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    Sunday, August 16, 2020

    Real Estate: Agents do not fall for this lead generation scam

    Real Estate: Agents do not fall for this lead generation scam


    Agents do not fall for this lead generation scam

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 06:16 AM PDT

    Hello agents, especially new ones. There are companies out there preying on your need for leads. They know you might be desperate and want to take advantage of that. I had a company email and call me named Home and House Search aka Home Properties Solution (apparently they've used a few different names). Company manager is Liz Queen. They promised 20-25 leads a month if I paid $298 for a segment of Austin and of course I paid $498 for two segments. Can't believe I fell for this scam. All the leads have no info about the person, where they came from or what they want and most have phone numbers that don't work. I am an idiot but I sincerely hope I can help stop this company from ripping off anyone else.

    submitted by /u/Snoo42692
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    Can I buy cheap land just to hunt and fish every so often?

    Posted: 15 Aug 2020 12:37 PM PDT

    I found a good plot of cheap land in my state (around 500 acres) and it's perfect for hunting and fishing. No neighbors around and secluded. I live near the city and would go about every three months if I can. Would the property taxes kill me? I'd go on a RV my family owns and develop some of the land wayyy later. As for internet well there's satellite. Has rangers near the area too so that's good. It's very wooded and near mountainous terrain as well. Is it fine to want to buy land just to do what I want? I'm not into investing and all that since my family have enough money.

    Edit: I live in Texas

    submitted by /u/Cutting_The_Cats
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    Please help with a question regarding breaking a lease for good reason. I’m desperate.

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 09:03 AM PDT

    Ok so we moved into a small apartment building that has been nothing but trouble since we moved in. We signed a year lease but the people in the next apartment over have taken in people not on their lease, and those people are drug dealers. We've witnessed multiple drug sales in the yard. Both of us have histories with this type of a thing and know a drug sale when we see one, as well as the people who are clearly buying the product. It's not weed, it's heroin. We can see client's track marks from the deck. There have been multiple overdoses in that particular apartment as well.

    The landlord absolutely sucks. He hasn't fixed the broken window that was broken when we moved in after mulitple requests, the owner of the building tried to overcharge us for air conditioning units when the lease states a clear price, the "secure" doors are left open by the trap apartment all night even though there's been a string of break-ins in the area, our front door has clearly been tampered with (attempted break in) and not been fixed after requests, and there is a tenant who has repeatedly left trash and human waste in the hallway for days on end even after complaints.

    I'm sick of this shit. I want out. I am trying to find an apartment now so I can leave here but I want to know if I have legal standing to get my security back and to break the lease without issues since there is illegal activity being done on property from someone who doesn't actually live here. Should I get the police involved when making the lease break? I live in a fucking trap house and I am a recovering addict-I cannot be around this shit and I don't feel safe at night knowing the doors are all opened and there are drug addict coming in and out. The landlord reassured us when we moved in this is a SAFE building with NO tolerance for any drug activity, even smoking ciggarettes. Please advise me I'm at my wit's end.

    submitted by /u/gentlywithachainsaww
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    Shady realtor?

    Posted: 15 Aug 2020 06:18 PM PDT

    My parents just bought a new home. The previous owner left several items: TV, some pots and pans (specifically for the induction burner), fridge, etc.

    After they officially got the keys and started moving in, their realtor texted them and claimed that she had bought the TV from the previous owner. She said she could come by and pick it up, or my parents could pay her $800 for the TV.

    I would think that anything left by the previous owner belongs to the new owner. It seems unethical or just plain shady for the realtor to be making side deals with the seller. And even if it wasn't unethical, I would think that any transaction like this would need to be completed before the new owners get the keys and move in. At this point they already have the TV hooked up to cable and whatnot. They don't want to have the realtor come get the TV (they want to be done with her) and they definitely don't want to pay her $800.

    Also, before they got the keys to their new home, the realtors husband was at the house picking up "other stuff" that they "purchased" from the seller. We have no idea what these items are and we don't know if they actually purchased these items or basically stole them. It's a rural house on a few acres, and it's not uncommon for these houses to come with lawn mowers, etc.

