Archive for the ‘realtor’ Category

how do I become a realtor in North Carolina?

September 14, 2011 - 9:12 pm 2 Comments

Whats required to become a realtor in the state of NC. Are there any classes I have to take?
Rose, I don’t understand what you just wrote.

Here is everything you need to answer the question:
http://www.ncrec.state.nc.us/
You have to take classes and state exam to become licensed.
Check out the website for all pertinent information.
Good luck!

Is it illegal for a Realtor to leave a flyer on my door knocker at my apartment complex?

September 12, 2011 - 12:56 pm 11 Comments

The complex has a sign that says no soliciting… but someone said that just meant people going door to door selling stuff. This was just a flyer for another realtor promoting themselves, wouldnt an apartment complex get ticked off at this?

No it is not illegal for anyone to leave a flyer for their services, Now if they were to knock on your door and want to try to sell you something and your neighborhood or apt complex has a no solicitation sign,then that is another matter. You really couldn’t do much but complain to the apt complex and let them notify whoever it was who left the flyer.

How can I buy a condo from someone without a realtor?

September 9, 2011 - 10:00 pm 1 Comment

How can I buy a condo from someone without a realtor?

I am thinking to buy a condo from my friend’s classmate’s girlfriend. She owns the condo. Can we handle the whole purchase process all by ourselves without a realtor? How can we do that? What should we do ? what’s the procedure ? Or we have to find a realtor ?

Thanks a lot! Praying for Haiti!

Two things:

1) Why would you not want to use a realtor? There’s no charge to you, the buyer. All costs are paid by the seller. You will need a real estate attorney otherwise, if doing a transaction by owner. The seller should definitely pay those costs, because they will be far less than real estate commission if using a realtor.

2) More importantly, why in the world would you want a condo? Do you have any idea what you’re buying (or not buying) when you buy a condo? In a nutshell, you’re just buying air. You don’t own one wall or any part of your unit of the building. You only own the space inside the unit. Yet you will still be liable for property taxes. That’s right, you’re paying property taxes when you don’t own any real property or anything tangible. In addition, you’re paying a monthly association fee that can be as much as $200 a month, something you wouldn’t have if you bought a house. That $200 a month is much more than it would cost you to hire lawn/snow maintenance for your house. I would advise you to reconsider any condo purchase, and seriously look into buying a house. There are plenty of good deals on houses out there in this market.

What happens if a realtor dies during a transaction?

September 3, 2011 - 12:25 am 7 Comments

I’m a realtor, and I sold a house to a client a few weeks ago. It will close in another 2 weeks from now. Suppose I die between now and scheduled closing. Would the sale fall through, or would my employing broker be re-assigned as the buyer’s agent?

The sale is really with the broker, you are jusst an agent of his.

He would have to finish the transaction himself, he can not legally delay it because of this.

There is no re-assign here, it was always the brokers deal.

Can a Realtor increase the price on a foreclosed home?

August 30, 2011 - 4:58 pm 9 Comments

I saw a specific foreclosed home that I was very interested in on multiple foreclosed websites. I found the Realtor selling the home, then when I checked the website for the Realtor’s listing of the home she had the price $60k higher then on the foreclosed websites that I had seen.

The agent does not set the price, the bank does. His listing is the most up to date one.

Should first time home buyers use a realtor or save their money and DIY?

August 27, 2011 - 6:25 pm 5 Comments

Case in point: my fiance and I are preapproved for a mortgage of "X-amount". I’m pretty savvy when it comes to finances, but I’m having a hard time finding homes which are suitable for our needs. Should I bite the bullet and pay a realtor to help me find our dream home? Or just keep searching on my own and save the realtor fees?
Case in point: my fiance and I are preapproved for a mortgage of "X-amount". I’m pretty savvy when it comes to finances, but I’m having a hard time finding homes which are suitable for our needs. Should I bite the bullet and pay a realtor to help me find our dream home? Or just keep searching on my own and save the realtor fees?

As for the cost of inspection, I’m not sure if the seller pays for it or not. I know that the third party fees include: appraisal, title, inspection, recording fees, taxes, and I think surveys too. I’m not 100% sure who pays for all of these, I’m just going to assume the buyer does so that I’m not guessing my cost too low.

