CAVEAT EMPTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1. Your agent will be the best friend you’ve ever had until your transaction is complete. After this, you he/she will not give you the light of day, unless you put them on retainer.
2. I would rather pay for a boat in MY driveway rather than the boat in HER (the agents) driveway, wouldn’t you?
3. Believe me, realtor folk don’t have too many clients right now who can deliver the goods – there are fewer listings, closing volume is way down, and many of these folks are the ones living highest on the hog these past few years. They need the money. If they don’t serve you, fire them and get someone else, like a Redfin or some other fixed-fee agent.
4. The fixed-fee agent wont give you much time until you get serious about an offer, after which I think he/she will be better at negotiating a close than a freelancer. Also, use other tools to gauge the state of the neighborhood: the best of these is walking around the neighborhood, knocking on doors, and meeting and talking to the neighbors. Indeed, one such conversation alerted me to a drainage problem with the property that I used to advantage in negotiations.
5. You can also hire a lawyer to go over the paperwork for you. The local title/escrow companies can refer you to such folk, or you can find them by yourself. I used my own lawyer on one recent high-$ transaction to ensure that the paperwork was kosher. You pay them by the hour, and use them at the end. I had done this abroad, where escrow companies dont exist, and its just as doable here.
6. It’s all kinda up to you – just like when you hire a painter to paint your home for $8K, but then next time you try it yourself with a few friends and it only costs $300 for materials. Your own state of readiness to take on the responsibility defines the solution to the problem.
