Agents NEVER take me seriously!

[evand]

If you say the laws in WA state that non owners can't access the strata minutes/records than there must be some allowance for non owners (potential buyers) to view to these in order to buy a property? What would you do if you're buying without an agent?

Im pretty sure there is no law that states that the agent must be the only one with permission from the owner. That could possibly contravene commercial anti competition laws or similar. If the owner really wants to sell the place and the agent wants his commish they will come to the party.

But, as i've stated, dont worry about him/them. The owner doesn't own the strata records. i would seriously doubt he has sole authority to who views them or not.

I suggest you ask your conveyancing lawyer or a Goggle search should bring the answer to that.

What other DD does the agent do for you that you cant?

And, as Andrew A has pointed out, all you need the agent for is to open the property and be standing there when you hand him your offer. I can't think of anything else. They do not control the buy/sell process, you do.

 

[evand]

Can i ask why not?

ps. We didn't buy the house.

 

[Tillie]

We might be paranoid but when attending to open inspections or even private inspections we are always careful and we 'dress down' to casual clothes and use our old ute etc. Like someone said REAs make a lot of observations about the people's spending capacity based on their appearance. We do not want to make our wealth and spending capacity to be obvious. The experience has shown that if they get an idea of that for some reason price negotiations are much harder than if they think that you do not have so much money to offer.

Once I had to attend inspection immediately after work wearing my business suit and driving my newish European made car. REA did not said much at that night but when I saw her in the following weekend wearing jeans and t-shirt and driving ute she made a comment that now I fit better in the neighbourhood...

By the way here in VIC either I or my hubby haven't felt that REAs do not take us seriously. But do not get me started about buying a car... I have zillions of experience when a car sales man talks to my hubby but I am actually buying a car not he and I'll make a decision, but no he just is trying to sell the car to him AAARRRGGGHHH!

 

[our obsession]

Tillie:

But do not get me started about buying a car... I have zillions of experience when a car sales man talks to my hubby but I am actually buying a car not he and I'll make a decision, but no he just is trying to sell the car to him AAARRRGGGHHH!

We haven't bought that many cars, the few we have, (in Melbourne, regional cities and small rural towns-all Vic) the salespeople have been professional, not pushy, no disdain or attitude, very helpful. A mixture of secondhand and new cars. It has been with my partner, on my own, with a female friend, she actually has been the shrewdest person, I have seen in negotiations. She had done her new car homework, all about it, it's features, pricing, everything, got a great deal and extras and savings on a new Mazda6. This was before I 'got into property', as I observed her I thought (and reaffirmed) in my own mind the importance of research into 'whatever-the-hell-it-is-you-are-after'.

She was a part of inspiration into my love of research of 'stuff'.

 

[josko]

I had an agent in Queensland refuse to take my offer over the phone because I hadn't had an inspection through the property.

He was an older fella and completely incredulous that I would even consider making an offer and simply refused to put it to the Vendor.

I obviously told him he was obligated to but he refused. In the end I told him he was missing out and let it go!

Regards JO

 

[josko]

Tillie:

We might be paranoid but when attending to open inspections or even private inspections we are always careful and we 'dress down' to casual clothes and use our old ute etc. Like someone said REAs make a lot of observations about the people's spending capacity based on their appearance. We do not want to make our wealth and spending capacity to be obvious. The experience has shown that if they get an idea of that for some reason price negotiations are much harder than if they think that you do not have so much money to offer.

Yep, me too. Smart. Definately don't want tenants ringing willy nilly to fix things becasue we look like "we can afford it."

Regards JO

 

[cu@thetop]

did you stab him?

sometimes people need a good stabbin'. by golly - it's been a while.....

*sings* Nothing beats the Hobo life
Then stabbing people with my Hobo knife

for any Simpsons fans out there....

 

[BayView]

My point is that all this stuff doesnt matter. Who cares if someone lives in a big house, has a trust, wears a suit etc....none of it matters. I cant even see why it matters that the agents takes you seriously. Why does that matter?

Ev, I am in total agreeance with you as I most often am.

Sadly, human nature is that your appearance guides people's first impressions greatly.

When I was about 25, I was working as an assistant golf pro at a very exclusive and prestigious Golf Club in Melbourne's "sandbelt".

Now, this Club has some of the wealthiest people in Australia as members, and most are as normal as you and I, and you would never pick them for millionaires at all.

Some are wangers of course, and these were usually the less wealthy wanna-be's, so the expensive outfits were a bit of a con.

And despite what the "normal" folk stereotype view of these people is; most rich (I mean really rich) people are terrific.

I remember one old duffer who was always there, always cheery but a little too daggily dressed....I sorta dismissed him as some old retired geezer...he owned Tip Top bakeries - worth about $40mill at the time.

If you were an agent and saw him come to an OFI, you would be thinking he couldn't afford it on his pension.

 

[gottabespotless]

Can i ask why not?

Sure. Firstly, I'll start by saying that we don't mind buying a PPOR that needs a good refurb - nothing major but maybe some minor floor plan changes, new carpet, kitchen appliances/handles/benchtop, new taps, paint, cupboards, window furnishings, lights, freshen up lawn, add or fix up gardens, driveways, etc - we bring them up to scrach and then sell them on after a while or so and make a bit of a profit then move on to the next one. Either that or we build from scratch. Anyway, we were looking for a 4 bedroom house in a good area. The particular house I refer to only had 3 bedrooms (thus the lower price) but I read on the description that it had a 'formal dining room'. These days (to me anyway) formal dining rooms are rarely used and rarely wanted by buyers. They're a complete waste of space. BUT, if they are located off a hallway or as part of an 'L shape' lounge/dining area (usually beside the kitchen) they are very simple to turn into a 4th bedroom and thus, add value to the house when sold on.

