The following letter just arrived in my in-box, and it seemed like a good question to pose to agents.
This is a couple who has traveled from Florida to Tennessee three times in search of land, and they feel as if they're spinning their wheels.
What advice would you give them? What questions would you want them to answer in order to qualify them as serious buyers?
Marte, First of all, thanks for your book The Land Buyer’s Guide. We are trying to use it as a guide in our search for property in Tennessee. We have made three trips and have ridden around the country-side with 2 realtors and feel further away from our quest than ever.
Which brings me to my question. How do I get a realtor to actively work on my behalf, seeking out properties that we might be interested in?
Both realtors that we have dealt with to date are very nice people but I’m left with the feeling that they don’t look at me as serious. I feel like I’m on some second or third tier list of prospects they’ll get around to if they stumble across something they think I might like IF they remember me.
I hope it’s ok to impose on you for this question. I appreciate any insight.
By the way, the Land Buyers Guide isn't telling them to ask for anything unrealistic. It simply warns people to ask the right questions before buying land.
Things like:
- Is there power to the property, or can I get it here? Where do I go to learn the cost?
- Is there a sewer or is there septic approval?
- Is there water to the lots?
- If not, how deep are wells in this area?
- What are the covenants and restrictions?
- What is the zoning?
- Is this a legal parcel?
- Is this road maintained by the city/county?
- If private, is there a road maintenance agreement in place?
I wrote it shortly after I left real estate, at my husband's urging. For years he'd been listening to me talk about the trouble people got themselves into - simply because they fell in love with property and didn't ask the right questions. (And some unscrupulous sellers and their agents didn't reveal what they really needed to know.)
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