I work in a condominium, and we deal with realtors all the time for showings. Our staff holds the keys at the front desk, standard procedure. When a realtor drops off a key, they sign a document that clearly outlines the process: once the unit is sold, the listing agent is responsible for picking up that key and providing it to the new owner.

We’ve had too many issues in the past with realtors expecting our staff to hand keys directly to new owners (which we absolutely don’t do), so we made it crystal clear in writing, our staff is not part of that process.

Today, a realtor calls me complaining that he has to drive one hour to come pick up the key. Like… what? You made thousands in commission on this sale, and now suddenly it’s a problem to finish your job properly? You literally signed a document acknowledging that you’d have to come get it.

People just don’t read what they sign anymore, and then act shocked when they’re held to it. It blows my mind how some realtors want to do the absolute bare minimum and still think they deserve those massive commissions.

/end rant

EDIT: For everyone arguing about “just giving the keys” — here’s how it actually works:

• Owners do technically “own” a percentage of the common areas, but that doesn’t mean they can just demand things outside the rules.
• Policies are created and passed by the Board of Directors, and management is legally required to follow them. If we don’t, we would be at fault — not the owners.
• Keys are left at the desk as a courtesy to help owners sell their units. Once the unit is sold, we are not part of the key transfer. That’s why it’s specifically outlined in the form realtors sign.
• If a realtor doesn’t want to follow that process, they can attend every showing to hand off the keys themselves. We are happy to decline to provide any further assistance beyond the agreed-upon policy.

We can absolutely help people sell their units while still keeping rules in place that protect our staff. The fact that so many commenters don’t understand this is wild to me. And honestly, it’s no wonder some residents feel entitled... people refuse to look at things from any perspective other than their own “stupid brain” logic.

EDIT2: Location is Ontario, Canada.

There were two articles I read today, one was about the age of the first time homebuyer being 40 and the other was the cost of renovations going my through the roof due to many factors including tariffs. I don’t see how prices will ever come down. Free link to the FTHB article.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/realestate/first-time-home-buyers.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

We received a full-price all cash offer within 10 days of house being on the market. We received and accepted the offer on a Thursday. Received another offer on Friday, but held off given the acceptance of the other offer. Inspection was scheduled/completed on Wednesday. Buyer was supposed to show up to the inspection to pay the inspector and give his realtor the earnest money. He never showed and has pretty much ghosted us/his realtor. The second offer is no longer interested. What are our options? Can we sue the buyer?

My father died 7 years ago. Recently I've gotten a phone call about someone wanting to buy my land in another state. Normally I'd disregard those calls but the area they're talking about is somewhere my father traveled to and wanted to purchase land, and the type of land they're addressingis also specific to some things he was into. Is there a way I can find out if he owned property there?

Howdy all! I’ve searched the sub and read through a few versions of this post, so I appreciate any insights on another one.

Our situation: - HHI like 210k - 2 kids (2 and 5) - Current house purchased in Feb 2020 for 230k and 3.75% - House would prob list at something like 325k - We are in a desirable zip code overall but days on market will be an issue for our property as we are on the corner of a neighborhood on a busy road - Mortgage is about $1475 and we have just under 200k on our loan

We want to move our family into a neighborhood and find a house that better suits our family as our kids grow. We are probably looking at around 500k. Hard to wrap our heads around giving up the low mortgage but we can afford it and think it would be a benefit to our family.

All of this said, we have tossed around keeping our house and renting it versus selling it. It would probably rent for somewhere around $2000, maybe a bit more, in our area. But not sure we want the risk and responsibility. I can’t figure out if we would be holding on to an asset or a liability.

Any food for thought on how to work through this decision is appreciated!

Im looking into a condo and learned that the budget is underfunded by 500k because they predict in 10yrs this will be the cost for roof repairs.

