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These current R.E. anecdotes may be funny, sad, and/or long, but hopefully interesting to all:
Preface: I just sold my home in Texas to a local cash buyer with a 2 week escrow who saw and fell in love with it from my pics and ad on Craigslist. Any agent here could have sold it, but not a single one who showed it over the last 6 months even previewed or called to ask questions about it before toting their clueless selves and clients over to walk around. Fortunately, I tried one of the new kinds of listings here in Texas, where you pay a flat fee ($400-500) to a R.E. Broker to simply list the property for you on the MLS and give you consulting advice if/when needed. It is then listed, with R E agents being able to show and sell it like any home in the MLS for the typical sales commission. Or if I sell it myself to someone without an agent, then there is no commission to pay on either side.
Now skip forward to San Diego story. I have been studying via internet for 6 months all the mobile home parks in the North County and looking at listings and pics of every single listing of mobiles for sale in the nicer parks in Oceanside, San Marcos, Escondido, and Vista. I have a great feel for what price per sq ft is a great deal, fair price, or priced high in comparison. I know exactly what I want as far as pristine, view, small yard area, etc. So now that my home is scheduled to close next week and I have booked a flight to come out and quickly purchase something that I like the most, I have called 3 R E agents there trying to find one who will get me some further info about the top 2 or 3 I think I will want to make an offer on. Now here is where the fun begins.
A home in one of the top parks hit the market a week ago with a great view and priced in the mid 30k range. Great price ($80k below what it sold for 5 yrs ago). Gorgeous home! I immediately called an agent I had spoke to months ago who supposedly dealt mainly in mobile homes and lives in the very park this home was in. Being a loyal person, I called him/her (husband & wife team) since they had given me their time previously. Well when I asked if they knew this home, it being in their park, and they said that they didn't know it was for sale. I asked if they would walk over and take a look for me and if it was as nice as the pics and price was accurate, that I could hop on a plane immediately and fly out. They said they would that very day and get back to me. They got back to me alright with an email saying it was great and a bargain at that price, but the owners may be getting an offer on it and the owners would let them and me know if they did in the next few days. (Red flag went up already on my end, due to not a typical response from an agent who had a buyer with cash like me ready to buy.) Needless to say, I saw that the home was taken off the market 2 days later. I never received any notice of it being sold by "my" agents. My conclusion: "My" agents knew the home was a steal and sold it to someone else right out from under me, who knows, maybe even to themselves or a friend or relative.
Now to the next agent: I decided to call the listing agent of another property that looked special in a great park. The pics of the home were all mis-colored. One pic showed the carpet being light green with light brown walls, and another pic showed it with dark brown carpet and walls, and still another in medium brown. Got an agent with the company, not the listing agent, on the phone. She had no clue about the pics but would get back to me about that and some other questions I had about it. She calls me back the next day and leaves message on my answering machine that the color of the carpets and walls were brown just like the pics showed. ??????? That is it, nothing else, no more phone calls, the end.
Agent 3: Tried another in hopes of getting some help. Another home hit the market, looked great at a give away price if bought within 2 weeks. Called the listing agent immediately, left my phone number and message about what property I was interested in buying. Never heard back. Called again, left another message. Still no call back. Maybe he doesn't have free long distance calling??????
What is with R.E. agents these days? Are they just stupid, lazy, so cynical they have lost touch with what a professional should be about? If I knew I had a cash buyer ready to hop on a plane if I just showed some honest desire to help him, I would offer to meet him at the airport and not let him out of my sight until we found what he wanted to buy, especially knowing he had to buy something immediately so he could move out of his sold house.
I can't even trust an agent now. Am thinking of just flying out and knocking on the doors of the owner of the couple homes I like and see if we can come to an agreement on our own. The agents seem to just get in the way, rather than offer anything of substance. I can pull up any listing and read it myself. All they seem willing to do these days is email you numerous listings in your price range. We don't need them for that any longer.
If there is any agent out there reading this who is hungry enough to get off their duff and do a little work for me, I need to buy a home in the next couple weeks. If you are too bothered, or don't have the cuhones or intelligence enough to voice my concerns, ask some straight forward questions, and present an offer in the way I want, then don't bother to apply for the job.
Talk about not being able to get any good help these days! Maybe I should try just offering an agent $1000 cash up front in lieu of their commission to help me find a home. They get the money if I buy anything or not, but if I do then they must waive their sales commission. Maybe one of them would rather simply work with me for 3 or 4 days for $1000 cash.
