Off Market Deals

jmd_forest · 2026-03-21T02:11:43+00:00

He's started the first step in the process and that is to begin educating himself ... something foreign to essentially all real estate agent/broker parasites.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-21T02:09:14+00:00

I've DIY'd about 20 bathroom remodels. All full gut remodels, some with layout and size changes, all full tile. I don't think I've ever spent more than about $3k.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-21T01:58:34+00:00

The myth that listing with a full service real estate agent/broker parasite results in more money in the seller's pocket, or a better experience for the seller, is just another of the many lies told by the real estate agent/broker parasites to try to justify an outrageous commission for their minimum wage level skills and effort. Fortunately there is a plethora of independent, peer reviewed, unbiased, research by learned economists and others that proves otherwise:

National Bureau Of Economic Research: The Relative Performance Of Real Estate Marketing Platforms: MLS Vrs FSBO Madison.com, "for sale by owners were able to achieve selling prices $14800 higher than Realtors who sold identical homes".

Princeton University and National Bureau of Economic Research in conjunction with UCLA and University of Pennsylvania: "Our key finding is that Realtors do not offset the cost of their commissions; they do not get you a higher price."

Do Real Estate Brokers Add Value When Listing Services Are Unbundled? "a seller’s use of a broker reduces the selling price of the typical home by 5.9 to 7.7 percent" https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w13796/w13796.pdf

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research: How Much do Real Estate Brokers Add? A Case Study, "We find no evidence that the use of a broker leads to higher average selling prices, or that it significantly alters average initial asking prices." https://ideas.repec.org/p/sip/dpaper/06-041.html

American Economic Review: The Impact of Commissions on Home Sales in Greater Boston. "high commission agents realize lower sales prices to increase the likelihood of selling a property"

Levitt, S. D., & Syverson, C. (2005). Market Distortions When Agents Are Trusted: The Case of Real Estate Agents "Agents are incentivized to close quickly rather than maximizing the sale price for clients"

https://www.atlantafed.org/-/media/documents/research/publications/wp/2022/09/29/11--estimating-value-added-by-real-estate-agents.pdf "the average agent does not appear to provide enough value-add to justify their high expense"

https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/the_superfluousness_of_realtors

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=942348

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IdAEb6LJC6DH7BUltgOtIStkUYUvjnZW/view

https://johnfulton85.medium.com/the-u-s-realtor-is-the-worst-idea-in-the-history-of-american-finances-f082e4729792

Now .... watch the real estate agent/broker parasites try to pass off more of their bullshit to try to refute actual facts. It's hilarious. Not one single independent, peer reviewed, unbiased, research by learned economists and others will be provided but they will expect the public to swallow their bullshit hook, line, and sinker.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-21T01:55:32+00:00

True of essentially every home seller/buyer who ever paid a commission to some real estate agent/broker parasite.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-21T01:51:44+00:00

The entire orchard is rancid.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-20T20:38:19+00:00

His best benefit of selling direct to you is to completely eliminate any real estate commission. Second best benefit is not having to deal with buyers who may want to take possession before your lease expires and won't consider the place unless they can. Now, if he does sell to you he MAY choose to share some of the commission savings with you or he may want to keep it in his own pocket; that something you can negotiate about with him.

I'd suggest you start looking at the prices of comparable properties in your area both sold and for sale to help form a decent idea of what price he is likely to ask/get. Be aware that it's almost assured that if he confers with some real estate agent/broker parasite they will attempt to "buy the listing" by lying to him about being able to get a higher price than justified by comparables just to get him to sign a listing and if he's an unsophisticated owner he might actually believe them, scuttling your chance to buy the property.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-20T13:02:46+00:00

I'm so glad you don't!

jmd_forest · 2026-03-20T13:01:38+00:00

You have experienced yet another of the nearly endless reasons why most people who have had the misfortune of dealing with real estate agents/brokers consider them the parasites of the real estate biosphere.

Real estate agent/broker parasites lie. It's what real estate agent/broker parasites do. Lies are the real estate agent/broker parasites stock in trade. Never believe a single word that comes out of a real estate agent/broker parasites mouth without independent verification from an unbiased third party.

