"Ethan" wrote in message
om...
(David) wrote in message
om...
(Bill LaFleur) wrote in message
. com...
Folks,

What are some good Web sites for finding properties sold by owners
[ie, avoiding realtor fees]? A couple that I've found:

www.isoldmyhouse.com
www.forsalebyowner.com

Googling didn't provide me with much - anyone have experience with
some good ones?

Thanks, Bill

Not sure if your are interested in BUYING not selling why you
would care if they had a real estate agent or not. The seller
pays the realtor fees not the buyer. The ones I've see for sale
by owner don't seem any better deal than the ones through a
realtor. Just my opinion. Best wishes.
Davew


It's called "passing the buck." If the seller wants $X in his pocket
from the exchange and an agent wants $Y, then the buyer will have to
pay $X+$Y.

Exactly. If you pay a certain amount for anything, but the seller got less,
then you are the one who paid the difference. To claim that the whole amount
went to the seller who then took the fee out and gave it to the agent
instead of saying that you gave the seller his share and you gave the agent
his share is just a game. Legally, the seller has the contract so that's
what determines who instructs the escrow company to pay the agent. But if
the buyer were the one legally obligated, the same amount would still go
into escrow, and the same amounts would still come out and get paid to each
party.

It's easier for the buyer's agent to tell a buyer that he is not paying the
fees so he should not worry. The fact is, the agent gets more of a
commission if the selling price is higher, so there's a conflict of
interest.

If I'm selling a house, and I want $100,000 for it, I may have to sell it
for $106,000. After settlement, I end up with my $100,000, and the agent
gets his $6,000. But you paid $106,000 so the $6,000 came out of your
pocket. Even if I settled for $94,000, you still paid more than I got, and
that extra amount still goes to the agent.

If I sold the same house on my own, I could afford to sell it for a lower
price and still get more. I could sell it for $103,000 and both sides would
save money. The brokers claim that they will get you a better price, but
people will pay what they think the house is worth, and if a private seller
has a better price, that's a better deal. Likewise, the buyer's agent
claims that he will get you a better price, but if the seller has to charge
more to pay him, that won't happen. Plus the agent wants as much commission
as possible so he's fine with a higher price.