after about 5 minutes of my jumping up and down giving him a hug and saying that this was the best house ever. We wrote the contract. I got my house on a short sell so that did make a bit more work for him. I put the contract in August and closed in November ( which is an amazing timeline for a short sale at least in 2010) and I know it’s because this guy was on top of it – of course I would call or email for updates. But he listened. He answered questions. He was not pushy. He helped us get the best house for us. Now granted I only paid 67,500 for this house so he did not get a huge commission (because it’s based on the house price) but he did a bang up job and even told me that he was happy to help us/work with us because in the future we might want something bigger and also he gets most of his work from recommendations.

(I was paying 935 for one bedroom roach infested horrible apartment and I pay 560 for 2 bedroom house including taxes and insurance). My house is my avatar (not my cars in the picture)

Don’t take the BS from those RE that are not listening /working in your favor. There are lots more out here that are good. If I had kept that lady I would not be in the happy situation that I’m in now.
 
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#19 ·
Thanks jos...........hadn't done this.

Did it last night..........and was flabbergasted at the prices they think they will get! There were two that I WAS GOING TO LOOK AT........until I looked at my assessor site...........they are WAY ABOVE the assessed tax rate.......and homes here are having trouble pulling the assessed rate..........WHAT???? I am talking about $40,000 ABOVE.............that is a bit much I would say. Might contact them........just to see what they would say when I mention it.

Is this TYPICAL with the FSBO?
 
#8 ·
In the late 90's we used a buyer broker. At 1st like you, we went insane & finally had to lay down the law. My DH insisted on either a very large garage or enough land to build one. At 1st he was showing us ridiculous stuff. Then we spoke up and from then on he would send us the info with a pic via email and we would drive by. If we were interested from there we would call & set up a look. Then the guy started "always being late." By the time it came to our house to look at I refused to get out of the car the guy was 1 hour late & I was pissed. It ended up working in our favor bcuz the woman came home thinking we'd already be gone. So, we got to meet her and she seemed to liked us. The house was on the market 1 day and both us & the next viewer put bids in. We got it. I think you need to stand your ground and in time may find what you're looking for. Good Luck!!
 
#9 ·
Thanks all....good feedback.

Then, my NEXT QUESTION is............say I go to an open house and find a house I like...........should I then "involve" the gal that I initially talked to about RE? I have told her that I was looking in another area.......so she knows that. (she is on vacation this week and said she would get back to me at the first of next week)

I know they are on commission and I don't want to mess her over with it..........but how is this done? I have signed no buyer contract with her or anything. We have just talked on the phone and she emailed me some homes. I haven't even had her show me anything,in person, yet.
 
#11 ·
we went through a few real estate agents b/c we were "taking too long" to decide what we wanted.:)
:thud: WHAT? You mean after X length of time they just up and tell you "you are taking too long"............damn.......I would have a few words about that!!

I just feel like I am entering a whole new world with this............so weird.

My RE pal and I have talked and both agree...............I can move at any time........don't have to worry about schools, etc. So about Oct. when everyone is in a panic that they haven't sold.........I will just be hanging around to buy. CHEAP!!

I do have real specifics that I want........and created a list I sent her: Must haves........deal breakers.........and not deal breakers but a negative......and pluses...........she laughed. And I have added to it this week.

If I can't find what I want by spring I will just start my remodel on this place.......but would really prefer to move. Either way this will be remodeled.........it is just how it will be done, which is one part of my crossroads right now.
 
#12 ·
If you haven't signed any paperwork/contracts/agreements then I think you can use any agent you'd like to buy your home. It would be courteous of you to give her the sale since you've enlisted her help BUT you're not committed. MY MIL is in RE and tells me horror stories of how people want her help to look but then go behind her back and buy with another agent.

If you went to the open house and liked what you saw and your agent is unavailable (and you didn't sign anything binding) then why not see if the listing agent would act as both? (selling agent and your purchasing agent)

As for being sent listings you do not like and do not meet your criteria - have a serious chat with her and let her know that you're not happy with the results and that you feel shes wasting both of your time. If she continues, you will have no problem seeking out another agent that would be a better fit for your needs.
 
