Default User wrote:
46erjoe wrote:

WOW! What a bunch of great ideas and tips. Thanks everybody.
I'm going through a realtor who unfortunately works for the company
selling the home. So he is in the employ of the seller, not me the
buyer.



I hate to tell you this, but the buying agents ALWAYS work for the
seller. Why? Because you don't pay them, they get a split of the
commission.
That was true but nowdays many states, not all, have Buyer's Brokers in
addition to the traditional Seller's Brokers. Also, some states have
Dual Brokers to handle situations such as a large brokerage house that
is both buying and selling houses. And still worse, there are Neutral
Brokers in some states. Call your state Division of Registration for
Real Estate and ask!

Very often a "Buyer's Broker" is just another name for the buyer's
attorney. All buyers should employ technical advisers such as home
inspectors, title researchers, surveyors, etc. In some states Appraisal
is a licensed profession so be certain your inspector has a license.
Check the Yellow Pages.

You bank may want some inspections. But always remember these are to
protect the bank's interest, not necessarily yours.



That being said, good veteran agents will look out for you. That's
because they're smart enough to know that the real money isn't in
screwing you on a single sale, it's the repeat business and referrals.

During my last house buying round, there was a house that not only was
listed by my agent's company, but was her listing, so she would get the
entire commision if I bought it. Additionally, it was a limited listing
(transfer situation, the seller's employer would buy the house if not
sold in a short period) that was going to run out in a few days. She
recommended that I buy a different house in the same area.

I like the idea of hiring an independent appraiser. How do I find one?
Obviously I'm not going to ask the realtor, and what will they
typically charege?


If you don't trust your buying agent enough to even take referrals, I'd
get a new agent immediately. You have no contract with this agent.

A good agent should be able to give you a list of appraisors and provide
you with a comparative market analysis of homes in the area.



Brian