Hasson, Aimee

I purchased the fourth or fifth house we looked at, which is to say I was an easy client who didn't ask much of my agent. About ten months after my purchase, having encountered more than $18,000 on unanticipated repairs, I listed the market for sale (with another brokerage house). I wouldn't blame the realtor/agency for this bad luck and decision to sell (after all, I was easy) except for three extenuating circumstances: 1. My realtor never got the sellers to disclose the remodeling they had done to the house. (The sellers were flippers who did things like install a shower that wasn't to code and so didn't drain.) When I questioned my realtor about this lack of disclosure she said it was very common for flippers not to disclose their remodels--but I didn't need to worry because we would be working with inspectors. 2. My realtor then recommended (possibly) the world's worst inspectors who missed obvious problems like rotten fascia and siding (and a shower that wasn't to code). (I was making the purchase long distance and trusting in the process.) 3. When I began to have significant problems immediately after purchasing, my realtor's response was, "This has never happened before." However, I did not receive any help problem solving, or even any moral support. Conclusion: You might be OK if you work with this realtor and agency--especially if the transaction is a typical one and you are not on a budget and just want a house. Or if you pay a lot of attention every step of the way. However, if you work with this realtor and agency and should then run into problems (and not have unlimited cash reserves), you will probably wish you'd worked with another realtor/agency.