Beginner's Information: June 2009 Archives

The new consumer article for today is Why Sellers Should Counter All Reasonable Offers. It really isn't rocket science. If your agent advises you otherwise, something is wrong.

The new consumer article for today is There Is No Fairy Godmother for Loans. To avoid becoming a government statistic, ask prospective loan providers the hard questions before you sign on the bottom line - or better yet, before you sign up. "What happens later on?" is a very good question to ask.

The new consumer article for today is "I'm Working With Someone Else, But Could You Just Help Me With..." talking about requests for free work from real estate agents. I'm perfectly happy to give general information to non-clients and even talk about general options, but when it comes down to specific information applicable to specific situations, that's how I make a living, and when you really examine the issue, what a good agent (c'est moi) makes is both reasonable and incredibly cost effective. Not to mention that if I don't make a living, I'm not going to be an agent any longer, and therefore no longer in a position to give advice.

The new consumer article for today is The Sperm Donor Theory of Buyer's Agents. The real estate industry is built around the listing of property. Okay, it's actually built around the care and feeding of real estate brokerages, but the activities of real estate brokerages center around the listing of property, as that's how they mostly pick up additional clients. Representing buyers is pretty much an afterthought, and something that many listing firms do not do well.

Pick at least one buyer's agent before looking at property, and vet them during the looking process. Stop working with them if they don't measure up. That buyer's agent and the job they do (or don't do) is going to make more difference to your future happiness than anything else about the real estate process.