BUYER AGENT MYTHS

Three commonly held misconceptions about the home buying process:

Myth #1:

You may get a better price with a fsbo.

"The first home we purchased was a "for sale by owner". If only we had known what we know now! The owners were asking what we thought was a fair price. They told us to check the price of a similar home that was under contract on the same street, which was more. We just didn't have any other comparisons. Come to find out a new road was going in and it substantially affected the property's value. We ended up paying too much because we just didn't have enough information." - Tom & Pat Goddard

Myth #2:

Builders in new home neighborhoods will lower the price if you work without an agent.

"When we found a new home neighborhood we thought the builders' representative could guide us through the buying process. Basically, our interests were not protected at ll. The builder substituted some of the appliances and fixtures and did not notify us. We found out that some other buyers in the same neighborhood got upgrades and closing costs included for the same price we paid. We wish we had used our own agent." - Jennifer & Louis Brown

Myth #3:

Working with the listing agent is easier and will save you money.

"I spent months driving around calling different agents. Then I found out that when I call an agent from a sign or an ad that agent is obligated to work for the seller of that property - not for me. I inadvertently gave away my top price and lost any negotiating room on making my offer. Luckily the contract fell through; because I found out I would have paid too much." - Chris Foster