<p>Wow! What a saga! I really hope you are home soon!</p>
<p>What a ride. What planet was that real estate agent from…“I’ll read your email when I have time.” She knows what you’ve been through, and all you were asking her to do IS HER JOB. Better to get to avoid all the termite issues, anyway…just send the little buggers over to her!!!</p>
<p>(BTW to all who live outside California…I think I’m safe in saying that termites are a much more prevalent issue there than anywhere else I’ve seen in the U.S. It was not uncommon when I lived on the central coast to drive by houses that had been “sealed” with massive sheets of plastic to get rid of them. In other parts of the country, people tend to associate termites with older run-down houses, or places with unkempt landscaping next to the house)…</p>
<p>We will have a MASSIVE housewarming party for you here on CC when you finally get that piano in place in the NEW HOUSE!!! (Maybe it can correspond to the 10,000 post part we’re going to have in Sinners Alley…)! Best thoughts are with you!!!</p>
<p>Termites are horrible here on LI as well. I used to have the house checked every year. Have gotten lax. Will probably fall down tomorrow.</p>
<p>I’ve done additions on a number of houses that looked just fine, until we took off the shingles and we realized that they were all that was holding the house up!</p>
<p>Oh, mathmom! the comment about realizing it was only the shingles holding up the house really hit home! The termite inspection for the house I backed out of did not include looking at anything that could not be seen from the ground - and its a tri-level house! $10K in work to be done at ground level - what in the world is lurking directly under the roof! </p>
<p>I almost headed over to Sinner’s Alley to celebrate on Friday I felt so good about the “new” house - but I thought I’d wait until after the papers are signed. Its a very quick escrow so I’m crossing my fingers that all goes smoothly - but so far the new agent is on the ball - inspections & appraisals are scheduled and we’re moving forward quickly. Thank goodness! And thank you all for your good wishes & support!!</p>
<p>oaklandmom,
Let us know when it’s time to CELEBRATE!!</p>
<p>Oaklandmom, for what it’s worth, the termites generally had eaten about 3/4 of the way up the studs. In one case the owners had known about the termites and treated the house, they just hadn’t realized how much damage had been done to the walls. In the other case it was a total surprise to the relatively new owners. I was surprised too, as the wooden part of the house sat on top of a concrete garage. Those termites must have built one tall tunnel!</p>
<p>I do hope you find a nice house - I’m still feeling sad about the Craftsman!</p>
<p>mathmom,
I still feel sad about the Craftsman too! I drive by it from time to time and I’m tempted to knock on the door so I can peek inside again. </p>
<p>I am happy with the house I decided I’d make an offer on Friday and it sounds like it will work. But after all the drama this weekend I’m truly worn out. My new agent is wonderful - inspections are arranged, loan pre-approval obtained, he has called me to make sure I’m feeling good about the place. The agent that did not come through with estimates on the house with the termite problems went on a rampage Saturday & Sunday. She’s made multiple calls to my agent here in Oakland demanding commission, the phone number of my new agent and told my agent here in Oakland that I made a big mistake by “doing this to her because Woodland is a small town”, told him I’d taken food out of her children’s mouths and called me various names. And she’s apparently called my lender to say I’m unethical. She’s threatening to withhold the cancellation of the property with all the termite work. </p>
<p>It is all too much drama. I called her boss and asked for the cancelation. Its been promised. If I don’t see it by Tuesday morning, I’ll stop by the board of realtors office and find out what to do. </p>
<p>And the buyer for my Oakland home called me yesterday and wants to come by with contractors today to get estimates on some work he wants done - I said yes but then panicked and called my realtor. “I think I made a mistake” Maybe that’s how I get sucked into all this drama - trying to be nice to others while not looking out for myself. </p>
<p>A friend suggested I title the book “How the Piano Found its Home”, another friend suggested this would have been a great realty show (ah, maybe there’s a money making idea - a realty show based on home buying - pitting one realtor against another or maybe a race between two or more buyers to find and close on their dream home?).</p>
<p>Hmmm, Oaklandmom…A Realty Reality show…I might even watch that one. (and I do like “How the Piano found its Home” for the book title). You could give us that nasty termite realtor’s address…we could all send her a package of ramen noodles to feed her kids…</p>
<p>So, is your buyer signing the papers today? California is strange, in that escrow kinds of draws out over days. Everywhere else we’ve lived (and bought houses), at the closing, the buyers signs the papers to buy, signs all the mortgage papers (with the mortgage rep there driving the process), the seller signs the papers, and walks away with a check. Much cleaner and a definite and specific transition from old owner to new. </p>
<p>Keep us updated!!!</p>
<p>“How the Piano Found It’s Home When ‘The Price is Right’ but the Realtor is Flaky”</p>
<p>In Virginia it takes three days to get the check. In Virginia the buyer chooses the company that does the closing while in Wisconsin the seller does.</p>