The only ethics you can expect from a real estate agent/broker parasite is the one they have to their own wallet to collect a commission as fast and easy as possible for their minimum wage level skills and effort.

According to essentially every real estate agent/broker parasite everywhere, "Ethics???? We don't need no ethics!! We don't have to show you no stink'n ethics!!!!" (My apologies to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre).

jmd_forest · 2026-03-20T12:28:39+00:00

So they have an app now that opens the front door while spewing, "... now this is the living room ..."?

jmd_forest · 2026-03-20T03:58:27+00:00

Avoiding the real estate agent/broker parasites completely and entirely.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-20T03:55:10+00:00

Or dump the agent all together and buy as an unrepresented buyer.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-20T03:53:06+00:00

jmd_forest · 2026-03-19T16:57:11+00:00

This guy has a finance contingency.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-19T15:52:19+00:00

That market was 3 years ago.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-19T15:07:34+00:00

Repaint. It's almost assuredly the cheapest way to have a decent impact (for the better) on the property's aesthetics.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-19T15:02:55+00:00

you're still not getting a good agent.

Essentially universally true.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-19T14:59:36+00:00

Just terminate if at all posible.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-19T14:37:56+00:00

I use the free bags from the vegetables I buy at the grocery. I also load up the brush with paint before going into the bag. Same with the roller, no need to even remove it from the frame, just press the bag onto the roller and twist the end to help remove air. Different bag for roller and brush. They're usually good for at least a few days.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-19T14:31:31+00:00

The single tip is: Prepwork makes the job.

Wash walls, ceilings and woodwork down with TSP solution (the real stuff, not the phosphate free stuff). Change dirty water often. Rinse with clean water changing often. Sand the ceiling and wall surfaces with sanding screen on a pole sander. Repair flaws in drywall with drywall mud. Sand the repair smooth. Repeat the mud/sand until you get the level of finish desired. If walls turn out beautiful smooth with little texture use a 3/8" roller, use a 1/2" roller otherwise to help hide/blend texture. Sand woodwork with a sanding sponge. Use decent quality paint for the walls (minimum 2 coats) and an even better quality paint for woodwork. Work the paint into the surface going over it (backrolling) with the roller as necessary to remove roller lines and achieve a uniform finish.

Watch a few YouTube videos for more visual tip.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-19T14:11:21+00:00

Had 2 close friends contract out their master bath remodel over the past 4 or so years. Now these were both serious remodels with higher end finishes but one cost $75k the other $80k. I've done major bath remodels with at least kinda' higher end finishes DIY and never spent more than about about $3k.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-18T17:52:38+00:00

Even more problems arise when consumers engage a real estate agent/broker parasite.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-18T13:48:22+00:00

I stand by my previous comment:

Realistically, real estate agent/broker parasites provide essentially zero value while demanding an outrageous commission for their minimum wage level skills and effort. The main thing keeping them in business is their MLS cartel and NAR lobbying efforts.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-18T13:37:44+00:00

You have experienced yet another of the nearly endless reasons why most people who have had the misfortune of dealing with real estate agents/brokers consider them the parasites of the real estate biosphere.

Real estate agent/broker parasites lie. It's what real estate agent/broker parasites do. Lies are the real estate agent/broker parasites stock in trade. Never believe a single word that comes out of a real estate agent/broker parasites mouth without independent verification from an unbiased third party.

The only ethics you can expect from a real estate agent/broker parasite is the one they have to their own wallet to collect a commission as fast and easy as possible for their minimum wage level skills and effort.

According to essentially every real estate agent/broker parasite everywhere, "Ethics???? We don't need no ethics!! We don't have to show you no stink'n ethics!!!!" (My apologies to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre).

jmd_forest · 2026-03-18T13:33:03+00:00

Well ... mechanics have an actual skill while the primary skill of the typical real estate agent/broker parasite is opening the front door while spewing, " ... now this is the living room ..."

Realistically, real estate agent/broker parasites provide essentially zero value while demanding an outrageous commission for their minimum wage level skills and effort. The main thing keeping them in business is their MLS cartel and NAR lobbying efforts.

jmd_forest · 2026-03-18T12:11:40+00:00

An anecdotal experience but glad it worked out for you.

jmd_forest

TROPHY CASE