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There are lots better ways to bypass a bad agent than to go knock on the door of a potentially hostile tenant in a rental.
Agreed!! I would not be knocking on doors unannounced and questioning tenants in these times. The agent should be able to answer all of your questions, or find the answers for you. If not, you should find a new agent or a different property, or both.
One thing is for sure. The agent is being cagey as hell. The simple answer would be to cross the property off your list. Maybe all other buyers will do the same and the agent will learn not to play coy.
" Maybe even go knock on the door and see what you can find out from the occupant "
I have done the above and will do it anytime and any place. I'm 30 years successful in investment Real Estate.
If your not breaking any laws, you can go and have a conversation with anyone that wants to have a conversation with you!
You might even tell them your interested in purchasing this property and would like to take a look inside. I have done this.
As a tenant, I would make up a good story to discourage someone who knocked on my door. "Oh, you're interested in possibly buying this place? Great. I hope you plan to fix or replace _________ because it's been causing problems as long as I've been living here. Three different companies came out to fix it and they couldn't figure out what was going on. On a positive note, filling in the sinkhole appears to have slowed it's expansion."
" Maybe even go knock on the door and see what you can find out from the occupant "
I have done the above and will do it anytime and any place. I'm 30 years successful in investment Real Estate.
If your not breaking any laws, you can go and have a conversation with anyone that wants to have a conversation with you!
You might even tell them your interested in purchasing this property and would like to take a look inside. I have done this.
But are you an older lady who has a significant hearing loss - like the OP? I doubt it.
Property may or may not be a foreclosure or tax sale. And I'm not interested after finding out the "ac" is a single window unit and there's no heat/split unit. But I don't understand why, when I presented my 4 questions about this property, agent's only response was "it's an investment property" and there's a tenant.
I asked;
1. Since there is only 1 picture and it's of the front of the home, I assume there's a tenant. If there's a tenant, is there a lease? Will house be vacant upon sale?
2. Is the a/c unit a single window unit or is it a split system?
3. There are no pictures of the inside - will any be provided and/or will it be possible to see the inside
4. Is this property a foreclosure, pre-foreclosure, or tax sale?
After her response, I asked if the tenant is there through any gov't agency?
Should I have asked different questions?
I've already decided against this property but I'm pretty sure I don't want to deal with this agent again. Just because it's an investment property, why not answer my questions? If it were investment then those questions aren't relevant?
Stepdaughter is coming in a month and I really wanted to have the properties lined up for her to see.
Because the person is either works p/t as an RE agent and busy doing other things.
Or works full time and doesn't particularly need your business.
Either way you're correct to look for another agent.
Was this agent your buyer's agent, or the house's seller's agent? You need a buyer's agent running all that interference for you, and if you had a buyer's agent treating your questions like that, you need to find another one who will work for you.
I recently looked at a one-picture house. It was an investment property with tenants. Tenant's teenaged daughters were home and were very open to let me know there was a recent water leak from the dishwasher, the toilets tend to clog, the roof leaked, and the a/c had just been repaired AGAIN (said with a sigh). In Florida (don't know about other states) homeowner's insurance is astronomical if there's been a claimed water leak within 3 years, so that wiped that house out immediately. Shame, it was a cute house on a nice corner lot (appeared unmowed all summer) in just the neighborhood I was looking for.
Go look at the house. And, yes, find a more cooperative agent.
Next time an agent stonewalls you, go look at the property. You can learn a lot by just looking at the outside. And you can learn a lot more by checking county assessor and property records.
Maybe even go knock on the door and see what you can find out from the occupant.
An agent that won't answer your questions deserves to be bypassed.
Aside from knocking on a stranger's door, you're correct.
However, before I even send the agent my questions via email, I do the following:
1. look at tax assessor information including plat map, flood zones, etc.;
2. Look at previous times house was up for sale, sometimes the earlier listings include pictures of inside (Google is my friend) and often I can find additional information from a previous MLS listing;
3. I either drive past or check on google earth and often both
I am already quite familiar with the neighborhoods where I am looking.
The property I was asking questions about are already in contract, within 3 days of being listed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook
Stepdaughter is coming in a month to look at purchasing properties?
Is she the buyer or are you the buyer? Or Both?
If you are hoping to have a tour of properties lined up I would look for a good buyer's AGENT, not properties at this point. The properties on the market now aren't likely to still be on the market in a month, in most markets. Call and talk to a few agents, in depth, about what you're looking for, how you'll finance it, and pick someone you communicate well with. The agent can begin to send you properties to consider as comps and so you can learn about the market, gearing up for a much more serious search and weeding out process in the days before she arrives.
It's too soon to try to make a list of properties now. The places you'll look at in a month probably aren't on the market yet.
Daughter will be tenant, I am the buyer. IF the property is in the right location, I can/will buy it now; especially if it will need work.
I've talked to a few agents but most don't have the patience to deal with email. I thought I had one willing to work with me, but (maybe now that schools are back in session) she seemed too busy for me with the summer month.
I look at the MLS daily, so I am ready to jump on anything new on the market given my requirements (biggest is proximity to hospital). Mostly I spot something before the agent does - maybe they don't work mornings (which makes sense actually). I know the market is hot so I am ready to jump - if only I could get the answers to my simple questions.
Financing is not an issue as I am prepared to pay cash. We sold an investment property 2 years ago and we were looking for a replacement - not actually looking hard, just looking to see if something triggered the "let's get this one" - when the issue with daughter arose. Time may be of importance if the situation on her end takes a turn.
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