Buying a house, but I am always late when a good house on the market. What should I do? (gated community, agent)

[greenthinker]

I have been trying to buy a house. Whenever I see a good house online and go check it out. Often time, I was told that the house been sold. What should I do? Any advice? Do I just need to buy from a builder to save all the troubles. Thank you

[Narfcake]

Do you have an agent? If not, get one. Online listings open to the public aren't updated as quickly as the MLS itself.

FWIW, the house that I'm buying didn't show up on Redfin until 2 days after my offer was written up and submitted already. Relying on the public sites will only leave you playing catchup, as that time difference can easily make or break a sale in a desired area.

[annerk]

If you don't have an agent, get one. If you do, find a better one.

[MarieStory]

I agree with both comments above. Agents have access to auto notification programs which means that as soon as a property comes on the market that matches your search criteria you are emailed within minutes!
Good luck.

[MMichelle]

Yes, this is simple - get a good agent.

It's fairly common for people to chase ads. It's a time killer. Nearly as effective as baning your head against a wall.

Do yourself a favor. A good agent can save you dozens of hours and watch your back in ways you'll never have considered (buyer's agency). Best yet it's free to you since the seller pays commission.
Best wishes.

[Silverfall]

My MLS sends out automatic alerts within 15 minutes of a new listing being entered. For really good deals, you have to stay on top of those listings. They go fast.

Get an agent and get on automatic MLS alerts.

[NJ987654]

Agree completely... realtor.com takes 24-48 hours to update. Get a good agent who signs up for instant alerts when a new listing comes up that meets your criteria.

[Dee2e]

Originally Posted by Silverfall

My MLS sends out automatic alerts within 15 minutes of a new listing being entered. For really good deals, you have to stay on top of those listings. They go fast.

Get an agent and get on automatic MLS alerts.

Good advice. Also, price and status changes are set regularly too. The good deals do go fast as Silverfall says.

[greenthinker]

I am talking to friends to get an agent. Hard to find a good one. I had a real estate agent, he pushed me to buy on my first time to check a house.

[c21boquetebocasgold]

Originally Posted by Narfcake

Do you have an agent? If not, get one. Online listings open to the public aren't updated as quickly as the MLS itself.

FWIW, the house that I'm buying didn't show up on Redfin until 2 days after my offer was written up and submitted already. Relying on the public sites will only leave you playing catchup, as that time difference can easily make or break a sale in a desired area.

Ditto here and like others have said, one that has their's set up like SF to send auto alerts. That way you're ahead of the game instead of always missing a house you're interested in. And no, you don't just have to go through a builder because you still need someone watching your backside - the developer is looking after their best interest. You need someone looking after 'yours' so like MMichelle said, get a good buyer agent to look after you, whether you decide on a gated community or whatnot. Good Luck!