I'm pretty versed in it. I have two homes already. But I thought an agent might shed some light on the market and the locale since I've been in town two weeks. Guess not.Real estate agents are completely useless if you are willing to learn how home buying works and the things you need to look for. Their only interest is in making sales, and just try to call them the day after closing and see if they take your call.
Single but not married, not young either in my mid 40's now. I own two houses and need one where I actually work and live now. The other two are paid for and aren't going anywhere but I need an actual house to live in.Are you married? If not, keep renting and keep your options open. Chances are when you find the person you want to marry, their work will be an hour commute from your home on the opposite side of town and you'll have to sell and move anyways. Or in my situation, they'll already own their own home and now you have to decide who is going to sell(pain in the butt)
If you're young and single, don't tie yourself down to a home.
My real estate agent gave me a $1,000 check at closing when I bought my house.Real estate agents are completely useless if you are willing to learn how home buying works and the things you need to look for. Their only interest is in making sales, and just try to call them the day after closing and see if they take your call.
So they only pocketed the other tens of thousands for doing nothing?My real estate agent gave me a $1,000 check at closing when I bought my house.
The problem is that the real estate brokers' lobby in the states is pretty powerful, and they have a stranglehold on the MLS. They've lost a couple of anti-trust lawsuits requiring them to provide MLS information to other companies, such as zillow, but with caveats that make the information almost useless (60 day delay providing new listings, limited sales information, etc.) Unfortunately, MLS is the most comprehensive source of local properties for sale, lease, and sold. As long as the brokers and their buddies that regulate them are the gatekeepers to that information expect agents to still be around sucking up 6% commissions.Yeah, talk about the most worthless middlemen. I can't believe the real estate agent business hasn't been overtaken by the internet yet. About the only thing mine did for me that I couldn't do myself was open the lockboxes so I could look inside houses.
I guess. I didn't pay him anything so whatever.So they only pocketed the other tens of thousands for doing nothing?
Sure you did, 6% of the purchase price.I guess. I didn't pay him anything so whatever.
Zillow and Trulia make their revenues FROM realtors wth are you smokingThe problem is that the real estate brokers' lobby in the states is pretty powerful, and they have a stranglehold on the MLS. They've lost a couple of anti-trust lawsuits requiring them to provide MLS information to other companies, such as zillow, but with caveats that make the information almost useless (60 day delay providing new listings, limited sales information, etc.) Unfortunately, MLS is the most comprehensive source of local properties for sale, lease, and sold. As long as the brokers and their buddies that regulate them are the gatekeepers to that information expect agents to still be around sucking up 6% commissions.