A 960 Sq. ft Garage-Shop!!

[MyLilMule]

So I don't see what a buyer's agent really does in today's market other than fill out the offer.

Partly true, from a pure process standpoint, especially if you just met your agent.

There is value in a buyer's agent. My agent (as the buyer) was also a high school classmate and a friend. There were plenty of listings that we looked at that she told us to walk away from and don't bother. She knew the neighborhoods and local amenities and valuations better than we did. She saved us from having to do a lot of that research in our own. She told us about a client she has had for over 2 years that is still looking for that perfect house. She may never find it, but she knows them well, and knows what NOT to show them.

 

[ptross]

If you don't know what an agent really does, then you probably have never had a good one. A good agent knows the neighborhoods and their values, knows the better and the worse builders, knows the good subs to call to do repairs and estimates, knows the local codes and can find the things a seller is not telling. A good agent prepares the parperwork and other professionals ahead of time so there is no scrambling or making blind guesses about lenders, inspectors, or what to spend money on. A good agent will understand what you are looking for right away and not waste your time (or theirs) showing you stuff you're not going to buy.
My wife was a great agent- not always (but usually) the top money maker, but worked diligently for her clients, either buying or selling.
She regularly negotiated on behalf of clients to get a better deal for them (even if it meant her commission was lower). She regularly warned against buying a house she thought could be a problem for them later, even if it meant she never got paid.
In short, a good agent will work hard on your behalf. Anyone who doesn't do that is not a good agent, and there are plenty of them! An agent who represents both seller and buyer is really only representing themself.
today's market is nuts. It doesn't take a great agent to sell a house these days, but can sure make buying less painful.

 

[davidpbest]

If you don't know what an agent really does, then you probably have never had a good one. A good agent knows the neighborhoods and their values, knows the better and the worse builders, knows the good subs to call to do repairs and estimates, knows the local codes and can find the things a seller is not telling. A good agent prepares the parperwork and other professionals ahead of time so there is no scrambling or making blind guesses about lenders, inspectors, or what to spend money on. A good agent will understand what you are looking for right away and not waste your time (or theirs) showing you stuff you're not going to buy.

@ptross is speaking the truth here. I do a lot of remodel consulting and advisory work for agents - the good ones turn to me (or someone like me) to evaluate and advise potential buyers on condition and remodeling design ideas/limitations/costs/etc. prior to making an offer. A really good agent is worth every penny in commission, but if you haven't worked with a great agent, then you probably can't relate to their value added. I get to work with a lot of agents in my business.

 

[Janderso]

@DavidR8 It is now against the REB rules for a realtor to 'double end' the agreement in B.C.

We are still trying to move to BC, but it is getting a lot harder as prices are still going up over 20% in rural areas there every year.

It appears that real estate is in high demand just about everywhere these days.
Double digit increases year over year should not be sustainable.
My wife and I searched outside of our immediate area to find some very good deals.
Then we determined water or lack of it may be the reason for these desperate sellers.
This 20 year drought has caused ground water reserves to be in bad shape.
One thing about moving into the county is you don't have city services such as sewer, water and natural gas.

 

[woodchucker]

It appears that real estate is in high demand just about everywhere these days.
Double digit increases year over year should not be sustainable.
My wife and I searched outside of our immediate area to find some very good deals.
Then we determined water or lack of it may be the reason for these desperate sellers.
This 20 year drought has caused ground water reserves to be in bad shape.
One thing about moving into the county is you don't have city services such as sewer, water and natural gas.

That can be a blessing as well.
it goes both ways.

