The search for our first home!

[kmann-sherborn]

Very good point. I would not limit myself to the EPA site. It's a good place to start to identify Superfund sites but it's certainly not comprehensive, and sometimes I think it doesn't do a great job of explaining the latest status. There most certainly will be additional news articles and in some cases like in Ashland, there will be health reports you can find online that speak to the issue.

[walthamguy]

A good site to find info for towns....
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

[FirstHomeSearch]

Thank you for your useful suggestions/inputs.

We are facing a little issue and needed some additional help. We currently have a realtor working for us (we have signed some papers to indicate that she is going to be working for us as a broker/buying agent, 2 weeks ago). Along the way we have been noticing some issues/problems and want to change realtors but we are not sure if it is even possible at this point. Has anyone done this before? If we tell her that we want to cancel our search for homes, and decide to go for another realtor (maybe 2 weeks later), will that decision negatively affect us in any way?

Rather than prolong the process with someone we do not think we can work with, we really want to change now rather than later down the road when so much time and effort has been spent from both our ends. Please do advice!

[kingeorge]

You can get out any time, just tell her/him.
Do not sign things without understanding and do not feel intimidated by pushy RE agents! They will be working for you, and not the other way around.
Check 4buyersre.com which is a great starting point for home virgins.

[kmann-sherborn]

I agree, your contract should have a cancellation clause. I'd recommend notifying the agent in writing that you'd like to cancel and asking them to confirm receipt and that the agreement has been cancelled. If you encounter any issues, cc their broker.

Did you end up looking in Quincy? If so, my friend who lives in Wollaston could give you the name of her agent & share her thoughts on the pros & cons of the city. They speak very highly of their agent, who found them a lovely home when they were brand new to the area. Please feel free to PM me if you'd like to touch base with her.

[donewithpretty]

Here are some towns to consider:

* Swampscott: North Station
* Stoneham: North Station
* Wakefield: North Station
* Natick: Back Bay/South Station
* Reading: North Station
* Canton: Back Bay/South Station

All have great commuter rail access, 7/10 - 9/10 schools, and average single family home prices under $400k.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by kingeorge

You can get out any time, just tell her/him.
Do not sign things without understanding and do not feel intimidated by pushy RE agents! They will be working for you, and not the other way around.
Check 4buyersre.com which is a great starting point for home virgins.

I agree never ever sign anything without knowing what you're signing inside and out. If your agent didn't explain in full what you were signing when they presented the contract to you that should be the first indication that this is not someone you want to work with. Personally, I don't even use buyer contracts. The only thing that binds my buyer clients to me is that they want to work with me.

Kingeorge, you've mentioned 4buyers a few times now. Did you work with ever? I've always felt that buyers only agencies are more of a marketing ploy than anything. Working with an agent who only represents buyers in my mind is a detriment to most buyers and not a plus. Dual agency which is primarily the reason most people site for wanting to work with such an agent represents such a small percentage of transactions that in my mind the positives don't outweigh the negatives of this type of brokerage.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the PBCC golf course but the course and the facilities are impeccably maintained.

Originally Posted by kmann-sherborn

I agree, your contract should have a cancellation clause. I'd recommend notifying the agent in writing that you'd like to cancel and asking them to confirm receipt and that the agreement has been cancelled. If you encounter any issues, cc their broker.

I would also expect that there is a cancellation clause in the contract, but that's not always the case. Keep in mind, agents cannot legally enter into contracts. Any agreement you sign with an agent is actually an agreement with their broker they are just acting as a representative of the broker. If there is no cancellation clause, you can always contact the broker directly and ask to be reassigned to another agent. Also, if the agent gives you any guff about cancelling don't be afraid to go directly to their broker in this case as well.