    Is this realtor unethical, breaking a real estate code (is that a thing?), shady, or within her rights?

    submitted by /u/Waterchampion22289
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    Buying land 8-10 miles from coast a good investment? (Mexico)

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 07:29 AM PDT

    I'm looking into investing in a community a few miles from the coast line in the Yucatan Peninsula where I can rent out a property (average size house). The plus in this community is that it is very safe/secure and will have some shared amenities among the tenants (spa house, gym, convenience store, etc.). There is also a plan to build a few nice haciendas to really make the area look great. The potential downside is it is a 15 minute drive to the beach.

    If anyone can provide a perspective on whether this is a good investment or know of a source where I can view how rental properties a short drive from the beach perform, I would greatly appreciate it!

    submitted by /u/GBPgoingOFF
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    What is happening here?

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 06:15 AM PDT

    I am looking to buy within the next year and waiting it out until then but I have been looking on a weekly basis of my local housing market and spotted a few oddities. What confuses me are the following:

    1. Everything is overpriced— understandable
    2. Most listings (even overpriced) are going like hot cakes— understandable
    3. Maybe around 25% of listed homes have dropped in price. Some as much as $25,000 less— WHY?
    4. Another 25% have been on the market for 60+ days— WHY?

    I am very familiar with the city as I have lived here all my life and many of these houses that fall in categories 3 and 4 is baffling to me. Can someone give insight as to why? These houses are not "McMansions" so we can exclude that it's due to a smaller pool.

    Could this be a slow emergence of a 2008 housing crash repeat?

    submitted by /u/trashyart200
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    Questions for the sellers

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 05:54 AM PDT

    My wife and I are under contract and I'm trying to put together a list of things to maybe ask the sellers about the home before closing.

    First of all is this a weird thing to do?

    If not what would be some questions you would ask? so far I have: Paint colors? How do you winterize irrigation system? Maintenance contacts?

    Anything else you can think of?

    submitted by /u/SWS55
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    Illegal bedrooms in listings

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 07:03 AM PDT

    I see an increasing number of listings bump their bedroom count higher with rooms that don't meet the legal definition of a bedroom, and in turn bumping their sale price accordingly. Whose responsibility is it to verify these things? What would even happen if a buyer got fooled into buying one of these places? Seems like a sleazy move and one I keep seeing.

    submitted by /u/garblflax
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    What, exactly, constitutes a “strong offer” in competitive market

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 05:19 AM PDT

    Needless worrying here, but wanted to ask for future reference: We've put an offer in on a house in a pretty competitive market: $70k over asking (with escalation clause), no inspection contingency, EMD of $30k, three week close and no financing contingency (we have letter of commitment from local lender we've worked with for years). However, we kept an appraisal contingency (note: appraisal would be within 10 days) because we're not sure about house values in this particular area. Our feeling at the time was, even though we could make up some of the difference with an under-appraisal, we're not going to go into financial ruin over a house, either.

    My agent says it's a strong offer. The listing agent, though, says he expects multiple offers with no contingencies. I don't know much of that is bluster, but still.

    Did we shoot ourselves in the foot here? Or am I overthinking an appraisal contingency matters that much, given the other competitive elements (I think) our offer provides? Our agent told him privately that we could have wiggle room with appraisal, but don't know if that matters. Thanks for any advice.

    submitted by /u/obvioustroublemaker
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    Finally got an offer accepted! (SF Bay)

    Posted: 15 Aug 2020 12:53 PM PDT

    Stats:

    • South SF Bay Area
    • 4th time homebuyer
    • 1.0-1.5M budget
    • 2 months searching
    • 17 houses seen
    • Wrote offers on 6 houses (all 20% down with ample reserves, generally no contingencies, currently renting month to month so flexible close and rentback). Every offer over ask except one stale listing that needed 150k of deferred maintenance. Usually the sellers silently accepted another offer. Nobody ever countered on paper, although one LA did verbally ask us to resubmit higher.

