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Make a list with the house must have items. Make it clear to any agent you interview the following items must be in the house. I feel you are too rigid on your needs and that's why you are not finding a house. There is NO house of there that is gonna have all your needs wants desires for the low low price of x dollars. You're better off buying a. Tragedian, having it done to your doe s around move in when it's finished
I've bought plenty of homes. Just so you know most carpet and paint is a redo before move in at a minimum. I don't even look at the little items. You may be too nit picky that agents simply don't wanna deal with you. Not sure if that is a big or small part of the difficulty. But I can tell you no house is perfect.
This is really not the case at all.
I have made a list. I give the same list to everyone. I am not nit pitcky-- like any buyer there are a few things that I just don't want and will turn me off entirely. Its not that agents don't want to deal with me-- they are calling and trying to get me to sign a contract with them-- its that I don't want to deal with someone who insists on upselling me. When they hear my income, my down payment and prequal amount, they immediately jump to something much higher than I want to spend. I am being very conservative financially as I have other uses for my money than dumping it all into a property. No one wants to listen to this-- I am thinking it may just be a symptom of the DC market. I am not looking for the perfect place. I am looking for a place that is right for me.
Why don't you spend some time researching some agents rather than randomly working with agents you meet at open houses?
There are a lot of threads on here about how to find a good buyer agent so I'd read through some of them to see if you can target the right fit for you, rather than going about it the needle in the haystack way.
Thanks so much for the recommendations. I will check them out.
This is another issue I am running into-- some agents are only licensed in one of the three local jurisdictions-- DC MD or VA. I am only looking in DC. I met a really awesome agent when we had to sell my mom's house but she only works in VA. She recommended another person to me who wasn't licensed in DC either. Is it that difficult to get licensed in the city?
I don't know how hard D.C. is, but sometimes, the issue isn't the ability to get the license, but instead, the bureaucracies of keeping a license can simply cost more than the value.
Why don't you spend some time researching some agents rather than randomly working with agents you meet at open houses?
There are a lot of threads on here about how to find a good buyer agent so I'd read through some of them to see if you can target the right fit for you, rather than going about it the needle in the haystack way.
I have been researching them and I found a few through other recommendations. I also identified a few neighborhoods that I really liked and found some agents who are known for working in those areas. Either they haven't bothered to reply to my inquiries or they have been far too aggressive or off putting-- one called me at 11pm and filled up my voicemail with info about all the services she provides.
I started going to open houses and meeting agents because doing research wasn't working. I have asked friends and family for recommendations, coworkers, etc.
Thanks so much for the recommendations. I will check them out.
This is another issue I am running into-- some agents are only licensed in one of the three local jurisdictions-- DC MD or VA. I am only looking in DC. I met a really awesome agent when we had to sell my mom's house but she only works in VA. She recommended another person to me who wasn't licensed in DC either. Is it that difficult to get licensed in the city?
One reason for the lack of multi-jurisdictional licenses is that real estate is local. There so much information needed/available for just one area keeping up with more than one would be difficult. Some agents claim to be able to do that but I don't see it happening for the ones I know. In fact they know less than most agents about a particular area (to the extent of misspelling town and street names, misstating the County, advertising for waterfront when the property isn't, etc.) than those who limit themselves to just one locale.
The market in DC is markedly different than NoVA or the MD suburbs.
One reason for the lack of multi-jurisdictional licenses is that real estate is local. There so much information needed/available for just one area keeping up with more than one would be difficult. Some agents claim to be able to do that but I don't see it happening for the ones I know. In fact they know less than most agents about a particular area (to the extent of misspelling town and street names, misstating the County, advertising for waterfront when the property isn't, etc.) than those who limit themselves to just one locale.
The market in DC is markedly different than NoVA or the MD suburbs.
agreed.
I have no desire to market in DC or MD, as my core focus is in Northern Virginia. For DC and MD based clients (that steer away from VA after I have begun assisting them), I offer up a DC/MD licensed agent that I feel will provide the same level of assistance.
Why don't you spend some time researching some agents rather than randomly working with agents you meet at open houses?
There are a lot of threads on here about how to find a good buyer agent so I'd read through some of them to see if you can target the right fit for you, rather than going about it the needle in the haystack way.
This.
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