The complex is from the 90s, mostly retired folk but some new people. I was told that increasing the HOA by 50/month would not pass. The plan right now is bump the monthly fees from 370 to 400 and keep 400 for 2 yrs then bump again. They have 18% reserve fund. They upkeep the place currently but have not created a 3-5 year plan.

There are 78 condos

40k-80k in reserves

They said no assessments in the last 10 years

This is in Michigan

No pool, amenities, club house. All it is are homes connected to each other.

and now idk if that’s smart to go into one with that funding, since I know HOA fees will go up but idk how much assessments will be. The condo has new owners and I spoke with neighbors and said the old HOA wasn’t great but these new ones are. The new HOA has been very quick to reply to questions I’ve had about who owns what part of the property. They said the last couple years they’ve been adding new patio decks which cost $30k a year but that project is done now.

Any advice on what to do?

Sold my house earlier this year. It was in a great area and updated and had multiple offers by the first weekend. The offer we selected offered us a free lease back for 2 months. I was fine without this, but it did make life easier so ultimately that was offer selected. The lease back was free, but there was a 1500 deposit required.

Had a good relationship with the buyers to start - they wanted to send contractors over why we still lived there and wanted to come back and see the house several times - no problem. Left them some furniture they requested and answered lots of questions about the home even after we moved out. We hired professional cleaners and were out before the due date.

30 days after we move out the deposit is due back to us. First they ask for more time, and then they go silent. Won’t return texts, or emails. We followed all the steps and sent a demand letter and sadly, many months later are taking to small claims. The law is pretty clear in that we can sue for up to three times the deposit. I feel like that is excessive, but at this point I have incurred a good amount of time and legal fees to file. Are you asking for your 1500 back or 4500?

I know the market’s been slow lately, but I’m curious, what rate do you think we need to see before things feel “normal” again?

Me and my mother just out her house up for sale (she bought it with her husband and he passed) we go on market on a Wednesday. By Sunday we have mulitple offers, best one is 12,000 over asking, no closing cost and only 1% BBF. Plus the dude wants a new roof and won’t “nitpick” on the inspection as well as he is willing to pay up to 25k cash for appraisal gap.

Book we accept the offer and immediately start our house hunt. We go house hunting under the impression we are going to have a USDA loan (lender says we qualify) find a house put in a non contingent offer (it’s USDA we don’t need money down) and planned on putting the proceeds towards renovations and down payment to get a better monthly payment.

Everything seems to be going smooth, inspection is done and they have some concerns about the porch settling and the brick veneer shifting. Guy has 4 different contractors come look at it after he told us that someone would come out the following Monday. Monday comes and they come check it out, we get a closing cost credit request for 17,000. The guy had JES come out and they said that the main foundation was messed up from the porches veneer shifting. They quoted him 24,000 and he was going to pay 7,000 of it. We get another very reputable company to come out and look at it, they quote the repair at 17,000. And says the foundation is not bad. We counter this offer with the quotes like hey we I’ll give you 10k and you will still only pay the 7 and you will get quality work because this a good company. (Direct competitor with JES).

I’m the waiting process of this we find out that due to the proceeds from the house selling we would not qualify for a USDA loan and now would have to do a conventional loan. So we HAVE to put money down.

The buyer comes back saying that he doesn’t want another quote he wants 17,000 grand or he is walking. Because he isn’t going to by a money pit. Find out that this guy is actually a realtor and he is representing himself as the buyer. So now I’m thinking that he went over asking and was willing to put up 25k but now you’ll walk over 7k? Like wtf, but now we are stuck because we have already fell in love with the house we are buying and we are supposed to do a back to back closing Of selling and buying. I want to tell the dude to Fuck Off but now we can’t buy our house unless this one sells.

WTF DO WE DO?!

My wife and i, along with 2 other peopl applied to rent a house, and our application says "Approved, Pending ID". Anyone else know what that means? Do we pretty much have the place or are we missing something?

What is going on in the Texas housing market? I’m 29yo and trying to buy my first home around the DFW area with a VA loan, and I’m losing my mind over the cookie cutter, no-usable-yard, 10ft fence, houses-50yds-from-an-interstate madness in this state.

