Sally

Exactly. We never signed anything with our realtor as buyers.

scrubbedexpat099

Ohhh no

Here we go again

Proximate cause works for money too.

angelman

If you were a Seller he/she would need a contract with you to list your property and thus a 3% fee. But you're a Buyer.....he/she should get the 3% from the Seller not you.[/QUOTE]
I understand that the seller pays the fee, the point is that the seller is willing to sell the property at a lower price because there are no agents involved on either side. Otherwise he would sell on the open market using a realtor who already has the property valued at 90K+ what he is offering it to me for. I have done some comps for myself and his appraised value (the higher one) doesnt seem unreasonable by any means. If I have a realtor working for me he will just increase the selling price to me. The property is only affordable to me if it stays off the open market. I am trying to keep realtor's sticky little fingers away from my little secret as much as possible. Of course I realise the market is changing and it's more of a buyer's market now but given what I know of the seller and, the neighbour's, community and way property is bought and sold in my area (it is almost exclusively sold without realtor's amongst neighbours) I feel confident in my understanding of the situation.
Anyone got a recommendation for a good real estate attorney in LA?

Sally

Sorry I don't know one but I would be interested to know how it goes. All the best.

BritGuyTN

I think you are stressing out more than you need to

Just get them to sign a sales contract asap if you really want the place....

If you want I can email you a generic sales contract....

then get a real estate attorney

angelman

Thanks, I think I am stressing out more than I need to too!
I have all the sales contract. The thing I am unsure of is how to sort out the contingencies. Should I speak to the seller first about dates, who is going to pay for what with regards to closing costs, or do we do that afterwards with the attorney. The sales contract also seems to be the offer which is legally binding. Do I not need to have that all sorted out before I make the offer?

Sally

Trying to remember, I think you make an offer in which you state what conditions you want rearding dates, costs and contingencies. The seller then either agress to it or counters the offer with what he wants. and so on until you have agreed. It usually goes quickly so you need to know some inspectors and have finance ready to go.

BritGuyTN

contingencies

1. appraisal
2. inspection
3. termite
4. Fianancing acceptable to you

if you are getting a good deal don;t make it more onerous than you need to

you pay your closing costs, seller pays theirs and get the seller to pay for title insurance...

scrubbedexpat099

Do you get HGTV, or Bravo or one of the other channels that seems to have non stop programmes covering buying/selling/flipping properties in LA?

Sally

Probably but I can't be bothered with all those ads. We did see a local family on one where a woman reminiscent of Rusty Lee tidies up your house.

scrubbedexpat099

What adds?

DVR and press the button.

angelman

what tv... we dont have it.. managed to convince my wife it was bad for our new baby, through that junk out a year ago. Why throw money away at all that awful advertising. I wouldnt mind so much if the adverts had more than $10 spent on them and appealed to something other than the most basic, dumb, dim witted moronic human instincts - it's ok clal me a snob)
Netflix, netflix online, google video, thats all we need.

fatbrit

Snap! Computer is sole connection to telly. Watch DVD and downloads, mainly the latter. Also have the 'Net on it.

scrubbedexpat099

I do not watch adds.

I either record or if I see something interesting I pause, go and do something else, and then catch up, you can actually do qute a bit and still not get live on a half hour programme.

Sally

That's very organised!

I never watch it when I'm on my own, but OH is a telly addict.