Get Expert Real Estate Advice

Find answers to your home buying, selling, and real estate questions from trusted professionals.

Ask An Agent

Get answers from licensed real estate agents on buying, selling, loans, appraisals, contracts, and market trends.

Post a Question

Recent Questions

1892 questions found

Advice Topics:

State:

Sort By:

Can I fight losing my earnest money over an HOA issue I didn't cause?

This is actually the second time this has happened to me with a different lender so at this point Im starting to feel like Im cursed. I was one day away from closing when my lender suddenly said they wont fund the loan because the HOA delinquency rate in my building is over 15 percent. Nobody told me that was even a thing they checked, and we werent able to get an extension in time before the contract expired. Now Im being told I might lose my earnest money and I dont understand how any of this is on me, I did everything I was supposed to do. I called the title company and they said since the contract ended they dont have to give the deposit back. Is there actually any way to fight this or am I just out that money?

5 Answers

What should I be doing now to get ready to buy again after starting over?

I bought a condo back in 2019 and ended up in a lot of debt after a rough stretch with a job that didnt pay enough. I eventually took a better job in another state, sold the condo, and used the money to pay off my debt and buy a car, so now I dont really have savings left. My credit is actually really good though and Im trying to figure out the smartest way to start working toward buying a home again.

8 Answers

Can I refuse to pay the buyer's agent commission my listing agreement authorized?

My listing agreement has a line saying I authorized my broker to offer up to 2.5 percent to a buyers broker, and now Im second guessing why Im the one paying for the other sides agent at all. I dont really understand why I should have to cover the buyers agent when they arent working for me. Can I just refuse to pay that and let the buyer handle their own agents fee, or is this actually normal practice I dont understand yet?

7 Answers

Is a 3.5/2 percent commission split going to scare off buyers agents?

My mother in law is getting ready to list her house and sent me the contract her potential agent drew up before she signs anything. The split has the listing side getting 3.5 percent and the buyers agent getting 2 percent, which feels lopsided to me but I dont really know what normal looks like these days. Im worried that offering buyers agents less could make them steer their clients toward other listings instead of showing hers. Is a split like this actually going to cause a problem, or am I overthinking this?

5 Answers

the appraisal on my house came back lower then what the buyer offered, is the deal dead or can i fight that number?

the appraisal on my house came back way lower then what the buyer offered and now im not sure if the deal is dead or if i can even fight that number.

5 Answers

After a rough experience with my buyer's agent, should I switch to a real estate attorney instead?

I've been house hunting off and on for a few years and had one agent push me toward an offer above my limit on a home that turned out to have foundation issues, which soured me on working with them again. Ive since learned a lot more about what makes an offer competitive on my own, so what I'm really unsure about now is everything that happens after an offer gets accepted: the paperwork, inspections, timelines, all of it. I've gotten mixed suggestions to use the listing agent directly, hire a real estate attorney, or go with a discount buyers agent instead. Trying to figure out which route actually protects me best without being all that experienced yet.

6 Answers

Do we need a lawyer to buy land straight from our neighbor?

Were about to buy a small strip of vacant land next to our house straight from the neighbor whos owned it for years, and we want to skip hiring a realtor since its really just between us. Do we need a title company, a real estate attorney, or is there actually a way to do this without paying fees to either one?

7 Answers

Can I fight an HOA special assessment that skipped the required vote?

Our HOA board just hit all 300 homes with a special assessment to fix a community feature thats been falling apart for years, but they never actually held the open, announced board vote that Texas law requires for something like this. Nobodys really disputing that the process was skipped, so now Im stuck deciding whether to formally contest it as invalid or just let it go so I dont stir up drama with neighbors who want to move on. The fix probably needs to happen either way, so Im not sure fighting it actually gets me anything besides a headache. Is it even worth pursuing at this point, or should I just pay it and move on?

5 Answers

Can I refuse to show my house to agents who ignore our proof-of-funds rule?

Were selling an almost $2 million estate and its a lot of work getting it ready to show, so our listing clearly states buyers need a pre-qual letter or real proof of funds before well book a private showing. Weve already had two different agents try to get their clients in without sending that over, and one keeps pushing hard because her buyers are only in town for a few days. We obviously want to sell, but we dont want to waste our time or wear out the house on people who might not even be able to afford it. Is it reasonable for us to just hold firm and turn agents away until they actually send the paperwork?

9 Answers

Do I need a buyer's agent if I already found the house myself?

Ive been eyeing this one house for months and it actually has a VA assumable loan on it which is a big deal with rates where they are right now. I reached out to the sellers agent directly for info instead of going through my own realtor, and now Im wondering if I even need a buyers agent at this point since I found it myself. Could I just negotiate the deal on my own and bring in a real estate attorney instead to handle the contract side? Has anyone actually done it this way before? Just trying to figure out if skipping an agent here would actually save me anything.

6 Answers