#13 ·
~We're working with a Buyer's Agent now and yes, we signed a contract with him. I thought it was odd too but the contract is really just a good faith promise that the agent will be paid for their work. In our contract we agreed to a one year representation with the agreement to pay the agent a percentage of the purchase price on a house out of our pocket if we bought a place off-the-market from an owner in a sneaky way. He'd have to find that out on his own but we wouldn't do that. Basically the contract was just an assurance that we were honest buyers.
I prefer this arrangement to meeting a random agent to view a property in NJ. We worked a little bit with two different agents in 2010 and 2011. Those guys were nice but very stand-off-ish. I can understand why they wouldn't want to invest a lot of time in a buyer they had no assurance would follow through to their own pay-out.
Now, we got soooo lucky with our agent it is unreal. I saw a house listed down the street from our rental and looked it up online. Several sites had the listing up so I sent emails to two or three different realtors through those sites to get a showing. Our agent was the first responder. We had such a nice conversation on the phone before the showing and had an excellent rapport in person. Just a nice young Christian father of 2 and one on the way. Lots in common and he immediately understood our needs and wants.
Now, that's not to say we weren't sent properties to review that didn't entirely match our criteria. That is due to the constraints of the search listing software the MLS or agency uses. For example, the search engine could not eliminate corner or intersection properties or screen for distance from DH's workplace from results that met our other criteria so I had to Google Earth a lot of stuff to eliminate those myself. In the olden days, a buyer's agent would personally review each property and send only the ones that exactly match your criteria. Of course, this also means they might have been eliminating cheaper properties or ones they personally didn't care for. Agents had more time for such things back when. That's what our buyer's agent was like in NJ back in 2000. The amount of work an agent puts in now doing things other than personally screening properties is astounding, especially in a place like we are, with 1000's of properties changing hands every month. The paperwork to buy has tripled since we bought in 2000. The inspections and rules and sign-offs and scheduling of experts has also tripled. Our agent stays one step ahead, keeping everything going. Our agent has arranged and been to 23 showings with us. The seller's agents and owners for the most part were not present and that's the best way to see a property. He showed up for inspections. He even drove the 30 miles to our property to dig out the septic access before the inspection after the plat maps showed it as being hidden. I had no idea there were agents this dedicated!
Anyway, you need to get a real buyer's agent. They should take your criteria and put it into the MLS and it should generate results daily right to your inbox. Our agency also allows me to create my own searches from different criteria and have those results sent to me daily as well.
In a place where contracts with agents isn't done, I would just state outright that the agent had 1-2 weeks to impress me or I'd move on to someone else who wanted to work for me. This shows that you're a serious shopper and worth their time.~
 
#14 ·
You owe them nothing. I ran 6 agents around at a time. None of them knew about the other. Choose a full time agent that makes a living at it. We fired our part time agent because she was rude and balked because I changed my baby. In my vehicle and she wasn't any trouble.
The second house i got was for sale by owner and they were flakey too. She wanted to tell me where to put the furniture and what church to go to and about her Ds who was a soap opera star =who cares lady.
 
#16 ·
In my area (WV) the real estate companies publish their listings in the paper each week. If you want to see one you call them and they meet you there and you look. Most people here don't use a buyer's agent but this is a small area.

When we wanted to move back to my hometown we hired an agent and put our house up for sale. She was beyond obnoxious and pushy. She assured us she could sell our house in one month. We signed a 60 day contract with her. In those 60 days she showed the house ONCE! When the contract was up we chose not to renew it. I went out and bought For Sale By Owner signs and put them up. In one day we had all kinds of calls. On the second day we had someone stop and ask to look at it. They ended up buying it. She asked me why we hadn't listed it with a realtor and we told her we had but they didn't show it or anything so we didn't renew. She asked which one and we told her. She told us they had been in to that office three times in the last month and they had never ONCE mentioned our house to them and it was exactly what they wanted. Then the realtor later called and threatened to sue us for selling it within a month of leaving her. I laughed and told her to go ahead. The contract stated if we sold within a month to someone they had SHOWED THE HOUSE TO we had to pay her a commission. Guess she thought I was too stupid to read a contract. She has since been in a legal trouble for making shady deals,etc.

When we moved here the agent who had the house sent someone to show it to us who had never even been here. He was 30 minutes late for our appointment because he got lost. He didn't know where the property boundaries were or anything about the house. His reply to our questions was "I'm just here to unlock the door and let you in to see it." Later we were speaking to another realtor in our area about a different house and he told us he could show us this house even though it wasn't listed with him and then if we bought it the other realtor had to split the commission with him. He had sold the house to the previous owner and knew everything about it so we did that. Needless to say, the other realtor wasn't really happy but I didn't care lol.

