Real Estate

I know there is a substantial out of pocket start up fees and evenings and weekend work. What other pluses and minuses are there? I am very interested in becoming a realtor.

The pay is commission which can vary each month like crazy. One month you make $6000 and the next lucky to make $2500. Getting clients to sign with you is the first hurdle, second is actually selling their property (or finding one for them). How creative you are, how much time and effort you can donate to each client will determine your numbers and success. One problem for many realtors is they fail to talk to their selling clients about making the house saleable. This means getting rid of junk, cleaning, fixing problems, painting and then staging (even if using their furniture) for the open houses and all showings. It is a lot of work and at times you’ll wonder why you bother (some clients can be frustrating).
Have fun and enjoy.

I am looking to buy a home (my first). My sister just said something about "signing a contract with the realtor" however the realtor I’ve been in communication with hasn’t brought that up. Does one always sign a contract with a realtor? What does it cover? For whose benefit is this, mine or the realtor’s? Is this common practice?

I’d like to get some background information on it before discussing it with my realtor, if I can ascertain that this is a valid, common practice,

Why would he not have mentioned this contract to me before?

It is more and more common, but not at all typical for a buyer’s agent to have a buyer sign a "Buyer’s Broker Agreement". The contract basically says that if you buy real estate in the next "X" months you agree to do it through thte agent so they can make a commission. Since you are committing to them then they will commit to you and spend hours and hours running around and showing you all kinds of property.

I have been working with buyers for over 10 years and have never asked someone to sign one. I think that it suits me better to develop a relationship with my clients. I have not had a problem with clients leaving me – but that may be an issue for other agents. Some agents use these agreements only for those clients they "get a feeling about" in order to avoid getting taken advantage of.

Why realtors always push to go with their mortgage brokers . Do they receive any refferal fees if deal is closed ?

I refer clients to specific mortgage brokers because they are no BS sort of people. They tell it like it is, do not say they can do something they cannot and take care of the people I send to them.

I do not have time for "creative" mortgage people who think they can do something and then tank the deal toward the end.

I have not received a referral fee from any mortgage lender. And I have been doing this for awhile. I have received a nice pastry and an occasional lunch.

I’ve across ‘Boards’ and ‘Associations’ of Realtors, and directories that list both, but I can’t figure out what the difference is between a Board and an Association—is there other than in simply a naming preference or convention?
Wait, so what is the difference though, between a Board and an Association? I’ve come across some Realtor organizations that have ‘association’ in their title, and others that have ‘board.’

By far the largest Real Estate group in the US is the National Association of Realtors. Each State has a state association of Realtors. The local group in my area that is a member of both of those is called the Arlington Board of Realtors. Realtor and Realtors is a copy righted term that the National Association of Realtors owns.

I live in So. Calif and am planning to be a real estate agent. I understand through the National Association of Realtors (NAR), you can get health insurance through them as an agent. I have Kaiser HMO right now and I’d like to continue with them. Is it possible to get Kaiser HMO through REALTORS Core Health Insurance?

"Core Health Insurance" is a specific brand of insurance just as "Kaiser HMO" is a different brand name. The two are different and mutually exclusive. In other words, the way your question is asked would be similar to saying "Can I get a Honda Civic through a Ford Mustang?" So obviously this wording doesn’t make sense.

You might have meant to ask whether the REALTORS association has a selling agreement with Kaiser. The answer is no; and there would likely be no business reason for either the association, Kaiser or the members for doing so. The REALTOR association, like most other professional associations, focuses on member benefits that provide revenue to the association while making an attractive offering to the individual members.

I stumbled onto this question because I am writing a “Core Health Insurance Revisited” article for the Freedom Benefits health insurance exchange following changes introduced during this period of health insurance reform. These other resources are available on the www.FreedomBenefits.net Web site.

I’ve called the numbers, looked at the website and can’t find hours of operation anywhere. Does anyone out there know what time they open? Thanks!

4:20

Most of the foreclosed (bank-owned) homes in Metro Detroit are listed with major chain realty companies (Century 21, Remax, Remerica, etc.). But some are listed with fly-by-night outfits that no one has ever heard of, and people at these offices can be extremely difficult to get a hold of (don’t answer calls, don’t return messages, etc), and have incompetent agents who couldn’t care less.

How can these outfits stay in business if they don’t seem to know the first thing about running one?

I have the same complaint! I will not even bother offering, there is no way that agent will close on the deal.

I am guessing the bank does not want to sell at this point in time and listing this way makes it appear like they are and they need that appearance for their insurance claim.

just read it here:http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/mansions-of-powerful-ceos.html that bill gates has 25 bathrooms in his house. isnt that just a little ridiculous? seems like it would be a bathroom every other door, with only 8 bedrooms. what are your guys’ thoughts?

Having many bathrooms is very handy, when you’re entertaining a big crowd of people. People won’t have to wait long to use a bathroom.

Its my house what country you thinks its from Australia Canada, UK or US…. obviously some would know lol hahaha

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-sovereign+islands-106782519

USA_-!-)~I’m still right-US,AUSTRALIA…

…in order to satiate vicarious lifestyle defined as “worshipping US richclass thieving slavers”? If it’s been a while, today’s the day:

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/us-neighborhoods-with-the-biggest-houses.html
@Right! Of course that complaint comes first.

Where’s the helicopter? Along with it, where’s my fix?

Those homes aren’t that great, trust me on this.

-it’s been awhile since I’ve seen a home that just says oooooh. I’m more interested in Panamanian retirement beach houses myself. Less upkeep, good views and cheap labor.

Paraguay and Argentina also have some nice real estate. I’d have to stay out of the metro area’s myself with condos going for 500k and up. Who wants to live in a 500 sq. ft apartment in a large city for 500k?
Not me.

LESS TAXES though. That’s what it’s about. Less taxes.