Pay Now or Pay Later

The market that I'm in is located close to a military base.  We have families moving in and out of our area on a regular basis.  This is a good thing and this is a bad thing.  

We all know why it's good, people moving in need homes to buy.  People moving out have homes to sale.  If you're in an area where there is a military base you know that there are a large number of homes purchased with a VA loan.  100% VA loans.  Great for the buyer, they can usally get into a home with very little money out of their pockets at closing especially when if the seller or builder they are purchasing from agrees to pay their closing costs.  

Now the bad starts.  The buyer plans to be in the home 2 maybe 3 years.  This is bad.  They have no equity in the home. This is bad. The home has not appreciated enough to cover the commission that they are going to need to pay if they list the home for sale with a REALTOR. Another bad.

No one told them this.  No one asked them how long they think they'd be stationed here. No one mentioned to them that the subdivision they bought in has 2 more phases that will be built over the next 3 to 4 years.  No one told them that when they got ready to sale they'd be competing with new homes in their subdivision.  

No one told them they would probably have to write a check at closing.  They didn't pay to get into the house, but now they have to pay to get out. 

The "no one" is the agent that sold them this house. The agent that ran all the way to the bank with the commission they received from original purchase is now the agent that is no where in site to explain to this seller that "now you have to pay".

Today, I was that agent that had to tell them, they have to pay.  I don't like it.  These folks are young they needed their agent to guide them 2 years ago.  Today they recieved guidance, I just hope I wasn't too late.