San Diego Housing Bubble News and Analysis

Thats a personal decision but if you have access to a good one, why not let them do some of your legwork. While you are waiting they should be teaching about the market and the areas you are/would be interested in. I have many clients that are looking, have been looking for over a year (some longer) and we regularly comm8unicate about what is going on, neighborhoods I think they might be interested in and much more. A good realtor is an asset. Of course, some are liabilities so find a good one.

What about houserebate.com or Zip Realty? How do those compare to a Realtor for viewing and buying houses?

Also, I realize that Realtors get compensated by commission on the sale of the house, but prior to that if there is a lot of driving around that costs them money to show the properties. If I am still "looking" would it be recommended to compensate said Realtor for time and gas if I am not totally sure about buying but still want to see the inside of some properties?

--Baz

Check out the area you're interested in at all different times of the day and weekends. Go to open houses there as well. Talk to people. When you get a solid idea about it, then approach a realtor at one of the open houses about your interest in the area and ask them questions. See if their answers correlate with what you've seen. Start to look for comparable prices in the area for what kind of house you're interested in.

Depending on someone else who makes money from the transaction of your purchase for information that's critical to your future is not a good idea in any market. Least of all this one. So ask several of them the same questions and see what their answers are. These are just a few of the things that will help you get a better handle on the process. Also, start to investigate mortgage brokers and the various funding options available. This step is critical unless you've got all cash.

I would go with a realtor on this site, they actually pay attention to the market, they don't go to their weekly pep talk and use that as all their info.

Also, Zip and HR are Realtors. That is, they are members of NAR, CAR and local boards. They just offer a more diverse array of service options than other Realtors might.

waitingpatiently and bazman,
I dont know where you are looking but where ever that is, make sure you get yourself someone local. In my area, I have seen many homes sold by out of area agents or agents that claim they know the area. They buy homes that I would never sell to a client. Homes on busy corners, homes with undisclosed problems commonly known to area brokers, homes on streets with problematic neighbors, families with kids buying homes in areas not well suited for them. Buying the wrong house is as biog a mistake as buying at the wrong time. Selling a home is expensive and thus fixing your mistake would be too.

Make sure you get in depth local knowledge where ever you go.

****Also, Zip and HR are
Submitted by urbanrealtor on December 18, 2008 - 6:20pm.
Also, Zip and HR are Realtors. That is, they are members of NAR, CAR and local boards. They just offer a more diverse array of service options than other Realtors might.

*********

Thanks for the information! I had not been logged in for a while so I just now searched and found your reply.

Thank you sdr ... In light of local experience I have logged many hours of driving around San Diego looking at neighborhoods and properties, but I think where a Realtor could help would be for more specific information on taxes, schools, community, and even the neighbors. Plus not all listings are available on sdlookup.com I've noticed.

I was pre-approved recently for 150K with 10% down, but I did not pursue any active searching so my approval expired. Maybe it's time to renew it again for 2009.

sdr --

How long have you been a Realtor, and do you have a website?

--Basil