Our 25-year-old daughter is buying her first house (and is the first of our kids to buy), so we've just been through this.
Re #s 2 and 3: I agree, and I emphasize: your broker does not work for you. You are not paying them, and they earn no money if you do not buy a house through them.
Definitely get your own inspection. If you subscribe to Angie's List, or know someone who does, look there for recommendations. (You could look there for a broker, too.)
You don't need a lawyer, but I'll bet that a huge proportion of the people who are now losing their houses didn't have one. Not only are the documents dense and full of jargon, but according to my lawyer-husband, virtually every realtor/broker he has ever worked with was under the impression that the way they had always done things was the only way to do things--and it never was, really. He has a fairly high opinion of closers, however.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-04-15 12:45 pm (UTC)Re #s 2 and 3: I agree, and I emphasize: your broker does not work for you. You are not paying them, and they earn no money if you do not buy a house through them.
Definitely get your own inspection. If you subscribe to Angie's List, or know someone who does, look there for recommendations. (You could look there for a broker, too.)
You don't need a lawyer, but I'll bet that a huge proportion of the people who are now losing their houses didn't have one. Not only are the documents dense and full of jargon, but according to my lawyer-husband, virtually every realtor/broker he has ever worked with was under the impression that the way they had always done things was the only way to do things--and it never was, really. He has a fairly high opinion of closers, however.