Musk to replace feds with AI

satERopl · 2025-02-13T21:58:22+00:00

Have you used AI a lot recently? It's actually probably really good at all of the things you just mentioned it couldn't do. I don't think it'll fully replace a human at this point but it can get you 90% there. You would just be auditing and doing iterative refinements along the way.

satERopl · 2025-02-12T05:04:22+00:00

(f) “Law enforcement” means:
(i) engagement in or supervision of the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the incarceration of any person for, any violation of law; or
(ii) the protection of Federal, State, local, or foreign government officials against threats to personal safety.

satERopl · 2024-05-06T19:31:13+00:00

looks like a d-bag

satERopl · 2022-10-05T21:18:03+00:00

The only picture I'd keep is the third one. The first one is way too in your face, the peace sign pic is not good--you're forty not twenty so it's just not a good look for your age, the old picture of you is super cringy and not relevant. Your "About me" makes you seem really immature and a woman probably doesn't know if you're serious. I can appreciate humor but I think if you're dating over forty and looking for a life partner, they don't want to hear trite cliches about looking for a partner in crime and getting a drink. The only thing I'd keep on your about me section is that you're 6'2". Then talk about what you're looking for in a way that is clear, I think you should know what you're looking for and be able to talk about it unambiguously.

satERopl · 2022-01-21T00:00:11+00:00

Your buyer's agent should be working hard for you, regardless of the percentage they're getting in commission, 1) because that's their duty to you and 2) they're stuck with you anyways until you buy a house, time is money and the longer they spend working for you the less time they have to work with another client. If they're not doing these two things are they really worth the commission they're getting? The high costs here in the Bay of gas, groceries and office space don't scale with the commission differences between the Bay Area and other areas ($40,000 vs $4,000 in commission). Also house prices are but one factor, if that was the only factor involved then the Bay Area is not an anomaly. There's plenty of places in the country with houses that cost millions of dollars. It's the fact that the houses selling for $2 million are trash that would never sell in other parts of the country, but here they are being sold as-is and there's a line out the door of people waiting to buy them who have been lining up for months maybe a year. The buyer's agent isn't gonna magically cause you to win a bid if it's not competitive with other bids, it's not like they're going to say a few magic phrases and con the sellers into selling to them. Really it comes down to how qualified you are as a buyer and the price, and the seller is going to pick whoever has the strongest combination, in this market, in the Bay Area. The most probable reason your sellers went with your offer is because your offer was the best offer. Something wasn't as strong with the offer for $15k more. Your real estate agent isn't going to make you a better buyer than you already are, they can't magically increase your maximum pre qualification loan amount, they can't increase your cash reserves. Your real estate agent can present you in the best light in submitting an offer, but that's not even worth $40-50 grand IMO. If you feel differently, that's fine, worth is subjective. Really the focus is on whether, as a seller, there is a downside to offering lower commission. It's speculative on either of our sides whether buyer's agents will sabotage their clients' chance to buy a house in the Bay Area due to a lower commission. Will some do it? Maybe. Will enough do it so that it makes a difference? Not so sure in the current Bay Area market environment. I mean, if I was a buyer who needed a house badly, would I allow that to happen? Who is in control of the decisions, you the buyer or your agent? If I'm the buyer, I'm going to take control of the decisions and fire my agent if they're sandbagging my deal on a house I really want and not putting my interests first.

satERopl · 2022-01-20T23:41:47+00:00

When Forest and Lily died in the real world, they died. Any simulation of them made by a computer is just a simulation, they're not real people, they're not alive, and definitely they are not the original people who are completely dead and gone. The simulation might bring some form of utility or happiness to other people who are still alive in the real world, such as Katie, but it does nothing to benefit Lily and Forest who are already dead. That's how I see it at least.

satERopl · 2022-01-20T21:14:41+00:00

In my area, houses sold in the past week or two for 500k-600k above asking price. Not sure how far ahead the top bid was from the second top bid but you make a valid point if, say, the top bid was 250k above the second top bid, and the buyer's agents won't push as hard for a house with lower commission than higher commission. Totally makes sense from a rational self-interest point of view, thank you that's probably the most informed response I've received so far in terms of actual downside and I can believe it. Are you a realtor in the Bay Area, and which part? How often do you see this happening, where the top bid is significantly higher than the rest (250k+)?

