are there any good websites to find real estate? I have been looking for about a month now for property in Jacksonville, FL but it just seems like the same 10-12 neighborhoods listed. I am pretty sure there are more neighborhoods than that.

5/23/2006 3:08:21 PM

talk to a realtor

5/23/2006 3:12:21 PM

REaltor + MLS = Profit

5/23/2006 3:51:42 PM

Find a for sale by owner if you can, because anything that is sold by a realtor is automatically 10-20% higher than it should be due to realtor fees and just general speculation.

5/23/2006 4:07:14 PM

try checking something like Help-U-Sell

5/23/2006 4:22:34 PM

Quote :

"Find a for sale by owner if you can, because anything that is sold by a realtor is automatically 10-20% higher than it should be due to realtor fees and just general speculation."

please read Freakonomics and get back to us

5/23/2006 4:26:22 PM

Quote :

"Find a for sale by owner if you can, because anything that is sold by a realtor is automatically 10-20% higher than it should be due to realtor fees and just general speculation."

.........because sellers dont expect to keep that extra margin when they sell FSBO.

Talk to the realtor anyway. It will do you some good to work with someone who knows the area if you dont. FSBO's are not usually a good deal, once in a while one pops up but usually the only incentive for a seller to go FSBO is to keep what comission would have been paid. They dont keep anything extra if they discount it.

5/23/2006 4:28:13 PM

Quote :

"Find a for sale by owner if you can, because anything that is sold by a realtor is automatically 10-20% higher than it should be due to realtor fees and just general speculation."

FSBO is a lot more work for the seller. Why would they do all that work if they didn't expect to get more money than they would by just listing it with a realtor? Why would they take on the stress of doing their own paperwork, advertising, etc. for less money?

Every once in a while you'll find a FSBO that benefits both the buyer and the seller, but most of the time FSBO sellers are just trying to get every cent out of the property that they can.

The real FSBO deals take a lot of work. You basically need to find a property that isn't already for sale, make a less than fair offer, and be willing to do the work to guide the seller through transferring the property to you. What your offer lacks in $$$ has to be made up for in convenience. It really takes a special kind of buyer and a special kind of seller to make it happen to your benefit.

Posting "WTB" ads will help. Craigslist, local newspapers, neighborhood association forums, etc. are great places to advertise. Be specific about what you want, where you want, and what price range you'd consider paying.

5/23/2006 4:43:16 PM

Well, being a homeowner myself on the Outer Banks, I got to really see the underbelly of the real estate profession. I found that the actions of many agents were unethical at best and have really come to distrust real estate agents.

Of course, I'm sure that there are alot of good agents out there who really want to help you, but many I have come across where just get rich quick type people without alot of education. I blame this on NC's lax real estate licensure requirements, although I hear they are being drastically revised. I plan to hold onto my property for a substantial period of time, but I will at least attempt to sell it FSBO first.

5/23/2006 4:58:06 PM

http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=409273

5/23/2006 5:04:43 PM

^^ That's great and all, but why would dishonest realtors cause a property to sell for a higher price? It's their job to get the most money for the property if they are representing the seller. It would be dishonest for them not to do so.

Market dictates price.

5/23/2006 5:10:44 PM

Quote :

"Outer Banks"

Quote :

"get rich quick "

If you did your homework on your agents you would not get hooked up with those bozo's. To get top dollar for a coastal property the marketing has to be targeted appropriately. If you think you can just throw it on craigslist and sell it, you probably can. All I am saying is that if there is additional cost in hiring an agent it usually pays for itself in the property selling faster and for more money.

5/23/2006 5:12:05 PM

^if someone can afford a place on the Outer Banks I don't think they need the money anyways

I have tried talking with realtors and they've sent me like 2-3 things and then basically forgot about me... really annoying. I think I'm going to have to go down there and look myself. It would have been nice to know where to look first though.

5/23/2006 5:31:46 PM

Quote :

"That's great and all, but why would dishonest realtors cause a property to sell for a higher price? It's their job to get the most money for the property if they are representing the seller. It would be dishonest for them not to do so. Market dictates price."

In my case, my buyers agent "recommended" a certain person to do the appraisal, basically without my consent. I ran into a friend at a bar one night who had a friend with him who did appraisals in the area. He had told me to find another appraiser (and he didnt recommend himself either) because the appraiser and the buyers agent were known to work together extensively, and that this appraiser always made the appraisal meet the asking price. The function of an appraiser is to protect the buyer and give an honest assesment of how much a property's market value is.

I took the guys advice and got a appraiser from further up the road in Currituck County and it ended up appraising for $16k less than asking price. I submitted an offer for the appraisal and it was accepted. I found the dealings with the buyers agent highly unethical, as my agent was an adjacent property owner in the townhouse complex. He directly stood to benefit from me overpaying an extra $16k for the townhouse because it would have set the market and appreciated his unit by the same amount, a direct conflict of interest. I'm sure my experience isn't the norm in real estate dealings, but I assure you that it happens much more often then you would assume.

I doubt any of you else in this thread own property, so quit strying to lecture me on something you know nothing about.

[Edited on May 23, 2006 at 5:48 PM. Reason : .]

5/23/2006 5:46:51 PM

Realtor.com has basically any property that is listed with an Realtor in the US on it. That is a good place to start.

[Edited on May 23, 2006 at 6:09 PM. Reason : ]

5/23/2006 6:09:16 PM

Quote :

"In my case, my buyers agent "recommended" a certain person to do the appraisal, basically without my consent."

Most lenders hire their own appraiser in an effort to prevent these kinds of shenanigans. It would be foolish for them to let you or your realtor choose the appraiser.

but

The appraisal is usually done after the seller accepts an offer.
Are you saying that you hired an appraiser prior to making an offer? Why would you pay $300+ for an appraisal on a property that you may or may not get? That would be out-of-the-ordinary at best.

Quote :

"I doubt any of you else in this thread own property, so quit strying to lecture me on something you know nothing about."

Speak for yourself.

5/23/2006 7:02:56 PM

I made the offer and then had it appraised. Like I said, I was STRONGLY warned against using the agent recommended appraiser by this other guy, and he gave me a ballpark figure of what they should go for, because he had appraised other units in the complex before. Picking a different appraiser really saved me some cash. I admit I was new to real estate, and having friends in real estate finance kept me from getting railroaded.

5/23/2006 7:30:57 PM

Quote :

"ost lenders hire their own appraiser in an effort to prevent these kinds of shenanigans. It would be foolish for them to let you or your realtor choose the appraiser."

Or you can go under contract and then try to secure a loan, which is what happened to me. We decided to go ahead and start the process. We were fairly sure I would get a loan because my friend was a mortgage broker and prequalified me for a loan. The loan paperwork took awhile.

5/23/2006 10:02:46 PM