What are the advantages of using a realtor to buy a house?

Question

While searching for a house,is it really best to use a realtor?Could it be just as easy to contact the selling agent and eliminate one more person that is looking to make some cash on the sale?We were real interested in buying a house,but we are unsure if we got played around with.The agent selling the house and the realtor we were using are from the same company.We were told that the bank would have to approve of any offer,and that the bank would not budge more than $500 on the price of the house.What makes it even more interesting,the bank did not own the property,it had not been foreclosed on.The house had been on the market for almost a full year.RIght after we said we were interested,all of the sudden,offers "started streaming" in on the house.We looked at it again,wanted to make an offer,and the realtor said it was to low, that the bank had not accepted an offer $5000 to $6000 lower than the asking price. Not a week later, the house was off the market. Were we toyed with?

Answer 1

You can buy a house on your own however, you must do a lot and I mean a lot of research about the laws, taxes, etc. A realtor is a person who is supposed to KNOW all the details that usually go on behind the scenes. Someone looking for a house usually has the asthetics as a major factor...they don't think details. I used a realtor, and I might as well not have. I was in the house not one year and discovered that when it rains hard - the house floods. I have a feeling the realtor might have known that. The sellers definitely knew! When it was all said and done around the closing table - I was so tired and worn out from moving two houses into one, that I was glad it was over with. Then the rain came. And every year for the 6 years I stayed there - I was living in mold and mildew and it quickly formed a legion in my lungs and caused me upper resp. problems and asthma. Of course, the insurance company got out of it - the past owners denied it, the realtor - no where to be found - until it was too late. I say get a realtor and STAY ON HIS BUTT! They are supposed to work for you because they are after their commission - but some of them are snakes. Do your homework and make sure that you know everything that's going on. Keep a diary and make your own phone calls. (yea, I'd call behind the realtor) but hopefully, you can get one that you trust. Everybody will have to signing up to contract you - obligate you to them - and then you can't get out without being sued. Be careful who you select.

Answer 2

new homes sales here. Unlike in a used home transaction, where the seller will pay the same commission if there is or isn't a buyer agent, the builder ONLY pays when there is an agent. The on site sales manager usually gets a set percentage; and it doesn't change if there is or isn't a buyer's agent. So, if you have an agent, it costs the builder 3%. 3% to their bottom line that YOU CAN"T GET. No realtor, no 3% cost to the builder and there is 3% more that the builder can work with. In regards to the posts that say that a realtor can get you a better deal. That's just not true. I have sold over 3000 new homes with around 1000 using agents; and I can tell you that when there is an agent being paid, the buyer didn't get a better deal. It is all a bottom line to the builder.

Answer 3

If you don't have any time to spare use a realtor.
If you do have time to spare and don't mind doing all the work to save a nice chunk of money, then sell it yourself. It's not hard and usually the real estate lawyer that will ratify the property transfer will take care of everything anyway. If you want to advertise your house yourself for free try http://www.cytadia.com ...

Answer 4

If just to make sure you are following all the laws associated with real estate these days , its worth it. My brother almost went to jail selling his house on his own, how hard can it be , he said. He found out.