    The market down here is absolutely bonkers and I refused to pay 200k over list for a normal-ass house. Inventory is quite low. Everything you've heard is true, buyers are going bananas.

    The offer that finally got the deal done was on a house in the middle of my budget. No contingencies, $30k over asking.

    I wish I had tips for getting offers accepted, but all I can tell you is what we saw:

    • Contingencies are always waived, except for when you have to sell your home. All sellers are getting pre-listing inspections so you can simply read those reports before you write an offer. I worked with my lender (a broker I've worked with on two of my previous homes, he knows my finances well) to make it so I was comfortable waiving finance. A good lender/broker is worth their weight in gold.
    • Everything is getting multiple offers, so come in hot. Don't expect a negotiation (this surprised me a lot).
    • Writing a letter is cheesy, but think about it. We wrote one only for this last offer and LA told our agent that it clinched the deal. I don't doubt I was highest or close to it, but a little extra reason to accept your deal never hurts.
    • Don't get discouraged. There are lots and lots of good houses out there, and more come on the market every week if not every day. I got very frustrated getting turned down over and over. Then I adopted a zen mindset (what's the rush?) and lo and behold, the right fit came along.
    • Trust your agent. They're not magicians and can't guarantee a winner, but they are your resource and they know your market - use them. If you can't trust them, get one you can.

    Whew... now the hard part... paperwork.

    submitted by /u/ent3ndu
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    [IN] We are buying our third (consecutive) house and have questions about counter offers.

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 08:48 AM PDT

    We have questions. What seems like so many questions. We are moving from a low cost of living area -Western PA- back to my home town in Indiana which should be low cost of living but housing prices have exploded in the last few years due to the University and low inventory. We have both gotten raises and can now afford a home that would have been totally out of the question several years ago. Nice homes leave the market almost instantaneously here and we really really like a home in a very desirable neighborhood that is back on the market after some as-yet- unknown inspection issues.

    We toured the home and it's clear that the roof needs to be replaced and there had been some water ingress, but it has been repaired and is not currently leaking. We offered $35k off the sale price with 25k sellers assist. We knew this was low, but thought it was a good place to start. The sellers countered with $25k off asking, sale as-is. The as-is is really giving us pause. We intend to have it inspected conventionally, in addition to having a masonry specialist look at the brick and someone evaluate the pool. Can we still get our hand money back if issues arise in the inspection when we signed an agreement for an as-is sale? Is as-is a major red flag?

    Finally, we used a lot of the proceeds of our first house to pay off our student loans, and we were only in our second home two years. Our down payment is not what I would like it to be, but it's right around 10%. Our mortgage broker suggested an 80/10/10, so please tell me everything you know and feel about HELOCs. Monthly mortgage payment affordability is no problem, even at this price on a 15 year, however we would need a jumbo loan.

    Advice appreciated.

    submitted by /u/CarolinaWren15
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    How quickly can you go from started to look at buying, to being able to make n offer?

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 08:29 AM PDT

    We're literally just starting. Haven't even been pre approved or anything yet, and planning on contacting realtors and lenders this week. We've just seen a house online we love the look of.

    We understand it's a long shot and just seeing online isn't exactly a 100% definite way to judge, and likely to get snapped up quickly by somebody already ready.. but at least hypothetically if we called a realtor first thing, how quickly would we be able to get into position to make an offer?

    Are we wasting the time even looking online until we have stuff in place?

    (First time buyers here)

    submitted by /u/1THFC1985
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    Any idea whether 2021 will be better to buy?

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 07:50 AM PDT

    I've been considering buying a house for years back when prices were cheap post-housing market crash. But back then I didn't have much savings or credit. As I got better with those things the prices jumped up.

    I'd still like to have a house, but I only gross just under $30k a year. I make a lot more on bonuses but I can't count on those every month. So about $42k net a year. I live in FL, more of a rural area, and now a decent, but old (70s) 3/2 home is listing for $150k which is about as cheap as it gets . A lot of houses are now listing for $200k+ on the market and they're nothing special. It's insane. Inventory here is really low too, houses are going under contract fast.