The reason we didn't buy the place had nothing to do with the **** of an agent. I'm not into appearances and, as long as I look neat, tidy, speak well, am polite and courteous, I don't care how expensive my clothes and jewelry is or how prestigious my car isn't. I apply this to other people too. The richest, most successful businessman I know is a knock-about kind of bloke who left school in year 9 and drives an old Hilux ute with the bum hanging out of his 20 year old jeans - the show pony types are usually the biggest wannabes with nothing to back it up but attitude and debt. I just thought the man was bad mannered and unprofessional (considering what his clients would be paying them when/if he sold the place). If my kids ever spoke to anyone like that they'd cop a tongue lashing from me.

Anyway...back to the house (sorry for waffle). From what I can remember of it, the 3 bedrooms were really poky and the garage, although being passed off as a double garage, was really quite small and short in length (would have only fit nothing longer than maybe a Corolla or Mazda 3-type car). At the time, there were plenty of properties on the market to choose from so we moved on to the next one...

 

[cjandlj]

My point is that all this stuff doesnt matter.

I guess thats the moral of the story. However in defence of the OP it is easy to ake offence at some low rent REA not taking you seriously. But as you say its not important.

we are always careful and we 'dress down' to casual clothes and use our old ute etc

This is what I have learnt. I now prefer that they think i dont have the money. Hubby hates it when for whatever reason he cant take his ute and has to drive my car. That always gives the game away and then just because of the car he has driven away in they go from thinking he is a waste of time to suddenly ringing him before he gets out of the street.

There is no way id walk in with a cheque book or dress up for a site inspection either. The element of surprise is far more powerful, and I much prefer to leave them guessing.

At the end of the day who cares what they think, they are the messenger to convey your offer to the owner. Their opinons mean nothing.

 

[ali]

I must say I'm a bit surprised at the sexism of real estate agents discussed here as I thought the stats showed it is the woman who usually has the final say in a home purchase anyway. The agents would have to be pretty dumb not to work this out.
Anyway, our two IPs are in my husband's name but he has not even seen the latest one or had any input into their selection or the negotiations. Can't say I've had any of the real estate agents I have dealt with not take me seriously over four house purchases in total (all in NSW). I don't bring the kids tho - my husband is always on kid duty back at home while I do the open houses!
Cheers Ali

 

[cu@thetop]

I remember one old duffer who was always there, always cheery but a little too daggily dressed....I sorta dismissed him as some old retired geezer...he owned Tip Top bakeries - worth about $40mill at the time.

If you were an agent and saw him come to an OFI, you would be thinking he couldn't afford it on his pension.

I recall a story from a good source a few years ago- truckie arrive at the Mercedes prime mover showroom dressed as a typical trucker. Spotted by 2 salestaff who proceed to ignore him and look down their noses.

After a 10 minute unacknowledged wait truckie does to the receptionist and leaves his business card asking that she show it to the salesmen when they are not busy. The card id's him as owner of a fairly sizeable trucking company (fleet of 40+).

He goes to Volvo- buys one rig that day and follows with another 9 shortly after.

You just never know......

 

[travelbug]

A friend of mine who is quite wealthy often walks around in stubbies and Tshirt.

He says if you look like you have no money people won't ask you for it.

About 15 years our car broke down and he lent us his new Merc. Should have seen the look on my hubby's ex wife's face when we pulled up to pick up the kids in a car that cost twice the price of her house.

There used to be a lady in Baulkham Hills that often walked around the shops. She looked like a bag lady. She was always looking in the Real Estate windows. The agents used to laugh. One day she walked in and asked to look at a house. One young agent thought why not show it to her. She bought it and went back to the same guy to buy more. She said she "just liked houses".

 

[Deltaberry]

People in a suit are usually poor, working 9-6 PAYG job to make ends meet. If I was retired I wouldn't wear a suit... Neither would anyone.

Therefore at a housing inspection, the odds are someone dressed professional is probably a tyre kicker.

 

[Property Meister]

I was looking at a property that I believed based on DD was worth about $240k, advertised for $290k, made a proper offer in writing for $220k,

as expected got rejected, in a nutshell that the offer was "unfavourable" and he has refused to return any of my calls in regards to another property

oh well, his loss, not mine

 

[kathryn d]

About 20 years ago we used to have a "bum" who was always scavaging ...picking up bottles on the side of the road for 5c.
He lived on a property with a run down house, so he moved into a small caravan beside it.
He was befriended by a man who ran a car repair business down the road a ways.
When the bum died, he left everything he had to this guy.Seems he had $100K+ in the bank. The old house and caravan is gone now.A nice house sits about 10 acres behind it.

We were all surprised.

 

[ZEUSvsHADES]

totally agree, i just turned 23 but barely look 18. i rock up to inspections in a run down old lancer. i have boots with the steel caps showing through the leather, wearing tracksuit pants and a beater.

i have now decided to give a fake name wherever possible. my most recent purchase the agent called me after the first inspection asking if i was interested in putting in an offer, then went on to say about how he found on some system that i owned the property two doors down, he wasnt pressuring me about anything but that sort of power could definitely be used against you