This is tough . . . about fed up with SW MO

[Lake Junkie]

Hey folks...lawyers, like realtors, are good and/or bad. Any profession where there is the possibility of making good money will attract some crooks and liars.
It's true real estate is not rocket science, but the world has changed and unless you're on top of the latest laws and liabilities you might want to interview some of either to help you stay out of court. The contracts realtors use have been written by lawyers, so if he/she knows how to fill them out you should be fine.
And yes! do inspections...but evidence of termite treatment isn't a reason to drop a house...termites live underground everywhere in Missouri but they move VERY slowly so if you have regular inspections...you should be fine.
In my area the only FSBO's are Waaaaaayyyy overpriced, hoping for some fool from the golden state to wander by and pay too much.
God Bless Free Speech...

[Ozarks21]

Originally Posted by Randy Henderson

The preceding mesage brought to you by your local neighborhood attorney.

I didn't say they should see me (though that would be wise). And I wouldn't have to suggest this if Realtors didn't so often practice law without a license.

[mrschilicook]

Sorry to hear your having a spot of bad luck. Have you thought about building on your own lot outside of a development? There's lots of land out that way for sale....both near and far from Branson and/or Springfield. Then you can do it "exactly" like you want and probably get a better product overall.

And I know, from experience, that sq. footage can be a misleading. Sometimes people count a finished garage (ie..it is insulated and has drywall) as part of the sq. footage. Sometimes enclosed porches and utility rooms are counted by the seller but not by the appraiser. We ran into that in the mountains of California on a custom home. However, the sq. footage didn't really impact the overall cost of the house since there weren't alot of other homes like it in the area so the "price per sq. foot" wasn't a good indicator...especially since it was a custom home.

Good luck...and don't give up on the area. There are lots of good realtors and good areas. We ended up in Saddlebrooke (I know you have concerns about the development) and are tickled pink.

[garth]

Congrats on Saddlebrooke!!!! I know you'll like the house.

We've thought about building, but we've concluded that it's probably not best for us. We've heard the horror stories about mananging a building project or dealing with a general contractor. We also don't have the knowledge base and experience to deal with such an endeavor. It's probably best for us to find something already built correctly by a competant contractor.

If we find that the lack of building codes leads to things that concern us, across the board, I guess we'll just go elsewhere. We have the luxury to choose where we want to settle and, although it would be disappointing, I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.

Being an avid RV'er, we've found many nice areas. We'll just head to another one on our list. Hopefully, that won't need to happen so . . . only time will tell.

BTW, we do have a good realtor. We've also met other ones around here. IMO, it is important to hire someone to represent your interests in a real estate transaction, no matter where you're located. It can be a Realtor but it can also be a (gag, gasp, ugh) attorney. In any case, they're familar with the local procedures and rules that can be very different from what you're used to seeing elsewhere in the country.

Again, congrats on Saddlebrooke.

[NOLA2SGF]

Originally Posted by garth

Congrats on Saddlebrooke!!!! I know you'll like the house.

We've thought about building, but we've concluded that it's probably not best for us. We've heard the horror stories about mananging a building project or dealing with a general contractor. We also don't have the knowledge base and experience to deal with such an endeavor. It's probably best for us to find something already built correctly by a competant contractor.

If we find that the lack of building codes leads to things that concern us, across the board, I guess we'll just go elsewhere. We have the luxury to choose where we want to settle and, although it would be disappointing, I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.

Being an avid RV'er, we've found many nice areas. We'll just head to another one on our list. Hopefully, that won't need to happen so . . . only time will tell.

BTW, we do have a good realtor. We've also met other ones around here. IMO, it is important to hire someone to represent your interests in a real estate transaction, no matter where you're located. It can be a Realtor but it can also be a (gag, gasp, ugh) attorney. In any case, they're familar with the local procedures and rules that can be very different from what you're used to seeing elsewhere in the country.

Again, congrats on Saddlebrooke.

Garth, good for you to have such a good attitude despite your househunting disappointments. Are you going to look in SW Missouri any more, or are the other nice areas on your list in other regions? I have heard that some avid RV'ers establish residency in places like Texas that have no income tax, and then hit the road. In any case, wherever you end up, I wish you good luck in your search.