I have a feeling a lot of them are extremely pushy right now due to the bad housing market. People aren't buying and banks aren't giving loans, etc so they need to really push to get something sold and make a living. However I wouldn't stand for it. I'd tell them right up front that this is what I want, this is what I will NOT stand for and show me what I want or you are gone! I'd also do as much research on the property as I could myself. That way you'd know before hand if you want to go see it or not.

As for your friend, if she out of town and you find a house you really love while she is gone I wouldn't pay her. As long as she had nothing at all to do with finding the house, etc then she didn't earn a commission.
 
#18 ·
In my area (WV) the real estate companies publish their listings in the paper each week.

Later we were speaking to another realtor in our area about a different house and he told us he could show us this house even though it wasn't listed with him and then if we bought it the other realtor had to split the commission with him. He had sold the house to the previous owner and knew everything about it so we did that. Needless to say, the other realtor wasn't really happy but I didn't care lol.

I have a feeling a lot of them are extremely pushy right now due to the bad housing market.

.
THANKS WVmomof2, again, your stories help "educate" me!!!

our paper is so crappy here I don't think they bother...........but I will pick one up this Sunday just to check. Have been just using CL so far (and email with pal)
and keeping my eyes open while running errands for the signs posted.

Think I best be checking on some WA state laws to make sure I don't cross any lines..........nothing signed yet, but wouldn't want to end up in court over my stupidity!! And guess hungry RE agents could be vicious!!!
 
#17 ·
Thanks Libby, nuisance, frugalw..............

from what you have said I think I had best have a 'more serious' chat with my pal in RE. I think she only works it part time.........not sure. I want her to understand that I am serious. Have signed nothing, and not sure I would. I sure wouldn't sign something stating a year contract.

I will let her know that I went to the open house, and picked up some other flyers, maybe this will help get my point across.........especially since nothing in writing. I think she knows me well enough to know that I wouldn't waste that kind of time unless I was serious. (I know some people go around to open houses as a hobby...............NOT ME!) Will also let her know that I had to "register" with the one site to see more info on the two homes.

I appreciate all the 'stories' from your past experience.........it helps me learn what to watch for.......and this is all new to me.

Josantro, if the people that I share my 'house qualifications' with then ignored it........not sure what I would do. It is VERY SPECIFIC........down to the desirable and minimal acceptable square footage!! And as I see things while looking on the net, I will add to it.

Any other hints.............stories..........facts, etc..............MUCH APPRECIATED!! TIA!!!
 
#20 ·
FF type their listings into Zillow,download and show them. Ask why their property is special. I can't pay for sentimentality be it a G.sale or house. A lot of people don't like what they hear from brokers and think they can do it better. We did sell w/o but adjusted and said get a lawyer to check out your deal and explain the 7% savings she got initially. The lawyer was to protect us from her single mother ignorance of being a first time buyer.

True story -DH accepted $100. to hold the house for 30 days (hes a softy). We didn't hear from her and put it back up. Her lawyer called on why was the sign up. I blasted that a $100. doesn't hold a car and we had put a bid on another house. That this was my primary investment in life and that this wasn't a game. Apparently,she was borrowing from her mom who was holding her up as the CD was maturing. REALLY! no notification. Softy still sold it to her. Not my thoughts at all.
 
#21 ·
FF type their listings into Zillow,download and show them. Ask why their property is special. .
I think I will call one......at least.......just out of curiosity. I was also reading an article that was saying about 89% of FSBO homes don't sell.......not sure where she got her numbers.......but at pricing like that I can understand why.

ANOTHER THING I noticed............one had had a LOT of remodel done.............WITHOUT PERMITS............now what is THAT going to do for me as a buyer? They were listing it at a certain bedroom/bathroom size in the selling ad (and it had them).................and the TAX BASIS has it one less bedroom and bathroom. It WAS a pretty nice house...............but..........what? Someone is going to get screwed in this deal.............and I don't want it to be me!!!
What happens???????? At some point it is re-assessed..............and then what???

Picked up a couple of the 'freebie newspapers' today.......and a couple RE 'catalogs'......while at the store.........will see what they have.
 
