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Even if it was the realtor's job, I would still double check myself to be sure. We just put a deposit on a house and there were three houses in contention and we used the registry in our decision making process.
However, we are not first time buyers so I am not sure I would know to look for that. My realtor for my current house did tell us to check it out when we were buying our current house so that is how I learned about checking it. We had a Buyer's Agent- which I recommend.
Exactly! and you'd think for 3%, the realtor would get you all the info you need to make a wise decision, right? Liability my ass, it's public information, the same as pulling tax records, # of bedrooms, etc.
And every real estate listing comes with a disclaimer that the information presented may not be accurate (or words to that effect). There are some things you just have to investigate for yourself instead of depending on the nanny state to spoon feed the information to you.
you'd think for 3%, which can amount to a figure that most poor folks make in a year, an agent should do some due dilligence for you. I mean, they'll tell you the school ratings in the area, but god forbid they tell you a sex offender is in the area, and it squashes their sale... Just another reason not to trust RE agents.
In most states it is publicly available information. You could have checked yourself.
And you do realize that some offender could have moved into a house across the street the day AFTER you closed, right? There's no escaping the risk entirely, I'm sorry to say.
Plug in the nicest zip codes in the US and you'll see Sex offenders in every neighborhood.
Realtors cannot know the history of every home in every neighborhood and who moves in and out of those homes.
It's always best to do your own research but don't be shocked at the results.
sure, everything is public info. But why should an agent get 3% if you have to do the work yourself?
If I am spending six figures or more on something I am going to take the ten seconds it takes to find out if there is a sex offender next door and not depend on the realtor.
you'd think for 3%, which can amount to a figure that most poor folks make in a year, an agent should do some due dilligence for you. I mean, they'll tell you the school ratings in the area, but god forbid they tell you a sex offender is in the area, and it squashes their sale... Just another reason not to trust RE agents.
Honestly, it is SO EASY to check national websites for sex offenders in a neighborhood. Anyone can do it for absolutely free. Why should it be anyone other than the buyers' responsibility?
We just went under contract on a house. The first thing I did before making an offer was look up crime statistics and sex offender information. I didn't expect anyone else to do it for me.
Exactly! and you'd think for 3%, the realtor would get you all the info you need to make a wise decision, right? Liability my ass, it's public information, the same as pulling tax records, # of bedrooms, etc.
Now, if the RE agent were to give you advice on what to do, then that would be a different story. But that is not what the OP was asking for. Of course an agent would not pull this info, because it would potentially discourage a sale. That therein lies the problem - when you get an RE who is paid by the seller, they no longer work in your best interest. The only way you can get an agent to work in your best interest, is to pay them out of your own pocket.
Or you can just look up the information about crime, sex offenders, schools, demographics, etc. yourself when contemplating the largest investment that most people make in their lifetime.
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