    Something about this just doesn't feel right to me with the virus and everything going on. I feel like everything is propped up right now. I get that houses would have kept increasing if there hadn't been a crash in 2008 but now it just feels like we're really in a bubble again.

    I don't understand how people in my area are buying these $170, 180, 200k homes. Most people here are only making maybe $50k or $60k a year on the high end. Many far less. I know a lot of my friends have houses in the upper $100k range and they're paying about a third of their income on mortgages. Most of them have little if any savings either.

    I wouldn't feel comfortable with that. I think I feel more comfortable with the Ramsey philosophy of 1/4 of gross income max toward mortgage, property tax and insurance. But I really think that's TOO low, if people followed that everyone would essentially never buy, or only buy some shack. Not to mention never buy a new car, but I digress.

    So I'm not sure what to do. I want one of those newer $160k-$170k homes but I fear the economy will crash, I'll lose my job, etc. Not that we've had any issues yet but I could see it happen by next year, if things don't get better as far as current events.

    If I waited into 2021 and still had a job I wonder if the prices may come down a bit. I don't see this UE and stimulus stuff being able to go indefinitely.

    Also on my background. I've been at my job almost 6 1/2 years. My credit is around 720 and I have about $130k in savings. I'd like to keep most of that, but I don't want to be over $100k in mortgage debt... Maybe after I got used to it, I'd be ok, but I don't like the risks. Also I owe about $8k on my car. That's my only debt - no student loans. I'm paying over $300 a month on health insurance which to me is crazy but I have an eye condition so I kinda need it. Otherwise I don't spend much money, especially with the virus around.

    So any ideas? I've been watching a lot of YT vids which I guess is speculation as good as any. But most of those guys are all investors that are talking about rental property. I'm just looking to buy something to actually LIVE in hopefully for a long time. I'm not interested in investment properties.

    submitted by /u/crt894
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    Is there a way to search for properties that isn't location-specific?

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 07:40 AM PDT

    I'd like to search by feature (acreage, type of structure, etc.), but I don't have a location preference. Is that possible?

    submitted by /u/fraidycat
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    Condo/townhomes in Disney/Orlando theme park areas

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 07:35 AM PDT

    Anyone with firsthand experience with selling/buying the above property types during COVID?

    With these parks being hit hard as well as unemployment, has it been easier/harder to move the property given the circumstances?

    What made you decide to sell/buy that property?

    Unrelated, I've noticed HOAs are insane there. Some are reasonable around $100, while others were closer to $800/month.

    submitted by /u/trashyart200
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    [Seattle] What the hell is going on in the market?

    Posted: 15 Aug 2020 08:07 PM PDT

    I fully acknowledge from previous posts about supply being down (mostly 2+ months old) and that makes the market hotter than usual, but I'm seeing an additional pattern that's not making sense.

    First, inventory has increased a bit the last month or so. Comparing current homes (listed <7 days ago) to those that sold within the last three months in the same area, it seems like prices have jumped 10% or more on average. That means post-lockdown homes earlier in the lockdown were more affordable than now. Granted, many still sold up to 10% over asking and current homes are still 10% above that. Many times, they're priced at more for less (comparing home size, neighborhood, lot size, home age, renovation age, etc.).

    Despite that, still getting outbid with greater than 5% over asking and all-cash offers on newer listings. Is everyone just flush from Amazon's stock price? This is insane. I remember being in the midst of the housing bubble in 2005-2006 and seeing my mom go through trying, and failing, to buy a home. This feels familiar and I'm hoping someone's got better insight.

    EDIT: Formatting.

    submitted by /u/alpha_squared
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    1 tenant using 2 rentals

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 10:29 AM PDT

    Looking into a property [Florida] it already has a renter on it but, No rental agreement. I can tell they have been there a long time. It's has two units on it and renting out one while living in the other would be great. Due to the age and connection of the buildings could I set it up as a lot rental and not be responsible for the repairs? Safety issues I know I'm responsible for. And getting them to move their stuff onto 1/2 of the land. (Their spread out on both sides currently)

    submitted by /u/heldoglykke
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    Any advice on buying new construction

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 10:14 AM PDT

    Gonna go with conventry homes here in tx, any advice?

    submitted by /u/TheBlackMan099
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    Lender asked for 4506-T signature with just a few days to spare. Should I expect closing delays or is the IRS pretty quick for transcripts?

