Aaron Lewis

As noted earlier, there is no record of the property in the MLS at this time. What makes you suspect that it may be for sale? Does it appear to have been foreclosed on? If so, and if you are interested in that house, you may look on the front door or window to see if there is a notice about a foreclosure or eviction, etc. Sometimes that may provide some clues. Oftentimes, when I am assigned a foreclosure property I will put my contact information and an authorization notice for the utilities companies that they need before they will turn on electricity, water, gas, etc. The home might have this kind of information too. If you are a neighbor that lives nearby, you may notice if a person goes to inspect or clean up the property too. They should be able to tell you who the assigned real estate agent is too.

If all else fails, I can set up a search for you in the MLS system that looks for just that one house only, and once it gets listed I will know immediately.

Hope this helps,

Aaron Lewis
The Lewis Team
Prudential California Realty
209-633-2727
alewis@prucalifornia.com
www.weworkharder.com - Thu Jun 19 2008, 08:58

While even the best of agents don't know every street in town like the back of their hand, your frustration comes through clearly. In my opinion, the years of experience don't by themselves dictate who is competent and who is not. Rather, it's the diligence and commitment they give to their profession, to the market, and to their clients. And unfortunately, there are a very large percentage of agents who don't seem to match the expectations of the very clients that they should be guiding and representing. So I totally feel your pain. That is much of the reason I became an agent; I felt I could do a better job than the agent on my first house.

The market is changing quickly, and I'm seeing it happen right before my eyes. And I don't know if this is the answer you're looking for (and it all depends on the situation and specifics), but as an agent that frequently works as a seller's agent representing bank-owned homes, I see the kinds of offers that buyers make on my homes, and they sometimes vary widely. And I also talk to agents frequently who express their frustration to me about how their client didn't want to make a sufficiently high offer to get the house. And guess what happens? The buyer makes the offer they want to make, and they lose the house to someone else who was wiling to pay a higher price. And with prices being as low as they are right now, there are more buyers out there than you may suspect. More buyers means more competition, and more competition means more homes sell more quickly and with multiple offers and (often times) for above the asking price! This may sound strange given the constant headlines you see and hear, but it is nonetheless true. I've had five homes go into contract this week, and four of them were with multiple offers and above the asking price.

To explore the possibility of the agent just saying something to "get a higher commission." For every $10,000 higher of an offer that you may make, a typical 3% commission is $300, and that's before splitting it with the broker and paying taxes. So there's really not much incentive for the buyer's agent to get the client to bump up their offer--it may really only be another $100-$200 in their pocket. You might fear the agent is just trying to push you into the first house you see to make the commission EASY, but I doubt it's to "get a higher commission."

Then there's the possibility you really do have an incompetent or unethical agent. There are some out there--more than I'd like to admit. One of the best ways to determine that for yourself is by getting a second or third opinion, just as you might do on a health concern. (Like the time my first visit to a new dentist who told me I had 12 cavities. I got a second opinion from another dentist who said I had none at all.) That is probably the best way to put your mind at ease. I would encourage you to speak to a couple of other agents that are referred to you through friends, family or coworkers. Be upfront with those other agents and make it clear you are currently working with another agent at the time, but that you just want to hear another perspective. Once they know the sales game is off, it removes the temptation to tell you what they think you want to hear.

If you wish to contact me for a second opinion, I'd be happy to talk with you. I think we'd get along great. Just so you know, I won't be trying to win your business, as I don't have time available to take on new buyer clients at the moment. I have a great buyer's agent who works with me, but that'd be your call. I'm happy to just be a resource, because you need to put your mind at ease. A home purchase is way too big of a purchase decision for you to be struggling with this kind of doubt.

I wish you the best,
Aaron Lewis
The Lewis Team at Prudential California Realty
209-633-2727 direct
http://www.weworkharder.com - Thu May 29 2008, 22:48

As an agent, one of my favorites is Mark Harman of "The Inspector" Home Inspection Services. I have known Mark for the last several years, and he has been a consistent good performer. He finds more than you think he will, yet he knows how to prioritize which items are a real concern vs. things you should just keep an eye on. As a contractor, he also will have a good idea about cost estimating, though he won't bid out for work as that'd be a conflict of interest. He is reliable, honest, knowledgeable and straightforward.

Mark can be reached at 209-883-0162, or mark@theinspector-home.com or via his website, www.theinspector-home.com

Good luck,
Aaron Lewis
The Lewis Team
Prudential California Realty
209-633-2727
alewis@prucalifornia.com
www.WeWorkHarder.com - Fri May 2 2008, 00:57

Melanie,

Please refer to the email I just sent in response to the question you sent me. If you don't see it, please check your "BULK" folder as Yahoo! email is very sensitive to spam and my emails are sometimes re-directed to there instead of your inbox.

Aaron - Thu Apr 24 2008, 10:08

Melanie,
The first thing to know about this house is that it is currently under contract. Maybe you are the buyer? If not, then it is no longer available to other buyers unless the current contract is cancelled by either party.

The owner of record for this property is Credit Suisse. However, they are not involved at all in the sale. Rather, they have assigned the property to an asset management company that specializes in disposing of banks' foreclosure properties. In this case, the asset management company in charge of the sale is Premiere Asset Services, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo Bank. So for purposes of understanding who's calling the shots, it would be Premiere Asset Services.

Though I am not the listing agent for this property in particular, I am one of the few select agents in the area who works for Premiere Asset Services, so if there are other questions you have about this property or other foreclosures in the area, my team is happy to help you.

Premiere Asset Services - www.pasreo.com
The Lewis Team @ Prudential CA Realty - www.weworkharder.com

Good luck,
Aaron Lewis
The Lewis Team
Prudential CA Realty
209-633-2727
alewis@prucalifornia.com
www.weworkharder.com - Thu Apr 24 2008, 07:53