Just needed to share (house hunting venting!)

FH and I have been looking at houses actively since October (but browsing since August). So far we have not found anything we liked. Then this past weekend we find a 3 bd 1 bth ranch with a lot of property and Everything is in good condition and the price is in our range! We decide we need to think about it some more first! (we are incredibly indecisive)

Then yesterday I find an exclusive listing on Century 21, that we really wanted to see it looked great!!! we find out today it sold in 2 days for a LOW offer! the owner was apparently in a rush!

Thats fine we just want to take our parents to see the ranch and then we can put in an offer, if only it was that easy! The sellers have decided to take it off teh market for the time being! (it was only on the market for 1.5 weeks!!!)

Okay I know that we havent been looking that long and I know alot of people look for longer! But this keeps happening to us! 4 houses we have been interested in have been taken off the market (some we never even got to see) Not including the ones that had offers before we could even schedule a visit!

Sorry, I am trying not to be frustrated because I dont want us to wind up settling just b/c we are frustrated but I have to say this is an annyoing process!

To everyone who said they didnt enjoy their house hunting I now understand you!!!

Thanks for listening as I let it all out!

We are jstu starting the process too and I can see how fruturating it will be - we bid on one house got outbid and now we are bidding on another but haven't heard anything. Its especially hard to find what you want in a price you can afford

Could be that its NOT off the market but that sellers RE agent doesnt want to sell it to you - many reasons exist (ie better offer is pending).

Know what I'd do? Go to the house and knock on the door and ask.

You may find that it IS off the market but you can always ask them if they'd consider selling on their own for same contract price or maybe even lower - hey, there's no agent fee they have to deduct first.

Ive known people who have done this and been successful.

AWWWWWWWWW to you!!!! I COMPLETELY understand how you are feeling right now.

DH and I looked for a house for what seemed like 1000 years and we did find something. I know you've heard it a million times but stay positive - you WILL find something!!!! It will be worth the wait and when you move in and have a place of your own you'll have this amazing feeling.

I love going home to my house to see my DH and our new puppy - it is such an awesome feeling and all the bull we went through makes me appreciate our accomplishment so much more.

Be strong - your house is out there!!!!!! Wishing you all the luck **house dust to you**

Thanks guys! I am acutally pretty positive about it still! However my FH is a cynic by nature and therefore he thinks we will never find a house! I know we will find something, like most of you know its just frustrating! But in time I guess we will find something to love!

(I dont doubt that the house is off the market honestly, the couple put it up abruptly and didnt even start looking for a new house, so I can see this happening!)

Thanks again for knowing how it feel!

Becareful knocking on someones door

You dont know whats on the other side

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Posted by papabear

Could be that its NOT off the market but that sellers RE agent doesnt want to sell it to you - many reasons exist (ie better offer is pending).

Know what I'd do? Go to the house and knock on the door and ask.

You may find that it IS off the market but you can always ask them if they'd consider selling on their own for same contract price or maybe even lower - hey, there's no agent fee they have to deduct first.

Ive known people who have done this and been successful.

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buying a house on your own is like getting operated on by your fh/dh if hes not a doctor

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Posted by casg



buying a house on your own is like getting operated on by your fh/dh if hes not a doctor

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So you're saying that For Sale By Owners should NEVER be considered. Not sure if what you wrote was just your opinion or just an extreme exaggeration.

We bought our townhouse direct through the owner and yeah, we had some problems but they were the same problems we would have had if we went through an agent - delayed closing, last minute adjustments, etc.

We were able to bargain lower because the sellers knew that their asking price was applicable if they sold it through an agent so they negotiated down to a middle ground. They wanted $20K more than what they finally settled for. I didn't need a broker looking to make a commission to tell me not to bid so low. And I ended up saving $20,000 because I didn't have someone holding my hand along the way.

People should not be discouraged from going without a broker but they should be careful.

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Posted by casg

Becareful knocking on someones door

You dont know whats on the other side

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This I agree with. I don't LITERALLY mean knocking on people's door though I've heard of success by actually knocking on doors.

There are many ways to get a person's phone number by just knowing their address.

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Posted by casg

buying a house on your own is like getting operated on by your fh/dh if hes not a doctor

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I respectfully disagree...

We closed on a FSBO home a few months ago. No problems at all.

Hang in there! I've been in your shoes and know what it's like. In the end, you'll find your home sweet home.

Everyone I know who has gotten a really good deal on their home has found it without a broker.

I totally understanmd where you are coming from. you just have to take it day by day.

We went through 2 deals that didn't work out and both times it was on the sellers part.

I would tell you that you need to relax and try not to get so emotionally attached to specific houses. I was just like you and I finally started believing this advice which I received from someone.

I truly believe that if one does not work out there will always be bigger and better and everything works out in the end.