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 09:38 AM PDT

    E-signed a 4506-T form to submit for tax verification end of day Friday and I close on the house this upcoming Friday. Already submitted bank statements, tax records, and p&ls (I'm self-employed).

    Already nervous because we already hit some covid related delays with appraisal and title.

    I'm wondering if it all has to be finished Wednesday to close should I brace myself for delays or is this a quick turnaround thing with the IRS?

    submitted by /u/lucygooseywins
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    Co-ops! Pros vs. Cons? Looking into first little investment...(NJ)

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 09:13 AM PDT

    Recently have been looking into co-ops here in New Jersey. A lot of friends/family talk highly of co-ops as a long term investment (under 100k, most need little to no work done on it, amenities available in most cases). What are your opinions on it?

    Also— Does the NJ first time homebuyer program include co-ops?

    Thanks!

    submitted by /u/Dee_Ey
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    Is it normal for a seller’s agent to hold an open house, after the sale contract is signed and the first half of the down payment has been made? (NY)

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 08:49 AM PDT

    Basically what the title states. Contract and first 10% down were locked in 5 days ago but seller's agent is still advertising open houses. It's very frustrating, considering the public health situation, to have a bunch of strangers walking through my future home. Our agent also requested that seller's agent cancel open houses once the contract was signed and 10% check written. This seems highly inconsiderate and unprofessional.

    submitted by /u/D_lamystorius
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    Minimum income to buy?

    Posted: 15 Aug 2020 10:32 PM PDT

    Hey all, just a quick question about qualifying for a mortgage.

    I am just starting to get things together to hopefully buy my first house later this year or early next year. My brother is friends with a realtor, and I briefly spoke to him about the local market, prices, etc. He asked how much I make, I told him, and he cringed and said "Ohh, well you might wanna wait for a promotion or get another job." This guy is a known douchebag, for what it's worth. I now turn to reddit for a second opinion.

    I have zero debt.

    I have $25,000 saved right now, with another $1000 going into my house fund every month. Hoping to have at least 30k for a down payment.

    I make $37,000 per year.

    I have a credit score of 775 according to CreditWise. Free credit reports looked good, nothing weird there.

    I am hoping to purchase a single family home OR duplex for around $175,000. This is reasonable for my area.

    I am single and would be purchasing alone.

    Am I likely to be approved for a mortgage?

    submitted by /u/foo-jitsoo
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    How soon should I receive deed and first mortgage bill?

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 12:32 AM PDT

    First-time homeowner here. I closed on June 24. I've yet to receive my deed, nor my first mortgage bill, which would be due September 1. Would you consider that normal, or do I need to reach out? Who would I reach out to regarding the deed? The laywer's office at which we co-signed all closing documents?

    submitted by /u/HorseTearz
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    Colorado Springs - market is insane

    Posted: 15 Aug 2020 07:45 PM PDT

    I've put 3 offers on homes, one I did an appraisal waiver and the others I offered well above. I'm getting beat by offers of 50-80k+ with appraisal waivers. I'm looking at homes in the 400-450k(most build between 1985-2000)and it seems insane as houses are getting 7-20 offers within a few days of listing.

    I'm using conventional, 5% down, no contingency and still not making it to the top offers. It doesn't seem smart to offer an inspection waiver.. anything else I can do or do I just hope the market settles even a bit by early next year?

    submitted by /u/DungeonVig
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    One of the biggest worries I have is having neighbors from hell

    Posted: 16 Aug 2020 02:10 AM PDT

    I'm so worried that my neighbors will make my life a living hell. The house I love is in such close proximity to my neighbors, with their windows open I feel like I can probably hear everything. How to ease this worry?

    submitted by /u/jaellys
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