Want to move to Buffalo but realtors obviously don't want us there!!!! (Cheyenne: sales, real estate)
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So, we just got back from our trip to Wyoming (second this summer). We REALLY love Buffalo and want to move there. Unfortunately, the realtors in the area don't seem to want us there.
People are very happy to take our money when we're 'just tourists'. So happy to tell you how wonderful the area is when we're 'just tourists'. Once they know you want to move there and are from out of state, then you're told of all the reasons you'd be happy elsewhere. That seems hypocritical to me. How shallow are people if they are only nice to you to get money? Seems there's a name for that profession!
My husband, daughter and I all liked the Buffalo area. There are so many activities to keep my daughter occupied. The hunting and fishing along with other outdoor activities make it my husband's dream come true. I liked the small town, friendly downtown area. It was so nice to see people on the street talking and waving to each other. Just a beautiful town.
Then we talked to a realtor. At first there was nothing available in our price range. Then, when I asked about some properties I had seen on realtor.com he gave us directions. We got wrong directions from realtors 4 times! First question the realtors asked was "where are you from". Well, it would be hard to lie with our Wisconsin license plates on the truck parked out front.
We still love Buffalo but right now I don't much like realtors. Unfortunately, we are pretty far away and can't drive around the area looking for FSBO signs. Not sure what we need to do to get someone to work with us. I feel like screaming right now!!!!!
Which realtor did you use? My realtor in Buffalo was very friendly. I did most of my house hunting from Texas and she would go to the homes and take pictures for me so that when I made a quick trip up I knew exactly which homes I wanted to see. She made herself available to me on a Saturday and Sunday, even with her family visiting from out of town. I ended up putting an offer in on the home we wanted that very weekend. If you haven't totally given up on realtors already, you may want to give her a call. If you want her info you can PM me and I'd be happy to pass it on. I don't think I can post it here since it may be construed as advertising.
Sorry to hear that your experience with the realtors was so bad. You're right though, it is a beautiful town. I hope it doesn't change much over time.
Which realtor did you use? My realtor in Buffalo was very friendly. I did most of my house hunting from Texas and she would go to the homes and take pictures for me so that when I made a quick trip up I knew exactly which homes I wanted to see. She made herself available to me on a Saturday and Sunday, even with her family visiting from out of town. I ended up putting an offer in on the home we wanted that very weekend. If you haven't totally given up on realtors already, you may want to give her a call. If you want her info you can PM me and I'd be happy to pass it on. I don't think I can post it here since it may be construed as advertising.
Sorry to hear that your experience with the realtors was so bad. You're right though, it is a beautiful town. I hope it doesn't change much over time.
Like you, I've found them to be very helpful. I'm really sorry that somebody has embarrassed us.
Dea13 ... the problem here is that you've taken the standard level of (non)perfomance of most Wyoming realtors personally.
We've spent several years seeking another modest ranch property in the Buffalo/Story area, along with Wheatland and Torrington, and found most of the realtors to be inept, incompetent, and just sitting around waiting for "found money". We've gone in with our doc's in hand (bank letter of loan committment, etc), identified ourselves as seriously motivated, ready & able to do a deal right now .... and we're Wyoming residents.
Specifically, in the Buffalo area, we had similar experiences to yours ... walk in and get shown the multi-list book, or a realtor's own compilation of properties in the area. Then we were given (bad) directions to the property, so we spent a lot of time chasing around the area trying to find a place. If we ever found a place at all, it was by stopping and asking a local resident in the area. The realtor(s) were unable or unwilling to give us any information beyond the limited details of the listing sheet ... acreage, bedrooms, bathrooms, farmland, hot tub, etc. It was all "go see for yourself if you like the place", without any opportunity to be able to tour the house or many buildings or structures (essential to the value & operation of the property) and come back to make an offer.
None of the realtors we visited with could/would tell us about the water quality/availability except that there was a well on the place. None could/would tell us about the productivity of the ranch/farm ... again, a significant detail when so much of the value of the property was derived from this aspect.
None of the realtors we visited would show us a property at all even given our interest level and ability to deal. They only wanted us to sign an offer in their office.
Customer service doesn't appear to be part of their agenda. Oh, and I've had the same crappy experience in Cheyenne, Laramie, Douglas, Hulett, Sundance, and many other towns in the Eastern portion of the state.
We even had one Wheatland realtor take us on a wild "follow me" chase to a place out East of Esterbrook and refuse to show us the property ... she just unlocked the gate and invited us to "look around" while she waited at the gate. The bulk of the property was down the hill a mile away, and the homestead was there. We got out of our car, hiked down the driveway, looked around, checked out the interior of the house & barns & equipment sheds, and were interested and had many questions about the place ... she locked the gate behind us when we hiked out, and without a word she then got in her car and drove off at high speed, leaving us to fend for ourselves to find the way back out (which was a tricky mess of back county roads) in our own car. She never contacted us after the "showing", never asked if we were interested (we were, very much), never followed up in any way. We saw her again later as she was exiting I-25 at a location further south ... she didn't even acknowledge us or try to call us on our mobile phones. Never even asked us if we were interested in putting in an offer. We figured if that was the experience we were going to have before we'd put any money into a deal that she'd be a real problem with our money in hand. This was a mid 6 figure property in a somewhat remote and isolated location.
I've had Cheyenne agents show me multi-unit residential commercial properties without being remotely interested in showing me the interior of the buildings or the infrastructure of the place. Given some legimate questions, like cash flow or balance sheets, or deferred maintenance concerns ... and knowing I was capable and qualified to act right now ... they've never called me back after our meeting and showing. And that was the "top, best agent" in their office, a major national affilated brokerage. They simply don't give a crap about customer service or good business ... the market here is so hot that somebody else will come along with cash in hand and a pen out to sign a contract without having to do any real work or salesmanship. Happened two days later on that property, sight unseen by the out of state buyer.