#22 ·
that actually happened to the buyer of my home. We did a lot of remodeling. If it needed a permit we got one but other things we removed/remodeled.improved werent reqiured to be permitted. The city did a walk thru but I kept my blinds drawn. We had a new kitchen,remodeled upstairs,etc. So when she mortgaged she got hit hard w/ taxes. I think it actually knocked her out of owning it. She did sell it w/in 2 years.
 
#23 ·
. So when she mortgaged she got hit hard w/ taxes. I think it actually knocked her out of owning it. She did sell it w/in 2 years.
That is what I was thinking could happen. There is NO WAY I could know what the taxes would be until I was 'committed'.

As I recall you are supposed to get a permit here for almost anything.............they want their money.........but so many people don't it is crazy. The inspector that drives around probably catches one in 200 people doing things.

I didn't find out for YEARS that my prior roof contractor must not have gotten a permit-------though I KNOW I paid for one-----as the tax assessment still had me down as having cedar shake............not good when I was talking to ins. companies! They DO NOT like cedar shake in this area! Was not pleased with that deal. Wasn't living here then.............to supervise.......learned that lesson!
 
#24 ·
I just saw this question and had to act. I'm in similar situation -- cannot afford house I currently have due to under-employment after disabling health condition. Dealt with many trespassing incidents and vandalisms due to former relationship. Things got worse couple of years ago when friend of this person moved in next door....I've run up a sizable second mortgage just dealing the usual crap that breaks (old house, pets and vehicle) plus all the problems from this former relationship(vandalisms/trespass). I was hoping this one would get bored but that is not the case at 8 years and counting...exhausted all court options...attorney options...police help and still having troubles near holidays -- found out this one was insane after a 'friend' introduced us. She didn't want to deal with him any longer... he has a history of violence and no need to work due to parent's money. I get heckled and verbally abused when leaving the house by some people who socialize with this friend of stalker who lives next door.

Sorry...on and on. I'm not living in a healthy situation. It just feels disgusting now.

I used a seller's agent when I purchased this place. Looking back, the realtor handled this place in shady way then I learned I had bought a place with undisclosed termite history. Also learned I should NEVER take my parents looking at anything...when I purchased this place, I needed no financial help to buy it. Now I do and will be moving to an apartment after this probably as their decision making abilities are so poor, I regreted so many things in which they poke their noses. I've cleaned up way too many things my control freak mother has messed up so I just know better now.

I have looked at houses in farther-out suburbs and couple of hours away as a backup plan. Unfortunately, it's cheaper for someone who has been financially decimated to purchase a house than to rent an apartment. (Staying with parents would be VERY temporary if at all possible. Rest of family parties with you but are only fair-weather family despite being loaded yet have no end to their criticisms.) I have made some buyer's agent contacts in each county. AFter what happened with my first home, I'm using a buyer's agent.

HUD/FHA ($100 down program/203k renovation loans) and USDA Rural Housing and Fannie Mae (HomePath) have some great home buying deals now throught October. The number of qualifying homes is limited but may be worth a look. Do always get the financing in order before you even shop...it will just stress you out more. All homes sold with any real estate representatives have a 6% commission deducted from the sale price. If two agents (buy and seller) are involved, the commission is split 3% and 3%.

I use the bigger (Nat'l) companies for realtors and auctioneers for my current home. I just pick an employee who appears to be at least 35 so I know they are not new to this field. A quick google of their name will bring up any complaints. Do check Better Business Bureau also.

Some buyer's agents will want you to sign a contract stating intent to only purchase a home through this agent during a selected contract time period. This is your decision...you will probably get slower service if you ask to see a dozen homes but won't sign a representation contract...if the realtor has been helpful in showing you all the homes you have asked to see and picked a few additional homes for you to view, I would not consider the contract a problem unless it states you must pay a fee if you do not purchase ANY home from this realtor within the time period covered by contract.

Good luck!
 
#26 ·
FF-could you just go to the assessors office and ask? I would try. ?
I thought about calling them yesterday and 'questioning' the process and what happens.........then got busy and didn't.

I might call the two owners this weekend and see what they say.

:laugh: Can't decide if I am up for any more open houses or not this weekend........don't have any on 'my' schedule but never know what I will find. The gal I am working with comes home tomorrow and she said she would email me. I have a couple MLS numbers for her to check.

boy.........am I SPOILED.........my other home purchases were so fast.......so smooth........this one could be interesting.
 