These current R.E. anecdotes may be funny, sad, and/or long, but hopefully interesting to all:
Preface: I just sold my home in Texas to a local cash buyer with a 2 week escrow who saw and fell in love with it from my pics and ad on Craigslist. Any agent here could have sold it, but not a single one who showed it over the last 6 months even previewed or called to ask questions about it before toting their clueless selves and clients over to walk around. Fortunately, I tried one of the new kinds of listings here in Texas, where you pay a flat fee ($400-500) to a R.E. Broker to simply list the property for you on the MLS and give you consulting advice if/when needed. It is then listed, with R E agents being able to show and sell it like any home in the MLS for the typical sales commission. Or if I sell it myself to someone without an agent, then there is no commission to pay on either side.
Now skip forward to San Diego story. I have been studying via internet for 6 months all the mobile home parks in the North County and looking at listings and pics of every single listing of mobiles for sale in the nicer parks in Oceanside, San Marcos, Escondido, and Vista. I have a great feel for what price per sq ft is a great deal, fair price, or priced high in comparison. I know exactly what I want as far as pristine, view, small yard area, etc. So now that my home is scheduled to close next week and I have booked a flight to come out and quickly purchase something that I like the most, I have called 3 R E agents there trying to find one who will get me some further info about the top 2 or 3 I think I will want to make an offer on. Now here is where the fun begins.
A home in one of the top parks hit the market a week ago with a great view and priced in the mid 30k range. Great price ($80k below what it sold for 5 yrs ago). Gorgeous home! I immediately called an agent I had spoke to months ago who supposedly dealt mainly in mobile homes and lives in the very park this home was in. Being a loyal person, I called him/her (husband & wife team) since they had given me their time previously. Well when I asked if they knew this home, it being in their park, and they said that they didn't know it was for sale. I asked if they would walk over and take a look for me and if it was as nice as the pics and price was accurate, that I could hop on a plane immediately and fly out. They said they would that very day and get back to me. They got back to me alright with an email saying it was great and a bargain at that price, but the owners may be getting an offer on it and the owners would let them and me know if they did in the next few days. (Red flag went up already on my end, due to not a typical response from an agent who had a buyer with cash like me ready to buy.) Needless to say, I saw that the home was taken off the market 2 days later. I never received any notice of it being sold by "my" agents. My conclusion: "My" agents knew the home was a steal and sold it to someone else right out from under me, who knows, maybe even to themselves or a friend or relative.
Now to the next agent: I decided to call the listing agent of another property that looked special in a great park. The pics of the home were all mis-colored. One pic showed the carpet being light green with light brown walls, and another pic showed it with dark brown carpet and walls, and still another in medium brown. Got an agent with the company, not the listing agent, on the phone. She had no clue about the pics but would get back to me about that and some other questions I had about it. She calls me back the next day and leaves message on my answering machine that the color of the carpets and walls were brown just like the pics showed. ??????? That is it, nothing else, no more phone calls, the end.
Agent 3: Tried another in hopes of getting some help. Another home hit the market, looked great at a give away price if bought within 2 weeks. Called the listing agent immediately, left my phone number and message about what property I was interested in buying. Never heard back. Called again, left another message. Still no call back. Maybe he doesn't have free long distance calling??????
What is with R.E. agents these days? Are they just stupid, lazy, so cynical they have lost touch with what a professional should be about? If I knew I had a cash buyer ready to hop on a plane if I just showed some honest desire to help him, I would offer to meet him at the airport and not let him out of my sight until we found what he wanted to buy, especially knowing he had to buy something immediately so he could move out of his sold house.
I can't even trust an agent now. Am thinking of just flying out and knocking on the doors of the owner of the couple homes I like and see if we can come to an agreement on our own. The agents seem to just get in the way, rather than offer anything of substance. I can pull up any listing and read it myself. All they seem willing to do these days is email you numerous listings in your price range. We don't need them for that any longer.
If there is any agent out there reading this who is hungry enough to get off their duff and do a little work for me, I need to buy a home in the next couple weeks. If you are too bothered, or don't have the cuhones or intelligence enough to voice my concerns, ask some straight forward questions, and present an offer in the way I want, then don't bother to apply for the job.
Talk about not being able to get any good help these days! Maybe I should try just offering an agent $1000 cash up front in lieu of their commission to help me find a home. They get the money if I buy anything or not, but if I do then they must waive their sales commission. Maybe one of them would rather simply work with me for 3 or 4 days for $1000 cash.