<p>I really hope this works out for you. I cannot tell you the sense of relief I felt when we sold our house last summer. It was great going shopping for a new place with money in our pocket and in a new area where home prices were substantially less.</p>
<p>Actually in my area of VA you can have the check deposited in your checking acct and you will have the money by 10 the next morning, even if you close at 4 the day before. The reason it is at 10, is because they file the docs at the county at 9 am. You can also have the money wired straight to your new house that you are closing on, so it is there when you settle. Typically, the seller will settle first and sign over the deed, then the buyer will sign off on all of their paperwork. If no problems occur you will get the keys in @ 1 hr. from start to finish. The only time there is a problem is when the mtg company puts a big red stop sign on their docs, and yes it is a big red stop sign with STOP written on it. I have had this happen several times, ea. were corrected within seconds. The problem usually arises from the underwriters not having home owner insurance verification…they are very picky about that since they hold the mtg. they want to make sure that the price of the house is covered.</p>
<p>Oakland Mom I am so happy that you have kept a positive mood throughout the process.</p>
<p>Oakmom- very strange that your realtor is so responsive and has enough time to rage yet had not enough time to read and respond to your email.</p>
<p>You are entirely within your rights to pull out of the deal based on repair costs. It is bizarre that any realtor would not be mega-responsive in the market of the past year or two, and more bizarre that the realtor would not know that EVERYTHING is crucial to a person buying their home- all questions need immediate answers, people do not suffer being in limbo well during a real estate transaction.</p>
<p>Do keep us entertained with the flaky-crazy realtor stories ;)</p>
<p>I love that, 2cakes:
“How the Piano Found It’s Home When ‘The Price is Right’ but the Realtor is Flaky”</p>
<p>“You could give us that nasty termite realtor’s address…we could all send her a package of ramen noodles to feed her kids…”
Great idea, Astrophysicsmom, and as all of us with kids in college know, we can get a lot into the USPS Flat Rate Priority boxes;)</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>That was my thought. She sounds completely loony. Document your interactions with her, to the best of your recollection (I called her about this and this is the response or non-response that I got) while it is still fresh. If you have any trouble, that list will come in handy.</p>
<p>As someone who has been a realtor in California and elsewhere, I have to say that my overall impression (I’ve only skimmed this thread, but held my peace until now) is that most (all) of the realtors involved are very unprofessional, compared to my experience of my colleagues and friendly competitors.</p>
<p>I am at a loss to understand how one gets involved with/stuck with such poor quality individuals. Were they recommended by people the OP trusts?</p>
<p>We had a loony realtor once. She kept “finding” us houses that were unsuitable and not within our description at all. Then when we lucked into one ourselves (happened to drive by as the sign was going up, in a hard-to-get-into neighborhood) she went berserk cause we didn’t call her first. We would have not gotten the house if we had waited, I’m sure, and it’s not like she did anything to help.</p>
<p>We almost reported her nasty behavior to the Board, but decided to let it slide.</p>
<p>Hope all continues to go well so your son has a new home by Spring Break!</p>
<p>I’ve been enjoying this thread since the first day but now you’ve uncovered a horrible real estate agent episode from my memory.</p>
<p>She was recommended by the wife of the man DH was going to be partnering with. When I called her office, she rarely called back. We gave her very specific things we were looking for. When we flew from Arizona to TN with a very tight schedule and met her in her office, she did a search on her computer for possible properties for the first time WHILE WE WERE SITTING THERE! She had not done any previewing for us. We traipsed from unsuitable house to horrible house wasting tons of time. We had seen a specific house on realtor.com and kept asking about it – she deliberately showed it to us last.</p>
<p>One of the mistakes was ours: we used an inspector that she recommended. I’ve since learned that an inspector has every reason to keep the agent happy so he’ll get more business from her. This guy lied/misled about many things. We also asked for a pool inspection because the equipment looked old. That we did get from the largest pool company in town, but again they weren’t forthright.</p>
<p>We discovered multiple errors in the contract after she wrote it up. She aggrevatedly crossed them out. There were a few other errors we found later.</p>
<p>The negoitiations with the seller were horrible. “Our agent” kept treating DH like he was being unreasonable the whole time.</p>
<p>After the signing and handing over of the deposit, WE NEVER HEARD FROM HER AGAIN. Different people in her office kept covering for her. Luckily a bank in town had solicited our business and they had people who were wonderful and did much to help us. I’m still friends with that personal banker.</p>
<p>As the days were leading up to the closing, we repeatedly asked if the repairs to the house and pool had been done. DH was driving from Arizona and so I flew to TN with a POA and did the closing the next day. As you might expect, no one at the closing knew anything about the repairs. </p>