I've had agents "sell" me a property and then not be able to deliver clear title to all that they sold me, then give me a run-around about other agencies or the title company being at fault. Ultimately, I found out that the agent could not sell to me all of what they'd sold (and they knew it), but would not admit their mistake. Their managing broker didn't care, either, and challenged me to sue them if that's what I thought I needed to do to get satisfaction when all I asked for was to receive a clear title from their efforts. My visit to the state realtor's board complaint department in Cheyenne was needed to get the brokerage to perform per the sales contract and deliver clear title to my property ... at the risk of losing a salesman's license and problems for them with their brokerage license. Again, this was the largest brokerage in Cheyenne, and they behaved this way. A reasonable person would have expected them to know the laws and to conform, and to apologize and do what was needed to deliver the goods and services for which they were paid a commission. Again, simply not part of their "professional culture". Do I let everyone I meet know not to do business with these folks? of course ... and most agents recognize the value of networking. This agency simply doesn't care if they get a bad reputation because they wouldn't stand out in the professional real estate business in the area..
I've walked into many "land offices" in Wyoming towns where the agents are handling over $100mil annual sales volume and gotten no better treatment. These are the laziest and most overpaid "agents" in the business I've ever dealt with in CA, OR, WA, WY, CO, ID, AZ ... it's simply part of their "professional culture".
There's a few folks posting here that say they've had a good experience with a Wyoming agent. I suggest you PM them and find out who they used, because their buying experience is not the norm around Wyoming, and they've found the few good folks in the business ....
It's so funny to read these stories. In wonderment, I watch HGTV where they have realtors actually out hunting for houses for people. I have to remind myself it's only for TV because real estate agents in reality don't do such a thing.
I have traveled to a number of areas in search of a retirement home, so I've met with a number of agents in the five states I'm willing to live in. No one has at all been helpful. At best I am handed a list of only the houses the agent has listed. If I insist, I get the houses listed by the agency. One agent recently told me there were no homes in my price range. Well, by digging further I have found dozens online. Unfortunately, I have found them only after giving up on that particular town (thinking I couldn't afford it).
I've had agents insist I sign an agreement for them to be the buyers agent. That's fine if they will actually take time to find and show me houses, but I'm not signing something like that without knowing they will actually do some work for me. I've crossed out their standard language and specificied they are the buyers agent just for houses they show me. Heck, I spend a lot of money going to a town to house hunt, and they just waste my time.
I find an extraordinary amount of incompetence is this field. I've had so many negative experiences with real estate agents, I've come to the point of strongly resenting that I have to pay these people.
unfortunatly these problems happen all over the country.they seem to want you to pre-qualify for a loan and then refuse to show you anything thats less then what you qualify for even when you tell them what you want to spend,and point out examples of what you want that you've found yourself on the internet.they tend to keep pushing toward the most expensive house they can get you in to up their commision.
It makes me happy to know I'm not alone but sad that the industry is at the point it is. Maybe the Midwest is different. Realtors here work their butts off for you. I've always gotten returned calls, very good directions and my email was flooded with new listings. I guess I'm used to that kind of service.
My husband says that when we move out West he's going to go into selling real estate. He figures he'll make a killing in the market just by providing the service that's SUPPOSED to be provided.
We haven't given up but I'll honestly say that we are considering Kremmling, CO in addition to Buffalo now. We really like Buffalo but I've been getting many private messages about how 'outsiders' are treated there.
I'm 37 yrs old and I've been through too much crap in the last years to deal with any more. I was dx'd with breast cancer at 29 and that caused many issues including congestive heart failure. Now that I'm physically healed I just want to live my life in peace in an area I find awe-inspiring.
It shouldn't matter where you were born and raised. Your values, ethics and the way you treat people should be more important. I know that I'll run into 'those' kind of people everywhere. I'm told that people are only trying to protect their way of life but respect, compassion and consideration of others should come into play.
I don't want to move out there and slice up the land or bring in Walmarts or fast food places. I can afford 35-40 acres in a subdivision but there's no way I can afford $1 mil or more for acreage - even if we live in a tent. It makes it hard not to buy existing homes or whole parcels because the land is priced so high I can't imagine anyone being able to afford the price of a whole parcel except a developer.
OK, I'm done venting now. It takes too much energy to be angry. I have 2 realtors names that people have had luck with. I'll try one of those and see what happens. If the Kremmling realtor comes through and shows the courtesy of returning calls and emailing like they said they would, then our choice will be made.
Good health and happiness to all. For those who don't like 'outsiders' I hope you step on a cactus with bare feet (just kidding - kind of :P)
Location: My heart is in Wyoming, my body is soon to follow.....
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Sometimes it takes a while to understand why you end up where you are, so I pretty much live by the credo that everything happens for a reason. For every action there is a reaction, and sometimes these things push you to where you're meant to go.
i wouldnt put a whole lot of stock in the "how badly outsiders are treated" talk.some people cant make friends anywhere while others can make friends in 10 minutes anywhere.you see these same type posts in several other state forums.in my experiance its mostly the people who move somewhere like wyoming,montana,or alaska and then start telling their new neighbors about how superior the place they came from was or start lecturing everyone about how wonderful prarie dogs,or wolves really are ..why you shouldnt eat meat...telling people how disgusting you think hunting is...etc..etc that get into trouble.its the people from the big cities that talk down to the locals that have most of the problems.if you are friendly and talk about the things you like about wyoming you'll be fine.
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The last of me venting...
