[drboom]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=drboom]Those few of us who really are natives know far more about the area than any agent.[/quote]

drboom, I don’t know where you’re from, but here, in Chula Vista, 91910, most of the residents have lived here all of their lives.[/quote]

Fletcher Hills, 92020. I grew up in the house my grandparents bought in 1946 or 1947. It’s about a mile from the house my wife and I bought last year. We’re both true second generation natives, which is odd enough to draw comment, so this subject has come up before.

Your opinion isn’t supported by either my or my wife’s experience (she’s a native too, and she’s a teacher so she sees all the transplants when they arrive with their kids) or by looking at a chart of the county’s population over time: it has tripled since 1960 and doubled since 1980. All of that increase is “immigration”.

My mother-in-law stopped by briefly while I was writing this. She grew up a mile or two east of here, and she emphatically agrees with me.

I’ll see your transplant opinion and raise you three native opinions and some hand-waving at census numbers. 🙂

I agree that an agent with twenty years in the same area–a rare bird indeed–would know a thing or two. As it happens, our agent had about that much time in the area were interested in. But I have my own and my extended family’s knowledge to rely upon, and they’ve been around here for over seventy years. Our agent, who did a terrific job on the tasks we needed him for, was completely useless to us for research … because he is a transplant who settled here when he retired from the navy and went into RE in the late 80s. 🙂

I’ll stand by what I said even if you know of some exceptions. The reason I brought it up at all is because you were so emphatic that “civvies” absolutely require professional research services. It ain’t so.

[drboom]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=drboom]Those few of us who really are natives know far more about the area than any agent.[/quote]

drboom, I don’t know where you’re from, but here, in Chula Vista, 91910, most of the residents have lived here all of their lives.[/quote]

Fletcher Hills, 92020. I grew up in the house my grandparents bought in 1946 or 1947. It’s about a mile from the house my wife and I bought last year. We’re both true second generation natives, which is odd enough to draw comment, so this subject has come up before.

Your opinion isn’t supported by either my or my wife’s experience (she’s a native too, and she’s a teacher so she sees all the transplants when they arrive with their kids) or by looking at a chart of the county’s population over time: it has tripled since 1960 and doubled since 1980. All of that increase is “immigration”.

My mother-in-law stopped by briefly while I was writing this. She grew up a mile or two east of here, and she emphatically agrees with me.

I’ll see your transplant opinion and raise you three native opinions and some hand-waving at census numbers. 🙂

I agree that an agent with twenty years in the same area–a rare bird indeed–would know a thing or two. As it happens, our agent had about that much time in the area were interested in. But I have my own and my extended family’s knowledge to rely upon, and they’ve been around here for over seventy years. Our agent, who did a terrific job on the tasks we needed him for, was completely useless to us for research … because he is a transplant who settled here when he retired from the navy and went into RE in the late 80s. 🙂

I’ll stand by what I said even if you know of some exceptions. The reason I brought it up at all is because you were so emphatic that “civvies” absolutely require professional research services. It ain’t so.

[drboom]

[quote=bearishgurl]
As a licensee going on three decades with nearly that amount of concurrent legal experience as well (much of it in the field of land use), I can tell you that there is NO substitute for contracting with a buyers agent who knows like the back of their hand the area you are seeking to purchase in, to help you locate and negotiate the purchase of an acceptable property. Better yet, they should possess a photographic memory of intersections of and major thoroughfares in their market area and be familiar with the nuances of all its subdivisions, no matter what their age. It’s also helpful if they are familiar with the original houseplans as they were built, longtime small businesses in the area and their owners, locations of the premium lots, exact school attendance boundaries, what lies over the ground, what lies under the ground (easements), which complexes were/are in litigation and what the outcome of it was, etc. . . and this is only inventory knowledge. If you are using an agent without inventory and market knowledge of the particular area you want to purchase in, you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice, as there are MANY agents who have lived and/or worked in that particular area all of their lives.
[/quote]

All their lives? Good luck in San Diego: nearly everyone is a transplant. People start calling themselves natives around here as soon as they can manage to credibly pull off a “dude” or two in daily conversation.