[kingeorge]

MikePRU, these people I have recommended are for real, and are actually pioneers of Exclusive Buyer RE Agency in MA. They are so reputable, and well regarded, that they do not need to troll relocation forums in search of new clients!
You should be better educated on exclusive buyer agency in MA, including benefits, as you clearly have no clue, while dispensing very self-serving inaccuracy wrapped into professional advice.
Let me add that FTHB are most vulnerable to predator RE agents (who are often acting more sleazy than your "lowest of the low" used car salesman) and therefore FTHB do need someone experienced and completely on their side. I do like to help, and support young couples/people in general which are bravely trying to buy homes in rotten economy, and very difficult/distorted market. Sorry you felt so poked, hope times are not that lean for you.

[kingeorge]

Oh, and for the record I am not RE Agent of any shape or form, nor I have affiliation with any of the the aforementioned RE agency.

[MikePRU]

This smiley: doesn't quite do justice to my reaction when I read your response.

Originally Posted by kingeorge

MikePRU, these people I have recommended are for real, and are actually pioneers of Exclusive Buyer RE Agency in MA. They are so reputable, and well regarded, that they do not need to troll relocation forums in search of new clients!

I never have nor will I ever make a statement about the reputation of this brokerage. I've never worked with them and even if I had and it was a bad experience I wouldn't say anything as I'm not one to air dirty laundry especially on the internet. In no way, shape, or form am I making a statement about the agents that work in this brokerage. My feeling though is that there is an inherent failing in this type of brokerage which works against their clients no matter how good the agents they hire are.

Also, I'm going to ignore the insinuation you've clearly thrown at me. Everyone thinks they can say whatever they want whether they are right or wrong behind the anonymity that the internet provides. In this case, you would be in the wrong.

Originally Posted by kingeorge

You should be better educated on exclusive buyer agency in MA, including benefits, as you clearly have no clue, while dispensing very self-serving inaccuracy wrapped into professional advice.

Yup. You're right. You know more about real estate than I do and I will say whatever it takes to make an extra buck.

Unbelievable! I wish you could talk to some of my former clients. They would HAPPILY tell you that I'm the polar opposite of the way you just painted me.

Originally Posted by kingeorge

Let me add that FTHB are most vulnerable to predator RE agents (who are often acting more sleazy than your "lowest of the low" used car salesman) and therefore FTHB do need someone experienced and completely on their side. I do like to help, and support young couples/people in general which are bravely trying to buy homes in rotten economy, and very difficult/distorted market.

Here we agree. FTHB's absolutely are the one's that need help more than anyone else. In my experience, there are far more mediocre agents than there are bad ones but the mediocre ones can still do plenty of damage. There are definitely scummy real estate agents just like there are scummy doctors, lawyers, garbage collectors, teachers, etc. You find scummy people in all walks of life.

Originally Posted by kingeorge

Sorry you felt so poked, hope times are not that lean for you.

I didn't feel poked at all. I was trying to engage you in a discussion about the positives/negatives of this type of brokerage but you immediately decided to start slinging mud at me. If anyone felt poked, it was clearly you.

Also, I make a very comfortable living thank you for asking. I take excellent care of my clients and because of this they come back to me with repeat business and they refer their friends/family/co-workers to me.

Anyway . . . the reason I don't think it's a great idea to hire an agent from a brokerage that works only with buyers is this:

1. There is no service or benefit these agents offer that a traditional buyer's agent does not. Exclusive buyer's agency is more marketing ploy than anything.

2. The only thing working with an agent of this type does is eliminate the possibility of dual agency (one agent is representing both the buyer & seller in the same transaction). Dual agency represents a very small percentage of transactions and studies have actually shown that the buyer benefits more than the seller in a dual agency transaction. I'll have to see if I can scare up those statistics.

3. If the brokerage you work with doesn't take in listings then you are at working at a disadvantage. The buyers I work with often get a jump on the competition because I know about a listing coming into my office usually with another agent and can get my buyers a preview of the property as it's still a "pocket" listing while the owners get it ready for market. This can be a huge benefit in a competitive market. If you think this isn't a competitive market, please talk to the people who post on here who are looking for a house in Newton, Lexington, Needham, Wellesley, etc who regularly get outbid in multiple offer situations.