Real Estate Called Out

True Tales Of A Home Inspector Part 2
Inspectors and Flippers

Considering buying a flipped home?   While not all flipped homes are bad, our home inspector talks about the most common issues that she has seen from poor flipped homes and what you should be looking for when touring them.

She also shares her worst flipped inspections.  One in which the basement was filled with carbon dioxide, and the other had an attic insulate with something you would never imagine.

Learn the red flags and prepare yourself before you dive into a flipped home.  

Got a question?

State laws and regulations may vary.

Have a story you would like to share with other sellers or buyers?
Hit us up here.

Welcome to our three part series with our favorite home inspector!

For part 1, we are diving into the relationship of real estate agents and home inspectors. 

While there are great agents out there that will recommend a thorough inspector, there are others that (in our opinion) seem to be more concerned about getting the deal closed.  This episode will help you understand why you should always do your own research when an agent gives you a few home inspectors to call. 

This juicy episode is packed with lots of crap (literally), and includes stories of how some agents have threatened her, others asked her to remove things from the inspection, and some just plan out claim to sue her for being too detailed in her report. 

Part 2 comes out this Friday and focuses on inspectors and home flippers

Got a question?

State laws and regulations may vary.

Have a story you would like to share with other sellers or buyers?
Hit us up here.

This homebuyer's contract specifically stated that the curtains are to stay with the home after closing.  While they were there at the final walk thru,   they were nowhere to be found after the 30-day lease back.  Their agent has stopped responding and is now stuck with buying new curtains.

This happened to Lindy last year when she bought her home; even after trusting the seller would return the items, they never did.  Learn how to prevent this, who should be held responsible, and how to get attention when your agent stops responding after you close.

Got a question?

State laws and regulations may vary.

Have a story you would like to share with other sellers or buyers?
Hit us up here.

This homeowner went with a "friend" agent to sell her home.  But things quickly changed when the broker stepped in to run the listing.    According to this home seller, not only did they not get to view all the offers, the listing agent cut the showings and offers off after three days once they "got a good deal."    That good deal came from a buyer represented by the same the original friend agent they wanted to use (that works for the broker selling the house).

Hear how the deal continued to go south and how the buyers threw the sellers things in the yard three days before closing.   Not to mention how the home was then flipped and re-listed 30 days later by the same brokerage....and for a lot more money.  

Got a question?

State laws and regulations may vary.

Have a story you would like to share with other sellers or buyers?
Hit us up here.

Sometimes we come across a story that just leaves us flabbergasted.  This is one of those stories!

We came across a story in which a listing agent was telling their client that they needed to buy new furniture so that the listing photos would stand out.     They also told their client they could try to sell the furniture with the house and re-coup the costs.

Apparently this agent has never heard of virtual staging or paying a stager to use their furniture.

Find out why, in our opinion, this is an awful idea and why you should always interview multiple listing agents before signing a contract with one.  

Got a question?

State laws and regulations may vary.

Have a story you would like to share with other sellers or buyers?
Hit us up here.

This buyer wanted to submit an offer 10k over asking on a property.   Their agent said they would, but after the agent found out there was an offer 60K over asking, the agent decided to not submit the offer (but didn't tell the buyer about that decision).

Should the agent have submitted the offer?

Wendy and Lindy discuss this story and share how you can avoid this scenario with your agent.  They also discuss the impact of this market on buyer's agents, agent burnout, and the rise of  poor communication in the industry.

Got a question?

State laws and regulations may vary.

Have a story you would like to share with other sellers or buyers?
Hit us up here.

This story comes from a buyer whose agent asked them to sign a buyers agent agreement.   What the agent failed to point out was that this agreement was written so that the buyer would be stuck with that agent for one year!

Hear what Lindy says about the year long contract, how to work around agents that present these long contracts,  and tips on what else you should write in your that agreement (if you are asked to sign one).

Do not sign an agreement for a year.

Got a question?

State laws and regulations may vary.

Have a story you would like to share with other sellers or buyers?
Hit us up here.

Lindy shares her client's recent experience at an Open House in which an agent tried to poach her client with the idea that she might have "pocket listings" that no one else has.   Being the nosy person she is, Wendy pretended to be her client to see if the poacher and a Compass agent, and Caldwell Banker agent did have listings.   

Should a consumer have to dig this hard to find homes for sale? 

A few years ago, the National Association of Realtors claimed to diminish pocket listings by creating the Clear Cooperation program.  However, pocket listings have increased since then,  so is it working?  Who is benefitting from this program, and what are the long-term implications for consumers if this continues? 

Even Opendoor started to promote these types of listings, but there are a few things you should know about, in our opinion, before putting in an offer on their homes.

Got a question?

State laws and regulations may vary.

Have a story you would like to share with other sellers or buyers?
Hit us up here.

We all know that one person in the community that not only knows everyone but can also make or break people in certain social circles.  It's like high school never ended, even 20 years later!

So, what happens when you are selling your house and that "person" is the buyer's agent?  A home seller recently wrote about their experience when a pushy buyer's agent hounded them for information about their home sale instead of contacting the listing agent.  Hear what Lindy has to say about the ethical implications of doing this and what you should consider in this situation as a home seller.

Plus, learn what you should and shouldn't have your agent say when you start to receive offers on your home.

Got a question?

State laws and regulations may vary.

Have a story you would like to share with other sellers or buyers?
Hit us up here.

This first-time homebuyer shares her family's story of how they pulled their family out of debt and worked for more than a year to prepare to buy a home.    

Learn how they navigated using the listing agent as their agent (dual agency) and how their agent ghosted them the minute after the inspection was complete. Spoiler alert, he didn't even show up at the closing table. 

For all you cat lovers out there, this buyer also shares how they couldn't find their fourth cat on closing day, thought maybe they packed him in a box, only to find out the cat created a terrible hiding spot in their old home.  

Help celebrate this family's accomplishment by sending them a small housewarming gift.   :)
Click here for their wishlist

Got a question?

State laws and regulations may vary.

Have a story you would like to share with other sellers or buyers?
Hit us up here.