Those few of us who really are natives know far more about the area than any agent.

[drboom]

[quote=bearishgurl]
As a licensee going on three decades with nearly that amount of concurrent legal experience as well (much of it in the field of land use), I can tell you that there is NO substitute for contracting with a buyers agent who knows like the back of their hand the area you are seeking to purchase in, to help you locate and negotiate the purchase of an acceptable property. Better yet, they should possess a photographic memory of intersections of and major thoroughfares in their market area and be familiar with the nuances of all its subdivisions, no matter what their age. It’s also helpful if they are familiar with the original houseplans as they were built, longtime small businesses in the area and their owners, locations of the premium lots, exact school attendance boundaries, what lies over the ground, what lies under the ground (easements), which complexes were/are in litigation and what the outcome of it was, etc. . . and this is only inventory knowledge. If you are using an agent without inventory and market knowledge of the particular area you want to purchase in, you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice, as there are MANY agents who have lived and/or worked in that particular area all of their lives.
[/quote]

All their lives? Good luck in San Diego: nearly everyone is a transplant. People start calling themselves natives around here as soon as they can manage to credibly pull off a “dude” or two in daily conversation.

Those few of us who really are natives know far more about the area than any agent.

[drboom]

[quote=bearishgurl]
As a licensee going on three decades with nearly that amount of concurrent legal experience as well (much of it in the field of land use), I can tell you that there is NO substitute for contracting with a buyers agent who knows like the back of their hand the area you are seeking to purchase in, to help you locate and negotiate the purchase of an acceptable property. Better yet, they should possess a photographic memory of intersections of and major thoroughfares in their market area and be familiar with the nuances of all its subdivisions, no matter what their age. It’s also helpful if they are familiar with the original houseplans as they were built, longtime small businesses in the area and their owners, locations of the premium lots, exact school attendance boundaries, what lies over the ground, what lies under the ground (easements), which complexes were/are in litigation and what the outcome of it was, etc. . . and this is only inventory knowledge. If you are using an agent without inventory and market knowledge of the particular area you want to purchase in, you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice, as there are MANY agents who have lived and/or worked in that particular area all of their lives.
[/quote]

All their lives? Good luck in San Diego: nearly everyone is a transplant. People start calling themselves natives around here as soon as they can manage to credibly pull off a “dude” or two in daily conversation.

Those few of us who really are natives know far more about the area than any agent.

[drboom]

[quote=bearishgurl]
As a licensee going on three decades with nearly that amount of concurrent legal experience as well (much of it in the field of land use), I can tell you that there is NO substitute for contracting with a buyers agent who knows like the back of their hand the area you are seeking to purchase in, to help you locate and negotiate the purchase of an acceptable property. Better yet, they should possess a photographic memory of intersections of and major thoroughfares in their market area and be familiar with the nuances of all its subdivisions, no matter what their age. It’s also helpful if they are familiar with the original houseplans as they were built, longtime small businesses in the area and their owners, locations of the premium lots, exact school attendance boundaries, what lies over the ground, what lies under the ground (easements), which complexes were/are in litigation and what the outcome of it was, etc. . . and this is only inventory knowledge. If you are using an agent without inventory and market knowledge of the particular area you want to purchase in, you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice, as there are MANY agents who have lived and/or worked in that particular area all of their lives.
[/quote]

All their lives? Good luck in San Diego: nearly everyone is a transplant. People start calling themselves natives around here as soon as they can manage to credibly pull off a “dude” or two in daily conversation.

Those few of us who really are natives know far more about the area than any agent.

