Before I start showing you homes would you mind taking this (LIE DETECTOR) Test?

Bob- do you mean legal or illegal?  I'm no Fed, but I think that if you are entering the country with a suitcase full of cash, you are supposed to declare it....  

I would LOVE to hook certain clients up to a lie detector.  Sure would save some time! ;)

We had a similar buyer on one of our own properties.  Didn't know if they were for real or not...were skeptical all along the way... when it got down to money to escrow, the title company discovered the fraud.  So be very careful...is all I can say!

VB, I don't know if I would call these things "lies" but maybe just being misinformed.  I've had people from overseas wanting to buy property with all cash, i.e. bringing it with them, and once I explained to them that this would not be possible because our closing agents would not be able to accept it not to mention safety aspects to begin with, they understood.  When working with international customers, it's important that we try to think like them and understand their customs.

Where there is money to be made, there are lies, and that's a fact jack!  Maybe we should try truth syrum?  It would be nice if we could weed out the lies. I think part of the problem, like others have said, is that there is a difference of opinion of what is allowable and not.  That's where we come into play - ask lots of questions, dig deep.  Great post.

Bob - I think we do need to develop a portable lie detector, kind of like a the keychain brethalyzer!

VB- I had a deal where it fell through and my buyer lost their deposit.  WHY?  Because the husband was of a different nationality - proud and secretive - and didn't tell me he lost his job the week before closing.  I think 'lies' sometimes are a cultural difference.

With that being said, if your buyers from another country don't declare the money, that's their lie and not the agent's.  How can you possibly be expected to know what they did or didn't declare when they came into the country?

I don't know about the lie detector (although that was a great scene from the movie) -- but i'd like to hook up to some additional foreign buyers!  (provided they were on the up and up).  Have a good night

VB

How absolutely true about buyers and those nasty little white lies they tell.

VB, I love the idea of a lie detector. Hook 'em all up before they say another word.

Bob -- lie detectors, truth serum --- sometimes intuition and a good strong gut instinct is best way to find the truth.   

VB--if she knows they're lying, doesn't she feel that that is unethical on her part, too?  I would not be able to do business with people like this.

Hey, VB — I've never heard of there being any law against buy a home with cash, either for Americans or for foreigners. It's where the money was earned that's the question. Earned in America, gotta pay taxes. Earned elsewhere, no problem.