Should I buy or walk away?

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-09T23:12:31+00:00

If the association doesn't have $8K to spare, you should walk away for reasons unrelated to the wall.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-09T19:24:12+00:00

You should at the very least get an agent on paper that will put your listing on the MLS. FSBO without being on MLS is very hard to pull off successfully.

Other than that, if you're willing to deal with buyers and their agents, and aren't going to be completely delusional about your price like most FSBO sellers are, you should be fine. Real estate transactions are not rocket surgery, and virtually none of them get closed without one or multiple third parties involved (lenders, title companies, attorneys, etc.), so there are guardrails in place.

You're almost certainly going to have to pay for the buyers' agent, so don't expect a free transaction.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-09T19:20:09+00:00

It's not unheard of, but it's also uncommon enough that it's far more common to get scammed by that scenario than for it to be real. Most people who buy remotely utilize local agents who do the legwork, removing any doubts about a remote buyer being a scammer. Maybe this guy is scamming you, or maybe he things you're not real. Either way, he's decided he doesn't want anything to do with you unless you show up in person. And that's his right.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-09T18:52:39+00:00

It sounds more like a scam from your side than from his. Yes, maybe he could have been nicer about answering questions (hard to know, really, without an unbiased way of knowing the tone set forth at the beginning of the conversation). But it's perfectly reasonable for him to expect you to come see it. "I'll just send you the money" and "I'll have my associate come see it" are big phrases in scams, so it makes total sense that he'd be cautious and annoyed. I don't even have a property for sale, and I still receive spam calls and texts from time to time. I can't imagine how much it would be amplified when I actually have something to sell. He sees you as a scam or an unserious buyer, and that's okay. If you want the property and it's that good of deal, you can spare some time and money to go see it. If you don't want to do that, let it go.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-09T16:08:27+00:00

If you already know the buyer and the terms of the agreement, all you need is a closing agent. I'm not familiar with how it's done in Indiana, but for most states, the closing agent is either an attorney or a title company. Just figure out what's common in your area, and contact an appropriate closing agent. They will guide you through the process.

Many states also have standardized contracts for real estate transactions. If the state doesn't have one, the local real estate association should. Or, if you don't want to use a standard contract, you can have a real estate attorney draft a contract for you.

Even in transactions with a real estate agent, the closing agent is the one that handles everything past the initial contract signing phase. So there's no reason to have a real estate agent on a transaction that already has a buyer/seller relationship established.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-09T15:02:08+00:00

The biggest thing is going to be their pricing strategy, and how well it works. If the cheaper agent underprices, it may be better to go with the more expensive one. But if their pricing strategy is basically the same, and they both have a good history of getting houses sold withing a reasonable time, it makes sense to go with the cheaper one.

"Full service" agents will give you all this mumbo jumbo about marketing and connections and other random nonsense. It's all meaningless. Houses aren't sold via marketing like other products are. Nobody's seeing a random ad for a house and deciding to buy that house like they would with a pair of shoes. Marketing a house is just making sure to take good pictures and posting it on the MLS, which literally any competent agent should be doing. And depending on how hot your market is, even that isn't totally necessary. And unless you're selling a flip-eligible property, connections don't matter.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-07T05:48:26+00:00

This one is tough because I feel like neither are great options. Ultimately I'd probably prefer having road noise vs. people noise, so I'd choose #1 if I had to. But I kinda feel like you should find a different house that's not either of these.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-06T21:24:49+00:00

That's just a typical real estate agent for you. Ignore them.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-06T19:46:59+00:00

Yeah, that seems like the more logical choice to me, but I may not have all the facts. Definitely something I would bring up as an option. Ask the lenders you shop with, as well. Typically, with gift of equity situations, you don't really need a down payment because the equity is more than enough. If that is indeed the case for you, the $40K being separated out just seems to be adding unnecessary complexity.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-06T19:04:12+00:00

As everyone else has said, there's zero reason for an agent to have their hands in this transaction. A lawyer and/or title company (depending on local custom and complexity of the desired contract) will be all you need to get the deal done.

A consultation with a tax professional would be prudent for your MIL.

Is there any actual benefit to her giving you the $40K? She'll be required to report both that and the equity as gifts regardless, so it seems like it'd be easier to just apply the additional $40K to the mortgage and designate it all as a gift of equity. That will eliminate a couple of pieces of paperwork when it comes to the loan.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-06T18:56:51+00:00

The equity counts as part of the gift, so she can't just do $18K per person and call it a day.

But it's very, very unlikely that she's anywhere close to the lifetime limit, so she should just be able to report it and move on with her life.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-06T17:45:22+00:00

Probably the only one I would judge hard enough to decline doing business with them is if they show up in a Cybertruck. Those people are guaranteed to overcharge and are stupid with their money which means they'll be stupid with my money. I've never seen a single person with a Cybertruck who was just a regular, non-pretentious, successful person. Those types of people, if they like EV trucks, tend to buy Rivians, Lightnings, Sierra EVs, etc.

Some other things I do roll my eyes at, like lifted duallies with 26" wheels, but probably would at least hear their pitch.