[garth]

I'm trying to keep my chin up, but it can be frustrating at times. We were in escrow again, until today. On yet another house, the radon level came back at or above the top limit of 4.0 pCi/L. That is the level at which remediation needs to happen according to the EPA.

We're not going to buy a house with a cloud over it. Radon is an issue that will always have to be disclosed and IMO will have a negative impact on it's value, buth current and future. For these reasons, plus the health issue, the escrow was ended today.

We also found out from an EPA referred mitigation company, that Green and Christian Counties are known for having an average radon level that is under, but approaching, the 4.0 limit. They average in the mid-3's, which is significantly higher than the overall US average.

Even with this knowledge, the builders are still not building their properties with easy and inexpensive passive techniques to vent radon gas from the houses. I have yet to find one where it was done. Had they done it in the house we were just attempting to buy, it's certain that the radon level would have been nowhere near its reading. Mitigation would not have been required and there would have been no disclosure issues since radon would not have risen to the point of concern.

I mention this issue because, what has affected us may very well affect others who may be considering the area. I would suggest that a radon test is a valuable thing to do in this area and I would encourage its use.

Here's a link to some general radon information, http://www.epa.gov/radon/ , and a direct quote from that page: "Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims more than 20,000 lives annually."

In the meantime, we're re-evaluating our decision to settle in this area in light of what we have discovered and experienced. There's not much else we can do, other than continually throw money at houses to protect ourselves. It's not something we deisre to keep doing. We'll have to see how we feel in the morning.

[oohdale]

Have you bought a place yet? Just curious since I just joined this forum today. By looking at your date on your post you surly have. SW Mo is a great place to live and with all the info you are getting here sounds to me like they are steering you right. Always get an attorney, get an inspection too, and ask a Banker too what he thinks. Geezs if your going to live here why not? You will probably need them sooner or later anyways. I think Humansville is a good area to live. I live there. Good home hunting.

[DogLover99]

Caveats:

NOT a realtor, attorney, appraiser, mortgage person, nothing. Just a simple technical writer/passionate amateur photographer.

But hubby and I have flipped 10 houses so far (9 well, 1 not so well!)

In doing so, we've learned A LOT about the real estate industry. I'll highlight hoping to share some of our hard knocks:

Square footage: varies from plans, to actual, to courthouse, to MLS listing, and from appraiser to appraiser. While standards exist, an external perimeter calculation is different from an internal one. Some appraisers count closets and hallways, others don't.

When in doubt, measure for yourself. The new laser measurers are wonderful!

Termites - coming from Texas and Oklahoma, the old adage is true: only two kinds of houses, those that have had termites and those that will. Always inspect before buying. Treatment and a contract suffice.

Black Mold - not getting near it. Same as the radon gas. Big black cloud that will always be there. You might understand what happened and how it was corrected, 9/10 buyers won't get it.

Meth lab - is a hazardous material that permeates drywall, lumber, and flooring. Run away!

Psychological impact - death on property, etc. Up to you, I personally wouldn't like it if there'd been violent death or children locked in the attic, but it's up to you!

Land/neighborhood - get a copy of any covenants or deed restrictions and read them yourself. Don't depend on your agent or worse yet, their agent!

Protect Yourself - because of what we've been through, hubby and I can evaluate a home for ourselves. We will always hire professional inspectors, but we are right next to them the whole way. The inspector will not be living with you and making the repairs, nor is there anything you can do to him/her if they miss anything. Take classes or hire a local contractor to walk through with you. I'd go to a local hardware store and talk with the old gentleman behind the counter (you know who he is!). Tell him you'd like to hire someone for three hours to help you with inspections, he'll give you names!

Hope this helps, and gGood luck to all!

[befigard]

Holy crap....and I'm sitting here just about in tears...trying to figure out why my lil 'ol 1280 (YES ACTUALL footage) home on 1.1 acre with private well, NO RESTRICTIONS on what you can or can't do on property.... isn't selling for a mear $42k........

Real Estate is soooooooooo outpriced its NUTZ! I am all but giving my home away, because I have to (Not want to) sell....to be closer to family so that if the new meds dont' work...and I have to go back through chemo...my son won't be alone here.

JUST MY RANT...and I am sorry...but I think it is crap...the way people are so dishonest...and still try to rip ya off...and get rich quick