Why use only a Realtor?

Free buyer representation - Okay, okay, nearly all Realtors offer this.  But think about it. The seller pays a commission to his listing Realtor, who shares that commission with “your” Realtor. So “your” Realtor gets paid only if you buy something.  (Hmmm?)  And the more you pay for it, the more "your" Realtor makes. How much should you rely on his advice?  Lawyers, on the other hand, have a legal, fiduciary duty to act always in their client’s best interest. They get disbarred if they don’t. (See “Ethics,” below.)

Negotiating strength - It’s not just about more “clout.” Lawyers have that of course, but it’s more about offering novel solutions that Realtors can’t, solutions that appeal to both sides. Realtors are limited to a few dozen State prescribed forms for all transactions. They can’t change those forms or write new ones. If you’d like to rent a home before you buy it, and even if the seller agrees, no Realtor can help you. Or suppose you’d like to make offers on two houses, because you’d be happy with either, and maybe by offering on both you could play one seller against the other. If a Realtor does this for you, and BOTH buyers accept your offers, you’ve bought two houses! I can avoid that, plus let you make both offers with one option fee and one escrow deposit. There are countless other situations that only a lawyer can handle. Having this array of arrows in your quiver makes you a formidable house hunter!

Broader and deeper knowledge - Realtors know about physical real estate, the property itself. But their knowledge of real estate LAW is limited to what it takes to get property sold. Most have very little if any knowledge of things encountered in many real estate transactions that could affect you (or your seller, and therefore you indirectly) such as easements, restrictive covenants, building codes, separate and community property, wills and estates, corporations and partnerships, homestead, assumed names, guardianship, bankruptcy, water an mineral rights, special warranties, bills and notes, vendor’s liens, mechanic’s liens, condemnation, subordination, estoppel, landlord and tenant rights, mortgages, conflict of laws, Deceptive Trade Practices Act, Uniform Commercial Code and a hundred other things you don’t want a non-lawyer dealing with.

Ethics- Lawyers adhere to a higher ethical standard than Realtors. It’s not that Realtors are unethical, most aren’t. But because lawyers routinely deal with a much wider range of human activity than just real estate, our ethical code must be broader as well. It is, for example almost unheard of for a lawyer to represent both sides in a contested matter. Yet Realtors routinely represent both buyer and seller, even though any real estate transaction is at bottom a contested matter:  You want to pay as little as you can, the seller wants you to pay the most. How can one Realtor represent both, be a strong advocate for either one, and treat the other one fairly?  Lawyers realize they can't.  My obligation is to you.  Only. 

 I like the unusual - I have nothing against "cookie cutter" homes.  They fill the basic need of many families, and I can almost find one for you, at an excellent price, blindfolded. But I also believe there's more to a home than filling a basic need. A home should be an expression of your "Self" as much as the clothes you wear or the car you drive. When you pull into the driveway it should lift your spirits. If you want something distinctive, unusual or even unique, and a great value, we will work very well together.