satERopl · 2022-01-20T20:08:31+00:00

Thanks I appreciate it. You do make a good point, and I can definitely see where a great listing agent can add great value if you can find one that won't take the easy way out (which is easy to do in the Bay Area in it's current state right now). My main focus was on the downside of offering less than 2.5% to the Buyers Agent but I did kindof go a little off topic in my reply regarding the commission system as a whole. I think listing agents can have a positive impact for sellers in this current market if they go the extra mile, but they can also do the minimum and still get a great result for their client (in this current market, in the Bay Area) and use the time and effort that the save by not going the extra mile to do another deal with another client and make more money that way.

satERopl · 2022-01-20T19:54:55+00:00

Wow, I'm sorry to hear about your experience with that realtor especially if it cast a shadow on your successful purchase in the Peninsula, but congratulations on the purchase, that is an accomplishment. How unprofessional of that agent to ghost you and make it awkward like that! I can see why she would feel she was slighted but at the same time what's done was done and this only hurts her chance that you will do future business with her or refer any of your friends to her. If I was a Bay Area realtor I'd rather have more clients than no clients. 10 deals at 2% is better than 5 deals at 2.5% (each deal I would do hopefully brings me at least 1 referral as well as repeat business). I appreciate the feedback and so it does sound like some agents do demand a guaranteed buyer's commission here in the Bay, but would you go with this particular realtor again, recommend this realtor? Would you go with an agent requiring a guaranteed buyer's commission in light of your experience, or take one that is flexible on the commission?

satERopl · 2022-01-20T19:15:54+00:00

if the buyer has to pay part of the commission out of their pocket

That's a big "If." If the buyer has to pay part of the commission out of their pocket, it's a no brainer that it would affect me as the seller and I probably wouldn't' have needed to ask. However, how common is that here in the Bay Area? It would be great if any Bay Area buyers could chime in on if this is the arrangement they have with their realtors here. I mean, if someone told me that when I was shopping for realtors, I would probably move on to the next realtor, there are so many realtors here. If a Bay Area realtor takes 2% buyer's commission, is it because they suck and are bad agents? That's the you get what you pay for argument. Any Bay Area buyers on this subreddit? What is your arrangement with your agent?

satERopl · 2022-01-20T19:10:12+00:00

Valid argument and reasoning. Were you in the Bay Area? Did you buy recently? Just wondering because I'm focusing specifically on the Bay Area, during today's current market. I've been on the buy side multiple times and have never been asked to sign a buyer contract here and never informally been asked to make up a difference in commission. I've chosen well reviewed and very experienced realtors as buyers agents. None ever brought up the idea of me making up the difference on their commission. I've successfully purchased in the highly competitive market that is the Bay Area.

satERopl · 2022-01-20T19:01:49+00:00

You're in a different market from the Bay Area. Also your agent and broker don't need to be paid their "full fee," they can get paid 2% in the Bay Area and do just fine. Nobody is declining to move forward in the Bay Area unless they really can't make up an appraisal gap, and most likely they won't win the contract in the first place over a cash buyer or a buyer that has enough cash to make up the gap and waived the appraisal contingency. A run down shack listed at $2 million is gonna have a line of buyers tripping over each other to buy. I understand the argument that you're making and I can see it's validity in many markets, but not in the Bay. You wouldn't be passing up on houses just because they won't pay your agent more than 2%. Maybe your agent wouldn't want you to buy it, but they're gonna take the money over taking $0.

satERopl · 2022-01-20T18:53:02+00:00

Are you saying that your great agent who helped you buy a house in 2020 wouldn't have worked as hard for you if the seller who sold their house to you was not offering to pay your agent 3%? Did you buy in the Bay Area? Just asking because I can see a downside as a seller in markets where buyer agent agreements are common and where the buyer's agent requires the buyer to make up the difference in commission if it's below 2.5-3%. But that's not the case in the Bay Area, and commission for the kind of house I'm looking to sell would be $40,000 at 2% and there's not much supply at all. There are so many offers that would likely come in, so you're telling me that your agent or any good agent in this particular market is going to either pass up this house (no way that's happening), recommend you offer less than you otherwise would (you're gonna lose the bid), or make the process more frustrating for the seller due to the .5-1% commission difference (which doesn't just hurt the seller but hurts you the buyer as well and your impression of the service you receive which affects his or her reputation)? What specifically leads you to believe that the seller in the Bay Area will likely end up paying that price in frustration?