#27 ·
When i bought this house, the agent was very good, brought me houses that were rather close to what I wanted. I had no complaints.

Remember the agent is the agent for the seller. With the market being bad in many areas, they are going to be pushy.

You might want to retain someone to be your agent for the purposes of buying. Not all agents will do this. If you are not highly motivated to buy, it might not be worth it. To be honest, I don't remember exactly how they are compensated.
 
#28 ·
Remember the agent is the agent for the seller. With the market being bad in many areas, they are going to be pushy.

You might want to retain someone to be your agent for the purposes of buying. Not all agents will do this. If you are not highly motivated to buy, it might not be worth it. To be honest, I don't remember exactly how they are compensated.
Funny that this post should pop up when I came in here......................I AM LIVID RIGHT NOW!!!

My "acquaintance" got home from vaca. and sent me three listings...............EVERY SINGLE ONE HAD LESS SQ. FOOTAGE THAN I AM WILLING TO ACCEPT...................was ON MY LIST that I sent to her.........and she sent them anyway. One was 1/2 of what I am living with now!!! I am not out to buy a damn closet!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of the 'five original' listings she sent.............one was a style that was on my 'deal breaker' list..............so now we are DOWN to 50% acceptable rate for the listings. If this is what I am going to get...................FORGET IT! I am tempted to tell her to not spend any more of her 'valuable time'........
I did write back and tell her than I had gone to an open house...........picked up the freebie papers.........and looking at FSBO...........now sure what her comment will be to that.
 
#29 ·
It depends on what state you are in whether your agent is working for you or the seller. They now have buyer agents. Best thing to do unless a person has cash is to get preapproved for a loan. A lot of agents won't even work with someone until they have that paper in hand, too many people just want to see inside of someone's house, agents work by commission not by an hourly wage. If an agent is too pushy, get a new agent, the agent works for you. This is a huge decision, don't have buyers remorse because someone wanted a sale.
 
#30 ·
Have you found a house yet? We bought this house in April, 2012, after 6 months of looking. I searched with the help of three different real estate agents. I have lots of real estate agent stories - both buying and selling - but I won't bore you.

This is my side of it ... a real estate agent earns their money when it comes to writing the offer, making sure the inspections get done, and getting me to the closing on time and without a hitch. The real estate agent talks to the sellers (or buyers if I'm selling) nicely when all I want to do is bite their head off. They get the message across while also keeping the deal active. That's it. I can find the house I want to buy - usually without the real estate agent's help - although they come in handy when I need a key or pass code.

This house that we just bought? It as a FSBO. They didn't have a real estate agent; we did - thank goodness! I gladly paid her commission.

So find a real estate agent that knows their stuff. Anybody can pull a listing and get you in. It takes a professional to be your go-between and be the person who works in your favor. BTW, IF you sign a contract, make sure it specifies that the real estate agent is working IN YOUR BEST INTEREST and they are not working for the other party.
 
#32 ·
Have you found a house yet? .
Not for sure..............found one in my second area of looking, that I REALLY want to see. Now it is just getting there to see it........with what I can tell of the pics, I REALLY like everything about the house, but want to see 'the bones' for myself and check out the neighborhood.....just see it IN PERSON.

Haven't found SQUAT to look at in this area...........either they are on a busy street, corner lot, or too small or.................blah....blah........you know how it goes. And I will be THE FIRST to admit.............I am being SUPER PICKY...........I KNOW what I want!!

I have noted the prices are dropping............the open house, that I referred to earlier in this post and went to, has been dropped $9000...........they were over priced to begin with!

I have 'registered' at a couple of other sites so I am getting more homes sent to my email..............that helps.

I guess if the other one doesn't sell before I get there...............it was meant to be.
 
#31 ·
These are the websites I found useful:

Zillow - Real Estate, Homes for Sale, Recent Sales, Apartment Rentals
Trulia - Real Estate, Homes for Sale, Apartments for Rent, Local data
Washington Real Estate, Oregon Real Estate, Idaho Real Estate, John L Scott (If you're in the area that I suspect you are)

Check out the property on bing.com, too - for good bird's eye views.

I also had a friend tell me about a website that gives you direct access to the MLS. I wish I could remember the name for you. Ask your RE friend if she knows.
 
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