The smart way to a happy home purchase? Taking the high road
Q: Our buyer’s agent is suggesting I make an offer on two properties at the same time. My father said that it does not sound ethical. I do not have time to shop for homes weekend after weekend. If presenting on two houses is so bad, why does my agent keep suggesting it?
A: There is no upside for a buyer to simultaneously write offers on two properties with the intent of only buying one. Your buyer’s agent is representing you from a position of incompetence and cowardice. The brokerage industry he signed up for requires him not to cheat by seeking to double the odds of having an offer accepted. A pair of earnest sellers, real estate agencies and their listing agents are being “played” when wayward buyer’s agents deal in untrustworthy concurrent offers. To secure a home, hire a right-minded buyer’s agent who performs with skill and respectability. In this business, you’ll never get lost taking the high road.
Q: We just moved into our home, which has some standing water in the crawl space. Shortly after move in, we discovered the nextdoor neighbor has a sump pump in his crawl space due to high water tables. The neighbor said the same goes for most homes in the neighborhood. Sump pumps and high water tables never came up during our visits or sale. Why was this not disclosed to us?
A: Lack of disclosure is rare when home sellers and their listing agents sit down face to face and thoroughly complete seller questionnaires after they attended their presale listing seller inspections. I’ll bet that did not happen for your sale. Most home sale claims are filed against sellers. The buyers state “had we known about (fill in the blank) we would not have bought the property.” Their attorneys will claim “the sellers knew or should have known about (fill in the blank).” Seller responses most often are: “It was never a problem to us,” “It was like that when we bought it,” and my all-time favorite, “We would have told you had someone asked — but no one asked.” So, when you go to sell, don’t take shortcuts.
Have a question? Know someone who is thinking of moving? Realtor Pat Kapowich provides turnkey services including relocation, property prep staging, market analysis and strategic planning. 408-245-7700 or Pat@ SiliconValleyBroker. com. Broker License 00979413.