Jay Ashcroft

Debbie- I would love to hear more of your situation if you care to share.

Here's a thought. Let's say you could negotiate with the seller before they showed you the house (which isn't exactly easy) and they discounted the house the 2.7% that an agent would charge and you are ready top put in an offer. Is that 2.7% discount worth knowing that you got a good deal? The convenience of having them work for you? The piece of mind that someone is in your corner?

I'm a believer that if you have the time and energy and motivation to do all of the research (so that you find the house and get a good deal by looking at comps and fighting for a good price) then maybe you can pull it off. My in-laws have never used an agent to help buy or sell and they've been through 4 houses. If you don't have the time and energy or you feel that they will do a better job and be more efficient, then spending that 2.7% is a good investment. Just make sure you have a good mortgage broker and inspector and you'll probably survive, somehow. - Fri Jul 25 2008, 13:05

Despite what some may tell you, the nice part about working with a listing realtor is you know exactly who they work for and can judge all of decisions based on that. By no means all, but shady buyers agents will see their payday above all else. That might mean getting you to close on a property rather than showing you 5-10 more. Also, if the listing agent shows you the house before you have this situation figured out the wording in them taking the listing could turn around to bite you. It doesn't hurt to have rep in that case but understand their boundaries and yours before you dive into the rabbit hole. You started in the right place!

Good Luck! - Fri Jul 25 2008, 12:31

Jason-
Thought you might enjoy a non-pro response. It sounds like you would be interested in some of the new construction south of the Minnesota River (ie Prior Lake, Rosemount, Lakeville, Shakopee). Schools are good and there really is the potential for some new constructions steals. The one thing I would be really nervous about is traffic going into downtown Minneapolis. 35W south of the river is a joke and it seems like there will always be construction near 62 and 35W. Thats why I would encourage you to also look out west. 394 really isn't that bad for traffic in and out of downtown and there is some nice new construction north and south of lake Minnetonka. Orono, Chanhassen, Long Lake, Waconia (if you would like to go that far) all have some things too offer and their proximity to some nice local amenities means they should keep their value. If you would really like to stay at or under 250K, I would also encourage you to look at the city of Minnetonka and Plymouth which have some of the best schools in the state and some nice property in your price range . You will most likely find less new construction but a lot more should line up with your criteria. I should also note that I might a little bias towards the west side but it really is a nice area. Good luck with the new position! - Jay - Tue Jul 8 2008, 14:22