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To be clear, we WOULD buy if the "perfect" house came on the market. (We would be cash buyers, btw, and if the right house is on the market when we visit next month, we would use it for a vacation home until we actually retired.)
The thing is that he (the Realtor) IS trying to push us into this specific house -- the one with the Quit Claim --despite our misgivings and despite the fact that we haven't even seen it! I definitely got the impression that he wanted us to just trust him and put in an offer, sight unseen. ("You don't want to let this one get away.") I might be wrong about that, though.
And, yes, to repeat, I know I am stupid about real estate, and that's why I come onto this forum. I figure that other Realtors, of maybe even some "laypersons", might be able to explain things better to me than he did.
Lastly, yes, I definitely get the idea he is frustrated with me.. But shouldn't a Realtor try to patiently and calmly reassure a client instead of (almost) ridiculing and bullying her? I mean, if he is already frustrated with me before I have actually looked at even one house with him, what does that portend once we do make an offer on a house?
While I'm not totally convinced that the agent has been pushy or rude, any agent who states "You don't want to let this one get away" is a bit suspect (if those were, in fact, his words). There are always other houses out there--especially if you're working on a 2 - 3 year timeframe. In the end, you need to feel comfortable with any agent with whom you choose to work.
As you've discovered, here in New England most MLS info is available online. if I were you and I was planning to buy 2 years from now, I'd forget the realtor and just look and educate myself as you've been doing. When you are actually ready to buy in the designated community that you've narrowed down, either consider finding a buyer's agent or just call to see a house yourself at that time. There are also open houses in most communities.
Realtor's "opinions" are generally worthless- they are sales people. Most are poorly educated about house mechanicals- stock answer is "don't know- you will have a home inspection". They are also ethically prevented from saying certain things about the demographics of neighborhoods because of federal fair housing laws, etc. NE is flood prone in certain areas as well, so be sure to check the address in Floodsmart.gov.
You should get a real estate attorney for the closing- they can handle any deed issues you might have. Real estate agents are not qualified in this area.
Thanks! Very helpful info!
(Btw, we have never needed a real estate attorney in California or Colorado, and the sales went through without a hitch, whenever we bought or sold. The three bad experiences were all with New England Realtors. So, although I am definitely willing to concede that this might have just been a coincidence -- I am not for a second saying that all New England Realtors are untrustworthy! -- I think we will definitely get a real estate attorney for our next and last purchase!)
Last edited by katharsis; 07-27-2016 at 02:40 PM..
Lastly, yes, I definitely get the idea he is frustrated with me.. But shouldn't a Realtor try to patiently and calmly reassure a client instead of (almost) ridiculing and bullying her? I mean, if he is already frustrated with me before I have actually looked at even one house with him, what does that portend once we do make an offer on a house?
The RE agent is a salesman. He is trying to close a sale. That's what salesmen do. See "Glengarry Glen Ross."
You can try to set the stage for your interactions by saying you're not ready to buy yet -- except if you found the perfect house -- but by contacting him or any other agent you're implicitly agreeing to be sold to.
It's all about the money. It's only about the money. And sometimes agents aren't even too smart about that.
Over the past decade, an agent knocked on my door once a month. We chatted, he moved on to the next house. In the course of talking to me he learned I own two houses, one across the Bay. He expressed interest in helping us sell either house.
When the market heated up here, the visits stopped. And when I saw him at an open house and said my across-the-Bay house would be ready for market soon -- did he want to see it? -- he blew me off.
I'm just stunned that he's discarding all that marketing and personal contact by refusing to make a 30 minute trip across the Bay to see an $850,000 house -- a sure thing, because it's an equally hot market over there -- on the chance he might get a $1,500,000 house on this side to sell instead.
Change agents, problem solved. Anytime he knows what is right for you despite your own research, you should walk away. And to be annoyed at you for asking questions FOR ANY REASON, is another sure sign to walk away. Realtors are largely an outdated business model in today's world. For that reason they should be bending over backwards to accommodate you and encouraging you to ask as many questions as you want.
You don't owe him anything. Don't let him try to put a guilt trip on you for not purchasing....many agents use this ploy "oh, I've put so much time and effort into helping you, and you still haven't bought a house." That's the nature of sales jobs...they are like used car salesmen, and often less qualified.
He didn't actually suggest you put in an offer, sight unseen, you are just assuming this? What did he say that was arrogant or bullying? Could he have possibly meant that you needed to see that particular property asap, hence the "don't let this one get away". If it's that hot of a market, he could've meant you needed to see it right away. I'm just curious as to what he actually said that offended you so much because from your posts, I'm only reading that you assumed certain things, not that it was actually said.
Wife and I were considering retiring to the Charleston SC area. Several years before we did we were on a vacation there and we stopped at a local real estate office (Mount Pleasant) and asked if they had any of those real estate booklets. The receptionist said let me get the on-duty agent for you.
I explained to the agent that we were 2-3 years from retirement and were more just looking at prices to compare with where we lived. Sort of what will my dollar buy me here. He invited us in for a coffee and we chatted about what we might like such as one story, 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, big garage, small lot, about HOA's (as we lived in one), etc. He said he had no plans for the next afternoon and he would be glad to show us around. He said he had been selling real estate for 20 years and he expected to do so for many more years and hoped someday we could do some business. He gave us a nice overall tour. We did not even go inside any houses. He showed us new construction sites also. Every few months he would send us listings if he thought it was something we might like. Once a year we would visit and he would show us around more.
I always promised him that when we got ready to buy, we would do business with him. Well the story has a sad ending. When we were 6 months from retiring and ready to purchase a home, I called his office. I was informed that he had recently died. We did end up purchasing a new build in Mount Pleasant.
Sad or not, that man was a professional real estate agent. The real estate business needs more like him rather than the quick buck types that seem more prevalent.
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