Can a real estate agent ask a home seller what price they will accept?

Question: “When my agent shows me homes, is she allowed to ask the seller what price they’ll take?” Answer: Nope. It would be a clear violation of the Realtor® Code Of Ethics, Standard of Practice 16-13: All dealings concerning property exclusively listed, or with buyer/tenants who are subject to an exclusive agreement shall be carried
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Why you shouldn’t use lenders who are also real estate agents.

Question: “I just went to your investing seminar and heard you say never to use a lender who’s also an agent. Sadly, I heard this too late. I bought my home and my (ex) agent did my loan. It was a nightmare. It took almost three months to close and my loan had a much
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A Batty Real Estate Story Time

Real estate can throw some curveballs, but these bats hit a home run nonetheless. A few years back, an agent I knew visited a foreclosed home. Most of the time, foreclosures have already been vacated, but this one was still occupied. It wasn’t occupied by the previous owner, however… It was occupied by bats! Oddly
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North County home for sale at $100,000?

Question: “I saw a house in north county for $100,000. How is this possible?” Answer: I don’t know the specific house you’re speaking of, but I’m almost certain that… It’s a manufactured home (similar to a mobile home) and requires that you pay monthly space rent of somewhere between $700 and $2,000. If that works
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Are condos bad investments?

Question: “I’ve heard that condos are bad investments. Is that true?” Answer: Not at all. I personally own three rental condos and they’ve been great investments. They’re especially good for beginning investors because they’re lower in price (on average) and require less management and maintenance since the HOA takes care of the exterior and grounds.
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Can an agent say they have multiple offers when they really don’t?

Question: “I think I know what you’re going to say, but is this okay to do? I sold a home and my agent told everyone we had multiple offers when we didn’t. And when we got an offer, he even wrote a multiple counter offer when we didn’t have another offer.” Answer: Your agent is
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Choosing Your Listing Price Chooses Your Competition

  Choosing your listing price chooses your competition, so make sure your listing price is close to your home’s market value.   When you sell your home, choosing your listing price, in effect, chooses your competition. Why? Let’s say you have a home worth roughly $1 million and you price it at $1.2 million. Once
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Why wasn’t my offer accepted?

Question: “I wrote kind of a low offer, but the seller accepted another offer without even responding to mine. I would have come up but they never gave me the chance. Why wouldn’t they respond?” Answer: Imagine you’re the seller and you have two offers. One is low, but the other is at a good
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Are online lenders safe?

Question: “What do you think of getting a mortgage from an online lender?” Answer: Personally, I’m NOT a fan as most of my clients who used (or tried to use) online lenders had poor experiences. They tend to be based out of town and impersonal. And because they don’t have local representatives, there’s no personal
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How to choose a real estate agent

Question: “I’m planning to sell my home. What’s the best way to choose an agent?” Answer: Thanks for your question! My answer may sound self-serving, but you’ll agree it makes sense: The only way to choose an agent is based on their track record. Fancy presentations and “happy talk” are nice, but they’re just promises.
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