[drboom]

[quote=bearishgurl]
As a licensee going on three decades with nearly that amount of concurrent legal experience as well (much of it in the field of land use), I can tell you that there is NO substitute for contracting with a buyers agent who knows like the back of their hand the area you are seeking to purchase in, to help you locate and negotiate the purchase of an acceptable property. Better yet, they should possess a photographic memory of intersections of and major thoroughfares in their market area and be familiar with the nuances of all its subdivisions, no matter what their age. It’s also helpful if they are familiar with the original houseplans as they were built, longtime small businesses in the area and their owners, locations of the premium lots, exact school attendance boundaries, what lies over the ground, what lies under the ground (easements), which complexes were/are in litigation and what the outcome of it was, etc. . . and this is only inventory knowledge. If you are using an agent without inventory and market knowledge of the particular area you want to purchase in, you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice, as there are MANY agents who have lived and/or worked in that particular area all of their lives.
[/quote]

All their lives? Good luck in San Diego: nearly everyone is a transplant. People start calling themselves natives around here as soon as they can manage to credibly pull off a “dude” or two in daily conversation.

Those few of us who really are natives know far more about the area than any agent.

[drboom]

[quote=sdrealtor]It isnt rocket science and you dont need an agent. However, a good agent will protect you and help you make better decisions. If you go directly to the listing agent it is important to consider their primary allegiance is to the seller not you. The listing agent is also under no obligation to share any of the commission with you and many wont. With all that said feel free to go direct, it may work out for you better and it may not. You wont know for sure until you know for sure.[/quote]

sdr speaks wisdom as usual.

I don’t think it’s realistic for Joe Consumer to operate without professional help (I tried for a while), but that doesn’t mean you have to go the “full service” route. When I bought my house last year, I negotiated a commission split with my agent and did all my own research.

It worked out well for both of us: he showed me exactly one house rather than driving me all over creation, and I got the benefit of his experience and–above all–persistence throughout the annoying long short sale process … along with a check for about 1% of the house’s value.

Prior to engaging my agent, seller’s agents had flatly refused to discuss commission splits with me.

[drboom]

[quote=sdrealtor]It isnt rocket science and you dont need an agent. However, a good agent will protect you and help you make better decisions. If you go directly to the listing agent it is important to consider their primary allegiance is to the seller not you. The listing agent is also under no obligation to share any of the commission with you and many wont. With all that said feel free to go direct, it may work out for you better and it may not. You wont know for sure until you know for sure.[/quote]

sdr speaks wisdom as usual.

I don’t think it’s realistic for Joe Consumer to operate without professional help (I tried for a while), but that doesn’t mean you have to go the “full service” route. When I bought my house last year, I negotiated a commission split with my agent and did all my own research.

It worked out well for both of us: he showed me exactly one house rather than driving me all over creation, and I got the benefit of his experience and–above all–persistence throughout the annoying long short sale process … along with a check for about 1% of the house’s value.

Prior to engaging my agent, seller’s agents had flatly refused to discuss commission splits with me.

[drboom]

[quote=sdrealtor]It isnt rocket science and you dont need an agent. However, a good agent will protect you and help you make better decisions. If you go directly to the listing agent it is important to consider their primary allegiance is to the seller not you. The listing agent is also under no obligation to share any of the commission with you and many wont. With all that said feel free to go direct, it may work out for you better and it may not. You wont know for sure until you know for sure.[/quote]

sdr speaks wisdom as usual.

I don’t think it’s realistic for Joe Consumer to operate without professional help (I tried for a while), but that doesn’t mean you have to go the “full service” route. When I bought my house last year, I negotiated a commission split with my agent and did all my own research.

It worked out well for both of us: he showed me exactly one house rather than driving me all over creation, and I got the benefit of his experience and–above all–persistence throughout the annoying long short sale process … along with a check for about 1% of the house’s value.

Prior to engaging my agent, seller’s agents had flatly refused to discuss commission splits with me.

[drboom]

[quote=sdrealtor]It isnt rocket science and you dont need an agent. However, a good agent will protect you and help you make better decisions. If you go directly to the listing agent it is important to consider their primary allegiance is to the seller not you. The listing agent is also under no obligation to share any of the commission with you and many wont. With all that said feel free to go direct, it may work out for you better and it may not. You wont know for sure until you know for sure.[/quote]

sdr speaks wisdom as usual.