Unless you plan to build, I’d use a Realtor. Fees can always be negotiated, and a good realtor can take care of negotiating away some of the detail fees you mention above.

You need to interview realtors to find out if they WANT the job – many will simply go through the motions. Since I’m not in the biz, and don’t know where you live, let me put an ethical, hardworking realtor’s email below – he’ll take the time to answer your concerns, and if you like, he can refer you to someone in your area – for you to audit. Always stay in control, and NEVER sign agreements with realtors – you can always find another one, and eventually, you’ll find a good one that won’t push you for contracts.

If you want to build, skip the realtor and get a lawyer instead.

What is signing a contract with a realtor about?

August 25, 2011 - 5:46 am 7 Comments

I am looking to buy a home (my first). My sister just said something about "signing a contract with the realtor" however the realtor I’ve been in communication with hasn’t brought that up. Does one always sign a contract with a realtor? What does it cover? For whose benefit is this, mine or the realtor’s? Is this common practice?

I’d like to get some background information on it before discussing it with my realtor, if I can ascertain that this is a valid, common practice,

Why would he not have mentioned this contract to me before?

It is more and more common, but not at all typical for a buyer’s agent to have a buyer sign a "Buyer’s Broker Agreement". The contract basically says that if you buy real estate in the next "X" months you agree to do it through thte agent so they can make a commission. Since you are committing to them then they will commit to you and spend hours and hours running around and showing you all kinds of property.

I have been working with buyers for over 10 years and have never asked someone to sign one. I think that it suits me better to develop a relationship with my clients. I have not had a problem with clients leaving me – but that may be an issue for other agents. Some agents use these agreements only for those clients they "get a feeling about" in order to avoid getting taken advantage of.

How long should a realtor take to get back to you?

August 22, 2011 - 9:07 pm 6 Comments

What would be considered a reasonable time for a realtor to respond to your questions on a house and to set up a time to go look at them?
Glenn… You obviously didn’t read the question or the answers. I had asked if my realtor was taking to long and now I want to know what I should expect from a realtor. Why bother answering if you don’t have anything constructive to add.

It really depends on who is listing the home and if they are answering the phone. If your real estate agent calls the listing agent with questions and to get a lock box code, and the listing agent does not respond, they won’t have any info for you. Out of courtesy, they should call you to let you know what’s going on within the hour if there is a contact issue.

What are the monthly/yearly costs associated with becoming a realtor for a company like Keller Williams?

August 20, 2011 - 1:43 pm 3 Comments

I am an currently an investor in Minnesota and wouldn’t like to necessarily be an active realtor but there are some advantages that I would like to have such as MLS access to review comps. It is my understanding that I would need a company to "hang my hat" to gain access to the MLS. Also, can anyone recommend a company that has lower fees?

If you’re an investor and your sole reason for being a realtor is so you have access to MLS, I suggest you ask around for the CHEAPEST real estate brokerage out there. There are some brokerages that only charge you like $100-200/month for being licensed under them. Simply ask around or do your own research because there are plenty of "discount" brokerages out there.

You are aware that there are also mandatory licensing fees and compulsory courses after licensing etc etc which could get you in the thousands.

Becoming a realtor a rewarding career, what are the pluses and minuses of this business?

July 20, 2011 - 9:47 pm 1 Comment

I know there is a substantial out of pocket start up fees and evenings and weekend work. What other pluses and minuses are there? I am very interested in becoming a realtor.

The pay is commission which can vary each month like crazy. One month you make $6000 and the next lucky to make $2500. Getting clients to sign with you is the first hurdle, second is actually selling their property (or finding one for them). How creative you are, how much time and effort you can donate to each client will determine your numbers and success. One problem for many realtors is they fail to talk to their selling clients about making the house saleable. This means getting rid of junk, cleaning, fixing problems, painting and then staging (even if using their furniture) for the open houses and all showings. It is a lot of work and at times you’ll wonder why you bother (some clients can be frustrating).
Have fun and enjoy.