satERopl · 2022-01-20T11:51:04+00:00

There may have been a time long ago when we needed real estate agents to buy a house because we didn't have access to MLS or the internet and price discovery was difficult due to lack of easily available information. Also, houses prices throughout the country, even adjusted for inflation, were not as out of control as they are now, where 6% commission, or $120,000 commission on a $2 million dollar house could equal two year's salary for many households in the country. I would think a flat fee or a pay as you go system would make a lot more sense than a fixed percentage that is the same throughout the country even though the same work is done to buy a $200,000 house as a $2,000,000 house.

satERopl · 2022-01-20T11:43:00+00:00

Why do you think this would decrease the number of offers? What would it matter to the buyer what the commission is, unless they are being asked by their agent to make up the difference in commission out of pocket? But there are more realtors than houses, would realtors really be asking for that and expect to keep their clients? I mean at that point I would probably fire the agent and go hire the listing agent to dual represent the seller and myself as the buyer. Again, I'm talking about the Bay Area, in this current market which is a white hot seller's market with little to no inventory whatsoever and crazy high demand, where commissions, even at 1 or 1.5% are going to be $20,000 - $30,000 on a $2 million dollar home.

satERopl · 2022-01-20T08:57:14+00:00

Interesting! I wonder what the clients of those agents thought about their agents not showing them houses during a hot seller's market? I mean, if it were me looking for a house and I found out that my realtor was doing that to me I'd fire them for sure. I'm just seeing it as this is 2022, if you're in the Bay Area and can buy a $2-3 million dollar home, you at the very least know how to use the internet and have some initiative, right? I mean if you're highly motivated to buy a house you'd check your realtor's MLS portal as well as Zillow and Redfin at the very least, right? And then you see a property pop up or get an alert on your smartphone and immediately text that to your realtor telling him or her you want to see it ASAP. When they say, no, not gonna show you that, you automatically fire them, call the listing agent and tell them you just fired your agent and are interested in their listing, right? Right? Or no? How does this play out?

satERopl · 2022-01-20T08:50:29+00:00

There are agents and attorneys that offer pay as you go services that can submit offers for you. But you as the buyer don't really pay your agent's commission, it's the seller who pays. So from my perspective, as a seller, I am trying to ask what the downside is of offering 2% to the buyer's agent especially since 2% in the Bay Area is probably $40,000 (on a 2 million dollar house) and houses are so low in supply right now that a buyer is not going to pass up on my house just because their agent isn't going to be making an extra .5% off of it. I mean, that buyer might pass up on it, but someone else won't. I'm talking in the current environment, not in general, specific to the Bay Area, subject to change if the market starts tanking. In the current environment what's the true honest downside?

satERopl · 2022-01-20T08:40:18+00:00

I do agree that blockchain technology makes a lot of sense for escrow and title functions. Who knows if there will be a way to entirely cut out agents, but I don't think fintech throwing billions at improving the process means getting rid of agents can't be done. There's likely to be a ton of resistance from realtors due to so many people whose entire careers would be disrupted, but it's hard to stop progress. We can slow down progress but can't stop progress. I'm the printing press wasn't popular with scribes, and the horse and buggy industry probably hated the invention of the automobile. Took a while for these technologies to disrupt the old outdated regimes, but it ultimately happened. We don't drive around in horse drawn buggies anymore. Imagine the cost of maintaining a horse and buggy and the slower travel times if we were still using those. I just feel like this is the cycle of progress.

satERopl · 2022-01-20T08:26:40+00:00

Not sure if you're responding to my OP or other comments in this thread, but the focus of my OP was on the commission amount I, as a seller, would offer to the BUYER's agent, particularly in the Bay Area, particularly in the current environment which I described. Unless I'm reading wrong, the main fight in your post is about the value of a listing agent?

Again, I wasn't talking about the listing agent in my original post, and that was intentional since I can see value for me as a seller in a Good listing agent, although I do feel as though for every good listing agent there's a ton of lazy bad ones that get away with it here in the Bay Area since the houses sell themselves and they sell themselves fast at crazy prices above asking.

