working with a realtor when buying

[LarryJ]

I have to respond to Ponytrekker and Aldersh:

If you think that the only thing a Real Estate Agent does is to Analise sales data, try shadowing one for a week. Try keeping up with the laws, the data, the market, the mortgages.

FSBO is not for everyone, but it is obviously for some. Always has been and always will, but when statistics show that (and this is from a FSBO site) FSBOS have less than 20% success rate, that is a mighty big IF you are banking on when you take that route. It is one of the reasons I can comfortably assist FSBO's as I know that the chance of me earning the right to help them sell exceeds the chance of them selling on their own.

Then throw in the: Who are you inviting into your home issue and is it really worth the risk? Yes it is FOR SOME, not for all. So please do not generalize. It is obvious that you either had a bad experience with a Realtor or you enjoy doing this type of work and don't see why you need to pay for it. Just don't go around bad mouthing a worthy profession.

I have have numerous letters from sellers and buyers that took the time to thank me for all I did for them. That in its self says a lot. Just look at this forum and see how many questions and confusion there is from Buyers and Sellers. Every day that I open the paper I see another FSBO ad that has violated Fair Housing. I see Landlords doing the same thing. How many people in NY, do you know put their house up for sale without a working Carbon Monoxide Detector in place?

• The regulations require that a functioning carbon monoxide detector must be installed in every one-and-two-family house, co-op or condominium constructed or offered for sale as of Thursday,March 6, 2003.

Now we have Well Water testing laws. Not for the state, for each town and each one is different. Who does it? Who Pays? Who reports it and to whom? Oh, which town is it who's C/O (Certificate of Occupancy) expires with each owner? The owner must get a new C/O issued shortly before the close of the transaction to pass onto the new owner. I know which town that is, do you? Did you even know any of this existed? Does that 3 bedroom house you just bought even have a C/O for 3 bedrooms? Think an attorney will pick up on it? I assist home owners every month in obtaining C/O's for rooms, additions, decks, pools and bathrooms that they though were legal when they bought only to find out now that they are not. Should I go on?