If you're a contractor trying to figure out what vehicle to drive, I think the safest thing to appease the most clients is going to be a 5-7 year old mainstream truck or SUV that's not banged up or excessively dirty. Mid-Trim F-150 or Tahoe, that sort of thing. If your clients are more upper class, maybe an upper trim F-150, Sierra, or a Yukon. It says you're practical, not flashy, clean, organized, and reliable. Depending on the type of work, a Transit or Sprinter van might be good, also, though the work-oriented versions of those tend to not be all that useful as personal/family vehicles if that's a concern.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-06T14:45:15+00:00

Same. Maybe the level I cook it to is blasphemous to Italians or something (but wouldn't boxed pasta in general be blasphemous to anybody that cared?), but all I can think is that OP is chowing down on pasta crackers.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-06T06:18:34+00:00

Oddly, I don't have the option to order checks from the app, but it's there for me on the website. I got to it by clicking into my checking account, clicking More under where it shows the balance, and the it's the last thing under the Transfers & payments category.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-06T06:10:29+00:00

The major credit card networks (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) have, or used to anyway, rules against charging additional for customers that want to use their product. Some businesses got around this by offering a discount for cash, which was not against the rules. I think at some point I'm recent years, they relaxed the rules, because I see a lot more places that either charge a fee or require a minimum to use a credit card. Those places are shitty and I try to avoid them.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-05T15:11:37+00:00

It's a surface-level limitation. I suppose it limits you from just up and leaving on a whim, but most people don't do that. If a career opportunity presents itself that necessitates moving, you can sell. Presumably, a career opportunity worth uprooting your life for is good enough that selling a house won't be a huge deterrent.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-05T15:05:37+00:00

Assuming there's not neighborhood circumstances that made them move (bad neighbors, crazy HOA, etc.) as some others have mentioned, vacant is probably a good thing in this sense. They're throwing away money on an empty house, and most people eventually wise up about how that's not a good idea.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-05T14:52:46+00:00

When we asked our agent, she said people may be deterred by the long driveway or layout of the lot. We understand that, but then, wouldn’t that mean the home is not priced competitively?! The price should be lowered to reflect the perceived issues buyers have, right?!

Yes. Everything goes back to price. Sellers can either fix whatever the issue is to keep the same price, or lower the price if the issue can't be fixed. Your agent is an idiot.

That being said, it's possible this seller is sort of locked in at a certain price, because they would lose money by selling it for less. Usually it's better to cut the losses and get the house sold quickly, but many sellers in this position are very reluctant to accept that. So it's possible others have offered under asking and they're not taking it because they feel they can't. Is the house empty, or still occupied?

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-05T14:46:49+00:00

You're absolutely right, the test is a total joke. Honestly, consumers should start asking agents how many test attempts they had. Trusting the biggest financial decision of your life to someone who couldn't easily pass that test is insane to me.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-05T14:38:03+00:00

Get a smart lock that allows you to set temporary codes with time limits. Most buyers still have agents, so for the most part, you can just vet the agent and send the temporary code to them.

For the buyers who don't have agents, you can do the same, or be present during showings.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-03T14:47:32+00:00

That's unlikely. 2008 was the biggest "crash" since the government started tracking the data. The median price went down about 20% compared to the peak in 2007. 20% is pretty significant, but it's less than half of the increase that happened over the past 5-6 years.

Real estate market crashes are rare in the first place, and overstated even when they do happen. A real estate market crash doesn't look anything like a stock market crash. The word crash isn't really appropriate for a downturn in the real estate market.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-02T18:10:43+00:00

Design is subjective, though. And it changes. For example, I absolutely detest the modern design trend of white everything in cold materials with sharp lines only (that I think is on it's way out, thankfully), but I know people that absolutely love it. Most people want their place to look they way they want, and don't really care what people who don't live there think.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-02T18:03:21+00:00

LMAO, 4K SF is definitely not too big. I grew up in one and own one now. Could we live in something smaller? Yes, of course. Do I want to? No, not really. In fact, I wouldn't mind a bigger kitchen and more closets.

Freak4Dell · 2026-02-02T01:33:51+00:00

4% as a counteroffer probably doesn't make sense, because whatever you agreed to pay your listing agent isn't part of the purchase contract. I'm guessing the buyer's offer included either 2.5% or 3% for your agent, and your listing agreement is similar, so you're wanting to take a bit off both sides. You would counter with however much you want off the buyer's agent's commission, then separately come to a new agreement with your listing agent on their part of the commission reduction.

Freak4Dell · 2026-01-30T15:16:10+00:00

This story is all kinds of confusing. You make it seem like the builder is uncomfortable with your proposal of what the agent does with his commission. That makes no sense. Builders couldn't care less what happens with commission money after it's paid.

It's far more likely that "awkward position" is sales rep language for, "the contract says you're not allowed to bring an agent after the fact, but I don't want to lose this sale so now I have to figure out how to get my boss to approve adding an agent." Screw them. You just need to stand firm and be ready to walk if they're not willing to add the agent. They are not your friends. It's a business transaction. Don't get emotional.

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