<p>We spent $1600 on pool repairs within the first month. In the first year, we spent thousands on things the inspection should have revealed and weren’t covered by the warranty. We probably should have made waves but were worried about DH’s business reputation. The agency was/is the largest in town.</p>
<p>We heard years later that we were that agents last job and she quit. She was in the paper after drunk driving and verbally assaulting an officer.</p>
<p>When we sold that house, I spent months getting everything in perfect shape before putting it on the market. I didn’t want anyone else to find any nightmares as we did.</p>
<p>Mommusic reminded me of a commercial with the couple in the car driving around through a neighborhood filled with ranches and the couple asked for colonials.</p>
<p>As a realtor, some of us are good. (I myself do more business with return client and referrals…I do not send flyers that even I chuck as I walk in the house)</p>
<p>Some pointers, I spend days/weeks sending emails of listings to my clients. Why? because I can get a good feel of what they like and not waste their time. Many clients say, I don’t want this and I want that. Typically no splits and want colonials. What typically happens, is as they send back emails stating which houses they want to preview you can see a trend, brick front, style of garage, lot size and neighborhoods. From there it is easier to assist a client. Trust me with the cost of gas right now, it is expensive to show homes (for me @65-75 per day, add in lunch and wear and tear on the car, I am at @150 per day) Don’t get me wrong, I know that is the cost of my business, I just don’t want to frustrate my clients, b/c there is a certain breaking pt. which they will walk away. I am a realtor in No. Va, many clients have realtors for ea. area (VA, MD, DC), so you are competing against them also.</p>
<p>Always contact your realtor of your choice, see if you “get each other”. Does your realtor understand what you are really looking for? Using the email system of listings can help you out. I have no fear sending listings, since I have yet to lose a client (going to the listing agent behind my back) I also have never gained a client who called me up @ the listing out of the blue.</p>
<p>Ask your realtor to hand you several different contractors. I hand the numbers of reputable companies to my clients and tell them to choose or find one on their own. Make sure the company is bonded? Why, because if they overlook an item, you can sue them to fix it, should it had been caught. You can also have a recourse if they are licensed in your state.</p>
<p>I do the same advice in regard to mtg. brokers. I explain how their credit rating will be effected and the process. Typically, Realtors are more interested in who you use as a mtg. broker, because if you go off on your own with someone we never have dealt with, than we may have problems getting you to the table. This has happened to me all too many times.</p>
<p>Also always buy a homeowner warranty, ask for several different choices, look through the policies carefully. Have your realtor ask for the seller to pay for it. AS for myself, even my newest contract written on Friday, the sellers said no, but I am gifting it to my client. Why? Because it does not make sense to jump over the nickels to pick up the pennies. A $400. warranty is not worth the loss of my commission check.</p>
<p>Good realtors will always give you options, we do not want to lose our license because a client feels they were steered to a certain home, mtg. co., inspector,warranty, etc.</p>
<p>I make sure that my clients even sign the Megan’s Law paperwork. As a realtor in my state, this is not mandatory, but again I have gotten return clients due to this fact. One client was ready to buy a home, I said before we move further you should check out the sex offenders registry (the Megan’s law paperwork states that you as a buyer have been informed of how to find it). They did, and 5 houses down the block was a “self employed registered sex offender for indecent liberties with a child under 13”. This house was over 750K. Needless, to say, they wrote a contract on another property. A few days later I received a new client, because the buyer discussed how I operated to a co-worker, the co-worker stated their realtor didn’t do that and fired them.</p>
<p>You always have the right to fire a Realtor, look at your buyer’s rep contract to find out what your rights are. A good realtor will have walked you through this and explained that you can and how the process works.</p>
<p>Finally, a good realtor will never try to make this look like a secret process…instead they will inform you through the process so that you can see, that as a buyer, you have your own job, and what goes behind the scenes is a full time job. This is a legal transaction, informed buyers get that they are not licensed and realize just that.</p>
<p>Good luck to all</p>
<p>Sounds like you do it the right way, B&P, it can be tough to tell what people want, as they don’t always know- what they really want is something acceptable to them within their price range, meaning how that looks could change.</p>
<p>My favourite client was one 15 years ago who had only one preference- no matter what, no snow. Spent numerous weekends showing everything in the county and then six months later they bought “up the hill” at the 3500-4000 foot level, the highest elevation and heaviest snow area in the county!</p>