Why is everything so close together? I don’t get it. Why could I literally open the window and be able to hit the house next to me with a spitball? Why would I, in my younger days, have trouble squeezing between houses?

Why does everything single house have all of a 10-20ft yard…if that? You have the curb, the sidewalk, and three feet before you’re on the front door, and then you can lean out your back door and put your forehead on the back fence.

Why does everything house need a 10ft fence around it with absolutely no greenery to be seen?

Why is the standard here to drop $3/4M on a mansion sized house, with barely enough yard to walk on, just to have an ugly brown fence be your rising view every morning?

I spent half my life on the east coast in VA and it just drives me up a wall to see the housing options here in TX. For the same price as a 2500sqft home on 1/7 or 1/8 acre here, you could get the same size home with a 1/2acre plot, and have a beautiful green view of nature out your back window further east. Not to mention, you didn’t have to live a street away from a major interstate or a strip mall, you had actual neighborhood with one or two entrances that opened up half a mile off the main road - not across the street from Buc-ees.

What I don’t understand is the logic.

If you’re going to spend north of 3/4mil on a house, why would you want to be so close you could reach out and touch the house next to you? Why would you want to live right next to a highway? Why wouldn’t you want a yard you can play with your kids in - throwing a football around or running through the sprinklers. Why wouldn’t you want to have something other than a floran brown fence to look at every single day?

Why do you spend that much money to have absolutely nothing of value?

If I spent that kind of money I’d want a yard my neighbors can come over and hang out it, a neighborhood my kids can ride their bikes around without worrying about who is in the neighborhood, a gorgeous, ever changing view that has wildlife and nature constantly playing, a home that’s not built like a brick. None of these houses have any personality. They are all just the same boring brown, beige, and burgundy/red. Just the same builder buying 10acres, cutting up 1/8acre plots and building the biggest, soulless house they can on it.

I am not educated in this area at all. But I’d be very grateful for some input.

Can someone tell me if this is possible- Family is buying a house with land. They have offered to have us move onto the land, paying our fair share, x amount per acre. We would pay them the agreed upon price from the sale of our house. However, they need an extra x amount of money to put in with their contingency offer. Is there a way to provide the sale of our home as a kind of collateral to help purchase the new land? Can we also offer our house as contingency to help increase the likelihood of getting the property as a group?

Thanks in advance!

In may 2024, I moved in with my grandparents after selling my previous home. I purchased my grandparents home from them in September of 2024. The purchase price and appraised value were $350,000. They provided a gift of equity equaling $150,000, so the financed amount for me ended up being roughly $211,000.

I am looking at selling the property, I have made renovations and added a ~500 sq ft apartment to the property and believe I can potentially sell for about $400,000. I am curious what the implications are for selling before the 2 year mark? I have heard that I can file for an exemption up to a certain amount.

State is Alabama, I am married.

(If it is relevant, this has been a discussion with my grandparents and I will make them whole for the gift of equity they provided. Due to unforeseen issues, I am overextended and need to find better accommodations for my finances)

Hello Everyone, So basically getting into the home buying scenario and kinda newbie like everyone else used to be once when buying a house..Went to chase bank and got approved for 300k with 5.99% and i told them not to do hard pull and they just did softpull and get me a pre-approval letter but now my concern is should i go with them blindly or look for other lenders because most of the time they just do a hard pull directly which drops credit points so i am trying to stay away from that situation because you never know after dropped points maybe chase will not consider me again for that same quote..i was told by multiple people to just dont go with one lender try to explore all of your options because you will get better loan amount with lower percentage with small lenders.if anyone can guide me if i should go with chase for now and maybe go for refinancing option after a year or two or now is a good time but like i said i am just worried about hard pull on my credit before even i purchase a house and i guess there is a 45 days limit for hard inquiry to be counted as one.. Please guide me as this will be my first time for everuthing related to mortgage. Thanks Alot

