I really dont like how realtors operate where I live

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Ok, so we are going to buy land with a very small house or nice mobile home on it...an acre or more by the water. The land will be the investment. We are not that serious about buying anything until next year, but decided to do a little looking around in our areas of interest. Wow.

I wondered if this is how realtors operate these days? When we last bought something there was no internet, the realtor found appropriate property for us and took us to see it.

Oh boy. It has been nothing like this now.

We have to look property up on the internet. I find Zillow locks up easily and wont let me filter. Not sure why. If I find something I like, i have to send a pre written blurb from the site to a certain realtor, whoever is listed. The blurb says "i am interested in the property at 123 Smith Street." After I send the blurb, I wait for the realtor to call.

I almost never get a follow up call. The few times I have, the realtor says,"How can I help you?"

What??? I sent you a blurb and tell them that.

Puzzled they say "What was the address?"

Um, I sent it to you. Usually I have sent out a few properties of interest to different people. I dont know which property you are associated with. Where did the address in the blurb go? Trying to get one realtor to work with us has been a challenge.

Once we are really going to buy, we will have cash and a good idea of exactly what we want. I can see how NOT fun this is going to be.

Either realtors have changed, buying real estate is different now, or realtors up here are different.

Any thoughts? Is this odd? Suggestions on how to make it better?
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
Well, I've done a ton of "shopping" on Realtor.com (in my opinion much more user friendly than Zillow) but I never really had much luck with the "message" feature either. I have found it easier to find the name of the listing realtor, who will be shown on the site, and call, email, or just go to their office with the listing in hand.

Around here we can definitely just walk into a realtor's office with a "wish list" and talk to a realtor who will find and then email us possible properties. Or we can take a list of properties we found on Realtor.com to show them. If we want to see one, they take us to look.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Lil, thank you. That is such common sense advice and from now on I am going to write a wish list and march into a realators office, just as you suggested. I am not going to do it until we are ready to buy though. We already had a little taste of what is around in Rome/Arkdale Wisconsin. Looking around just makes me, with my undiagnosed ADHD and impatience, want to buy too soon.

When we buy it has to be perfect, near a lake for boating, near hunting land for Jumper and her fiance and my husband, in a friendly area and where we can park our RV year round. I am so excited, almost as excited as I am to RV travel.

These are truly the best years of my life. Your golden years will also be great because of Jabber. Really, in my opinion it helps to have a great mate!! I cant wsit for hubby to retire! I have to wait because I married a younger man...lol (2 1/2 years younger)!
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
Looking around just makes me, with my undiagnosed ADHD and impatience, want to buy too soon.

Oh the number of "fixer-uppers" Jabber and I have looked at. Many turning out to be "burner-downers" instead. :roflmao: We totally aren't ready to buy either - even though we'd LOVE to sell and move. We've finally had to just say NO to looking at real estate. I don't think either of us actually have entirely quit though. :sneaky:

I have to wait because I married a younger man...lol (2 1/2 years younger)!

Me too! I was even worse...Jabber's 3 years younger than me.

Aren't we just the Cougars? :p
 

pasajes4

Well-Known Member
Ladies, You guys are the bees knees. Younger is better in choosing a husband. It is much more practical life span wise.

I had horrible experiences when I was trying to sell and buy a house a couple of years ago. That is one of the reasons I stayed put.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I had the opposite experience when I bought my house 21 years ago. I called a local realtor to ask if he had a list of rentals in the area. He didn't, but he did have a house for sale. At the time, I was a single parent with a 4 year old Miss KT, and told him I couldn't afford to buy. He convinced me to see the house anyway, I loved it, then he hooked me up with a low-income, first time buyer program, where they paid most of my down payment.

$1500 down, $450 a month, and I'm in the best neighborhood in the area. They'll have to carry me out of here feet first, 'cause I'm not leaving voluntarily.
 

Tanya M

Living with an attitude of gratitude
Staff member
when we moved from Colo to the Midwest 17 years ago I did use the internet. There was one realtor's website that said "if you're relocating, we are here to help you" I clicked on it and filled out the information of what we were looking for. I never heard back from them. I sent them at least 10 emails - nothing!

My husband had to come back here when his mom had surgery. I told him to look around and find an area that he thought we would like. While he was here he stopped into a local real estate agency to get an area map and the realtor who helped him ended up being our realtor. She emailed me listings regularly. When husband and I both came back to look at houses she was so awesome!! We have remained friends all these years.

Go with your gut, if you feel the slightest icky feeling about a realtor don't use them. It's also okay to ask for references.
When you give them a $$$ amount and they want to show you listings that are over that, remind them once what your budget is, if they keep at it, get a new realtor.
Take good notes of what you are looking at along with pictures. Make a list of pros and cons for each property you look at.

It's always exciting looking at property but can also take a toll on the nerves.

Happy hunting!!
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Thanks.

We are actually looking more to buying next year. That doesnt mean its out of the question this year. If we find property that looks good, we will do what Lil said to do...print it out and march into a realtors office and keep doing it until someone seems interested.

We are going to pay money down as we want no housing bills other than taxes (out here taxes are usually not even close to $1000 a year), car insurance (again all cheap...full RV coverage for a year is $475 and car insurance very low). I guess we will have to pay eletric. We wont probably pay water as we want property with a well, but we shall see. In other words, only the four months we are traveling will we have to pay for land, the campground fee and gas. But we are thinking of towing a Prius on back of our RV (a used one) so that once we get to Texas we use the Prius for driving. I hear a Pruis eill last forever.

In other words we want a fun retirement on recreational land and near a lake with almost no bills. Yay!

by the way, our RV is a (i think its called) Damon Challenger, 36 feet long with two slideouts. I love it! It is sitting at my sister in laws house now...she has three acres. It is shielded by a pole barn, but hubby bought an RV cover (it weighs 30 lbs) to cover it anyway for this winter.

I am so excited, so happy!
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
We are going to pay money down as we want no housing bills

Being a cash buyer puts you in SUCH a strong position. You should have realtors and sellers eating out of your hand! Tell them, "We're paying cash, and this is the budget, period." Excellent!


That is HUGE! Jabber and I have looked at 26 foot trailers or smaller...though I suppose when you get right down to it, that plus the truck = 36 or so. But then we wouldn't have another car to tow on top. Our cabin is only 28".

What fun you'll have, taking your house along with you! :)
 
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