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*DISCLOSURE* This is all my opinion and should not be construed as legal advice. This is meant to be informative, but please do your due diligence and if you need assistance, contact the appropriate professionals. 

 
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Buyer – no agent (searching for a home)

As a buyer, I encourage you to read my page Should you use a Realtor®?  Searching and viewing homes will come with challenges. With an agent, they will map it out and have access to the homes in the MLS. On your own, you will have to contact all the listing agents yourself, set up appointments and hope they are willing to meet you.  I think this will be the most difficult part.  Agents generally don’t always live near the listings and it may be harder to get them to comply with your schedule.

Maybe you know what home you are buying, maybe from an acquaintance or friend. Maybe you have a specific area/neighborhood, there is an Open House and it is easy-peasy to see.  If so, go over to the buyer – no agent (offer process). 

If you are searching on your own, it will be a little trickier. A lot of times with an agent, it is easy to see more homes than you need. You figure, while we are out, let’s pop into this one also. When you are trying to set up your own appointments with multiple agents, scheduling may be a bit trickier.


Here are tips I would utilize to minimize the number of houses you need to see.

• Scrutinize the photos
• Is there a layout sketch? If so, LOOK at those numbers!!  Will your belongings fit in the rooms?
• Does that kitchen look huge? Sometimes it is a wide-angle lens
• Take a look at the microwave and stove in all pics, are they elongated? Distorted?
• Some wide-angle lenses are misleading in how big a space might be.
• Same with bathrooms, if they have 2 sinks, is one oddly larger than the other?
• Is there a walk thru video? If yes, look at it like you are in the home.
• Usually you can move it up and down so you can look at ceilings, floors, etc.
• Are there any water spots? Carpet in disrepair? Etc

Look at Google Maps!!!!! 

• Is yard space important to you? Look at the aerial view!
• Take that little guy in the lower right corner and look at the street view
• In some subdivisions, homes are close together making parking quite difficult.
• Look at not only the home you are interested in but also the neighborhood.
• Nothing is more frustrating than getting to a home to show and it is a “no” before you even walk inside.
• If it all looks decent, you should even consider driving by yourself to ensure everything is to your liking before trying to lock down an appointment.

When you call an agent for an appointment, ask questions. When you say you don’t have an agent, that listing agents first goal will be to snag you as a client. They will want to start asking you questions so that if you don’t like this particular home, they will want to sign you as a client for any other homes you may want to view/see/purchase.  Because of this, they may not tell you about some things prior to meeting with you.

Questions to ask:

• Are there any open houses coming up?
• Do you have any offers that are being considered currently?
• And/or are you still taking showings and offers?
• Will the home be available for immediate occupancy at close of escrow?
• (sometimes an owner needs a leaseback and/or sometimes it is tenant occupied and they are looking for a buyer to inherit the lease).
• If you are financing, are they accepting your loan type?
• Some homes are cash only and/or cannot take FHA or VA for condition reasons.

SIDE NOTE: this can sometimes be the reason when you do work with an agent and you find homes your agent doesn’t send you.  It may be for investors only or cash only or something else that didn’t fit your criteria.   


If you happen upon a FSBO online, be cautious.  There are many legit FSBO’s but there are fraudulent ones as well. 

• Does the price seem too good to be true?
• Ask their name and make sure it matches the Assessor’s page
• Google their phone number and see if there are other listings under that number

That is all I have for now. If you are out on your own searching for a home, I’d love to hear what some of your challenges are and add them here. Reach out via Contact Us





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