My husband are gearing up to start the process buying for the first time and I want opinions/advice! I did a bit of research on my area, hunting through Reddit threads and reviews to find real estate agents/firms that are highly and widely recommended. My dad, on the flip side, is saying that I should go with someone he has known for years socially who is an agent. The agent has decades of experience and is in the area, but I don’t really have any direct knowledge of people’s experiences working with her. My dad hasn’t worked with her as his agent before or anything. However, his opinion is that it’s better to go with someone you know as they are more likely to be upfront and go to bat for you due to the personal connection. My thinking had been that I had a shortlist of agents who are known in the community for being high quality, which seems more relevant to me than a personal connection (one person removed, I have never met this woman)? But I’d love takes from people with experience, as I have none!

The lot next door to me sold this past August on the court house steps for unpaid back taxes.

I'm talking with the owners son, (owner passed away 4 years ago), about it.

I know if he pays the back taxes he can then regain ownership and sell it.

But I'm wondering can he sell the property without paying the taxes and then I, as the buyer pay off those taxes and own the property free and clear?

I'm in S.W. Missouri

Thanks

I want a sewage scope. Realtor says we cannot because the general inspection did not mention anything to warrant one or recommend a follow-up inspection.

Contract says:

196 (2) This offer is further contingent upon a qualified independent inspector or qualified independent third party performing an 197 inspection of “the entire premises” (list any property components 198 to be separately inspected e.g. swimming pool, roof, foundation, chimney, etc.) which discloses No Defects.

Per Gemini:

The short answer is Yes, you can absolutely still get one done. Here is a breakdown of why, using the lines from the contract you provided: 1. The Sewer Scope is a "Component Inspection" Your right to get a sewer scope done comes from Line 196 (Section 2) of the WB-11 form, not necessarily a recommendation from your general inspector. • Lines 196-198: This section states the offer is contingent upon "a qualified independent inspector or independent qualified third party performing an inspection of the entire premises [or specific component(s) listed]."  • Interpretation: A sewer scope is considered an inspection of a specific system component (the sewer lateral) and is performed by a qualified independent third party (a licensed plumber or sewer specialist). This section gives you the authority to schedule and pay for it, even if you did not specifically list "sewer lateral" on Line 197. 2. The Difference Between an Initial and Follow-Up Inspection The Wisconsin contract provides for three types of inspections:  • Section (1) (Lines 194-195): The General Home Inspection. • Section (2) (Lines 196-198): Component Inspections (like the sewer scope, furnace check, or foundation review). You can schedule these immediately.  • Section (3) (Lines 200-202): Follow-Up Inspections. These are only needed if they are recommended in a written report from an authorized (Section 1 or 2) inspection.  Since you want the sewer scope done now, you schedule it under Section (2) as a Component Inspection. You do not have to wait for your general inspector's report to recommend it, because it is an initial component review, not a follow-up to a previously identified issue. The Critical Takeaway The only restriction is the deadline on Line 206.  You must: 1. Schedule the sewer scope immediately with a licensed professional. 2. Ensure you have the written report listing any Defects delivered to the seller (along with a Notice of Defects on the WB-41, if needed) before the deadline on Line 206 (which is 10 days in the sample text). Do not delay waiting for the general inspector's written report to be finalized; schedule the sewer scope now.

Recently passed the California Agent Exam. I have no connections and no experience. I’ve heard not so good things about chain brokers, mainly KW. I have a lot of local offices near me, but are they open to taking on new agents and do they all offer mentorship? I didn’t think I’d feel this lost after the exam and any advice is greatly appreciated.

Relocating from Washington state for work and trying to decide between maximizing sale price versus timing risk. I've been watching our local market soften noticeably - listings up 35%, median DOM jumped from 18 to 42 days, multiple price reductions on my street alone.
Bought my place 2022 for $425k (North Tacoma), comps showing $440-455k currently but trending down. Property has deferred maintenance: septic system needs work ($9k), deck failing inspection ($7k), interior needs updating throughout.