In our case, we were discouraged when the other deals didn't go through but now we ended up witha bigger, better house than we ever expected...

good luck with your search.

i say those those things b/c people buy fsbo's and could spend X amount of dollars and those fsbo's can easily overpriced and agent/brokers will be able to tell you that from there professional expericence.

if you sell your home on your own i think is alittle risky as well

people would come to view your home and you have no idea who they are

its a very dangerous field 75 agents/brokers get killed a year and 100's get hurts or raped a year.

just think how easy it would be to try and sell your home on your own show it to someone they unlock the window without you even knowing you go out and come back and you have been robbed. this has happened
and agents/brokers will only show your home to buyers that have been qualifed to purchase a home


all im saying is there are alot of people dont think of the things that agents/brokers have been trained to do.

It just my opinion

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Posted by casg

i say those those things b/c people buy fsbo's and could spend X amount of dollars and those fsbo's can easily overpriced and agent/brokers will be able to tell you that from there professional expericence.

if you sell your home on your own i think is alittle risky as well

people would come to view your home and you have no idea who they are

its a very dangerous field 75 agents/brokers get killed a year and 100's get hurts or raped a year.

just think how easy it would be to try and sell your home on your own show it to someone they unlock the window without you even knowing you go out and come back and you have been robbed. this has happened
and agents/brokers will only show your home to buyers that have been qualifed to purchase a home


all im saying is there are alot of people dont think of the things that agents/brokers have been trained to do.

It just my opinion

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newsflash: brokers don't know anymore about the people they invite into your home than you do. they're just looking to make the sale. you're point pretty much proved it - agents and brokers get killed, robbed and raped...as for unlocking windows...when i sell my home on my own, im not going to let someone in and look around the house without me walking around with them...im not going to be sitting on the couch watching TV while they're rummaging through my underwear drawers.

we've seen so many homes with agents who barely know us. my fiance and i are in their cars driving to a home before they even know our last names. as for being prequalified...we usually got asked if we were prequalified...we just said yes....that sure is a lot of proof we gave them, isn't it.

but then again, maybe you're right...as a home owner, i would have felt SO much more protected with people coming to see my home with the 60 yr old women real estate agents out there.

but also look at it this way...for every $100 the home sells for that another $4 to $6 in commission going to the broker when the sale is made...so that overpriced home she's showing you just means a higher commission in their pockets....

We have been looking for a co-op these past few months.....and we fell IN LOVE with one, We bid on it - our offer was accepted and then we didnt' hear from them for a week. Turns out, thier realestate agent was still accepting bids...and they got an offer higher than our's, thus forcing us out of the picture.

We were, as you can imagina, and as you well know, heartbroken. We thought this was the place we were supposed to live!

But we kept looking and we put it behind us, and we found a place that is wonderful for about $600 less a month. It is more convenient for both of us to get to work from and we're getting a great deal on the mortgage.

So what I'm trying to say is....even if things seem like they're not going to work out....they usually do - and for the better! It's terribly cliche to say - but everything happens for a reason!
Good luck!!

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Posted by palebride

So what I'm trying to say is....even if things seem like they're not going to work out....they usually do - and for the better! It's terribly cliche to say - but everything happens for a reason!
Good luck!!

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Thanks actually after a weekend of seeing a few more houses that just werent right for us, we are actually in better spirits! Go Figure!
We know we will find our house! We are actually taking a week off from house hunting becuase all my BMs are coming in next weekend to hang out and order their dresses! So I think this lil' break will rejuvinate us!

Thanks for all the words of encouragment!!

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Posted by papabear


newsflash: brokers don't know anymore about the people they invite into your home than you do. they're just looking to make the sale. you're point pretty much proved it - agents and brokers get killed, robbed and raped...as for unlocking windows...when i sell my home on my own, im not going to let someone in and look around the house without me walking around with them...im not going to be sitting on the couch watching TV while they're rummaging through my underwear drawers.

we've seen so many homes with agents who barely know us. my fiance and i are in their cars driving to a home before they even know our last names. as for being prequalified...we usually got asked if we were prequalified...we just said yes....that sure is a lot of proof we gave them, isn't it.

but then again, maybe you're right...as a home owner, i would have felt SO much more protected with people coming to see my home with the 60 yr old women real estate agents out there.

but also look at it this way...for every $100 the home sells for that another $4 to $6 in commission going to the broker when the sale is made...so that overpriced home she's showing you just means a higher commission in their pockets....

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just so you know NOT all agents are 60 years old.

There is a difference between brokers and agents..


Why do agents and brokers make 6 figures a year if its a usless field to work in.

ETA

Agents and brokers dont show homes to people that dont have a pre approval letter from a mortgage company showing them they are serious about buying a home they go over downpayments etc BEFORE looking at homes.

If agents and broker dont know more then then an average person about selling and buying homes why do you need to go to school pass 2 tests and maintain 22.5 hours of cont. ed every 2 years.

to become a broker there is more school and more tests.

WHY are there these laws if its SO simple