People get paid to do this?

Okay, so we're starting to narrow down prospects for a potential home purchase near the end of this year but as I look at listings, I wonder, what exactly do these real estate agents do? I mean, don't they advise their clients to make their houses presentable for sale? That's just Marketing 101, right?

Take this house for example and note some of it's fantastic selling features:

• "Fireplace" Does the mini twin towers sculpture and plastic roses come with it?
• Here's the white picket fence with pickets spaced six inches apart. But when you look at it from the street you notice the "fence" is a single strip across a small section of the yard. Woo-hoo! That'll keep the dog from running away!
• Do the Coca Cola quilt  thingys come with the house? How about these beautiful but unidentifiable objects (the item on the right appears to be a tower that utilizes dilithium crystals to power the fireplace)?
• Finally, the "pool sized back yard" features fighting gamecock pens, a prison observation tower and a cage fighting platform.

All of this can be yours for a mere $349,900.

Comments

[mark]

You sure you don't want to wait longer? I really doubt the market has hit bottom yet? (I've heard that mortgage interest might go down steeply, in which case I'm going to try to sell out ASAP). Renting now seems like freedom.

[Garrett]

Well, we're going to begin looking 'round about Thanksgiving this year. I think we'll see another 25%-30% drop between now and then and then another 5%-10% the following year as it begins to trough for several years. But by the end of this year it makes sense to buy since it will likely be 25% or more cheaper than renting.

[Mike]

I agree. The real estate profession is an absulute joke. The reps are not required to know anything about home construction, loans or remodeling.

The Banks should work the deals since it really is their home. I think that profession is even lower than car sales.

Also, a note that you may want to take: We have always bought our homes on our own with ONLY the listing agent. Look on the internet on your own and then get the number of the listing house from the sign in the from yard. The listing agent will work harder in getting you a better deal since he does not have to split the deal with another rep. You just have to make sure you let him know that you know your stuff.