I don’t think it’s realistic for Joe Consumer to operate without professional help (I tried for a while), but that doesn’t mean you have to go the “full service” route. When I bought my house last year, I negotiated a commission split with my agent and did all my own research.

It worked out well for both of us: he showed me exactly one house rather than driving me all over creation, and I got the benefit of his experience and–above all–persistence throughout the annoying long short sale process … along with a check for about 1% of the house’s value.

Prior to engaging my agent, seller’s agents had flatly refused to discuss commission splits with me.

[drboom]

[quote=sdrealtor]It isnt rocket science and you dont need an agent. However, a good agent will protect you and help you make better decisions. If you go directly to the listing agent it is important to consider their primary allegiance is to the seller not you. The listing agent is also under no obligation to share any of the commission with you and many wont. With all that said feel free to go direct, it may work out for you better and it may not. You wont know for sure until you know for sure.[/quote]

sdr speaks wisdom as usual.

I don’t think it’s realistic for Joe Consumer to operate without professional help (I tried for a while), but that doesn’t mean you have to go the “full service” route. When I bought my house last year, I negotiated a commission split with my agent and did all my own research.

It worked out well for both of us: he showed me exactly one house rather than driving me all over creation, and I got the benefit of his experience and–above all–persistence throughout the annoying long short sale process … along with a check for about 1% of the house’s value.

Prior to engaging my agent, seller’s agents had flatly refused to discuss commission splits with me.

[drboom]

[quote=briansd1]Actually, if Americans can no longer afford “Carlsbad-like” neighborhoods and everything in San Diego deteriorates to “El Cajon-like” and people have to move to apartments, it still won’t be the end of the world.[/quote]

None too soon: good riddance to Stepford, I say.

Most of the “nice” neighborhoods coveted by many around here just give me the creeps. I can’t understand why anyone would aspire to live amid such horrifying HOA-enforced uniformity.

Note that from an economic perspective, the marginal utility of a bigger house is zero at best. The only reason to have a big house is to provide shelter and sanitation for a big family. Otherwise it’s just a warehouse for used consumer goods.

My family of four is happy in our quiet patch of 92020, thank you, and somehow we manage to not feel imprisoned in the 1,000 sq. ft. 3/1 we bought last year. I’ll never move again if I can avoid it–just bury me in the back yard when I croak.

[drboom]

[quote=briansd1]Actually, if Americans can no longer afford “Carlsbad-like” neighborhoods and everything in San Diego deteriorates to “El Cajon-like” and people have to move to apartments, it still won’t be the end of the world.[/quote]

None too soon: good riddance to Stepford, I say.

Most of the “nice” neighborhoods coveted by many around here just give me the creeps. I can’t understand why anyone would aspire to live amid such horrifying HOA-enforced uniformity.

Note that from an economic perspective, the marginal utility of a bigger house is zero at best. The only reason to have a big house is to provide shelter and sanitation for a big family. Otherwise it’s just a warehouse for used consumer goods.

My family of four is happy in our quiet patch of 92020, thank you, and somehow we manage to not feel imprisoned in the 1,000 sq. ft. 3/1 we bought last year. I’ll never move again if I can avoid it–just bury me in the back yard when I croak.

[drboom]

[quote=briansd1]Actually, if Americans can no longer afford “Carlsbad-like” neighborhoods and everything in San Diego deteriorates to “El Cajon-like” and people have to move to apartments, it still won’t be the end of the world.[/quote]

None too soon: good riddance to Stepford, I say.

Most of the “nice” neighborhoods coveted by many around here just give me the creeps. I can’t understand why anyone would aspire to live amid such horrifying HOA-enforced uniformity.

Note that from an economic perspective, the marginal utility of a bigger house is zero at best. The only reason to have a big house is to provide shelter and sanitation for a big family. Otherwise it’s just a warehouse for used consumer goods.

My family of four is happy in our quiet patch of 92020, thank you, and somehow we manage to not feel imprisoned in the 1,000 sq. ft. 3/1 we bought last year. I’ll never move again if I can avoid it–just bury me in the back yard when I croak.

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