A large number of people purchase their homes with the help of an agent, and only a small number of them do not involve the realtor while purchasing a house. Approximately 10% to 20% of the sales concerning home, buying represent transactions that are conducted without involving a realtor. However, most homes For Sale by Owner Sellers (FSOB) makes a commission payment to an agent of a buyer, some of them do not. Some of the FSOB would prefer to sell a home without an intermediary of a real estate agent, and in the organization, such sellers are said to be unrepresented.
One of the reasons why an unprecedented seller may not want to involve an agent while selling a home is money. This is because they are evading payment of real estate commission. They believe that paying a commission is more costly and even end up spending more than when they would have agent representation. Nevertheless, a good agent would get his payment through the negotiation process. A seller would gain, and a buyer would get a loss.
FSBOs are thought to undercharge prices of residential houses by the real estate agents in the industry. This favours the buyer. A home buyer would also have a suspicion that the seller probably does not want to disclose any defect present that is why he or she would not involve an agent of which it may happen.
10 Tips for Home Buying Without an Agent
It is important to be represented by an agent when purchasing a residential house. Therefore, any buyer should first inquire from the FSOB if he or she can be represented by a realtor. In such a case, the seller may agree and even be able to pay the agent a commission. This way, the buyer will not have to spend anything on the agent. It is therefore important to inquire if an agent can represent the buyer. If the seller declines the opportunity to be represented by an agent, below are guidelines to consider.
Visit the Homes
You should visit the home and see it for yourself once you find it on the
internet. Contact the seller or the listing realtor if they can allow you to tour the house. You can as well conduct an open tour. If you are to purchase the home without a real estate agent, you should inform the listing agent in case of any documents to sign, consult your attorney first before signing them.
Compare the Prices
Before giving an offer, compare the prices of different houses first. Prices of any active listing do not show the true value of the house. Therefore, you should be careful to compare the prices first.
Make Offers Smartly
You should create an opportunity in your offer. In case the offer does not agree with your expectations, there should be an option of
Home Inspection is a Must
Get the home inspected. Ask your acquaintances and relatives to recommend you to a person who can do the inspection. You should not choose one from the list offered.
Always Keep an Attorney Handy: Just in Case
Ensure that you have an attorney. When purchasing a home, there are a lot of legal documents, contracts, and processes that are involved. It is therefore important to have a lawyer. Hiring a real estate lawyer is less costly compared to commission payment that is made to the agent. Some estates would want you to have a lawyer despite having a realtor. Advice from the real estate lawyer costs between $200-$500. He, therefore, can advise you accordingly and have a review of your documents. Have a real estate agent as soon as you start documentation processes. He should be able to review your documents on time so that the process moves smoothly.
Claim your Insurance
Ensure that you purchase a title insurance policy or that the seller pays for it. The title should be very clean of any claims or impediments.
Mark these on Your To-Do List
The two most important tasks you should deal with are inspections and appraisals. Even though there are more tasks to deal with, the two should be dealt with first. It requires that an agent is present while undertaking these two tasks. If you do not have a buyer’s agent, the listing agent should handle these two tasks for you. Although others may happily finalize the deal, some will require you to compensate them.
Negotiation is Buyer’s Right: take your chances
You should be in a position to make and negotiate an offer until you reach an agreement. Upon finding the house that you want, you can now make an offer. Some listing agents may want a payment of part of the commission that the real agent normally gets. Your offer should offer detailed information that you are purchasing the house with a price less than the tagged price. You should also indicate that you as the buyer should not pay the agents to share the commission. All these agreements should be in writing, and the attorney should go through them. Your offer should also cover any privileges that come with it and protect the deposit cash if the deal becomes fruitful.
Closing the Deal
Close the deal. This entails many documents, and the attorney comes in handy. The attorney should go through all the contracts and forms. Once you have signed all the papers, submit the payment of purchase to the seller, and the house becomes yours finally.
Attention to Details while signing
Ensure that you have signed the agreement concerning the purchase and the fund escrow. Purchase agreement entails the earnest money made as a deposit that indicates that you are serious with purchasing the house and the final terms made during the sale. This last step confirms that the house is out of the market. The attorney or real estate agent should handle earnest money and escrow funds.
Conclusion
People think that upcoming homeowners shall not be able to buy a home without being assisted by an authorized realtor. However, the whole process can be done without a real estate agent. An attorney should be present to review all paperwork and the contracts before any signing. A home inspector should also be hired to carry out the appraisals and the inspections. If you are not a licensed professional contractor, do not inspect by yourself. Once an inspection is done, have a review of it. Be diligent because this way the realtor shall not lure you. If you do this, you will finally have your home without a realtor.