 

[mickri]

Having public water has its pros and cons. The biggest pro is always having water. The only caveat to that is if the public utility's source of water dries up then you will have water rationing. Not very likely. The biggest con is cost. Even modern houses are not designed to conserve water. I know all about conserving water. I lived on my sailboat for 9 years away from a dock. I had an 80 gallon water tank. I had to haul my water most of the time. 5 gallon jugs of water are heavy. What is the biggest waster of water? Pressure water where you turn on the tap and the water flows. I have a pressure water system on my sailboat. If I used the pressure water system my 80 gallons of water would last 2 to maybe 3 weeks. Using the foot pump the 80 gallons would last 2 months. How much water does it take for a guy to take a shower? 12 cups using a garden spraying.

In the area I just moved to water is expensive. I am anticipating paying up to $100 per month for water. My Ex-wife and her husband live in Paso Robles. They are avid gardeners. Their water bill averages $400 per month.

Not much difference between sewer verses septic other than cost. The biggest difference is not flushing anything other than pee and poop down the toilet and not using the garage disposal when you have a septic system. Toilet paper, etc. and food scraps have to go in the garbage. The cost of sewer is now getting tied to how much water you use. Use more water. Pay more for sewer. Kind of makes sense if you think about it. The initial cost of a septic system is very close to the cost to connect to the sewer in a lot of areas. Once installed a septic system has no cost other than having the septic tank periodically pumped. How often depends on what you flush down the toilet and put through the garbage disposal. I think that my public sewer cost is going to be around $35 per month.

Natural gas verses propane is a wash.

Adding a 5,000 gallon storage tank to a low producing well and using solar to run the pump solves the problem of a low producing well.

 

[Janderso]

That can be a blessing as well.
it goes both ways.

We all remember those that purchased a home in 2007 and two years later the value had been cut in half.
People walked away from their homes.
It can certainly happen again. The creative interest only loans are available as before.
I swear we never learn.

 

[Janderso]

Their water bill averages $400 per month.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Janderso]

Having public water has its pros and cons. The biggest pro is always having water. The only caveat to that is if the public utility's source of water dries up then you will have water rationing. Not very likely. The biggest con is cost. Even modern houses are not designed to conserve water. I know all about conserving water. I lived on my sailboat for 9 years away from a dock. I had an 80 gallon water tank. I had to haul my water most of the time. 5 gallon jugs of water are heavy. What is the biggest waster of water? Pressure water where you turn on the tap and the water flows. I have a pressure water system on my sailboat. If I used the pressure water system my 80 gallons of water would last 2 to maybe 3 weeks. Using the foot pump the 80 gallons would last 2 months. How much water does it take for a guy to take a shower? 12 cups using a garden spraying.

In the area I just moved to water is expensive. I am anticipating paying up to $100 per month for water. My Ex-wife and her husband live in Paso Robles. They are avid gardeners. Their water bill averages $400 per month.

Not much difference between sewer verses septic other than cost. The biggest difference is not flushing anything other than pee and poop down the toilet and not using the garage disposal when you have a septic system. Toilet paper, etc. and food scraps have to go in the garbage. The cost of sewer is now getting tied to how much water you use. Use more water. Pay more for sewer. Kind of makes sense if you think about it. The initial cost of a septic system is very close to the cost to connect to the sewer in a lot of areas. Once installed a septic system has no cost other than having the septic tank periodically pumped. How often depends on what you flush down the toilet and put through the garbage disposal. I think that my public sewer cost is going to be around $35 per month.

Natural gas verses propane is a wash.

Adding a 5,000 gallon storage tank to a low producing well and using solar to run the pump solves the problem of a low producing well.

After living with a septic tank for 33 years, city sewer is a nice luxury but we know there is no hardship to septic.

 

[mickri]

I did real estate appraisals for most of my working life. Around 10,000 residential appraisals. The only time that property values declined like Jeff mentioned was during the 2007 crash. We would see massive appreciation in home values at times followed by a leveling off period before appreciation would start again. Foreclosures mostly occurred in homes with 10% or less down where people got behind in their payments. Not enough equity to cover selling costs and bring the loan current. Not to say it won't happen again.

Jeff keep looking you will eventually find a home that meets your needs.