Entries from Searchlight Crusade tagged with 'defects'

"Contractor's Specials"

I was looking through some real estate listings and saw one property described as: "Contractor's special, first time buyers and investors. House needs TLC." Does contractor's special mean u better be a contractor if you wanna buy this place? It...

The Tollbooth Model of Real Estate Agency

Over the last couple of decades, there's been a rising movement, mostly on the part of those who want a piece of real estate agents business, to sell agents as a toll booth. Tollbooths sit there, guarding the entry to...

"I'm Working With Someone Else, But Could You Just Help Me With..."

I recently got an email from a reader that was coming into a property as I left. I dropped my card and we did the lockbox shuffle thing, then there was an email when I got back to the...

The Sperm Donor Theory of Buyer's Agents

Some fathers, sad to say, are not involved in their children's life beyond conception. Maybe it was just a one night stand and they have no idea they even have a child, maybe they were involved with the mother on...

Money You Will Spend Before Your Real Estate Purchase Is Consummated

Before you even make an offer, you should be aware that you're going to spend a significant amount of money in the process of buying a property before the transaction is consummated. This will largely be money that you will...

Reasons Why You Want A Buyer's Agent

There's an awful lot of nonsense out there that advises people to do without an agent. Quite often, first time buyers of real estate get seduced into not having an agent by this stuff before they get into the market,...

Are Foreclosures A Good Investment?

Well, sometimes. Okay, most of the time. But not always. Foreclosures: Bargain hunters beware! Myth no. 1: A big spike in foreclosures is right around the corner... ...That's because in most of the country, anyone who has owned a home...

There's No Such Thing as Full Service Agency for a Discount Price

You might get what you pay for. You don't get what you don't pay for, despite the fact that the local dog target loves giving discounters free puffery. I'm not against discounters. I'm very happy to do a discounters work...

Things to Consider If You Can't Afford Your Payment

I read a lot of the info. you have on your web page ... thank you. I don't live in San Diego so I'm not looking for a home. What I am trying to decide is whether to sell...

Vampire Properties (aka Money Pits)

I just went out doing some general market scouting. Looked at ten properties, and at least three were of a sort that I've started calling "vampire properties." Vampire properties are one more reason you want a good buyer's agent, and...

The Sperm Donor Theory of Buyer's Agents

Some fathers, sad to say, are not involved in their children's life beyond conception. Maybe it was just a one night stand and they have no idea they even have a child, maybe they were involved with the mother on...

Reasons Why You Want A Buyer's Agent

There's an awful lot of nonsense out there that advises people to do without an agent. Quite often, first time buyers of real estate get seduced into not having an agent by this stuff before they get into the...

Money You Spend Before You Buy Real Estate

Before you even make an offer, you should be aware that you're going to spend a significant amount of money well before the transaction is consummated. There are methods of avoiding it, but they're a good way to get yourself...

There's No Such Thing as Full Service Agency for a Discount Price

The local dog target gave discounters several hundred thousand dollars of free puffery recently. I'm not against discounters. I'm perfectly willing to do a discounters work for a discounter's price. Fifty percent for the pay for less than ten percent...

Vampire Properties

I just went out doing some general market scouting. Looked at ten properties, and at least three were of a sort that I've started calling "vampire properties." One more reason you want a good buyer's agent. Like a mythical vampire,...