Best way to put offers in on homes without a real estate agent. (San Diego: for sale by owner)

[toy4two]

Its been my experience as a buyer that I am doing all the leg work of finding properties to buy here in San Diego. The only thing my real estate agent has done for me is print out some offer forms when I am ready to put an offer in on a property. I research all the comps, I pay for a subscription to foreclosure sites, I recommend how much I want to offer etc.

I would rather just submit these forms to the listing agent myself, where does one get these? Also if anyone has a good real estate attorney in town they would recommend for closing please send me a message.

[esmith143]

An easy way to go is to call the listing agent directly and talk to them, they may be willing to represent both sides. Specify that they will get, say, 1% buyer's commission (as opposed to 3% that would be paid if you had your own agent).

Forms you're talking about are standardized by California Association of Realtors. The offer form is called RPA-CA (California Residential Purchase Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions). You can buy a stack of blank forms at store.car.org. Or you can try to google them.

[ThisUSMCjag]

I would not rely upon the listing agent to also represent you as well. Even though agents can do dual agency, it is not recommended because where does their interest fall? Certainly not with you when they also represent the person who gave them the listing. Get yourself an attorney and utilize an agent that is certified for buyers. This will give you all the protection you need plus the service. You can get an attorney for about $350 to $550 flat rate - the attorney does not have an interest in the outcome, meaning, it does not matter whether you close or not. Agents, even your own, have a financial interest in the outcome of their case (closing your deal) because if they do not close, they do not get paid.

[Summertime]

When I bought a home in Oregon, I found it on
my own by driving through the area that I
liked the best,

spoke to the seller, on Saturday, put down
the Earnest money,

on Monday I went to a mortgage company,
and a broker handled ALL the paper work
entirely, at a low fee,

saving the seller a comission

and me whatever fees I would have had
to pay through a realtor.

The seller was not listed with an agent,
when I saw her 'for sale by owner' sign.

A 6 or 7 per cent commission for paperwork
is sometimes overwhelming, when you need
every penny just to re-locate.

This technique might work for you.

[MsFancyPants]

First of all, the seller pays the commission in CA so you're not technically paying your agent, the seller is. I know they figure that in the price of their home but it's already figured in, so they're probably not going to knock off 3% b/c the listing agent will tell them not to b/c she/he in effect will be doing all the work instead of working in conjunction with your agent. If you're trying to get a foreclosure, then FOR SURE use a realtor who has experience in that arena b/c it's a mess. And lastly, CA is an escrow state, not an attorney state. If you manage to negotiate and get an accepted offer on your own, your next step is to find a good title/escrow company and they'll take it from there. Just make sure you know all about timelines, disclosures, inspections, repair requests...it's harder than you think.

I would HIGHLY recommend finding a new realtor, not going w/o a realtor.

I have a license but don't represent buyers or sellers. I just do my own stuff. I do know a lot of realtors if you need a recommendation on a new one, DM me.