Ron & Ellen Myers

"My Buyers' Agent is rude & condescending towards me. What can I do? I have already spoken to him about it but his answer is 'I have been honest/fair'. I did all the leg work in finding the perfect home. I contacted a B.A. & he showed me the home. I decided to purchase it. About a week after the offer was accepted my BA has been quite condescending and rude towards me. He speaks in circles and is very pushy. I call to ask a question & he never calls back, but tells me he is busy listing/showing other homes and to email him my question. Then never answered my question. I have been double checking everything he does twice, since there are a few things he told me that I found out were not true and could cost me more money. He is constantly calling my lender and feels that only he should be giving my lender my inspection reports. My inspector forwarded all past emails I have had with him to agent w/out my knowledge. My agent was extremely rude where it brought me to tears. It did not phase him one bit. I have contacted broker which never called back, its too late in the deal to get another B.A. What can I do?"

This question was posed to several agents asking for advice. Some of the replies: "Sue him." "Report him to the Board of Realtors." "Fire him." "Talk to his broker." (She already tried that to no avail!) Unfortunately, none of these will get the buyer through this dilemma. Just as unfortunate, rudeness is not an ethics matter - there is nothing that the Board of Realtors or the ethics panel can do. Filing a complaint might make the buyer feel a little better but it will not eliminate the problem.

The buyer cannot "fire" the agent as there is already a contract in place. At this point, it is merely a matter of getting through the process of finalizing the contract & getting it closed and doing whatever is necessary to get it back on track as painlessly as possible.

My suggestion to this buyer is to by-pass the buyers' agent & go directly to the listing agent. The listing agent has every bit as much incentive to get the deal done and see it to closing as quickly & smoothly as possible. It is my guess that, if this buyers' agent is rude to his own customer, he is most likely as much a thorn in the side of the listing agent or even more so. It may mean a bit more work for the listing agent but in the long run it gets the job done with as little stress as possible.

In the process, the listing agent will have developed a rapport with the buyer which will most likely come back to benefit him/her in the long run. You can be most certain that when the buyer is ready to sell, or has to opportunity to recommend a Realtor to his/her friends, it will be that listing agent that gets the high-five and a warning against that buyers' agent will be issued. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising and the easiest way to ruin one's reputation!

It sounds to me as though that buyers agent is in it strictly for the commission and has no interest in developing a repeat business. With that attitude he will hopefully be out of business quickly.

I love this quote from Simple Truths: "Customer Service is not a department - It is an Attitude!"

WHAT IS A SHORT SALE?

If the proceeds from the sale of a property are insufficient to repay all of the existing liens on the property (which include not just the first mortgage but also: home equity line of credit (commonly known as HELOC) or other form of second mortgage; delinquent property taxes; delinquent Homeowners/Condominimun Association fees; and/or mechanics liens) plus the standard sales closing costs and the seller cannot make up the difference with cash, then a short sale situation will arise.

Before the short sale can be finalized, the lender or lenders must agree to forgive all or a portion of the shortfall amounts such a sale would create or the seller and the lender or lenders agree to a promissory note to cover the shortfall.

THE FIRST STEP is to determine whether the sale of your property will result in a "short sale" and, if so, will the lienholder(s) agree.

Lenders look for hardships when approving a short sale transaction; however, there is no standard set of rules which the lender follows. Each situation is different and depends on the seller's individual and/or financial circumstances and the nature of the lien.

The seller does not consider, in itself, a loss of equity in the property but will consider the following as a hardship:

• Loss of job
• Illness
• Death of spouse
• Predatory lending
• Divorce
• Natural disasters
• Business failure

In addition to the hardship, the lender will also take into consideration the value of the property in relation to the balance of the loan, the status of the loan (is it in or on the brink of default?) and any other available assets of the seller. A seller does not have to be in default of the loan in order to qualify for an approved short sale but may need to prove that, if there is no action taken, default is imminent.

What does not typically qualify as a hardship is:

• A bad purchase (overpaid for property)
• Refinanced the property while the value was high and is now upside down
• Decline in the value of the property

First impressions are lasting impressions so make all first impressions count! There are many simple and inexpensive ways to make your home look model-perfect!

Begin with the exterior - what we call "curb appeal":Wasp nests, cob webs and those buggy things hanging from the eaves are very unattractive - get out the pressure cleaner! - and while you are at it, pressure clean the driveway, walkway, front porch and back patio.

• Check your landscaping: remove dead or dying plants (do not try to resurrect them - replace them!), trim hedges, add red mulch anyplace you see dirt and plant flowers for color.
• Potted plants and flowers framing your front door and placed around your back patio create charm and inviting warmth and are a very inexpensive way of decorating.
• Add a fresh coat of paint (semi-gloss or high-gloss - never flat!) to all doors and door frames - inside as well as outside. Painting your trim around the house will also give the appearance of a freshly painted house and that is something you can do yourself.
• If you like wreaths or other decorations on your front door and you have double doors, put a wreath on each door and be sure that they are identical.

Going to the interior:

• Enter your home and look around as if for the first time. Does it appear cluttered and confusing, are there things out which should not be out, are there too many knickknacks around? If the answer is "yes", put them away. Remember, less is better.
• Clean off the refrigerator - no magnets, no photos, no memos - and no fingerprints.
• Put all cleaning supplies, dishtowels, sponges, etc. away - out of sight. Polish your sink and plumbing hardware with a soft dry cloth to add shine and to remove finger prints and water marks.
• Organize the children's toys in baskets and chests instead of leaving scattered throughout the house.
• Fresh flowers and potted plants throughout add warmth and color making your house look more like a home.
• Towels should be neatly folded and placed on a rack or towel stand after use - never flung over the shower door.
• Organize your closets - arrange shoes in shoe boxes or shoe racks. Get rid of clothes that you no longer wear.
• Scented candles absorb odors and create a wonderful ambience - keep them burning. Soft background music - preferably classical but never rock-and-roll or hard rock! - also creates an inviting and comfortable atmosphere. Be sure that is is kept low to allow for normal conversation.

In summary, look, smell, listen as if for the very first time - then clean up, fix up, replace and remove.