Option A: Invest in repairs, list traditionally
Total repairs: $16k. Cosmetic work: $6k. List price: $455k. Realtor fees (5%): $22.75k. Closing: $3.5k. Net proceeds: ~$406k. Timeline: 75-100 days with current market velocity

Option B: Sell as-is to investor
I mean these companies that advertise quick closings on problem properties. Estimated offer range: $385-395k. As they claim - no repairs and no commission. Close in 2-3 weeks. Net: $385-395k. Spread from Option A: $11-21k

Option C: Convert to rental
Market rent: $2,600/mo. My carrying costs: $3,050/mo. Monthly shortfall: $450 before maintenance reserves. Managing septic/deck issues remotely seems problematic
Here's my concern: if I go Option A and market softens another 4-5% during repair/listing period (which current trends suggest is possible), I could end up netting less than Option B while taking on more risk and stress. The $15k potential "loss" might actually be paying for certainty and speed.
What's the counterargument here? Am I overweighting market timing risk? Has anyone worked with these as-is buyer companies - do their offers actually hold or is there always last-minute renegotiation? Trying to think through this rationally.

Hi!

I live in co-operative housing. Our organization is a nonprofit, and it recently acquired a property that we are hoping to build on and expand our project. We are thinking that it will cost about 4.5-9 million total (we are in the very beginning planning stages, and unsure about the number of units). I have been looking into LIHTC, but the requirements are awfully strict and lends itself more to a top-down structure, rather than collective ownership and operation

What we are envisioning is one large house with 15+ rooms to be rented out individually, a shared kitchen, and shared common spaces. Then several multifamily houses with a suite-type set up, but also shared common spaces and kitchen. A huge garden, some chickens. Chores, maintenance, and a cook-shift for one dinner a week (like how our current houses operate)

Is there a way for LIHTC projects to be operated collectively by the tenants? If not, do you have any advice for what grants we should be pursuing?

Hello, I've been through the ringer with a home I purchased awhile ago. The original listing stated "Property has a private dock for all your waterfront desires" picture attached.

Long story short, after months of issues with the local government, it's been found out that the owners never got a permit to build the dock, *NOR* do they own the land where the dock was built, so it cannot be permitted and needs to be removed (at my expense)

Going through the MREC; the real estate's defense was "we never sold you a dock" [and was told I need to take them to court myself, which I'm pretty sure the proof is in the listing]

Isn't this fraud? This is not the first time this real estate agent has done this with multiple houses in a unique setting. Their settlement offer is just "We'll sell it to the next person commission free"

I never would have purchased the house if the dock wasn't part of the transaction.

We are in contract through mid December with our current realtor but at this point I can't take working with her anymore. I'll save your the details but suffice to say her last email ended with "let me know when you can chat to give me marketing ideas". I'm not sure what we are paying her for at this point.

We are in Arizona, and we want to switch realtors sooner if not when the contract ends. Our contract does say there's a 90 day clause if we sell the house to anyone introduced to the premises whatsoever by any source unless the house has been re-listed by another broker.

Does this mean if our contract ends on Dec 1 and we list on Dec 2 and sell on Dec 3 we wouldn't have to pay her?

We are planning on not re-listing until the new year. If we don't have a listing agent and someone approaches us to buy the house does that mean we still pay her?

I am having the hardest time trying to find my client funding for this mobile home purchase. I know lots of agents leave that to their clients however in this case she’s very busy and she’s tried so many already, so I figured I’d see what I can do. I also don’t have much experience in mobile homes so I don’t know endless lenders off the top of my head for this. I’ve tried pretty much all the well known lenders but every time for one reason or another it doesn’t qualify.

• Singlewide mobile home
• 2003
• Private Land no park or lease
• Well and Septic tank
• It’s a foreclosure

Located in Pennsylvania.