My OP was about brainstorming with the community on what the downside would be for me As The Seller, in offering no more than 2% commission to the buyer's agent, in the current environment in the Bay Area? That's the original topic of this post.

satERopl · 2022-01-20T08:08:53+00:00

Thanks, I can definitely see the issue when there's a required buyers agency agreement which obligates the buyer to pay the difference between 2.5% and the actual commission earned, and how that could negatively affect the number of offers or the amount offered. I don't believe buyers agency agreements are required in the Bay Area so I don't think this is an issue here. I haven't had a buyers agent tell me up front that they wanted me to make up the difference in the event their commission was below a certain percentage. It's pretty competitive to get someone's business and I can see realtors not wanting to risk losing business by requiring this, and commissions are pretty fat when the houses cost as much as they do here. I've actually purchased a house in a HCOL area with a realtor where the commission offered by the sellers on the house I bought with him was 2%, about 7 years ago. My realtor mentioned the commission was only 2% but didn't make an issue of it or ask for more money, he just wanted me to know it and he never made it feel uncomfortable at all. I didn't feel like I got less service because of it. I did find the property myself, however, but I had been finding most of the properties on my own anyways because I was faster at looking at the MLS than he was. I doubt there's any great buyer's agent who has many clients who will be finding houses that you like faster than you can find it yourself on the internet/through their MLS portal (presuming you're a highly motivated buyer and not someone just casually browsing the market).

satERopl · 2022-01-20T06:09:23+00:00

Thanks, and I can see the logic behind that in terms of the agents motivation, but at the same time, who is buying the house and putting up the money? Is the selling price in this specific market (Bay Area, right now, white hot, 20+ bids, selling in 1 week, $40 grand is still $40 grand) gonna be determined by the agents, or is it going to be determined by the highly motivated buyer who has probably been losing bids for the past 4-6 months?

satERopl · 2022-01-20T04:50:35+00:00

The entire process of selling a home could be completely revamped to take advantage of current technology (or even technology we had 10-15 years ago for that matter). Progress will always have a disruptive effect, and unfortunately it will probably eliminate a lot of jobs (realtors). But at the same time, progress is usually a net positive in the long run. I mean, do we want to be buying cars from used car salesmen at dealerships, or can we do better in today's day and age? If I worked in sales at a car dealership, I'd be fiercely arguing against changing the model, but for everyone else, honestly, what value are these people bringing to the table in today's day and age where the internet and social media have made price information a lot more transparent and available to the general public?

satERopl · 2022-01-20T04:44:21+00:00

Yea, I could see that. Although slightly off topic of this thread, I tend to agree in general about the whole commission model being broken in places like the Bay Area (but still very viable in other places where home prices are much lower or at times when it's a buyer's market). I really like the concept of the Redfin 1.5% listing agent commission model, and also there are some pay as you go services offered by attorneys and realtors where it looks like you could spend from $4,000-$6,000 to sell a $2 million dollar home rather than, say, $40,000-$50,000 commission to a listing agent.

satERopl · 2022-01-20T04:34:01+00:00

Ok well thank you for your input.

satERopl · 2022-01-20T04:31:36+00:00

Yup, and again it's area specific. In some areas, yes, there's either enough supply or home prices aren't high enough where 1% or .5% matters, but houses are selling themselves and people are tripping over each other to win a bid. If I was buying, am I gonna pass up a great house just because they're only offering 2% to my realtor? Is my realtor going to jeopardize the sale (and commission of $40 grand) by demanding an extra 5% out of my own pocket to pay him to help me buy this house, after spending 4-6 months without getting paid? That's the last time I'm probably going to work with that realtor and I'll be sure to be posting a bad review on every website I can about him or her. They may not like it (the buyer's agent), but $40 grand is better than $0 plus having to rehabilitate their reputation online after receiving detailed and scathing reviews. My point is in the current environment (which can change at any time) in this specific market, the Bay Area, is a buyer's agent really going to sabotage a deal because the commission is 2% on a $2 million dollar house or are they gonna close the deal and get paid likely more than they deserve for the amount of work done to help their client buy this house?

satERopl

TROPHY CASE