Glad to hear you sold your place in TX and are heading back to SD.
As far as your story goes, this is not something uncommon that I have heard over the past couple of years from buyers.
I have said it before and I will say it again, cash makes no difference right now. I have a family member out of state that is trying to do the same thing, it has been a total fail so far. The news outlets may report it from a national picture or the percentages every quarter may show % of cash sales, but if you read between the numbers, the cash deals are higher % of distressed sales (foreclosures, REO).
The truth for the most part that I am seeing is that "good" properties are getting passed around the office so to speak and sold. Since the one you were looking at was listed already in the MLS, then your theory might hold water DEPENDING on how long it was listed for. I am going to take the high road and say the agent could have been very well telling the truth and just didnt follow up with you.
There are some highly unethical agents out there that are well connected and have plenty of investors they are working with that they know are guaranteed $$$ in their pockets. This isn't a blanket statement about all agents. It would be about as naive as saying ALL politicians are crooked, which of course is not true.
For all its worth, you might want to try redfin? I have a friend that bought his place with it a couple of years ago and praised its ease. Considering you are aware of where and which park you want to buy your place, redfin may be a good fit?
Last edited by shmoov_groovzsd; 03-10-2011 at 08:47 AM..
I'm really not surprised to hear about your story with the realtors. A solid, ethical and honest realtor has been difficult to find the past decade. I only know of a handful that didn't always give the NAR motto year after year, "It's a GREAT time to buy!". I'd have more respect for realtors if they were more ethical and honest. It would be ok for them to say the truth on many properties but typically they are always giving the same lines about it being a great time to buy.
The NAR has been dead wrong so many years. Some would even say criminally giving out false information and numbers. It's part of the reason why most people have more respect for a used car salesman than a realtor these days.
I've read and emailed with a few really bright and ethical and honest realtors on the Piggington's Econo-Almanac | San Diego Housing Market News and Analysis forum which Shmoov referred me to. Excellent forum there. "SD Realtor" is a really sharp guy on that forum that seems like a really straight shooter from my correspondence with him.
You're looking in a price range where very few San Diego realtors work. The typical San Diego home is priced at 10X the range you're looking. Low price = low commission = low realtor interest.
Why not just rent a place out here for a few months? It's a lot easier to buy a home here when you live here.
You're looking in a price range where very few San Diego realtors work. The typical San Diego home is priced at 10X the range you're looking. Low price = low commission = low realtor interest.
Why not just rent a place out here for a few months? It's a lot easier to buy a home here when you live here.
Yeah..I was thinking that as well.... most realtors in San Diego probably feel it's beneath them or not worth their time to bother with something in that price range.
I don't know anything about mobile homes but I would have thought many at that price range would be For Sale By Owner.
I truly believe in the next decade you will see the real estate industry completely transforming and 6% commissions all but disappearing. So many models coming out where owners can show their own property or just pay to list in MLS and pay flat fees. With the power of the internet I believe that traditional realtors under the 6% commission system will all but disappear in the future. The intelligent realtors see this trend coming and either have gotten out of the industry or have a 2nd job. There is so much information via the internet these days. That wasn't the case when the original 6% commission system was created.
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The typical San Diego home is priced at 10X the range you're looking. Low price = low commission = low realtor interest.
That's exactly what I was going to say!
Come out here in person, and be on hand to make an offer - forget about getting any help on the phone or via e-mail...looks like that's just not happening!
That's exactly what I was going to say!
Come out here in person, and be on hand to make an offer - forget about getting any help on the phone or via e-mail...looks like that's just not happening!
You are right on both parts. However Dog said the agent was actually living in the complex, and deals specifically in these types of homes.
To digress, let me just say that cash will win deals on certain parameters. One of them being the person representing your purchase power and the price bracket you are looking in.
Coughing up a million in cash where sales have been going below list will certainly draw more interest than someone low balling an offer with financing.
I have long heard that in high cost California R/E markets the 6% commission disappeared years ago, and 5% is the standard. I can't say this is based on personal experience, it's just what I've heard.
30% Good Agents (Solid, knowledgeable professionals).
20% Funny Agents (Too laid-back, nonchalant).
50% Sad Agents (General lack of hustle, communication, follow-through or trying to get themselves paid coming and going while working friends/associates in at every opportunity).
That's been my experience, too many have forgotten the "agency" aspect of being an agent. There are good agents out there though.
I trust the MAJORITY of sales people about as far as I can throw them, RE AGENTS included.
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